May 23, 2013 - HRT and Galp Energia, participants in Petroleum Exploration Permit 23 (PEL23), announced a non-commercial oil discovery at the Wingat prospect offshore Namibia. Wingat-1 was drilled by the Transocean Marianas (DW semisub) to a total depth of 16,404-feet. The well was designed to test the resource potential of an Albian aged carbonate platform which was determined to be much less developed than expected. Well data aided in the identification of two well-developed source rocks which proved to be rich in carbon and within the oil-generating window. Discovery of the active source rocks, along with oil shows, increases the potential of other prospects within the basin. The drilling program calls for the rig to mobilize within the license to HRT's Murombe prospect.

May 1, 2013 - Cobalt International is preparing to spud two deepwater exploration wells in Blocks 20 and 21 offshore Angola. The company reports the Diamond Offshore Ocean Confidence (UDW semisub) has mobilized to the Mavinga-1 location in Block 21 to test the pre-salt prospect. In Block 21, Petroserv's SSV Catarina (UDW semisub) is expected to spud another pre-salt well, Lontra-1, within the next month. Cobalt hopes to report the results from both wells in the second half of 2013. The company owns a 40 percent operating interest in each block.