Mar 11, 2010 - Subsea 7 completed the installation of a 13.48-mile (21.7-kilometer) long/12-inch-diameter rigid pipeline connecting the subsea production trees at the Henry-2 and Netherby fields together with four rigid spool pieces. Also included in the scope of work was the installation of a 13.67-mile (22-kilometer) long electro-hydraulic umbilical from Casino-4 to Pecten East locations. The contract was awarded in August 2009, and the project's work scope required for the Henry and Netherby fields to be tied-back to the Casino field. The project is located on licenses VIC/P 44 and VIC/L 24 in waters measuring 184 to 236 feet (56 to 72 meters) off Victoria's coast. Santos Limited operates the project.

Mar 11, 2010 - Petrobras awarded a contract to Jurong Shipyard to perform pre-conversion work on the MT SUVA, a VLCC, which will be renamed P-62 FPSO. The scope of work includes renewing the hull structure steel, fabricating and installing new steel work, blasting and painting, renewing, fabricating and installing piping, and supplying new equipment and refurbishing the vessel. The work is scheduled for completion in 2Q11. P-62 will be used in the fourth phase of the Roncador field and will have the capacity to process more than 180,000 bopd, and inject more than 250,000 bopd. Petrobras wholly owns and operates the field, which is located 78 miles (125 kilometers) offshore Brazil.

Mar 11, 2010 - Weatherford will provide pre-commissioning services on the Urugua-Mexilhao pipeline in the Santos Basin, offshore Brazil. To connect the Cidade de Santos FPSO to the Mexilhao gas platform, Weatherford will link an 18-inch-diameter, 108-mile (174-kilometer) long gas pipeline to the facilities. Weatherford will then fill, test, dewater, condition and perform an inspection of the pipeline, along with onshore preparation operations. The work will be completed in 2010. Petrobras serves as the operator of the Urugua field, located on Block BS-500 in 4,501 feet (1,372 meters) of water.

Mar 10, 2010 - RWE Dea and the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore and develop the Nakhichevan structure in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. In 1997, ExxonMobil signed a contract with SOCAR to explore the prospect, but abandoned the effort four years ago after failing to find commercial resources. According to government estimates, the prospect is anticipated to hold 300 billion cubic meters of gas and 40 million metric tons of gas condensate. Nakhichevan lies about 56 miles (90 kilometers) south of Baku in the Caspian Sea at a depth of 1,312 to 1,969 feet (400 to 600 meters).

Mar 10, 2010 - The Sapphire Driller jackup is on location offshore Gabon at the Ebouri platform to drill four wells: Ebouri 4H, Ebouri 3H, SE Etame and Etame 7H. Drilled as a horizontal development well on the Ebouri field, the Ebouri 4H well is intended to establish additional production while testing a deeper horizon and potential developmental locations. The Ebouri 3H horizontal workover will replace two electrical submersible pumps and return the well to optimal production of 3,000 bopd. The jackup will then move 9 miles (14 kilometers) to drill an exploration well to evaluate the Gamba and the deeper Dentale sandstones. A horizontal development well will then be drilled on the Etame field with the goal of adding production of roughly 4,000 bopd. VAALCO Gabon Etame Inc. operates the Ebouri and Etame fields, holding a 28.07% interest.

Mar 9, 2010 - The A-6 well in Ship Shoal Block 201 in the Gulf of Mexico tested at a restricted rate of 10.4 MMcf/d and 423 bopd. A-6 reached a total depth of 13,341 feet (4,066 meters) encountering 65 feet (20 meters) of true vertical thickness pay in its primary objective. The find is estimated to hold net proved reserves of 5.615 MMcf of natural gas and 171 Mbbls of condensate together with net incremental probable reserves of 951 MMcf of natural gas and 29 MMbbls of condensate. The well was drilled from the Ship Shoal 202 A platform, which will allow for rapid commencement of production (as early as 2Q10). Ship Shoal 201 is located 125 miles (201 kilometers) offshore Louisiana in roughly 102 feet (31 meters) of water. Leed Petroleum wholly owns and operates the well.

Mar 9, 2010 - The Steering Committee for the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) development made a US $6 billion final investment decision for the new Chirag oil project (COP). The COP will include a new installation located in the Chirag-Deep Water Gunashli (DWG) area of the ACG field in water depths measuring 558 feet (170 meters). The facility is a single production, drilling and living quarters platform that will be integrated with the existing DWG facility by marine pipelines importing reservoir injection water and exporting produced water for disposal. The COP project is expected to allow for the recovery of an additional 360 million barrels of oil from the ongoing development of the ACG field. First production is expected in late 2013. The ACG oil field is located in the Caspian Sea, 75 miles (120 kilometers) offshore Azerbaijan. BP serves as the operator of the project.

Mar 9, 2010 - Under a rig assignment agreement with Anadarko, Cobalt will use Diamond Offshore's Ocean Monarch semisub to drill its North Platte-1 exploratory well. The assignment is expected to commence around May 1, 2010, and Cobalt has an option to use the rig to drill a second well. Situated in a water depth of 4,843 feet (1,476 meters), the North Platte prospect lies on Garden Banks Blocks 915, 958 and 959 in the Gulf of Mexico. Cobalt is the operator, holding a 60% interest; Total holds the remaining 40% interest.

Mar 9, 2010 - Statoil has increased its working interest to 21.5% in the Chevron-operated deepwater St. Malo project by exercising preferential rights resulting from the proposed sale of Devon's share in the development. Later this year, the project will be sanctioned along with the nearby Jack field, and the joint development is scheduled to come online in 2014. The St. Malo field is located on Walker Ridge Block 678 in a water depth of 2,100 feet (640 meters).

Mar 9, 2010 - Talisman received approval from PSA to conduct exploratory drilling on well 9/2-11 in the southern North Sea using the Transocean Winner semisub. The well is located in PL 316 DS in a water depth of 328 feet (100 meters). Drilling is expected to start in March 2010 and will last for roughly 40 days. Talisman Energy is the operator of the production license, holding a 40% interest; Lotos Exploration and Production holds 20%; Bridge Energy holds 20%; Wintershall Norge holds 10%; and Norske holds the remaining 10% interest.

Mar 9, 2010 - FMC Technologies will manufacture and supply subsea production equipment for the development of the Marulk field. FMC's scope of work includes manufacturing two subsea trees, one manifold, one template, subsea control modules and associated topside controls and connection equipment. Initial equipment deliveries are scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2011. Marulk's initial field development consists of two wells tied-back to the Norne FPSO. The satellite field is located in the Norwegian Sea and is operated by Eni.

Mar 8, 2010 - Dana announced two gas discoveries were made in the West El Manzala Concession in the Nile Delta, Egypt. The first discovery, El Panseiya-1, encountered 36 feet (11 meters) of net gas pay in the Kafr El Sheikh formation and produced roughly 10 MMcf/d of dry gas. Dana estimates the find holds roughly 8 to 13 Bcf of recoverable reserves. South Faraskour-1, the second discovery, encountered 66 feet (20 meters) of net pay in the Abu Madi formation and 5 feet (1.4 meters) in the Kafr El Sheikh formation. The discovery well tested 16.3 MMcf/d of gas with condensate. The preliminary estimate of recoverable reserves for this find is 27 to 57 Bcf of gas with associated condensate. Both discoveries are planned to be tied-back to the nearby El Wastani gas processing plant by the end of the year.

Mar 8, 2010 - Oil production from the Cascade/Chinook development is expected to commence in mid-2010, reiterated Petrobras Chief Executive Jose Sergio Gabrielli. The Chinook FPSO should come online in June or July 2010. The joint development is located in the Gulf of Mexico in waters measuring 8,202 to 8,825 feet (2,500 to 2,690 meters). Petrobras operates the project.

Mar 8, 2010 - A permanent pipeline export route from the West Don field to the Thistle platform and onwards into the Brent Pipeline system for delivery was completed, and export commenced. Completion of this route has allowed for production to start from the sidetrack Area 22 well, which has performed as expected, reaching initial flow rates equivalent to more than 15,000 bopd. Previously, oil production from the two fields, Don and Don Southwest, was delivered via shuttle tankers loading from a SAL mooring system. Additionally, water injection into the Area 5 well on the Don Southwest field has also commenced. West Don is located on UK Blocks 211/13b and 211/18a in a water depth of 499 feet (152 meters). Petrofac, the operator, owns 28% of the field.

Mar 8, 2010 - Aker Solutions received a $41 million contract from Petrobras to supply sulphate removal systems with associated equipment. The systems will be installed on the topsides of the P-58 and P-62 FPSOs. The removal units will treat and de-sulphate seawater for injection into the reservoir to maintain pressure, and control scaling and scoring effects in the reservoir. Aker will also provide detailed engineering, procurement, and fabrication of major equipment, commissioning and start-up. Both FPSOs will have a production capacity of 180,000 bopd; P-58 will operate on the Parque das Baleias (Baleia Azul) field and P-62 will operate in module 4 of the Roncador field offshore Brazil. First oil is scheduled for 2014.