Drilling contractor Hercules Offshore has sold two of its jack-up drilling rigs for a total of $130 million. Hercules British Offshore, a subsidiary of Hercules Offshore, on Friday, December 2 entered into an agreement with Magni Drilling for the sale of two, 2013-built, jack-up drilling rigs, Hercu
Oil giant BP has started drilling on a potential carboniferous gas play in southern North Sea block 43/26a. BP said on Monday that, if successful, the gas play could open up a new phase of development in the region. The well, being drilled with partners Perenco and Premier, will test the potential o
Drilling contractor Songa Offshore has informed that its Cat D rig Songa Enabler will go on a suspension period in late December. The driller announced in late October that Statoil would suspend the Songa Enabler contract once the rig completed operations on a well on the Snøhvit field in the Barent
Following a force majeure declared in October 2016, oil company Tullow Oil has terminated a drilling contract it had with Seadrill Partners for an offshore drilling rig in Ghana. Seadrill Partners, the offshore driller, said Friday it had received a notice of termination from Tullow Oil Ghana for th
Norwegian oil company Statoil has started production drilling on the Mariner field in the UK North Sea. Statoil said on Friday that up to five wells will be drilled before the Mariner A platform hook up and commissioning activity starts next summer. First oil is expected to be produced from Mariner
GustoMSC, a Dutch company providing engineering and design services for international offshore energy companies, has unveiled its new Scylax drillship design. GustoMSC said on Tuesday that Scylax was designed to make developments available in the mid to deepwater market by providing fit-for-purpose
Offshore Energy Today has interviewed Liz Tysall Senior Offshore Rig Analyst of Rystad Energy, an energy intelligence group based in Norway. The interview follows a recent report by Rystad on offshore drilling market, floating rigs, in particular. The interview itself focuses on the floaters market,
UK-based oil and gas company Hurricane Energy has exercised its option over the semi-sub rig Transocean Spitsbergen to drill the Halifax prospect off the Shetland Isles. The option was exercised on November 25, 2016. According to the rig contract amendments entered into with Transocean, the oil comp
Norwegian oil company Statoil has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to drill an appraisal well at Johan Sverdrup field, offshore Norway, with the Deepsea Atlantic rig. Statoil is the operator of the Johan Sverdrup field, in the North Sea, around 140 kilometers west of Stavan
Ensco-owned jack-up drilling rig Ensco 72 has completed its Special Periodic Survey (SPS) and left the yard, Semco Maritime, a project engineering company, reported through its social media channels on Thursday. Semco Maritime further said that, for the last two months, the company has been the main
Norwegian offshore safety watchdog the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has launched an investigation into a fire which broke out in an engine room on the Scarabeo 5 drilling rig on November 22, 2016. The rig is working on the Statoil-operated Njord field in the Norwegian Sea. There were 106
Irish oil and gas exploration company Providence Resources has signed a contract for the Stena IceMAX drillship to drill at the FEL 2/14 license off Ireland and set a spud date for summer 2017. The Frontier Exploration Licence (FEL) 2/14 drilling project lies in c. 2,250 meter water depth in the sou
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted Statoil Petroleum a drilling permit for well 6608/10-17 S, offshore Norway. The well 6608/10-17 S will be drilled from the Deepsea Bergen semi-submersible drilling rig built in 1983 and owned by Odfjell Drilling. The drilling program for well 660
Italian oilfield services provider and drilling contractor Saipem is looking into the cause of the engine room fire aboard its offshore drilling rig in Norway on Tuesday. To remind, the fire broke out on Saipem’s Scarabeo 5 semi-submersible drilling rig which is employed on the Statoil-run Njord fie
