Total plans Congolese exploration well this year
Woodside has said there is a one-well commitment on the licence, due by the end of 2025.
Offshore
Ghana approves Pecan FPSO plan, AFC heads for FID
The former owner will be on hand to provide technical support, said Pecan Energies CEO Eiliv Gjesdal. Previously, he was CFO for Aker Energies.
TotalEnergies wins WoodMac exploration gong for Venus find
Latham said the industry admired “operators who can not only open new frontiers, but also find large volumes of advantaged resources. TotalEnergies recent efforts and discoveries have been excellent examples of both trends.”
Springfield lines up cash for unitised Afina plan
Springfield is in conflict with Eni over this field. Springfield drilled the Afina discovery in November 2019.
China’s CNOOC plans offshore oil, gas exploration in Tanzania
“There is also an agreement in the works” between Tanzania and Cnooc to do seismic studies in unassigned blocks before a licensing round next year, Makamba said by phone from China on Wednesday after talks with senior officials at Cnooc.
Africa Oil refinances, but local concerns continue at OML 130
Africa Oil bought a 50% stake in Prime in January 2020 for $519.5mn. It has taken $712.5mn in dividends from the company, recovering its investment in under three years.
WoodMac hails Total’s shallow-water find as biggest in a decade
“However, there are challenges. Nigeria is not known for short lead-times, particularly where JV projects are concerned."
Total scores Nigeria discovery, eyes Ofon tie-back
Total began producing at Ofon in 1997. It started up a second phase, which brought an end to gas flaring and increased capacity to around 100,000 barrels per day, from 50,000 bpd, in 2014.
Perenco adds four wells at Boatou
Perenco has started up four new wells in Congo Brazzaville, on the Boatou permit.
Antler Global wins Equatorial Guinea block
Equatorial Guinea has offered the block before, via licence rounds, including during the 2019 offer. The area is to the east of Bioko island, north of Chevron’s Alen and Aseng fields.
Eco seeks deals to unlock drilling, with Orange Basin focus
“We have a very strategic position in the basin,” Eco CEO Gil Holzman said this week. “Block 3B/4B is exactly on trend with Graff and Venus”, Shell and Total’s finds respectively.
GNPC under fire for PetroSA plans, decom contract
The Prempeh letter was reported as saying that the offer to PetroSA was “scandalous” and that GNPC chairman Freddie Blay should “cease and desist immediately” from such offers. Blay had “totally ignored the wider interests” of Ghana, the minister said.
Total sets out drilling plans for South Africa’s Orange Basin
The Department of Mineral Resources (DMRE) accepted the scoping report on March 24.
Azule issues tenders for subsea work at PAJ
Azule signed the main contracts for the Agogo project on Block 15/06 in February. It awarded riser and flowline supply to TechnipFMC, while Subsea 7 won transportation and installation work.
Shell sees off Bonga case at Supreme Court
“The claimants’ lawyers spent five years and eight hearings to pursue this matter, disregarding the court’s time and costs. With no further right of appeal, this judgment brings an end to the claims here in England," a Shell representative said.
Afentra completes INA deal, eyes on Sonangol next
The licence extension was a condition for Afentra’s deal with Sonangol. The company agreed in April 2022 to pay $80mn for a 20% stake in Block 3/05. At the time, Afentra said it expected the deal to complete in the third quarter of 2022.
Big fields get bigger: Kosmos focuses on Jubilee near term
“The first well in the main field is starting up shortly. The build up to 110,000 bpd is clearly laid out and the activity set is on plan. The well rates are consistent – and slightly ahead of pre-drill estimates.”
Galp signs up rig for Orange Basin test
The Hercules is undergoing a special survey in Norway ahead of mobilisation to Canada. After Canada, it will re-cross the ocean and head to Namibia.
BP dishes out subsea work on Egypt’s Raven infill
The alliance will provide engineering, transport and installation of approximately six km of flexible pipes, umbilical and associated subsea structures. The company will carry out the work in water depths of around 800 metres.
Total plans out seventh FPSO for Angola
US-listed Cobalt International Energy initially explored the blocks. Total bought into the assets in 2019 from Sonangol, following Cobalt’s bankruptcy.
Impact raises cash to stay in the game offshore Namibia
Total spudded the Venus-1A well on March 4. It will also re-enter the original discovery and test both wells.
Expro settles Frank’s historic Angola bribes issue
Frank’s was private until August 2013. It continued to pay bribes after going public, the SEC said. While public, the company won another five contracts while using its sales agent.
Ghana volumes slide, with drilling delayed and Eni waiting
PIAC reported that total petroleum revenues to the government reached $1.43 billion in 2022, the highest on record. However, production declined to 51.76 million barrels in the year, around 142,000 barrels per day, down 6% from 2021.
Minister urges Nigeria to end fight with Eni, Shell over lucrative block
A senior Nigerian minister urged the country’s president to end a long-running dispute with Eni and Shell to allow the companies to finally develop a prized deepwater oil licence.
Aker Energy submits Pecan plan, sells out to AFC
Amoah said the company had faced “significant challenges” at its project. “We have shown once again our resilience and unflinching commitment to the project."