Drilling News

Seadrill Limited has been awarded contracts for the West Neptune, Sevan Louisiana, and Sonangol Quenguela.In the U.S. Gulf, the West Neptune was awarded a contract with LLOG Exploration. The four-month program is expected to commence in direct continuation to the current contract, adding approximately $48 million to backlog.Also in the U.S. Gulf, the Sevan Louisiana received an award from an undisclosed operator for a two-month program which is expected to commence in direct continuation to the current contract with Walter Oil and Gas.

A survey on Thursday showed that oil firms in Norway are planning to drill 18% less exploration wells next, as they focus on existing fields. This could undermine the government's aim of maintaining production from Europe's biggest petroleum producer.Offshore Norway's survey of its members shows that drilling and investment will decline next year.The survey revealed that oil companies on the Norwegian continental Shelf, such as Equinor Aker BP Vaar Energi, intend to drill 37 exploration wells by 2026.

Vantage Drilling International Ltd. reported a net income attributable to shareholders of approximately $67.2 million or $4.97 per diluted share for the three months ended September 30, 2025, based on the weighted average shares outstanding, as compared to a net loss attributable to shareholders of approximately $10.6 million or $0.80 per diluted share for the three months ended September 30, 2024.As of September 30, 2025, Vantage had approximately $197.4 million in cash, including $35.0 million in pre-funding for upgrading the Tungsten Explorer…

The Trump administration will hold an auction for drilling oil and gas off the U.S. Gulf next month and has proposed another in a waterway in southern Alaska, it said on Friday.The lease sale in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump refers to as the Gulf of America, will make about 80 million acres available. The sale, which will take place on December 10, will be the first of 30 sales in the region through 2040 that were included in Trump's tax law which he signed in July.The Gulf's offshore continental shelf spans roughly 160 million acres…

Rigs drilling beneath the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico will drive U.S. oil industry growth this year and next as onshore production slows due to lower prices and maturing shale fields, and analysts and consultants expect the trend to continue as new technology and friendly regulations attract investment offshore.The offshore oil and gas sector took a backseat to shale in recent years because drilling at sea requires years of construction work and higher upfront investments. Entry costs were lower for shale production and returns quicker, so rapid expansion in shale made the U.S.

Baker Hughes has signed a multi-year contract with Petrobras to extend deployment of its Blue Marlin and Blue Orca stimulation vessels, supporting offshore oil and gas production in Brazil’s post and pre-salt fields.The award, which followed an open tender, also covers the supply of associated chemicals and services.The vessels will deliver advanced chemical treatments to maximize production in brownfield and greenfield wells, and support well construction through gravel pack and frac pack operations.Baker Hughes said Blue Marlin and Blue Orca combine trained crews with onboard laboratories…

Egypt has signed four agreements with international firms worth more than $340 million to explore oil and gas in the Mediterranean and Nile Delta, the Petroleum Ministry said on Saturday.The deals, signed by the state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), provide for the drilling of 10 wells as part of the ministry's efforts to boost exploration and production.Egypt, once a regional exporter, has increasingly turned to imports to meet rising domestic demand as output declines from aging fields and investment lags in new ones.Gas production in May was 3,545 million cubic metres, do

The First Steel Cutting ceremony took place at Saipem’s Karimun fabrication yard, marking the official start of construction activities for the Tangguh UCC project, awarded by bp Indonesia.The event was attended by representatives of the client, local and national government bodies, together with key members of Saipem’s management team gathered to celebrate this significant milestone achievement.The Tangguh UCC project, located in Papua Barat province, Indonesia, is a national strategic project that includes the development of the Ubadari gas field…

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a development program framework agreement with Noble Corporation, marking a key step forward in the co-development of advanced marine technologies for the offshore drilling sector.The long-term strategic partnership will focus on the joint development, piloting, and commercialization of innovative solutions aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, risk assessment, and sustainability in offshore operations.The first pilot project under this agreement will be launched later in 2025 on the drillship Noble Sam Croft…

Borr Drilling’s Board of Directors has reached a unanimous decision to appoint Bruno Morand as successor to CEO Patrick Schorn, effective September 1, 2025.Schorn will become Executive Chairman of the company’s Board of Directors, while current Chairman Tor Olav Trøim will continue to serve as a Director of the Board. Additionally, current Director Dan Rabun (former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Ensco plc) will become Lead Independent Director.The moves aim to ensure…

The Republican governor of South Carolina appealed to the Trump administration on Monday to leave his state out of an impending plan to increase offshore oil and gas production.The letter comes as the administration wraps up a 45-day request for public input into a federal offshore oil and gas leasing program that could include new zones in the Arctic and elsewhere to maximize domestic energy development.The current five-year plan, developed by the administration of former President Joe Biden, includes just three sales of oil and gas development rights in the Gulf of Mexico.

In the coming years, grid operator TenneT will bring wind energy from the sea to land on the Maasvlakte. To enable the landing of these electricity cables, contractor NRG started six drillings under the dunes May 26. Three more will follow after the summer. In recent days, NRG has made the necessary preparations both inside the dike and on the beach. The electric drill is making a horizontally directional drilling over a distance of approximately 200 meters towards the beach.

Wage talks involving some 7,500 oil drilling workers in Norway broke down on Wednesday, employers and three labour unions said, raising the risk of strike action later this year that could disrupt exploration.The talks between the Norwegian Shipowners' Association (NSA) and the Safe, Styrke and DSO labour unions will resume at a later unknown date with a state-appointed mediator."Unfortunately it was not possible to reach an agreement," NSA lead negotiator Geir Sjoeberg said in a statement.Under Norway's tightly regulated collective bargaining system…

Texas-based subsea oil and gas equipment supplier Trendsetter Engineering has marked the first deployment of its Trident 20,000 psi (20K) intervention system at Beacon Offshore’s Shenandoah project in the Gulf of America.The Trident 20K intervention system was deployed from Transocean’s Deepwater Atlas drillship for a two-well flowback operation at the deepwater Shenandoah project.Trendsetter wet-hopped the Trident 20K system between wells, significantly reducing operational costs and saving the client several days of critical path rig time.

U.S. offshore producer Beacon Offshore Energy expects first oil from its Shenandoah floating production system in June, a company executive said on Tuesday.The floating production unit, which is expected to produce 120,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), was in the final stage of being hooked up and commissioned, Michael Clarke, Beacon's vice president of deepwater developments, said at a conference in Houston.The Houston-based privately held company is also looking to sanction the Shenandoah South discovery…

The offshore rig market recovery appears to have taken a pause, with demand tapering off and marketed utilization hitting the lowest levels recorded since recovery began in 2021. A variety of factors have contributed to this – including Saudi Aramco’s suspension of over 30 jackup contracts by up to one year, the entry of newbuild rigs into the market without work to go to, and the deferment of several long-term deepwater drilling and plug and abandonment projects.The unexpected…

The seventh generation Atlantic Zonda drillship, managed by Ventura Offshore Midco, has started operations for Petrobras under a three-year drilling contract.The Atlantic Zonda is managed by Ventura Offshore through marketing and operating agreements with the rig owner, Eldorado Drilling, and the company will earn its management fees and reimbursable revenues from these agreements.Following the delivery of the Atlantic Zonda from Samsung shipyards, contract preparations were carried out in Singapore…

The U.S. Interior Department on Friday said it would begin taking public input for a new five-year offshore oil and gas leasing program that could include new zones in the Arctic and elsewhere to maximize energy development.President Donald Trump has ordered government agencies to identify ways to increase already record high U.S. oil and gas production, arguing past administrations had unnecessarily curtailed drilling to combat climate change. He had also repealed former President Joe Biden’s efforts to block oil drilling in the Arctic and along large areas off the U.S.

Saipem has signed a renewal for its framework agreement with Saudi Aramco. The Long-Term Agreement (LTA) now extends until the end of 2027.With the renewal of the LTA, Saipem is reconfirmed in the exclusive list of contractors selected by Saudi Aramco who are eligible to bid for work orders, known as CRPOs (Contract Release Purchase Orders). These contracts may relate to both the construction of new investment projects and any projects aimed at maintaining production capacity from Saudi Arabia’s offshore fields.Should Saipem be awarded contracts for activities within the Kingdom under the LTA…

Hanwha Ocean has held a naming ceremony for its high specification ultra-deepwater drillship Tidal Action, signaling its official entry into the deepwater drilling industry.The Tidal Action is built on Hanwha Ocean’s proprietary design and is capable of drilling at depths of up to 12 kilometers in waters as deep as 3.6 kilometers.The drillship is also equipped with a dynamic positioning system for a stable station keeping and ready to accommodate 20,000 psi blowout preventers for enhanced safety and operational efficiency.In February 2024…

BP is exploring the sale of minority stakes in two of its most valuable Gulf of Mexico oil projects — Kaskida and Tiber — as the energy giant recalibrates its strategy to prioritize oil and gas, according to two sources familiar with the matter.The potential divestments could involve selling up to 50% of each project, which are estimated to be worth billions of dollars, the sources said. Discussions are still in the early stages, and a formal sales process may launch later this year.The move comes as BP retreats from an earlier pivot toward clean energy…

Petrobras is looking at potential opportunities in Argentina while advancing in projects in Colombia and Africa, the firm's exploration and production head Sylvia dos Anjos said on Tuesday.Gas from the Vaca Muerta region would be interesting to Petrobras as a pipeline connecting Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil could be used to transport it, Anjos said on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.She added the firm could also look for oil opportunities in Argentina, as…

The cancellation of a license for Chevron to operate in Venezuela could lead to the negotiation of a fresh agreement between the U.S. producer and state company PDVSA to export crude to destinations other than the United States, sources close to the talks said.U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he was reversing the license, accusing President Nicolas Maduro of not making progress on electoral reforms and migrant returns.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said…