ExxonMobil is planning a new drilling campaign in Guyana’s Stabroek block and has filed a project summary with Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency for the Hammerhead development project. The US oil major operates the Liza Phase 1, Liza Phase 2, Payara, Yellowtail, Uara and Whiptail developments. If deemed feasible and economically viable, Hammerhead could see up to 30 wells operating, potentially adding between 120,000~180,000 barrels per day (b/d) production capacity with production pegged for 2029.
The project will include a floating production unit, converted from a very large crude carrier, capable of storing 1.4 to 2 MMboe. This unit will be located 15 km southwest of ExxonMobil’s Liza Destiny FPSO. The company also plans to drill the Haimara-3 appraisal well on the Stabroek block, following up on the Haimara discovery first announced in February 2019. Two appraisal wells have already been drilled: Haimara-1 encountered around 207 feet of gas-condensate bearing sandstone reservoir and Haimara-2 was drilled from September to October 2023. Drillship Noble Sam Croft will be deployed for the Haimara-3 campaign. Noble Sam Croft is one of five drillships contracted to ExxonMobil in Guyana and is currently contracted into Q2 2027.
Kuwait Oil Co (KOC) announced a major discovery of light oil and gas at the Al-Nokhatha offshore field. KOC, a subsidiary of state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC), pegs the estimated total hydrocarbon reserves at about 3.2Bn barrels of oil equivalent. The field is located east of Kuwait’s Failaka Island and covers an estimated area of 96 km², according to KPC. In a statement to state news service Kuwait News Agency, KOC said preliminary estimates put the quantities of light oil at 2.1Bn barrels and 5.1Tn ft3 of gas respectively. KOC stated the first phase of drilling at the field includes six exploration wells, with subsequent stages to be determined based on drilling results.
The Al-Nokhatha well currently produces about 2,800 barrels of light oil and 7M m3 of associated gas.
The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has granted Equinor and Aker BP consents for exploration drilling. Aker BP secured consent for exploration drilling in block 6506/6 in the Norwegian Sea located in the Aker operated PL 1008. The water depth at the site is 396 m and the well will be drilled with Saipem’s Scarabeo 8 semi-submersible.
State-owned Equinor will drill the 35/11-30 S Rhombi well with Odfjell’s semi-submersible rig Deepsea Atlantic. Rhombi is located in the Equinor-operated production licence (PL) 090. The consent also includes an option for drilling of sidetrack 35/11-30 A. Vår Energi and Inpex Idemitsu Norge serve as Equinor’s partners in the same production licence.
Equinor also secured consent for exploration drilling of well 6608/10-R-2 H in the Løvemeis prospect in the Norwegian Sea. The well is located in PL1013 will be drilled with Transocean Encourage. And earlier this month, the Dutch arm of Oman-based Petrogas reported first gas production from a field in the Dutch North Sea. Petrogas E&P Netherlands and its partners EBN, Rockrose and TAQA Offshore, announced the gas production from the first well on the B10 platform on 6 July.
Contracts and rig moves
Ahead of its new contract with Equinor, the Deepsea Atlantic semi-submersible will undergo its special periodic survey (SPS) at Coast Centre Base in Ågotnes. The rig is expected to receive multiple upgrades to prepare it for a planned deepwater campaign in the UK, including an increase of the variable deck load capacity and installation of an ultra-deepwater BOP and control system. Following the completion of yard works, the rig is expected to return to Norwegian waters.
Equinor’s Brazilian subsidiary has awarded Valaris a long term deal for the DS-17 drillship beginning H1 2026.
DS-17 will be deployed offshore Brazil on the Raia project. The contract has a total duration of 852 days with a 672-day drilling programme and is valued at US$498M, inclusive of managed pressure drilling, additional services and fees for mobilisation and minor rig upgrades. Valaris said the rig will be on standby for roughly 180 days between the end of the rig’s current programme and the beginning of the operating period. During the standby period, the rig may be available for work both inside and outside Brazil.
Located in the Campos basin, in the pre-salt region, Raia is one of Equinor’s most significant gas projects in Brazil under development and contains over a billion boe in recoverable natural gas and oil/condensate. Repsol Sinpoec Brazil (35%) and Petrobras (30%) have significant stakes in the project. Drilling contractor Noble Corp revealed its jack-up Noble Resolve has secured a one-well deal from Central European Petroleum (CEP) in the Wolin Concession. This will be Noble Corp’s first drilling campaign offshore Poland. Poland’s Environment Ministry granted CEP exclusive rights to explore and develop the hydrocarbon resources in the 593 km2 Wolin Concession. The one-well campaign begins in October 2024, in direct continuation after Noble Resolve’s SPS. The contract will last 45 days at a day rate of US$140,000/day.
ADES has secured a 10-year contract extension for Ardmarine 657, a jack-up in Saudi Arabia, commencing immediately upon the expiration of its current contract term with Saudi Aramco in Q3 2024. Total backlog for the 10-year contract is estimated at SAR1,317M (US$351M). 1980-built Admarine 657 was acquired by ADES in June 2018 and began its current contract in Q1 20219. The rig was previously owned by Nabors Industries and was named Nabors 657. Diamond Offshore has secured a contract with BOE Exploration & Production, a subsidiary of Beacon Offshore Energy, for the drillship Ocean BlackRhino. The unit is currently contracted with Woodside Energy offshore Senegal, with the contract expected to conclude next month.
Diamond Offshore intends to deploy the vessel in the US Gulf of Mexico for a minimum of 180 days with a total contract value estimated at US$89M. The contract includes two additional options. The unit has two contracts listed before the Diamond contract. Ocean BlackRhino will move to Guinea-Bissau for a one-well contract with Apus Energy. Following that, the unit will head to a shipyard for its five-year SPS to install a managed pressure drilling system before starting a 30-day contract in Cote d’Ivoire.
Source: rivieramm.com