TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with Shell to exchange its 20% non-operated interest in the Gato do Mato project for an additional 3% interest in Lapa, a producing offshore oil field. Upon closing, TotalEnergies will increase its stake in Lapa to 48% (operator), alongside Shell (27%) and Repsol Sinopec (25%).
A major Norwegian oil field is taking the industry’s use of drones for safety inspections to a new level, with a permanently installed aircraft that’s operated remotely from the shore.
From a control room in Norway’s oil capital of Stavanger, pilots are performing drone inspections of the Edvard Grieg platform some 180 kilometers out at sea. The technology is a step toward fully autonomous inspections, requiring fewer workers to be sent offshore, according to its operator Aker Solutions ASA.
Launched in August 2021, this new phase called “Mero-4” will connect 12 wells to the new Alexandre de Gusmão FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) unit, with a production capacity of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). This project has been designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, with reinjection of the associated gas into the reservoir and zero routine flaring.
“The signing of the Serpang and Binaiya blocks represents a pivotal step forward in PETRONAS’ enduring commitment to fortify our oil portfolio and regional partnership, in meeting the region’s energy demand”, Petronas said. “The Serpang block presents a crucial avenue to bolster our presence in East Java – an established, high-potential basin endowed with robust infrastructure enabling timely and efficient monetization of resources. Simultaneously, the Binaiya block opens a new frontier for PETRONAS to anchor a key hub in Eastern Indonesia, alongside our Bobara block”.
South Africa’s offshore acreage, particularly in the Orange Basin, has been gaining momentum on the back of transformational discoveries in neighboring Namibia. Within South African waters, the Brulpadda and Luiperd finds in Block 11B/12B remain the most commercially significant to date, estimated to hold more than 600 million barrels of oil equivalent. While TotalEnergies has since exited the block, citing internal portfolio shifts, the company’s re-engagement with the broader South African market suggests continued belief in the basin’s long-term potential.
Subsea7 will be responsible for transporting and installing flexible pipelines, umbilicals, and associated subsea components for the connection of a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel as well as the pre-laying activities for an upcoming drilling campaign.
Canada’s Stamper Oil & Gas will acquire BISP Exploration for an indirect stake in five offshore Namibian blocks, Stamper said on Wednesday.
“This agreement marks an important milestone in XRG’s global growth strategy and builds on the strengthening relationship between the UAE and Turkmenistan. It strengthens XRG’s presence in the Caspian region, expands our resource base and reflects our ambition to be a reliable supplier of cleaner energy to meet the world’s evolving needs,” said Mohamed Al Aryani, XRG president of International Gas.
Valaris has secured a five-well contract for its drillship VALARIS DS-15 in West Africa, with work scheduled to begin in Q3 2026, the company said on Monday.
Day two of the 2025 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) took place Tuesday, May 6 in Houston, Texas. This year’s conference centers on the theme “Waves of innovation: Offshore energy excellence,” and much dialogue the second day indeed focused on the latest innovations and technology applications in the offshore sector. Another key theme that emerged throughout the day — how operators are pivoting strategies for offshore production in response to challenging times.