Drilling

News
February 03, 2026
Akrake Petroleum has completed drilling of the AK-2H horizontal production well at the Sèmè field offshore Benin, encountering oil-saturated sandstone with no water contact and reservoir quality in line with expectations.
News
January 28, 2026
Noble has completed the $360-million sale of five premium jackup rigs to Borr Drilling, reshaping both companies’ offshore portfolios. The deal expands Borr’s fleet to 29 rigs while allowing Noble to retain near-term operational exposure through charter arrangements.
News
January 28, 2026
Africa is expected to remain the world’s most active region for high-impact oil and gas exploration drilling in 2026, driven by continued interest in ultra-deepwater and frontier basins, according to new analysis from Rystad Energy.
News
January 12, 2026
Akrake Petroleum is preparing to restart oil production at the Sèmè field offshore Benin in the Gulf of Guinea, targeting first oil in late January 2026. With upgraded offshore facilities in place, the project marks a renewed push to revive legacy offshore production in West Africa.
News
January 07, 2026
Murphy Oil’s HSV-2X appraisal in Block 15-2/17 offshore Vietnam encountered 429 ft of net oil pay and deepened the hydrocarbon column without water, strengthening the field’s high-case resource outlook as further appraisal continues.
News
January 05, 2026
Transocean has added approximately $168 million to its firm backlog through a new deepwater drilling contract with bp offshore Brazil and a contract extension for its harsh-environment rig offshore Norway, strengthening utilization into 2027.
News
December 20, 2025
OMV Petrom and NewMed Energy are preparing to drill two offshore wells at Bulgaria’s Han Asparuh block in the Black Sea, with first drilling expected by year-end.
News
December 20, 2025
Ukraine says it struck a Lukoil offshore drilling platform in the Caspian Sea, as Kyiv intensifies attacks on Russian energy infrastructure tied to wartime revenue.
News
December 15, 2025
Seadrill is adding new backlog with contract awards in the U.S. Gulf of America/Mexico and Angola, securing follow-on work for three rigs and extending operations into 2027 while avoiding idle time between campaigns.
News
December 08, 2025
Noble Corporation will sell six jackups in transactions totaling $424 million, exiting the standard jackup market as it shifts strategic focus toward deepwater and ultra-harsh-environment drilling.
News
December 05, 2025
Equinor and Aker BP have uncovered new gas and condensate volumes in Norway’s North Sea, with early estimates pointing to up to 113 million boe and tie-in potential to nearby infrastructure.
News
November 25, 2025
Brazil’s Petrobras is likely to postpone awarding up to four drillship contracts for its giant Buzios field until 2026, as the operator reassesses reservoir data and contractors revise bids amid a soft offshore rig market and emerging global oil glut.
News
November 25, 2025
Equinor is ramping up offshore activity next year with 26 planned exploration and appraisal wells across the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea—part of a decade-long push to keep Norwegian production strong.
News
November 18, 2025
Transocean has picked up $89 million in new backlog after operators in Brazil, Norway and Romania exercised options on three of its floating rigs, underscoring steady demand for ultra-deepwater and harsh-environment capacity.
Article
Sponsored Content
October 2025
Offshore drilling remains one of the most technically demanding sectors in oil and gas, characterized by complex geology, high-pressure environments, and rigorous safety, reliability and regulatory standards. Amid volatile market conditions and rising operational costs, Weatherford International is redefining offshore performance through its pioneering advancements in Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) and the evolution into Managed Pressure Wells (MPW). 
News
November 05, 2025
Halliburton has won an integrated drilling and completion services contract from Shell Nigeria and Sunlink Energies for the HI gas field in OML 144, which will supply feed gas to the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project.
News
October 29, 2025
The Norwegian Offshore Directorate has granted Equinor a drilling permit for well 7018/5-2 in production license 1236, located in the Barents Sea. The exploration well will be operated by Equinor with partners Vår Energi and Petoro.
News
October 29, 2025
The Trump administration is ruling out plans to auction offshore oil and gas leases along the U.S. East Coast, scaling back its proposed five-year leasing program after opposition from coastal states and environmental groups.
News
October 27, 2025
Weatherford and Maersk Training have partnered to launch the industry’s first all-level IADC-accredited Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) training programs, combining advanced simulation and real-world expertise to enhance global drilling competency.
News
October 13, 2025
Valeura Energy has increased oil production to nearly 25,000 bpd after completing a 10-well drilling campaign at its Nong Yao field in the Gulf of Thailand. The company also advanced its Wassana redevelopment project and confirmed new gas discoveries under its PTTEP farm-in.
News
October 13, 2025
The five-well campaign begins in 2026 and includes options for three more wells, extending the company’s global deepwater activity.
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