Lloyds List: Business Briefing: Shell Alaska win: “SHELL was the biggest winner in the latest Alaska licensing round. It was the highest bidder on 33 tracts of land all in the Port Moeller area…”: Friday Nov 04, 2005
Martyn Wingrove
Shell Alaska win
SHELL was the biggest winner in the latest Alaska licensing round. It was the highest bidder on 33 tracts of land all in the Port Moeller area. In the first state oil and gas lease sale for 22 years on the Alaska Peninsula, there were 37 bids, with Oklahoma-based Hewitt Mineral Corp picking up the other four leases. Alaska offered 1,047 tracts covering 5.8m acres in the round.
NORWAY's oil minister Odd Roger Enoksen has confirmed the country's next oil and gas licensing round, which focuses on the Barents Sea, will progress early in 2006, despite the change of government last month.
One of the three parties in Norway's coalition government opposes exploration and development in the Barents Sea, but this will not derail the 19th licensing round in the country, or reduce the acreage available.
INDAGO Petroleum is seeking a listing on London's Alternative Investment Market to raise funds to explore for oil and gas in Oman and Ras Al Khaimah.
It aims to become a leading producer of gas-condensate and liquid petroleum gas in the region and will pay off loans to Meridian Capital through the initial public offering.
TALISMAN Energy and Norwegian group DNO have swapped North Sea blocks as both companies expand their Norway assets, with DNO taking a 10% stake in licence PL265.
Talisman has taken a 35% interest in licence PL143CS, where Paladin Resources, which is being acquired by the Canadian firm, is due to drill the Hummer prospect in December with the Maersk Giant jack-up rig.
PALADIN Resources has started drilling the Aimee exploration well in the Egersund basin offshore Norway in order to find more reserves that would enhance the redevelopment of the Yme field.
The London-listed independent is using the Maersk Giant jackup rig to drill a 35 day well on the prospect in block 9'3. The next well in the area will be drilled by ExxonMobil in block 9'6 in December with the Maersk Gallant jack-up.
WOODSIDE Petroleum has completed its Tevet 2 exploration well offshore Mauritania after finding oil in both targets that extends the reserves on the field.
The Australian oil firm is moving the Stena Tay semi-submersible rig to drill the Labeidna exploration well, 15 km southwest of the Chinguetti field. The rig could then drill on the N'dor prospect further west.
SERICA Energy has found gas with the Todar exploration well in the Asahan offshore area in Indonesia. This follows a gas discovery made with the Kambuna well in September. These finds reduce the exploration risk in the area, where Serica intends to drill more wells in 2006. The block lies 45 km north of Medan in the Strait of Malacca.
ABBOT Group subsidiary KCA Deutag has gained another drilling contract from the Azerbaijan International Operating Co for drilling services on the Guneshli platform.
KCA Deutag has a letter of intent covering a five-year drilling contract for the deep water Guneshli platform, in the Caspian Sea, which is due to start operations in the fourth quarter of 2007.
KCA Deutag is already building the rig system for the BP-led group at the Mercon fabrication yard in the Netherlands, plus it is undertaking drilling services for AIOC on two other platforms on the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field. The UK contractor is due to begin drilling activities on the West and East Azeri platforms in 2006. It has a contract to drill wells for BP's Shah Deniz project in the Caspian Sea.
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