Discoveries & Exploration

The global offshore drilling industry continues to heat up in August 2025, with major rig contract awards, drilling mobilizations, and significant oil discoveries across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Here’s your quick yet comprehensive roundup of the latest offshore rig activity shaping the future of exploration and production. Rig Contract Highlights & Renewals […]

The offshore oil and gas sector continues to bustle with activity across West Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and Northern Europe. Here’s a quick roundup of the top offshore rig movements, exploration updates, and contract wins from late July 2025: West Africa & Brazil: Contracts & Advancements At the same time: Asia-Pacific: Awards & Mobilization

On July 9, 2025, Ghana’s Ministry of Energy announced a 30 MMscfd increase in natural gas supply agreement with Eni—raising total delivery to 270 MMscfd starting July 13. The upgrade marks a significant milestone in Ghana’s energy transition strategy. Key Details of the Expansion ESG & Economic Impacts Accelerating Ghana’s Energy Transition Natural gas from OCTP now

On July 10, 2025, Equinor and its partners announced a significant gas discovery at the Skred prospect, located about 23 km north of the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea. This marks the 15th exploration well in Production Licence 532 (awarded in 2009) and adds another layer of strategic depth to Norway’s Arctic portfolio. Key Highlights

ConocoPhillips Slagugle oil discovery has been confirmed through a successful appraisal well in the Norwegian North Sea, reaffirming the region’s potential in offshore energy production. This discovery marks a promising development for the company and Norway’s upstream portfolio. What Is the Slagugle Discovery? The Slagugle field is located in Production License 891, operated by ConocoPhillips

Shell receives Sparta drilling permits for the UK North Sea, marking a key development in offshore exploration and energy security. The approval, granted by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), allows Shell to begin drilling operations in the Sparta prospect located in Block 22/14c. This move reinforces Shell’s strategy to unlock additional resources from mature

Pakistan new gas discovery Sindh has been confirmed by the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) with a fresh hydrocarbon find at the Faakir‑1 exploratory well in the Kharo block, Sindh. This marks a significant step in Pakistan’s upstream exploration and boosts domestic energy security. OGDCL successfully drilled the Faakir‑1 well to a depth

In a significant development for the global energy sector, Zhongman Petroleum and Natural Gas Group (ZPEC), a Shanghai-listed Chinese oil and gas company, has won a key natural gas exploration license in Algeria. The Zerafa II gas block, located in the Gourara-Timimoun basin, was awarded to ZPEC by ALNAFT — Algeria’s National Agency for the

BP, in partnership with SOCAR and TPAO (Türkiye), has taken another major step forward in Azerbaijan by securing new interests in major Caspian Sea oil and gas blocks. Announced during Baku Energy Week, this multi-stakeholder agreement highlights BP’s continued confidence in the region’s long-term hydrocarbon assets Big Names, Bigger Moves What It Means for Production

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has announced significant new oil and gas discoveries in the Mumbai Offshore basin, adding fresh momentum to India’s domestic energy exploration efforts. The discoveries, named Suryamani and Vajramani, were made in offshore blocks awarded under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) — a strategic initiative by the Indian government