Drilling Contractor Magazine

The firm scope covers four infill wells and three exploration wells, to be drilled using the Naga 6 jackup.

Velesto Sumber wins Naga 6 drilling contract offshore Thailand - Drilling Contractor Velesto Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary Velesto Sumber was awarded a contract by Northern Gulf Petroleum for the provision of jackup drilling rig services and associated services in the Gulf of Thailand. The firm scope covers four infill wells and three exploration wells, to be drilled using the ...

The platform supports grouping of wells into decommissioning campaigns, with consistent comparison sets and compliance rules applied across a portfolio.

Geoactive launches DecomX P&A decision support system - Drilling Contractor Geoactive launched DecomX, a browser-based plug and abandonment decision support system designed to reduce engineering overhead in well decommissioning workflows. DecomX allows engineers to build P&A designs directly in the platform, with the system generating alternative options for as low as reaso...

Norway’s Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) granted Equinor consent to use the semisubmersible COSLPromoter for permanent plug and abandonment (P&A) of well 34/7-K-4 HT2 on the Tordis field in the North Sea.

Equinor wins Havtil consent for COSLPromoter well P&A on Tordis - Drilling Contractor Norway’s Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) granted Equinor consent to use the semisubmersible COSLPromoter for permanent plug and abandonment (P&A) of well 34/7-K-4 HT2 on the Tordis field in the North Sea. The operation involves permanently plugging the reservoir and the Lista Formation to improv...

OGDCL re-entered the well on 3 May 2026 to test the hydrocarbon potential of the Massive Sand of the Lower Goru Formation. The well was drilled to a total depth of 3,305 m in Sembar Formation using the company’s in-house technical and operational capabilities.

OGDCL makes discovery at Bobi Deep-1 well in Pakistan - Drilling Contractor Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDCL) made an oil discovery at its Bobi Deep-1 exploratory well in the Bobi and Dhamraki Mining Lease, District Sanghar, Sindh Province, Pakistan. OGDCL re-entered the well on 3 May 2026 to test the hydrocarbon potential of the Massive Sand of the Lower Goru Formation...

The IADC DEC’s Q2 tech forum sought to establish a rigorous and shared understanding of the current state of data interoperability within the drilling industry, encompassing an assessment of existing contributions, established frameworks and the technical and commercial gaps that remain.

Photo Gallery: IADC DEC Tech Forum, 2 June, Houston, Texas - Drilling Contractor The IADC DEC’s Q2 tech forum sought to establish a rigorous and shared understanding of the current state of data interoperability within the drilling industry, encompassing an assessment of existing contributions, established frameworks and the technical and commercial gaps that remain. Central t...

Ocean Installer secured a 4.5-year contract from Equinor for well tie-in work at the Bacalhau field in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil, the company’s first award in the country.

Ocean Installer wins well tie-in contract for Bacalhau field offshore Brazil - Drilling Contractor Ocean Installer secured a 4.5-year contract from Equinor for well tie-in work at the Bacalhau field in the Santos Basin offshore Brazil, the company’s first award in the country. The scope covers installation of rigid well jumpers between flowlines and subsea trees, flying leads installation and a...

The initial NAG well was drilled from the existing West Chirag platform into the Qirmaki Upper Sand and the deeper Qirmaki Lower Sand, both located beneath the producing oil reservoirs.

BP, partners achieve first gas at ACG field offshore Azerbaijan - Drilling Contractor BP, as operator of the Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli (ACG) field, announced the start of non-associated gas (NAG) production on the field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea, marking the first-ever commercial gas production at one of the world’s largest oil-producing fields. The initial NAG we...

The rig is scheduled to be transported to Vietnam in October 2026 for recommissioning, technical certification and system upgrades before entering commercial service in Q2 2027.

PV Drilling expands fleet with eighth jackup acquisition - Drilling Contractor PetroVietnam Drilling signed an agreement to acquire an additional jackup drilling rig, tentatively named PV DRILLING X. The rig is scheduled to be transported to Vietnam in October 2026 for recommissioning, technical certification and system upgrades before entering commercial service in Q2 2027. T...

The rig is currently working on a multi-well exploration campaign offshore Victoria and is expected to become available in early 2027.

Carnarvon secures Transocean Equinox for Bedout exploration campaign - Drilling Contractor Carnarvon Energy contracted the Transocean Equinox semisubmersible drilling rig for a multi-well exploration campaign in the Bedout Sub-basin offshore Western Australia, with drilling scheduled to begin in April 2027. The program includes one firm well and one contingent well across Carnarvon’s ex...

The firm term runs through October 2031, which is the expiry of the rig’s current special period survey, inclusive of mobilization and demobilization, with options for up to a further five years that include a contribution toward the survey.

Dolphin Drilling executes multi-year UKCS contract for Borgland Dolphin - Drilling Contractor Dolphin Drilling signed a contract for its semisubmersible drilling rig Borgland Dolphin with an undisclosed UK Continental Shelf operator, converting the letter of intent announced in April into a firm fixture valued at approximately $239 million. The contract is scheduled to start in the second ha...