ExxonMobil Makes Uge-1 Discovery Offshore Nigeria

Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Deepwater Ltd, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, has drilled an oil discovery in Oil Prospecting License (OPL) 214, approximately 70 miles (113 kilometers) offshore Nigeria.
The Uge-1 discovery well was drilled in 4,144 feet (1,263 meters) of water to a total depth of 16,831 feet (5,130 meters) and encountered more than 300 net feet (100 meters) of oil. The Uge structure is located approximately 90 miles (145 km) south-southeast of the Erha deepwater development. Transocean's drillship, Deepwater Pathfinder, drilled the well.
Esso is the operator of OPL 214 with a 20 percent working interest. Other working-interest owners are Chevron Nigeria Deepwater B Limited at 20 percent, Phillips Deepwater Exploration (Nigeria) Limited (a subsidiary of ConocoPhillips) at 20 percent, Oxy Nigeria Exploration & Production Limited (a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation) at 20 percent, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company at 15 percent, Sasol Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited at 5 percent and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is the concessionaire. Uge-1 represents the first discovery on the license.

ExxonMobil is a leading operator in the exploration and development of deepwater hydrocarbon resources in West Africa. It has interests in 17 blocks totaling more than 10 million gross acres.

Source: rigzone

Peak & Equator on OML 122, Nigeria

"Peak and Equator commence drilling the Owanare AX1 exploration well on OML 122• Estimated gas-in-place potential in the Owanare prospect exceeds 3 TCF.

Peak Petroleum Industries Nigeria Ltd. and Equator Exploration Ltd. have commenced drilling their second well in the OML 122 licence area, offshore Nigeria. OML 122 is located 25-60 km offshore in water depths of 40-300 metres and covers an area of 1,295 sq. km on the Western Niger Delta, east of Shell’s giant Bonga Field (estimated 1.4 billion barrels) on OML 118 and southwest of Shell’s EA Field on OML 79. The Owanare AX1 well was spudded this week on the large and promising Owanare prospect, which lies in a water depth of 135 metres. The 3D seismic data covering the prospect has been re-processed and interpreted by Peak, Equator and its independent technical advisors, Horizon Energy Partners. The data suggests that Owanare has gas-in-place potential of 3 TCF.

The aim of the Peak/Equator drilling program is to prove-up significant volumes of gas as potential supply for the numerous gas-utilisation projects currently underway or in planning stages in Nigeria within close proximity to OML 122. The secondary objective is to find commercial volumes of oil on the block.Commenting on the spudding of the second well on OML 122.

Wade Cherwayko, Chief Executive of Equator, said:“Owanare AX1 has significant potential based on 3-D seismic and existing wells drilled on the block including the recently drilled Bilabri BX1 well drilled by Peak and Equator. With the large number of gas utilization projects being developed onshore Nigeria, Peak and Equator hope to monetize gas discoveries on OML 122 in the near future.”
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Posted by Anonymous contributor

Comment:
On the 10 blocks, it is about time. Using the oil and gas resources we have to accelerate the local growth rate is a nice initiative. Hopefully some of the blocks like Opl 471 which is close to some of Total's main fields and the owanare prospect may have solid hydrocarbon accumulation to feed the local and maybe the regional market if there is an energy crisis in the future.
I have always prefered using the gas resources for local use in power, LPG and industries. I recall somehwere that gas may be the cheapest environmental friendly energy used in American industries, more cheaper than electricity. I think coal may be cheaper to produce electricity but may not be that ENV friendly.

Knock Adoon FPSO Headed to Nigeria for Addax

Addax Petroleum's subsidiary Addax Petroleum Development (Nigeria) Limited held a Sail Away Ceremony for the Knock Adoon FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel) at the Dubai Drydocks Shipyard.
The Knock Adoon FPSO will replace the current Knock Taggart FPSO as Addax Petroleum's new key crude oil production, storage and export facility in its fields in OML123, offshore Nigeria. Designed to store a minimum of 1,700,000 barrels of crude oil, the Knock Adoon FPSO also offers a processing capacity of 60 mbbls/d (sixty thousand barrels per day) of crude oil and a total liquids (oil and water) processing capacity of 140 mbbls/d. Incorporated in this facilities upgrade and expansion is an off-loading buoy terminal to more efficient crude offloading and to accommodate larger tankers.
The contract for the provision of the FPSO was awarded to Fred Olsen Production AS. Upgrade works were carried out in the Dubai Drydocks Shipyard in preparation for vessel mobilisation to Nigeria. The vessel is expected to depart from Dubai in May. Addax Petroleum has the vessel under contract for an initial eight year period with options to extend.
Mrs. Mabel Daukoru, wife of the Minister of State of Petroleum, Dr. Edmund Daukoru, played the role as Godmother of the vessel.

Commenting on this event Jean Claude Gandur, President and Chief Executive Officer of Addax Petroleum said: "This is a fabulous example of how to work together, with the cross-border work performed by the Fred Olsen, Drydocks Shipyard, DPR, NNPC, NAPIMS and Addax Petroleum teams. I sincerely thank them, and in particular Dr Edmund Daukoru for his personal unflinching encouragement and guidance, and salute all the efforts which have led to this wonderful accomplishment." Mr. Gandur added, "The Knock Adoon FPSO is a valuable asset for the company and its shareholders that will help us sustain production in our biggest producing field."
The Knock Adoon FPSO is the third FPSO contracted by Addax Petroleum in Nigeria after the Knock Taggart FPSO, chartered from Fred Olsen Production, in OML123 and the Sendje Berge FPSO, chartered in 2005 from Sendje Berge Ltd in OPL90.

About OML123
OML123 is the Corporation's largest property as measured by reserves and production. It is located offshore approximately 70 km south of the town of Calabar, Nigeria and covers an area of 90,700 acres (367 km2) in water depths ranging from 3 to 40 m on the eastern edge of the Niger Delta. In March 2006, oil production from OML123 was in excess of 50 mbbls/d.
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Source: RIGZONE

On Board Sedco Energy

I have switched over to Transocean's Sedco Energy for CVX Agbami Deepwater operations.
Sorry for the delayed update, as usual, I tried to take full advantage of my time-off from DWP.
Many thanks to the contributors to this site, I have observed some very interesting comments and information dropped by you.
We'll keep digging and praying for Nigeria to stable.

Nigeria Offers 10 Oil Blocks for Investors

In line with its pursuit of promoting investment in the downstream energy sector, the Federal Government of Nigeria will next April offer 10 lucrative oil and gas blocks for exploration.The government said bids for the acreages, which include three offshore oil blocks that were not taken up at the 2005 Bid Round and seven deep offshore blocks relinquished by some multinational companies, would only be accepted from investors who have entered into commitments to invest in one downstream project or the other.Projects targeted by the government, whose worth must not be less than $2 billion, include refineries, gas pipelines, independent power plants and ethanol production plants.

The three offshore blocks that will be on offer are OPLs 289, 471, and 281, while the seven deepwater blocks included 50 percent of the Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 212 where Shell’s Bonga oil field was discovered and 209 where ExxonMobil’s Erha oil field was discovered.
Effort is said to be intensified by government to make sure opportunity is extended to the people of the Niger Delta. According to a DPR director, "this is the very key…We want a mixture of the government and the private sector to bid from the Niger Delta,”.

Full Report here: FG Offers 10 Oil Blocks for Downstream Investors

Were You Counted?

I waited since yesterday for any message on how we'll be counted as Nigerians on duty out on oilwell drilling operational sites without nothing. Nigeria is holding the first census after decades of failed attempts. The long-delayed five-day head count, which began Tuesday, 21-March-06, is supposed to be well planned and prepared for, but it seems the reverse is the case.
National Population Commission Chairman Samu'ila Danko Makama said at a news conference recently that "all arrangements humanly possible" had been made "to conduct an accurate, reliable and acceptable census." How about nigerian oilfield workers? Out here alone, from the POB figures, there are over 70 Nigerians who (according to a friend) have been de-nigerianized for not counted as Nigerians and over 15 rigs are drilling presently in the country.

From what we hear, the census has already been marred by violence: At least five people were reported killed in an ethnic clash Saturday over census boundaries in southwestern Ondo state.
In northern Nigeria, census officials rioted over pay in at least three towns, witnesses said.

Well, while we continue digging to add to the country's wealth, we think we deserved to be counted.

Devon signs Transocean drillship, offshore Brazil

This piece was posted by Crudediggers' anonymous guest, 've not verified the source but the info is worth circulating to all Crudediggers.
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(South America) - Devon Energy Corp. has awarded Transocean Inc.'s fifth-generation, ultra-deepwater drillship Deepwater Discovery a minimum three-year contract for drilling operations offshore Brazil.Under the terms of the drilling contract, which is currently expected to begin in November 2008, Devon has the right within one year from signing of the contract to convert the primary term from three years to four or five years.

Click here for full details: => Devon Signs Transocean

After a long logging Job

Four days of wireline logging job was quite hectic out here.
Once again I publish for your pleasure some shots from DWP.













DWP at night---------------------------------- Slb group at work





Lucky in action -----------------------------Okey of Geoservices

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Global SantaFe $1 bill. Deal

This looks like the era of fat deep offshore drilling operations deals. So far TransOcean and GSF are blazing the trail, whose next?. Here we go with the latest from GSF:
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HOUSTON, March 2, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Worldwide oil and gas drilling contractor GlobalSantaFe Corporation (NYSE: GSF) today announced that it has entered into a letter of intent with a customer to provide a new ultra- deepwater, semisubmersible drilling rig under a seven-year agreement valued at approximately $1 billion.

GlobalSantaFe has contracted Keppel FELS Ltd. to build the new rig, to be named the GSF Development Driller III, at its Singapore shipyard for delivery in early 2009. The estimated construction cost is approximately $590 million, including shipyard costs, owner-furnished equipment, project management costs and general contingencies.

GlobalSantaFe President and CEO Jon Marshall said, "We are very pleased to be able to expand our ultra-deepwater fleet with a state-of-the-art newbuild rig backed by a seven-year commitment that extends to 2016."

Full Story here => http://www.globalsantafe.com/invest/frames/newsfr.html

Life On Board DWP-1

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Today, I share with you recent photos from Deepwater Pathfinder drilling in Nigeria's deepwaters.












------------------------Night time on board DWP---------------------














Schlumberger Wireline ---------------------------Geoservices Reps

The Chevron-TransOcean $1.7 bil. Deal

This was sent in as a comment by an anonymous visitor to this site and I think it's a great piece of information for other CRUDEDIGGERS. It's curled from Reuters website published on 01-Feb-06. Credits to my anonymous friend who brought it to our notice, happy reading.
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By Ben Berkowitz
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil major Chevron Corp. on Wednesday said it awarded a drilling contract to rig operator Transocean Inc. that will lead to the construction of a new deepwater drillship for Chevron's use.
The companies also signed contract extensions for two deepwater drillships currently being used by Chevron. The three deals together are worth $1.7 billion. The Chevron deal came one day after BP Plc gave Transocean a three-year contract extension on a rig worth $569 million.
Analysts said the deals are an acknowledgment that oil companies know they need to become more aggressive in the next few years about deepwater drilling opportunities, in areas that are relatively underexplored.
"The most significant thing of all is the fact that major oil companies indicate by what they're doing that they see a tight rig market, not just medium-term but also long-term," said Stanford Group analyst Philip Dodge said.
"I'm sure everybody is looking at what they need to find over the next few years to keep their production from going down, and one of the top priority places is deepwater," he said.

The contract for the new ship is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2009, and Chevron will have its exclusive use for five years.
Construction of the ship, set for a Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Cop. Ltd. yard in South Korea, will require a capital expenditure of $650 million.
Chevron exercised a one-year option on the Discoverer Deep Seas starting around January 2008 and signed a two-year extension on the rig starting January 2009. It also signed a two-and-a-half-year extension for the Cajun Express starting July 2007.
The strong demand from oil companies has also pushed dayrates substantially higher -- over the $500,000 per day mark in some cases -- and spurred oil companies to contract out rigs years in advance. "One of these numbers is going to be a peak," Dodge said. "I don't think it's $520,000 (the BP deal), but I'd be surprised if it was over $700,000."

Source/Full Story: REUTERS

Move to Deepwater Pathfinder

Hi Friends,
Sorry for the break, you proberbly didn't like it but I just had to catck some breath from this struggling and digging life too far from people. In other words I had to take some time off and I can assure you I'm refreshed.
Then back to the deep blue ocean, this time on water depth of 8634 ft, I am sitting aboard this mighty but sweet drillship called Deepwater Pathfinder operated by TransOcean.
We're drilling deep offshore Nigeria waters for Ocean Energy/ Devon Project.

The Deepwater Pathfinder is a dynamically positioned, ultra-deepwater drillship capable of operating in water depths of up to 10,000 feet. The rig entered service in 1998 following construction in the Samsung Shipyard in Korea. The rig is one of 28 High-Specification Floaters in the Transocean fleet, 17 of which are capable of drilling in water depths of 7,000 feet or greater.

We keep digging. Chaoo.

click photo to read more about Deepwater Pathfinder

DIVERS IN ACTION

Yesterday we had some divers working under water to check the rig's pontoon.
Crudediggers captured the suspension and diving procedures below:
Have fun.

Will be going off today.
See you guys in a later hitch.

Digger Geologist in Charge.

Scarabeo-3 Details

Today, I feel I should give details of my present rig and its location.
I have been able to do this with the help of Rigzone/ RigLogix. Hope the information helps. Enjoy.
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Rig Name: Scarabeo-3
Rig Manager: Saipem
Rig Owner: Saipem
Competitive Rig: Yes

Rig Type: Semisub
Semisub Generation: 2
Classification: ABS
Rig Design: Friede & Goldman
Built By: Blohm & Voss at the Hamburg West Germany shipyard
Delivery Year: 1975

Flag: Italy
Derrick: Lee C Moore 160' x 46' x 40';
Capacity: 1,000,000 lbs
Drawworks: National Oilwell DE-1625 3,000 HP
Mud Pumps: 3 x National Oilwell 12-P-160 triplex, 1600 HP
Top Drive: Varco TDS 3H

Rotary Table:
Rated Water Depth: 1,475 ft
Drilling Depth: 30,000 ft

Operating Status: Drilling
Operator: Addax
Region: Africa - West
Country: Nigeria
Current Water Depth: 447 ft

Source: RigLogix

Digger Geologist in Charge

Welcome to 2006

Below are some catchy pictures of how the Scrarabeo-3 rig community welcome the new year 2006.




























Well folks, it has been a wonderful time of great photo show since the xmas eve till now. I sure hope you enjoyed yourselves and 'Crude Diggers' has been able to put some crispy smiles to those lovely faces.
From here, we'll be doing some series on life on board the rigs, safety, rig workers etc. If you have any contribution on these topics please feel free to post them and you can be rest assured, they'll be published officially to our teaming visitors.
Many thanks and a happy new year.

Digger Geologist in Charge

Last Moment with 2005

Night of the last day of 2005 was quite memorable here on board Scarabeo-3. First we brought to an end a very stubborn section (12 1/4") of the well we're drilling, second the rig made the year without LTI (accident), 388 days in all and finally the joy of making it thru 2005 in one piece and hope for a more promising new year. There was end of year christian fellowship (off duty personnel) for thanksgiving and prayers as well as general merry making to usher in the new year. Crude Digger picked some of the golden moments of that night as shown below. Happy New Year.

We sang and thanked God and made merry to usher in the new year.

Watch out for the New Year (bash) pictures, keep visiting !!!

MEMORIES OF 2005

Hi friends,
Thank God we're alive into a brand new year 2006.
I just thought it would be interesting and revealing to share our top and low sides of the past year 2005. Who knows we might all end up learning a few things from each other that can help shape up and brighten our success plans for 2006. So when you're less busy, scratch your skull and stir those green spots, pick up your fingers, and post something here for us all.

On Scarabeo-3, we continue drilling/digging for oil, but like all other people all over the world, we'll take time out in turns to thank God for taking us thru 2005 and landing us safely in 2006.
As usual Crude Diggers will feature, as much as possible, all the bits and pieces that will play out with this change-over. Don't forget to bookmark and keep visiting us.

See you Later.
the digger geologist in charge

Busy Digging

Today, we're pushing on with oil digging after yesterday's crew change.
Had a lot of change-over as per personnel here on Scarabeo-3.
What it means is that so many of the new crew members had their xmas gigs at home in town and so looking forward to making the new year right on board here.

Hey!! did you ask about what this 'home' away from home looks and feels like?
Yes! it's your right to know and I'm doing some work on this with photos to make it easy and hopefully in my next post, all shall be revealed, so keep in touch.

Meanwhile, let me use this opportunity to appeal for understanding to all my good friends whose photos we could not post. Reason is either the shots were bad or space problem. That has been taken care of and we'll make it up next time.

You don't need to remind us, we are quite safety conscious and so Safety is our #1 priority here.

Thanks.

Appreciation for Your Early Response

This site came to life on the 25th of December 2005 just as a fun site to showcase how we spent xmas day on board scarabeo-3 drilling rig offshore Nigeria. I am however overwhemed by the response from visitors especially my colleagues here. I am so glad this little project is so appreciated by you and wish to thank you all in return.
Today, I feel I should publish the first four response submitted:

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"Hi SamYou are doing a very good job, thanks to this web site I can Share with my family these nice pictures in the other side of he world. From Edgar, Colombia South America."
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"Those are some great shots . Thanks a lot for putting them out there . I will direct friends and family to this place so they can take a peek at some of what goes on aboard the Scarabeo 3 . From Philip Fougere Canadian Subsea Engineer aboard Scarabeo 3 .
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"Hi Sam,That's an exellent job welldone, this website i believe will serve as an eye opener for people in the oilfield while celebrating on the rig especially during christmas and new year day or when worker win award and the gift items are been given to them. Any moment from now millions of people will visit this site and begin to bombard you with questions on how you built this site. Once again i congratulate you and three gbosa! gbosa!! gbosa!!! for you. From Sam Nnanta, Nigeria."
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"What a wonderful idea you've put together here. I suggest you don't let it die with 2005 xmas show on scarabeo-3, please make it a permanent site and incorporate other rig operations in future. Kudos to a good job. I like it!! From Monilas, South Africa "
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Thank you guys.

Digger Geologist in Charge

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NOTE:
To post your comment, click the word comments below any post of your interest, wait for the comment window, type your comment, when done, check your right identity (use others), type your name and the correct word for verification and click publish your comments.

Still on Christmas Day 2005 @ Scarabeo-3

I thought I should complete the list today.
Credits should be given to Sam Nnanta who controlled the camera and took most of these hot shots. This marked xmas 2005, I'm sure ushering in 2006 will be greater, keep a date with Crude Diggers for new year on Scarabeo-3.
Happy New Year to you all.

Oily Sam!!