Repsol has hit pay with the Montanazo D-5 and Lubina-1 wells in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea. Preliminary estimates show that the wells could produce oil for 5-7 years, extending the productive life of the area, the company reports.

The self elevating floating drilling rig Transocean Shelf Explorer has begun a two-well drilling program on the Veninsky block for the Sakhalin-3 project, according to operator Veninneft.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Lundin Norway consent to conduct exploration drilling in the southern part of the North Sea using the semisubmersible Songa Dee.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has granted VNG Norge (Operations) a permit to drill a wildcat well in production license 270 using the semisubmersible Bredford Dolphin.

OMV, operator of the Maari oilfield, has begun drilling the final two oil production wells on the offshore south Taranaki development, after completing water injection wells MR6, MR7, and MR8.

Australian Worldwide Exploration (AWE) is considering drilling three or four types of exploration plays using the rig Kan Tan-IV during its summer exploration in the Taranaki basin.

Korea National Oil Co. (KNOC) has awarded AGR Drilling Services a $9 million, two-year contract for riserless mud recovery (RMR) services off Sakhalin Island.

The Tesla exploratory well 22/24c-11 in the UK Central North Sea has been plugged and abandoned after failing to encounter gas condensate in commercial quantity, reports Endeavour International.