The hottest play in Canada
At the IMAGE Conference in August 2024, I met some wellsite geologists from Calgary. They were the first to tell me about the Clearwater Formation and that drilling has been…
Oil & Gas
Why is the Orinoco Delta not known for its oil and gas?
The Orinoco Delta in the east of Venezuela occupies a massive area that is virtually devoid of infrastructure and people. In order to reach the mouth of the most important…
Iran – not at a standstill
Iran is one of those countries you normally don’t hear a lot from. This is obviously exacerbated by the USA sanctions that are still in place and prevent the exchange…
Direct entry opportunities for every strategy across the Middle East and South Asia
In recent years there has been a very low uptake by IOCs for opportunities offered in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Oman, while in Iraq, foreign entries via…
Can we stop exploring?
“Why would we still explore for oil and gas?” asked René Jonk from ACT GEO at the end of his talk for the Geoscience Energy Society of Great Britain this…
This may be a reason why Woodside decided not to farm in to PEL 87 in Namibia
Almost a month ago, Sintana Energy “broke” the news that Australian major Woodside decided not to exercise its right to farm into Licence PEL 87 in Namibian waters, north of…
Libya’s oil and gas renaissance
Libya, long regarded as one of Africa’s most geologically rich petroleum provinces, is re-emerging with renewed focus and ambition. After years of underinvestment, geopolitical instability, and widespread field shut-ins, the…
Can the Netherlands be an attractive option for disillusioned companies on the other side of the median line?
The 1959 giant Groningen gas discovery made by NAM, the joint venture between Shell and ExxonMobil, transformed the energy landscape of Western Europe. It also formed the starting shot of…
Indonesia bid round push continues
In Asia Pacific, Malaysia has been arguably the most successful country in promoting its exploration and development opportunities over the past few years, with the vast majority of its acreage…
Sockeye – The discovery that was supposed to be made last year
“The Guyana of Alaska’s North Slope.” Bill Armstrong, CEO of the exploration company that carries his own name, has been quite bullish about the potential of the Brookian delta-top play…
Exploring the deepest parts of the Bolivian Subandean fold and thrust belt
Figure 1: Map of Subandean fold and thrust belt, showing the wells and fields discussed. The southern Subandean fold and thrust range in Bolivia hosts multi-TCF gas fields, where production…
Oil in porous intrusive rocks
Basement plays are found in quite a few areas globally and have been well studied and reported on. Norway, Yemen, Vietnam and China are amongst those places where oil is…