Genesis Petroleum has hired AGR Petroleum Services to undertake a complete well services project and make available the Byford Dolphin semi-submersible rig to drill the company’s first U.K. well early in 2008. 
Drilling contractor Noble Corp. has posted a 60-percent earnings increase over the year-ago period and upped shareholder value 66 percent despite $342 million spent on major equipment orders. 
Det Norske Oljeselskap has spudded a wildcat on the Norwegian continental shelf aimed west of the Grane field to depths of 2,200 metres. 
Independent U.K. Central Asia explorer Burren Energy is producing nearly 4,000 more barrels of oil per day than in 2006, as water injection boosts reservoirs from Turmenistan to the Congo and forcing the “purchase” of an oil rig. 
Shallow-water rig contractor Hercules Offshore has completed the acquisition of TODCO with the approval of combination by both companies’ shareholders. 
Seadrill has entered into a $598-million turnkey contract to build a third ultra-deepwater drillship at the Samsung Shipyard in South Korea, the drilling contractor announced Thursday. 
Growing rig contractor Seadrill has raised NOK889 ($153 million) “targeted at further investments in deepwater newbuilds”, it was learned Wednesday. 
Middle East yard Lamprell declared Friday that it has a $168-million deal with a rig contractor to build a new jack-up, provided the orderer shores up its financing. 
Plagued by “operational issues”, the Seadrill jack-up rig West Larissa will limp to a Singapore yard for leg repairs expected to take four months, it was understood Thursday. 
U.K.-listed E&P outfit Faroe Petroleum has struck a rig deal through well-management company AGR for the drilling of the Breagh appraisal well in Block 42/13 of the Southern North Sea Gas Basin. |
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Norwegian drilling business Venture Drilling has started earning under contract for ConocoPhillips in Equatorial Guinea, the company announced Monday. 
Drilling contractor Awilco Offshore has secured a drilling package from National Oilwell in Kristiansand, Norway for a fourth new-build, semi-submersible drill rig not yet ordered. 
Bermuda-registered driling contractor Seadrill has secured a new four-year, $810 million replacement deal with Hydro and Shell for its drill ship West Navigator. 
Statoil has granted a NOK600 million ($100 million) contract extension for light-well intervention, or LWI, to Island Offshore Management and partners FMC Technologies and Aker Kvaerner Well Services. 
Chevron in Australia has cancelled a Songa Offshore rig contract “due to late rig delivery” letting oil company Santos takeover in what looks like a $81-million contract for the rig contractor. 
Norway-based Ability Drilling has executed an option and ordered an onshore drill rig and a workover rig from southwest Norwegian TTS Marine Drilling equipment, a business of Sense EDM of Kristiansand. 
Keppel FELS Ltd. will build its forth “ultra-deepwater” semi-submersible drill rig for a subsidiary of U.S.-based drilling contractor ENSCO, a work order worth $427 million for the Singapore yard. 
The count of offshore rigs around the world is up 21 over a year-ago to 296, and bigger by a couple over April 2007, rig contractor Baker Hughes announced Thursday. 
Pemex has hired the PetroRig III, a rig and business of PetroMena, whose major shareholder Larsen Oil & Gas will manage a contract worth $942 million, or 1,825 days of work. 
Oslo-listed drilling vessel operator Northern Offshore Ltd. will buy three 300 IC “harsh-environment” jack-up drill rigs from Maersk Contractors for $445 million. |
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