Deepwater

A major natural gas discovery offshore Mauritania may be the largest deepwater discovery this year and holds the potential for an export project, according to Kosmos Energy Ltd.

Chevron Corp. has sanctioned a waterflood project in the St. Malo field of the deepwater Lower Tertiary using technology designed to increase recovery and maximize existing resources in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil and natural gas producers in the latest federal offshore auction on Wednesday kept their bids narrowed and tailored to deepwater areas of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) with existing infrastructure.

Williams has acquired and placed into service the 16-inch diameter Norphlet deepwater natural gas gathering pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), extending the reach of the Tulsa-based operator’s massive Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line (Transco) system.

The rapid improvement in efficiencies to produce deepwater oil and gas, which usually has taken years and millions of dollars, has put the expensive offshore within reach of tight/shale oil development costs, according to Wood Mackenzie.

Oil and gas output has ramped up at the Appomattox floating production system in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) months ahead of schedule, operator Shell Offshore Inc. said Thursday.

Schlumberger Ltd. and Norway’s TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Co. are collaborating on next generation ocean-bottom node projects to assist exploration clients in their quest to develop U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM) oil and natural gas.

The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on Thursday issued final regulations covering blowout preventer (BOP) systems and well control, which officials said would reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.

Murphy Oil Corp. on Tuesday said it has snapped up producing deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GOM) assets from units of LLOG Exploration Co. for $1.375 billion.