The Explorers 2010: Alaska Peninsula and North Aleutian basin 11/14/2010
The North Aleutian basin, also known as the Bristol Bay basin, extends more than 200 miles along the north side of the Alaska Peninsula and out into the southern Bering Sea shelf. The southeastern por...

Donkel evaluating North Slope acreage 11/14/2010
Fresh from sale of Cook Inlet holdings, Dan Donkel has high bids of almost $1 million in Beaufort Sea, North Slope lease sales
In July Samuel H. Cade and Daniel K. Donkel (in partnership with others on some leases), sold 196,524 acres of Alaska state Cook Inlet oil and gas leases to Apache Corp., 60 leases scattered across th...

The Explorers 2009: Alaska Peninsula and North Aleutian basin 11/15/2009
The North Aleutian basin, also known as the Bristol Bay basin, extends more than 200 miles along the north side of the Alaska Peninsula and out into the southern Bering Sea shelf. The southeastern por...

The planet's deepest well 09/13/2009
Tiber among U.S. Gulf's biggest discoveries, but will require new technologies to develop
BP's recent self-described "giant" oil discovery at the Tiber prospect in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico's Keathley Canyon, situated about 25 to 30 miles from Kaskida, another monster BP Lower Tertiary disco...

Worst in years 08/23/2009
Western Gulf lease sale falls victim to low prices, litigation uncertainty
The $115.46 million in apparent high bids submitted in Aug. 19's Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 210 was the poorest showing for a Western Gulf sale in a decade, and ranks among the worst performanc...

Kitchen Lights on 07/05/2009
State approves Cook Inlet unit combining Kitchen, Northern Lights, Corsair
The state has approved formation of the Kitchen Lights unit in Cook Inlet, combining the Kitchen, Northern Lights and Corsair prospects. The 83,394-acre unit includes 40,733 acres from the Escopeta O...

Chevron, Anadarko post GOM successes 02/15/2009
Buckskin, Shenandoah discoveries further validate U.S. Gulf's huge Lower Tertiary play; 2006 Jack test encouraged explorers
Recently announced Lower Tertiary discoveries at the Buckskin and Shenandoah prospects appear to further validate the enormous reach and prolific nature of this hottest of emerging oil plays in the de...

Heidelberg provides 'geologic confidence' 02/08/2009
U.S. Gulf's Heidelberg oil discovery gives Anadarko confidence to pursue additional prospects in deepwater Green Canyon
Anadarko Petroleum's latest Gulf of Mexico oil discovery has provided the company with the "geologic confidence" to pursue additional prospects in the deepwater Green Canyon area, Anadarko officials s...

The Explorers 2008: Chevron continues winter exploration at White Hills 11/23/2008
Chevron plugged and abandoned its three North Slope Alaska White Hills exploration wells at the end of last winter and is preparing to continue exploration this winter at the prospect in the foothills...

Gulf of Mexico lease sale draws $487M 08/24/2008
Exxon, Chevron, Statoil account for 70 percent of total winning bids, some 68% more than last year's Western Gulf sale generated
Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 207 drew a healthy $487.3 million in apparent high bids, some 68 percent more than what last year's Western Gulf sale generated, and bringing the total high bids of...

Deepwater wells prove up discoveries 07/06/2008
Stones, Pony prospects in U.S. Gulf appear confirmed by exploration, appraisal drilling; significant reserve possible at Stones
Exploration and appraisal wells appear to confirm important deepwater oil discoveries at the Stones and Pony prospects in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Stones minority partners Petrobras and Eni reported t...

Two-decade high for Gulf sale 03/23/2008
Central Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale draws record $3.67B in high bids
Bidders went on the mother of all shopping sprees at the Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 206 on March 19, shelling out a record $3.67 billion in apparent high bids on 615 oil and gas exploration tra...

Wood Mac says 2007 in Gulf 'disappointing,' saw fewest deepwater discoveries in decade 03/16/2008
Gulf of Mexico explorers came up short last year, together posting the least number of discovered deepwater oil and gas reserves in a decade, according to a report compiled by industry consultant grou...

U.S. Gulf to get first FPSO 10/14/2007
Contracts include two oil shuttle tankers for 'ultra-deepwater' Cascade, Chinook discoveries; five years since MMS approved methods for use of floating production, storage, offloading systems
Some five long years have passed since the U.S. Minerals Management Service approved controversial rules and regulations governing the use of floating production, storage and offloading systems, known...

Blockbuster GOM lease sale 10/07/2007
Central Gulf of Mexico lease sale draws breathtaking $2.9B in high bids
Companies opened their wallets in a spectacular display of spending at Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 205, plunking down $2.9 billion in apparent high bids, by far the best showing for a U.S. Gulf...

Gulf sale draws $289.9M 08/26/2007
Bidders go after Lower Tertiary prospects; Statoil leads in winning bids
Norway's Statoil took no prisoners in Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 204, accounting for seven of the highest single bids and nearly half of the entire $289.9 million in total winning bids submitte...

BP leads pack in the Gulf 08/19/2007
Drilling activity at record level in 'ultra-deepwater' Gulf, 15 rigs working
Exploration and production companies, despite a reported worldwide shortage of high-specification offshore rigs, have managed to set a new record for the number of "ultra-deepwater" floaters currently...

Shell group chooses subsea pipelines over FPSO for offshore Perdido development 08/12/2007
Shell and partners Chevron and BP have opted for subsea pipelines, rather than what might have been the Gulf of Mexico's first-ever floating, production, storage and offloading system or FPSO, to tran...

Come-back-kid Marathon chalks up discoveries in deepwater Gulf 05/20/2007
Marathon Oil Corp. has steadily crawled back from a less-than-stellar exploration performance in deepwater Gulf of Mexico, posting worthy discoveries and farm-ins over the past several years as an ope...

U.S. OKs first FPSO in Gulf of Mexico 12/17/2006
MMS approved use of floating, production, storage and offloading systems 4 years ago; Petrobras will use in ultra deep water
The federal regulatory agency that oversees oil and gas activities offshore United States has approved what likely will be the first-ever floating, production, storage and offloading or FPSO system to...

Anadarko, Devon score oil at Mission Deep 12/17/2006
Deepwater partners Anadarko Petroleum and Devon Energy said they made an oil discovery on their Mission Deep prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, adding that the exploration well encountered more than 250...