Article
March
While geopolitical turmoil and shale headwinds dominate headlines, deepwater is quietly surging. In this month’s column, editor-in-chief Kurt Abraham recaps World Oil’s Deepwater Development Conference, where operators and contractors pointed to rising activity, stronger production growth and a robust project pipeline.
News
March 20, 2026
Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Petrobras and Pemex could partner on deepwater oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, as Mexico seeks to revive production and Petrobras looks to expand internationally.
News
March 20, 2026
A new high-resolution offshore seismic dataset covering 7,300+ km in Equatorial Guinea has been released, leveraging advanced PSDM and FWI imaging to support exploration and de-risk prospects ahead of the EG Ronda 2026 licensing round.
News
March 19, 2026
Trendsetter Vulcan Offshore has deployed a tethered BOP system in the U.S. Gulf to reduce wellhead fatigue in soft seabed conditions, supporting safe deepwater operations and improving stability during critical completion activities.
News
March 19, 2026
Vietnam has approved the field development plan for Jadestone Energy’s Nam Du–U Minh offshore gas project, enabling reserve booking and advancing plans for a new gas production hub to support domestic energy supply and future development.
News
March 18, 2026
Petrobras has confirmed a new deepwater gas discovery at the Copoazu-1 well in Colombia’s offshore GUA-OFF-0 Block, expanding the region’s gas potential and supporting long-term energy supply through continued exploration activity.
News
March 18, 2026
Petrodec has completed a major decommissioning project in the UK Southern North Sea using its OBANA heavy-lift jack-up vessel, removing multiple platform jackets and topsides from the Amethyst and Galahad gas fields.
News
March 18, 2026
UK industry group Offshore Energies UK is urging reform of the North Sea windfall tax, saying changes could unlock £50 billion in investment, boost domestic gas production and significantly reduce the country’s reliance on LNG imports.
News
March 18, 2026
IMI will supply ultra-high-pressure control valves for a North Sea offshore project, supporting chemical injection systems operating above 600 bar and enabling precise pressure control and flow assurance in severe service conditions.
News
March 18, 2026
Baker Hughes has secured a long-term services agreement with Petrobras to support up to 64 aeroderivative gas turbines across Brazil’s offshore FPSO fleet and a major refinery, strengthening reliability and local supply chain capabilities.
News
March 18, 2026
Eni has taken final investment decisions on two deepwater gas hub developments offshore Indonesia, targeting production of up to 2 Bcf/d and 90,000 bpd of condensate, supporting domestic supply and LNG exports via existing infrastructure.
News
March 17, 2026
SLB OneSubsea has secured an integrated EPC contract from CNOOC to deliver subsea production systems for the Kaiping 18-1 deepwater field in the South China Sea, supporting a 20-well development using standardized subsea technologies.
News
March 17, 2026
Petrobras plans to acquire Petronas’ 50% stake in the Tartaruga Verde and Espadarte Module III fields in Brazil’s Campos basin for $450 million, consolidating full ownership and strengthening its offshore production portfolio.
News
March 17, 2026
bp has started gas production from the Quiluma field offshore Angola as part of the New Gas Consortium project, the country’s first non-associated gas development supplying feedstock to the Angola LNG facility for export.
News
March 16, 2026
The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) has announced the winners of its 2026 Spotlight on New Technology Awards, recognizing 17 innovations in offshore drilling, subsea systems, AI and well construction technologies.
News
March 16, 2026
ExxonMobil and Halliburton have completed the industry’s first fully closed-loop automated geological well placement offshore Guyana, integrating rig automation, automated geosteering and real-time drilling optimization to improve well construction efficiency and reservoir contact.
News
March 16, 2026
Eni has discovered more than 1 Tcf of gas in two offshore Libya exploration wells near the Bahr Essalam field. The finds could be rapidly developed through tie-backs to existing infrastructure to supply domestic demand and exports to Italy.
News
March 13, 2026
The U.S. Interior Department has approved bp's Kaskida deepwater development in the Gulf of America/Gulf of Mexico. The project, expected to begin production in 2029, could unlock an estimated 275 MMbbl of oil from bp’s Paleogene discoveries.
News
March 12, 2026
World Oil/Gulf Energy Information’s Deepwater Development Conference wrapped up its highly successful three-day stand in Lisbon on Thursday. The final day featured a keynote address, one panel solo speakers, and three themed technical sessions. The participants were a good combination of operators and service companies.
News
March 12, 2026
Gas injection has begun on the Petrobras P-78 FPSO at the Búzios field offshore Brazil, marking another milestone for one of the largest deepwater developments in the Santos basin.
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