Oil & Gas Corporate News
Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurdistan Regional Government?s (?KRG?) Natural Resources Minister, Ashti Hawrami, stated that KRG has signed a contract with Exxon in mid-October for six exploration blocks in the semi-autonomous region. This is the first official confirmation from KRG; Exxon has yet to comment on the deal. It has also been reported that according to an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the central government and the KRG have reached ?mutually acceptable? solutions to long-standing disputes over oil, territory and Kurdish armed forces. Adal Barwari, al-Maliki?s adviser on Kurdish affairs said in the interview that al-Maliki and Kurdish Prime Minister Barham Salih held talks in Baghdad in late October and appointed a trio of committees to hammer out their differences. Those committees completed their final reports on Nov. 5 and submitted them to al-Maliki and Salih, Barwari was cited as saying in the interview. These developments, if confirmed, are positive developments for KRG?s efforts in developing the region?s hydrocarbon industry and the Kurdish focused independents including Gulf Keystone Mediterranean Oil & Gas PLC (MOG LN, 7.25p, ? 0.0%) today announced that the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Malta Oil Pty Ltd, has now entered into a contract with Fugro-Geoteam Pty Ltd ("Fugro-Geoteam"), who will undertake the acquisition of 1,000 square kilometres of long offset 3D seismic exploration data on behalf of the Company, in relation to its licence commitment at Area 4 Offshore Malta. Fugro-Geoteam's vessel, R/V Geo Barents, has commenced mobilisation and the Company expects 3D seismic acquisition to commence on or about Wednesday 16th November 2011. The estimated duration of the survey is about 30 days. Processing of 3D data will start immediately after the completion of the survey, with the objective of obtaining the results towards the end of Q1, 2012.
Antrim Energy (LON:AEY) Inc. (AEN TSE, C$1.38, ? 0.08%) today announced it has commenced drilling operations on its operated Erne prospect in the UK Central North Sea, block 21/29d (Antrim working interest 50%). Erne is an Eocene Tay Formation oil prospect located between the Fyne (Antrim working interest 35.1%) and Northwest Guillemot fields at a drilling depth of approximately 6,000 feet. The Erne exploration well is located approximately six kilometres northeast of the 21/28a-10z well in the Fyne Field, which tested at flow rates up to 4,000 barrels of oil per day…
