Edison Investment Research

South east basin most popular in latest Mexico round

Following on from our recent Offshore Mexico ‘Exploration Watch’ (Click here for report), bidding in Round 2.1 was concentrated on the south east basins and saw the first entry to the basin of supermajor Shell as well as UK independent Cairn Energy. Ten of the fifteen shallow water blocks on offer were awarded, with nine of these located in the Sureste Basin. Only one block, Block 2, was awarded (to Dea Deutsche and Pemex) in the five blocks on offer in the Tampico-Misantla and Veracruz basins.

Porcupine Basin attracts Total

Total is the latest major oil company to move into the Porcupine Basin offshore Ireland, a region that has been generating interest across the industry. It has entered into two separate agreements with Providence Resources and Sosina Exploration that will give it the option to farm into Frontier Exploration Licence FEL 2/14 as well as securing a 50% WI and operatorship of Licensing Option 16/27. FEL 2/14 is the location of the upcoming 53/6-A Druid/Drombeg well which is due to spud at the end of this month and was highlighted in our ‘Wells to watch 2017’ report. Click here for report  LO 16/27 is to the north of Druid/Drombeg and contains the Avalon prospect.Providence has also agreed an option to farm out a further 20% of LO 16/27 to Cairn.

Edison Emerging Markets Gas Conference 2017

Companies presenting at this year’s conference include: Ophir Energy, Canacol Energy, Green Dragon Gas, SDX energy and Aminex.

Whilst most market commentators expect oil demand to continue to grow over the next twenty years, oil is expected to lose its dominance as the largest component of primary energy supply with cleaner sources such as gas, hydro and renewables accounting for c.40% of supply by 2035.

Tory manifesto - what does it mean for oil and gas?

Given the current polls (with the Conservatives leading Labour by 47% to 33%), we assume that the Conservatives form the next government and therefore take a look at what (if anything) we May glean from Theresa’s manifesto.

Premier spuds Zama-1 offshore Mexico

The spudding of Zama-1 marks the first offshore exploration well to be drilled in Mexico by an international company in over 80 years. The Talos Energy operated well, partnered by Premier Oil and private Mexican company Sierra Oil and Gas was on our list of wells to watch in 2017. Click here for report.

Cairn/FAR return to deepwater FAN in Senegal

The next well to be drilled by the Cairn/FAR joint venture offshore Senegal will be the FAN South-1 exploration well, marking a shift away from the shelf and back into the basin where the first exploration well, FAN-1, was drilled in 2014.