Wednesday, 28 October 2026

Petrozamora oil fields in Venezuela operated by North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) hit a record output of 115,000 bpd on Oct. 23, according to World Oil. The figure coincided with a two-day visit by U.S. State Department officials.

Chargé d'Affaires John M. Barrett and Daniel Kennedy, deputy assistant secretary of state for energy and critical minerals, visited the company's operations across western and eastern Venezuela on Oct. 23 and 24, World Oil reported.

At the Junín 10 block, three rigs were drilling, with three more set to begin soon, among them a sixth rig that had recently arrived, according to World Oil.

T-16, a tender-assist rig run by Energy Drilling, will work a 30-month program after the company secured a letter of award from CPOC, World Oil reported.

The firm portion carries a value near USD 87 million once mobilization fees are counted, per World Oil. CPOC built in options that could extend the work by as much as 15 months beyond the firm term.

The assignment falls under Phase 7 of CPOC's development drilling in the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Development Area, according to World Oil.

In the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) has wrapped up the opening phase of work at its Hadiba gas and condensate field, World Oil reported.

SNOC aims to more than double its current gas output through the project, according to World Oil.

Work in the first phase ran from appraisal well drilling and data analysis through the installation of gas-gathering infrastructure, pipeline construction and facility commissioning.

The company is now readying a second phase, with production increases targeted for 2027, World Oil reported.

Neuquén awarded eight blocks to expand exploration of the Vaca Muerta formation, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

The round drew 20 bids from 10 bidders for eight of the 15 areas offered, Oil & Gas Journal reported.

Committed work programs include 11 horizontal wells to assess acreage outside the formation's main commercial developments, according to Oil & Gas Journal.

The winning bids represent USD 230.1 million in exploration investment and USD 180.7 million in access bonuses, Oil & Gas Journal reported.

Turkey may reach agreements for acquisitions or further hydrocarbon exploration by the end of the year, Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said, according to Offshore Engineer OEDigital.

The moves form part of a target to produce 1 million barrels of oil and natural gas a day, OEDigital reported.

Speaking at the Turkey Energy Summit in Istanbul, Bayraktar said the country had a production capacity of 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent. Current planning has that figure reaching 550,000 to 600,000 by 2028, he said.

Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi met Senegal's Minister of Energy and Petroleum El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf in Moscow, according to The Peninsula.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 28th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, The Peninsula reported. The ministers discussed energy relations and cooperation between Qatar and Senegal.