Development drilling is underway at Mozambique’s Coral North project as operators advance campaigns offshore Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire, secure rig capacity in India and move appraisal plans forward in Timor-Leste.
Offshore drilling activity remains active across multiple regions, with operators advancing development and exploration programs, securing rig contracts and repositioning assets for future work. Recent updates point to sustained investment in gas developments, field expansion projects and offshore exploration opportunities.
Development drilling offshore Mozambique
The drillship Saipem 12000 has started development drilling for the Coral North gas project in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin offshore Mozambique.
Eni leads the development, in partnership with CNPC, ENH, KOGAS and XRG.
The 10-month drilling campaign in the northern part of the Coral reservoir will provide future supplies for the Coral North FLNG vessel.
Drilling program concludes offshore Gabon
Offshore Gabon, Vaalco Energy has drilled and completed the ETBNM-3 gas-supply well from the SEENT platform, according to its recent quarterly results. It was directionally drilled adjacent to a discovery well into gas and condensate in the Dentale D15 reservoir.
The well is now onstream, with the gas used for field operations to lessen reliance on higher priced diesel that was previously transported to the field on a vessel.
The same rig was used to drill the ETSEM-3H development well from a new slot on the SEENT platform into an attic position within the SE Etame Field, with a lateral wellbore of 300 m of net pay in good-quality Gamba reservoir sands.
With the Phase 3 drilling program now complete, the rig has been demobilized from the field.
New campaign advances offshore Côte d’Ivoire
Offshore Côte d’Ivoire, Vaalco is a partner to CNR in the Baobab Field, where the Phase 5 drilling campaign recently started with batch-setting of top-holes. The new wells will then be drilled and completed and placed on production sequentially, with the first producer set to come online toward the end of this year.
As the new operator of the Kossipo Field in the offshore CI-40 Block, Vaalco is progressing a field development plan, which it aims to complete in the first half of next year. Analysis continues of recently acquired ocean-bottom node seismic data to de-risk the updated evaluation of the offshore resource.
Separately, Vaalco Energy has approval from Côte d’Ivoire’s government to enter the Second Exploration Phase at offshore Block CI-705, having completed Phase 1 work commitments.
In March 2025, Vaalco farmed into the license as operator, with a 70% interest.
The block, which is in the Ivoirien Basin, is 70 km west of VAALCO’s CI-40 Block, containing the Baobab and Kossipo oil fields.
Phase 1 exploration tasks at CI-705 included evaluating and interpreting seismic and well data.
Phase 2 commitments include further seismic reprocessing, relinquishing 25% of the concession, and drilling a first exploration well by the end of 2028.
Vaalco CEO George Maxwell said: “We see encouraging prospectivity on the block in the play types proven throughout the Ivoirien Basin, including both structural and stratigraphic traps in the Upper Cretaceous and Albian sections.
Recent nearby discoveries are on trend…and, provide additional validation of our play concepts and our view of the block’s prospectivity.”
Appraisal well plans progress offshore Timor-Leste
Sunda Energy has received confirmation from Finder Energy Holdings that one of the additional optional drilling slots secured on the semisub Hakuryu-5 will be made available for Sunda’s planned Chuditch-2 gas appraisal well.
Finder signed a contract for the rig last month.
Jackup contracts awarded offshore India
ONGC has taken two of ADES Holding’s jackups on three-year firm contracts offshore India.
The Key Singapore and Admarine 10 should both start operations by the end of first-quarter 2027, following completion of their current assignments.
Total contract value for the firm periods of both rigs, including mobilization fees, is about $117.2 million.
Dr. Mohamed Farouk, CEO of ADES Holding, said: “India remains an important market for ADES, supported by a large offshore resource base and continued investment in upstream activity.
“We are encouraged by the positive momentum across the regional jackup market, where improving utilization and constructive contracting activity are creating attractive opportunities for disciplined operators with an established presence and strong execution capabilities.
Dolphin Drilling agrees to sale of semisub rig
Dolphin Drilling has entered a definitive agreement to sell its Blackford Dolphin semisubmersible rig to SPM Energy Shipping FZCO for $25 million,
The two parties also have a memorandum of understanding concerning management of future drilling contracts for Blackford Dolphin and one other semisubmersible drilling rig, which could be broadened to other rigs.
SPM will market the rigs for work offshore India and other mutually agreed regions, and it would cover capital costs, operational expenses and guarantees connected to future drilling contracts.
Dolphin said the transaction would lower its operating costs and eliminate capex associated with Blackford Dolphin’s class renewal survey.
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