Operators continue to find new oil reserves in deepwater Gulf, despite scaled-back drilling campaigns

摘要

IN THIS POST-DOWNTURN era, offshore operators and developers continue to be cautious with their drilling programs in the US Gulf of Mexico. A working rig count in the low-to-mid 20s -a 60% decline since January 2014 - seems to be the new norm. Nevertheless, Gulf operators have pressed forward with their slimmed-down exploration plans. These activities did bring a number of notable discoveries over the past year, most notably in the Miocene and Paleogene plays, in the deepwater Gulf.