E&P Highlights: March 10, 2025

From a software partnership for TGS and SeisWare to Caterpillar’s new power solutions for frac operations, below is a compilation of the latest headlines in the E&P space.

Activity

Equinor, Partners Prove Gas/Condensate in Mistral Sør Prospect

Equinor and its partners have discovered gas/condensate in the Mistral Sør prospect.

Wildcat well 6406/6-7 S is the first well drilled by the licensees in Production License 1119. It’s the fifth within the license area.

The well was drilled by the Deepsea Atlantic rig, about 110 miles northwest of Kristiansund. Preliminary estimates indicate that the discovery contains 19 MMboe to 44 MMboe.

The licensees are considering a tie-back solution, where the discovery is connected to existing and planned infrastructure in the area.

Vitesse Energy Closes $220MM Acquisition of Lucero Energy

Vitesse Energy has completed its all-stock acquisition of Bakken E&P Lucero Energy Corp. in a deal valued at $222 million.

Under the terms of the December deal, holders of Lucero shares receiving 0.01239 share of common stock of Vitesse per Lucero share.

Lucero will be delisted from trading on the TSX Venture Exchange.

Contracts and company news

Hylan Launches Gas and Pipeline Division

HYLAN, a provider of communications and electrical infrastructure, has launched a new pipeline division to support the energy, utility and transportation sectors. 

The new division’s services include pipeline maintenance and construction, station maintenance and construction, horizontal drilling, hydrostatic testing, sandblasting and more.

FourPhase Launches Remote Monitoring Technology for Sand Management

FourPhase, which specializes in solids and production performance for the oil and gas sector, has launched The Observer, an advanced real-time data capture and optimization tool for sand management.

The tool, which has been deployed in five operations across the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and the Norwegian Continental Shelf, is set to be rolled out across all FourPhase operations, enabling full remote monitoring.

The Observer captures real-time data to generate a live operational display in FourPhase’s operations center. This data simultaneously populates online dashboards, accessible to customers worldwide.

Tampnet Awarded Contract for Woodside’s Trion Project

Tampnet has been awarded a fiber optic project and long-term service contract for fiber connectivity and services for Woodside’s Trion Project in the GoM.

Trion’s fiber-based connectivity will enable remote operations, safety and training capabilities that will be managed from a Woodside onshore facility in Mexico.  

Tampnet will add about 120 miles of subsea fiber cable in the deepwater region of the GoM, adding to its current infrastructure of 900 miles of fiber connecting about 20 deepwater offshore assets.

DrillDocs Uses Computer Vision Tech to Detect Cavings Offshore Norway

DrillDocs, a provider of digital shale shaker surveillance technology, has used computer vision technology to automatically detect cavings on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) for the first time.

 The company’s CleanSight technology was deployed on the Noble Integrator rig while drilling in the Fenris Field on the NCS in a project with Aker BP.

CleanSight uses high-specification Axis Communications cameras designed for hazardous environments. The technology features on-board processing capability for real-time image analysis. DrillDocs’ image-processing algorithms monitor material as it exits the rig’s shale shakers, helping improve drilling performance, borehole stability and solids control operations.

Caterpillar Introduces Power Solutions for Frac Operations

Caterpillar Oil & Gas has announced the development of the Gas Mechanical System (GMS), a fully integrated power solution for frac operations that uses 100% natural gas.

Engineered for high-horsepower pressure pumping applications, the GMS features the next generation 3600 hp Cat G3520 engine and the new TH55G-E90 transmission. Its scalable design requires fewer trailers on-site, increases the power density per trailer and decreases fuel consumption compared to alternative frac methods.

Field testing in the Permian Basin has shown the GMS achieving production rates up to 13 bbl/ min while sustaining more than 20 pumping hours per day. The GMS will continue to be tested across major North American basins.

TGS, SeisWare Form Strategic Partnership

Energy data and intelligence provider TGS has formed a strategic partnership with SeisWare, a developer of geoscience interpretation and field development software.

Through this partnership, TGS is enabling seamless integration of its extensive well data, including well headers, formation tops, logs and production and completion data within SeisWare’s platform via TGS application programming interfaces. This integration is targeted for availability in third-quarter 2025.