BP oil drill plan for Angola

The Angola-based arm of the UK oil giant BP plans to develop 150 oil wells in the country. The drilling programme is expected to take place over a number of years. The company has contracted US-based Halliburton for well completion, including upper and lower completions equipment and downhole flow control. In addition, Halliburton has been awarded the drilling and completions fluids business for the wells. The value

of this investment is expected to

be about $600m. Drilling activity

is scheduled to commence in 2010.

coal mining licence granted

The UK’s Strategic Natural Resources, the 74%-owned subsidiary of Elitheni Coal, has been granted a full mining licence, enabling it to start underground coal extractions at its Indwe deposit, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. The licence covers 92 square kilometres.

Kurdistan drill to commence

Bermuda-based Gulf Keystone Petroleum, an independent oil and gas exploration company, plans to expand its operation in the Iraq region of Kurdistan. The company plans to start drilling operations

in the highly prospective Shaikan Block, situated near the city of Dihok, by early second quarter 2009. The company also intends

to drill its first well in the adjacent Akri-Bijeel block following completion of the Shaikan well using the same rig.