The new facility will be used for large scale fabrication of offshore platforms and onshore/offshore modules.

EXXONMOBIL - ExxonMobil said it has made a natural gas discovery offshore Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean at the Glaucus-1 well.

MEOG - An expected $210bn will be spent on offshore oilfield services globally next year, according to Rystad Energy’s latest project sanctioning report. Offshore contractors have experienced four consecutive years of declining revenues, but those still standing can expect revenues to start growing again next year.

ROSNEFT - Rosneft has spudded the Maria-1 exploration well offshore in the Black Sea. Forecasted oil in place for Zapadno-Chernomorskaya licence area is estimated to exceed 570 million tons.

Mergers among offshore oil drillers are raising hopes that consolidation could bring relief to a sector struggling to emerge from an industry downturn triggered by low crude prices.

Global offshore oil production (including lease condensate and hydrocarbon gas liquids) from deepwater projects reached 9.3 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2015. Deepwater production, or production in water of depths greater than 125 meters, has increased 25% from nearly 7 million b/d a decade ago.

Global offshore oil production (including lease condensate and hydrocarbon gas liquids) in 2015 was at the highest level since 2010, and accounted for nearly 30% of total global oil production. Offshore oil production increased in both 2014 and 2015, reversing consecutive annual declines from 2010 to 2013. Production from onshore tight oil plays has increased faster over the past several years and accounts for an increasing amount of total oil production.

Production at Khafji was halted in October 2014 because of environmental concerns. The 300,000-b/d field lies in the Saudi-Kuwaiti neutral zone. Kuwait Gulf Oil Co. and Saudi Aramco Gulf Operations Co. jointly operate it. Neither company commented on restart reports.

In addition to Vietnam, Rosneft also has oil-producing assets in Venezuela and Canada. It has exploration prospects in several other countries, including in Mozambique and the US in partnership with ExxonMobil.

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) today reported net income of $90 million, or $0.66 per share, in the second quarter of 2015, compared to $90 million, or $0.65 per share, in the second quarter of 2014. Revenues in the second quarter of 2015 were $634 million, compared to revenues of $692 million in the second quarter of 2014.