According to China's Ministry of Land & Resources, $13 billion will be spent in 2013 on oil and gas exploration for future supply and to maintain peak output. The country has been commissioning new offshore fields and reporting new successes from the Xinjiang region to the Guangdong Province.

Greka Drilling Ltd., Asia's largest independent unconventional oil and gas driller, has been contracted by CNPC Huabei Changzhi for 300 wells in Shanxi Province; by CNPC Huabei Jincheng for two wells in Shanxi; by Sinopec Huadong CBM for a 3,000-well program; and by Sinopec Huabei Unconventional Oil (Petroking) for 50 wells. Green Dragon Gas reportedly has 24 current completions with more planned in the second half of 2013.

In the first half of 2013, crude oil output increased 4.6% over 2012 production levels to approximately 730.5 million barrels, while gas output increased 9% to more than 2 billion cubic feet.

The ministry is also trying to stabilize output at aging northeast oilfields and rapidly expand oilfields in the west. It will also try to restore some unspecified, older offshore and onshore oil and gas fields.

The ministry noted that Penglai 19-3 Field, China's largest offshore oilfield, which is operated by ConocoPhillips, resumed output in February 2013 after a 2011 spill suspended field activity.

—Larry Prado

1 Colombia

An oil discovery was announced by Canacol Energy Ltd. in the Santa Isabell Block in Colombia's Middle Magdalena Valley. Exploration well #1-Oso Pardo had a planned depth of 10,199 ft. The well penetrated Lisama sandstones at 3,390 ft. with good oil and gas shows while drilling. Canacol also found two separate oil-filled sandstone intervals at 3,665 ft. and 3,800 ft. that produced 205.3 bbl. per day of 23-degree-gravity API oil with a water cut of 9.67% and gas production of 107,540 cu. ft. per day of gas. Petrophysical evaluation of the openhole logs acquired indicates 88 ft. of oil pay in Tertiary sandstones, 60 ft. of pay within Lisama sandstones with an average porosity of 25% and 28 ft. of pay within two separate Umir sandstones, with an average porosity of 16%. Canacol's headquarters are in Calgary.

2 Canada

In offshore Newfoundland's Flemish Pass Basin, Statoil announced a third oil discovery at its Bay du Nord Prospect in Block EL1112. The Bay du Nord well was drilled in approximately 1,100 meters of water and is about 20 kilometers south of Sta-toil's Mizzen discovery. The 2010 Mizzen discovery is estimated at 100 to 200 million bbl. of oil. Stavanger-based Statoil is the operator of Block EL1112 and the Bay du Nord and Harpoon discoveries with 65% interest in partnership with Husky Energy, which holds 35%.

3 Brazil

According to Oil and Gas International, QGEP Participacoes announced a discovery offshore in Brazil's Jequitinhonha Basin. The #1-GQ-5A-BAS was drilled in 35 meters of water in Block BM-J-2. The discovery was determined after anomalies were identified in the gas detector and oil shows were seen in cuttings, along with interpretation of logging-while-drilling profiles. After reaching the planned total depth of 4,700 meters and performing downhole logging and formation testing, the Rio de Janeiro-based company will determine the potential of the discovery. QGEP is the operator of the BM-J-2 Block and #1-GQ-5A-BAS with 100% interest.

4 Brazil

A Petrobras extension well, #3-SES-175D (3-BRSA-1180-DSES), also known as #1-Muriu, in the BM-SEAL-10 concession area has confirmed the late-2012 discovery of a new light hydrocarbon accumulation in the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin off Brazil's Aracaju coast. The #1-Muriu was drilled about four kilometers from the discovery well in 5,627 ft. of water. It confirmed a 24-meter thick reservoir with good permo-porosity characteristics. Rio de Janeiro-based Petrobras is the operator of the SEAL-M-447 and SEAL-M-424 blocks in the BM-SEAL-10 concession with 100% interest.

5 Gabon

Total made a discovery offshore Gabon in the Diaba License G4-223 in the deepwater pre-salt play. Exploration well #1B-Diaman was drilled to 1,729 meters in 5,585 meters of water. The well encountered 50 to 55 meters of hydrocarbon pay and preliminary analysis indicates that the hydrocarbons are natural gas with condensate content, pending results of ongoing analyses of well data. The venture confirms the existence of a working petroleum system and is the first discovery drilled in the deepwater portion of the pre-salt play. Paris-based Total is operator of the Diaba License G4-223 and #1B-Diaman with 42.5% interest, in partnership with Marathon Oil, 21.25%, Cobalt International Energy with 21.25%, and the Gabonese government with the remaining 15%.

6 Republic of Congo

Beijing-based CNOOC announced an oil and gas discovery offshore the Republic of Congo at in the Haute Mer A license area at #1-Elephant. The well was targeting N5 and the N3 reservoir intervals in Miocene Tertiary. It was drilled to 2,497 meters in 550 meters of water. Preliminary data indicates that the well hit a 30-meter gross interval (20.3 meters net) of crude oil and a 102-meter gross interval (58.8 meters net) of gas in the N5 interval. In the N3 interval there was a 16-meter gross interval (9.2 meters net) of crude oil. Water was encountered in other secondary targeted intervals. Porosity ranged from 24% to 36% in the N5 interval and 27% to 33% in the N3 interval with 18-degree-gravity crude. The discovery will be tested in early 2014 as part of the drilling and testing program in the Haute Mer A license area. The rig has moved to drill #1-Horse to 5,462 meters in the western portion of the license area. CNOOC operates Haute Mer A Block and #1- Elephant with 60% interest in partnership with Oryx (20%) and China Petroleum Corp. (20%).

7 Egypt

In the East Ghazalat Block in Egypt's Western Desert, TransGlobe Energy has reported a Jurassic gas and condensate discovery. The #1X-North Dabaa was drilled to 14,740 ft. and cased as a Cretaceous oil and Jurassic gas condensate discovery. Openhole well logs and samples indicated approximately 8 ft. of net oil pay in the Abu Roash formation and 23 ft. of net gas/condensate pay in the Khatatba. During a 72-hour flow test of Khatatba at 9,882-9,906 ft., about 48.9 million cu. ft. of gas and 4,893 bbl. of 56.9-degree API condensate were recovered on choke sizes ranging from 18/64- to 64/64-in. and corresponding wellhead drawdowns of 2% to 44%. Vegas Oil & Gas is the operator of the East Ghazalat Block and #1X-North Dabaa with 50% interest, in partnership with TransGlobe.

8 Egypt

An East Nile Delta discovery was announced by BP in the North Damietta Offshore Concession. According to the London-based company, #1-Salamat is the deepest well ever drilled in the Nile Delta and the first completion in the concession. The #1-Salamat is in 649 meters of water and was drilled to about 7,000 meters. Wireline logs, fluid samples, and pressure data confirmed gas and condensate in 38 meters net of Oligocene sands in Salamat. BP operates the North Damietta Offshore Concession and discovery well, #1-Salamat, with 100% interest.

9 Mozambique

Rome-based Eni announced discovery results from its offshore Mozambique Area 4 concession in the Agulha exploration prospect. Preliminary estimates indicate that the Agulha structure could contain 5- to 7 trillion cu. ft. of gas in place. Additional assessment and appraisal plans are under way. The discovery at #1-Agulha is the 10th well drilled in Area 4. The 6,203-meter #1-Agulha was drilled in 2,492 meters of water and hit approximately 160 meters of wet-gas pay in good-quality Paleocene and Cretaceous reservoirs. According to Eni, the venture opens a new exploration play in the southern part of the license area, and drilling is planned in 2014. Eni is the operator of Area 4 and #1-Agulha with 70% interest, in partnership with Galp Energia (10%), Kogas (10%), and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, 10%, carried through the exploration phase. CNPC owns a 20% indirect participation in Area 4.

10 Myanmar

PTT Exploration & Production reported oil at four offshore-Myanmar exploration wells in Block M3 in the Gulf of Martaban. The four discovery wells, #3-Aung Sinkha, #4-Aung Sinkha,#5-Aung Sinkha and #6-Aung Sinkha, were drilled as appraisals of discovery #2-Aung Sinkha, which was completed in 2011. According to the Bangkok-based company, #3-Aung Sinkha flowed approximately 34.5 million cu. ft. of gas per day with associated condensate output of 195 bbl. per day. The #5-Aung Sinkha flowed of 9 million cu. ft. of gas per day and #6-Aung Sinkha flowed at 14 million cu. ft. of gas and approximately 1,820 bbl. of condensate per day. PTT plans additional appraisal drilling in 2014 and will create a development plan for Aung Sinkha Field with production planned for 2016. PTTEP is the operator of the M3 Block and the Aung Sinkha wells with 100% interest.

11 Australia

Brisbane-based Senex Energy Ltd. announced results from a Cooper Basin oil discovery in South Australia's permit area PEL 115. At #2-Burruna, wireline logs confirmed a net pay interval in mid-Namur of 17 ft. and a drillstem test produced 750 bbl. per day of free-flowing oil with no associated water. Drilled to 6,286 ft., Senex cut 59 ft. of core through Murta. In the joint-venture area (Fury) with partner Orca Energy, Senex also completed #1-Fury, wihch had a 59-ft. gross oil column in Murta. Senex owns 80% of the prospect and Orca owns 20%.