Charleston, WV-based Northeast Natural Energy LLC has acquired 11,657 net acres in the core of the Marcellus Shale and associated shallow conventional oil and gas wells from Denver-based Nytis Exploration Co. and from Nytis Exploration of Pennsylvania.

Growth oriented oil exploration and development company Friendly Energy Exploration has created a wholly-owned subsidiary called Friendly Energy Drilling Inc., a Nevada corporation, to be the operational/production subsidiary of the parent company.

Norwegian oil service company Aker Solutions has signed a US$41 million contract with Petrobras to supply sulphate removal units for two Floating Production Storage and Offloading platforms which will operate offshore Brazil.

North Dakota’s February Bakken lease sale raised $47 million, the second-highest amount in the state's history.

Grizzly Oil Sands ULC, a company in which Oklahoma City-based Gulfport Energy Corp. holds an approximate 25% interest, submitted an application to the Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board and Alberta Environment for the development of an 11,300 barrel per day oil sands project at Algar Lake.

Independent oil and gas company GeoResources Inc. and Resolute Energy Corp. have entered into announced a joint venture project to develop acreage in the Bakken Shale Trend of North Dakota.

The global offshore drilling industry will stabilize this year but is unlikely to return to growth until 2011. Following a sharp decline in 2009, global drilling is predicted to rise 12% in 2010-2014 compared with the previous five years.

European oil and gas exploration and production company Ascent Resources plc has agreed to sell a 45% interest in Italian drilling contractor Perazzoli Drilling srl for a cash consideration of EUR1.85 million.

UK-based upstream independent exploration and production company Salamander Energy plc has launched its 2010 drilling program in Laos with the spudding of the Bang Nouan-1 exploration well in the Savannakhet PSC, Lao PDR.