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.

West Qurna, described by Iraq’s Oil Ministry as a “super giant” and located in the southern part of Iraq, roughly 65 kilometers northwest of Basra, will be developed in two phases. ExxonMobil has won rights to participate in the first phase, while Statoil and Lukoil will participate in phase two.

Eni, Occidental Petroleum Corp., and Korea Gas Corp. have signed a technical service contract with Iraq's South Oil Co. and Missan Oil Co. as State Partner, to redevelop the Zubair field in southern Iraq.

ExxonMobil Production Company plans to apply advanced technology to the Hawkins Field, a discovery made by the company 100 miles east of Dallas in 1940, in an effort to recover the equivalent of an additional 40 million barrels of oil.