Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. has successfully tested its subsea Blowout Preventer Actuation Tool (BOP-AT) on a live well off the coast of West Africa at a water depth of over 1000 meters. The tool successfully closed the blowout preventer using power provided by a remotely operated vehicle,

Apache Corp. today announced that an extension well had initial production rates higher than any oil well drilled at the Beryl Field in the UK North Sea since 2001.

H2O Inc.’s Crapzapper™ division has expanded its offerings to provide aftermarket parts for electrolytic type sewage treatment systems.

Private equity firm Avista Capital Partners announced today it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Top-Co Inc., a privately-held, designer and manufacturer of specialized casing cementing products used in the drilling and completion of oil, natural gas and geothermal wells. Terms of the transaction, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012, were not disclosed. 

Hong Kong-based CNOOC Limited today announced that its parent company, China National Offshore Oil Corp., has signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with Roc Oil (Bohai) Company for Block 09/05 in Bohai.

Environmental Drilling Solutions, LLC, a provider of solids control, cuttings processing and zero discharge services, has received a growth equity investment from Element Partners and CSL Capital Management.  

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corp. and the Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corp. made their presence known last week in Houston at OTC 2012. From Booth 11909, dubbed the “Malaysia Pavilion,” representatives of Malaysian oil and gas companies, related agencies and associations reported $7.2 billion in total generated sales during the conference.

Credo Petroleum Corp., an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with assets in North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma, has updated its Kansas and Nebraska drilling project with the discovery of six new oilfields. 

Total announced May 3, 2012, it has been awarded an exploration license for Uruguay's offshore Block 14, following the second bidding round held by the national company, ANCAP.  The license remains subject to further approval by Uruguayan authorities.