Three drilling rigs work Junín 10 as NABEP adds rigs in Venezuela

North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) is growing its Venezuela rig fleet to 41 of the 60 rigs it announced in October, with the count due to reach that level this month. Production reached 223,509 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) on 19 October, up from about 200,000 boed in August.

NABEP has nine drilling rigs in the country. Three are working in the Junín 10 block of the Orinoco Belt, three more will start there soon, and three are being refurbished or moved into position. Four more rigs are being shipped from Houston, Brazil and Colombia. The drilling rigs include Helmerich & Payne (H&P) and National Oilwell Varco (NOV) models.

The company also has 20 workover rigs in Venezuela. Three are in Lake Maracaibo, 12 are in the Lagunillas and Bachaquero fields and five are in the Orinoco Belt. Fifteen more are being refurbished in Houston for deployment in western Venezuela, and all 35 are being recertified to Category 4 inspection before entering service. The update follows the October addition of 11 workover rigs and two drilling rigs.