Latest news with #LowerCretaceous
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eni makes new oil discovery in Namibia's Orange basin
Eni has confirmed an oil discovery at the Capricornus 1-X well in the Orange basin offshore Namibia. The drilling took place in Petroleum Exploration Licence 85 (PEL85), operated by Rhino Resources with a 42.5% working interest. Azule Energy, a joint venture between Eni and bp, also holds a 42.5% stake, alongside Namcor (10%) and Korres Investments (5%). Drilled using the Noble Venturer drillship, the well was spud on 17 February and reached its total depth on 2 April, successfully reaching the Lower Cretaceous target. The Capricornus 1-X well encountered 38m of net pay, revealing a reservoir with good petrophysical properties and no water contact. Hydrocarbon samples and sidewall cores were obtained through comprehensive wireline logging operations. A production test conducted on the well demonstrated a surface-constrained flow rate exceeding 11,000 stock tank barrels per day on a 40/64in choke. The light oil, with a 37° API gravity, showed minimal associated gas, less than 2% CO₂ and no hydrogen sulphide. Further laboratory analysis will be performed on the fluid samples to better understand the reservoir's characteristics. Following the successful test, plans are in place to temporarily plug and abandon the well, with the Noble Venturer set to be released. In a related development, Eni has signed a memorandum of understanding with YPF to explore potential involvement in Argentina's LNG project. The initiative seeks to exploit the Vaca Muerta onshore gas field to export as much as 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG by the end of the decade. Moreover, Eni's Coral Norte floating LNG development plan in Mozambique has received government approval, setting the stage for a final investment decision. The project is expected to produce 3.55mtpa of LNG over a 30-year period from the Rovuma Basin offshore Mozambique. "Eni makes new oil discovery in Namibia's Orange basin" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
South China Morning Post
24-04-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Eat, prey, eat: fossil find in China reveals unusual dinosaur-mammal food chain
A remarkable fossil discovery in northeastern China has revealed a twisted prehistoric food chain – a dinosaur species that devoured a mammal, which itself may have preyed on dinosaurs Advertisement The findings, detailed in a study published in National Science Review, highlight a complex predator-prey dynamic between dinosaurs and mammals 125 million years ago. The fossilised remains of Huadanosaurus sinensis – a newly identified compsognathid-like theropod dinosaur – were found in Liaoning province in what is known as the Yixian geological formation , a treasure trove of Early Cretaceous fossils. The fossilised remains were found in the Yixian Formation in Liaoning province. Images: Handout Scientists discovered two small mammals inside the juvenile dinosaur's stomach cavity. One was a eutherian, a distant relative of modern placental mammals. The second was a gobiconodontid, a group that includes the Repenomamus – a badger-sized mammal known to feast on small dinosaurs. This discovery creates a striking ecological loop. Earlier fossils showed Repenomamus mammals with baby dinosaur bones in their stomachs, suggesting they actively hunted or scavenged dinosaurs. Now it appears that Huadanosaurus turned the tables, preying on mammal predators. The eutherian in its gut was swallowed whole, indicating Huadanosaurus likely killed its prey with a powerful bite. Advertisement 'We describe two new compsognathid-like species, [Sinosauropteryx lingyuanensis] and [Huadanosaurus sinensis] from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation,' the researchers from China and the United States said in a paper in the May issue of the peer-reviewed journal National Science Review. Compsognathidae are a family of coelurosaur theropods, a group of carnivorous, mostly bipedal dinosaurs that also included the Tyrannosaurus.
New York Times
20-02-2025
- Climate
- New York Times
There's a Big Hole in England
A giant crater in the southeast English county of Surrey has enveloped part of a residential street, causing the county to declare a major incident. Here's what we know. What's going on? There's a hole. A what? A hole. Actually, two holes. The first hole appeared on Godstone High Street on Monday night, and grew on Tuesday to 65 feet by 20 feet and 16 feet deep. The second hole on the other side of the road is 16 feet by 16 feet, and 16 feet deep. Since Tuesday, both holes have stabilized and neither are continuing to expand. What caused this? The cause is unclear, but geologists have some theories. The area is built on weakly cemented sandstones, which formed during the Lower Cretaceous period more than 100 million years ago, that can be eroded by running water, Andrew Farrant, a geologist for the British Geological Survey, said in a statement. While this is not usually an issue, a sudden change in the composition of the ground — caused by heavy rainfall or an influx of water from a burst pipe — can trigger a collapse. In Surrey, a burst water main might have flushed out weak sandstone bedrock beneath the road or caused the collapse of an old, unrecorded sand mine. Or the collapse of a mine roof might have led to the bursting of a water main, said Vanessa Banks, a geologist for the British Geological Survey. More broadly, the push in Britain to build more houses has meant that more water goes into aging infrastructure, putting more pressure on pipes, she said. Periods of intense rainfall, which are likely to become more common because of climate change, can also put more pressure on the seals of aging pipes, she said. Is anyone in danger? No, but people in about 30 properties have had to evacuate, the Surrey County Council said. 'Our house is not secure at all,' one resident who evacuated, Noosh Miri, told the BBC. 'At the moment we don't know the extent of the damage but we do know we won't be going home for some time.' What other havoc has the hole wreaked? Traffic has been diverted from the road, the main road in the village. A car is teetering on the edge of the second, smaller hole, and the owner hasn't been able to move it. Another resident, Josh Neame, told the BBC that he slept in his car on Monday night after the hole first appeared. What are they doing about the hole? They'd like to fill it. The site is currently being tested by structural experts, and more permanent repairs will happen once it is deemed safe, the Surrey Council said. How long will repairs take? Probably months, said Matt Furniss, the Surrey County councilor responsible for highways. Displaced residents may be able to move back sooner than that, but the timeline is unclear, he said. 'We cannot give a definitive date at this point,' he said. Over the last few days, residents have been able to return home for brief visits to collect personal belongings. Are holes like these common? Sinkholes, formed by the dissolution of limestone or other soluble rocks, are common in certain areas, such as near Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, and in parts of Florida. But sinkholes in Britain are usually small and tend to occur in rural locations. Periodically, new holes form in busier areas in Britain. In December, a hole in Wales opened up in the driveway of a past winner of the reality-TV show Love Island, Liam Reardon, according to local media. Heavy rainfall can trigger the collapse of old mine shafts or infrastructure, though these cases are not technically sinkholes because the crater is not formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, according to the British Geological Survey. Still, people should not be worried, Dr. Banks said. Residences are generally not allowed to be built on areas where abandoned mines are known to have existed. In instances where holes have occurred, houses have been built above medieval mines that had not been recorded.
