- Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A, RDS.B) plans to delay drilling a $100M-plus exploration well off Australia's northwest coast, in the latest example of reduced activity in the area due to the plunge in crude oil prices.
- Shell had expected to start drilling its Cronus-1 well this quarter in the Browse Basin, targeting a large gas discovery that has been called a "multi-trillion cubic feet" gas prospect, which lies north of BHP's Argus field and north-east of ConocoPhillips' Poseidon discovery.
- Wells by Japan's Inpex and South Africa’s Santos planned off Western Australia's coast also have been deferred recently.
- Shell is still drilling development wells as planned at its $12B Prelude floating LNG project in the Browse Basin, and is a 25% partner in Chevron's $54B Gorgon LNG venture.