%0 Journal Article %T Ups and downs of NW Europe offshore exploration revealed in annual survey %D 1998 %J First Break, %V 16 %N 2 %@ 1365-2397 %R https://doi.org/10.3997/1365-2397.16.2.26149 %I European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers, %X First Break picks out some of the main points from the 1997 review of exploration drilling activity in Northwest Europe and predictions for 1998 by the energy analyst company Arthur Andersen Petroleum Services Group. Drilling activity in Northwest Europe based on the total number of offshore exploration and appraisal spuds has risen for the third year in succession and returned to pre-1993 levels, according to the annual review by Arthur Andersen Petroleum Services Group, based in London. Fewer wells are expected to be drilled this year, based on estimates from Arthur Andersen, which publishes what it claims to be the longest running weekly service surveying exploration and appraisal drilling, says that the UK has lost its margin over other countries which was marked by a surge in activity from Norwegian companies. Only half of the wells spudded in 1997 were drilled on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) with other strong activity recorded in Ireland and Denmark but not in The Netherlands which was particularly busy in 1996. In the previous year 61% of Northwest Europe offshore spuds were in the UK and in 1995 the figure was 64%. %U https://www.earthdoc.org/content/journals/0.3997/1365-2397.16.2.26149