Is a boom in drilling ultra deep high pressure high temperature offshore wells coming in a few years?
The key to safely drilling very deep, high pressure high temperature wells is the availability of cesium formate which is currently available by renting from Sinomine the cesium formate fluid and purchasing the losses.
Interestingly, a Canadian lithium deposit explorer and developer, PMET Resources (PMET.TO) has discovered the largest ever known high grade cesium rich pollucite deposits. These deposits will likely be in production by 2029, making byproducts like cesium rich pollucite available to make cesium formate.
What are the best ways to directly and indirectly play drilling?
High-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) oil and gas fields are defined roughly as reservoirs with pressures >10,000 psi (~690 bar) and temperatures >300°F (~150°C), and ultra-HPHT fields exceeding ~15,000–20,000 psi and ~350–400°F+. These extreme conditions make them technically challenging and expensive to develop.Below are the main global regions where commercial or near-commercial HPHT and ultra-HPHT fields are located (as of late 2025):
Region/Basin
Country Key Fields / Discoveries Approx. Conditions Notes / Operators
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UK Central North Sea
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United Kingdom
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Elgin-Franklin, Shearwater, Culzean, Jade, J-Area (Jade), Erskine
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14,000–18,000 psi, 380–410°F
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Pioneer HPHT province in the 1990s–2000s (TotalEnergies, Shell, BP)
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Norwegian North Sea
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Norway
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Kristin, Kvitebjørn, Smørbukk, Tyrihans, Hanz, Morvin
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10,000–13,000 psi, 320–360°F
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Equinor-dominated, 20,000 psi+ technology being qualified
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Gulf of Mexico (Lower Tertiary/Paleogene)
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USA (deepwater)
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Jack, St. Malo, Cascade, Chinook, Kaskida, Tiber, Shenandoah
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15,000–20,000+ psi, 250–300°F
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Chevron, BP, Shell; some of the highest pressures worldwide
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US Gulf of Mexico (Miocene)
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USA (deepwater)
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Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Tahiti, Jack-2 (test), Hadrian
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12,000–18,000 psi, 250–300°F
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BP, Shell, Chevron
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Mexico Gulf of Mexico
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Mexico
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Trion, Maximino, Exploratus, Zama (HPHT sections)
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12,000–16,000 psi, 300°F+
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PEMEX, Woodside, Talos
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Brazil Pre-Salt (Santos Basin)
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Brazil
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Lula, Búzios, Mero, Tupi (some reservoirs)
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10,000–13,000 psi, 280–320°F
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Petrobras; moving into HPHT in deeper reservoirs
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Eastern Mediterranean (Levantine Basin)
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Israel, Cyprus
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Leviathan, Tamar, Aphrodite, Glaucus
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10,000–15,000 psi, 300–350°F
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Noble, Chevron, Eni
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South China Sea (Yinggehai Basin)
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China, Vietnam
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Ledong, Dongfang fields (China), Block 05-1 (Vietnam)
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10,000–15,000 psi, up to 420°F
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CNOOC and partners; some of the hottest reservoirs globally
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Malaysia & Brunei (Deepwater)
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Malaysia, Brunei
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Kikeh, Gumusut-Kakap, Limbayong
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12,000–15,000 psi, 300–350°F
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Murphy, Shell, Petronas
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Western Australia (Carnarvon Basin)
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Australia
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Gorgon, Jansz-Io (some zones), Wheatstone
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10,000–13,000 psi, 300–340°F
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Chevron, Woodside
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Bay of Bengal (Krishna-Godavari Deepwater)
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India
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KG-D6 deeper reservoirs, Cluster-2
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12,000–15,000 psi, 350°F+
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Reliance, BP
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Black Sea (Turkish sector)
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Turkey
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Sakarya Gas Field (Tuna-1, Amasra)
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10,000–13,000 psi, ~330°F
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TPAO
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Barents Sea
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Norway/Russia
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Alta/Gohta (Norway), Shtokman (Russia)
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10,000–12,000 psi, cold but high pressure
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Equinor, Gazprom
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Emerging / Frontier HPHT Areas (2023–2025 discoveries)- Namibia Orange Basin (some deep targets showing HPHT signs)
- Cyprus Glaucus and Cronos (ultra-deep HPHT gas)
- Egypt West Mediterranean (deep plays)
- Guyana/Suriname deepwater (some Cretaceous targets trending HPHT)
The “HPHT club” is still relatively small—most of the world’s oil and gas production comes from conventional 3,000–8,000 psi and <300°F reservoirs. The fields above represent the extreme end and typically require 15,000–20,000 psi-rated equipment, special elastomers, and advanced well architectures. |
