Wall Street Journal, October 3,
These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch their accuracy. - A multibillion-dollar deal to send Nvidia's artificial-intelligence chips to the United Arab Emirates is stuck in neutral nearly five months after it was signed, frustrating CEO Jensen Huang and some senior administration officials. Google announced that it would build a $4 Billion data center in Arkansas on more than 1000 acres, creating hundreds and thousands of jobs in construction as well as operations. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic version of the pill used to end pregnancies.
BP seeks partner for Brazil Bumerangue Block
BP's Brazil Chief Andres Guevara de la Vega announced on Thursday that the oil giant will look for a partner in order to evaluate the discovery made at Brazil's Bumerangue Block. It could also reach a deal with a partner before making a final decision about investing in the project. In August, the British company, who currently own 100% of this block, announced that Bumerangue was its largest oil and natural gas discovery in over 25 years. Vega, speaking at an event in Rio de Janeiro, said that the search for a new partner would take place over the next year or two.
Nigeria increases oil production and drilling activity in response to reforms that attract investment
Nigeria's daily crude oil production has increased from between 1.7 and 1.83 millions barrels, and the number active drilling rigs have increased from 31 in January to fifty by July. This is due to the reforms implemented under President Bola Tinubu to open up the petroleum sector to investment. The figures were announced by Senator Heineken Lopobiri (Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oil) during his keynote speech at the Africa Energy Week, Cape Town. He was speaking on behalf of President. He said that the "Project One Million Barrels", launched in October 2020, is driving the recovery in the upstream industry.
Iraq signs contract with BP for development of Kirkuk oilfields; initial target is 328,000 bpd
Iraq's oil ministry announced on Thursday that it has signed a contract with BP for the development of Kirkuk oilfields. The initial production target is 328,000 barrels a day. The agreement was signed in early this year and involves BP and Iraq's North Oil Company and North Gas Company working together to rehabilitate the Baba and Avana Domes of the Kirkuk Field, as well the Jambour Bai Hassan and Khabbaz field. Iraq's Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani stated in a press release that the contract has a target production of 328,000 barrels / day with future increases anticipated through field development.
The new BP chair says the strategy is correct but it needs to be implemented faster
A memo obtained by revealed that Albert Manifold, the new BP chair, told employees on Monday that the group’s portfolio was “overly complex” and that it needed to implement its strategy to shift focus back to oil & gas quicker. Manifold became the new chairman of BP on Tuesday. Helge Lund was criticized by investors for his close relationship with former CEO Bernard Looney who led BP's disastrous foray into renewables. BP has pledged to sell assets worth $20 billion in order to reduce its net debt from $26 billion down to between $14 and $18 billions by the end 2027.
Diamondback CEO says US crude production growth will slow down with $60/bbl.
The CEO of Diamondback Energy - one of the top oil producers in the United States - said that the growth of U.S. crude oil production will slow down if oil prices remain near $60 per barrel. Fewer drilling sites can be profitable at this level. Kaes van't Hof, speaking at a conference on energy in Austin, said "There are only so many Tier 1 rocks" in reference to the best locations for drilling. It's hard to imagine growth at $60 oil. At $50, it's even more difficult. On Wednesday morning, U.S. crude oil futures were trading at around $61.50 per barrel.
EIA: US crude and fuel stocks rise due to lower demand
The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday that U.S. crude, gasoline, and distillate inventory levels increased last week, as demand and refining activity slowed. The EIA reported that crude inventories increased by 1.8million barrels, to 416.5million barrels for the week ending September 26. This was compared to analysts' expectations in an online poll of a one-million barrel increase. According to the EIA, crude stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma's delivery hub dropped by 271,000 barrels during the past week. The oil futures continued to fall following the higher-than-expected increase in stocks.
US Crude Oil Production Hits Record, says EIA
The Energy Information Administration reported on Tuesday that U.S. crude production reached a new monthly record of 13,64 million barrels of oil per day in the month July. This is up 109,000 barrels per days from June's previous record.The EIA reported that the oil output of Texas, the top producer, rose to 5,8 million barrels per day (bpd) in July. This was the highest level since October 2024. New Mexico, the second largest producer, reached a record 2,28 million bpd.The data also showed that the gross natural gas production of the Lower 48 States of the United States reached a record-high of 121.62 trillion cubic feet per day…
US Crude Oil Production Hits Record, says EIA
The Energy Information Administration reported on Tuesday that U.S. crude production reached a new monthly record of 13,64 million barrels of oil per day in the month July. This is up 109,000 barrels per days from June's previous record.The EIA reported that the oil output of Texas, the top producer, rose to 5,8 million barrels per day (bpd) in July. This was the highest level since October 2024. New Mexico, the second largest producer, reached a record 2,28 million bpd.The data also showed that the gross natural gas production of the Lower 48 States of the United States reached a record-high of 121.62 trillion cubic feet per day…
BP and Total Deepen Commitments to US with Major Projects
BP and TotalEnergies, two European oil and natural gas companies, deepened their commitments towards the United States on Monday. BP approved a $5 billion offshore field for oil production and TotalEnergies bought into a gas field onshore. The goal of U.S. president Donald Trump to capitalize on hydrocarbon resources in the United States is aligned with increased investment in U.S. production of oil and gas. BP is increasingly reliant upon the United States for its oil and natural gas business, following a February strategic overhaul that shifted spending from renewables towards hydrocarbons. BP has pledged to increase U.S.
BP approves $5 billion Tiber Guadalupe project in US Gulf
British oil giant BP announced on Monday that it would move forward with a $5 Billion offshore drilling project called Tiber-Guadalupe in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. This marks another step in BP's new strategy to refocus its oil and gas core business. The project is expected to start oil and gas production by 2030. It will include a floating platform that can produce 80,000 barrels per day of crude oil. BP, which has been underperforming its rivals Shell and Exxon Mobil with increasing debt in recent years, announced in February…
Baker Hughes reports that the US oil and gas rig counts have reached their highest level since June.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms added oil and gas rigs this week for the fourth consecutive week for the first since February. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by seven in the week ending September 26 to 549, its highest level since June. Baker Hughes reported that despite this week's increase in rigs the total count is still 38 rigs or 6% lower than this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by six this week to 424, the highest level since July. Gas rigs, on the other hand, fell by one, to 117, which is their lowest level since July.
Baker Hughes reports that the US oil and gas rig count has reached its highest level since June.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms added oil and gas rigs this week for a fourth consecutive week for the first since February. In the week ending September 26, the oil and gas rig counts, a leading indicator of future production, increased by seven, to 549, its highest level since June. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by six this week to 424, the highest level since July. Gas rigs, on the other hand, fell by one, to 117, which is their lowest level since July. Oil and gas rig counts declined by around 5% in 2020 and 20% in 2023, as lower U.S.
PetroChina says it has added 1.15 billion barrels to its shale oil reserves at a pilot project.
PetroChina proved another 158 millions metric tons of shale-oil reserves, or approximately 1.15 billion barrels in a northeast China pilot project, Chinese state media reported Friday. State television reported that the Daqing project in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, covers an area of 2,778 sq km and pumps 3,500 tons or 25,550 barrels per day. The project began testing production in 2022 and is one of several pilot shale-oil projects being undertaken by national oil companies to increase drilling for hydrocarbons that are harder to develop in order stop the decline in domestic oil production.
BP expects oil demand to grow until 2030, due to a slowdown in energy efficiency gains
BP announced on Thursday that it expects the global oil demand will grow until 2030. This is five years later than their forecast a year earlier. They attributed this to slowed energy efficiency efforts and global carbon emission reductions. Two scenarios are modeled in the latest Energy Outlook from Shell, an annual report on energy trends to 2050. The "Current Trajectory' scenario is based upon existing policies and commitments. The "Below 2 Degrees" scenario, which refers to the goal of limiting global heating to less than two degrees Celsius…
Chevron anticipates a quarterly impact of up to $400 Million from the Hess Deal
Chevron, the U.S. energy giant, said it expected to suffer a loss of between $200 million and $400 million during the third quarter due to the Hess transaction. Chevron completed its $55 billion purchase of Hess, after winning a landmark court battle with larger rival Exxon Mobil in order to gain access the largest oil find in decades. Earnings adjusted for severance and other costs associated with the deal are expected to range between $50 million to $150 million. The U.S. Energy Major also expects that the deal will add $1 billion to 1,25 billion dollars to its capital expenditure for the current quarter.
BP delays oil demand peak forecast to 2030 from 2020
BP announced on Thursday that it expected global oil demand growth to continue until 2030. This is five years longer than the forecast made a year earlier. It also highlighted slowed energy efficiency efforts. Two scenarios are modeled in the latest Energy Outlook of oil major, an annual study on energy trends to 2050. The "Current Trajectory " scenario is based upon existing policies and commitments. In its "Below 2 Degrees" scenario, it envisions a 90 percent drop in carbon emission levels by 2050 compared to 2023. The burning of coal, oil and natural gas is the main cause of emissions.
Enverus, an analytics firm, says that US shale costs will rise to $95/bbl in the mid-2030s.
Energy analytics firm Enverus stated on Tuesday that the marginal cost of producing U.S. shales oil could rise as much as 15 dollars a barrelle to $95 per barrel within 10 years as stagnant production forces companies to drill at locations with less proven resources. Enverus reported that the average cost of producing a barrel in the United States is $70. According to a Dallas Federal Reserve survey, many producers need oil prices above $65 per barrel to make a profit. However, prices have been below this level all year. Alex Ljubojevic is a director of Enverus Intelligence, an Enverus unit. He said that as the U.S.
Sources say that Exxon has signed an initial agreement with Rosneft in order to map out a possible route to recover Russian losses.
According to sources familiar with these talks, U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil signed an initial non-binding agreement to help Exxon recover a $4.6 billion loss it took on its Russian activities in 2022 due to Moscow's invasion in Ukraine. The agreement is a first step in repairing the commercial ties between the two nations, but little progress will be made until Moscow has made enough progress towards a peace accord in Ukraine and the United States and European Union have relaxed their sanctions against Russia. Terry Wade, spokesperson for Exxon, declined to comment.
NGSA: US natgas production to reach record levels this winter
According to the Natural Gas Supply Association’s Winter Outlook 2025-2026, U.S. Natural Gas production will reach record levels this winter. This will help meet domestic demand and a growing liquefied gas export market. This winter, the U.S. Natural Gas Market faces a balance act: increasing supply versus growing demand. The NGSA stated that while production and storage is strong, wildcards could cause price pressure. The total gas demand for this winter is expected to increase by 4,2 billion cubic feet per days (bcfd), mainly due to LNG exports which will rise by 3,8 bcfd, as new liquefaction capacities come online. NGSA predicts U.S.
BP abandons plans for Rotterdam biofuels facility
A company spokesperson announced on Monday that BP had stopped working on its Rotterdam Biofuels Plant. This is the latest in a series of abandoned biofuels by oil companies like BP and Shell due to weak demand. BP announced in February that, after a disastrous foray into the renewables sector in 2020, it would redirect its spending to oil and gas projects. The company also dropped its goal to produce 100,000 barrels of biofuels per day by the end the decade. In recent months, BP has halted its plans to build standalone plants for biofuels at its Kwinana plant in Australia.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have added oil and gas rigs to their fleet for the third consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms added oil and gas rigs this week for the third consecutive week for the first since February. In the week ending September 19, the oil and gas rig counts, a good indicator of future production, increased by three, to 542. This is its highest level since July. Baker Hughes reported that despite this week's increase in rigs the total number was still 46 rigs or 8% lower than this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by two this week to 418, the highest level since July. Gas rigs remained at 118.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have added oil and gas rigs to their fleets for the third consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms added oil and gas rigs this week for the third consecutive week for the first since February. Oil and gas rig counts, an early indicator for future production, increased by three in the week ending September 19. This is their highest level since July. Baker Hughes reported that despite the increase in rigs this week, the total number of rigs was still 46, or 8%, below what it was at this time last. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by two this week to 418, the highest level since July. Gas rigs remained at 118.
Ecopetrol will beat its 2025 drilling target and may even best the output target, says executive
Rafael Guzman said that Colombian state energy company Ecopetrol will exceed its goal of drilling 10 oilwells in 2025 by 20% to 40%. It has been reported that the company drilled six successful wells during the first half of this year. Guzman said on the sidelines the Acipet Energy Conference in the Caribbean city Barranquilla, "I think we'll do more than 10 times the amount planned. Ecopetrol’s daily production, which is 751,000 barrels per day (bpd), is just a little bit above the upper limit of the company's target of 750,000 bpd by 2025. Guzman stated that "it's going very well" to reach our goal of between 740,000 and 750,000 barrels.
Ecopetrol will beat its 2025 drilling target and may even best the output target, says executive
Rafael Guzman said that Colombia's state energy company Ecopetrol will likely exceed its goal of drilling ten oil wells in 2025 by 20% to 40%. It has been reported that the company drilled six successful wells during the first half of this year. Guzman said on the sidelines the Acipet Energy Conference in Barranquilla, a Caribbean city. "I think we'll do more than 10 (wells), and I think that it could be between 20% and 40% more," Guzman said. Ecopetrol’s daily production, which is 751,000 barrels per day (bpd), is just a little bit above the upper limit of the company’s target of 750,000 bpd by 2025.
Anti-trust agency: Indonesia's unsubventioned fuel policy may harm consumers and create unfair practices
The Indonesian anti-trust agency said that its import restrictions on fuels sold by private companies without subsidies have reduced consumer options and could lead to an unfair competition environment. Shell and BP AKR, which operates BP's petrol stations, have reported that they are experiencing inventory shortages of some gasoline products. This has been happening since late August. Shell has made a number of other products. Gas stations are located all over the country. Private fuel distributors who only sell unsubsidised petrol have a small market share compared with those owned by Pertamina.
Trinidad and Tobago wins four deepwater oil and natural gas blocks
The auction of deepwater exploration and production blocks for oil and gas in Trinidad and Tobago failed to attract much interest from foreign investors. Only four out of 26 areas were offered. Trinidad's Ministry of Energy announced that the bidding round ended on Wednesday. The Chinese company CNOOC bid for three blocks and a group of smaller energy companies for another. Ernesto Kesar, Trinidad's junior energy minister, stated that with several auctions taking place in Latin America and a limited pool of deepwater energy companies, Trinidad has a realistic view of the difficulties of obtaining significant bids.
EIA: US crude inventories drop sharply after net imports reach record lows
The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday that U.S. crude stockpiles declined sharply as net imports plunged to a new record low, while exports jumped to a nearly two-year high. The EIA reported that gasoline inventories declined unexpectedly during the week ending September 12 while distillate stocks rose more than expected. The EIA reported that crude stocks dropped by 9.3 millions barrels to 415.4 million last week, as opposed to the analysts' expectation in a poll of a draw of 857,000 barrels. U.S. crude oil exports increased by 2.53 millions barrels per day to 5.28million bpd. This is the highest level of U.S.
IEA: Global oil and gas production is declining rapidly, IEA reports
International Energy Agency (IEA) said Tuesday that the decline in oil and gas production from mature fields around the world is increasing due to a greater reliance on deep-ocean and shale resources. This means companies will need to invest even more to maintain output. Donald Trump's administration has criticized the IEA for its recent shift in focus to clean energy policy. According to a report from the IEA for 2021, there should be no new investment in oil, coal and gas projects if we are serious about meeting our climate targets.
The IEA reports that the decline rates of global oil and gas fields are increasing.
International Energy Agency reported on Tuesday that the natural rate of decline for oil and gas production is increasing, due to a greater reliance on deep-ocean and shale resources. The International Energy Agency said on Tuesday that companies would need to increase their investment pace to maintain the same output. In a press release, the IEA, an agency that advises industrialised nations, warned that without continuing investment in existing fields the world would lose each year the equivalent oil production of Brazil and Norway combined, with consequences for markets and energy safety.
California lawmakers pass bill to increase oil production
California lawmakers approved a bill this weekend to allow for the construction of thousands new oil wells in California each year. The goal is to keep fuel prices down for consumers and make oil more affordable for refineries. SB 237 would grant up to 2,000 oil permits per year in Kern County, which is rich in oil, starting January 2026. California oil producers are expected to supply up to 25% of crude oil to the state refinery complex, and reduce the cost of gasoline for consumers in the state. According to the California Energy Commission…
Alaskans fear higher energy prices as Trump drills
Alaskans spend nearly two times as much on electricity as the national average. Matt Goodnow, financial counselor at a hospital located in Homer, Alaska, a fishing village on the Kenai Peninsula, said that higher energy costs would be detrimental to the community. The Trump administration is not only planning to eliminate federal funding for renewable energy projects and to remove tax breaks, it also proposes to lift the limits set by former president Joe Biden regarding oil and gas drilling in Alaska. Renewable energy projects in Alaska have been halted or cancelled by leading companies.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers added oil and gas rigs in the US for the second consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms added natural gas and oil rigs this week for the second consecutive week for the first since April. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by two in the week ending September 12. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by two this week to 416, the highest level since July. Gas rigs remained at 118. Oil and gas rig counts declined by around 5% in 2020 and 20% in 2023, as lower U.S. gas and oil prices…
Interior secretary: US wants to strengthen energy ties with Greece
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told reporters in Athens that the U.S. is looking to strengthen its energy relations with Greece. This comes as the Trump Administration works to reduce Russia's gas and oil supplies to Europe. Burgum was in Europe this past week to sign energy deals that the U.S. believes will increase its influence in Europe while reducing Russia's. Greece announced on Wednesday that a consortium, including the oil giant Chevron, had bid for exploration of natural gas in their waters. Burgum, the US Secretary of State, told Greek Prime Minister KyriakosMitsotakis that "the Trump administration has several goals in relation to energy.
Analysts say that ConocoPhillips’ deep-seated layoffs demonstrate the need for capital discipline.
Investors and analysts have said that ConocoPhillips needs to focus more on its capital discipline and its investment priorities to be competitive against its peers, as oil prices are falling and revenues are also declining. This comes after the company announced it was laying off up to 25 percent of its staff in order to reduce costs. ConocoPhillips, the third largest U.S. oil company, has joined majors Chevron, BP and SLB, as well as the world's two largest oil service companies, Halliburton and SLB, in cutting its staff. The slump in crude oil prices is due to increased production from OPEC+, economic uncertainty caused by unpredictable U.S.
Iraq's Premier says he hopes that producers will reconsider the oil export quota
Iraq hopes that fellow producers will review its oil export quota in order to better reflect the country's production capacity. This rare comment from a senior Iraqi official was made by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Saturday. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is pressuring Iraq, the largest overproducer in the group, to reduce output as compensation for producing more than the agreed-upon volume. In April, it was one of the countries who submitted plans to reduce oil production to compensate for exceeding agreed quotas.
Conoco CEO: 'I blame myself for not paying attention'
ConocoPhillips' CEO Ryan Lance said to employees on Thursday, that he was forced to reduce the number of workers by up to 25 percent because the U.S. energy producer became less competitive due to its focus on acquiring smaller competitors. Lance spoke to employees at a town-hall meeting, a day after sending them a video informing them of the job cuts. The job cuts are part of a broader restructure focusing on cost reductions. The company announced that it would start laying off employees as soon as November 10 to those who watched the meeting live online or in person on Thursday morning at its Houston headquarters.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have added oil and gas rigs to their fleet for the first time in 7 weeks.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. added oil and gas rigs this week for the first time since seven weeks. The number of oil and gas rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by one in the week ending September 5. Baker Hughes reported that despite this week's increase in rig count, the total number was still 45 rigs or 7.7% below what it was at this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by two this week to 414, while gas-rigs decreased by one to just 118. Oil and gas rig counts declined by around 5% in 2020 and 20% in 2023, as lower U.S.
Conoco CEO: 'I blame myself for not paying attention'
ConocoPhillips' CEO Ryan Lance said to employees on Thursday, that he was forced to reduce the number of workers by up to 25 percent because the U.S. energy producer became less competitive due to its focus on acquiring smaller competitors. Lance spoke to employees at a town-hall meeting, a day after sending them a video informing them of the job cuts. The restructure was aimed at cost reductions. The company announced that it would start laying off employees as soon as November 10 to those who watched the meeting live online or in person on Thursday morning at its Houston headquarters.
Trump is in favor of nuclear energy because it's'more American than wind and solar', a US official claims
The director of the U.S. Energy Dominance Council stated on Thursday that the Trump administration would be more inclined to provide loan guarantees and tax incentives for nuclear energy than wind or solar, because it was "more American". Jarrod Agen is the director of this White House council. He said that nuclear power will be more likely made with U.S. parts than wind or solar farms. Agen said that the administration would be more inclined to provide financial assistance from the U.S. Loan Programs Office and encourage tax incentives. He said, "Nuclear energy is a new technology and we must invest in it if we want to succeed.