Africa: Strong Scope for Offshore Licensing in 2020
Throughout 2019 Africa has led licensing round activity; looking forward to 2020 this is set to continue, however results of the recent rounds have had limited success in a global context.Eight licensing rounds are open or have closed in Africa during the quarter and going forward 13 countries may offer acreage in 2020, said a report by GlobalData.Toya Latham Upstream Oil & Gas Analyst…
DoJ Drops Shell Investigation
Royal Dutch Shell said on Wednesday that it had been informed by the U.S. Department of Justice that it had closed its inquiry into Shell over the 2011 $1.3 billion acquisition of a Nigerian offshore oilfield.Shell and Italy's Eni are both currently on trial in Milan on graft allegations revolving around the acquisition of the OPL 245 oilfield."The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has notified us that it has closed its inquiry into Shell in relation to OPL 245.
US DOJ Closes Eni Investigations
The U.S. Justice Department has closed its investigations into alleged corruption by oil major Eni in Nigeria and Algeria without taking any action, the Italian energy group said on Tuesday.Eni, the biggest foreign oil and gas producer in Africa, is currently on trial in Milan on graft allegations revolving round the acquisition of a giant Nigerian oilfield in 2011.In that case Eni and…
Total Closes Mozambique LNG Purchase
Total has completed the acquisition of Anadarko's 26.5% stake in Mozambique's liquefied natural gas (LNG) project for $3.9 billion, the French oil major said on Monday."Mozambique LNG is a one of a kind asset that perfectly fits with our strategy and expands our position in liquefied natural gas," Total chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in a statement.Anadarko, which had led the southern African LNG project, was taken over by Occidental Petroleum Corp.
Eni, Sonatrach Push Algeria Projects
Algeria's energy giant Sonatrach and Italian multinational oil and gas company announced the intention to accelerate the development of new oil and gas projects in North Berkine Basin in the Algeria, that will lead to a significant increase in national production.Sonatrach and Eni Chief Executive Officers, Rachid Hachichi and Claudio Descalzi, met in Algiers to review the progress made…
Total to Discuss Anadarko Assets with Algeria
Total will meet Algerian authorities for talks over its plans to buy Anadarko's assets in the country and is not worried by media reports that Algiers would block the deal, Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said on Wednesday."We will meet Algerian authorities very soon," Pouyanne told shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Paris. "We are not worried. It is normal that authorities…
FSRU: Bangladesh Terminal Makes First STS Transfer
Bangladesh's second liquefied natural gas (LNG) floating facility is set to receive its first ship-to-ship transfer of gas from an Algerian cargo, a spokeswoman from operator Summit LNG Terminal said on Thursday.'Summit LNG', the floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), will receive 159,000 cubic meters of LNG from Oman Trading International, with the transfer expected to be completed by Thursday night.The LNG tanker, Creole Spirit, loaded gas from Bethioua, Algeria, she s
Eni Extends Algeria Gas Contract
Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni announced that it had signed agreements with Algerian state-owned Sonatrach to extend its gas supply pact.The agreement covers almost 15% of the gas imported into Italy. The agreement extends the 40-year partnership until 2027, with the option of extending an additional two years to 2029.These agreements follow in the steps of a partnership on gas supply and transportation that was established more than 40 years ago…
Oil&Gas Industry Records 1242 Contracts in Q1
The Oil and Gas industry reported 1242 contracts, of which 1178 were awarded contracts, said Quarterly Oil & Gas Industry Contracts Review.Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region recorded the most contracts with 569 contracts, representing around 48% of the total awarded contracts in Q1 2019, followed by Americas region with 366 contracts, accounting for 31% of the total awarded contracts.Upstream sector reported 73% of the total awarded contracts, with 862 contracts.
Occidental Agrees to Sell Anadarko Assets to Total
Texas-headquartered Occidental Petroleum has reached an agreement to sell Anadarko Petroleum's oil and gas assets in Africa to French oil major Total for $8.8 billion.The binding agreement with Occidental to acquire Anadarko’s assets in Africa (Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa) is contingent on a successful completion of Occidental’s ongoing bid for Anadarko.Wood Mackenzie research…
Oxy Would Sell Anadarko’s Africa Assets to Total
France's Total SA said on Sunday it has agreed with Occidental Petroleum Corp to acquire the African assets of Anadarko Petroleum Corp for $8.8 billion, should the two U.S. oil and gas companies clinch a deal to combine.The agreement with Total is the latest move by Occidental in its effort to convince Anadarko to accept a $38 billion cash-and stock acquisition offer and abandon its agreed $33 billion sale to Chevron Corp.
New Sonatrach CEO: Foreign Partnerships Essential
Algeria's state energy company Sonatrach wants to develop its partnerships with foreign firms to boost output and exports, its new chief executive said on Wednesday, comments that could reassure investors a week after his appointment.Algeria, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and a major gas supplier to Europe, has struggled to lift production to meet rising domestic demand…
Repsol Net Profit Up 7.5%
Spanish oil and gas firm Repsol beat forecasts with a 7.5 percent increase in fourth-quarter adjusted net profit on Thursday, boosted by higher oil and gas prices and increased production, and said its strategic plan was on track.Repsol started new projects in Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Britain, Peru and Malaysia during 2018, and benefited in October-December from an annual rise in prices and lower exploration costs.The company said it was on track to deliver its 2018-2020 stra
KCA Deutag Wins Multiple Drilling Contracts
Global drilling and engineering contractor KCA Deutag (KCAD) has been awarded new contracts and contract extensions worth $110m to perform onshore drilling in the Middle East, Russia and Africa.In the Middle East, KCAD has been successful in winning a total of seven years of contract extensions for five heavy rigs operating in Oman. The extension for each rig ranges from one to two years.
Sonatrach Shortlists 4 Firms for Trading Joint Venture
Algeria's Sonatrach has shortlisted four firms, with only one to be selected, to set up a trading joint venture, the company's chief executive Abdelmoumene Ould Kaddour told reporters."Of the 14 international firms interested in a trade JV with Sonatrach, we have shortlisted four," Ould Kaddour said without giving the names of the firms.Ould Kaddour also said he is heading to Athens on…
Neptune Energy, DEA Bid for Edison's O&G Assets
Private-equity backed Neptune Energy and Germany's DEA are bidding for the oil and gas assets in Egypt, Italy and elsewhere being sold by EDF's Italian unit Edison, industry sources said on Friday.The offers are non-binding at this stage, one of the sources said.
Greece Approves Two Consortia for Hellenic Petroleum Bids
Greece on Monday approved two consortia to submit final bids for a 50.1 percent stake in its biggest oil refiner Hellenic Petroleum, its privatisations agency said.The consortia are: Glencore Energy with a unit of U.S.-based Carlyle Group; and Vitol Holding with Algeria-based Sonatrach.Glencore and Vitol had already been shortlisted last summer.(Reuters, Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou Editing by Karolina Tagaris)
Qatar to Leave OPEC
Qatar said on Monday it was quitting OPEC from January to focus on its gas ambitions, taking a swipe at the group's de facto leader Saudi Arabia and marring efforts to show unity before this week's meeting of exporters to tackle an oil price slide.Doha, one of OPEC's smallest oil producers but the world's biggest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter, is embroiled in a protracted diplomatic…
Sonatrach Awards Gas Contract to Petrofac
Algerian state energy firm Sonatrach awarded a contract worth 60 billion dinars ($506 million) on Tuesday to Britain's Petrofac to boost gas output at the Tinhert field by 4.7 million cubic metre per day, Sonatrach's CEO said.The value was about $100 million less than originally announced.
Equinor Plans More International Wells
Norwegian oil and gas firm Equinor plans to drill more exploration wells internationally and more onshore wells in 2019 compared to this year, the company's head of exploration said on Tuesday."In general, there will be more international activity, and a larger share of onshore activity," Tim Dodson told Reuters on the sidelines of an Equinor conference.Equinor's plans include high-impact wells off Canada, the United States, Mexico and Brazil, as well as onshore wells in Turkey, A
