BP does not intend to honor the National Oil Bargaining Agreement, says union
The union representing hundreds of workers in BP's Whiting Refinery, the.largest refinery.in the Midwest, announced?on.Friday that the British oil giant does not intend honoring the national oil bargaining agreements. The United Steelworkers union has adopted a national oil bargaining agreement that was negotiated with Marathon Petroleum to be used in contracts between 30,000 workers of the oil industry and their refineries or chemical plants. The Steelworkers Union represents about 800 workers in the Whiting refinery, which produces important transportation fuels such as?gasoline and diesel fuel.
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 natural gas and oil rigs this week for the third consecutive week for the first since November. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by five in the week ending February 6 to reach 551 - its highest level since November. Baker Hughes reported that despite the increase in rigs this week, there were still 35 rigs or 6% less than this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 412, the highest level since December. Gas rigs grew by five to 130 - their highest level since November.
Trinidad's Atlantic LNG will shut down Train 4 to perform major maintenance
Three people familiar with the plan said that Trinidad and Tobago’s flagship 'Atlantic LNG' plans to close its 6 million metric ton per annum Train 4 in May and/or June for maintenance and repairs. Atlantic LNG is owned by Shell, BP and Trinidad's National Gas Company. Each company holds a 45% share. According to documents from the company, this facility will account for?roughly 15% of BP’s global LNG production in 2025 and 10% of Shell’s LNG output. People told us that the maintenance and repairs will begin on May 4, and last between 45-50 days. During this time, Atlantic will continue exporting LNG from Trains 2 &?3, with a combined 6 mtpa capacity.
Shell stops further Kazakhstan investment due to legal disputes, CEO states
Shell has halted new investments in Kazakhstan due to legal actions taken by the government against the oil giant and other international companies over cost disputes. CEO Wael sawan confirmed this. Kazakhstan has been in conflict with international oil companies for many years. It launched arbitration proceedings against the developers who developed its Kashagan oilfields and Karachaganak, claiming $13 billion of disputed costs and $3.5 billion. One claim?involves a field operated by the Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Consortium, in which Shell holds a 29,25% stake along with Eni, Chevron and KazMunayGaz.
Shell stops further Kazakhstan investment due to legal disputes, CEO states
Shell has halted new investments due to legal actions launched by the government against it and other international companies for cost disputes. CEO Wael Sawan said that Shell would halt its new investments because of the legal proceedings. Kazakhstan has been in conflict with international oil companies for many years. It launched arbitration proceedings against the developers who developed its Kashagan oilfield and Karachaganak, claiming $13 billion of disputed costs and $3.5 billion. Shell, Eni, Chevron and KazMunayGaz all hold a 29.25% stake in the Karachaganak Petroleum Operating Consortium, which operates the field.
BP Whiting refinery workers are preparing for a possible strike after union talks fail
United ?Steelworkers is asking workers at BP's 440,000-barrel-per-day refinery ?in Whiting, Indiana, to prepare for ?a strike ?or lockout, the union said on Thursday after weeks of negotiations with the British oil major that did not yield results. The comments follow a vote by 98% of the?800 Whiting?refinery workers that the local USW represents to authorize a walkout. Eric Schultz is the president of USW 7-1. He said that BP had rejected nearly all?of USW 7-1's proposals without much discussion. The union said BP had proposed workplace changes that included cutting over 200 union jobs from operations…
Equinor announces a sharp fall in capital spending next year and cuts back on buybacks by 70 percent
The company said that it would cut back on share buybacks to 70%, and reduce investment in renewables and low emissions energy. This was announced as the company reported a 22% decline in its fourth-quarter profits, due to lower oil and gas prices. Analysts say that share buybacks and dividends are unsustainable due to low oil prices. Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said to reporters that the company was taking steps to improve its free cash flow. This makes us more resilient against lower prices, and allows us maintain a strong balance sheet in turbulent times. Equinor's shares rose 0.6% at 1258 GMT.
Sources say that the US will soon issue a general license for oil extraction in Venezuela
Three sources said that the U.S. is preparing to issue a general license allowing oil and gas companies to operate in Venezuela as soon as 'this week'. Washington aims to encourage increased production in the OPEC country since capturing the president. Sources said that the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury would allow companies to explore for and pump crude oil and gas. OFAC has already granted U.S. companies permission to store, refine and sell Venezuelan oil under a general license that was issued last month. On Tuesday, OFAC also issued a license for the sale of U.S. dilutients required to convert Venezuelan crude grades to exportable oil.
Castrol India's quarterly profits drop due to higher costs and one-time charges
The lubricant maker Castrol India reported a 9.9% decline in its fourth-quarter profit on Tuesday. This was due to higher raw material costs and an unforeseen?charge, which outweighed the boost from a sustained demand. Profit after tax for the company fell from 2.71 billion rupees to 2.45 billion (about $27.2 million) during the quarter ending December 31. The results include a?one-time charge of 225.3 millions rupees related to?India’s newly enacted labor code. Castrol India is a major supplier of lubricants for automakers such as?Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp and?Hyundai. The demand for its products was boosted by the 17.6% increase in India's car sales during the third quarter.
Activist shareholders ACCR and pension funds urge BP show that shift to oil will deliver value
UK pension funds, European activist shareholders and ACCR have urged BP to 'publish more information' to prove that its strategy to shift spending from low-carbon projects to oil and natural gas will bolster shareholder value. BP's then CEO Murray Auchincloss had announced a strategy shift back to hydrocarbons a year earlier, claiming that this would increase profitability after BP's predecessor Bernard Looney made ill-fated attempts at renewables. ACCR announced on Tuesday that it filed a joint resolution with a group of asset managers managing 191 billion pounds ($262 'billion).
Whiting refinery workers reject contract extensions
United Steelworkers members at ?BP's 440,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Whiting, Indiana, rejected the company's ?offer to extend their contract ?by ?28 days at the largest refinery in the U.S. Midwest, the company said in a statement on Saturday. United Steelworkers Local 7-1 which represents about 800 workers in Whiting said on Friday, 'in a statement sent to its members, that the two sides are still apart but that workers should continue to report to work according to schedule to ensure the safe operation of the facility. The union stated that "while there is no intention to stop work, we need to be ready." Our plans for a strike or lockout were initiated. Please do not be alarmed.
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 oil and natural gas rigs this week for a second consecutive week for the first since December. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by two in the week ending January 30 to 546, its highest level since December. Baker Hughes reported that despite this week's increase in rigs the total count is still 36 rigs or?6% lower than this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs remained at 411 in this week. Oil and gas rig counts declined by 7%…
Trinidad and Tobago talks with Indian Oil about reviving refinery
Trinidad and Tobago is in talks with ?Indian Oil Corp to restart its mothballed 165,000-barrel-per-day Guaracara oil refinery, Energy Minister ?Roodal ?Moonilal said, as the Caribbean nation looks to revive refining capacity shut more than seven years ago. The refinery in the south was shut down in 2018 by the previous government, which blamed its closure on massive losses and debt. Moonilal said in an interview at the India Energy Week that "we can come up with a new type of commercial structure" for Indian Oil. If all goes well, by the end of next year, or end-2026, I think we could be on track to start back at some level of production.
Bousso: ROI-Oil is not able to break through the range of its current price because it needs a shock from Iran's supply, but a tough talk.
Even though oil prices rose 15% in January on the back of fears that a new U.S. attack on Iran was imminent, they remain in a narrow range. A well-supplied crude oil market will not allow for much more price increase from either side. It would take a massive action to?have a lasting impact on the global balance of supply and demand. Brent crude futures are at their highest level since July last year. This puts the global benchmark in line for its largest monthly gain since January 20, 2022 when Russian forces prepared to invade Ukraine. A series of major disruptions has collided and escalating risk in the Middle East. The first was the decline in Venezuelan exports after the U.S.
Geopolitics loom large over Big Oil earnings as investors seek Venezuela details
Exxon Mobil executives and Chevron executives will likely face more questions about their investment opportunities in Venezuela when they speak with analysts this Friday. After President Trump announced that he wanted to invest $100 billion to increase and control Venezuelan production, the U.S. captured and removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The dramatic shift in geopolitics that occurred after renewed U.S. - China trade tensions, and Russia - Ukraine peace talks in the fourth quarter 2025 led to fluctuating oil price. Investors also have been focused on the widespread anti-government demonstrations in Iran, and a potential U.S. reaction in recent days.
Geopolitics loom large over Big Oil earnings as investors seek Venezuela details
Exxon Mobil executives and Chevron executives will likely face more questions on their investment opportunities in Venezuela when they speak with analysts this Friday. After President Donald Trump announced that he wanted to invest $100 billion to increase and control Venezuelan crude oil production, the U.S. captured and removed?Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in early this month. The dramatic shift in geopolitics that occurred after renewed U.S. - China trade tensions, and Russia - Ukraine peace talks during the 4th quarter of 2025 led to fluctuating oil price. Investors also have been focused on the widespread anti-government demonstrations in Iran, and a potential U.S.
Trinidad Minister: BP and Shell are seeking US licensing for shared gas fields with Venezuela.
Shell and BP seek?U.S. Shell and BP are seeking?U.S. Trinidad is Latin America’s largest liquefied gas exporter, and also one of the largest exporters in the world of ammonia and methane. However, the Caribbean island is aiming to develop offshore oil and gas fields near the border with Venezuela to secure its supply and counteract the declining reserves. In recent years, despite frequent U.S. changes in policy towards Venezuela, its gas projects have made slow progress. Venezuela, under the leadership of President Nicolas Maduro, suspended its energy cooperation with Trinidad and?Tobago in 2013, including joint natural-gas projects that were being planned. The U.S.
Shell's legal battle against Venture Global is centered on communication with the engineer, a court transcript shows
Shell's appeal against its arbitration loss to liquefied gas producer Venture Global centers on possible communications between the U.S. company and independent engineer Lummus Consultants. A draft court transcript, seen by shows, details these potential communications. The transcript of a New York Supreme?Court?hearing on January 12 includes more details about Venture Global's long-running battle with oil giant Shell and Lummus's appointment as a witness in arbitration proceedings. Shell lost an arbitration last year over cargoes coming from Venture Global's Calcasieu Pass plant.
Executives say Trinidad's Atlantic Liquefaction Project will begin to remove the liquefaction units in Q4.
Michael Daniel, director of capital projects at Atlantic LNG in Trinidad and Tobago, announced on Tuesday that the project's flagship, the liquefied?gas? project, would begin to remove one of its liquefaction train from operation during this last quarter. Train 1 has not been producing LNG?for more than a year but it is still in operation because all utilities, including the power that controls?all four trains, reside in Train 1. Train 1 hasn't produced LNG for more than a month, but it still runs because the utilities and power that control all four trains are located in Train 1.
Trinidad's BP head says the company is interested in cross border opportunities with Venezuela
BP's Trinidad and Tobago head said Monday that the oil and?gas?major was still interested in cross border opportunities with Venezuela despite a?government in Caracas that suspended all bilateral energy deals with its neighbor in last year. BP and Shell were granted licenses to develop offshore natural-gas projects along the maritime?border by the U.S. David Campbell, BP's spokesman, said: "There is a logic of industrial?reasoning? that says people may be more?cautious about investing in resources located across the border. Campbell said, "It's an obvious project that we should have," referring to Cocuina Manakin, the joint gas project BP had planned with Venezuelan state-run PDVSA.