Sunday, February 1, 2026

Drilling News

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.

Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have added oil and gas rigs to their fleet for the first time in 3 weeks.

Baker Hughes, an energy services company, said in a closely-followed report published on Friday that U.S. firms added oil and gas rigs this week for the first time since three weeks. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by 1 in the week ending January 23. Baker Hughes reported that despite this week's increase in rigs the total count is still 32 rigs lower than it was at this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs rose by one to 411 in the past week. Gas rigs, however, remained unchanged at 122. Oil and gas rig counts declined by about 7% in '2025, 5% a year later in 2024 and 20% a year later in 2023, as lower U.S.

Michigan suedes oil companies for collusion to restrain competition in EVs

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed an antitrust suit against four major oil firms on Friday, alleging that they have colluded over decades to prevent competition from renewable energy sources, including?electric cars. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, western Michigan, names BP and Chevron. It also names ExxonMobil, Shell, and the American Petroleum Institute. The lawsuit said that the companies had acted as a "cartel, agreeing to limit the production and distribution electricity from renewable resources and to restraint the emergence electric vehicles and'renewable primary energies technologies in the United States. Shell refused to comment. Shell declined to comment.

SLB is about to increase its activities in Venezuela

SLB, an oilfield service company, said that it could increase its activities in Venezuela if the necessary licensing, safety parameters, and compliance measures were put into place. SLB was one of the oil companies who met with the White House in order to discuss investment opportunities in Venezuela following the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. in early January. "We have already received a number of inquiries from customers," said CEO Olivier Le Peuch during a conference call following the earnings announcement. "I would need to put in place the proper conditions first, such as licensing, payments, and an operating license," Le 'Peuch stated.

Venture Global soars following arbitration victory in case brought by Spain’s Repsol

Venture Global shares soared by nearly 8% after an arbitral tribunal ruled in the U.S. supplier of liquefied gas,?in a dispute between Spain's Repsol. Repsol filed the lawsuit?in?2023 due to Venture Global's failure to deliver LNG under a long-term 20-year contract. The International Chamber of Commerce in Paris denied Repsol’s claims and determined that the U.S. firm had acted in accordance with their agreement as a “reasonable?and prudent operator”. Venture Global, second largest LNG exporter in the U.S. has won two out of three arbitrations against it that were brought in 2023.

Halliburton says it could move quickly to Venezuela if it meets its quarterly profit expectations

Halliburton exceeded analysts' expectations for fourth-quarter profits on Wednesday. This was due to the steady demand of its equipment and services in international markets. The company also announced that it will re-enter Venezuela once commercial and legal issues, such as payment certainty, are resolved. Houston-based Halliburton, which launched the earnings season of U.S. oilfield service providers, focused on international markets. This included Latin America, Europe, and Africa. North America drilling activity and production has been tepid. Halliburton…

Sources say that during Starmer's visit, Britain and China will revive the 'Golden Era business dialogue'

Three sources familiar with this initiative have confirmed that the British and Chinese governments will be aiming to revive "golden age" business dialogues when Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of Britain, visits Beijing next Monday. Top executives from both countries are 'invited' to participate. AstraZeneca is among the British companies that will join a restructured "UK-China Chief Executive Council" according to sources who are both Chinese as well as British. The original idea for the council came from then-Prime Minster Theresa May in 2018 and then-Premier Li Keqiang, during a period that both sides called "a golden age" of relations.

Sources say that Cenovus is considering selling assets in Alberta worth around C$3 Billion.

Two sources with knowledge of the matter have confirmed that Canadian oil producer Cenovus is looking to sell conventional oil and natural gas assets in Alberta's Deep Basin as it "looks" to reduce debt following the recent acquisition of MEG Energy, an oil sands competitor. Sources said that Cenovus has contacted potential buyers to gauge interest. The assets could be worth around C$3 Billion ($2,17 Billion), according to the sources. Cenovus may decide to keep the assets if the plans do not work out. Sources requested anonymity in order to discuss sensitive details. Cenovus didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment.

Galp is focusing on upstream growth in Brazil and Namibia with its refining spin-off.

The co-chief executive of Galp, Joao diogo marques da Silva, said on Tuesday that the company will "focus" on growing its upstream oilfields business in Brazil and Namibia. It may also list some of its newly created downstream business within a few years. The company announced earlier this month that it was in discussions with Moeve, a private equity-backed firm, to combine their two businesses into two new?entities. One entity would focus on retailing and the other on refining. The merger will exclude Galp's upstream production of oil and gas, which includes stakes offshore Namibia in undeveloped oilfields that are closely watched.

JERA Nex BP will buy EnBW’s stake in UK’s Mona offshore Wind project

JERA Nex BP has announced that it will purchase its partner EnBW’s stake in Mona 'offshore wind project. It also signed a lease agreement with the British 'facility. This move follows a German utility EnBW's announcement that it would be taking a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.39-billion) impairment charge for pulling out of two wind projects, Mona and Morgan, which it had been developing?jointly? with JERA Nex BP. The decision was a direct implication of the UK losing a landmark offshore tender. EnBW also cited significant increases in supply-chain costs, lower electricity market prices and increased interest rates.

Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have cut their oil and gas rigs a second time in a week.

Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said in its closely watched report published on Friday that U.S. firms have cut back the number of natural gas and oil rigs for the second consecutive week. In the week ending January 16, the oil and gas rig counts, an early indicator for future production, dropped by one, to 543. This is the lowest it has been since mid-December. Baker Hughes reported that the total rig count is down 37 rigs or 6% from this time last week. Baker Hughes said oil rigs increased by one this week to 410, while gas-rigs dropped?by two, to 122. This is their lowest level since October.