BP signss agreement with Venezuela for offshore gas fields
BP and the Venezuelan government signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday. The company and government announced that BP would develop Venezuela's Cocuina Manakin gas -field on the maritime border between Trinidad and Tobago as well as explore joint opportunities at a gas field offshore called Loran. Venezuela recently signed deals for exploration and other services with international producers such as Italy's Eni, Spain's Repsol and others, following the January ouster of Nicolas Maduro by U.S. troops. The return of BP was a sign of the 'future' we wanted to chart for Venezuela…
Shell is facing a new court case over emissions in the Netherlands
On Tuesday, a Dutch group of climate activists filed a new court case in the Netherlands against Shell. They demanded that Shell immediately stop investing in new oil and natural gas projects. Shell, like many of its competitors who are trying to take advantage of the booming profits in oil and gas following the outbreak the Ukraine War, has cut back on its renewable energy activities and weakened its emissions targets. Last year, it told investors that the company aimed to increase liquefied gas sales by 4%-5% annually over the next five years. It also said that they planned to maintain "material" oil production beyond 2030.
Nigeria, Morocco to Sign $25b Gas Pipeline Agreement
An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) on a planned $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline will be signed this year, the head of Morocco's hydrocarbons and mining agency (ONHYM) said.Agreed a decade ago, the project - known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline - would run 6,900 km on a hybrid offshore-onshore route with a maximum capacity of 30 billion cubic metres (bcm), including 15 bcm to supply Morocco and support exports to Europe, ONHYM's Amina Benkhadra told Reuters by email.The pipeline, which has the backing of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has completed its feasibility study and front-end engineering design (FEED) stages.
Occidental finds oil in Bandit prospect, Gulf of Mexico
?U.S. Occidental Petroleum, a shale oil producer, has 'discovered oil at the Bandit Prospect 'in the Gulf of Mexico, which it 'co-owns. Bandit is operated and owned by Occidental. It holds a working interest of 45.375%. U.S. oil major Chevron holds 37.125%, and Australia's Woodside Energy has 17.5%. About?15% of U.S. oil production comes from the Gulf of Mexico. Jeff Simmons, Occidental's executive director, said: "We think this?discovery demonstrates?the?continued significance of the Gulf of America? In a'statement, the company stated that co-owners were evaluating the results in order to determine the next steps.
Shell is in advanced talks with Venezuela about more gas fields, sources claim
Shell has advanced discussions with Venezuelan government about developing four large areas in the vicinity of Trinidad and Tobago in two of South America's largest offshore gas fields. Two people familiar with these discussions confirmed this. The London-based ?energy major has been trying for years to advance ?the 4.2-trillion-cubic-feet Dragon gas field in Venezuelan waters and could make ?a ?final investment decision on the flagship project by the end of this year. Shell wants to expand its operations in OPEC country under interim president Delcy Rodriquez, according to sources.
TC Energy signs new agreements for GasLink expansion
TC Energy announced on Wednesday that it has signed commercial agreements with LNG Canada for the second phase of its Coastal 'GasLink Pipeline Project. The agreements'mark a 'key?milestone in Coastal GasLink Phase 2 which still requires a decision on the final investment by LNG Canada, its joint venture partners and approvals from Coastal GasLink. These agreements establish a "commercial framework" that helps LNG Canada to achieve FID. Francois Poirier, CEO of TC Energy, said earlier?this week that disruptions to global liquefied…
CERAWeek, the energy conference in Houston, returns as Iran's conflict shakes global energy markets
Next week, the world's top energy executives? will return to Houston as the escalating U.S. - Israeli war on Iran has turned into a nightmare for global energy markets. Unprecedented attacks?on infrastructure? and shipping disruptions have sent oil prices soaring as governments struggle to combat inflation and avoid recessions. The global oil price has risen this week to almost $120, a level not seen since 2022, when Russia's war in Ukraine caused a market disruption. Analysts and industry experts 'expect that prices will remain high long after combat operations have ended.
Ukraine Looks to Partner With Romania to Develop Black Sea Gas Discovery
Ukraine's Naftogaz, which discovered "substantial" offshore gas reserves in the Black Sea before Russia's invasion, is in talks with Romania's OMV Petrom to form a partnership relating to the field, three industry sources told Reuters.The sources did not indicate the amount of recoverable gas at the discovery, but one called it "one of the most promising gas fields in the Black Sea region", where Romania and Turkey are already developing deposits of their own.Talks were at an early stage and development of the field would not start before the war ends…
Japan Industry Ministry asks Australia for increased LNG production amid Iran Crisis
Japan's Industry Minister Ryosei AKazawa?on Saturday asked Australia to increase its output of liquefied gas in light of the Middle East crisis. Around 11% of Japan's LNG imports come from the Middle East, and 6% of that is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. This route has been effectively closed by the U.S./Israeli war against Iran. Japan is also dependent on the Middle East for 95% of its crude oils. The U.S./Israeli war against?Iran shut down QatarEnergy LNG plants, disrupting Middle East energy supplies. Last week, the?Qatari energy minister Saad al Kaabi? said that it could take months for normal deliveries to resume.
Sources: Uniper talks LNG with Canada to reduce US dependence
Three 'people who are familiar with the matter' said that Uniper, a state-owned German energy company, is in 'talks' with Canada about expanding liquefied gas purchases. This is part of Berlin’s plans to establish a broad economic relationship and reduce reliance on U.S. suppliers. Sources say that the discussions are on a political and corporate level. They are also taking place as Germany prepares to bid for a Canadian sub tender, which is likely going to include deals in rare earths and batteries, and energy. Uniper refused to comment on any specific talks.
Dutch far-right legislators argue that Groningen's gas field should not be permanently closed
The far-right party in the Netherlands announced on Thursday that it will propose a proposal to keep the Groningen Gas?field available as a reserve, despite its closure due to seismic risk in 2024. The JA21 plan would allow for the possibility of re-taping some wells. This is in contrast to the Dutch government’s?earlier promise to permanently seal wells with concrete and never reopening them. Other far-right politicians, such as?Geert wilders of the Freedom Party, have endorsed this proposal. Wilders stated that it was logical to keep our gas reserves as an emergency reserve, given the current geopolitical situation.
China's five-year plan targets stable oil production, increased gas and stockpiling
China announced on Thursday that it would set a target for its annual oil production of 200 million metric tonnes (4 million barrels per day) as part of its next five-year plans. This is a goal?it had already exceeded last year. The country also promised to 'expand' the size of its strategic oil reserves, which are not publicly disclosed. This target is an extension of the 2022 goal by China's National Energy Administration to increase output to 200 millions tonnes by 2025. The target is still lower than the 216 million tonnes reached last year, after a seven-year effort to reverse production declines.
Brent oil prices continue to rise amid Iran conflict with Brent reaching a 19-month high
The price of crude oil rose by about 7% Tuesday. This is the third time that oil prices have risen in a row. As the U.S./Israeli conflict with Iran intensifies, fuel shipments are disrupted, and 'fears' of further disruptions to Middle East oil supply and gas supplies increase. Brent crude futures rose $5.70 or 7% to $83.44 per barrel at 1326 GMT, after reaching their highest level since July 2024, $85.12. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude gained $5.03 or 7% to $76.26. It had previously reached its highest level since June, at $77.58. Since Friday, when the attacks began, both contracts are up as much as 17 and 16 percent, respectively.
Analysts say that the Iran war could threaten Exxon TotalEnergies' production
Analysts said that Exxon Mobil and TotalEnergies are the three companies most exposed to disruptions of oil and gas production due to the U.S./Israel war against Iran. Energy sector has been shook by the U.S.-Israeli'strikes' on Iran on Saturday that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The conflict forced some oil and natural gas fields to close in the area and has effectively stopped shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This is an important waterway that connects Iran and Oman, through which tankers transporting crude oil, fuel, and liquefied gas are transported on their way from Middle Eastern producers and refiners.
Equinor discovers oil in the North Sea and looks to rapid development
Equinor, a state-controlled Norwegian operator, and its partners have discovered oil near the Snorre field in the North Sea and plan to develop the reserves "rapidly and efficiently". Norway's Offshore Directorate, or NOD, has separately stated that preliminary estimates place the size of this discovery, called "Omega-South Alfa," between 25 and 89 million barrels of recoverable equivalent oil. This would be Equinor's medium-sized discovery. Norwegian companies are looking for ways to extend the lifespan of their oil and gas fields. They do this by searching for nearby reserves which can be connected to existing platforms.
What is the current status of international oil companies operating in Venezuela?
Here are some key facts about the international oil companies operating in Venezuela. The country has vast oil reserves, but a dilapidated infrastructure. Hugo Chavez, the then president, expropriated foreign oil companies in the 2000s to strengthen the control of the PDVSA, the state-owned oil company, over the oilfields. The U.S., after capturing President Nicolas Maduro, eased sanctions against Venezuela's energy industry this month by issuing general licences that allow global energy firms to operate oil projects and gas in the OPEC nation.
What is the current status of international oil companies operating in Venezuela?
Here are some key facts about the international oil companies operating in Venezuela. The country has vast oil reserves, but a dilapidated infrastructure. In the early 2000s, the then-President?Hugo Chavez took assets from foreign oil companies to strengthen the control of the state-owned PDVSA over the oilfields in Venezuela. The United States, after capturing Nicolas Maduro as President in January, eased sanctions against Venezuela's oil sector this month. They issued general licenses allowing global energy companies the opportunity to operate oil projects and gas in Venezuela.
Presidio, a US energy company, plans to use a Goldman Sachs debt facility worth $1 billion to finance deals.
Presidio Investment Holdings and Goldman Sachs are working on a debt?facility of up to $1 billion, which will give the U.S. Oil and Gas Producer a war chest to pursue acquisitions when it becomes a public listed company. Energy producer EQV Ventures Acquisition Corp. will list the company in a few weeks through a merger with blank-check firm EQV Ventures Acquisition Corp. Presidio's model is to improve production by improving operations at existing oil and gas fields, instead of prospecting new drilling sites, in order to offer steady returns to investors. The debt facility allows Presidio, based in Fort Worth, Texas, to finance the purchase of new assets.
Petronas signs a 20-year LNG Supply Deal with QatarEnergy
QatarEnergy has agreed to supply Petronas with 2 million metric tonnes of LNG per year in a deal lasting 20 years. This will help meet the country's increasing gas demand despite its dwindling gas reserves. Qatar signed a 27-year LNG deal with Japan in the last week, and this deal was the first long-term LNG supply agreement between the two nations. Petroliam Nasional (Petronas) is pursuing new investments in natural gas fields abroad, and is seeking partnerships with foreign companies to increase extraction. It also seeks LNG import deals due to the falling reserves of local reserves.
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.
