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. In addition to this, we have also signed a contract with a new client in Oman for one of our 2000hp rigs.
Record Production Lifts Total's Profits
French energy major Total said its net adjusted profit rose 10 percent in the final quarter of 2018, lifting its full year earnings by more than a quarter after record oil and gas production.Total said on Thursday that output reached an all-time high of 2.8 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2018 thanks to the start-ups of various operations and increased production in Australia, Angola, Nigeria and Russia.It reported a 28 percent rise in full-year profit to $13.6 billion…
Deepwater Oil Output to Reach 10 mb/d in 2019
Global deepwater oil production was expected to grow 700,000 barrels per day (b/d) this year to hit a record high of more than 10 million b/d.Norwegian research group Rystad Energy said that it "expects global deepwater production to reach record high level and surpass 10 million bb/d.""With new fields starting up in Brazil and Gulf of Mexico, we expect the total deepwater liquid production to reach 10.3 million bbl/d in 2019.
Eni Continues High-speed Gulf Drive
In less than 12 months Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi has turned the Middle East from a sideshow to a strategic hub for the Italian energy major. And the shift is not over.Since last March the 63-year-old has clinched nine deals in the United Arab Emirates, gained a toehold in Bahrain and expanded in Oman to reshape the group's future.In the latest deal on Sunday, Eni pledged $3.3 billion to buy part of the world's fourth-biggest refinery in the UAE…
Total Green-lights Ikike Oil Project in Nigeria
French oil group Total will approve plans to proceed with the Ikike project in Nigeria in the coming months, and also aims to expand its liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the country, CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on Monday.Total is one of the strongest players in the African oil sector, holding more proven reserves on the continent than any of the other top global oil companies.The 60,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Ikike project is one of several projects the group has earmarked in Nigeria for a final investment decision…
Record LNG Capacity to Get Green Light in 2019
A record amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production is expected to get the green light in 2019 amid strong global demand, especially from China, analysts said.A final investment decision (FID) could be taken on more than 60 million tonnes per annum of LNG capacity this year, well above the previous record of about 45 million tonnes in 2005 and triple last year's 21 million tonnes, Wood Mackenzie's research director for global gas and LNG…
Total Starts Production at Egina Oilfield
Total SA said on Wednesday it had started production from the Egina oilfield off Nigeria's coast, part of a shift by the French energy firm towards deepwater oil and gas projects to its drive cashflow.Output from Egina, which is located in waters about 1,600 metres (5,250 ft) deep, is expected to plateau at 200,000 barrels per day of oil, Total said. That rate is equivalent to about 10 percent of Nigeria's current production."Egina will significantly boost the group's production and cashflow from 2019 onwards…
Nigeria Sues Shell, Eni Over Oil Deal
Lawyers for the Nigerian government said they had filed a $1.1 billion lawsuit against Royal Dutch Shell and Eni in a commercial court in London on Thursday in relation to a 2011 oilfield deal.The OPL 245 oilfield is also at the heart of an ongoing corruption trial in Milan in which former and current Shell and Eni officials are on the bench."It is alleged that purchase monies purportedly paid to the Federal Republic of Nigeria were in fact immediately paid through to a company controlled by Dan Etete…
Petrobras Nears Terms Over TAG Pipeline Sale
Brazil’s state-controlled oil company Petróleo Brasileiro could present a new sale and purchase agreement (SPA) before the end of December for the sale of the Transportadora Associada de Gás (TAG) pipeline, after a Brazilian Supreme Court injunction in July stalled the sale.The sale of TAG, which operates natural gas pipelines in Brazil’s north and northeast, could fetch Petrobras as much as US$7bn, in one of the company’s largest-ever asset sales, three sources familiar with the process said.
After Trump Calls, Gulf OPEC Members Cover Most of Iran Oil Loss
OPEC oil supply has fallen in November from a two-year high due to U.S. sanctions on Iran, a Reuters survey found, although most of the output gap left by Iran was plugged by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in response to calls from U.S. President Donald Trump.The 15-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has pumped 33.11 million barrels per day this month, the survey on Friday found, down 160,000 bpd from October…
Oil Slips Below $60
Oil slipped to below $60 a barrel on Wednesday, pressured by rising U.S. inventories and doubts over whether an OPEC-led output cut will be agreed next week.U.S. crude stockpiles rose last week, the American Petroleum Institute (API) industry group said on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia on Wednesday dampened hopes of production cuts by OPEC and its allies by saying it would not act alone and Nigeria stopped short of committing to a new push to curb supplies.The outcome of next week's OPEC meeting "remains clouded by uncertainty"…
Aquaterra to Install Two Platforms for FIRST E&P in Nigeria
Global offshore engineering solutions provider Aquaterra Energy in conjunction with Maerlin Nigeria Ltd, its local partner, has been awarded a contract by FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Ltd (FIRST E&P) to design, engineer and install two non-identical Sea Swift conductor-supported offshore platforms in the Niger Delta Basin.The provider of offshore engineering solutions and technical support for the oil and…
Addax Petroleum Extends Yinson’s Adoon FPSO Deal
Nigeria-focused oil company Addax has extended the charter for the Yinson-owned FPSO Adoon for another three months, pending discussion for a potential longer-term deal."Unless otherwise expressly defined in this announcement, terms and expressions used in this announcement shall have the same meaning as ascribed to them in our earlier announcements made in October 2018," the Malaysian-based Floating, Production, Storage and…
Nigeria senate to probe state oil firm over Nigeria LNG funds
Nigeria's Senate voted on Tuesday to probe the state oil firm's alleged withdrawal of $1.05 billion from gas company Nigeria LNG.The Premium Times newspaper reported on Monday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had used proceeds from Nigeria LNG - a venture between the state oil firm, Royal Dutch Shell, Total and ENI - to fund purchases of, and subsidies for, fuel during a shortage in early 2018.NNPC was not available for immediate comment.(Reporting by Camillus Eboh; writing by Paul Carsten; editing by Jason
NNPC Says Shell, ExxonMobil Also Looking at Crude Swaps
Nigeria's state oil firm NNPC could sign crude-for-product deals with Shell and ExxonMobil, similar to one signed with BP last week, a senior NNPC official said on Monday.Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced last Wednesday that it had signed such a deal with BP and would provide more details later."Unfortunately, Shell and ExxonMobil exited the downstream sector in Nigeria a couple of years ago but they are coming back for this particular arrangement…
Petrobras Sells Stake in Africa Unit
Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA will sell its 50 percent stake in a Nigerian oil and gas exploration venture to a consortium led by top oil trader Vitol for $1.53 billion, the latest step in the state-controlled oil company's debt reduction drive, according to a securities filing on Wednesday.The other 50 percent stake in Petrobras Oil and Gas BV, also known as Petrobras Africa, is owned by Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual…
NNPC, BP Swap Crude for Products
Nigeria's state oil firm NNPC said it had signed a crude-for-product swap deal with oil major BP.In its brief statement on Twitter late on Wednesday, NNPC said more details would be provided later. BP and NNPC did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.NNPC imports about 70 percent of Nigeria's fuel needs, mainly gasoline, via swap contracts. NNPC has contracts, known as Direct Sale Direct Purchase, with 10 consortiums that include trading houses Vitol…
Pacific Drilling Bags Eni Contract for Offshore Nigeria
Offshore ultra-deepwater drilling company Pacific Drilling announced that its deepwater drillship the Pacific Bora has been awarded a contract by Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited (a subsidiary of Eni SpA) for drilling operations in Nigeria.The term of the contract is for one firm well plus two additional option wells. The contract is expected to commence in mid to late November 2018 and firm contract backlog is estimated at…
Shell Sees Nigeria Corruption Trial Lasting Many Months
Royal Dutch Shell expects a landmark corruption trial over a Nigerian oil deal to last many months, warning staff of continued critical media coverage in the $1.3 billion case, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters.Shell's Legal Director Donny Ching encouraged employees to study an internal web page that the Anglo-Dutch company set up for the case before responding to questions from relatives and friends.Shell and Italian peer Eni are defendants in a Milan bribery trial…
Total Sees Cash Flow, Output Boost from Deepwater Projects
Oil and gas major Total said on Tuesday it expected deepwater oil and gas operations to make a strong contribution to its output and cash flow thanks to major developments in the West Africa's Gulf of Guinea region, Brazil and U.S. Gulf area.Production from deepwater projects is expected to reach 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (Kboe/d) by 2020, contributing to its 6 to 7 percent output growth target per year from 2017 to 2020."Deepwater is today for us a growing and very profitable part of the portfolio…
