Wave of N. American Oil and Gas Bankruptcies to Continue at $40 Oil
A wave of oil and gas bankruptcies in North America is likely to continue this year as oil prices remain depressed and a new surge of COVID-19 cases threaten to stall any recovery in fuel demand, law firm Haynes and Boone said in a report released this week.Bankruptcies surged in the second quarter, including from major shale independents Chesapeake Energy and Whiting Petroleum, as oil prices collapsed due to the pandemic and a brief…
Oil Industry Veterans to Launch Hydrogen Investment Fund
Two energy industry veterans plan to launch an investment fund focused on hydrogen this year as more and more governments include the niche fuel in their global warming battle plans.Hydrogen has long-been touted as a potential clean fuel as it only emits water vapour but it has failed to gain traction, mainly because of historically high production, transportation and storage costs.But with the European Union for one now looking to promote so-called green hydrogen to help reach net zero emissions…
Iran's Oil Storage Almost Full as Sanctions and Pandemic Weigh
Iran has slashed crude oil production to its lowest level in four decades as storage tanks and vessels are almost completely full due to a fall in exports and refinery run cuts caused by the coronavirus pandemic, industry data showed.Total onshore crude stocks surged to 54 million barrels in April from 15 million barrels in January, and swelled further to 63 million barrels in June, according to FGE Energy.Market intelligence…
Angola Resisting Pressure to Taper Oil Output
Angola is resisting pressure by OPEC's de-facto leader Saudi Arabia for a steeper oil output cut to comply fully with record supply curbs, OPEC and industry sources said.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, have been cutting oil output since May by a record 9.7 million barrels per day after the coronavirus crisis destroyed a third of global demand.After July, the cuts are due to taper to 7.7 million bpd until December.Saudi Arabia has been pressing laggards such as Iraq…
DNV GL: Oil Demand, CO2 Emissions Probably Peaked in 2019
Global oil demand and carbon dioxide emissions probably peaked in 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on both, energy consultancy DNV GL said on Wednesday.The Norway-based consultancy, which advises both petroleum and renewable energy companies on risk management and technology, said global energy use would be 8% lower in 2050 than previously expected due to the impact of the pandemic."Lasting behavioral changes to travel…
World First Full Scale 'Ammonia as Fuel' Marine Four-Stroke Engine Test
While there is no consensus on the marine industry ‘fuel of the future’ that will meet ever tightening international emission mandates, a group of organizations has commenced what it is calling the world’s first long-term, full-scale, testing of ammonia as a fuel in a marine four-stroke combustion engine. Wärtsilä, Knutsen OAS Shipping AS, and Repsol, and the Sustainable Energy Catapult Center, have teamed for the effort…
Shell to Write Down $22B in Wake of Coronavirus
Royal Dutch Shell said on Tuesday it would write off assets worth up to $22 billion after the coronavirus crisis knocked oil and gas demand and weakened the energy price outlook.The impairments follow the Anglo-Dutch company's decision to shift from fossil fuel and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, as laid out by CEO Ben van Beurden in April.Global travel restrictions to prevent the virus spreading affected more than 4 billion people at one point…
OPEC Production in June Cut by 1.25 mbpd
OPEC has cut oil output in June by 1.25 million barrels per day (bpd) from May levels as it works to implement a supply restraint agreement with Russia and other allies, according to estimates from tanker-tracking company Petro-Logistics.OPEC and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed to cut supply by a record 9.7 million bpd from May 1 to offset an oil price and demand slump triggered by the coronavirus crisis.
BP to Sell Petrochemicals Business to Ineos for $5B
British oil major BP will sell its global petrochemicals business to Ineos for $5 billion, a transaction delivering BP's divestments target a year earlier than originally scheduled.Brian Gilvary, BP’s chief financial officer, said: “With today’s announcement we have met our $15 billion target for agreed divestments a full year ahead of schedule, demonstrating the range and quality of options available to us.”Ineos will pay BP a deposit of $400 million and will pay a further $3.6 billion on completion.
EU Hydrogen Plan Splits Supporters Down Color-coded Lines
Energy industry lobbyists and advocates of renewable hydrogen are divided over whether the bloc should support low-carbon hydrogen produced by fossil fuels ahead of a new EU strategy next month.The EU's executive Commission plans to publish its hydrogen strategy on July 8, which will form the basis for EU regulation and funding to scale up production of the fuel to replace fossil fuels in sectors including chemicals and transport.More than 30 industry groups and energy firms including ExxonMobil…
Amprion Sets Out North Sea Offshore Wind Grid Vision
German power grid company Amprion on Wednesday unveiled long-term plans for joint European offshore wind links in the North Sea and announced a trebling of spending in the next 10 years.Amprion, with 11,000 kilometers of high voltage transmission lines in western Germany, is the second biggest of four regulated operators of grids criss-crossing the country and offshore, which fund themselves via consumer fees."If we want to have a climate-neutral energy system by 2050…
Construction Starts for Asia's Largest Offshore Wind Blade Manufacturing Facility
Taiwanese company Tien Li Offshore Wind Technology has started construction on 210,000 square meter facility in Taichung Harbour to supply offshore wind blades to Taiwan's growing offshore wind industry.Tien Li is one of key local supply chain partners of wind turbine builder MHI Vestas, which this week shared the news on the start of construction of Tian Li's black manufacturing facility.Both production and storage facilities…
Norway's May Oil Output Down, But Still Above Forecast
Norway's oil production fell in May from the previous month but still exceeded official forecasts by 0.9%, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said on Friday.The country's crude oil output fell by 2.1% month-on-month from April to 1.74 million barrels per day. The output year-on-year was up by 38.1%, thanks among other things to a ramp-up of Equinor's giant Johan Sverdrup oilfield.Daily natural gas output fell by 12.4% month-on-month…
Brent Crude Rises to Above $42 a Barrel
Oil rose to above $42 a barrel on Friday, adding to gains in the previous session, after OPEC producers and allies promised to meet supply cuts and signs of demand, hit by the coronavirus crisis, recovering.Iraq and Kazakhstan, during a meeting of an OPEC+ panel on Thursday, pledged to comply better with oil cuts, sources said. This means the curbs by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+…
New Report Outlines Big Potential for Offshore Wind
Offshore wind currently represents just a small piece of the world’s energy supply. But that’s changing faster than ever before as new and existing players look to tap the huge resource potential—and market opportunities—being unlocked by shrinking costs and technological advances, as outlined in a recent comprehensive market report.In the coming two decades, the rapidly maturing offshore wind market is expected to become a trillion-dollar business as the pace of installed capacity growth accelerates…
Indonesia Targets IPOs of Pertamina Sub-holdings
Indonesia's State-Owned Enterprise Minister Erick Thohir said on Friday he aimed to group units of state oil and gas company PT Pertamina into "sub-holdings" and launch initial public offerings within two years.Thohir is trying to revamp hundreds of Indonesian state companies to boost profitability, as well as improve transparency and public trust.In the case of Pertamina, he wants to create more sub-holdings to group upstream units…
ConocoPhillips CEO Says Surprised by Quick Rebound in Oil Prices
ConocoPhillips Chief Executive Officer Ryan Lance on Wednesday expressed surprise at the quick rebound in U.S. oil prices that slipped into the negative territory in April and said he expects prices to remain volatile in the near term.Oil is now trading at near $40 per barrel, almost double of $20 it averaged in April, the same month prices had briefly slumped to minus $38 per barrel due to low demand as countries halted travel to curb the spread of the new coronavirus…
Refineries around Asia Join Chinese Peers in Increasing Production
Refineries from India to South Korea are expected to increase output from June, joining their Chinese counterparts as the easing of lockdown measures boosts demand for oil products, industry executives said.The average operating rate for refineries in Asia is expected to rise to 75.5% and 82.2% in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, from 72.4% in the second quarter out of total capacity of about 35 million barrels per day…
Saudi Oil Price Hike Throws Asian Lifeline to U.S. Shale
Saudi Arabia's decision to jack up the price of its July exports to Asia may have opened the door for U.S. crude oil producers to boost sales to the region that consumes more oil than anywhere else in the world.State-controlled producer Saudi Aramco hoisted its official selling prices (OSPs) to all regions for July-loading cargoes, but the biggest hikes were for the key Asian region, which takes the bulk of the kingdom's exports.Benchmark Arab Light crude was boosted to a premium of 20 U.S.
Norway to Keep Oil Production Cut Unchanged after OPEC+ Deal
Norway, Western Europe's largest oil producer, has no plans to modify its existing plans for production cuts, following the OPEC+ group's agreement to extend a deal on record output cuts to the end of July, the oil ministry said on Monday.On Saturday, OPEC+ agreed to extend the deal to withdraw almost 10% of global supplies from the market by a third month to end-July, sending Brent crude price to over $43 a barrel."OPEC+ has played a key role in the ongoing stabilization of the oil market.
OPEC, Russia Extend Record Oil Cuts
OPEC, Russia, and allies agreed on Saturday to extend record oil production cuts until the end of July, prolonging a deal that has helped crude prices double in the past two months by withdrawing almost 10% of global supplies from the market.The group, known as OPEC+, also demanded countries such as Nigeria and Iraq, which exceeded production quotas in May and June, compensate with extra cuts in July to September.OPEC+…
Saudi Arabia, Russia Reach Deal on Oil Output Cut Extension
OPEC leader Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC Russia have agreed a preliminary deal to extend existing record oil production cuts by one month while raising pressure on countries with poor compliance to deepen their output cuts, OPEC+ sources told Reuters."Any agreement on extending the cuts is conditional on countries who have not fully complied in May deepening their cuts in upcoming months to offset their overproduction," one OPEC source said.OPEC+ agreed last month to cut output by a record 9.7 million barrels per day…
Oil Gains, with Brent above $40
Oil rose on Wednesday, with Brent above $40 for the first time since March, as optimism mounted that major producers will extend output cuts and a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will spur fuel demand.Brent crude futures for August were up 78 cents, or 2%, at $40.35 a barrel, by 0636 GMT. The contract climbed to as high as $40.53, the highest since March 6, after gaining 3.3% on Tuesday.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.06, or 2.9%, at $37.87 a barrel.
ENGIE Fabricom, Iemants JV to Build Hollandse Kust (North) Substation
A consortium of the Belgian companies ENGIE Fabricom and Iemants will supply the offshore substation platform for the Hollandse Kust (North) wind farm in the Dutch North Sea, TenneT has informed.A wind farm with a total installed capacity of at least 693 MW to a maximum of 760 MW will be built in the Hollandse Kust (North) wind zone.The contract is for the design, engineering, production, delivery, transport and installation of an (unmanned) offshore platform. It concerns both the jacket foundation and the topside.
Oil Prices Rise Ahead of OPEC+ Meeting on Further Output Cuts
Oil prices rose on Tuesday, with traders waiting to see whether major producers agree to extend their huge output cuts to shore up prices at a virtual meeting expected later this week.Brent crude futures rose 0.91%, or 35 cents, to $38.67 a barrel as of 0427 GMT.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 0.56%, or 20 cents, to $35.64 a barrel.Brent has doubled over the past six weeks, thanks to supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies…
Norway Earmarks $369M for Green Industry Investments
The Norwegian government proposes spending 3.6 billion Norwegian crowns ($369 million) on investments to make its economy greener as it gradually emerges from coronavirus lockdowns, the government said on Friday."The crisis we are now in hasn't made the need for transformation smaller - it has increased it," Prime Minister Erna Solberg told a news conference.While a half-century of oil and gas production has made Norway one of the world's wealthiest nations…
Oil Drops but Still Set for Biggest Monthly Gain in Years
Oil prices were dragged sharply lower on Friday by weak U.S. fuel demand, fears of a second wave of coronavirus cases in South Korea, and a worsening in U.S.- China relations, but were still on track for a hefty monthly gain.July Brent crude fell 72 cents, or 2%, to $34.57 a barrel by 1203 GMT and the more active August contract also lost 72 cents, or 2%, to $35.31. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 83 cents…
Deme Offshore Joins Neptune's Hydrogen Project
Offshore installation contractor Deme Offshore has joined Neptune Energy's PosHYdon pilot, the world’s first offshore green hydrogen project, being developed in the Dutch North Sea.Part of the Belgian Deme Group, the company joins as a partner and will provide the hydrogen unit for installation on the Neptune-operated Q13a platform. The pilot aims to integrate three energy systems in the North Sea: offshore wind, offshore gas…
First Turbine Installed at Borssele III/IV Offshore Wind Project
The first offshore wind turbine has been installed at the Borssele III/IV wind project in the Dutch North Sea, the turbine builder MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has said."The first turbine at the 731.5 MW Borssele III/IV offshore wind project has now been installed by MHI Vestas at site 55 km off the coast of the Netherlands. The first of the 77 V164-9.5 MW wind turbines was installed by the project team after setting sail from the Port of Vlissingen on the Aeolus offshore installation vessel…
China, India Soak Up Oil from Floating Storage as Demand Picks Up
The volume of crude stored on ships in Asia has come off the peaks seen earlier this month on a recovery in demand in China and India, trade sources and analysts said. A total of 3.4 million tonnes (24.8 million barrels) of crude oil was discharged from floating storage into Asian markets in the past seven days, with China the top destination at 1.8 million tonnes and India second at 842,679 tonnes, according to oil analytics firm Vortexa.
Prysmian's Inter-array Cables for Saint-Brieuc Offshore Wind Farm
Italian marine cable installation company Prysmian has won an €80 million contract to provide the submarine inter-array cable systems for the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in France.Under the contract awarded by the wind farm developer Ailes Marines - fully owned by Spain's Iberdrola - Prysmian will be responsible for the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of 90 km of three core 66 kV HVAC XLPE-insulated inter-array cables.
Norway: OMV Gets NPD Nod for Hades Drilling
Austrian oil and gas firm OMV has been granted a permit for the drilling of the offshore well 6506/11-12 S in the Norwegian Sea.The company's Norwegian subsidiary OMV Norge will use the Island Innovator semi-submersible to drill the appraisal well at the prospect named Hades in the production license 644.OMV Norge is the operator with an ownership interest of 30 percent. The other licensees are Equinor (40 percent), DNO (20 percent)…
Kazakhstan: No Shutdown Planned for COVID-19-hit Tengiz Field
Kazakhstan has no plans to shut down oil production at its biggest oilfield, Tengiz, despite the novel coronavirus outbreak among its workers, the Central Asian nation's energy minister said on Wednesday.Kazakhstan's chief sanitary doctor said last week the field's operator, Chevron-led Tengizchevroil, might have to suspend operations if a plan to curb the spread of the virus at the site fails.But Energy Minister Nurlan…
Petrofac Starts Rubie and Renee P&A Work
UK oilfield services firm Petrofac has kicked off the plugging and abandonment work on the Rubie and Renee fields in the North Sea using Awilco's WilPhoenix rig.Petrofac won the Rubie and Renee P&A contract with Hess in August 2019.Over the next three months, Petrofac will provide Well Operator, Well Engineering, and Project Management services to decommission four wells within the Rubie and Renee fields, 200km northeast of Aberdeen.Petrofac is responsible for detailed planning…
Third Iranian Fuel Cargo Approaches Venezuela
The third cargo of an Iranian tanker flotilla carrying fuel for gasoline-thirsty Venezuela on Tuesday reached the nation's exclusive economic zone as the previous two were discharging at state run PDVSA's ports, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.The Iran-flagged tanker Petunia crossed the Caribbean Sea earlier on Tuesday, following the route taken in recent days by vessels Fortune and Forest.The Fortune was welcomed on Monday at PDVSA's El Palito refinery by Venezuela's oil minister…
Largest Wind Turbines for U.S. Largest Offshore Wind Project
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy's new wind turbines with up to 15MW capacity have been earmarked for an offshore wind project in the U.S.First, the company on Tuesday morning said it was planning to the giant SG 14-222 DD offshore Direct Drive wind turbines at the 300 MW Hai Long 2 project in Taiwan.Later on the same day, SGRE said the same type of turbine - launched just last week - would conditinally be supplied to the massive 2,640-MW Dominion Energy Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project.
'This could be the one that gets me,' Says Oilfield Service Veteran
Tim Harris was preparing to relocate for an assignment with energy services firm Halliburton Co for the fifth time in 15 years when his career came to a halt.A third-generation employee, Harris rose through the ranks at the top shale-oil services provider to oversee oilfield crews. He sailed through several busts, with the exception of a 9-month break in 2016.But April's historic price crash, which has left U.S. crude prices down 50% since January, put him and tens of thousands of oil service veterans out of work.
Japan's Refiners Facing Stagnant Market May Cut Capacity
Japanese refineries may be forced to shut down capacity once again unless they see a strong recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. They've been hit by declining use for fuel at home, competition from newer refineries in China and South Korea dominating in other markets, as well. Idemitsu Kosan on Tuesday reported an annual loss, like its competitors have done in recent days. Executive Officer Noriaki Sakai said Japan's…
Guyana Received $4.9M in Oil Royalties in 1Q
Guyana received $4.9 million in royalty payments for oil production at the offshore Stabroek block in the first quarter, the finance ministry said on Monday, a period that included the South American country's first crude exports.The crude produced by an Exxon Mobil Corp-led consortium at the Stabroek's Liza field was priced for the purposes of royalty payments at $61.87 per barrel in January, $54.35 per barrel in February…
Iranian Tanker Docks in Venezuela
The first of five Iranian tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela has moored at a port serving the El Palito refinery, the oil minister said on Monday, and Refinitiv Eikon data showed a second vessel had entered its waters.Iran is providing Venezuela with 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and refining components in a move criticized by U.S. authorities as both countries are under U.S. sanctions, according to the governments…
Poland's PGNiG Expects Over 100,000 Tons of Oil from Skogul in 2020
Polish oil company PGNiG said Monday it expects to produce about 115 tons of oil from the Skogul field offshore Norway in 2020.First oil from Skogul, located in the North Sea, offshore Norway was achieved in March, 2020. was achieved during the quarter. The field is operated by the Norwegian oil company Aker BP, with a 65% stake, while the Polish firm owns the remaining interest.Jerzy Kwieciński, President of the PGNiG…
Oil Steadies as Demand Uncertainty Tempers Supply Cuts
Oil prices, which have been driven higher for the past four weeks, were steady on Monday, with holidays in Singapore, London and New York dampening trade, as rising concerns over demand recovery offset supply cuts.Brent had eased by 5 cents, or 0.14% to $35.08 a barrel by 1014 GMT, while U.S. oil gained 14 cents, or 0.42% to $33.39 a barrel. Both are down around 45% so far this year."Uncertainty around the current travel patterns in the U.S.
India's April Crude Processing in Biggest Drop Since 2003
India's crude oil processing in April slumped by 28.8% from a year earlier, its biggest drop since at least 2003, as a nationwide lockdown weighed on fuel demand and forced refiners to cut production.Refiners processed about 14.75 million tonnes or 3.60 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil last month, government data showed.The lockdown and travel curbs aimed at stemming spread of COVID-19 since March 25 forced people to stay home…
Gas Output to Resume at Israel's Leviathan After Brief Halt
Production at Israel's offshore Leviathan natural gas field will resume in the coming hours after an emergency shutdown on Saturday, the project's operator Noble Energy said [on Saturday].The platform's flare system had been activated to burn off excess gas, generating a flame visible from shore, in what Israel's Energy Ministry called an "emergency closure."Noble initially referred to it as an "operational event" but…
Trafigura Takes a Bet with North Sea Oil
Commodities trader Trafigura has seized the moment and taken a rare dominant position in the North Sea crude market over the past two weeks as oil demand jumped, trading sources said.A combination of OPEC-led global production cuts, cheap freight rates, and oil stuck in floating storage sent crude markets into overdrive starting at the end of April as fuel demand looked set to pick up with easing lockdown.Differentials to benchmark dated Brent for grades around the world have shot up $6 a barrel in many cases…
China to Boost Energy Reserve Capacity, Support Unconventional Gas Exploration
China said on Friday it will bolster the capacity of the country's energy reserves and offer lower gas and electricity charges to key industries, as it looks to ensure energy supply and offset the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.In energy announcements on the first day of the parliament, known as the National People's Congress (NPC), authorities also pledged to boost the country's oil and gas network and continue to…
US Grants Royalty Relief to Hard-hit Drillers
The Trump administration has granted royalty relief to several drilling companies producing oil and gas on federal lands in recent weeks, according to a government database, as the industry seeks help weathering low energy prices.The move shows drillers are taking the government up on its offer to consider royalty cuts on a case-by-case basis after the Interior Department rejected industry calls for blanket relief covering all federal leases.The U.S.
Woodside to Boost Vincent Crude Quality to Ride VLSFO Demand
Woodside Petroleum will improve the quality of Vincent crude by increasing its flash point from July so that it can be blended into very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and capture higher premiums, two sources told Reuters.Among crude grades, heavy sweet oil, with higher density and less sulfur, is most suitable for blending into VLSFO that meets the new marine fuel sulfur regulations dubbed IMO 2020. However, crude with…
Total Secures $14.4 Bln Funding for Mozambique LNG
French energy major Total has secured $14.4 billion funding for its Mozambique liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique, two sources said on Wednesday.A source with knowledge of the matter said Total has reached a financing agreement with a group that includes around 20 lenders for the first phase of senior debt funding of $14.4 billion. The source did not specify the name of the banks involved in the financial arrangement.Total declined to comment.
Prysmian's Cables for Hollandse Kust Zuid III and IV Offshore Wind Farm
Prysmian Group, Italian marine cable installation company Prysmian, has finalized a contract for a project awarded by offshore wind farm developer Vattenfall.The contract is for the provision of the subsea inter-array cable systems for the Hollandse Kust Zuid III and IV offshore wind farm in The Netherlands, following Vattenfall’s successful bid for the permit to develop these non-subsidized wind farms. The award was already announced on July 29, 2019 and the notice to proceed is expected later this year, Prysmian said.
Wintershall Dea Earnings Drop
German oil and gas company Wintershall Dea reported a sharp drop in earnings in the first quarter of 2020, prompting it to cut costs and reduce oil and gas exploration.Production amounted to 626,000 barrel of oil equivalent per day (mboe/d) in Jan-March, unchanged from the same 2019 period, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.Due to a weaker price environment for commodities, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation…
Vattenfall Taps NGI for Kriegers Flak Wind Farm Monitoring
Swedish wind farm development company Vattenfall has hired Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) to provide monitoring services for the Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm being built in the Baltic Sea, offshore Denmark.NGI will provide design, production, and installation of instrumentation for two offshore wind turbines, monitoring the Mono Pile (MP) foundation and Transition Piece (TP). "The instrumentation system supplied by NGI will provide data to fully monitor the structures during operation after installation.
Repsol Given Green Light to Use Maersk Inspirer at Yme
Spanish oil company Repsol has been given a green light to use the Maersk Inspirer jack-up rig at the Yme field, in the North Sea, offshore Norway.The consent, granted by the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway, to connection, completion, and start-up preparations in conjunction with previously installed fixed facilities on the Yme field.The Yme is a field in the southeastern part of the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, 130 kilometers northeast of the Ula field. The water depth is 77-93 meters.
U.S. Tops List of Most Attractive Countries for Renewables Investments. Overtakes China
The United States has overtaken China as the most attractive country in the world for renewables investment and the global clean energy sector is expected to bounce back quickly despite the coronavirus pandemic, research showed on Tuesday.In an annual ranking of the top 40 renewable energy markets worldwide by consultancy EY, the United States was ranked first for the first time since 2016, followed by China.U.S. growth…
Brent Hits One-month High, U.S. Oil Tops $32 as Lockdowns Ease
Oil prices jumped on Monday, with benchmark Brent hitting a one-month high and U.S. crude topping $30, supported by optimism about the reopening of economies and output cuts by major producers. Brent crude was up $2.32, or 7.1%, at $34.82 a barrel by 1344 GMT, its highest level since mid-April. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up $3.35 or almost 11.4% at $32.78 per barrel, its highest since mid-March. "Optimism on the demand side of the oil equation has helped prices climb further…
EXIM Bank Amends Mozambique LNG Loan. Earmarks $1.8B for Offshore Work
The U.S. EXIM Bank has amended its previously approved September 2019 direct loan supporting U.S. exports for the development and construction of the Total-operated LNG project located on the Afungi Peninsula in northern Mozambique.The original scope of the $4.7 billion loan for the project has been amended from exclusively the onshore portion of the LNG plant and related facilities to also allocate an estimated $1.8 billion to support the project’s offshore production.
Drydocks World Starts Bokalift 2 Conversion for Boskalis
Dubai's Drydocks World shipyard has started construction of the offshore wind installation vessel for the Dutch company Boskalis.Drydocks World held a steel-cutting ceremony on Monday to mark the start of production on a conversion project for Boskalis B.V.The shipyard will convert the drillship YAN into an offshore installation vessel named Bokalift 2. The Bokalift 2 is designed to carry out a variety of offshore operations…
CNOOC, Shell JV sign $5.6B Ethylene Plant Expansion Deal in China
CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Ltd (CSPC), a joint venture established by China National Offshore Oil Corp(CNOOC) and Royal Dutch Shell, signed a framework agreement worth $5.6 billion with China's Huizhou city government to expand its ethylene project in the city.CSPC is expected to add 1.5 million tonnes per annum ethylene production capacity on top of its existed 2.2 million tonnes in Huizhou, according to a statement issued by CNOOC on Sunday nightThe new project will have 14 petrochemical production lines t
ODE Selected as Duty Holder at Babbage Platform
Offshore service provider ODE, part of DORIS Group, has won a duty holder contract from NEO Energy (NEO) for the Babbage field in the Southern North Sea."This is a significant ODE milestone as the first installation and pipeline operator (duty holder) appointment in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS)," ODE said Monday. The company has said it has previously acted as an operations and maintenance provider since the project…
Lundin Cuts 2020 Oil Output Goal, Raises Long-term Target
Lundin Energy has cut its 2020 oil and gas output target after Norway's decision to reduce production along with OPEC+ producers, the Swedish company said on Monday.The company has a 20% stake in the Equinor-operated Johan Sverdrup field, which reached phase-one plateau output of 470,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in April. It also operates the Edvard Grieg oilfield.Lundin is now targeting daily volumes of 157…
