Friday, July 26, 2024

Production News

Exxon Mobil Continues to Ramp Up LNG Portfolio

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Exxon Mobil is ahead of schedule with its plan to double the size of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) portfolio to 40 million tons per annum (mtpa) by 2030 and will focus on selling its own gas rather than trading that of third parties, said Peter Clarke, Exxon Mobil SVP for global LNG.Exxon is revamping its LNG trading strategy amid growing production of the fuel and as part of a wider corporate reorganization that began in 2022. Unlike other majors, Exxon plans to mainly trade its own gas, said Clarke. "Our portfolio is never going to look like Shell's…

Tyra II Production Successfully Restarted

Source: TotalEnergies

The Tyra Redevelopment Project (Tyra II) has restarted production. At plateau, the Tyra hub will produce 5.7 million cubic meters of gas and 22,000 barrels of condensate per day.TotalEnergies operates the Tyra field on behalf of Danish Underground Consortium, a partnership between TotalEnergies (43.2%), BlueNord (36.8%) and Nordsøfonden (20%).The Tyra Redevelopment Project is, to date, the largest project carried out on Danish Continental Shelf with the fabrication and installation of eight new platform topsides.

Equinor Increases Ownership in Linnorm Discovery

View from Åsgard A in the Norwegian Sea. (Photo: Ole Jørgen Bratland / Equinor)

Equinor will acquire Shell’s equity in and operatorship of the Linnorm discovery in the Norwegian Sea. Under this agreement, Equinor will acquire a 30% interest in the PL 255 covering the Linnorm discovery, conditional upon taking over the operatorship from A/S Norske Shell. The deal is expected to close during the first quarter of 2024.The Linnorm discovery in the Norwegian Sea was proven in 2005 and is the largest undeveloped gas discovery on the NCS. Linnorm is estimated to contain around 25-30 billion cubic meters (bcm)of recoverable gas resources.

Rystad Says Oil Demand is Peaking. Predicts $60 a Barrel by 2027

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Global crude oil prices could drop to about $60 per barrel by 2027 as demand growth slows, say oil analysts at Rystad Energy, chopping a third off next year's peak price as demand tumbles.Their outlook is a reassuring message amid recent Wall Street analysts predicting up to $150 per barrel in the next two years. Rystad's long-term forecast calls for prices to peak next year at $91 per barrel before dropping to as much as $50. "Demand is peaking," Claudio Galimberti, Rystad's head of North America Research, said on Thursday at an event in Houston.

MODEC’s FPSO Anita Garibaldi MV33 Achieves First Oil in Brazil

Source: MODEC

Japan's MODEC said its FPSO Anita Garibaldi MV33 has achieved first oil production for Petrobras at the Marlim field in the Campos Basin off the coast of Brazil.The FPSO is leased on a 25-year time charter contract to the state-owned Brazilian energy company—one of MODEC's longest charters to date.The FPSO is the 16th FPSO/FSO vessel that MODEC has delivered to the Brazilian oil and gas sector. MODEC was responsible for its engineering, procurement, construction, and mobilization, including topsides processing equipment as well as hull and marine systems.

Neptune Energy Starts Production from Gas Well in Germany

©Neptune Energy

Oil and gas company Neptune Energy started production from its production from its operated Adorf Z17 gas well in the municipality of Georgsdorf, northwestern Germany.The Z17 well - in the Carboniferous formation - is expected to increase Neptune’s production from the Adorf licence by 1,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day to around 6,300 boepd. Construction of a dedicated processing plant at the site for treatment of the gas was also completed earlier this year.Neptune Energy’s Managing Director in Germany, Andreas Scheck…

Guyana's Oil Exports Double, with Europe Taking Half of Cargoes

(File photo: Hess Corp)

Guyana's oil exports jumped 164% last year, boosted by growing output and demand for the newest Latin American oil producer's light sweet crudes, particularly in Europe, where thirsty refiners ramped up imports to replace Russian supplies.Since a consortium led by Exxon Mobil began pumping in late 2019, Guyana's shipments have soared, bringing the South American nation's oil export income to $1.1 billion last year, according to official figures provided to Reuters.The government's $1.1 billion share of oil revenue was up sharply from a combined $409 million in profit and royalties in 2021.

Price is the Elephant in Australia's LNG, Domestic Gas Conundrum

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Australia's threat to curb exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in order to ensure domestic supplies is another unwelcome pressure on a tight global market for the super-chilled fuel.But it's not an immediate threat, and it may also not materialize at all, depending on how the various players in Australia react to the government's planned action.What needs to be addressed effectively is the elephant in the room, namely the price at which natural gas is made available to domestic consumers relative to the price the gas companies can receive for their LNG on the global market.Australia vies with the United States and Qatar as the largest

Wintershall Dea Looks to Domestic Production as Russia has 'Destroyed' Trust

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Germany's Wintershall Dea, a shareholder of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and longstanding Gazprom partner, on Tuesday said it would look to increase domestic oil and gas output since Russia has lost its status as a reliable energy supplier.If Europe wants to reduce its dependence on imports it has to look at domestic energy supplies, Chief Executive Mario Mehren told journalists after second-quarter results showed adjusted net income up 262% at 608 million euros ($618 million)."Even if some people may find it difficult at first to step out of their comfort zone and accept this consequence of the current crisis…

Production from Nigeria's Ikike Field to Start

Image courtesy TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies, OML99 operator (40%) in partnership with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC, 60%), announces the start of production from the Ikike field, in Nigeria.Located 20 kmoff the coast, at a depth of about 20 meters, the Ikike platform is tied back to the existing Amenam offshore facilities through a 14 km multiphase pipeline. It will deliver peak production of 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by the end of 2022.The Ikike project is designed to minimize greenhouse gas emissions: estimated at less than 4kg CO2e/boe.

Oil Supply Crunch is Coming, ConocoPhillips CEO Says

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance - Credit: ConocoPhillips (Cropped)

ConocoPhillips' chief executive on Tuesday warned of looming crude oil shortages and price volatility, citing limited spare capacity among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and slow U.S. output gains ahead.Ryan Lance, head of the largest U.S. independent oil producer, offered a dour outlook on future supply in remarks to members of oil group the Houston Producers Forum. His comments came days after U.S. President Joe Biden returned from Saudi Arabia without success in securing an agreement for the OPEC+ group to boost production."Ultimately…

Russia's Medvedev Says Oil Could Hit Up to $400 a Barrel if Japanese Proposal Adopted

Dmitry Medvedev - Credit: Duma, via Wikimedia Commons - CC BY 4.0

Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday a reported proposal from Japan to cap the price of Russian oil at around half its current level would lead to significantly less oil on the market and could push prices above $300-$400 a barrel.Commenting on the proposal, which was reportedly put forward by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Medvedev said Japan "would have neither oil nor gas from Russia, as well as no participation in the Sakhalin-2 LNG project" as a result.President Vladimir Putin last week signed a decree that seizes full control of the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil project in Russia's far east…

Wasted Gas: As Global Supplies Tighten, Here’s 210 bcm of Natural Gas for the Taking – IEA Report

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A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that if there was a concerted, global effort to eliminate unnecessary flaring and control leaks across the supply chain, nearly 210 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas could be made available to gas markets.Russia’s war with Ukraine has sent energy prices soaring as a broad swath of sanctions has effectively re-routed Russian oil and gas exports. The recent report from IEA – “The energy security case for tackling gas flaring and methane leaks”…

U.S. Natgas up 2% on Higher Demand, Soaring Global Prices

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U.S. natural gas futures edged up about 2% on Tuesday on record power demand in Texas, forecasts for more gas demand over the next two weeks than previously expected, a reduction in gas output, low wind power and much higher global gas prices.Power demand in Texas failed to hit a new all-time high on Monday due to less hot weather, but will likely break peak use records on Tuesday and later this week as homes and businesses keep air conditioners cranked up to escape a lingering heatwave. Read full storyLow wind power forces generators…

White House Welcomes OPEC+ Decision to Stick to Planned Output Increase

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The White House on Tuesday welcomed a decision by top oil producers to stick with their plans to raise crude production and touted "close" coordination with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Earlier on Tuesday, a group of producers comprising the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia stuck to a planned increase of 400,000 barrels per day for February.The decision not to hike output even more helped lift oil prices further. Brent crude rose 50% last year and has rallied so far in 2022…

Asian Countries Looking to Release Oil Reserves after U.S. Request

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The world's biggest economies said on Thursday they were looking into releasing oil from their strategic reserves, following a rare request from the United States for a coordinated move to cool global energy prices.The U.S. move reflects frustration with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies such as Russia who have rebuffed Washington's requests to speed up oil production as the world economy rebounds from the pandemic.It also comes as U.S. President Joe Biden fends off political…

ConocoPhillips Swings to 3Q Profit

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ConocoPhillips reported a third-quarter profit on Tuesday, compared with a year-ago loss, thanks to a rebound in crude prices to pre-pandemic levels.Oil prices have climbed nearly 63% since the beginning of the year, driven by a rise in global demand and on supply bottlenecks, pushing Brent above $86 to its highest in nearly three years. The rally has been accompanied by sky-high gas prices around the world.The company, which agreed to buy Royal Dutch Shell's Permian basin assets in September, said its production…

Investors on Board as U.S. Oil Majors Dismiss Wind and Solar Projects

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Top U.S. oil firms are doubling down on drilling, deepening a divide with European rivals on the outlook for renewables, and winning support from big investors who do not expect the stateside companies to invest in wind and solar. Among a dozen U.S. fund managers contacted by Reuters from companies overseeing about $7 trillion in assets, most said they prefer oil firms to generate returns from businesses they know best and give shareholders cash to make their own renewable bets. With oil and gas prices jumping this year, the U.S.

Brent Shoots Past $80 a Barrel

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Oil markets climbed for a sixth day on Tuesday, boosted by a tighter supply and firm demand outlook, but power shortages in China which hit factory output tempered the rally.Brent crude futures gained 67 cents, or 0.8%, to $80.20 a barrel at 1016 GMT, after reaching their highest level since October 2018 at $80.75. Brent gained 1.8% on Monday.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 79 cents, or 1%, to $76.24 a barrel, after hitting a session high of $76.67, its highest since early July. It jumped 2% the previous day.Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas, which swept through the U.S.

Shell Exits Permian with $9.5B Sale to ConocoPhillips. Its U.S. Output Now Mostly Offshore

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Jiri Buller/Shell

Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday it would sell its Permian Basin assets to ConocoPhillips for $9.5 billion in cash, an exit from the largest U.S. oilfield for the energy major shifting its focus to the clean energy transition.For ConocoPhillips, it is the second sizable acquisition in a year in the heart of the U.S. shale industry, as American and European producers diverge in whether to focus on hydrocarbons going forward.Like all of the world's largest oil companies, Shell is under pressure from investors to reduce…