Norway Supreme Court Hears Snow Crab Case with Implication for Oil
Norway's Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Tuesday on whether EU ships can fish for snow crab off Arctic islands north of Norway without permission from Oslo, a case that could decide who has the right to explore for oil in the region.At stake is whether the snow crab - whose meat is considered a delicacy by gourmets in Japan…
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Exxon in Climate Change Document Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the attorney general of Massachusetts to obtain records from Exxon Mobil Corp to probe whether the oil company for decades concealed its knowledge of the role fossil fuels play in climate change.The justices declined to hear Exxon's appeal of a ruling by the top court in Massachusetts holding that Attorney General Maura Healey…
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…
US Allows Williams More Time for NY-Penn. Natgas Pipeline
U.S. energy regulators gave Williams Cos Inc two more years until December 2020 to get the approvals needed to build its long-delayed Constitution natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York, according to a federal filing made available on Tuesday.Before it can start building the project, Williams still needs water quality certification.
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…
Petrobras, Engie Unlikely to End TAG Talks Before Feb -Engie CEO
Talks between Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA and France's Engie over the latter's acquisition of pipeline company TAG are not expected to end before February or March of next year, the chief executive of Engie's Brazilian unit said in a conference call with analysts.Eduardo Sattamini said even if Petrobras, as the oil company is known…
Petrobras Forms JV with Murphy in Gulf of Mexico
Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA is forming a joint venture with Murphy Oil Company to explore oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico, the Brazilian company said on Wednesday in a securities filing.According to the filing, Petrobras, as the Brazilian company is known, will have a 20 percent stake in the joint venture, and Murphy will have 80 percent.
International Tribunal Rules in Favor of Chevron in Ecuador Case
Chevron Corp said on Friday an international tribunal ruled in its favor and that Ecuador had violated its obligations under international treaties.The tribunal unanimously held that a $9.5 billion pollution judgment by Ecuador's Supreme Court against Chevron "was procured through fraud, bribery and corruption and was based on claims that had been already settled and released by the Republic of Ecuador years ear
Trump Administration Proposes Rolling Back Obama's Clean Power Plan
The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed replacing the Clean Power Plan, the centerpiece of former President Barack Obama's regulatory efforts to combat climate change.The proposal released by the Environmental Protection Agency is now open for a public comment period. A final EPA rule is expected later this year.The effort to re-write the plan is the latest move by the EPA under President Donald Trump…
Schlumberger Wins in US Supreme Court on Patent Damages
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday that companies can recover profits lost because of the unauthorized use of their patented technology abroad in a victory for Schlumberger NV, the world's largest oilfield services provider.The 7-2 decision overturned a lower court's ruling that had enforced limits on applying U.S. patent law overseas…
Italy Top Court Rejects Appeal to Stymie Shell, Eni Corruption Trial
Italy's Supreme Court threw out an appeal from Shell and four former Shell managers to stymie a trial on alleged corruption in Nigeria, which also sees Eni's chief on the bench, legal sources said on Wednesday.The long-running graft case revolves around the 2011 purchase by Eni and Shell of Nigeria's OPL-245 offshore oilfield for about $1.3 billion.
U.S. Top Court Rejects Constitution Pipeline Over New York Permit
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday dealt another setback to a proposed natural gas pipeline running from Pennsylvania to New York, rejecting Constitution Pipeline Co's bid to challenge New York state's refusal to issue a needed water permit for the project.The high court left in place an August 2017 ruling by the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in favor of the state.
Schlumberger Fights to Boost Patent Damages at US Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared divided over whether to make it easier for companies to recoup profits lost due to the unauthorized use of their patented technology overseas in a dispute involving Schlumberger NV, the world's largest oilfield services provider.The nine justices heard about an hour of arguments that will resolve…
New Projects in Brazil's Amazon? Not Without Congressional Approval, says court
Brazil's government has been told that development projects, including hydropower dams, in protected areas can no longer go ahead without the prior approval of lawmakers. Last week's ruling by the supreme court followed the use by the government in recent years of the controversial "provisional measure", a legal instrument that allowed the president to approve projects by reducing the size of protected areas.
Four Bunker Barges Seized in Singapore over Unpaid Debt
Singapore law firm asks for vessels to be arrested; bunker barges owned by Vermont UM Shipping. Four marine refuelling barges owned and operated by Vermont UM Shipping Pte Ltd were seized in Singapore on Monday night, according to the website of Singapore's Supreme Court. Singaporean law firm Rajah & Tann seized the vessels over unpaid claims on behalf of its client…
Iron Ore Cleared to Transport from Goa
Vedanta Resources, controlled by billionaire Anil Agarwal, and other miners can transport already mined iron ore from Goa on which royalties have been paid, India's top court ruled on Wednesday, providing relief to the state's miners. India's Supreme Court in February quashed all iron ore mining permits in the southwestern state of Goa, one of the top producing states for the steel making raw material.
FERC Mulls Action on NY Denial for NatGas Pipeline
U.S. federal energy regulators gave themselves more time to decide whether to rehear their earlier order upholding New York's denial of a water permit for Williams Cos Inc's Constitution natural gas pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Wednesday rejected Constitution's request to overturn New York's denial of a water quality certification in January.
UK Court: Nigerians Cannot Pursue Shell Claim in England
The Court of Appeal in London ruled on Wednesday that two Nigerian communities cannot pursue Royal Dutch Shell in English courts over oil spills in Nigeria's Delta region. The split decision upheld a High Court ruling last year that was a setback to attempts to hold British multinationals liable at home for their subsidiaries' actions abroad.
Greenpeace Appeals after Losing Norwegian Arctic Lawsuit
Environmental groups launched an appeal on Monday after an Oslo court rejected their arguments that Norway's oil and gas exploration in the Arctic violates citizens' right to a clean environment. Greenpeace and Nature and Youth disputed the Oslo District Court's verdict last month, particularly that Norway could not be held responsible for greenhouse gas emissions from the use of its oil and gas exported abroad.
EU to Hit Venezuelan Officials with Sanctions
Seven senior Venezuelan officials are likely to face European Union sanctions from next week, including the country's powerful chief justice, diplomats said, as the EU seeks to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to resolve a political crisis. The travel bans and asset freezes, which EU ambassadors are set to approve on Thursday, will follow U.S.
