Industry News

US Prepared to Move Alone in Banning Russian Oil Imports

The Biden administration is willing to move ahead with a ban on Russian oil imports into the United States without the participation of allies in Europe, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

United Steelworkers Union Calls on Oil Companies to End Russian Crude Imports

United Steelworkers International President Tom Conway said the union called on their government and employers to cut off all Russian imports of crude oil that would be processed in our domestic refineries.

Cheniere Signs EPC Contract for Corpus Christi Stage III Project

The Corpus Christi Stage III Project will consist of up to seven midscale trains, each with an expected liquefaction capacity of approximately 1.49 MTPA with a total production capacity of more than 10 MTPA.

Gas Pipeline in Eastern Ukraine Damaged by Russian Fighting, Local Governor Says

Ukrainian engineers scrambled to repair a gas pipeline damaged by Russian forces, halting supplies to parts of southeastern Ukraine, the Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.

Japan to Release 7.5 MMbbl of Oil Reserves in IEA-led Global Action

The volume makes up 12.5% of a planned coordinated release of 60 MMbbl of oil reserves that the U.S. and other members of the IEA agreed to compensate for supply disruptions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Exxon Sues US Over Taxes Related to Gas Project in Qatar

Exxon Mobil Corp. a suit against the U.S. seeking a partial refund of $2.1 billion in taxes and penalties tied to a Middle East gas project in Qatar, according to a filing in U.S. district court in Dallas.

Nord Stream 1 Says Gas Supplies to Europe Via Pipeline Continue

The operator of the operational Nord Stream 1 undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany said that transportation of natural gas to Europe was continuing normally.

AGA Issues Concerns About New FERC Policies on Natural Gas

The American Gas Association expressed fears for the development of natural gas at the hands of FERC in a letter to Chairman Joe Manchin of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Ranking Member John Barrasso.

Cowboy Midstream Plans New Crude Offload Terminal

Construction activities are underway, and Cowboy expects the new terminal to be ready for crude oil receipt and transportation April 2022.

Europe Must Urgently Cut Dependence on Russian Gas, Portugal Says

Europe must urgently diversify its natural gas supply sources to reduce its dependence on Russia, Portugal's energy secretary of state said, pointing to alternatives such as the U.S. and Qatar.

German Chancellor: It was the Right Time to Halt Nord Stream 2

The halt of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was supposed to bring additional gas from Russia to Germany, came at exactly the right time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

South Africa's Gigajoule to Import First LNG Cargo at New Mozambique Terminal by Mid-2025

The LNG terminal is expected to receive its first shipments of gas to a permanently moored floating storage and regasification unit in Matola harbor by mid-2025.

Russian Gas Flows Via Yamal Pipeline to Germany Halt, Bids Remain

Russian gas accounts for some 40% of European gas demand, while the Yamal-Europe pipeline usually accounts for about 15% of Russia's westbound supply of gas to Europe and Turkey.

US Senators to Grill Regulators over Climate Policy on Natural Gas Projects

Top U.S. senators will grill Democratic energy regulators who approved guidelines for new natural gas projects that allow consideration of environmental justice, landowner and climate issues.

US Natgas Futures Ease with Drop in Global Oil, Gas Prices

The U.S. market continued its three-day streak of following sharp moves in European gas and global oil prices with the Russia-Ukraine conflict stoking energy supply concerns.

Sanctions on Russian Energy 'On the Table' – But Not Just Yet, US Says

The United States is open to imposing sanctions on Russia's oil and gas industry but going after its exports now could help Moscow, the White House said.

Exxon to Exit Russia, Leaving $4 Billion in Assets

The decision will see Exxon pull out of managing large oil and gas production facilities in Russia's Far East and puts the fate of a proposed multibillion-dollar LNG facility there in doubt.

EPIC Midstream Pioneers with Industry Leading ESG Standards for Pipeline Monitoring

EPIC’s cutting edge environmental and safety protections are possible through using fiber optics to monitor over 1,600 miles of its crude and NGL pipelines.

Nord Stream 2 AG Says Its Mobile, Fixed Network Lines Not Reachable, Shuts Website

The operator of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline said its mobile and fixed network lines were not reachable for the time being and it had shut down its website amid hacking attacks.

TotalEnergies Could Lose S.Africa License If No Output Plan by Sept

TotalEnergies could see its license to develop a major offshore South African gas find scrapped if it does not submit a production plan by September.

Wintershall Dea Stops Payments to Russia, Writes Off $1.1 Billion Nord Stream 2 Loan

Wintershall Dea will stop payments to Russia and write off its 1 billion euro ($1.1 billion) financing in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was suspended last week.

TotalEnergies Joins JV to Develop Offshore Wind Farm in California

TotalEnergies has joined the Castle Wind joint venture for the development of a 1 GW offshore wind project off the coast of Morro Bay, off the Central California Coast.

Eastbound Gas Flows to Poland Resume Via Yamal-Europe Pipeline

A section of the Russian Yamal-Europe pipeline resumed eastbound gas delivery to Poland following normal, westbound supplies overnight, data from German network operator Gascade showed.

Neptune Energy Aims to Store More Carbon than it Emits by 2030

Neptune Energy announced its aim to go beyond net zero and store more carbon than is emitted from its operations and the use of its sold products by 2030.

Italy's Eni to Sell Stake in Blue Stream Pipeline Co-owned with Gazprom

Italian energy group Eni said it planned to sell its stake in the Blue Stream pipeline carrying Russian gas to Turkey that it co-owns with Russia's Gazprom.

Nord Stream 2 Owner Considers Insolvency After Pipeline Halt, Sanctions

The Swiss-based company is considering filing for insolvency as it attempts to settle claims ahead of a U.S. sanction deadline for other entities to stop dealings with it.

Ukraine’s Oil and Gas Industry Supplies Only a Small Part of the Country’s Needs

Two major pipeline systems carry Russian gas through Ukraine to Western Europe. The Bratstvo pipeline crosses from Ukraine to Slovakia and the Soyuz pipeline links Russia’s pipelines to natural gas networks in central Asia.

Poland, Lithuania Speed Up Gas Link Amid Russia Supply Worries

A natural gas pipeline called GIPL linking Poland and Lithuania will open on May 1, earlier than the scheduled mid-2022 start, linking the Polish grid with a route to an LNG terminal in Lithuania.

Frontier-Kemper to Construct Tunnel for Eagle Mountain – Woodfibre Gas Pipeline

Pre-construction activities, including design, procurement and construction planning, are expected to commence in March 2022 with construction anticipated to begin in early 2023.

Ukraine’s Naftogaz Reports Close to Normal Operations

Ukrainian state oil and gas company, Naftogaz, is providing daily updates on their operations, at terminals, storage facilities and field operations, including wells and pipelines.

OSHA COVID RULE GETS WHITE HOUSE APPROVAL FOR RELEASE

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs  has completed a three week analysis of the anticipated federal Covid-19 vaccination and testing mandate for employers with more than 100 employees. This review is usually the last formal step before the final rule becomes public. In a November 1 statement the Department of Labor said the emergency standard would be published in the Federal Register in the coming days. The new standard will require covered employers to develop, implement, and enforce a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy, unless they implement a policy requiring employees to choose either to get vaccinated or to undergo regular Covid-19 testing and wear a face covering at work.

BSEE: 95% of GoM oil production shut-in as operators begin assessment following Ida

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement continues to work with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies following Hurricane Ida’s passage through Louisiana.

HEQ Deepwater acquires 20% interest in Shenandoah development

HEQ Deepwater, Houston, closed a deal Aug. 25 to acquire a 20% working interest in the ultra-high-pressure Shenandoah development in the US Gulf of Mexico from an affiliate of Beacon Offshore Energy II LLC.

BSEE: Over 95% of current Gulf of Mexico oil production shut-in ahead of Hurricane Ida

Offshore oil and gas operators in the US Gulf of Mexico evacuated platforms and rigs ahead of Hurricane Ida over the weekend.

BSEE: Over 90% of current Gulf of Mexico oil production shut-in ahead of Hurricane Ida

Offshore oil and gas operators in the US Gulf of Mexico continued preparations ahead of Hurricane Ida over the weekend.

BSEE: Nearly 59% of current Gulf of Mexico oil production shut-in ahead of Hurricane Ida

Offshore oil and gas operators in the US Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs ahead of Hurricane Ida.

Petrobras enters negotiations for Potiguar cluster divestment

Petrobras has started the negotiation phase of divestment of the Potiguar cluster, which includes 26 concessions of onshore and shallow water production fields, including the 39,600 b/d Clara Camarão refinery, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

Rosneft begins geological research on eastern Arctic shelf

Rosneft Oil Co. has implemented a comprehensive long-term research program in the Arctic. The expedition started from Murmansk and will include geological, weather, and environmental surveys.

Midland-Petro, Andros Capital close Permian basin drilling JV

Midland-Petro DC Partners and Andros Capital Partners have closed a joint venture under which Andros affiliate Andros Permian will fund about $150 million to participate in a Midland basin development drilling program.

i3 Energy closes deal to acquire Alberta assets from Cenovus

A wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of i3 Energy PLC has closed the acquisition of Central Alberta assets from Cenovus Energy Inc. for a $53.7 million.

bp awards marine services contract for global operations

bp has awarded a framework agreement to Global Maritime to provide marine services for bp operations globally. The agreement, to begin immediately, includes marine vessel assurance, engineering, project operations, HSSE, and general marine consultancy.

ExxonMobil, PNG government to resume P’nyang gas negotiations

The Government of Papua New Guinea and ExxonMobil, operator of the PNG LNG project, will re-engage in negotiations for development of the P’nyang gas project in the country’s Western Highlands.

EIA: US crude inventories down 3.2 million bbl

US crude oil inventories for the week ended Aug. 13, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, decreased by 3.2 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

Bowline Energy acquires Williston basin assets

Bowline Energy LLC (formerly Meadowlark Resources LLC), Denver, has acquired Nine Point Energy's Williston basin assets for $250 million through a Chapter 11 Section 363 process approved by the bankruptcy court and closed Aug. 9.

TAQA removes Brae Bravo topsides

Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. PJSC (TAQA) completed topside removal of the Brae Bravo platform in block 17/7a, UK Central North Sea.

Petrobras, Sonangol enter binding phase for Potiguar basin asset sale

Petrobras and Sonangol have started the binding phase for sale of the total stakes of both companies in the onshore exploratory block POT-T-794, part of the BT-POT-55A concession, in the Potiguar basin of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Esso lets survey contract for work offshore Guyana

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. has let a contract to Oceaneering International for two surveys offshore Guyana. The surveys are scheduled to begin in this year’s third quarter.

Petronas advances offshore Malaysia CCS plans

Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd. awarded a conceptual engineering design contract to Xodus for the Kasawari carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, offshore Malaysia.

PNG PM says any Santos-Oil Search merger should maintain high local presence

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has warned Santos Ltd. and Oil Search Ltd. that he expects any merged entity of the two companies to continue a significant local presence in the country.

EIA: US crude inventories up 3.6 million bbl

US crude oil inventories for the week ended July 30, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, increased by 3.6 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

EIA: US crude inventories down 4.1 million bbl

US crude oil inventories for the week ended July 23, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, decreased by 4.1 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

Petrobras signs contracts for Buzios field FPSO

Petrobras let contracts to SBM Offshore for the lease and operation of FPSO Almirante Tamandaré for 26.25 years. The contracts follow the signing of the binding letter of intent signed earlier this year.

Hess sets new greenhouse gas reduction targets

Hess Corp. has established a 5-year greenhouse has (GHG) emission target to 2025. The company intends to reduce operated Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity by 44% and methane emissions intensity by 52% from 2017.

Neptune lets Cygnus subsea inspection contract

Neptune Energy today let a subsea inspection contract to Fugro for work on Cygnus gas field in the UK southern North Sea.

EIA: US crude inventories up 2.1 million bbl

US crude oil inventories for the week ended July 16, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, increased by 2.1 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

Shell to appeal court ruling in Netherlands climate case

Royal Dutch Shell PLC confirmed that it will appeal a May ruling issued by the District Court in The Hague that Shell must reduce its global net carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

Mari signs farm-in for Pakistan Margala block

Mari Petroleum Co. Ltd. executed a farm-in agreement with MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas Co. BV to acquire working interest in Pakistan’s Margala block.

EIA: US crude inventories down 7.9 million bbl

US crude oil inventories for the week ended July 9, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, decreased by 7.9 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

Plains All American, Oryx Midstream create Permian basin JV

Plains All American and Oryx Midstream Holdings have entered into a definitive agreement to merge assets, operations, and commercial activities within the Permian basin into a new joint venture.

EIA: US crude inventories down 6.9 million bbl

US crude oil inventories for the week ended July 2, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, decreased by 6.9 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.