API calls out ‘blind spot’ in U.S. trade policy on energy

A new federal report on barriers to “made-in-America exports” fails to consider restrictions on LNG and 1970s-era limits on U.S. crude oil, said API. More »

Oil rigs decline by smallest number in almost four months

U.S. oil rigs fell by the smallest number in 16 weeks, a sign that America's oil-drilling crash may be nearing its end. More »

African oil producers seek production cut, start initiative

The African Petroleum Producers Association, which represents oil and gas producers from Algeria to South Africa, called for a cut in oil output globally. More »

CBandI bags $50 million storage tank contract for oil sands in Canada

CBandI has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $50 million for the engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction of seven storage tanks near Fort McMurray, Canada. More »

Oceaneering acquires C and C Technologies for $230 million

Oceaneering International has closed the previously announced definitive agreement to acquire C and C Technologies. More »

InterMoor completes FPSO riser and mooring disconnection, offshore Angola

InterMoor, an Acteon company, has successfully completed offshore operations for the disconnection and laydown of risers and mooring lines on a major FPSO facility offshore Angola. More »

Premier Oil strikes oil and gas at Zebedee well in Falkland Islands

Premier Oil has announced that the Zebedee well (14/15b-5) in PL004b (Premier 36% equity) discovered 81 ft of net oil-bearing reservoir and 55 ft of net gas-bearing reservoir. More »

CBandI bags $50 million worth storage tank award for oil sands in Canada

CBandI has been awarded a contract valued at approximately $50 million for the engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction of seven storage tanks near Fort McMurray, Canada. More »

Nicolas de Coignac to head Vallourec’s North America operations

Vallourec has appointed Nicolas de Coignac as the Senior V.P. of Vallourec Group and President for North America operations, effective Apr. 1. More »

Ikon Science to combine Dynamic Graphics' CoViz Lite visualization system with its RokDoc software

Ikon Science has announced an agreement for the commercial licensing of CoViz Lite, developed by California based Dynamic Graphics, Inc., as part of its RokDoc software packages to create a new RokDoc state-of-the-art visualization system. More »

Iran moves closer to restoring oil exports after nuclear accord

Iran’s accord with world powers brings the OPEC member a step closer to restoring oil production that was cut by sanctions while leaving unresolved when it will happen. More »

Saipem, Dangote announce JV in Central and West Africa

Saipem has entered into a JV with Dangote Group to create a new company named Saipem Dangote EandC. More »

Apache completes sale of Wheatstone LNG to Woodside

Apache Corp. announced Thursday that it had completed the sale of the Wheatstone LNG project and accompanying upstream oil and gas reserves to Australia's Woodside Petroleum for total proceeds of $2.817 billion. More »

Oil tanker free after grounding off Galveston, Texas

The U.S. Coast Guard has been monitoring response efforts for an oil tanker that ran aground Tuesday, 35 miles east of Galveston. The tanker was freed from grounding as it refloated at 10:32 p.m. More »

Apache Corp. completes sale of Wheatstone LNG to Woodside

Apache Corp. announced Thursday that it had completed the sale of the Wheatstone LNG project and accompanying upstream oil and gas reserves to Australia's Woodside Petroleum for total proceeds of $2.817 billion. More »

Transocean to scrap two more floaters

Transocean announced Wednesday that it intends to scrap, in an environmentally responsible manner, two rigs: GSF Aleutian Key and Sedco 707. More »

Hercules Offshore announces five-year contract for Hercules 260

HOUSTON -- Hercules Offshore has signed a five-year contract with a subsidiary of Eni S.p.A. for use of the Hercules 260 in West Africa. More »

Total awards $100-million Moho Nord contract to Fugro

Fugro has been awarded a five-year contract with an estimated value of $100 million by Total EandP Congo. The agreement is for ROV services and remote subsea tooling in the Moho Nord field, situated around 75 km off the coast of Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo. More »

Woodside buys Apache interests in Australian assets

Woodside has closed the purchase of previously announced acquisition of Apache's Australian Wheatstone LNG and Balnaves oil components for a total cost of $2.817 billion, including a closing adjustment of $567 million. More »

Alaska must have a say in federal offshore leasing program, Murkowski says

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, criticized the Obama administration’s lack of consultation with Alaska in developing its draft 2017-2022 outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and natural gas leasing program (DPP) for Alaska in comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). More »

Iraq crude exports rise 15% in March to highest in 35 years

Iraq boosted crude shipments in March to the highest level in more than three decades, adding to a global supply glut that has helped push down oil prices by 46% in the last year. More »

Subsea Masters launches first rig maintenance and repair service in Canary Islands

Subsea Masters, a subsidiary of GEV Group, has agreed on a JV with a Las Palmas shipyard in the Canary Islands to provide rig maintenance and repair for the West African offshore drilling market. More »

Furgo inks $100 million worth ROV services and innovative tooling contract with Total

Fugro has been awarded a five-year contract with an estimated value of $100 million by Total EandP Congo. The agreement is for ROV services and remote subsea tooling in the Moho Nord field, situated around 75 km off the coast of Pointe Noire in the Republic of Congo. More »

Alaska must have a say in federal offshore leasing program, says Sen. Murkowski

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, criticized the Obama administration’s lack of consultation with Alaska in developing its draft 2017-2022 outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and natural gas leasing program (DPP) for Alaska in comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). More »

Shale crews to endure aerial emission monitoring

Through April, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be flying above shale basins from North Dakota to Texas, collecting air samples to document if drilling is adding to ground-level ozone. More »

Fire at Pemex platform kills four workers, injures 16

Four workers died, including one from Mexican oil services provider Cotemar SA, and 16 others were injured after a fire on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, Petroleos Mexicanos said. More »

Caterpillar, GTUIT to collaborate on gas treatment innovations

Caterpillar Oil and Gas has made an equity investment in GTUIT, a manufacturer of mobile gas treatment systems. More »

Record U.S. crude stocks set to decline: Wood Mackenzie

U.S. crude oil stocks have grown over 30MMbbl each month this year, leading to a series of record highs and most recently reaching 471 MMbbl. Even so, Wood Mackenzie's latest outlook estimates that the U.S. has about 200 MMbbl of unused crude storage capacity. More »

CONSOL, Halliburton deliver first frac spread powered by EPA-compliant engines

CONSOL Energy and Halliburton have announced the deployment of the first frac spread that is fully compliant with EPA’s 2015 Tier 4F emissions standard for non-road, high-horsepower engines. More »

CONSOL, Halliburton deliver first complete frac spread powered by EPA Tier 4F compliant engines

CONSOL Energy and Halliburton have announced the planned deployment of the first hydraulic fracturing spread that is fully compliant with the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 Tier 4F emissions standard for non-road, high-horsepower engines. More »

Oil bargains from Latin America erode Saudi market clout in Asia

Ships carrying oil from Mexico docked in South Korea this year for the first time in more than two decades as the global fight for market share intensifies. More »

Petrobras sells assets in Argentina’s Austral basin

Petrobras Argentina’s board of directors has approved the sale of all of its assets in the Austral basin, province of Santa Cruz, to Compañia General de Combustibles (CGC) for $101 million. More »

Jereh, Plexus partner on subsea wellhead equipment

Jereh Group has announced an alliance with Plexus Holding PLC to be the company’s strategic partner in the manufacturing and sale of Plexus wellhead products. More »

George Kirkland to retire from Chevron

SAN RAMON, California -- Chevron Corp. has confirmed that George L. Kirkland, vice chairman and executive V.P., Upstream, will retire from the company, effective June 15. More »

GasLog acquires two LNG carriers from BG Group

GasLog Ltd. has completed the acquisition of two LNG carriers from Methane Services Limited (MSL), a subsidiary of BG Group, Monaco-based GasLog announced Tuesday. More »

BG Group, Aptomar sign Knarr field monitoring contract

READING, United Kingdom -- BG Group has awarded Aptomar a contract to provide field monitoring services at Knarr field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. As a result, Aptomar will establish a new marine control center in Trondheim, Norway. More »

Harkand wins $5-million diving support contract in Mexico

Harkand has secured a $5-million contract in Mexico to perform saturation diving services in support of an offshore pipeline project for offshore construction company Swiber Offshore Mexico S.A de C.V. More »

Storage sells for 10 cents a month at U.S. oil-import hub

Oil cavern space at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port sold for 10 cents/bbl a month at an auction on Tuesday, offering a glimpse into the value of storage as domestic crude supplies swell to a record. More »

Reckoning arrives for cash-strapped oil firms amid bank squeeze

Lenders are preparing to cut the credit lines to a group of junk-rated shale oil companies by as much as 30% in the coming days, dealing another blow as they struggle with a slump in crude prices, according to people familiar with the matter. More »

Karoon Gas spuds Echidna-1 exploration well in Santos basin

Karoon Gas Australia has spud the third exploration well, the Echidna-1, in the current Santos basin drilling campaign, on Mar. 31. More »

Shell one step closer to Chukchi Sea drilling

U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on has validated the 2008 sale of oil and gas leases in the Chukchi Sea, a decision that brings Royal Dutch Shell a step closer to winning approval of drilling in those remote Arctic waters. More »

Chevron's Vice Chairman and Executive V.P. of Upstream to retire; James W. Johnson to take chair as Executive V.P.

Chevron Corporation has confirmed today that George L. Kirkland, Vice Chairman and Executive V.P., Upstream, will retire from the company, effective Jun. 15. He will be succeeded by James W. Johnson, as Executive V.P., Upstream, effective Jun. 16. More »

Cameron names new V.P. of Marketing and CTO

Cameron has elected Justin Rounce for the newly created position of V.P., Marketing and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective Mar. 23. More »

U.S. oil production on track to reach all time high in 2015, says Rystad Energy

Rystad Energy estimates U.S. annual oil production (crude oil plus lease condensate) to peak at 9.7 MMbpd by September 2015, assuming WTI stays at $55 /bbl on average for the year. More »

U.S. oil production on track to reach all time high in 2015

Rystad Energy estimates U.S. annual oil production (crude oil plus lease condensate) to peak at 9.7 MMbpd by September 2015, assuming WTI stays at $55 /bbl on average for the year. The average production for 2015 estimated at 9.65 MMbpd could be an all-time high after its peak in 1970 with 9.64 MMbpd as yearly average. More »

Apache reports strong results from discoveries in Egypt's Western Desert

Apache Corp. has reported strong appraisal- and development-drilling results from Egypt following the discovery of two new oil fields in the Western Desert. More »

Sabine Oil says lenders may cut credit line significantly

Sabine Oil and Gas Corp., the exploration and production company that merged with Forest Oil Corp. last year, said its banks may cut its fully drawn $1 billion credit line after oil prices plunged. More »

Eni, Reliance ink PSCs for exploration offshore Myanmar

Eni and India's Reliance Industries have signed production sharing contracts (PSCs) for two blocks each, offshore Myanmar. Eni is partnering with with Petrovietnam and Reliance has a JV with the local Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise. More »

Keppel FELS delivers eleventh jackup to Mexico

SINGAPORE -- Keppel FELS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore and Marine, has delivered a KFELS B Class jackup rig to Pemex. More »

Northern Offshore delays delivery of two new jackups

Northern Offshore has negotiated a nine-month delay in the delivery of two high specification jackups, Energy Engager and Energy Encounter, from a shipyard in China, the company reported Tuesday. More »

API urges BOEM not to cut already-restrictive offshore leasing plan

WASHINGTON -- The federal government’s proposal for future offshore oil and natural gas leasing is already too restrictive and should not be reduced any further, according to comments API submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Monday. More »

Rosneft focuses on Russian gas as Latin American prospects appear limited: GlobalData

Despite the recent Memorandum of Understanding between Rosneft and Golar LNG, the former’s current gas strategy is narrowly focused on developing domestic reserves and initiating LNG projects in Russia, according to GlobalData. More »

Eni inks PSCs for exploration offshore Myanmar

Eni has signed two production sharing contracts (PSCs) for Blocks MD-02 and MD-04, offshore Myanmar. More »

Maersk Oil starts production from new platform in Danish North Sea

Maersk Oil has started production from the new unmanned platform Tyra Southeast-B, the company reported Tuesday. More »

McDermott wins subsea contract for Chevron's Jack and St. Malo expansion

McDermott International has been awarded a sizeable contract to transport and install subsea umbilicals, manifolds, jumpers and flying leads for Chevron U.S.A. Inc. to support the brownfield expansion of the Jack and St. Malo fields in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. More »

BP cancels one rig contract, extends another, Seadrill Partners says

Seadrill Partners has received a notice of termination from BP Exploration and Production for the contract for the West Sirius, which will be effective after the semisubmersible completes its current well and demobilizes, which Seadrill Partners estimates to be by early May 2015. More »

VAALCO Energy strikes out offshore Angola

VAALCO Energy’s post-salt Kindele-1 well, its first exploration well on Block 5 offshore Angola, was drilled to a total vertical depth of approximately 1,829 m, the company confirmed Monday. The objective reservoir, the Mucanzo sand formation in the Pinda Group section, was found to be water-bearing and the well is in the process of being plugged and abandoned. More »

Rosneft focuses on Russian gas as Latin American prospects appear limited, GlobalData says

Despite the recent Memorandum of Understanding between Rosneft and Golar LNG, the former’s current gas strategy is narrowly focused on developing domestic reserves and initiating LNG projects in Russia, according to GlobalData. More »

BNSF slows oil trains up to 30% to boost safety after accidents

BNSF Railway Co. is cutting the speed of oil-carrying trains in some urban areas to as slow as 35 miles per hour, a 30% reduction, to improve safety following crude-by-rail accidents this month. More »

Eni signs PSC for the exploration of two blocks offshore Myanmar

Eni, following its participation in the competitive International Bid Round launched by the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, has signed two Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) for offshore blocks MD-02 and MD-04. More »

Maersk Oil brings the new platform in Danish North Sea online

Maersk Oil has initiated production has started from the new unmanned platform Tyra Southeast-B, safely, on time and on budget. The platform is expected to add reserves of 50 MMboe over the next 30 years to Danish production. More »

Wood Group wins major Total contract

Wood Group has been awarded a five year, multi-million dollar contract by Total, which includes the option for two, one year extensions. More »

McDermott bags Chevron subsea installation contract in U.S. GoM

McDermott International has been awarded a sizeable contract to transport and install subsea umbilicals, manifolds, jumpers and flying leads for Chevron U.S. to support the brownfield expansion of the Jack and St. Malo fields in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. More »

Seadrill Partners receives contract termination from BP for West Sirius

Seadrill Partners has received a notice of termination from BP for the contract for the semi-submersible drilling rig, West Sirius, which will be effective after having completed the current well and demobilization, which Seadrill Partners estimates to be by early May 2015. More »

EIG invests $1 billion in Breitburn for strategic acquisitions

Breitburn Energy Partners and EIG Global Energy Partners have announced definitive agreements, whereby Breitburn will sell $350 million of perpetual convertible preferred units and $650 million of senior secured notes. The funds will be used for future growth and strategic acquisitions. More »

Iran’s riches coveted by oil majors after decades of conflict

LONDON (Bloomberg) -- Outside the boardroom of BP Plc’s headquarters on London’s swanky St. James’s Square, a display case houses the geological data from Masjid-i-Solaiman, Iran’s first oil well. More »

Exxon Mobil starts production at Hadrian South in Gulf of Mexico

IRVING, Texas --Exxon Mobil Corporation has begun production at Hadrian South in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Daily gross production, from two wells, is expected to reach approximately 300 MMcfg and 3,000 bbl. More »

Saudis seen by Woodmac pricing oil to protect Asia market share

Saudi Arabia is seeking to protect its share of Asia’s oil market by keeping crude prices competitive with those of other suppliers, according to energy consultants Wood Mackenzie Ltd. More »

2H Offshore awarded Johan Sverdrup contract

2H Offshore, an Acteon company, has been awarded a contract by Statoil for tieback conductor, platform conductor and surface riser engineering analysis on Johan Sverdrup field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. More »

New Zealand offers 430,000 sq km in Block Offer 2015

New Zealand's Energy and Resources Minister, Simon Bridges, has launched Block Offer 2015, the country's annual tender for oil and gas exploration permits. More »

Aqualis Offshore completes heavy lift jackup move

More »

Oil, rail industries develop crude-by-rail safety course for first responders

America’s oil and freight railroad industries have developed a new education module for first responders as part of a holistic effort to better prevent, mitigate and respond to derailments of trains carrying crude oil. More »

OMV names Wintershall’s Rainer Seele as new CEO

The supervisory board of OMV Aktiengesellschaft has appointed Rainer Seele as the new chairman of the executive board and CEO of OMV. Seele has accepted the appointment. More »

Mario Mehren to head Germany’s Wintershall

Mario Mehren, a member of the Board of Executive Directors of Wintershall responsible for EandP Russia, North Africa and South America, has been named president of BASF’s oil and gas division effective July 1, 2015, and in this function he will be head of BASF’s subsidiary Wintershall. More »

Statoil makes eighth discovery in Tanzania's Block 2

Statoil's Mdalasini-1 exploration well has resulted in a new natural gas discovery offshore Tanzania, the Stavanger-based company reported Monday. More »

Total completes $1 billion of onshore divestments in Nigerian blocks

Total has completed the divestment of its stake in onshore Oil Mining Lease (OML) 29 to Aiteo Eastern EandP, a Nigerian company, for $569 million. Together with the recently completed divestments of OML 24 and OML 18, Total’s share of sale proceeds from these three onshore Nigerian blocks amounts to over $1 billion. More »

Statoil makes its eighth discovery in block 2, offshore Tanzania

Statoil announced that the Mdalasini-1 exploration well has resulted in a new natural gas discovery offshore Tanzania. More »

Oil speculators focused on glut miss surge as bombs hit Yemen

Speculators were the least bullish on crude in two years before prices surged as Saudi Arabia and its allies bombed rebels in Yemen, threatening supply disruptions in the largest oil-producing region. More »

Loyz Energy inks two MOUs with India’s Sun Petrochemicals with respect to its concessions

In a strategic move to manage its concession portfolio, Loyz Energy Limited has entered into two binding memorandum of understanding (MOUs) with Sun Petrochemicals Private Limited through its exploration and production division, Sun Oil and Natural Gas (SONG). More »