London-based Ensco Offshore Co. is laying off 350 workers, according to a WARN notice sent to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
The offshore driller is conducting the layoffs due to the anticipated stacking of three ultra-deepwater drillships and one semisubmersible. Affected offshore workers on the ENSCO DS-3 (UDW drillship), ENSCO DS-4 (UDW drillship), ENSCO DS-5 (UDW drillship) and ENSCO 8500 (UDW semisub) work in the international waters of the Gulf of Mexico and report to Ensco’s office in Houston.
The layoffs began May 11 and will continue for 60 days. The company plans to keep some workers at the stacking locations. Ensco has global operations through three business units – North and South America; Europe and the Mediterranean; and Middle East, Africa, Asia and Pacific Rim.
The company reported 1Q 2016 revenues of $814 million, compared to $1.164 billion a year ago, primarily due to a decline in reported utilization to 65 percent from 86 percent in 1Q 2015, in its quarterly report
Africa Oil and Tullow were 50-50 partners in blocks 10 BB and 13T where Kenya's the discoveries were made. Africa Oil has since sold a 25 percent stake in those blocks to A.P. Moller-Maersk.
Africa Oil and its partners aim to announce a final investment decision for production in early 2017.
Early this month, Kenya started a search for companies to design a crude oil export pipeline costing some $2.1 billion and which it expects to be should be completed by 2021.
Statoil has entered a binding letter agreement for two exploration licenses in the Thrace region in the European northwestern part of Turkey, the company said in a news release.
Statoil will have a 50% interest in the Banarli licenses, while the operator Valeura Energy Inc., a Canadian exploration company, will keep the remaining 50%. The shallow formations above 2,500 meters will be 100% retained by Valeura, Statoil said.
The work program in the licenses consists of several phases. The first includes drilling one exploration well, with spudding planned for late 2016 or early 2017, according to the release. The exploration phase will test unconventional gas potential in the deep parts of the basin.
The exploration licenses cover an area of approximately 540 sq km in proximity to existing infrastructure in a region where gas has been produced since the 1920s.
The agreement is pending governmental approval, which is expected by the end of September 2016, the release said.
在俄罗斯总理Dmitry Medvedev和越南总理Nguyen Xuan Phuc的见证下，Rosneft董事会主席Igor Sechin代表Rosneft公司同Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) PetroVietnam公司董事长Nguyen Quoc Khanh签订了一项合作协议。
这项合作协议的签订为俄罗斯、越南以及该地区的第三方国家提供了扩大合作的机会，各方将合作进行油气勘探和生产（包括海上）、加工、销售和运输，以及职工培训。双方同意合作建设工程，并确定合作的基本条件，还有可能在合作区域为对方设立工作小组。
关于这项协议的签订，Igor Sechin表示：Rosneft十分希望能在越南进一步扩展业务，包括进行炼油、石油化工产品生产以及相关贸易和运输。
而Nguyen Quoc Khanh也表示全力支持Rosneft在越南的计划，并对双方进一步扩大合作表示欢迎。石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
来自/Your Oil and Gas News 5月16日消息 编译/赵宁
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Rosneft and Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) PetroVietnam have signed a cooperation agreement. The document was signed in the presence of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc by Rosneft Chairman of the Management Board Igor Sechin and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of PetroVietnam Nguyen Quoc Khanh.
The agreement provides for the expansion of cooperation between the parties in Russia, Vietnam and third countries in the area of hydrocarbon exploration and production (including offshore), processing, commerce and logistics, as well as staff training. The parties agreed to consider potential options for joint projects and define the basic terms of cooperation as well as establish a working group for each of the areas of cooperation.
Commenting on the signing of the agreement, Igor Sechin said: "Successfully working with PetroVietnam in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in Vietnamese offshore, Rosneft is interested in further expansion of its business in the country, including refining, petrochemicals, commerce and logistics. The new stage of cooperation will enable the Company to get a new channel of marketing hydrocarbons in the Asia-Pacific market and create additional synergies due to refining in the region."
Chairman of the Board of Directors of PetroVietnam Nguyen Quoc Khanh noted: “We completely support Rosneft’s plans in Vietnam and welcome further development of cooperation between two companies”.
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据报道，美国油气公司Chevron计划在泰国裁员。
据路透社周一报道，Chevron一名公司职员表示裁员有利于Chevron在东南亚国家维持业务。
California石油公司San Ramon今年计划裁员800人，以在低油价的环境下缩减开支，San Ramon期望通过裁员节省5亿美元。
Chevron在Gulf of Thailand的许多海洋区块都持有股份，并在Pattani Basin持有运营股份，股份比例在35%到80%之间。Chevron 2015年年度财务报告显示：Chevron在泰国的日平均产量为66,000桶原油和凝析油，以及10亿立方英尺天然气。Chevron表示泰国40%的天然气由Chevron供应。石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
来自/Offshore Energy Today 5月16日消息 编译/赵宁
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U.S. oil and gas company Chevron is reportedly looking to reduce its workforce in Thailand.
Reuters on Monday cited a company official who said that the cuts would enable the company to keep doing business in the Southeast Asian country.
The San Ramon, California-based oil firm, Reuters writes, has plans to lay off 800 people this year, in order to cut costs at the time of low oil prices, with the aim to save as much as $500 million.
Offshore Energy Today has reached out to Chevron, seeking confirmation of the reports. We will update the article should we get a response.
In the Gulf of Thailand, Chevron has working interests in multiple offshore blocks. Operated interests are in the Pattani Basin, with ownership ranging from 35 percent to 80 percent.
According to Chevron’s 2015 annual report, its net average daily production in the country last year was 66,000 barrels of crude oil and condensate and 1.0 billion cubic feet of natural gas. The company says it supplies about 40 percent of the country’s natural gas demand.
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Atlantic Navigation将提供5艘维修船、工作船和多用船和5艘锚拖船、供应船和安全巡逻船。租约有效期为5年，可延期2年。其中，3艘船的租期将从2016年5月份开始，而剩下的7艘新船将于2017年发货。
Atlantic Navigation执行总裁兼首席执行官Bill Wong表示：很高兴成功签订这些租赁合同。虽然当今工业形势艰难，我们将继续努力，与合作伙伴一同成长。石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
2016年第一季度，Atlantic Navigation净亏损106万美元，收入降低49.4%，降至695万美元。
来自/Splash247 5月16日消息 编译/赵宁
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Atlantic Navigation has announced that it has been awarded long term charters for ten offshore supply vessels at a combined value of around $236m from a Middle Eastern national oil company.
The group will supply five maintenance/work/utility vessels and five anchor handling tug, supply and safety standby vessels, which will be on a firm five-year charter with a two-year extension option. Three vessels are to begin their charters from May 2016 and the remaining seven newbuilds will be deployed in 2017 as they are delivered.
“We are pleased to have been awarded these ten vessel contracts. Despite the challenging industry conditions, we continue to pursue our growth strategy together with our regional partners, particularly in our core market in the Middle East,” said Bill Wong, executive chairman and CEO of Atlantic Navigation.
Atlantic Navigation also reported a net loss of $1.06m for the first quarter of 2016 while revenue plunged 49.4% to $6.95m.
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目前，Advent Energy正在考虑在澳大利亚海域Sydney Basin的钻井目标应使用哪种类型的钻机。
Asset Energy 公司是Advent Energy旗下的一家独资子公司，并且是MEC Resources 公司的受资方。PEP11由Asset Energy运营，并且Asset Energy持有该区块85%的股份，Bounty Oil & Gas NL公司则持有剩余15%的股份。
MEC Resources公司表示：2015年9月曾对外公布钻井目标；后来又修改了Baleen勘探区的B4-18地震测线上的一个钻井目标，该目标总深度为2150米，与现有生产田类似。
Baleen勘探区的钻井目标位于深度为125米的深水中。目前，Advent Energy正在评估PEP11钻井目标所需钻井机的性能和类型。最终的技术评审将决定是否要钻该井，而且钻井需要进一步筹资或与其他企业合资。
地震勘探将在200，000米的范围内进行，以协助未来的钻井工作，钻井目标大约位于New South Wales州 Newcastle市东南方向30,000米处。石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
来自/Offshore Energy Today 5月17日消息 编译/赵宁
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Advent Energy is currently evaluating what type of rig to use for a drill target in the PEP11 in the Sydney Basin, offshore Australia.
PEP11 is held 85% and operated by Asset Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Advent Energy, an investee entity of MEC Resources. Bounty Oil & Gas NL holds the remaining 15% of PEP11.
According to MEC Resources, a future drill target was announced in September 2015, and a revised drill target on the Baleen prospect on seismic line B4-18 was identified with a total depth of 2150 metres. This target was found to be analogous with existing producing fields, the company said.
Evaluation of the nature and type of rigs potentially available to drill this target in PEP11 is underway. The drilling target at Baleen is in 125 m of water. The decision to drill in the future will be subject to final technical review and will require further fund raising or joint venture.
A seismic survey covering approximately 200 line km is currently being planned to assist in the potential future drilling of this target approximately 30 km south east of Newcastle, New South Wales.
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Fool Me Once, Shame On You; Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me. In 2015, a similar spring rally to the one we've seen recently stabilized the rig count. Not so in 2016. This time, the rig count is defying rising oil prices by continuing to drift lower. The bifurcation is a clear signal that operators are skeptical of the rally. [Oilpro]
Goldman Cuts 2017 Oil Price Forecast Due To Slower Market Rebalancing... "We expect that the return of some of these outages as well as higher Iran and Iraq production will more than offset lingering issues in Nigeria and our higher demand forecast," Goldman said in a note. [Zerohedge, Oilpro]
...& Nigeria Arrests 'Avengers' Oil Militants... The Nigerian army has arrested several suspected members of a militant group called the "Niger Delta Avengers" (NDA), thought to be behind recent attacks on oil pipelines in the south. [BBC News]
...While Oil Prices Rise Early Monday On These Events. In early trading Monday, oil prices jumped over 2 percent on Monday to their highest since November 2015 on growing Nigerian oil output disruptions and after long-time bear Goldman Sachs said the market had ended almost two years of oversupply and flipped to a deficit. [Reuters, Oilpro]
C&J Energy Services Educates Employees On Bankruptcy, But Path Forward Remains Undecided. Last week, C&J Energy Services spoke with investors about its financial difficulties (including a debt covenant breach) and filed its quarterly report which addressed restructuring options (more on this below). While the path forward has not been decided, Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a potential option being evaluated. [Oilpro]
Petrobras Reports $360M Loss. Pre-salt Production Up. The company said several factors contributed to the result: higher interest costs, and negative monetary and exchange rate variations; 7% reduction in oil and natural gas production (in Brazil and abroad)...[Offshore Energy Today, Oilpro]
How To Secure An Internship In The Current Oil Market Downturn. With oil and gas companies cutting their costs, reducing their workforce and scaling back their recruitment activities, students are met with a tough time securing an internship placement. Alahdal Hussein offers 3 pieces of valuable advice. [Oilpro]
How Mexican Energy Reforms Have Affected the Service Sector. Of all the buzz generated over the opening of the Mexican oil and gas sector to the outside world, one consideration has been largely left out of the discussion: What does it all mean for the service companies? [spe.org, Oilpro]
Libyan Oil Blockade Takes First Step Toward Easing. Libya’s divided oil officials have agreed to allow petroleum to flow again between the country’s east and west but have yet to end a crisis that is blocking exports, Libyan officials said Sunday. [MarketWatch]
ExxonMobil Terminates Seadrill Contract. Seadrill Partners has announced that it has received a notice of termination from its current operator for the contract for the drillship West Capella. [Splash 247, Oilpro]
Meet James Drouin Of Houston, Texas, #HUMANSofOG. He writes, "My career started out in inspection and has included sales, service, manufacturing, and field operations- all in the upstream and midstream sectors. In the past 15 to 20 years, work has migrated exclusively to quality control and assurance." [Oilpro]
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Fine Tubes有70多年的管线生产经验，致力于生产精密度高、耐腐蚀、寿命长的产品。目前该公司能够生产不同规格的不锈钢、镍、钛、锆合金等多种材质管件。
KOC是科威特国家石油公司下属子公司，负责在科威特境内油气资源的勘探，开采，存储与出口。
来自/FineTubes 5月16日消息 编译/张弘引石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
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Fine Tubes, a leading U.K. manufacturer and global supplier of precision tubes for critical applications, announces that it has been selected as an approved manufacturer of impulse piping and tubing for the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). The approval, which remains valid for five years, reflects Fine Tubes' quality tubing products and excellent customer service.
This third-party endorsement will help the Plymouth-based company expand its range of customer approvals in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. The company works largely in the oil and gas sector, as well as such other industries as aerospace, medical, chemical, nuclearand power generation. It has sales offices in the United Kingdom, the United States, India and Europe, as well as an extensive network of partners in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Nicholas Head, Global Business Development Manager, Oil and Gas, at Fine Tubes said: "We are extremely keen to strengthen our commercial presence in Kuwait and other Middle East and North African countries. We are delighted in how much they value our products and look forward to continuing our relationship with KOC well into the future. This endorsement will further help build our reputation for quality and reliability throughout the region."
Fine Tubes has more than 70 years of engineering experience, supplying precision tubes that meet exacting standards in strength to weight ratios, as well as corrosion resistance and fatigue life. Tubing is manufactured in an ever-expanding range of shapes, sizes and materials, including stainless steel, nickel, titanium, and zirconium alloys, all made to the client's exact specifications.
Kuwait Oil Company is based in Ahmadi and is a subsidiary of the government-owned holding company, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Its responsibilities include the exploration, drilling and production of oil and gas within the State of Kuwait, as well as the storage of crude oil and delivery for export to tankers.
Breitburn Energy Partners LP, Los Angeles, filed voluntary petitions on May 16 for Chapter 11 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The firm reported debt of $3.4 billion as of Mar. 31.
The firm says cash from operations, cash on hand, and a $75-million debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing facility will provide it “more than adequate liquidity to fund its operations during the restructuring process.”
Breitburn’s DIP financing facility lenders have offered to arrange an additional $75 million of DIP financing at the firm’s request. The Chapter 11 cases will facilitate the restructuring of Breitburn’s balance sheet.
Breitburn is a master limited partnership with producing and nonproducing crude oil and natural gas reserves in Ark-La-Tex, the Midwest, the Permian basin, the Midcontinent, the Rockies, the Southeast, and California.
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TGS has now acquired approximately 141,000 km (75%) of the planned 186,000 km 2D seismic projectGigante, the company said in a statement.
Gigante covers the entire offshore sector of Mexico and ties into TGS' regional 2D seismic grid covering the entire U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Preliminary data results have identified a number of prospective play fairways within a variety of structural provinces.
Delivery of fast track Pre-stack Time data is ongoing with 103,380 km available and approximately 64,000 km of preliminary pre-stack depth available for the Deep Water Bid Round scheduled for Dec. 5, 2016.
In addition, acquisition of multibeam data is 30% complete with preliminary results available. This data is used to identify hydrocarbon seeps on the seafloor and will direct TGS' seafloor coring operations which began on Jan. 22. Coring in the Perdido area is now 100% complete. Seafloor core samples will be analyzed to determine hydrocarbon grade and will be combined with TGS' other geoscience data as part of a comprehensive interpretative study of the region.
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Iraq has now overtaken Saudi Arabia in crude oil exports to India, shipping some 960,700 barrels per day (bpd) to India in April, against Saudi Arabia’s 787,700 bpd in exports to the Asian nation, turning the tables on the Saudis and placing Iraq at the top of the chain of OPEC members grappling for market share in this growing economy.
Iraq’s oil exports to India rose by 41 percent in April and by 79 percent compared to a year ago. At the same time, Saudi Arabia’s exports to India were down 14 percent in April over the same time last year.
Overall, Iraq accounted for 22 percent of India’s crude oil imports in April, while last year it accounted for 15 percent. Saudi Arabia’s India crude oil market share dropped to 18 percent, down from 25 percent last year.
India has seen a new surge in crude oil imports overall. Since March, Indian crude imports are up 6% on the month, and up 9.9 percent in the first four months of this year. For the first four months of 2015, imports fell 0.6 percent from a year ago largely due to outages at refineries.
Demand for crude oil in India has risen this year due to a lack maintenance processes at Indian refineries, which have been postponed and would normally have taken refineries offline for a spell.
Analysts are not surprised by this latest market share change: "Iraqi oil is much more beneficial than Saudi because they are better priced. There is a significance difference in prices,"said A. K. Sharma, head of finance at Indian Oil Corp, as reported by Reuters.
But Iran is also zeroing in on Indian market share, with a fair amount of success and could challenge both Iraq and Saudi Arabia here. The country accounted for about 9 percent of overall purchases in April compared to about 7.2 percent a year ago.
Over the first four months of 2016, Iranian oil accounted for about 7.4 percent of Indian imports from about 4 percent a year ago, becoming fifth-largest oil supplier to India compared with the eighth position a year ago.
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去年11月，包括Exxon Mobil Corp、Chevron Corp.、 Statoil ASA、 BG Group Plc 和 BP Plc等的大型石油公司将投资12亿加元(9.34亿美元)开发Newfoundland 和 Labrador地区的沿海区块。今年由于废除了几十年航运限制的规定，更多的船只可进入该区块寻找油气田，因此，11月政府将增加新的13个区块进行拍卖。
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A change to an obscure shipping law is helping draw major oil companies to an area offCanada’s east coast that may rival the North Sea for its production potential.
Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., Statoil ASA, BG Group Plc and BP Plc are among the companies that committed to spend C$1.2 billion ($934 million) in auctions last November by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador for seven parcels off the coast. Now the government is adding 13 new parcels in an auction set for this November, as the removal of a decades-old shipping restriction opened the area to more vessels seeking oil and natural gas.
In the past, the sole domestic seismic ship used to locate potential oil deposits was operated by a Canadian company, Geophysical Services Inc., or GSI. That’s because the nation’s maritime law gave domestic businesses the ability to block the use of foreign-owned vessels. That barrier was removed in 2012, and since then a small squadron of ships has been collecting offshore data on more than 82,000 km2 (32,000 mi2) in partnership with the regional government. That data, available to companies in the next auction, more than doubles the area for exploration. Last year, five ships were collecting data off the province’s coast.
“What we are seeing here is similar to North Sea Norway in terms of its potential,” said Ed Martin, the former CEO of Nalcor Energy, the province’s oil company, who spearheaded efforts to open new offshore areas and cited Norway as a model.
The exploration blocks awarded last year may hold as much as 12 Bbbl of oil, several times bigger than the province’s biggest field Hibernia, according to Nalcor. The 13 new parcels to be auctioned are in the Eastern Newfoundland and Jeanne d’Arc areas. The province is expected to offer as much as 2% more area annually thereafter.
Norway, pumping about nine times more offshore crude than Newfoundland and Labrador, has drilled eight times as many exploratory wells off its coast, according to Nalcor data. Oil has helped make the Nordic country Europe’s second richest per capita behind Luxembourg, according to World Bank data.
That promise is spurring Canada’s energy hopes even after prices cratered. Crude’s drop from more than $100/bbl in 2014 to below $30 earlier this year hit the provincial economy hard. Offshore royalties account for just 9% of revenue in the Newfoundland Labrador 2016-2017 budget, down from 37% two years ago.
Crude rout
While results from the first auction show promise, the price of oil remains low at around $45 and drillers have trimmed their budgets.
“It’s not an ideal macro situation for Newfoundland expansion,” said Mark Oberstoetter, lead analyst for upstream research at Wood Mackenzie in Calgary. “We are seeing exploration spending activity cut around the world.”
BP and Chevron declined to comment on their interest in the area. Statoil, Exxon and BG’s owner Royal Dutch Shell Plc didn’t immediately respond to e-mails or phone calls seeking comment.
Similar to the U.S. Jones Act, that old shipping law, known as the Coasting Trade Act, was written to protect Canadian-flagged vessels from foreign competitors in domestic waters. Included in its remit were seismic vessels, even though only one was registered in Canada before 2011, according to PennEnergy Research, which tracks ships. That vessel belonged to GSI.
Foreign vessels
Under the law, companies that wanted to use a foreign vessel for testing would have to apply for a license. Canadian-based firms could object, often blocking approval. That occurred six times between 2000 and 2006, with GSI the blocking company, according to Wes Foote, Newfoundland’s assistant deputy minister for petroleum development.
In 2011, Nalcor partnered with Asker, Norway-based TGS Nopec Geophysical Co ASA and Oslo-based Petroleum Geo-Services ASA to invest in a multi-client 2D seismic survey of the province’s waters. The plan was hindered by the Coasting Trade Act, spurring the government to change the law’s wording on seismic vessels.
Not everyone is happy with the changes. Paul Einarsson, GSI’s chairman, said amending the act wasn’t fair because it targeted “our ship only.”
More 2D seismic data was collected in 2014 than any year since the early 1980s, according to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board.
Offshore waters
Just 5% of Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore waters are currently licensed to companies. The province’s total offshore area is bigger than Norway’s section of the North Sea, according to Nalcor.
Energy producers now operate three platforms: Hibernia, Terra Nova and White Rose. Combined, they had output of about 70 MMbbl last year, almost half what was produced when output peaked in 2007, provincial data show. The 150,000 bpd, Exxon-led Hebron project is scheduled to start production next year.
“What we see really is almost like a renaissance in Newfoundland and Labrador,” Robert Cadigan, chief executive officer of the Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Industries Association, a trade association.
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这种伙伴关系不仅是共同处理从Gazprom Neft上游企业中得到的地震资料，还包括为Gazprom Neft联合科研中心的员工组织研讨会。除此之外，该计划还将探讨将Gazprom Neft GeoMate系统与所有已开发的软件进行集成的相关问题。Gazprom Neft技术理事会负责人Mars Khasanov表示：“我们在研制软件方面已有经验，所研制的产品已成功取代了同类进口产品。作为公司技术战略的一部分，软件产品不仅是要在整个公司得到广泛使用，其质量也需不断提高。同Yandeх.Terra公司的合作将提高我们研发电子产品的能力，将不断推动公司电子资产开发项目的实施”。
来自/Worldoil 5月15日消息 编译/吴海君
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The Gazprom Neft Joint Scientific and Research Centre has signed a memorandum with Yandex.Terra (Seismotech, Ltd) on joining forces in the development of domestic IT technologies and software for the processing and interpretation of seismic data. Products resulting from this collaboration will be adapted to analyze geo-seismic conditions throughout various regions of Russia.
This partnership envisages the joint processing of seismic data obtained from Gazprom Neft's upstream assets, as well as organizing seminars for employees at the Gazprom Neft Joint Scientific Research Centre. In addition to this, the initiative will also investigate issues relating to the integration of the proprietary Gazprom Neft GeoMate system with any software developed.
"We are already experienced in creating our own software, used successfully in place of similar imported products," Mars Khasanov, head of the Gazprom Neft Technology Directorate, said. "Software products developed as part of the company’s Technology Strategy are not only widely used throughout the company, but are also continuously improved. Collaboration with Yandeх.Terra will further enhance our ability to develop new IT products and continue the implementation of the company’s Electronic Asset Development (ERA) project."
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A day after issuing an ultimatum to oil companies in the Niger Delta to cease operations or face more attacks, Nigerian media are reporting that militants have attacked a Chevron installation, blowing up a well head.
The attack targeted well head number 10 on Chevron Nigeria’s Marakaba line in Warri in the Niger Delta, according to Nigerian reports.
Explosives were detonated on the well head, which is part of the facility that comprises the Okan offshore installation, which was taken offline last week after a militant attack, reports said.
There has been no official confirmation from Chevron as of yet.
On Thursday, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) had issued two very specific warnings: One was to oil companies in general to shut down operations in the Niger Delta region. The second was specifically to Chevron to make no attempt at repairs of damage done from earlier attacks.
Militants had also threatened to attack Chevron workers.
“When we blew up the Chevron Valve Platform it resulted in total blackout in the Escravos Tank farm for more than three hours. If we can do it just know that we are capable of bringing down your tank farms if you continue with repair works on the blown valve platform,” NDA said in a statement issued to Nigerian media.
So far attacks have cut output by between 600,000-1.4 million barrels per day.
Earlier on Thursday, Exxon Mobil reportedly declared force majeure on Qua Iboe crude after an accident the company said was not related to militant attacks.
Exxon said a subsea pipeline linking to Qua Iboe was damaged by a drilling rig. Then, early on Friday, unnamed traders cited by both Bloomberg and Reuters claimed that Exxon had declared force majeure on Qua Iboe crude deliveries.
Qua Iboe is Nigeria's largest crude stream. May should have seen some 337,000 barrels per day of Qua Iboe exported this month, according to Reuters.
On Wednesday, Royal Dutch Shell declared force majeure on its exports of Bonny Light crude. Shell has been forced to evacuate staff from its Eja OML 79 production facility.
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BP plc has doubled its interest in the Culzean development in the UK Central North Sea to 32 percent, following its acquisition of an additional 16 percent interest from JX Nippon.
Discovered in 2008, the gas condensate field has resources estimated at 250-300 million barrels of oil equivalent. Production is expected to start in 2019 and continue into the 2030s, with plateau production of 60,000-90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The Maersk-operated Culzean field development, which was sanctioned at the end of August last year, is expected to produce enough gas to meet five percent of total UK demand at peak production in 2020/21.
“We are pleased to have deepened our interest in Culzean and we look forward to helping Maersk make this important central North Sea development a success,” said Mark Thomas, BP’s North Sea regional president, in a company statement.
“This is a challenging time for the industry and we must continue to work together to ensure that when developments like Culzean, or other projects such as BP’s Quad 204 and Clair Ridge, come online they can be run as efficiently as possible,” he added.
来自/Global Research 5月15日消息 编译/张弘引石油圈原创www.oilsns.com
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An oil spill from Royal Dutch Shell’s offshore Brutus platform has released 2,100 barrels of crude into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
The leak—roughly 88,200 gallons—created a visible 2 mile by 13 mile oil slick in the sea about 97 miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana, according to the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
Officials said that the accident occurred near Shell’s Glider field, an underwater pipe system that connects four subsea oil wells to the Brutus platform, which floats on top of the water with a depth of 2,900 feet.
Shell spokeswoman Kimberly Windon said in a statement that the likely cause of the spill was a release of oil from the subsea infrastructure.
The Coast Guard said that the source of the discharge is reportedly secured. A cleanup crew has been dispatched.
Shell spokesman Curtis Smith said in a statement that a company helicopter observed the sheen yesterday, and that the wells were under control after it isolated the leak and shut in production.
HOUSTON -- The number of rigs seeking oil fell for an eight consecutive week, Baker Hughes said Friday as the total rig count settled just above 400.
According to the Houston-based service provider, the number of active oil rigs fell 10 to 318, which represents the lowest level since Oct. 23, 2009, when 312 rigs were reported. However, at that time, a far greater number of rigs—725—were seeking gas.
The drop-off in oil-directed drilling led the total rig count to fall nine to 406. The number of rigs seeking gas rose one to 87, while miscellaneous rigs held steady at one.
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