Thomas E. Lindholm has been named chief executive officer of Rangeford Resources Inc., Southlake, Tex. Source: News

Plains All American Pipeline LP said it will fight criminal charges related to the release of 500 bbl of crude oil from its 24-in. OD Coastal Line 901 near Santa Barbara, Calif., last year. Source: News

Saudi Aramco Total Refinery & Petrochemicals Co. (Satorp) has let a contract to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Pasadena, Calif., to provide general engineering services for a series of projects at its 400,000 b/d full-conversion refinery complex at Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Source: News

The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has awarded 10 licenses consisting of 40 blocks on Norwegian continental shelf. Three of the licenses are in the Barents Sea southeast, outside the county of Finnmark. In all, 13 companies are offered participating interest. Source: News

Raymond Schlaff has been named senior vice-president and chief procurement officer of Wood Group, Houston, responsible for procurement strategies, processes, and governance. Source: News

US commercial crude oil inventories, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, increased 1.3 million bbl for the week ended May 13 compared with the previous week, the US Energy Information Administration said, estimating the latest total at 541.3 million bbl. Source: News

Teal Natural Resources LLC has been formed to acquire and develop unconventional oil and gas resources, mainly in the Eagle Ford shale play of Texas. Source: News

Brent crude oil prices on the London market closed above $49/bbl on May 17 and continued reaching toward $50/bbl during May 18 trading while US light, sweet crude prices on the New York market hovered above $48/bbl in advance of a weekly government inventory report. Source: News