Report calls for independent offshore oil and gas safety organization

A report issued by the National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine called on the US oil and gas industry to establish an independent organization dedicated to offshore safety and environmental protection, with no advocacy role. Source: News


Duncan named president, COO at Rangeford Resources

Marc L. Duncan has joined Rangeford Resources Inc., a company based in Southlake, Tex., seeking acquisitions in conventional oil and gas plays in Kansas and Texas, as president and chief financial officer. Source: News


Baker Hughes makes organizational, leadership changes

Baker Hughes Inc. has reshuffled its organizational structure and senior leadership team effective May 24. The moves are part of the oil field services firm’s plan to simplify its business structure and reduce costs following the termination of its proposed merger with Halliburton Co. Source: News


TonenGeneral commissions unit at Chiba refinery

TonenGeneral Sekiyu KK has implemented technology from GTC Technology US LLC, Houston, for a recently commissioned grassroots mixed xylene recovery unit at its 152,000-b/d Chiba refinery in Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Source: News


Alberta submits bill creating carbon tax

The Alberta government has submitted legislation to impose a carbon tax, part of its plan announced last year to address climate change. Source: News


NPD studies cores from northeastern Barents Sea

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate had seven shallow wells drilled in the northeastern Barents Sea in fall 2015, resulting in 1,000 m of stratigraphic drill cores to help assess the resource base. Source: News


WoodMac: UKCS decommissioning to ramp up over next 5 years

Research and consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie Ltd. estimates based on current crude oil prices that 142 fields will cease production and £55 billion will be spent on decommissioning on the UK Continental Shelf over the next 5 years. Source: News


BP starts up water injection project at Thunder Horse

BP PLC has started up a water injection project at its Thunder Horse platform in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico to boost oil and gas recovery from one of the field’s three main reservoirs. Source: News


Rystad Energy: Improving oil prices could help shrink DUC inventory

The heart of the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) basin exhibits the most commercial drilled but uncompleted (DUC) backlog, said a Rystad Energy study that estimated the DUC inventory in Weld County, Colo., was economic to complete at an average light, sweet crude oil futures price of $30/bbl. Source: News