Sofiya gas-condensate field came onstream Oct. 27 in Pakistan, operator OMV Maurice Energy Ltd. reported. The Sofiya-2 well adds 15 MMscfd of natural gas and 1,400 b/d of condensate to production from the Sofiya development and production lease. Source: News

Eighty congressional Democrats and US Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.) petitioned US Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke to implement and begin to enforce the US Bureau of Land Management’s 2016 methane venting and flaring rule. Source: News

Light, sweet crude oil prices gained more than $1 to close above $55/bbl on the New York market Nov. 3—the second consecutive day the US benchmark reached a settlement high since July 2015. Source: News

Just before Labor Day in 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage to New Orleans and southern Mississippi. From a midstream perspective, the impact was limited to a few gas plants and a few small fractionators, with most market impacts resulting from extensive damage to offshore oil and natural gas production platforms. Source: News

US and Canadian shale operators have adjusted completion designs and increased proppant volumes to maximize well productivity. McKinsey Energy Insights (MEI) expects this trend will continue at $50/bbl oil, particularly in the Permian basin. Source: News

Drillbit manufacturers are adding multidimensional cutter technologies and small moving parts to fixed diamond-cutter bits to create what they call smarter, stronger bits that recognize different rock layers. Operators focused on US shale plays previously used bits with no moving parts but now seek higher efficiency. Source: News

Geologically realistic models generated from raw seismic velocities can predict pore pressure and fracture gradients useful in designing safe, economic predrill mud programs. Source: News

Statoil ASA has discovered 25-130 million bbl of oil in Verbier sidetrack Well 20/05b-13Z in the outer Moray Firth on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). Source: News