The nomination of Brett Kavanaugh as a US Supreme Court justice raises hope for improvement to the regulatory climate of the oil and gas industry. Kavanaugh’s confirmation would accelerate movement away from agency deference, a judicial doctrine that enhances power of federal regulators, often at the industry’s expense. Source: News

Oil workers on July 23 started what the labor union Unite said could be the first of several strikes on three oil and gas platforms in the UK North Sea operated by Total SA in a dispute over hours and wages. Meanwhile, a limited strike by oil workers off Norway was reported to have ended. […]

A partnership of Quadrant Energy Ltd. and Carnarvon Petroleum Ltd. has confirmed an oil discovery in the Caley member of the Dorado-1 wildcat in permit WA-437-P in the Bedout subbasin off Western Australia as well as confirming the presence of gas and condensate in the top of the underlying Baxter member. Source: News

A purchase under study by Saudi Aramco of a stake in chemical manufacturer Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC) might delay the planned initial public offering of 5% of the oil producer, according to press reports. Source: News

Six oil and gas majors will report second-quarter financials this week, with earnings expected to trend higher on the back of higher crude prices and robust refining margins, said Wood Mackenzie Ltd. Source: News

Petron Corp., Mandaluyong City, Philippines, has let a contract to Honeywell UOP LLC to provide technology licensing for expanding and upgrading production capacity at the 180,000-b/d Bataan refinery at Limay, about 150 km southwest of Manila. Source: News

Diversified Gas & Oil PLC, Birmingham, Ala., has acquired EQT Corp.’s southern Appalachian producing gas and oil and midstream assets for $575 million. With the deal’s close July 18, Diversified’s production doubled to more than 60,000 boe/d. Source: News