A federal court judge has ordered the US State Department to conduct a supplemental EIS for the proposed Keystone XL crude oil pipeline to consider the Mainline Alternative route that Nebraska’s Public Service Commission approved. But Judge Brian Morris, of US District Court for Montana’s Great Falls Division, did not vacate the presidential border-crossing permit […]

Another hydrocarbon bottleneck is taking shape in North America.   Source: News

Independent directors of Perth-based Tap Oil Ltd. have rejected an unsolicited indicative, conditional, and nonbinding takeover proposal from Thailand-based Northern Gulf Petroleum Holdings Ltd. that rivals the earlier offer from Singapore company Risco Energy Investments (SEA) Ltd. Both companies are existing shareholders of Tap Oil. Source: News

The ExxonMobil Corp.-led PNG-LNG project joint venture in Papua New Guinea has signed another midterm LNG sale and purchase agreement, this time with BP Singapore Pte. Ltd. for LNG supply starting this month. It is the second such agreement for the PNG-LNG project in four weeks. Source: News

The US drilling rig count remained unchanged at 1,057 units working for the week ended Aug. 17, according to Baker Hughes data. The count is up 111 units from this time a year ago when the count stood at 946. Source: News

The US Chemical Safety Board released a factual update on its ongoing investigation of the Jan. 22 blowout and fire at the Pryor Trust natural gas well in Pittsburg County, Okla., that killed 5 workers. CSB has determined the incident occurred shortly after drilling crew members tripped the drill pipe from the well, it said. […]

SDX Energy will connect its SD-3X appraisal well to infrastructure at South Disouq, Egypt, following a successful production test. The SDX-operated well flowed at a maximum rate of 16.1 MMscfd of conventional natural gas during an 8-hr clean up period and was then shut in for 8 hr, during which time no pressure decline was […]