Map Ta Phut Olefins Co. Ltd. (MOC), a joint-venture of Siam Cement Public Co. Ltd. subsidiary SGC Chemicals Co. Ltd. and Dow Chemical Co., has let a contract to McDermott International Inc. to provide process technology for the upgrade and expansion of an existing olefins cracker at MOC’s petrochemical plant in Rayong Province, Thailand. Source: News

Cape Vulture appraisal well was drilled in 372 m of water on license PL128/PL128D about 7 km north of the Norne floating production, storage, and offloading vessel in the northern Norwegian Sea, 180 km from the coast and 3.5 km north of the discovery well, said license partner Eni. Source: News

Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has granted Eni Norge AS consent for exploration drilling in two blocks in the Barents Sea. Source: News

RockRose Energy PLC, London, has acquired Dyas BV and Dyas Infrastructure BV, which hold the Dutch interests of Dyas, a subsidiary of SHV Holdings NV, Utrecht.  Source: News

State-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corp. has let a contract for combined subsea work on its KG-DWN-98/2 (“Cluster-2”) deepwater development off eastern India to a consortium of Baker Hughes, a GE company, McDermott International Inc., and L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering, a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro. Source: News

Crude oil prices on both the New York and London markets jumped by more than $1/bbl Oct. 3. Traders appeared more focused on declining Iranian oil exports than a sharp build in US inventories. Source: News

President Donald J. Trump nominated Bernard L. McNamee, who presently is director of the US Department of Energy’s Policy Office, to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Oct. 3.  Source: News

State Oil Co. of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and China National Petroleum Corp. subsidiary BGP Inc. have signed an agreement forming a joint venture to conduct seismic exploration in Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. Source: News

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will see a number of critical energy projects pushed through over the next five years, despite uncertainties that cloud the investment outlook, according to APICORP Energy Research. Source: News

Petro Frontera, a wholly owned subsidiary of International Frontier Resources Corp. (IFR), Calgary, has received an option to buy all shares of the Mexican Tonalli Energia joint venture held by partner Grupo IDESA. Source: News