“Nothing draws people together like a common enemy,” said Maersk Oil Houston’s President Bruce Laws, “and the common enemy right now is low commodity prices.” Laws, who addressed an audience at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston on May 4, was part of a panel discussing worldwide oil and gas deepwater development. Source: News
Environmental groups sue to make EPA regulate production wastes
A group of environmental organizations sued the US Environmental Protection Agency, calling for it to regulate surface handling and underground disposal of oil field production wastes. An Independent Petroleum Association of America official quickly dismissed the May 4 action in US District Court for the District of Columbia as a maneuver to stop or delay […]
OMV signs MOU for fields in Iran
Austria’s OMV AG signed a memorandum of understanding in Tehran with National Iranian Oil Co. for evaluation of various fields in the Zagros area of western Iran. Source: News
Phillips 66 unit to buy Standish Pipeline, remaining interest in Sweeny Frac
Phillips 66 Partners LP has agreed with Phillips 66 to acquire the Standish Pipeline and remaining 75% interest in Phillips 66 Sweeny Frac LLC, which owns the newly constructed Sweeny Fractionator One and Clemens Caverns storage facility, for $775 million. Source: News
Synergy Resources to buy Noble acreage in DJ basin for $505 million
Synergy Resources Corp., Denver, has agreed to acquire 33,100 net acres in the Greeley Crescent area of Weld County, Colo., from Noble Energy Inc., Houston, for $505 million. The deal is effective Apr. 1 and expected to close as early as June. Source: News
OGUK reorganizes with five teams, fewer work groups
Following a business review, Oil & Gas UK has reorganized into five teams from seven. The trade organization also said it streamlined the number of work groups it runs for its members by 40% to provide greater focus on industry priorities. Source: News
PHMSA orders Texas Eastern to address Penn Jersey pipeline failure
The US Pipeline & Hazardous Materials and Safety Administration issued a corrective action order requiring Texas Eastern Transmission LP to take necessary corrective actions following the failure of a gas pipeline on its Penn Jersey system. Source: News
Algeria among oil-exporting nations considering reforms, speaker says
Algeria faces economic management challenges equal to those of Nigeria and Iraq amid depressed global oil and gas prices, a speaker said during a discussion of Middle East and North African oil-exporting nations’ economic outlooks. Source: News
OTC: Panelists say deepwater can help fill oil output void
“Something has to give” in this languishing oil market, and one industry observer and his firm “are quite convinced that oil prices have to give quite a lot.” Source: News
Fort McMurray fire evacuation biggest in Alberta history
About 88,000 residents of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta have been evacuated from a wildfire that has destroyed or damaged 1,600 structures. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley called the event the biggest evacuation in the history of the province. Source: News