Kosmos well extends gas field offshore West Africa

Kosmos Energy Ltd., Dallas, reported that its Ahmeyim-2 appraisal well offshore Mauritania encountered 78 m of net gas pay in two high-quality reservoirs, including 46 m in the Lower Cenomanian and 32 m in the underlying Albian. Source: News


GAO: BSEE makes little progress on offshore oil, gas reforms

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s ongoing efforts to improve offshore oil and gas regulatory enforcement have been compromised by limited progress in improving its investigation capabilities, a US Government Accountability Office report concluded. Source: News


IEA: Carbon dioxide emissions flat as economy grows

Emissions of carbon dioxide remained unchanged for the second year in a row in 2015 while the global economy continued to grow, according to preliminary data from the International Energy Agency. Source: News


Blanchard to be CEO of Panhandle Oil & Gas

Paul F. Blanchard has been named president and chief executive officer of Panhandle Oil & Gas Inc., Oklahoma City, succeeding Michael C. Coffman, who will retire at yearend. Source: News


Whitfield to become Cobalt special advisor

Van P. Whitfield will serve as special advisor to Cobalt International Energy Inc., Houston, for 6 months beginning July 1 after resigning as chief operating officer and executive vice-president. Source: News


Tullow reports ‘strong oil shows’ in northern Kenya

Tullow Oil PLC reported “strong oil shows” in cuttings and rotary sidewall cores across a 700-m interval in its Cheptuket-1 well drilled on Block 12A in the Kerio Valley basin in northern Kenya. Source: News


EIA: US crude inventories up 1.3 million bbl

US commercial crude oil inventories, excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, gained 1.3 million bbl during the week ended Mar. 11 compared with the previous week’s total, according to the US Energy Information Administration’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report. Source: News


MARKET WATCH: New York, London oil prices fall Mar. 15 but rally Mar. 16

Crude oil prices declined moderately on the New York and London markets on Mar. 15 on lingering world oil oversupply concerns, but early Mar. 16 trading showed prices climbing after Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar indicated they might limit oil production even if Iran does not do the same. Source: News


Chapter 11 becoming ‘unavoidable’ for Linn Energy

Linn Energy LLC said in a Mar. 15 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that its current financial state is such that bankruptcy may become “unavoidable.” Source: News


DOI removes Virginia lease sale from proposed 2017-22 OCS plan

The US Department of the Interior announced its proposed 2017-21 US Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas program, which deleted a planned 2021 lease sale offshore Virginia. Officials said this was largely in response to US military and public concerns that were much stronger this time than 5 years earlier. Source: News