Sandridge Energy Inc., Oklahoma City, agreed to reduce the volume of wastewaste going into disposal wells in the Medford and Cherokee-Byron areas. After negotiating with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), Sandridge agreed to convert some disposal wells to research. Source: News
Tesoro plans biocrude co-development, processing at existing refineries
Tesoro Corp., San Antonio, is launching a program with several renewable energy companies to advance biomass-to-fuels technology for development of biocrude feedstock that the independent refiner-marketer plans to co-process alongside traditional crude at its US refineries. Source: News
Oxy gets $1 billion from Ecuador following decade-long dispute
Occidental Petroleum Corp., Houston, will receive a $1-billion arbitration award from Ecuador to settle a dispute over the 2006 expropriation of its participation contract for Block 15. Source: News
TransCanada, First Nations groups sign deals for Coastal GasLink project
TransCanada Corp. reported that its Coastal GasLink Pipeline Project has signed long-term agreements with Nadleh Whut’en First Nation and West Moberly First Nations. The Coastal GasLink project has now secured 11 project agreements and continues to make “good progress” toward concluding deals with other First Nations along the pipeline route, TransCanada said. Source: News
Shell sees 2015 earnings slide by more than half
Royal Dutch Shell PLC expects its full-year 2015 earnings on a current cost of supplies (CCS) basis excluding identified items at $10.4–10.7 billion, down from $22.6 billion in 2014. Source: News
Still resigns as Laredo president, chief operating officer
Jay P. Still has resigned from his position of president, chief operating officer, and member of the board of Tulsa independent Laredo Petroleum Inc. Source: News
MARKET WATCH: NYMEX, Brent crude oil prices settle under $29/bbl
Light, sweet crude oil prices dropped nearly $1/bbl on the New York market on Jan. 20, the first day of US floor trading since the lifting of sanctions against Iran. Analysts and traders say the oil price decline could likely continue while Iranian oil exports add to already oversupplied world oil markets. Source: News
CLNG, NGSA formally merge; executive director named
The Center for LNG (CLNG) formally became part of the Natural Gas Supply Association, and Charlie Riedl was named CLNG executive director and an NGSA senior vice-president. Source: News
India approves HPCL’s expansion plan for Visakh refinery
India has granted Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (HPCL) environmental clearance to proceed with a project to expand and modernize its 8.3 million-tonne/year Vishakapatnam (Visakh) refinery in Andhra Pradesh, on the country’s eastern coast. Source: News
Shell Australia lets contract for Prelude FLNG project
Shell Australia has let a 3-year contract to Wood Group Kenny, Perth, for the Prelude floating LNG (FLNG) project to be located 475 km north-northeast of Broome in Western Australia. Source: News