US President Donald Trump overstepped his authority when he canceled his immediate predecessor’s withdrawals of three federal offshore areas from oil and gas leasing consideration toward the end of his second term, a federal court judge in Alaska ruled on Mar. 29. Source: News
Russia in Venezuela
Arrival in Venezuela late last month of 100 or so Russian military personnel elicited tough talk from the administration of US president Donald Trump. “Russia’s got to leave Venezuela,” declared Sec. of State Mike Pompeo. Source: News
Elephant hunt resumes
Oil and gas companies are hunting the proverbial elephant again. Some of them are, at any rate. Source: News
Barclays report points to five signs offshore is recovering
Five signs that the offshore oil and gas industry is recovering are starting to become clearer, with 2019 seen as a transition year and with offshore embarking on a multiyear trajectory starting in 2020. These were among the findings in a recent research report from Barclays. Source: News
ASTM standard aims to help oil spill cleanup, contingency planning
ASTM International released a new standard aimed at improving both cleanup of and contingency planning for crude oil spills on Apr. 8. The new guide standardizes the way laboratories both prepare and measure “weathered oil,” which is naturally different from the “source oil” at a facility, ASTM International member Merv Fingas said. Source: News
Total signs HOA to explore Oman Block 12
Total SA and Oman’s Ministry of Oil and Gas have signed a heads of agreement for award to the French company of an exploration license covering Block 12 in Central Oman. Source: News
Gazprom Neft expands oil production in Kurdistan
Gazprom Neft subsidiary Gazprom Neft Middle East BV has commissioned a third production well in Sarqala field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Potential production from Sarqala-3 is estimated at 12,000 b/d of oil. Cumulative production from the field has reached 35,000 b/d, a 25% increase. Source: News
Tellurian to begin open season for PGAP line
Tellurian subsidiary Permian Global Access Pipeline LLC (PGAP), Houston, is holding a binding open season to secure prospective shippers for a proposed 42-in. interstate natural gas pipeline connecting the Permian basin in Texas to southwestern Louisiana. Source: News
US House Democrats want pipeline safety mandates implemented sooner
US House Democrats have called for speedier implementation of mandates in the 2011 and 2016 reauthorizations of the federal oil and gas and hazardous materials pipeline safety law. “It’s simply unacceptable that safety-critical rules passed by Congress 8 years ago are lingering somewhere,” House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter A. DeFazio (Ore.) said at […]
Higgs named CEO of Genel Energy
Bill Higgs has been named chief executive officer and member of the board of Genel Energy PLC. Higgs has been chief operating officer since October 2017. He earlier was COO of Ophir Energy PLC and CEO of Mediterranean Oil & Gas after working 23 years at Chevron Corp. Source: News