Oil & Gas Exploration








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Oil & Gas Exploration

NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange will dual list on NYSE Texas

Intercontinental Exchange, parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, announced on Monday that it would list both on NYSE Texas. This will add to a long list of listings at the bourse in an effort to stay ahead of its competition. NYSE Texas opened its doors in March. It offers a new trading and listing venue for businesses attracted by Texas' business-friendly environment. According to ICE, in the first three month, 10 companies have listed both on the Dallas-based exchange. These include oilfield services company Halliburton and Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, as...

Energy Markets

Wildfires in Canada are impacting oil supply

The wildfires in Canada's oil producing province of Alberta has reduced Canada's daily crude output by approximately 7%. The following is a list of oil production sites that have been affected so far. CENOVUS Energy - CHRISTINA LAKE SITE: On May 29, Cenovus began to shut down production of approximately 238,000 barrels a day at its Christina Lake facility south of Fort McMurray in Alberta. The company stated that it was not aware of any damages to its infrastructure, and anticipates a full site restart in the near future. CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES – JACKFISH LAKE: Canada’s largest oil-and-gas producer announced...

Oil & Gas

Alberta wildfires interrupt 7% of Canada’s oil production

Calculations show that wildfires in Canada's oil producing province of Alberta affected the production of more than 344,000 barrels of oil sands per day, or approximately 7% of Canada's total crude oil output. Over the weekend, at least two thermal oil-sands producers south of Fort McMurray, the hub of the industry in Canada's north, evacuated their workers and shut down production. Canadian Natural Resources announced that it had evacuated its Jackfish 1 site and halted production of approximately 36,500 Bpd. Cenovus Energy announced that it had evacuated all non-essential staff from the Christina Lake oil sands facility and had shut...

Oil & Gas

Mexican authorities seize 3 million litres of fuel stolen

Mexican authorities have announced that they seized over 3 million liters (792 516 gallons), of fuel illegally stored at a property located in Tabasco in the southeast of the country. This is the latest of a series of large fuel seizures in Mexico. Why it's important The seizure of fuel on Thursday was part of Mexico's ongoing fight against fuel smuggling. This includes both theft from the state-run oil company Pemex pipelines, and imports classified falsely to avoid taxes. KEY QUOTES In a statement released on Thursday, Mexico's cabinet of security said that 18 vehicles, 3 pieces of machinery and...

Oil & Gas

Ithaca Energy to purchase a $155 million stake in the Cygnus Gas Field from Centrica JV

Centrica, a British company, announced on Tuesday that Spirit Energy - its joint venture with German utility Stadtwerke Munchen GmbH - will sell to Ithaca Energy a 46.25 percent stake in the Cygnus field for approximately 116 million pounds (155.05 millions dollars). Cygnus is located in the Southern North Sea and is the UK's largest continental shelf gas field. It also contributes to the UK energy security. Ithaca Energy will increase its operating interest in Cygnus from 65% to 85%. This will position the company as a majority owner, and reinforces the strategic goal of becoming one the largest independent...

Oil & Gas Exploration

Citigroup faces $1 billion lawsuit for alleged fraud by Mexican oil companies

A U.S. court of appeals ruled Thursday that Citigroup will have to face a lawsuit alleging it caused over $1 billion in losses by orchestrating a fraud at the Mexican oil and gas service company Oceanografia. Three judges of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Miami said that 30 Oceanografia vendors, creditors and bondholders adequately alleged that Citigroup substantially aided the fraud. A lower court judge erred by dismissing this nine-year-old case. Circuit Court of Appeals, Miami, said that 30 Oceanografia vendors and creditors, as well as bondholders, adequately alleged Citigroup's involvement in the fraud. A lower court...

Fossil Fuels

ConocoPhillips announces retirement of CFO after beating first-quarter profit targets

ConocoPhillips surpassed Wall Street expectations for the first-quarter profits on Thursday. Chief Financial Officer Bill Bullock, who has worked at the Texas-based oil producer for 39 years, will retire. ConocoPhillips has increased its presence in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins and Bakken Basins with the $22.5 billion purchase of Marathon Oil. It also added new operations to the Anadarko Shale Formation and Equatorial Guinea. ConocoPhillips produced 2.38 million barrels equivalents per day in the first quarter, an increase of 487,000 boepd over the previous quarter. The increased output helped to offset the effect of low oil prices. The price...

Refined Products

Occidental reports quarterly profit beat on strong output, natural gas prices

Occidental Petroleum beat Wall Street expectations for the first-quarter profits on Wednesday thanks to strong production and favorable commodities prices. Benchmark Brent crude averaged $74.98 per barrel in the first quarter of 2018, up 1.3% from the previous quarter. Meanwhile, U.S. Natural Gas prices have been steadily rising over the last few quarters, and reached a 2-year high on 10 March. The average domestic realized price of total natural gas production has risen to $2.42 for every thousand cubic feet. This is a 50% increase from last year. Natural gas liquids (NGLs) realized by the company were $25.94 a barrel,...

Refined Products

APA sells New Mexico assets at $608 million following quarterly profit success

APA Corp announced on Wednesday it would sell New Mexico Permian assets to focus on its core business. This was in an effort for the company to streamline its operations and concentrate on areas of strength. It also beat Wall Street's expectations for first-quarter profits. These assets, which generate about 12,400 barrels equivalent of oil per day (boepd), are less than 5% APA's overall Permian production. The company stated that the deal with Permian Resource is expected to close by the end of the second quarter and proceeds will be used to reduce the debt. This move comes after APA...

Natural Gas

EIA: Oil wells in the Lower 48 US States have more than doubled in the past decade.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced on Wednesday that they estimate that the average number oil wells completed within 50 feet from each other simultaneously in the Lower 48 States has more than doubled since the last decade. The agency stated that the number of wells completed simultaneously per location has increased from 1 1/2 wells per location in December 2014 to over three wells per location in June 2024. This will allow operators to "accelerate production timelines and reduce costs per well." The EIA defines wells that are drilled within a 50-foot radius of each other as being at...

Oil & Gas Exploration

Coterra Energy, a producer of shale gas, reports higher quarterly profits and cuts its spending target

Coterra Energy, a U.S. producer of shale gas, reported an increase in its first-quarter profits on Monday. However, it said that due to the macroeconomic uncertainty they would reduce their annual budget for capital expenditures. The U.S. Energy Sector is preparing for possible fallout due to President Donald Trump's sweeping trade tariffs and a fierce trade war with China - factors that could decrease demand for oil and gas. Diamondback Energy, earlier today, also reduced its annual capital budget as well as production forecasts due to macroeconomic uncertainties affecting the global energy demand. Coterra CEO Tom Jorden said: "As we...

Oil & Gas Exploration

US LNG exports equal monthly record in April

LSEG data show that the United States equaled the record of the highest volume of liquefied gas exported in April as the capacity increased due to the ramp-up at Venture Global's Plaquemines facility. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. already has the largest LNG export capacity in the world. It is expected that this will grow by 20% to 115 millions tonnes in 2025 after a record-breaking year in 2024. LSEG data shows that in April the U.S. exported 9.3 MT of LNG, which is the same as the previous monthly record. The startup of Venture Global’s...

Europe

Mining

China approves Bunge Viterra merger, but with conditions regarding crop supply stability

China's market regulator granted conditional approval to Bunge Global's merger with Glencore's grain handler Viterra on Monday. This cleared the final hurdle in the $34 billion mega deal announced two years ago. Bunge had announced that it had received approval from China for regulatory approval last Friday. The regulator approved the deal on condition that the increased market share of the combined company could reduce competition on China's imported barley, soybeans, and rapeseed. Bunge and Viterra agreed to five obligations under these conditions. This included reporting quarterly sales volume to Chinese customers in 30 days following the end of each...

Energy Markets

Centrica, a British company, signs a $27 billion gas deal with Equinor in Norway

British Energy's Centrica signed a 10-year contract worth over 20 billion pounds ($27.07billion) with Norwegian producer Equinor to receive gas, the companies announced on Thursday. Gas-fired power stations account for about a quarter (70%) of Britain's electricity. In a press statement, Centrica CEO Chris O'Shea stated that "this landmark agreement highlights the vital role natural gas plays in our transition to a low-carbon energy future." Equinor is supplying five billion cubic metres (bcm), or around 8%, of the gas required by Britain until 2035. The contract allows the sale of natural gas to be replaced in future with hydrogen. The...

Energy Markets

Norway Oil Industry to invest record amount by 2025

A survey by the Statistics Office of industry participants showed that Norwegian oil and natural gas investments will likely reach a record high this year and then decline next year. The largest business sector in the country expects to spend 269.1 billion crowns (26.62 billion dollars) by 2025. This is up from an estimate of 253.8 billion crowns in February, and compares with 251.2 billion last time. The preliminary estimates for oil-and-gas investments in 2026 are 206.6 billion crowns. This is compared to the previous estimate in February of 197.1 crowns. In the months before a new fiscal year, companies...

Western Europe

Middle East

Energy Markets

What OPEC+ oil production cuts are in place today?

After agreeing to the first reduction in output in 2022, OPEC+ producers have implemented three levels of cuts. Eight OPEC+ oil producers have begun to increase production this year and unwind the most recent tranche. Sources said that the 22-member OPEC+ group will meet online on Wednesday. This meeting is not expected change policy on output. Eight OPEC+ members plan to meet on Saturday and decide on a July production increase. Algeria, Iraq and Kuwait are the eight countries that have met earlier this year to discuss their production targets. They raised them by almost 1 million barrels a day...

Fossil Fuels

Mubadala Energy is ready to sell South Andaman Gas to Indonesia at the right price

A senior executive at Mubadala Energy said that the company would be happy to provide all of the natural gas produced in its South Andaman Block for Indonesian domestic consumption, and do so at the best possible price. Indonesia wants producers of gas to increase their supplies to domestic consumers as the demand is increasing. The producers have been focusing on exports of LNG and asked the government to revise price caps for domestic gas. They argue that it is not a good business decision when spot LNG prices are so high. Abdulla Bu Ali (President Director of Mubadala Energy...

Oil & Gas

ConocoPhillips CEO: US shale will plateau if current oil prices remain in range.

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance stated on Tuesday that U.S. shale production will plateau if oil prices stay where they are and will begin to decline when oil prices reach $50 per barrel. "The breakeven has probably not moved much." "I think that long-term if oil prices are in a range where they're comfortable - perhaps in the 70s or 65-75 - we will still see modest growth from the U.S.," Lance said, speaking at Qatar Economic Forum. We see a plateauing of production in the U.S. by the end of this year, unless we have a technological breakthrough. Don't bet...

Fossil Fuels

OMV Chief Stern will not run for a second term

The company announced on Tuesday that Alfred Stern, Chief Executive Officer of Austrian oil-and-gas group OMV, has decided to not run for reelection when his current term expires on August 31, 2026. Stern is CEO of the Vienna-based firm since September 2021. He previously ran the Borealis division, and tried to steer it away from fossil fuels toward sustainable fuels and chemical. In March, he oversaw the merging of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company with OMV's Polyolefin business, creating Borouge International, a chemical powerhouse with a $60 Billion enterprise value. The merger should be completed in the first quarter 2026....

Oil & Gas

EnQuest pulls out of Serica contract as market volatility hinders agreement on terms

The companies announced on Friday that North Sea oil producer EnQuest would not make an offering for UK-based Serica Energy as they could not reach an agreement on favorable terms in time due to market volatility. At 1623 GMT, EnQuest shares fell about 5% to 13.14 pence. Serica shares rose 0.3% to 127 pence. Serica announced in March that it was in discussions with EnQuest regarding a potential deal. The termination comes amid an economic wave of uncertainty caused by the sweeping tariffs that U.S. president Donald Trump has imposed around the world. Energy prices have been dragged down by...

Natural Gas Utilities

Bloomberg News reports that Woodside is in talks with Kuwait Petroleum to sell its Louisiana LNG stake.

Bloomberg News reported Monday that Woodside Energy was in discussions with an overseas division of Kuwait Petroleum about selling a stake in their Louisiana liquefied gas plant. The report was based on people familiar with the matter. Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration is also looking at securing LNG from the project. Other companies are interested in both LNG and equity, according to the report. Woodside Energy and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration did not respond immediately to comments. Woodside, Australia’s largest gas producer, agreed earlier this month to sell a 40 percent stake in its Louisiana Liquefied Natural Gas plant to U.S....

Oil & Gas Drilling

Executives say AI will lead to cheaper and faster oil production.

Executives at the CERAWeek Conference in Houston explained that artificial intelligence has accelerated oil and gas drilling, and prompted companies to reconsider areas they previously deemed too expensive or difficult to develop. AI was a major topic in several sessions of the largest energy conference. Oil producers are looking for ways to stay profitable amid a plummeting price of oil and concerns that U.S. president Donald Trump's tariffs may slow down global energy demand. Ann Davies, BP’s senior vice-president of wells, revealed that the UK oil giant BP uses AI to predict problems and steer drill bits before they occur....

Oil & Gas Equipment

Continental Resources, a US-based producer, will help Turkey develop its shale gas fields

On Wednesday, Turkish Energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar announced on the social media platform X that TPAO, Turkey's national oil company, had signed a joint-venture agreement with U.S. producer Continental Resources for the development of shale deposits in Diyarbakir Basin. This cooperation will contribute greatly to our goal to bring Turkiye’s oil and natural gas resources into our economy. "I hope that this agreement will benefit all parties, as it opens up a new phase in Turkiye's exploration," he wrote in the blog. The Turkish oil and gas industry is not very large. Continental Resources CEO Doug Lawler stated in an...

Fossil Fuels

Platts says that the Brent crude oil benchmark is working as expected and no changes are planned.

S&P Global Commodity Insights (Platts), a commodities reporting agency that provides information on commodity prices, stated Monday that the dated Brent crude oil market is working well since U.S. WTI was added to it. Further changes are not expected, Platts said. The first year that WTI Midland was included in the Brent benchmark date after its inclusion in the basket began in May 2023 due to falling North Sea production, was also the first year in which it was the first crude oil grade outside of the North Sea. Platts announced on Monday that Brent oil 2024 is a smooth...

Oil & Gas

EU lifts sanctions on Syria, including those on banking and energy

The European Union has suspended sanctions against Syria, including those relating to energy, banking and transport, with immediate effect. The EU has implemented a number of sanctions against individuals and sectors in Syria. After the insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), an islamist group, ousted Bashar al Assad from his position as president in December, European leaders began to rethink their approach. On Monday, the EU Foreign Ministers met in Brussels and agreed to suspend sanctions against the oil, gas, and electricity sectors, as well as the transport sector. The Syrian Central Bank has also been exempted from restrictions...

Oil & Gas Exploration

The President of Lebanon says that he hopes TotalEnergies resumes oil and gas exploration as soon as possible

According to a press release from the president's offices, Lebanon President Joseph Aoun told Qatari Premier Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Tuesday that he hoped TotalEnergies would soon resume oil exploration off the coasts of Lebanon. In 2023, the state-owned QatarEnergy will join France's TotalEnergies (ENI.MI), and Italy's Eni in a consortium of three to search for oil and natural gas in two marine blocks off Lebanon's coast. Two sources who were directly involved in the matter said that no hydrocarbons had been found after the exploratory drilling offshore in 2023. TotalEnergies didn't respond to a comment request...

Oil & Gas

Kuwait's KPC CEO says oil production capacity exceeds 3 million bpd

Kuwait's oil production capability now exceeds 3 million barrels per day, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) CEO Sheikh Nawaf Saud alSabah told reporters on Tuesday. The country's oil production capability was at more than 2.8 million bpd in June last year, Ahmad Jaber Al-Eidan, the CEO of KPC subsidiary Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), stated at the time. Kuwait aims to improve its oil output to 4 million bpd by 2035, having actually formerly missed out on an objective of reaching that level by 2020. Discussing U.S. President Donald Trump's views on fossil fuels, Sheikh Nawaf stated there is no alternative to...