Venezuelan Oil Exports Progress Slowly Under US Supply Deal
Venezuelan oil exports under a flagship $2 billion supply deal with the U.S. reached about 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and documents from state-run PDVSA showed, with shipments accelerating after the U.S. eased its blockade but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.Following the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro in early January, Caracas and Washington agreed to a deal to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude stored in tanks and vessels. Trading houses Vitol and Trafigura obtained the first U.S.
Kazakhstan CPC Oil Exports Struggle After Tengiz Field Shutdown
Kazakhstan's CPC oil exports could remain restricted even as extensive maintenance on its primary oil export route wraps up, sources said on Wednesday, with force majeure declared at the country's largest oilfield, Tengiz, following a fire.The CPC terminal, which handles about 1.5% of global oil supply and 80% of Kazakhstan's crude exports, has been operating below capacity since mid-November.Maintenance work on Single Point Mooring-3 (SPM-3) at CPC's Russian Black Sea terminal is in its final stages…
Kazakhstan's Tengiz Oil Field to Remain Shut for Another 7-10 Days
Oil production at Kazakhstan's vast Tengiz oil field, one of the world's largest, could be halted for another 7-10 days after shutting down on Sunday, cutting crude exports via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, three industry sources told Reuters.The field's operator Tengizchevroil (TCO) said on Monday that due to power supply problems, production at the Tengiz and Korolevskoye field had been stopped.A day earlier, on January 18, a fire broke out at two turbine transformers at the field's GTES-4 power station…
Inpex to submit a revised environmental plan for a large CCS project offshore Australia
A company spokesperson said that Inpex, Japan's carbon capture and storage project (CCS), which is a proposed 8 million ton per year?Bonaparte Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) off the north coast of Australia will submit an updated environmental plan. The spokesperson stated that the company withdrew its plan on Sunday from a portal used to solicit public comments about major projects while it waited for details of the new environmental laws. The spokesperson stated that Inpex was "fully committed" to the progress of the project and would resubmit it once the legislative amendments were finalised.
Official: Shell wants to exit Syria's al-Omar Oilfield, but US firms are interested in the sector.
Youssef qeblawi said that the head of Syria Petroleum Company Youssef qeblawi stated on Monday that Shell asked to withdraw its oil from the al-Omar field and transfer their?share to Syria’s state-owned operators, but that U.S. firms were interested in?the?country's energy sector. Al-Omar, Syria's biggest oilfield, was taken over by the government at the weekend following a lightning-fast offensive against Kurdish troops who had occupied the site for almost a decade, and used it as an army base.
Venezuelan oil companies are pushing for rapid reforms to allow them to control oil exports
Sources involved in the talks say that oil executives and lawyers from international oil companies are lobbying for changes to the hydrocarbon laws of OPEC members in order to 'give them the freedom to export the oil produced in Venezuela. Many potential investors want to know how they can make this happen without waiting years for the legal and contractual reforms to protect their investment. Representatives of international oil companies want to get things moving. They are asking for a few changes to the current legal framework in the oil industry.
Urals Freight Rates to India Rise Due to Bad Weather, War Risks
Freight rates for tankers to ship Urals crude from Russia’s western ports to India have risen this month, as bad weather made fewer vessels available, disrupted loading and unloading and the cost of insuring for war risks increased, industry sources told Reuters on Friday.Drones struck two oil tankers in the Black Sea on Tuesday, including one chartered by U.S. oil major Chevron, the companies involved said.Greece has told its shipping fleet to upgrade security measures to the highest…
Chevron has approved the expansion of Israel’s Leviathan Gas Field
Chevron has made a final decision to invest in expanding production at Israel's Leviathan gas field. The oil major announced on Friday that it has made a final investment decision to expand production?at Israel's Leviathan natural gas field,?the?U.S. Leviathan is one of the largest gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean and the cornerstone of Israel’s energy system. The exports of gas to Egypt help supply LNG plants which ship gas to Europe. Chevron has said that the expansion will increase total gas deliveries to Leviathan to about 21 billion cubic metres per annum.
Sources say that Repsol, Maurel & Prom are applying to the US for licenses to export Venezuelan crude oil.
Five industry sources have confirmed that several?European oil companies, including Spain's Repsol, France's Maurel & Prom and France's Repsol, have applied to the United States for licenses or authorizations in order to export Venezuelan oil. Two sources confirmed that the terms requested are similar to the ones Washington granted in the past, which allowed companies to import and export Venezuelan crude oil to their refineries, as well as to other customers. Fuel was also supplied to Venezuela via a debt recovery mechanism.
Sources say that Chevron is expected to receive an expanded Venezuela license this week from the US.
Three oil industry sources said on Wednesday that Chevron would receive an expanded Venezuela license this week from the U.S. Government. This could allow increased production and exports from South America. Sources said that the U.S. oil company is expected to be among several firms who will receive approvals to do business with Venezuela from the Trump administration. This comes as oil companies, traders, and refiners seek access to Venezuela's heavy oil after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
US permits talks about Lukoil’s foreign assets to continue until February 28,
The U.S. Department of Treasury on Wednesday extended the license for companies to 'talk' with Russian energy giant Lukoil regarding buying their foreign assets by more than one month, until February 28, 2019. On October 22, President Donald Trump sanctioned Lukoil, one of Russia's largest energy companies, and Rosneft, the other, as part a campaign to put pressure on Moscow for its involvement in Ukraine. Lukoil listed its assets for sale soon after. The assets of the company, which include oil 'fields…
Sources say that Chevron is expected to receive an expanded Venezuela license this week from the US.
Three oil industry sources told us on Wednesday that Chevron will receive a Venezuela license extension from the U.S. this week. This could lead to increased production and exports. Sources said that the U.S. oil company is expected to be among several firms who will receive approvals to do business with Venezuela from President Donald Trump’s administration. Oil companies, traders, and refineries are looking for access to Venezuela's heavy crude. According to a source who is familiar with these discussions, the U.S.
Climate activist shareholder group pushes BP, Shell on plans for declining oil demand
The group Follow This, a climate activist shareholder group, and more than?20 investors filed resolutions on Wednesday asking BP and Shell how they would create value if the global demand for gas and oil declined. The resolutions are a strategic change on the part the Dutch activist group. In April, it announced that it had been forced to stop its campaign to get major oil and gas producers to commit to emissions reductions due to a lack investor interest. Follow This filed climate resolutions during shareholder meetings starting in 2016.
Climate activist shareholder group pushes BP, Shell on plans for declining oil demand
The group Follow This, a climate activist shareholder group, and'more than '20 other investors filed resolutions on Wednesday calling on BP to explain how it will generate value if the global demand for gas and oil declines. The resolutions are a strategic change on the part the Dutch activist group. In April, it announced that it had to suspend its campaign to get major oil and gas companies to commit to emission?cuts due to lack of investor interest. Follow This filed climate resolutions during shareholder meetings starting in 2016.
Venezuela Reopens Wells as Exports Resume
Venezuela's state oil company has begun reopening some of the wells it and its joint venture partners had shut amid a strict U.S. embargo, as crude exports resume with two shipments departed on Monday, three sources close to operations said.The OPEC country's oil exports had remained almost at a standstill since December, with only U.S. Chevron exporting crude from its joint ventures under a U.S.
Trump blocks courts from seizing Venezuelan Oil Revenue in US Accounts
The White House announced on Saturday that U.S. president Donald Trump had signed an executive order to prevent?courts and creditors from impounding revenues tied to the sale of Venezuelan oil in U.S. Treasury accounts. The order stated that the money held in foreign government deposits should be used to create "peace and prosperity" in Venezuela. The emergency order was signed Friday, a little more than a week after U.S. troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at Caracas. Many companies have had long-standing claims against Venezuela.
Trump calls on US oil companies to fix Venezuela's rotting energy industry
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, began a meeting at the White House on Friday to discuss Venezuela. He said he wanted executives from some of the largest oil companies in the world to invest $100 billion to expand Venezuela's production. The meeting reflects Trump's importance for oil in his strategy towards the OPEC nation, after U.S. troops seized Nicolas Maduro as the leader of the South American nation during a brazen raid overnight on the capital on January 3. He said: "We will be making the decisions as to which oil firms are going to enter…
Trump meets with oil companies in Venezuela
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, began a meeting at the White House with executives of some of the largest oil companies in the world on Friday. He said that increasing crude production from Venezuela will benefit the United States. The meeting reflects Trump's importance for oil in his strategy towards the OPEC nation, after U.S. troops?seized South American leader Nicolas Maduro during a brazen raid overnight on the?capital of the country January 3. Officials in the Trump administration…
Trump's "drill baby, drill" agenda in Venezuela hurts producers at the home
Trump wants $50 oil but it's below the profit level of U.S. Venezuelan oil redirected to squeeze U.S. Venezuelan oil to benefit U.S. HOUSTON, January 9 - U.S. Oil Producers already struggling with low oil prices face renewed pressure as President Donald Trump presses them to increase output in Venezuela – a move which would weaken oil markets, reduce revenues and hurt the industry at home. Trump's policies, he claims, will unleash American energy while lowering prices at the pumps. This promise would benefit U.S. customers but would squeeze revenues from the oil industry.
White House oil meeting includes independents and has strong ties to Denver
On Friday, the White House will be inviting oil executives to meet with them in order to discuss possible investment in Venezuela. While the list of attendees includes some big names from American oil, such as Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron, it also contains smaller independents, private equity-backed companies, and other players. Only the largest U.S. An oil industry source said that oil producers in Venezuela have the experience and scale to operate there. It is noteworthy that smaller companies from Venezuela were included in the meeting, given that most of them operate in the U.S.