New Mexico considers oil drilling restrictions which would reduce output and revenue
New Mexico is the second largest oil producer in the U.S. A leading economist released this week a study about potential drilling restrictions. The study showed that they could affect up to 5,4% of the future crude production and cost billions in revenue. The study evaluated the setback proposals that were made during the legislative session of 2024, which would limit how close operators could drill to certain environmental and structural areas. These setbacks are designed to protect the public against oil and gas pollution. The topic was complex and needed more time for evaluation and analysis than what we provided in the session. Ismael T.
Norway court rejects environmental order against oil and gas field
The Norwegian Court of Appeal ruled on Monday in favor of the Government in an appeal brought by environmentalists who wanted to stop the development of three gas and oil fields. Greenpeace, among others, sued the Norwegian Government to stop the development of new oil and natural gas resources. This is the latest dispute related to climate change. In January, a lower court found that Norway's Energy Ministry failed to assess fully the climate impact of future oil and gas use in the fields, also known as scope three emissions. This ruling was made in response to a lawsuit filed by Greenpeace and Nature and Youth.
Alaska's North Slope Holds 3.6 Bn Barrels Oil
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) department estimated that Alaska's Central North Slope 3.6 billion barrels of oil. Assessment also included estimate for 8.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.This assessment does not include discoveries made by industry between 2013 and 2017.“Alaska is synonymous with energy, and this assessment just reinforces that,” said USGS Director Jim Reilly. “The State of Alaska and its industry partners have responsibly produced billions of barrels of oil from Prudhoe Bay, and we think there are still billions more…
U.S. Needs to Revive Shallow-Water GoM E&P
The US should define the Gulf of Mexico Shallow Water Province as a distinct entity to avoid stranding more than $20 billion of its oil and gas resource, said a new research.According to a research from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) the GOM Shallow Water Province, comprised of water less than 200 meters deep, is a historically energy-rich area which now produces natural gas, accounting for 33% of the gulf’s gas production and just over 10% of its oil production.Production and infrastructure investment used to be substantially higher in the Shallow Water Province…
Occidental Agrees to Sell Anadarko Assets to Total
Texas-headquartered Occidental Petroleum has reached an agreement to sell Anadarko Petroleum's oil and gas assets in Africa to French oil major Total for $8.8 billion.The binding agreement with Occidental to acquire Anadarko’s assets in Africa (Algeria, Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa) is contingent on a successful completion of Occidental’s ongoing bid for Anadarko.Wood Mackenzie research director Nicholas Browne says the move would make Total the second largest international oil company (IOC) LNG seller after Shell, and the fourth largest LNG seller after Qatargas…
Total, Exxon Sign for Papua New Guinea LNG Project
French energy giant Total and its partners ExxonMobil and Oil Search have signed the Gas Agreement with the Independent State of Papua New Guinea defining the fiscal framework for the Papua LNG Project.The Papua LNG project Gas Agreement allows the partners to enter the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase of study that will lead to the Final Investment Decision in 2020.“The finalization of the Gas Agreement is a major milestone for Papua LNG project that confirms the commitment of all partners and the Government of Papua New Guinea to make the project a success for all stakeholders”…
$13 Bln Papua LNG Project Pushes Ahead
France's Total and its partners signed a long-awaited deal with Papua New Guinea on Tuesday that will allow initial work to start on a $13 billion plan to double the country's liquefied natural gas exports.Developing the Pacific island nation's gas reserves is seen as crucial to its economy as LNG is its biggest export earner, while demand for the fuel is surging globally.Total's partner Oil Search said the agreement would allow the parties to start engineering and design work for a project dubbed Papua LNG also involving Exxon Mobil.They now aim to make a final investment decision in 2020…
BP, ExxonMobil in Alaska LNG Deal
Alaska Gasline Development Corp (AGDC) has signed an agreement with BP and Exxon Mobil to help advance the state-owned company's proposed $43.4 billion Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project.According to the agreement, the concerned parties would work together to identify ways to improve the Alaska LNG project ’s competitiveness, and progress the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorization to construct the project.AGDC Interim President Joe Dubler said, “Our respective organizations share an interest in the successful commercialization of Alaska’s stranded North Slope natural gas.
ExxonMobil Finds Natural Gas Off Cyprus
U.S.
Yamal LNG Reaches Full Capacity
The Yamal liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Arctic Russia officially commissioned the third and last production line Tuesday.Russia's independent natural gas producer PAO Novatek announced that its joint venture Yamal LNG has reached full capacity at the plant’s three LNG trains.The Yamal LNG project was implemented in record time and on budget with the launches of the second and third trains made ahead of schedule by six months and more than a year, respectively. Russian Federation Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev participated in the…
To Frack or Not to Frack? Australia's NatGas Dilemma
The decision by the government of Australia's Northern Territory government to allow the resumption of fracking for natural gas will do little to immediately solve the country's energy woes, but will likely sharpen political battle lines. The territory's government said on April 17 that it has lifted a near two-year moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, accepting the recommendations of its own commission of inquiry into the practice. Northern Territory is a vast, sparsely-populated 1.4 million square kilometre (540,000 square mile) part of central and northern Australia, and home to two potentially rich basins of natural gas.
Reassessing Alaska's Energy Frontier
Less than 80 miles from Prudhoe Bay, home to the giant oil fields that feed the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, lies the site of USGS’ latest oil and gas assessment: the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and adjacent areas. Managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the NPR-A covers 22.8 million acres, more than the entire state of South Carolina. The new USGS assessment estimates 8.7 billion barrels of oil and 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas resources. This is a more than sixfold increase from the previous USGS estimates in the region, which include parts of the 2005 Central North Slope assessment and the 2010 NPR-A assessment.
Op/Ed: DPP a Benchmark Toward US Energy Dominance
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) president Randall Luthi comments on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) 2019-2024 National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program, which seeks to open nearly all U.S. offshore waters to oil and gas drilling. With 94 percent of our nation’s outer continental shelf (OCS) currently and unnecessarily off limits to oil and gas leasing and exploration, NOIA welcomes the bold and broad offshore leasing proposal released January 4 by the Department of the Interior. It is time for a truly national discussion about increasing our offshore energy capabilities.
Petrogress Enters Joint Venture with EDT Offshore
Petrogress, Inc. has announced that its Petrogress Int’l, LLC (PIL) subsidiary has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EDT Agency Services, Ltd. (EDT Offshore) to combine the companies’ operations at the Port of Limassol and additional port facilities in Cyprus. The MoU covers shorebase and offshore support services from the Port of Limassol, as well as future developments at Vassiliko Energy Port, where the Cyprus Port Authority has announced plans for a $300 million industrial and energy harbor. The joint operations will be conducted under PIL’s PG Cypyard & Offshore Terminal Services Ltd. (PGC).
NOIA Appoints Four to BoD
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) Chairman David Welch has appointed four new members to the association’s Board of Directors. The appointments were announced today during NOIA’s fall meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the association is commemorating 45 years of commitment to America’s offshore energy industry. Today, the oil and gas industry, long centered in the Gulf of Mexico, produces 17% of America’s domestic oil and 5% of our domestic natural gas, while off the coast of Rhode Island, America’s first offshore wind farm is providing energy to residents and businesses on Block Island.
US LNG Exports to Increase: EIA
U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)'s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook projects that the United States will export more natural gas than it imports in 2017. The U.S. has been a net exporter for three of the past four months and is expected to continue to export more natural gas than it imports for the rest of 2017 and throughout 2018. The nation’ status as a net exporter is expected to continue past 2018 because of growing U.S. natural gas exports to Mexico, declining pipeline imports from Canada, and increasing exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The U.S. is currently the world's largest natural gas producer, having surpassed Russia in 2009.
Op/Ed: Offshore Energy Can Power US Growth
Following President Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) president Randall Luthi weighs in on shifting U.S. policy and its effects on offshore energy and the American economy. As President Trump begins work on his ambitious agenda, it appears that efficiency and cost cutting are major themes throughout much of the federal government. Those of us in the energy producing industries say welcome to our world. While low commodity prices and overly burdensome regulations devastated job growth in the energy sector during the last two years…
Shale Gas Operations: Protecting Water is Central
Natural gas can be safely produced from the Northern Territory’s deep shale rocks without affecting precious water resources, according to a respected local environmental scientist. In a video produced by APPEA, Ray Hall, Managing Director at Darwin-based EcOz Environmental Services, says the oil and gas industry’s drilling and well casing methods have a proven track record of minimal environmental impact. “In all of my research, the actual activity of extracting shale gas from the ground has not resulted in any documented environmental incidents,” Mr Hall says. The groundwater aquifers are typically 100-200 metres below the surface.
Op/Ed: Obama’s Parting Salvo at US Energy Security
Randall Luthi, President of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), does not pull any punches as he weighs in on the Obama administration’s release of the Final 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. The good news is we now have an offshore leasing plan for the next five years that includes a schedule for regular oil and gas sales in the Gulf of Mexico. The bad news is it is only half a plan. Offshore energy development is a vital part of the U.S. economy, providing jobs, energy security and much needed government revenue.
NOIA Applauds Passage of House Interior Appropriations Bill
“NOIA applauds members of the House of Representatives for passing the first Interior and Environment Appropriations bill since 2009. Not only does the passage of the bill bring back regular order, the Fiscal Year 2017 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill includes smart policy provisions to limit the harmful impact of many short-sighted regulations targeting offshore oil and natural gas exploration and development and includes protections from other potential politically-driven regulations the Obama administration could levy on its way out of office.
