Darwin LNG begins shipments on the Kool Blizzard with its first cargo
Ship-tracking data revealed that the Darwin liquefied gas plant (DLNG), operated by Australian oil producer?Santos since restarting operations, had exported its first shipment. The shipment is currently heading to Sakai in Japan. Darwin LNG stopped shipments at the end of 2023, as its previous gas supply, the Bayu Undan Field in the Timor Sea was running out. The Barossa project, owned by Santos and SK E&S and JERA, is now supplying the plant with natural gas. The Kool Blizzard, a tanker that left the Darwin LNG facility in Australia's Northern Territory (Australia) on January 25th, picked up the first cargo after the restart.
Shell Nigeria announces progress on $20 billion Bonga South West Oilfield
Bola Tinubu, Nigeria's President, has approved "investment linked" incentives for Shell’s Bonga South West Deepwater Oilfield. This follows a meeting between the CEO of the company Wael Sawan and the Nigerian president. Wael Sawan indicated that the project could be greenlit in 2027. The incentives proposed are part of a series of regulatory reforms that have been implemented in Africa's largest crude oil producer in order to attract investments to boost oil and gas production. His office did not provide any further details on the incentive program. His office has not provided any further information on the incentives.
BP warns of up to $5 billion in impairments due to energy transition and weak oil trading
BP said that it expects to book between $4 and $5 billion of impairments during the fourth quarter. These are mainly related its energy transformation businesses. It also noted a weak oil trading. Under the new leadership, Chair Albert Manifold has said that BP’s portfolio needs to be simplified. Meg O'Neill, the new CEO, will replace interim Chief Carol Howle after Murray Auchincloss's sudden departure last month. BP stated in its trading statement on Wednesday that the impairments will not impact underlying replacement costs profit, their version of net income. A spokesperson declined to provide further information on the?projects that were affected by impairments.
Norway awards 57 drilling licenses in offshore oil and gas exploration round
Norway's Energy Minister told an industry conference that the country awarded shares in 57 offshore oil exploration licenses to 19 companies as part of its annual licensing round. The number of permits awarded to oil and gas companies has decreased from 20. Norway's plan to extend oil and gas production in Norway for decades is centrally based on the?annual predefined areas (APA) round of new offshore exploration acres. However, activity will?decrease in the next few years. Norway is Europe's largest energy supplier, but production will begin to fall in a few short years. We need to develop new projects which can slow down the decline and increase production.
Norway's oil and gas production in November beats expectations
Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD), a government agency, announced on Tuesday that Norway's combined oil and gas production in November exceeded an official forecast by 0.9%. Norway is Europe's biggest supplier of natural gases and oil. However, output can vary from one month to the next depending on maintenance and other stops at close to 100 offshore fields. The total oil, gas, liquids, and condensate output in November was 0.694 standard cubic metres, which is equivalent to 4,37 million barrels of oil equivalence. This represents an increase of 0.9% on the previous year.
Afreximbank and Heirs Energies sign a $750 million financing agreement to boost Nigeria's gas and oil output
The African Export-Import Bank and Heirs Energies Ltd signed a $750 million financing agreement on Monday to fund the 'field development program' in Nigeria and strengthen the capital structure of the energy firm. Afreximbank arranged a dual-tranche senior secured, reserve-based loan facility that will support Heirs Energies in its growth strategy, as it seeks to increase oil and gas production. Afreximbank was the lead arranger for this deal, as well as facility agent and security agent. At the signing ceremony in Abuja, Afreximbank president?George…
Indonesia invites tenders for the purchase of eight new oil and natural gas blocks
An energy ministry document showed that Indonesia offered 'eight new blocks' to contractors on Monday as part of its efforts to increase the energy reserves. Indonesia's oil and gas production has declined over the last decade because reserves have been depleted. The government has promised to offer dozens new blocks to reverse this trend in the coming years. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has announced that it will be accepting bids until February 5, 2026 for the Tapah, Nawasena and Mabelo Blocks. In a livestreamed event, Laode Sulaeman…
Sources say that the head of Pemex’s production division will step down soon.
Three sources have confirmed that Mexico's state-owned oil company Pemex will replace its head of exploration and production just months after his return to the position. The company is struggling to stop a drop in crude output. Angel Cid Munguia resumed his leadership role at Pemex Exploration and Production in early May. Angel Cid?Munguia?resumed leadership of Pemex Exploration and Production (PEP) in early May. Sheinbaum has promised to maintain a?national oil production of 1.8 million barrels a day until the end of her tenure in 2030. This 'target' is becoming more difficult to achieve as the mature fields are declining…
Dallas Fed energy survey shows little change in oil and gas production during Q4
According to a Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas survey, oil and?gas production in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico?edged down in the fourth quarter as executives expressed concerns about low oil prices, which are rendering some wells uneconomical, and the ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. The oil and gas industry's production was essentially unchanged over the quarter, while costs rose at a lower rate than in the previous quarter. Oilfield service firms reported a modest decline in a number of indicators, including equipment usage and operating margin.
Canada announces new rules for reducing oil and gas methane emission
Canada has announced rules that have been promised for years to reduce methane emissions in the country's oil & gas sector. The regulations set out a way?for?Canada, the fourth largest oil producer in the world to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 75% from 2014 levels by the year 2035. The new rules fulfill the promise made by Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada to strengthen Canada's methane regulations. However, they allow for a slightly extended timeframe than that announced in previous drafts under Justin Trudeau's predecessor. Trudeau’s never-implemented regulations called for a reduction of 75% in methane emission by 2030.
Carnelian, a buyout firm, raises eyebrows by trying to sell multiple assets in the energy sector.
Carnelian Energy Capital is selling six of its North American oil-and-gas production investments. This comes at a time when private equity firms are under increasing pressure to return more cash to investors and increase their exits. The move, which represents most of Carnelian's oil and gas producing companies, and approximately 40% of its total investments, has raised eyebrows in the industry because traditionally, buyout firms space out their sale efforts so as to avoid exhausting the buyer demand. Sources said that Carnelian was either actively marketing the assets or preparing for auctions in the next few weeks. Sources said that the U.S.
Suncor trims budget and projects increased oil and gas production in 2026
Suncor Energy forecast lower spending for 2026, despite increased oil and gas production. The company will tighten?costs, and increase shareholder returns through an expanded buyback plan. Suncor's outlook is similar to that of Canadian Natural Resources, Cenovus Energy and other oil sands producers in Canada. After years of investment, Canada's oil-sands producers have become among North America's low-cost operators and outperformed global competitors amid an oil?recession. Suncor, based in Calgary, Alberta, expects to produce between 840,000 and 875,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) next year. This is an increase from its estimate for 2025 which was 810,000-840,000 bpd.
Exxon predicts increased earnings and oil production by 2030
Tuesday, Exxon Mobil announced that it would target a $25 billion?earnings increase from 2024-2030. The company will also?increase its oil and gas production. Exxon's earnings forecast represents a $5-billion increase over its previous plan. However, Exxon plans to maintain the same spending targets of $28 billion - $30 billion annually through 2030. Exxon said its updated corporate plan reflects the company's efforts to reduce costs and?"increase profits" even during periods of oil price volatility. Upstream, the oil producer's focus includes expanding its liquefied gas business.
Canada's new oil tycoon is shaking up the sector with a bold expansion plan
Canadian banker-turned-oil-tycoon Adam Waterous, an industry outsider who lives in a Rocky Mountain tourist town, not energy hub Calgary, has a plan to cement his company's status as one of ?North America's fastest-growing oil companies. Waterous wants to expand the company more aggressively and more efficiently than its competitors after Strathcona Resources' hostile bid for MEG Energy was unsuccessful. He wants Canada to be the fourth largest oil producer to increase oil and gas production to boost economic growth during a time of tensions between the U.S. What am I doing if I say that a country as a whole should double its oil production?
Bousso: TotalEnergies' ROI-TotalEnergies power play shows Big Oil how to make energy transition work
TotalEnergies of France is betting heavily on renewables and power, positioning itself as a leader in the global energy demand wave. It also offers investors an alternative to its rivals who are doubling down on gas and oil. Since 2022, the strategies of European oil companies have been in a constant state of flux. The sanctions and full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine created a shock to the energy system that shifted the focus from long-term energy transformation to near-term security. Shell and BP shifted their focus from investing billions in renewables to focusing on legacy operations and aligning themselves with Exxon Mobil, Chevron and other U.S. competitors.
Bousso: TotalEnergies' ROI-TotalEnergies power play shows Big Oil how to make energy transition work
TotalEnergies of France is betting heavily on renewables and power, positioning itself as a leader in the global energy demand wave. It also offers investors an alternative to its rivals who are doubling down on gas and oil. Since 2022, the strategies of European oil companies have been in a constant state of flux. The sanctions and full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine created an energy shock which prompted governments to focus on the near-term security rather than the long-term transition. Shell and BP refocused on their legacy businesses, instead of investing billions in renewables. They aligned with Exxon Mobil and Chevron.
Chevron aims to increase cash flow by 10% annually through 2030 and cut costs even more.
Chevron announced on Wednesday its plans to increase oil and gas production and grow free cash flow annually by more than 10 percent through 2030, all while reducing costs and capital spending. Chevron announced its new guidance on Wednesday at their investor day. The company has been working to improve efficiency following a restructuring that took place earlier this year, which included the layoff of up to 20 percent of employees or approximately 8,000 people. After a delay of a year, the company completed its $55 billion purchase of Hess. This delayed it from providing long-term financial forecasts until now.
IEA Predicts World Oil, Gas Demand Could Grow Until 2050
Global oil and gas demand could grow until 2050, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, departing from previous expectations of a speedy transition to cleaner fuels following U.S. criticism about its climate focus.The Paris-based energy security watchdog also predicted in its annual outlook that the world will likely fail to meet its goal to cap the rise in temperatures to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change.The IEA has been under pressure from the U.S.
Chevron targets 10% cash flow growth annually through 2030 and higher cost reduction
Chevron announced on Wednesday its plans to increase free cash flow and oil and gas production by over 10% per year through 2030, and reduce costs and capital expenditures. Chevron announced new guidance on its investor day as part of an effort to improve the efficiency of the company following a restructuring earlier this year that included layoffs. After a delay of a year, the company completed its acquisition of Hess for $55 billion in July. This had prevented it to give long-term financial advice until now. Its shares are up 7.8% so far this year, but they're still behind rival oil producers Exxon Mobil & Shell.
TotalEnergies and Petronas get the green light for exploration in Guyana
TotalEnergies and Petronas are oil producers who have signed an agreement for five years with the Guyana government to explore shallow-water blocks, officials and executives of both companies said on Tuesday. Guyana is struggling to diversify its industry. Its energy sector is currently dominated by an Exxon Mobil-led consortium, which controls all oil and gas production since Guyana became a producer of crude oil in 2019. Block S4, which is located between 50 and 100 km (between 30 and 60 miles) off the coast of Guyana, was the first production sharing…