Congo cancels the licensing round for 27 oil block
According to a Monday statement on the hydrocarbons minister's X Twitter account, the Democratic Republic of Congo has canceled a licensing round originally launched in 2020 to tap the nation's potential for oil and gas. The statement of October 11 listed multiple reasons for cancellation. These included late submissions, inappropriate and irregular offers, as well as a lack competition. Aime Sakombi Molindo, hydrocarbons minister, said: "Given what I have just stated, I feel compelled to announce the cancellation of this process." He said that the process will be restarted shortly, but did not give a timeline.
Nigeria Launches Licensing Round for Marginal Oilfields
Nigeria has launched its first licensing round for marginal oilfields in nearly 20 years, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said on Monday, despite court rulings last week that barred some of the fields from being auctioned.Marginal fields are smaller oil blocks that are typically developed by indigenous companies. The new licensing round is the first marginal field round since 2002, which the country hopes will boost oil output and bring in much-needed revenues from fees associated with the licenses."A total of 57 fields located on land…
Vaalco Eyes Equatorial Guinea Block
Houston-based Vaalco Energy said that it is in talks to serve as operator for three Equatorial Guinea (EG) oil blocks recently awarded to Levene Hydrocarbon.Vaalco Energy Mauritius (Vaalco EG), the subsidiary of the company, is in preliminary talks to become a contract operator for offshore block 19 and two onshore concessions but would not own any interest in the blocks.Mauritius subsidiary currently holds a 31% participating interest in Block P, located offshore Equatorial Guinea.On November 26, 2019, the Equatorial Guinea Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons announced the results of the EGRONDA 2019 bid round.
Petrobras to be World's Largest Oil Producer
Brazil’s Petrobras is on track to become the world’s largest oil producer among publicly listed companies by 2030, based on Rystad Energy’s latest data and forecasts.Brazil’s biggest-ever oil auctions in November were generally deemed to be disappointing, receiving muted interest from international exploration and production companies.However, national oil company Petrobras could not have asked for a better outcome. The world’s fastest growing oil producer gained nearly full control of more than eight billion barrels of oil in the Buzios field…
South Sudan to Offer Oil Blocks for 2020
South Sudan plans to offer 14 oil blocks to exploration companies in a licensing round by the first quarter 2020, its oil minister said on Tuesday, switching from its previous method of direct negotiations with explorers.The country gets almost all its revenue from oil and has boosted output, now at 180,000 barrels per day, as it struggles to rebuild its shattered economy after a five-year civil war."We are inviting all our investors that wanted to invest in South Sudan to come and move onto those blocks," Awow Daniel Chuang, told an Africa…
Brazil Oil Bidding Points to Future Auction Success
Brazil's mines and energy minister said the positive results of Thursday's round of bidding for the country's offshore oil blocks point to successful auctions later this year of the so-called Transfer of Rights area and pre-salt oil find.Minister Bento Albuquerque said that Thursday's auction surpassed expectations, following the conclusion of bidding.Oil regulator ANP said that the auction would result in cumulative bonus payments of 8.9 billion reais ($2.16 billion).($1 = 4.1138 reais)(Reporting by Gram Slattery, Marta Nogueira and Rodrigo Viga Gaier; editing by Jason Neely)
Shell Consortium, Petronas Win Oil Blocks Off Brazilian Coast
A consortium of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Chevron Corp and Qatar Petroleum won oil exploration and production rights in the C-M-713 block off the coast of Brazil on Thursday, paying the government a signing bonus of roughly 551 million reais ($133 million).Shortly before, Petronas won a separate offshore block, C-M-661, with a signing bonus of roughly 1.116 billion reais.(Reporting by Gram Slattery, Marta Noguiera and Rodrigo Viga Gaier, editing by Deepa Babington)
Sonangol Plans to Downsize
Angola's state oil company Sonangol plans to divest 52 joint ventures, reduce staff and focus on its core business, part of an ongoing reorganization and package of reforms designed to lure back investors, its chairman said on Friday."We are going to sell, close or put out of our group a lot companies," Carlos Saturnino told an oil conference in Paris. "Last year, we identified 52 joint ventures in which we want to sell our equity.""Instead of investing in Australia, United States etc, Sonangol wants to become an oil company of reference in the African continent.
Eni Continues High-speed Gulf Drive
In less than 12 months Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi has turned the Middle East from a sideshow to a strategic hub for the Italian energy major. And the shift is not over.Since last March the 63-year-old has clinched nine deals in the United Arab Emirates, gained a toehold in Bahrain and expanded in Oman to reshape the group's future.In the latest deal on Sunday, Eni pledged $3.3 billion to buy part of the world's fourth-biggest refinery in the UAE, increasing its own refining capacity overnight by more than a third.But the buying spree is not over and the company is looking to further bolster its presence in the Gulf region…
Indonesia Grants New Oil Blocks Contracts
Indonesia has announced the winner of its third bidding round that will operate oil and gas blocks in three locations, Deputy Energy Minister Arcandra Tahar, said on Thursday.The winners are Pearloil (Theralite) Ltd. for South Andaman block, located at offshore Andaman Aceh; Talisman Java B. V. and Mitsui Oil Exploration Co. Ltd. for South Saka Kemang block, located at onshore South Sumatra; and Pertamina for Maratua block, located at both onshore and offshore North and East Kalimantan.There was no winning bid for Anambas block, located at offshore West Natuna.Tahar also announced a 20-year contract extension for Medco E&P Rimau…
Russian Oil Firm Signs Initial Exploration Deal with South Sudan
Russia's Zarubezhneft has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Sudan to explore four oil blocks, South Sudan's petroleum minister said on Tuesday.The company was awaiting more information on the blocks from the Petroleum Ministry before starting exploration, Petroleum Minister Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth told Reuters.Other foreign firms active in South Sudan's oil industry include China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Malaysia's Petronas and India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC Videsh).The minister said the country's oil production had risen to 135,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 130,000 bpd in August.He said South Sudan wanted to push production b
Nigerian Opposition Candidate Seeks to Boost Oil Investment
Nigerian opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar will seek to boost investment in the country's oil sector if he becomes president next year, according to a draft copy of his manifesto.He plans to reconsider the introduction of bidding rounds for marginal fields and oil blocks, privatize government-owned refineries and issue new licences for greenfield investments in crude refineries, the draft said.The country is scheduled to hold a presidential election in February.(Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram and Paul Carsten; editing by John Stonestreet)
Eni Strikes Deal with Total to Boost Algeria Operations
Italian oil major Eni said on Monday it had struck a deal to team up with French peer Total to look for oil and gas in Algeria and strengthen its position in the north African country.The two oil companies signed a deal with state-owned Algerian energy giant Sonatrach to pursue offshore exploration in the country while working together on exploration permits."Together with Sonatrach and Total, we will have the opportunity to explore the deep waters of the Algerian offshore, a virtually unexplored geological province," Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said.Eni…
Exxon Brazil to Focus on Drilling and Production
Exxon Mobil Corp will focus on drilling and production in Brazil now that it has made extensive acquisitions of oil blocks in the country, the company's chief executive officer in Brazil, Carla Lacerda, said on Thursday.Exxon also sees new opportunities in Brazil's biofuels, bioenergy and gas sectors, Lacerda said during a panel discussion at the Rio Oil & Gas convention in Rio de Janeiro."We are principally in the exploration phase so my big task now is to drill some wells so that we can start up production some day," Lacerda said.Exxon has plowed big money into Brazil to replenish its dwindling reserves, starting with an oil auction in September of last year.
Exxon Brazil to Focus on Drilling and Production - CEO
Exxon Mobil Corp will focus on drilling and production in Brazil now that it has acquired lots of oil blocks in the country, the company's chief executive officer in Brazil, Carla Lacerda, said on Thursday.Exxon also sees new opportunities in Brazil's biofuels, bioenergy and gas sectors, Lacerda said during a panel debate at the Rio Oil & Gas convention in Rio de Janeiro.Reporting by Anthony Boadle
Guyana Puts Oil Auctions on Hold
Guyana has put planned oil auctions on hold as the impoverished South American country works to establish a Department of Energy to oversee the energy boom, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said on Monday.Since 1999, Guyana has awarded a group led by Exxon Mobil Corp hundreds of oil blocks along Guyana's maritime borders with Venezuela and Suriname. Their finds are turning Guyana, a country with no history of oil production and relaxed energy regulation, into one of Latin America's hottest prospects for oil investments.Exxon, China's CNOOC…
Hess Corp Losses Shrink on Higher Oil Prices
Oil and gas producer Hess Corp posted a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday as it raked in more money per barrel even as production fell, thanks to higher oil prices.The company's average realized price of crude oil jumped 36 percent to $62.65 per barrel, while production fell 16 percent to 247,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day boe/d, excluding its operations in Libya.U.S. crude prices topped $75 a barrel at June end, rising more than 18 percent in the second quarter.Hess said it earned $31 million from its exploration…
Petrobras Still Seeking to Boost Exploration Portfolio
Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA remains interested in expanding its exploration portfolio, new Chief Executive Officer Ivan Monteiro said on Thursday following an auction of offshore oil blocks.Petrobras, as the company is known, joined the consortia that won all three blocks awarded at the auction, days after Monteiro was named CEO amid a crisis over diesel prices that led to the resignation of his predecessor.Reporting by Marta Nogueira
Offshore Oil: Tullow eyes Ghana Assets
Tullow Oil is interested in new oil blocks off Ghana's coast as part of the British explorer's plans to consolidate its operations in the West African nation, Chief Executive Paul McDade said. Tullow is leading two operations offshore Ghana, including the country's flagship 100,000 barrel-per-day Jubilee field, which began commercial production in late 2010. Ghana's energy ministry said this month it would award nine new upstream oil blocks for commercial exploration off its coast beginning this year. "We as a company want to consolidate our presence in Ghana after our investments in Jubilee and TEN (Tweneboa, Enyenra, Ntomme).
Ghana to Award New Oil Blocks off West Coast
Ghana is set to award nine new upstream oil blocks for commercial exploration off its western coast beginning this year, the energy ministry said on Thursday.The West African country plans to award six of the nine blocks this year while the remaining three will be given out next year through a mix of open competitive tender and direct negotiations, the ministry said in a statement.It said state oil company Ghana National Petroleum Corporation will acquire one of the blocks to explore in partnership with a strategic partner to develop its technical capacity and become an operator.Ghana, which began commercial crude production in late 2010, currently produces around 18
