Petrobras 2025-2029 Strategic Plan likely to reach $110 billion, sources claim
Two sources with knowledge of the matter said that the new Petrobras strategic plan would include investments worth $110 billion for 2025-2029. This represents an increase of 8% over its previous multi-year projection. Sources said that executives are still finalizing the plan, which Petrobras expects to release by late November. Petrobras has not responded to comments immediately. The company publishes a plan every year that outlines its investment plans for the next few years and the strategic areas on which it will concentrate. One source said that the current amount is around $107 billion.
Malaysian PM: Petronas exploration in South China Sea to continue
Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's prime minister, reiterated on Tuesday that the state-owned energy company Petronas would continue to conduct oil exploration in Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the South China Sea despite China's objections. He told the parliament that this includes exploration activities for Petronas Kasawari Gas Development off Sarawak State on Borneo. Anwar stated, "We will continue to discuss with all countries. He said Malaysia has territorial disputes with many neighbours including Thailand…
Uganda announces it will issue new oil exploration licenses in the next fiscal year
The finance minister announced on Wednesday that Uganda will issue new oil exploration licenses during the fiscal year 2025/2026, which runs from July to June. This is to boost investment in the sector as well as the overall economic growth. Early last year, the last licensing round for this east African nation launched in 2019 ended. The country awarded the final two blocks of the five offered. He said that in order to achieve greater investments and growth overall, the government will issue more exploration licenses.
Malaysia won't stop South China Sea exploration, despite China protests says PM
Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's Prime Minister, said that the country would not stop oil and gas exploration on the South China Sea in spite of Beijing's claims that Malaysia had infringed on its territory. Anwar, who is currently in Russia on an official visit, stated that Malaysia's exploration was within its own territory, and it wasn't meant to be provocative towards China. Anwar stated in a Vladivostok televised news conference that "we will of course have to operate within our waters in order to secure an economic advantage.
Sources say that Sinochem, a Chinese company, plans to withdraw from its US shale joint venture with Exxon.
Sinochem, a Chinese state-backed oil company, plans to sell its 40% stake, worth upwards of $ 2 billion, in a U.S. joint venture with Exxon Mobil, according to people familiar with the situation. Sources claim that Sinochem hired Barclays investment bankers to help it with the sale of its Wolfcamp joint-venture stake. Source: Exxon has the first right of refusal to sell the joint venture, which is majority owned and operated by the company. Sources cautioned, however, that the sale discussions are still in their early stages and a deal is not guaranteed with Exxon, or any other interested parties.
Shell to make large cuts in its oil exploration division: sources
Shell will cut its oil and natural gas exploration and production workforce by 20%, according to company sources. CEO Wael Sawan is extending his cost-saving efforts to this highly profitable division following the deep cuts made in renewables and low carbon businesses. Sources said that the restructuring of the exploration, wells development, and subsurface units would result in hundreds of job losses around the globe, with the greatest impact in offices in Houston, The Hague, and Britain.
Sources say Shell plans to make large cuts in its oil exploration division.
Shell will cut its oil and natural gas exploration and production workforce by 20%, according to company sources. CEO Wael Sawan is extending his cost-saving efforts to this highly profitable division following the deep cuts made in renewable energy and low-carbon businesses. Sources say that the restructuring of the exploration, wells development, and subsurface units is expected to result in hundreds of job losses around the globe, but will be most felt in Britain and The Netherlands.
Shell to make large cuts in its oil exploration division: sources
Shell will cut its oil and natural gas exploration and production workforce by 20%, according to company sources. CEO Wael Sawan is extending his cost-saving efforts to this highly profitable division following the deep cuts made in renewables and low carbon businesses. Sources say that the restructuring of the exploration, wells development, and subsurface units is expected to result in hundreds of job losses around the globe, but will be most felt in Britain and The Netherlands. Sources added that consultations will be held with the employee representative bodies to determine the exact 20% reduction.
Namibia plans to complete its sovereign wealth fund by 2025
Namibia's Finance Minister said on Tuesday that the government expects to approve its first offshore oil project in 2025 and complete the creation of its sovereign fund. Namibia, which is yet to produce oil or gas, became a hotspot for exploration after TotalEnergies, Shell and offshore discoveries. Shiimi, Namibia's Minister of Finance, said that Namibia does not expect to see income from the fund until oil production begins, which may take four to six years. He added that TotalEnergies, Qatar Energy and other companies would likely be the first to approve oil exploration off Namibia by 2025.
US oil and gas M&A activity increased 57% in the last year due to industry consolidation
The report said that the dealmaking activity in oil and gas increased by 57% in 2017 as companies boosted their development spending due to higher cash flow from previous years' profits. According to a report by Ernst & Young, the top energy companies spent $49,2 billion on mergers & acquisitions in 2023. This is up from $31,4 billion in 2022. The major factor driving the increase was mega deals between integrated oil and gas firms. EY says that mega-deals will continue to drive M&A activity this year and through 2025. Exploration and development costs grew by 28% last year to $93.1 billion.
Yesterday’s or Tomorrow’s Offshore Energy: Which to Pick?
Looking back, it is easy to wonder if one could have done better by taking the other fork in the road. I grew up in Holland in a maritime family and am pretty sure I would have stuck with maritime there. In 1968, when I was 8 years old, my father left Holland America Line and joined the United States Salvage Association. At the same time, their main customer, the U.S. marine insurance industry, became heavily involved in the development of North Sea offshore oil and gas, and it resulted in an economic boom that made USSA’s Rotterdam office wildly profitable.
Denmark Might Not Reach Its 2030 Emissions Reduction Goal as It 'Relies on Unproven Tech'
Denmark risks not reaching its goal to cut carbon emissions by 70% by 2030 because it is too reliant on unproven technology, an independent council monitoring the effort said on Friday.The Nordic country in 2020 set one of the most ambitious and legally binding climate targets in the world - cutting CO2 emissions by 70% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, but its government has yet to come up with a detailed plan for how to achieve that target."The government has so to some extent picked the low-hanging fruit…
Chinese Seismic Vessel Returns to Waters off Vietnam Amid Virus 'Distraction' Charges
A Chinese ship embroiled in a standoff with Vietnamese vessels last year has returned to waters near Vietnam as the United States accused China of pushing its presence in the South China Sea while other claimants are pre-occupied with the coronavirus.Vietnamese vessels last year spent months shadowing the Chinese Haiyang Dizhi 8 survey vessel in resource-rich waters that are a potential global flashpoint as the United States challenges China's sweeping maritime claims.On Tuesday, the ship…
Are OSVs Fit for Refit for Offshore Wind?
While it is generally agreed that the nascent offshore wind energy market in the U.S. will be a newbuild market, there is a repair and conversion possibility for some stacked OSVs.Though estimates on the pace of the offshore wind energy market in the U.S. vary widely, the direction is clear: offshore wind will be a huge marketplace for construction and support vessels to be deployed in U.S. waters over the next decade. The starting point for estimated vessel demand is the raft of projects along the U.S. East Coast, and to a lesser extent, in the Pacific waters, now in the pipeline.
Beach Energy Eyes Offshore New Zealand
Australian oil and gas exploration and production company Beach Energy Limited has signed an agreement with OMV GSB Oil Exploration to acquire a 30% participating interest in exploration permit (EP) PEP50119 in the Great South Basin, offshore New Zealand.Under the agreement, Beach will acquire a 30% participating interest in the permit in exchange for funding a 30% share of the Tawhaki-1 well cost and the associated work program and budget. The estimated capital exposure is approximately $25 million net to Beach.The transaction is subject to New Zealand government and regulator approval…
Croatia Awards Licence to INA for Gas and Oil Exploration
The Croatian government said on Thursday it had awarded a licence to energy group INA for gas and oil exploration and exploitation on one block in the country's central and mountainous southern area.It gave no financial details.Earlier this year Croatia received one bid from INA for exploration in one block in the Dinarides region in a tender offering four blocks stretching over an area of 12,134 square km (4,685 square miles)..The block awarded to INA covers an area of 2,698 square km.INA's biggest shareholder is Hungarian energy company MOL with a stake of just under 50 percent.
Oil Companies Swap Stakes in Mexico
With Mexico's government insisting that energy companies increase oil and gas output before it auctions off more of the country's vast reserves or offers more partnerships with state-run Pemex, firms ranging from foreign majors to local players are scrambling to buy and sell blocks they already own.The negotiations are creating a dynamic secondary market for oil acreage, which could be the only investment opportunity left for firms until leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador unblocks…
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)
Ireland to Freeze New Offshore Oil Exploration Licences
Ireland plans to freeze the issuing of new exploration licences for oil in Irish waters but not for gas, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told journalists on Monday during a visit to New York, Irish media reported.Varadkar said he would announce at a U.N. climate summit "that Ireland will also decline to issue any new exploration licences for oil in Irish waters (though new licences for gas will continue to be issued)," Virgin TV News reporter Gavan Reilly said in a Twitter post.Reporters for the Irish Times and Examiner newspapers also reported the comments.
Hurricane Energy Spuds Lincoln Crestal
UK-based oil exploration and production company Hurricane Energy said it has spudded the second of three wells on the Greater Warwick Area in the UK North Sea.Well 205/26b-B well, or Lincoln Crestal, was was spudded – the start of the drilling process – using the Transocean Leader rig, which recently completed work to plug and abandon the Warwick Deep well.An update will come once drilling and testing has been completed, said a press note.Lincoln Crestal is the second in a three-well program designed to further test Hurricane’s assets in the Greater Warwick Area…