Karoon Energy, Australia's energy company, reduces its outlook for Brazil project
Karoon Energy, an Australian oil and gas company, said that it has reduced the production forecast for its Bauna Project in Brazil because of operational disruptions. After the disruptions, the company reduced its production forecast for 2024 for the Bauna Project to 7.2-7.4 millions barrels of crude oil. The previous outlook was 7.5-7.7million barrels. Karoon reported that two of the 16 chains used to lift the floating production storage offloading system (FPSO) failed. This caused the Bauna Project to be shut down in December 11.
US offshore driller requests judge block insurers' demand for $250 million collateral
W&T Offshore is an independent driller in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. It has asked a federal court to block the insurance companies' demand for $250 million additional collateral in exchange for tearing down old oil infrastructure. Offshore drilling companies are under increasing pressure to issue bonds for the decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure within federal waters. In June, the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management enforced its final rule amending financial assurance regulations to ensure that the industry pays for decommissioning and not taxpayers.
US offshore driller requests judge block insurers' demand for $250 million collateral
W&T Offshore is an independent driller in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. It has asked a federal court to block insurance company demands for additional collateral of $250 million for tearing down old oil infrastructure. Offshore drilling companies are under increasing pressure to issue bonds for the decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure within federal waters. In June, the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management enforced its final rule amending financial assurance regulations to ensure that the industry pays for decommissioning and not taxpayers.
Shell to Add Two Wells at GoM Perdido Platform
Shell said on Thursday its unit has made a final investment decision to add two wells at the Perdido platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico to boost production.The Shell unit, which operates the Perdido platform, said the two wells are expected to produce up to 6,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day at peak rates.The wells will be located in the Silvertip Frio reservoir, where Shell is the operator with a 40% stake and Chevron holds the remaining 60%. First production from the wells is expected in 2026.
EIA reports that US oil production fell by the most in September since January.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) data showed that the crude oil production in the United States fell by 157,000 barrels a day (bpd), month-over-month, to 13,20 million bpd during September. This was the biggest decline since January. As Hurricane Francine, and Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Gulf of Mexico in September, many oil and gas facilities were forced to close for extended periods of time. EIA data released on Friday showed that output from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico offshore fell by 12% in September, to 1,58 million bpd. This is the lowest level in three years.
Oil drops as US storm threat subsides, China's stimulus disappoints
The oil prices continued to fall on Monday, as investors disappointed by China's stimulus program and the threat of disruptions in supply from a storm in the United States. Oil prices continued to fall on Monday as the threat of a supply disruption from a U.S. storm eased and after China's stimulus plan disappointed investors seeking fuel demand growth in the world's No. Brent crude futures fell 31 cents or 0.4% to $73.56 a bar by 0340 GMT, while U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures were down 38 cents or 0.5% at $70 a bar. Last Friday, both benchmarks dropped more than 2%.
Oil Dips 2% as Hurricane Fears Ease
Oil prices fell more than 2% on Friday as traders grew less fearful of prolonged supply disruptions from a hurricane in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, while China's latest economic-stimulus packages failed to impress some oil traders.U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 led the decline, down 2.8%, or $2.01, at 70.35 per barrel by 1:32 p.m. ET (1832 GMT) . Global benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell 2.3%, or $1.77, to $73.86 per barrel.Energy producers shut in more than 22% of oil output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by Thursday as a precautionary measure to brace against Hurricane Rafael…
Hurricane Rafael has caused a shutdown of 17% of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Oil Production
The U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement announced on Wednesday that Hurricane Rafael had shut down approximately 17% of crude production and 7% of gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The Bureau reported that energy producers have shut down 304,418 barrels of oil per day and 131,000,000 cubic feet of gas production from Gulf waters. According to the latest U.S. National Hurricane Center advisory, Rafael, a hurricane of Category 3, was located approximately 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of Havana, Cuba. It had maximum sustained winds (185 kph) with 115 mph.
Researchers say that a late-season storm could disrupt the US oil production by 4 million barrels.
Researchers said that a late-season tropical storm, which is predicted to intensify this week into a Category 2 hurricane in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, could reduce U.S. crude oil production by approximately 4 million barrels. Storm Rafael, which was in the Caribbean Sea on Monday evening, is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico via a path that will take it through oil-producing regions. The National Hurricane Center reported that winds could reach up to 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) on Tuesday. Earth Science Associates, an energy analytics firm, estimated that U.S.
Researchers say that a late-season storm could disrupt the US oil production by 4 million barrels.
Researchers said that a late-season tropical storm, which is predicted to intensify this week into a Category 2 hurricane in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, could reduce U.S. crude oil production by approximately 4 million barrels. Storm Rafael, which was in the Caribbean Sea on Monday evening, is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico via a path that will take it through oil-producing regions. The National Hurricane Center reported that winds could reach up to 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) on Tuesday. Earth Science Associates, an energy analytics firm, estimated that U.S.
Deep sea oil drilling drillers are now subject to new safety regulations in the US
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, released new rules on Tuesday for U.S. off-shore drillers. This is because breakthrough technology allows them to operate in extreme subsea conditions and unlock untapped oil reserves worth billions of dollars. BSEE final rule was issued after Chevron, in August, started production on its Anchor asset. It is owned by TotalEnergies and it was the first project ever to operate with 20,000 pounds per sq inch (PSI) pressure. The reservoir depths reached 34,000 feet (10.363 m).
Exxon has secured over 271,000 acres of land in Texas waters to capture CO2 offshore
Exxon Mobil announced on Thursday that it had acquired state leases covering over 271,000 acres of Texas state waters to conduct an offshore CO2 capture operation. Exxon won the lease from the Texas General Land Office after it bid in 2021 for federal land near the Texas coast to capture CO2, and then emerged as the highest bidder in 2023 for 69 blocks of shallow water in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, in order to expand its carbon storage area. Oil companies such as Chevron and Occidental Petroleum have adopted carbon capture…
US drillers reduce oil and gas rigs a second time in 3 weeks - Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms have cut oil and gas rigs this week for the second time within three weeks. The number of oil and gas rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by two in the week ending August 16. Baker Hughes reported that the total number of rigs is down by 56 or 8.7% from this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs dropped by two this week to 483 while gas rigs increased by one to 98. Oil and gas rig counts dropped by about 20% in the year 2023, after increasing by 33% and 67% respectively in 2022, 2021 and 2022.
Chevron achieves industry-first in ultra-high-pressure oil field
Chevron announced on Monday that it had achieved a breakthrough in technology by producing the first oil under extreme pressures from a U.S. Gulf of Mexico Field. The $5.7 billion project called Anchor ushers in a new era of deepwater production that was previously off limits due to the lack of equipment capable of coping with pressures up to 20,000 pounds square inch. Chevron, along with TotalEnergies, expects the Anchor project to be productive for at least 30 years. The floating platform can pump up to 75,000 bbls of oil per day and 28 million cu ft of natural gas. The field is located about 140 miles away (225 km) from the coast of Louisiana.
2023 Outlook: The Offshore Service Vessel Market
The market for offshore support vessels has been through a rather rough few years since offshore exploration and production activity took a nose-dive in 2015 following the oil price crash the year before.The newbuild order boom that came with the ever-greener pastures imagined in the industry ensured that not only was the supply- and demand balance off by an insurmountable degree in the years that followed, but at its peak, in 2017, the oversupply of anchor handling tug supply- and platform supply vessels was in excess…
Bardex Mooring Tensioning System Installed in GOM
BP’s latest floating production facility, ARGOS, has been successfully moored in the US Gulf of Mexico. The mooring tensioning system includes Bardex Corporation Chain Jacks used to haul in and tighten 12 lines of 171mm R4S top chain. Bardex mooring chain jacks were the first to be used for deep water floating production units since the early 1990s.
Floating Offshore Wind: Attention Turns Subsea for Power Transport
From being an ugly duckling, floating offshore wind is now the Cinderella of the offshore renewables world. Attention is now being paid to floating and even subsea substation concepts to help bring this power to shore. Over the past year, expectations around the growth in the floating offshore wind development have grown, significantly. Many are piling into the market, seeing that it could give them a chance to ramp up renewables capacity quickly, with 15MW turbines on the horizon and the possibility of GW-scale projects looming by the end of the decade.Much has been said about the different floating turbine concepts.
Brent Shoots Past $80 a Barrel
Oil markets climbed for a sixth day on Tuesday, boosted by a tighter supply and firm demand outlook, but power shortages in China which hit factory output tempered the rally.Brent crude futures gained 67 cents, or 0.8%, to $80.20 a barrel at 1016 GMT, after reaching their highest level since October 2018 at $80.75. Brent gained 1.8% on Monday.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 79 cents, or 1%, to $76.24 a barrel, after hitting a session high of $76.67, its highest since early July. It jumped 2% the previous day.Hurricanes Ida and Nicholas, which swept through the U.S.
Report says BHP Mulls Oil & Gas Exit
Global miner BHP Group is considering getting out of oil and gas in a multibillion-dollar exit as it looks to speed up its retreat from fossil fuels, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.The world's biggest miner is reviewing its petroleum business and considering options including a trade sale, the report said, adding that the deliberations were still at an early stage and no final decision has been made."BHP does not comment on rumor or speculation," company spokesperson Judy Dane…
Biden to Target Drilling, Fossil Fuel Subsidies in New Climate Orders
President Joe Biden was set on Wednesday to sign executive actions to combat climate change, including pausing new oil and gas leases on federal land and cutting fossil fuel subsidies as he pursues green policies in stark contrast to those of his predecessor Donald Trump.The orders map out the direction for the Democratic president's climate change and environmental agenda and mark a reversal from Trump, a Republican businessman-turned-politician who sought to maximize U.S. oil, gas and coal output by removing regulations…
