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).
Halliburton claims hackers removed data from August cyberattack
Halliburton, a U.S. oilfield service firm, said Tuesday that an unauthorized third-party had accessed its systems and removed data. Details about the cyberattack first reported by were revealed. The company is currently evaluating what information was removed and how it was done, but said that this incident is unlikely to have any material impact. Halliburton refused to comment on'requests for additional information regarding the nature of the data removed and the expenses incurred as a result of the cyber incident.
Halliburton investigates cyber attacks with law enforcement
Halliburton, a leading U.S. oilfield service firm, said Friday that it was working with the law enforcement agencies to determine the scope of a breach in its computer system. It had not yet determined if this incident would have an impact on the company's business. In its first disclosure of the cyber breach, the $23 billion company said that it became aware of the attack on Wednesday. The company said that it has also taken certain systems off-line to protect them.
Exxon Secures Lead in top US Oilfield with $60B Buy of Shale Rival Pioneer
Exxon Mobil agreed to buy U.S. rival Pioneer Natural Resources in an all-stock deal valued at $59.5 billion that would make it the biggest producer in the largest U.S. oilfield and secure a decade of low-cost production.The deal, valued at $253 a share, combines the largest U.S. oil company with one of the most successful names to emerge from the shale revolution that turned the U.S. into the world's largest oil producer in little more than a decade.Exxon Chief Executive…
Shell Exits Permian with $9.5B Sale to ConocoPhillips. Its U.S. Output Now Mostly Offshore
Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday it would sell its Permian Basin assets to ConocoPhillips for $9.5 billion in cash, an exit from the largest U.S. oilfield for the energy major shifting its focus to the clean energy transition.For ConocoPhillips, it is the second sizable acquisition in a year in the heart of the U.S. shale industry, as American and European producers diverge in whether to focus on hydrocarbons going forward.Like all of the world's largest oil companies…
US Drillers Add Oil and Gas Rigs for Fifth Week in Six
U.S. energy firms this week added oil and natural gas rigs for the fifth time in six weeks although growth in the rig count over the past few months has slowed as drillers continue to focus on capital discipline despite firmer oil prices.The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose three to 491 in the week to Aug. 6, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday.The total rig count was up 244 rigs, or 99%, over this time last year.
U.S. Oil Firms Hit Brakes on Return-to-work as Virus Cases Soar
U.S. energy companies slammed the brakes on returning staff to their Houston offices as COVID-19 cases soared and top hospitals warned they could soon run out of beds for the most severely ill patients.A record number of new illnesses in Texas this week spurred local officials to impose restrictions as new cases topped 5,000 on two days in a row. Intensive care unit (ICU) beds were 97% full at Houston's Texas Medical Center, which said it may soon move to surge ICU capacity assignments…
U.S. Oil Firms' Quarterly Reports to Show Depths of Slump
Investors are in for more bad news on the energy front in the coming weeks as a host of the sector's biggest companies report quarterly results following the historic collapse in oil prices.Forecasts for U.S. energy sector earnings this year have dropped along with oil prices, weighing on shares along with worries over debt, layoffs and possible bankruptcies.Analysts see a 58.9% year-over-year decline in energy earnings for the first quarter, steeper even than the 37.7% decline they projected at the start of the month, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
NOV Warns Virus Fallout Could Hit Supply Chain
U.S. oilfield equipment supplier National Oilwell Varco on Friday called the coronavirus a "wildcard" in the oil industry's outlook, with an extended outbreak potentially hurting access to Chinese-make materials and foreign sales.The Houston-based company said further shutdowns at its Chinese suppliers could limit its production of certain products such as fiberglass resins and drilling pipe.For now, National Oilwell has the latitude to make up lost ground, executives added…
McDermott in Financing Deal of Up to $1.7 Bln
U.S. oilfield services company McDermott International Inc on Monday agreed with some of its lenders for additional funding of up to $1.7 billion, sending its shares up 25% in trading before the bell.Under the terms, the company said it would have immediate access to $650 million in financing, comprising $550 million under a term loan facility and $100 million under a letter of credit facility."The agreement provides near-term liquidity for the company to manage working capital and provide performance guarantees on expected new awards…
Schlumberger Scraps Bid for Eurasia Drilling Stake
U.S. oilfield services giant Schlumberger has withdrawn its bid for a stake in Russia's Eurasia Drilling Company (EDC) Russia's Federal Anti-monopoly Service (FAS) said on Monday.Schlumberger, which has its own business in Russia, said last month it would withdraw its application to buy a stake in EDC if it didn't get regulatory approvals soon.Schlumberger's office in Moscow had no immediate comment.The U.S. company had planned to acquire up to 49 percent of EDC, Russia's largest oil services provider.The withdrawal marks Schlumberger's second failed attempt to buy EDC.
Chevron Eyes Houston Ship Channel for 2nd US Gulf Refinery
Chevron Corp wants to build or buy a refinery along the U.S. Gulf Coast to process crude oil from its rapidly growing Permian Basin operations, a senior executive said on Tuesday.The company would like to have refining operations on the Houston Ship Channel, in the western part of the U.S. Gulf, to complement an existing eastern Gulf refinery in Mississippi that makes lubricants and other materials, Pierre Breber, Chevron's head of downstream and chemicals, said."Something on the ship channel side could make a lot of sense for our company…
RDIF, Schlumberger Aim to Reach Eurasia Drilling Deal Soon
Russia's RDIF sovereign wealth fund and U.S. oilfield services provider Schlumberger plan to complete a deal soon to buy a stake in Russia's Eurasia Drilling Company, RDIF boss Kirill Dmitriev was cited as saying by TASS news agency.Dmitriev told reporters separately that state oil pipeline monopoly Transneft was considering a share buyback but did not provide details.(Reporting by Darya Korsunskaya; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Jason Neely)
U.S. Shale Producer Magnolia Looks to Triple Market Footprint
U.S. oil producer Magnolia Oil & Gas Corp aims to at least triple in market valuation in coming years as it develops shale acreage across eastern and southern Texas, Chief Executive Steve Chazen said on Wednesday.Magnolia's shares have rallied about 33 percent this year alongside a rise in crude prices and as the company has focused on shareholder returns amidst rising pressure from Wall Street on the sector.The company, formed earlier this year by private equity firm TPG Capital and Chazen…
Texas Pipeline Blast Injures 7, Explosions Probed
Authorities on Thursday morning were investigating what caused a fire and a series of natural gas pipeline explosions on Wednesday in Midland County, Texas, which sent seven people to the hospital and shut down five lines before being extinguished late in the evening.Workers and firefighters were responding to a leak when the blast occurred, Midland County Fire Marshal Dale Little said on Thursday.Five workers with critical injuries were airlifted to University Medical Center in Lubbock…
US Oil Pipeline Companies, Producers Seek Relief from Steel Tariffs
Major U.S. energy companies including Plains All American Pipeline, Hess Corp and Kinder Morgan Inc are among many seeking exemptions from steel-import tariffs as the United States ratchets up trade tensions with exporters including China, Canada and Mexico.There have been nearly 21,000 requests overall for exclusions submitted to the U.S. Commerce Department since the Trump administration imposed levies this year. Of those, more than 500 petitions involve pipes and related materials.Initial decisions are expected this month…
US Drillers Add Oil Rigs for Second Week in a Row
U.S. energy companies added oil rigs for a second week in a row even though crude prices have declined about 7 percent over the past two weeks and analysts do not expect any big changes in the rig count for the rest of the year.Drillers added two oil rigs in the week to June 1, bringing the total count to 861, the highest level since March 2015, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said in its closely followed report on Friday.That was the eighth time drillers added rigs in the past nine weeks.The U.S.
US Oil Output Hits Record 10.47 Mln BPD in March
U.S. crude oil production jumped 215,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 10.47 million bpd in March, the highest on record, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a monthly report on Thursday.Production in Texas rose by 4 percent to almost 4.2 million bpd, a record high based on the data going back to 2005. The Permian basin, which stretches across West Texas and eastern New Mexico, is the largest U.S. oilfield.Output from North Dakota held around 1.2 million bpd…
Dallas Company Secures Permits to Expand Crude Export Hub at Texas Port
Jupiter MLP LLC, a Dallas-based logistics company, has secured permits to expand a crude export dock at the Port of Brownsville in Texas, the latest in a series of moves made by U.S. companies to tap into booming overseas shipments.The expanded dock space will be able to accommodate Suezmax-size vessels, the company said in a statement Thursday.Privately-held Jupiter has also begun the permitting process to build an offshore supertanker loading facility six miles (9.6 km) off the coast of Texas.The facility will be connected to the expanded dock…
US Oil Rig Count Continues Climb
The U.S. oil drilling rig count rose for the fourth week in a row and ended the month sharply higher as producers plan to boost output as they reap profits from crude trading near three-year highs.Drillers added five oil rigs in the week to April 27, bringing the total count to 825, the highest level since March 2015, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said in its closely followed report on Friday.For the month, drillers added 28 oil rigs in April after cutting two rigs in March. So far this year, the rig count has risen by 78.The U.S.
