Oil

Motiva Enterprises Initiates 45-Day Overhaul, Temporarily Shuts CDU, Coker at Largest U.S. Refinery

Motiva Enterprises is scheduled to shut the large crude distillation unit (CDU) and large coker at its 626,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery by Monday, people familiar with the company’s plans said on Friday.

Nigeria's Top Court Says Shell's Appeal Should Be Heard After Oil Spill Claim

Nigeria's Supreme Court on Friday ruled that Shell should be granted a hearing over an alleged oil spill in the Niger Delta after the Court of Appeal halted an asset sale and ordered a judgement claim to be paid prior to hearing its case.

Mexico's Newest Olmeca Oil Refinery Projected to Process 243,000 bpd in 2024

Mexican state oil company Pemex's top executive estimated on Thursday that the firm's newest refinery will process 243,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude in 2024 during its first year of operations, before ramping up to near full capacity in 2025.

Biden Administration Slowly Puts Oil Back into the SPR Emergency Stash

The administration of President Joe Biden is slowly putting oil back into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, after selling a record amount from the emergency stockpile in 2022.

TotalEnergies Appoints Expert to Evaluate Land Acquisition for Uganda, Tanzania Pipeline Projects

CEO Patrick Pouyanné has tasked Lionel Zinsou, a recognized expert in African economic development, with evaluating the land acquisition program conducted in Uganda and Tanzania as part of the Tilenga and EACOP (East African Crude Oil Pipeline) projects.

EOG President: U.S. Oil and Gas Production Growth to Slow in 2024

U.S. oil and gas production will not continue to grow this year at the pace that it did in 2023, U.S. shale producer EOG Resources President Lloyd Helms said on Thursday.

APA to Acquire Rival Callon Petroleum in $4.5 Billion Deal

U.S. oil producer APA said on Thursday it was buying rival Callon Petroleum in an all-stock transaction valued at $4.5 billion including debt, following on the heels of a record year for dealmaking in the largest U.S. shale field.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Eyes March or May for Line Fill in Long-Delayed Expansion

Trans Mountain Corp. plans to begin line fill in March or May on its long-delayed Canadian oil pipeline expansion, depending on the diameter of pipe it uses and assuming no new problems, the Canadian government-owned company said in a filing on Wednesday.

Crescent Point Completes Hammerhead Acquisition for Increased Oil Production in Alberta

(P&GJ) — Crescent Point Energy Corp. has successfully completed its acquisition of Hammerhead Energy Inc., an oil and liquids-rich Alberta Montney producer.

U.S. Looks to Buy 3 Million Barrels of Domestic Crude to Replenish Strategic Petroleum Reserve

The U.S. is seeking to buy up to 3 million barrels of U.S.-produced sour crude oil for delivery in April to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the Department of Energy said in a statement on Wednesday.

India Boosts Saudi Oil Imports in December Amidst Decline in Russian Purchases

India increased imports of Saudi oil in December as payment problems drove its Russian oil buys to an 11-month low, with at least five cargoes of the sweet Sokol variant heading to other locations, data from vessel tracking agencies showed.

Saudi Aramco, China's Rongsheng in Advanced Talks for Mutual Stake Purchase in Refining Units

Chinese privately-controlled refiner Rongsheng Petrochemical and Saudi Aramco are in talks for the Chinese company to buy a 50% stake in the Saudi company's refining unit SASREF, a filing showed on Tuesday.

PetroChina Assumes Lead Role as ExxonMobil Completes West Qurna 1 Operations

U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil Corp. has formally exited the West Qurna 1 oilfield in southern Iraq and handed over its operations to PetroChina as lead contractor, a deputy oil minister told Reuters on Monday.

U.S. Oil Output Records First Monthly Drop Since April, Easing Oversupply Concerns

U.S. crude oil output fell slightly in October to 13.248 million barrels per day, the first monthly decline since April, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Dec. 29.

Petrobras Reports Start of Production at Sepetiba FPSO in Brazil's Santos Basin

Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras' Sepetiba floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit started production on Sunday, the oil giant said in a securities filing.

Nigeria Aims to Raise Oil, Condensates Output to 2.6 Million bpd by 2026

Nigeria's upstream oil regulator on Monday announced an annual oil and condensates production target of 2.6 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2026, an ambitious jump from 2023 levels of around 1.6 million bpd.

Global News January 2024

Latest industry developments from around the world!

Editor’s Notebook: In Canada, A Tale of Two Pipelines

Well, well, well. It looks as if Canada is likely to be in the market for some new pipelines if word that the nation’s oil and gas producers plan to drill 8% more wells in 2024 comes to pass.

Qatar to Supply Crude Oil to Shell in Five-Year Deal

Qatar has agreed to supply Shell in Singapore with up to 18 million barrels of oil a year for five years in what the Gulf state's energy company said was its first ever five-year crude sales deal.

Real-Time Monitoring Helps Trans Mountain Expansion Stay on Track

(P&GJ) — Navigating diverse terrains for the $31 billion Trans Mountain Expansion Project posed challenges. Learn how obstacles like roads, rivers, and railroads impacted this major oil pipeline installation.

Russian Oil Output to Hold Steady or Increase in 2024, Defying Earlier Sanctions Impact

Oil output in Russia, the third largest producer in the world after the United States and Saudi Arabia, is expected to be steady or even to increase next year as Moscow has largely overcome Western sanctions, analysts said.

Oil Producers Canadian Natural, MEG Urge Regulator to Back Trans Mountain Request

Canadian oil producers Canadian Natural Resources and MEG Energy are urging the country's energy regulator to approve Trans Mountain Corp.'s latest request for a change to building its pipeline expansion, saying timely completion is critical.

U.S. Adds Another 3 Million Barrels of Oil to Strategic Reserve

The United States has finalized contracts to purchase three million barrels of oil to help replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) after the largest sale in history last year, the U.S. Department of Energy said on Tuesday.

Big Oil Enters 2024 Strengthened by U.S. Industry Consolidation

The oil and gas industry went on a $250 billion buying spree in 2023, taking advantage of companies' high stock prices to secure lower-cost reserves and prepare for the next upheaval in an industry likely to undergo more consolidation.

Oil Prices Stabilize Amid Middle East Tensions and Anticipation of U.S. Rate Cut

Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday as investors focused on geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and optimism the U.S. Federal Reserve would soon start cutting interest rates, lifting global economic growth and fuel demand.

Russia Plans to Cut Seaborne Oil Exports by 100,000-200,000 bpd in January

Russia plans to cut oil exports from its sea ports in January by 100,000-200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from December levels amid increased throughput at its refineries, three industry sources familiar with export plans told Reuters.

ConocoPhillips Grants Final Approval for $8 Billion Willow Oil Project in Alaska

U.S. oil giant ConocoPhillips on Friday gave the financial greenlight to its $8 billion Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska.

Canada Commits Additional $1.5 Billion in Loans for Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

The Canadian government is backing up to $1.5 billion in new commercial loans for Trans Mountain Corp., the crown corporation building an over-budget and long-delayed oil pipeline expansion to the Pacific coast.

Equinor Unloads Azerbaijan Assets, Including BTC Pipeline

Norway's Equinor said on Friday it has agreed to sell its assets in Azerbaijan to state-owned energy firm SOCAR, including interests in the ACG oilfield and the BTC pipeline for an undisclosed price.

Harbour Energy Strikes $11.2 Billion Deal for Wintershall Dea Assets

Britain's Harbour Energy on Thursday agreed to acquire Wintershall Dea's non-Russian oil and gas assets in a $11.2 billion share and cash deal with BASF and LetterOne that creates one of the world's largest independent producers.