Offshore

Tight Market for Sour Crude Oil to Squeeze US Gulf Coast Refiners

The oil-producing group's 500,000 barrel per day cut will reduce stocks of sour crudes as U.S. oil refiners ramp up purchases for summer driving season.

Focus: BP Ventures Back into Oil Frontiers to Boost Output

BP is ramping up oil exploration and drilling activity in frontier prospects as the energy giant tries to stem a decline in its oil and gas output after years of focusing on a shift to renewables to cut carbon emissions.

Equinor, Partners to Invest $9 Billion in New Gas Field Off Brazil

Gas from the offshore field will be directly injected into the national gas grid via a 200-km (124-mile) pipeline landing at the city of Macae in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

As Oil Output Peaks, US Gulf of Mexico Makes Room for Carbon Capture

Some companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp., have been dumping assets in the Gulf, the nation's primary offshore source of oil, and are instead targeting capturing and storing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases underground.

STATS Claims Record Diameter for Subsea Pipeline Intervention

(P&GJ) — Pipeline technology specialist STATS Group has been commissioned to complete a range of work in the Asian Gulf that is believed to include a record subsea intervention on a 56-inch pipeline.

Hess, Exxon Make New Oil Discovery in Guyana’s Stabroek Block

The discovery on the group's Stabroek Block is the latest of more than 30 in the South American country's offshore waters since 2015. Hess holds a 30% stake in the consortium and said the discovery may help justify a new oil project.

Offshore Innovation Seen as Key to Overcoming Obstacles

(P&GJ) — At mid-year 2022, an online industry report service using artificial intelligence (AI) enabled analytic tools released a worldwide assessment of offshore oil and natural gas prospects with a decidedly upbeat tenor.

Chevron Seeks Drilling Ship to Expand East Med Gas Search

Chevron is seeking a drilling ship to explore for natural gas off Cyprus, Egypt and Israel as the U.S. energy major looks to meet growing demand in the region and Europe, two sources told Reuters.

Shell Restarts Pierce Field Operations in UK North Sea

Shell Plc said on Tuesday it had restarted operations at the Pierce field in the UK Central North Sea, following an upgrade to allow gas to be produced at the location after years of it producing only oil.

Libya's Mellitah Oil Reopens Gas Well in Mediterranean

Libya's National Oil Corp. announced on Saturday the reopening of a gas well operated by Mellitah Oil and Gas Company on its Sabratha Platform in the Mediterranean Sea.

Rare Shipments of Forties Crude Head to East Coast Refiners

U.S. and Canadian refiners have turned to North Sea "Forties" crude oil for the first time in seven years in the latest sign of changing global oil flows from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

JDR Secures Umbilical Contract with Petrogas Transportation

(P&GJ) — JDR, the global subsea cable supplier and servicer, has been awarded a contract by Petrogas E&P Netherlands to supply two umbilicals for the A15 and B10 offshore conventional gas fields in the Netherlands.

QatarEnergy Picks Up Stakes from Exxon in Canadian Offshore Blocks

Qatar's state-owned energy company on Wednesday signed a deal to acquire from Exxon Mobil stakes in two Canadian offshore explorations block, the latest in the Gulf state's efforts to expand its global oil and gas portfolio.

BP, ADNOC Offer to Buy 50% of Gas Producer NewMed Energy for $2 Billion

BP and Abu Dhabi's state oil giant ADNOC on Tuesday offered to jointly acquire 50% of Israeli offshore natural gas producer NewMed Energy for around $2 billion, making their entry into Israel's growing energy sector.

Gas Producer Energean Is Looking to Increase Israel FPSO Capacity, CEO Says

Gas producer Energean is looking at options to increase the capacity of its floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel off Israel to 12 Bcm a year, CEO Mathios Rigas told Reuters on Thursday.

Exxon Considers Selling Stake in LNG Terminal Offshore Italy

Exxon Mobil Corp. is considering selling its majority stake in Italy's main regasification terminal as part of a wider strategy to divest from noncore assets, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

Guyana Sees Natural Gas as The Next Frontier After Oil

Guyana, the South American country that is home to the world's largest oil discoveries in a decade, next wants to develop its mostly untapped natural gas reserves, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said on Sunday.

Europe Takes Steps Toward Developing Hydrogen Pipeline Network

German energy firm RWE and Norwegian oil and gas producer Equinor are planning the construction of new combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGTs) in Germany, blue hydrogen production facilities in Norway, and the implementation of hydrogen pipelines between the two countries.

New Fortress Plans to Start Producing LNG at Altamira, Mexico in July

U.S. company New Fortress Energy Inc. said on Tuesday it planned to finish building its first Fast LNG unit in May before moving the plant to offshore Altamira in Mexico in June and producing LNG there in July.

EOG Resources Says Low Natural Gas Prices Not Changing Drilling Plan

U.S. oil and gas producer EOG Resources on Friday said it had no plans to alter its strategy around new natural gas drilling, despite a sharp decline in prices this year. Rival producers, including Chesapeake Energy, Southwestern Energy and Comstock Resources, have said this month they are pulling back on drilling after U.S. gas prices tumbled 50% this year.

DNV Kicks Off Phase Two of Offshore Hydrogen Pipeline Project H2Pipe

(P&GJ) — Phase 2 of H2Pipe will include a feasibility-level design of offshore hydrogen pipelines and a risk assessment study to examine the safety aspects of offshore hydrogen pipelines. The project's primary outcome is expected to be a detailed guideline offering specific guidance for use in the design and re-purposing of offshore pipelines for hydrogen transport. Phase 2 of H2Pipe is planned to start in Q1 2023 and last 2 years.

Louisiana Slams EPA Over Lack of Urgency on Carbon-Project Approvals

Louisiana and other top oil-producing states say they can speed up permitting of carbon sequestration projects if allowed to handle decisions that currently fall under the EPA. There are dozens of these projects with multimillion-dollar price tags proposed by energy firms around the United States.

Woodside, Partners to Pick Plan for Timor Sea Sunrise Gas Project Soon

Woodside Energy Group and its partners on Monday formally committed to working rapidly to pick the best option for developing the Greater Sunrise natural gas field, factoring in for the first time the potential benefits for East Timor.

Analysis-Pipeline Blasts Leave Nord Stream in Insurance Limbo

With the mystery of the blasts that destroyed undersea gas pipelines between Russia and Germany unsolved, Nord Stream 1's insurers and reinsurers are grappling with how to respond to hundreds of millions of dollars in potential claims.

West Africa Wants Eni to Start Production at Newly Discovered Field to Meet Gas Demand

Ivory Coast wants Italy's Eni to bring its recently discovered offshore field to full production earlier than a planned 2026 timeline to meet local and regional gas demand, its mines and petroleum minister said on Tuesday.

Guyana May Develop Offshore Oil Prospects on Its Own

Guyana could form a national oil and gas company to oversee its own exploration instead of conducting an offshore drilling auction this year, a government official told international oil executives on Tuesday.

Peru Facing Fuel Shortage after Suspending Repsol Operations

Peru is facing a fuel shortage after the government banned Repsol SA from unloading any new oil into a local refinery after a large oil spill last month, its new prime minister said Thursday.

Norway Approves Development of Equinor's Kristin South Project

Norway approved plans to develop several Equinor-operated gas and condensate discoveries in the Norwegian Sea, with gas to be exported to Europe via an existing offshore pipeline system

U.S. Hurricane Damage to Cut Shell Oil Output Through Year-End

Damage to offshore transfer facilities from Hurricane Ida will cut production into early next year, slashing deliveries of a type of crude oil prized by refiners. The prolonged shut-in of the WD-143 platform would also affect smaller operators which use the Mars pipeline.

Colonial Pipeline Shuts, Power Outages Rise as Nicholas Brings Rains, Wind

The largest U.S. fuel line shut down on Tuesday due to power outages caused by Nicholas, which made landfall as a hurricane before weakening on Tuesday, the second U.S. Gulf storm in as many weeks.