Regions

U.S. Energy Acquires Two Refined Product Terminals in Illinois

(P&GJ) — With the addition of these facilities, U.S. Energy now owns and operates 37 terminals across nine states with a collective storage capacity of over eight million barrels.

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.

U.S. Claims Top Spot in LNG Exports for 2023, Achieving Record Levels

U.S. liquefied natural gas exports hit monthly and annual record highs in December, tanker tracking data showed, with analysts saying it positioned the United States to leapfrog Qatar and Australia to become the largest exporter of LNG in 2023.

Russian Pipeline Gas Exports to Europe Down 56% in 2023

Natural gas supplies to Europe by Russian energy giant Gazprom were down 55.6% to 28.3 billion cubic meters (Bcm) in 2023, Reuters calculations 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.

RNG Outlook Offers Mixed Message for Midstream

(P&GJ) – In mid-2023, the international management consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG) issued an assessment of renewable natural gas (RNG) that offered a mixed message.

Mexico Orders Pemex to Occupy Privately-Operated Hydrogen Plant

Mexico's government on Friday ordered state energy company Pemex to immediately take temporary control of a privately-operated hydrogen plant located inside one of its largest refineries.

Canadian Regulators Reject FortisBC's Okanagan Gas Pipeline Expansion Plan

(P&GJ) — The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) has denied FortisBC Energy Inc.’s application for its Okanagan Capacity Upgrade project, which includes the construction, installation, and operation of approximately 30 km (19 miles) of new natural gas pipeline.

Kinder Morgan Successfully Acquires NextEra’s 462-Mile Texas Pipeline System for $1.8 Billion

Kinder Morgan Inc. has successfully closed on its $1.815 billion acquisition of NextEra Energy Partners’ South Texas assets, which includes a set of integrated, large diameter high pressure natural gas pipeline systems that connect the Eagle Ford basin to key growing Mexico and Gulf Coast demand markets.

Projects December 2023

Western Midstream Partners closed its previously announced acquisition of Meritage Midstream Services II. The sale was funded with cash on hand and WES’s recent $600 million investment grade senior notes issuance.

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.

LNG Developer Tellurian Hires Financial Adviser Amid Leadership Changes, Debt Restructuring

Struggling liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Tellurian on Thursday said it has hired a financial adviser to assist in balance sheet management.

Shell Resumes LNG Loadings from Prelude Facility in Australia

Shell said on Thursday it has resumed loading LNG cargoes from its Prelude facility offshore Australia following major maintenance.

Engie Brasil Sells 15% Stake in Gas Pipeline Firm TAG to Canada's CDPQ for $641 Million

Engie Brasil said on Thursday it had reached a deal to sell a 15% stake in natural gas pipeline firm TAG to Canadian investment fund Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) for $641 million.

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.

Chatterjee Fund Management Boosts Stake in LNG Developer Tellurian to 7.3%

Chatterjee Fund Management has increased its stake in U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Tellurian Inc. to 7.3%, a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed on Wednesday, up from 5.2% previously.

At Least 40 Dead in Liberian Gas Tanker Explosion, Says Official

At least 40 people have died following the explosion of a gas tanker in north-central Liberia, the West African country's chief medical officer, Francis Kateh, said on Wednesday.

TotalEnergies to Sell 17.5% Stake in LNG Developer NextDecade

NextDecade said TotalEnergies has offered to sell a 17.5% stake in the U.S. liquified natural gas company.

Williams to Acquire 230 Miles of Gas Pipeline, 115 Bcf Storage for $1.95 Billion

Pipeline operator Williams said on Wednesday it would buy a portfolio of natural gas storage assets from an affiliate of Hartree Partners LP for $1.95 billion to cater to rising demand from liquefied natural gas projects.

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.

Foreign Shareholders Freeze Participation in Russia's Arctic LNG 2

Foreign shareholders suspended participation in the Arctic LNG 2 project due to sanctions, renouncing their responsibilities for financing and for offtake contracts for the new Russian LNG plant, the daily Kommersant reported on Monday.