catchup
Saturday, 04 July, 2009, 11:20 GMT | more >>
Hess resumes WA drill
Thursday, 02 July, 2009, 03:06 GMT

US independent Hess has resumed deep-water exploration drilling in the same block off Western Australia (WA) where it made three discoveries last year.

 
GC Rieber cancels $33m vessel order
Thursday, 02 July, 2009, 02:49 GMT

Singapore listed Otto Marine said its joint venture with GC Rieber has cancelled a newbuild order worth €23.5 million ($33.1 million) with its shipyard.

AWE delves deeper at Apium North
Thursday, 02 July, 2009, 02:23 GMT

Australian Worldwide Exploration is set to deepen the Apium North-1 gas exploration well in the onshore North Perth basin after wireline logs found the primary target Dongara sandstone was dry.

 
Russia offers Turkey slice of South Stream
Thursday, 02 July, 2009, 02:03 GMT

Russia has offered Turkey a role in its South Stream gas pipeline to Europe, Russian news agencies reported yesterday, marking another Russian attempt to undermine the European Union's rival Nabucco project.

Sembcorp scores second SeaDragon gig
Thursday, 02 July, 2009, 02:00 GMT

Sembcorp Marine offshoot Jurong Shipyard has sealed a second order from UK-based SeaDragon unit Oban B to complete and deliver a semi-submersible drilling unit.

 
Iraq denies done deal for Nassiriya
Thursday, 02 July, 2009, 01:52 GMT

Iraq is still negotiating with Japan's Nippon Oil and Italy’s Eni over the huge Nassiriya oilfield, Iraqi oil officials said yesterday.

Browse LNG in doubt due to costs
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 22:54 GMT

Construction of a liquefied natural gas processing plant in western Australia looks increasingly unlikely due to escalating costs and discord among joint venture partners.

 
YPF takes Uruguay prize
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 22:27 GMT

Repsol subsidiary YPF has won a bid to explore for oil in offshore blocks near the coast of Uruguay, the company said.

BG exercises option for T&T block
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 21:26 GMT

UK-based BG Group exercised an option for a gas development block offshore southeast Trinidad, preempting a $142.5 million offer by Centrica.

 
PDVSA to offer $3bn bond internationally
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 21:02 GMT

PDVSA will register its $3 billion bond offering in international markets, making it easier for investors to use the securities to obtain dollars before they mature in 2011.

Savanna supplies rigs to Mexico
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 20:03 GMT

Savanna Energy Services has entered into a contract with a large US based, multi-service provider to deploy four existing rigs from its Canadian/US fleet into the Chicontepec region in central eastern Mexico.

 
Reliance contests gas ruling
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 18:56 GMT

India's Reliance Industries said today it would appeal to the Supreme Court against a ruling that it should enter into a gas supply agreement with former group firm Reliance Natural Resources.

UK union not happy with BP's plan
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 18:18 GMT

One of the main unions representing the UK offshore oil and gas industry responded angrily today to plans from oil giant BP and its contractors to reduce wages in order to cut costs.

 
Norway starts Troms II shoot
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 17:31 GMT

The Norwegian government has kicked off seismic surveys in the Troms II area near the scenic Lofoten islands, which environmental groups say should be permanently out of bounds to oil and gas drilling.

Support boat sinks off Qatar
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 17:10 GMT

Nearly thirty people are feared dead after an offshore support vessel capsized and sank off Qatar.

 
SandRidge closes on Texas sale
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 16:23 GMT

Oklahoma independent SandRidge Energy netted about $58 million from the sale of its drilling rights in East Texas below the depth of the Cotton Valley formation.

PGS names seismic boat
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 15:56 GMT

Norwegian seismic outfit Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) has named its newest vessel, the Ramform Sterling, at the shipyard where it is being built in Tomrefjord, Norway.

 
Boa launches new marine contracting unit
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 15:22 GMT

Norwegian group Boa Offshore has established a new offshore contracting unit based in Houston named Boa Marine Services under former Aker Marine Contractors US president Helge Roraas.

Petrobras re-opens 2019 bonds
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 14:57 GMT

Brazilian state-controlled oil company Petrobras expects to sell at least $500 million of 2019 global bonds in a re-opening expected to finish as early today, according to sources.

 
Ashgabat invites Russia for gas row chat
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 14:53 GMT

Turkmen leader Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov today invited Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Turkmenistan for the first meeting since the start of a gas row which has halted Turkmen gas shipments to Russia.

Gazprom stirs racism talk with new gig
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 12:47 GMT

Russian energy giant Gazprom has inadvertently walked into an online racism debate with the announcement of its new joint venture in Nigeria - Nigaz.

 
Iraq rejects all but BP Rumaila bid
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 12:36 GMT

Iraq today approved a contract for BP and China National Petroleum Corporation to expand its massive Rumaila oilfield but rejected other bids for deals it had hoped would revive its struggling oil and gas sector.

Acergy lines up Oz gig
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 12:10 GMT

London-based subsea services company Acergy said today it has won a SURF contract from BHP Billiton for construction support services for a floating production storage offloading project off Western Australia.

 
ExxonMobil sells stake in Indonesia blocks
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 11:55 GMT

ExxonMobil has sold a 20% share in two offshore exploration blocks in Indonesia to Malaysia's state oil company Petronas, an official at the country's energy watchdog said today.

Arkex scoops up frontier Greenland study
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 11:41 GMT

Geophysical services company Arkex said today it has been awarded a contract by Cairn Energy and partner Nunaoil to carry out the first ever marine gravity gradiometry survey off the western coast of Greenland.

 
China oil flow up on new Kazakh pipe
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 10:55 GMT

China secured access to vast oil deposits in western Kazakhstan today after the energy-rich Central Asian nation said it had completed the expansion of a major oil pipeline to its eastern neighbour.

AGR bags $1.64m North Sea job
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 09:11 GMT

Aberdeen-based AGR Petroleum Services has scooped up a £1 million ($1.64 million) contract from North Sea operator Premier Oil to provide subsurface management services.

 
Gazprom plans $1.5bn Eurobond
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 09:00 GMT

Russia's Gazprom plans to issue a$1.5 billion of Eurobonds and will use part of the proceeds to finance the acquisition by its oil arm, Gazprom Neft, of Sibir Energy, according to reports.

Poland eyes deal to boost Russia gas
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 08:53 GMT

Poland hopes to sign an agreement with Russia's Gazprom by the end of August to increase gas supplies by 2 billion to 3 billion cubic metres from 2010, a PGNiG official said today.

 
Zhaikmunai on hunt for cash
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 08:35 GMT

Kazakh oil producer Zhaikmunai said today it was in talks with lenders about possible waivers on its debt covenants after "various events of default" led to a $100 million credit line being cut off.

Siem Offshore cashes up
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 08:19 GMT

Norway's Siem Offshore said today it has raised Nkr900 million ($140.9 million) in a private placement at Nkr8.5 per share, providing it with finance for its entire newbuilding programme.

 
Aker expands Batam plant
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 08:07 GMT

Aker Solutions has expanded its Batam plant by 50% after investing $17 million into the upgrading of the manufacturing facility for subsea trees and wellheads.

First flows from Don Southwest
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 08:01 GMT

First oil has flowed from the Petrofac Energy operated Don Southwest field in Block 211/18a off the UK and two production wells are now on-stream.

 
GC Reiber scraps newbuild 7037
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 07:56 GMT

Norwegian shipowner GC Reiber said today it has cancelled the order for newbuild 7037 due to ‘significant delays’.

Flex eyes first gas from Timor Sea
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 07:48 GMT

Norway-based Flex LNG is targeting to start up liquefied natural gas production from a gas field in the Timor Sea as early as late 2013.

 
Equatorial Guinea nears second LNG train
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 07:10 GMT

Equatorial Guinea's state-owned company Sonagas expects to receive a master plan on 7 July that could pave the way for the country’s second liquefied natural gas train.

Galoc remains shut-in on FPSO woes
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 06:53 GMT

The Galoc oil field in the Philippines Service Contract 54 remains shut-in after the passing of a bad weather spell, as its operator struggles to reconnect the Rubicon Intrepid floating production, storage and offloading vessel.

 
Reliance refuses to sign KG deal
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 05:59 GMT

India's Reliance Industries said it could not sign a gas supply agreement with Reliance Natural Resources as there was no clarity on government approval for the terms.

Total secures Kalimantan gas deal
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 05:53 GMT

A unit of France's Total has signed a deal to supply an Indonesian power plant belonging to a district company in East Kalimantan province, an official at the regional company said today.

 

Oil price comment

Oil falls on gasoline inventories

Oil prices fell today to settle at $69 after government data showed an increase in US gasoline inventories ahead of the 4 July Independence Day holiday, traditionally the peak of the summer driving season.

VicPet buoyed by Snatcher-1
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 05:38 GMT

Australia’s Victoria Petroleum (VicPet) said wireline logs run in the Snatcher-1 exploration well has confirmed the presence of oil in the wildcat drilled in the PEL 111 permit of the Cooper basin.

 
Bowen pair hailed for CBM promise
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 05:19 GMT

The first coalbed methane reserves in the Tilbrook and Paranui pilots of the Queensland’s Bowen basin have been certified to be over 400 petajoules (PJ), according to Australia’s Westside Corporation.

Hyundai lays keel for Usan FPSO
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 03:44 GMT

South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries yesterday held a keel-laying ceremony for the Usan floating, production, storage and offloading vessel in the specially designed H-dock.

 
Pertamina eyes West Qurna
Wednesday, 01 July, 2009, 03:17 GMT

Indonesia’s Pertamina is exploring a joint bid with two other partners for West Qurna block onshore Iraq.

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