Petrobras Bearish ADR Bets Climb to Record Amid Probe, Oil Rout By Julia Leite 2:18 PM BRT April 8, 2015 (Bloomberg) Traders are increasing wagers that a $264 billion erosion in the value of Petroleo Brasileiro SA isn’t over yet. Bets that the company’s American depositary receipts will drop have nearly doubled this year to... Continue Reading →

Brazil Minister Suggests Debate on Easing Pre-Salt Oil Rules By Sabrina Valle Anna Edgerton 12:48 PM BRT April 8, 2015 (Bloomberg) Brazil opened the door for a debate on allowing foreign oil companies to operate in a region holding some of the world’s biggest discoveries this century as the state-owned producer struggles to emerge from... Continue Reading →

Petrobras Crisis Finds New Victim as Bond Loses 34% in Two Days By Peter Millard Filipe Pacheco Francisco Marcelino 8:22 PM BRT April 7, 2015 Schahin Oil & Gas SA, a domestic rig supplier to Brazil’s state crude producer, is emerging as the latest casualty of the nation’s sprawling graft scandal. Schahin’s $651 million of... Continue Reading →

If History Is Any Guide, Big Deals Signal Oil Market Bottoming By Timothy Coulter 12:22 PM BRT April 8, 2015 (Bloomberg) Oil companies have a knack for picking the bottom in crude prices, and history may be about to repeat itself. Traders and analysts are speculating that Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s takeover of BG Group... Continue Reading →

Wed Apr 8, 2015 10:54am EDT Shell challenges Exxon dominance with $70 billion bid for BG LONDON | BY DMITRY ZHDANNIKOV AND KAROLIN SCHAPS (Reuters) - RoyalDutch Shell (L) agreed to buy smaller rival BG Group (BG.L) for 47 billion pounds ($70.2 billion) in the first major energy industry merger in more than a decade, closing the gap on market leader... Continue Reading →

Wed Apr 8, 2015 7:29am EDT SBM Offshore denies report of $1.7 billion Brazil settlement AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - SBM Offshore the Dutch oil and gas platform leasing company, denied a media report that it has reached a $1.7 billion settlement with Brazilian authorities over corruption allegations. "Discussions with Brazilian authorities are at an early stage... Continue Reading →

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8e708780-ddc1-11e4-8d14-00144feab7de.html#ixzz3Wj6QShIA April 8, 2015 9:08 am Five questions for Shell over BG Group deal Michael Kavanagh The BG Idku gas hub off Egypt's coast Why is BG particularly attractive to Shell? Although Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden is generally admired for his conservative approach on tackling costs and maintaining dividend flow, the Anglo-Dutch company is also... Continue Reading →

Shell-BG Deal Puts Pressure on Big Oil to Consolidate Again By Javier Blas 8:47 AM BRT April 8, 2015 (Bloomberg) In the words of Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s boss, the fundamental logic behind his decision to buy BG Group Plc “always existed.” What pushed the $70 billion deal over the finish line was that it... Continue Reading →