Aug. 27 (oilprice.com) The Trump administration is reportedly in active discussions with Venezuela’s interim government to acquire a direct U.S. ownership stake in key Venezuelan oil fields. According to senior U.S. officials cited by Axios, the talks involve equity stakes in a select group of high-yield fields containing approximately 90 billion barrels of proven crude—a transaction... Continue Reading →
Shell Puts Aphrodite Gas Project off Trinidad On Hold
Aug. 25 (Reuters) British oil major Shell has shelved its Aphrodite offshore gas project in Trinidad and Tobago after disagreements over commercial terms with Trinidad's National Gas Company, three people familiar with the decision said on Monday. Shell had given the project a positive final investment decision last year, but it has decided for now... Continue Reading →
Venezuela’s Oil Revival Is Slower Than the U.S. Hoped
Aug. 24 (oilprice.com) More than half a year after the U.S. captured and extracted Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela, the biggest American oil firms haven’t returned to operating oilfields in the world’s largest oil reserves holder. Chevron, which has operated in Venezuela throughout Maduro’s reign, is extracting and exporting oil to the U.S., but neither ExxonMobil... Continue Reading →
SLB, Formentera working to activate drilling rigs in Venezuela, executives say
Aug 19 (Reuters) - Oil service provider SLB and private equity firm Formentera Partners are working to either reactivate oil rigs in Venezuela or import additional rigs into the country in the coming months, executives from both firms said on Wednesday during a conference in Houston. Energy-focused Formentera is in discussions with international service providers to... Continue Reading →
Venezuela Signs Oil Deals With SLB and Hunt to Boost Production
Aug. 19 (oilprice.com) Venezuela has signed deals with oilfield service major SLB and Hunt Oil Co. as part of efforts to boost investment in its key energy industry, Bloomberg reported, citing a TV statement made by the South American country’s oil minister, Paula Henao. One of the deals involves development of two fields and the other... Continue Reading →
BP granted license for Venezuela’s Loran gas field in partnership with XRG, UCC
Aug 13 (Reuters) - BP, in partnership with United Arab Emirates' firm XRG and a unit of Qatar's conglomerate UCC Holding, has secured a license to explore and develop the second phase of Venezuela's offshore Loran gas field, the British company and government officials said on Thursday. The agreement, signed in Caracas and broadcast on... Continue Reading →
BP to sell 20% stake in Manakin gas field to Trinidad’s NGC
Aug 10 (Reuters) - BP has agreed to sell a 20% stake in a block that contains the Trinidad portion of the cross-border Cocuina-Manakin natural gas field to the country's state-owned National Gas Company, the company said on Monday in an emailed statement. BP and NGC signed the deal for the stake in the Manakin portion... Continue Reading →
India eyes Venezuela blocks operatorship
Aug 5 (Reuters) - India's top explorer, Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), hopes to soon sign agreements with Venezuela to operate two oil blocks under the South American nation's new petroleum law, its finance chief said on Wednesday. State-run ONGC, through its overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh, holds a 40% stake in the San... Continue Reading →
Chevron Posts Strongest Quarterly Profit in Six Years
July 31 (Reuters) Chevron surpassed analyst estimates for second-quarter earnings on Friday, reporting its highest quarterly profit in at least six years as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupts world energy markets, boosting profits for the biggest oil companies. Adjusted earnings of $12 billion, or $6.06 per share, beat the average analyst estimate of $5.56... Continue Reading →
Guyana’s Oil Boom Matters More Than Ever
July 30 (oilprice.com) In a surprise development, the tiny South American nation of Guyana recently emerged as a major oil exporter. In a mere four years, the former British colony of one million went from first discovery to first oil. Guyana has cemented its place among South America’s leading oil producers, pumping nearly one million barrels per... Continue Reading →