Power failures that kept Venezuela in darkness for much of March also briefly slashed the country’s crude production by 50%, people familiar with the situation told Bloomberg. Rolling blackouts across much of the country that started on March 7 temporarily paralyzed most of the country’s oil industry, Kallanish Energy finds. Oil output averaged less than
Read More...Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has signed legislation funding an examination of the state’s natural gas distribution system, a move prompted by recent gas pipeline explosions, Kallanish Energy reports. In September, gas explosions and resulting fires in the state’s Merrimack Valley killed one person, injured at least 24, and damaged or destroyed more than 100 homes,
Read More...Brent crude oil prices Thursday pushed through $70 per barrel for the first time in nearly five months, as expectations of tight global supply outweighed pressure from rising U.S. production and lower global demand, Kallanish Energy reports. Brent futures touched $70.03/Bbl, the highest level since Nov. 12, when it last traded above $70/Bbl. The international benchmark for
Read More...Royal Dutch Shell Plc this week said it was leaving a U.S. refining lobbying organization in 2020 because the oil supermajor disagrees with the firm’s climate policy, Kallanish Energy learns. The oil giant, in its first review of its association with 19 industry groups, said it found “material misalignment” over climate policy with the American
Read More...Embattled PG&E Corp. and its utility Pacific Gas and Electric, on Wednesday announced the appointment of William “Bill” Johnson as president and CEO, Kallanish Energy reports. In addition, the company, currently operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, named 10 new board members, to be appointed at the company’s next board meeting. The San Francisco-based utility
Read More...Liquefied natural gas is expected to become a big part of China-U.S. trade once the dispute is resolved between the two countries, a senior executive from China National Offshore Oil Corp. (Cnooc) said Wednesday. LNG will also continue to dominate China’s natural gas imports, having accounted for 60% of its gas imports in 2018, said Cnooc vice
Read More...A federal judge in San Francisco is barring utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric from re-issuing dividends in favor of using the funds for reducing the risk of wildfires in the company’s service area. U.S. District Judge William Alsup, in a court hearing Tuesday, also said he will monitor PG&E’s compliance with new wildfire prevention
Read More...Energy midstreamer/transporter/storage giant Energy Transfer LP is opening an office in Beijing, looking to capitalize on China’s demand for ethane and other natural gas liquids. By opening its first office outside the U.S., Energy Transfer hopes to better leverage the increasing business opportunities in the export of energy products to China and other Asian markets,
Read More...The liquefied natural gas arm of oil supermajor Royal Dutch Shell has become the first customer of NextDecade’s proposed $15 billion Rio Grande LNG export terminal at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. NextDecade announced the 20-year sale and purchase agreement at the LNG2019 conference in Shanghai Monday night, Kallanish Energy learns. Under the deal, Shell will
Read More...ExxonMobil has held talks on the sale of a number of oil and gas fields in Nigeria, as the company focuses on developments in the U.S.’s Permian Basin and Guyana, industry and banking sources told Reuters. The potential sales are expected to include stakes in onshore and offshore fields and could raise up to $3
Read More...Oilfield services firm Parker Drilling Co. announced its common stock has been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Parker expects its common stock will begin trading tomorrow under the trading symbol “PKD,” the same trading symbol used for the company’s common when it was listed previously on the exchange. Last December, the
Read More...General Electric Renewable Energy held a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday in Rotterdam, The Netherlands for its behemoth 12-megawatt wind turbine. Designed as an offshore wind turbine, the GE Haliade-X 12 will be built onshore to “facilitate access for testing.” Construction of the turbine’s foundations began earlier this year. Its nacelle, blades and tower parts will arrive later this
Read More...Crude oil jumped more than 2%, to new 2019 highs Monday, with Brent crude touching $69 a barrel, after positive signs for the global economy and tighter supplies powered West Texas Intermediate and Brent prices. U.S. WTI futures settled up $1.45, or 2.4%, to $61.59/Bbl, after reaching their highest price in nearly five months, at $61.72/Bbl,
Read More...Japanese refineries have stopped importing Iranian oil after buying 15.3 million barrels between January and March ahead of the expiration of a temporary waiver on U.S. sanctions, according to industry sources and data on Refinitiv Eikon, Reuters reported. The waiver, which allowed Japan to buy crude from Iran for an extra 180 days, expires in early May,
Read More...U.S. refiner Citgo Petroleum said last week it received $1.2 billion in financing via a five-year Term Loan B, with participation from roughly 35 financial institutions. As part of the transaction, Citgo’s $320 million accounts receivable securitization facility and $900 million revolver, with maturities in May and July, 2019, respectively, were retired, Kallanish Energy reports. “The significant interest in
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