International

IEA Sees Flattening Oil Production, Lower Demand Growth

IEA Sees Flattening Oil Production, Lower Demand Growth

Production growth nearly flat

Month-over-month production growth was nearly flat from August to September, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) September Oil Market Report. World oil supply held steady near 96.6 MMBOPD as lower non-OPEC production was offset …

Genie Energy Confirms 350 Meters of Net Pay in Golan Heights Discovery

Genie Energy Confirms 350 Meters of Net Pay in Golan Heights Discovery

While sizable, it remains unclear if it can be economically or technically produced

Afek Oil and Gas, an Israeli subsidiary of U.S. Genie Energy (ticker: GNE) has found substantial amounts of oil and gas in the Golan Heights. According to

Source: theiet.org

Iraq Oil Revenues Could Slide by 35%

Members of Iraq’s parliament downplay 5 million barrels of oil output

A number of Iraqi lawmakers downplayed a recent report from Moody’s Insurance that the country’s oil output could reach 5 million barrels per day. The members of parliament said …

October 5, 2015 - 3:48 pm International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, OPEC
Shell Ramps up African Offshore Drilling with 50 MBOPD Expansion; VAALCO’s North Tchibala 1-H Well Producing Offshore Gabon

Shell Ramps up African Offshore Drilling with 50 MBOPD Expansion; VAALCO’s North Tchibala 1-H Well Producing Offshore Gabon

Shell starts third phase offshore Nigeria in Bonga field

Royal Dutch Shell (ticker: RDSA) said today that it is starting the third phase of its Bonga field production offshore Nigeria. The third phase of the project will have a peak …

Russian Oil Output Highest Since Collapse of the Soviet Union

Russian Oil Output Highest Since Collapse of the Soviet Union

Russia Hits Post-Soviet Record of 10.74 MMBOPD

Russian oil output hit 10.74 million barrels a day in September, the highest level of production seen in the country since the fall of the Soviet Union, reports The Wall street Journal. …

Sub $50 Oil is Giving OPEC Countries a Sharp Pain:  Who will be First to Cave?

Sub $50 Oil is Giving OPEC Countries a Sharp Pain: Who will be First to Cave?

OPEC gulf producers look to stay the course for now

A global over-supply of crude oil has sent the price for the commodity down to historic lows since June of 2014, when the prices for Brent and WTI crude were …

Ukraine to Purchase $1.3 Billion in NatGas from Russia

Ukraine to Purchase $1.3 Billion in NatGas from Russia

Ukraine and Russia agree on a new “Winter Deal”

After months of negotiation mediated by the European Union, Russia and Ukraine have come to an agreement on the price for gas from Russian monopoly Gazprom (ticker: OGZPY) for the coming …

September 30, 2015 - 4:46 pm International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles
China has Reduced its Shale Drilling & Completion Costs by 23%

China has Reduced its Shale Drilling & Completion Costs by 23%

As China looks for way to meet more of its natural gas demand domestically, it has looked to improving the economics of its own shale gas development. While China is one of four countries currently producing commercial volumes of shale …

An Interview with Manitok Energy CEO Mass Geremia –  Part Two

An Interview with Manitok Energy CEO Mass Geremia –  Part Two

Manitok Energy Talks 2015-16 Drill Plans, Hedging, Liquidity and 18-Month Outlook

Manitok Energy (ticker: MEI) is a conventional operator focused on projects in Alberta, and the company has spent the last several years amassing a considerable land position with output …

Shell Looks to Drill at least Two Exploratory Wells Offshore Nova Scotia

Shell Looks to Drill at least Two Exploratory Wells Offshore Nova Scotia

Shell has four ships on standby

Shell Canada (ticker: RDSA) has four ships on standby in Halifax Harbor as company waits for approval to drill offshore Nova Scotia. The company expects to begin drilling two exploration wells in the Shelburne …

September 29, 2015 - 3:08 pm Canada, International, Offshore, Oil and Gas 360 Articles
Russia Turning to China for Long-Term Funding

Russia Turning to China for Long-Term Funding

Chinese Fund Buys 9.9% Stake in $27 Billion Russian LNG Project

Since the implementation of U.S. sanctions against Russia for its actions in Crimea, one of the major challenges facing the Russian oil and gas industry is gaining access to

September 29, 2015 - 2:44 pm International, LNG, Midstream, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, Popular
Saudi Arabia Pulling as Much as $70 Billion from Markets

Saudi Arabia Pulling as Much as $70 Billion from Markets

Estimates show Saudi Arabia pulling cash to cover deficit

Saudi Arabia has withdrawn as much as $70 billion from global asset managers as low oil prices continue to put financial pressure on OPEC’s largest producer, according to financial services market …

September 28, 2015 - 6:48 pm Finance, International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, OPEC
China Set to Form State Oil and Gas Midstream Company

China Set to Form State Oil and Gas Midstream Company

China looks to break oil and gas monopoly with new structure, further reforms

The Chinese government is moving forward with plans to shake things up at its oil and gas monopolies.

Reports say China will take the oil and gas …

Source: NPR

Kurdistan Region Reasserting Right to Sell Oil Independent of Iraq

U.S. court allows oil sales from Kurdistan

Iraq’s Kurdish Semi-autonomous region is increasing international oil sales without the approval of Iraq’s central government. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans dismissed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s …

Schlumberger Approaches Deadline on $1.7 Billion Russian Acquisition

Schlumberger Approaches Deadline on $1.7 Billion Russian Acquisition

Schlumberger waits for approval from Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service

Oilfield service giant Schlumberger (ticker: SLB) is quickly approaching the most recent deadline for the acquisition of Russian oilfield service company Eurasia Drilling Company (ticker: EDC). The deal was originally announced …

Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Could Pose Risk for Gazprom

Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Could Pose Risk for Gazprom

Gazprom faces obstacles to financing $11 billion project in current market – Fitch Ratings

Russian gas giant Gazprom (ticker: OGZPY) may not have the financial strength to follow through on the construction of its Nord Stream 2 project, according to …

September 22, 2015 - 5:04 pm International, Midstream, Oil and Gas 360 Articles
Offshore Rigs Moving out of the Gulf of Mexico

Offshore Rigs Moving out of the Gulf of Mexico

U.S. GOM share of global offshore rigs is falling

The number of active offshore rigs in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) has been steadily declining since 2000, according to a release from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Over the past …

Amin Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco

Saudi Aramco Solidifies Leadership

Amin Nasser named Saudi Aramco President and CEO

Saudi Arabian Oil Company announced today that acting president and CEO, Amin H. Nasser, will take the helm of the world’s largest energy company on a permanent basis. Nasser was named president …

September 18, 2015 - 2:04 pm International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, OPEC
The Ruble in Flux

The Ruble in Flux

Russia at risk of a Fed rate-raise – Moody’s

A report from Moody’s Investors Service named Russia among four emerging markets most at risk from a potential increase in the U.S. interest rate, news that sent the ruble falling in …

September 18, 2015 - 12:40 pm Finance, International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles
Venezuela Calls for Setting a Policy that Establishes a Minimum Oil Price

Venezuela Calls for Setting a Policy that Establishes a Minimum Oil Price

President Maduro to the world’s oil producers: “The minimum, minimum price should be $70”

Oil producing countries have been negatively affected by the dramatic fall in the price of oil since the middle of last year, and some have been …

New Data Shows Higher Coal Consumption and Production in China

New Data Shows Higher Coal Consumption and Production in China

Upward revisions show significantly higher coal consumption and production from 2000 to 2013

New data from the China Statistical Abstract 2015 (CSA2015) shows upward revisions in both the consumption and production of coal in China from 2000 to 2013. Energy-content-based …

September 16, 2015 - 5:36 pm International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles
Hess Battles $1.5 Billion Suit Over Closed Refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Hess Battles $1.5 Billion Suit Over Closed Refinery in the U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Virgin Islands filed a lawsuit against Hess Corp. (ticker: HES) for approximately $1.5 billion, saying the company violated its contract by shuttering its refinery in St. Croix.

Prior to being shuttered, the facility was once the world’s largest …

September 16, 2015 - 3:49 pm Downstream, International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles
Saudi Arabia Brushes Off Meeting Request, Goldman Sachs Eyes $20 Oil

Saudi Arabia Brushes Off Meeting Request, Goldman Sachs Eyes $20 Oil

Oil Bears out in Force before the Weekend

Oil prices and rig counts alike fell on Friday, with the former falling by about 2% and the latter reaching its lowest level in more than a decade. A handful of …

September 11, 2015 - 5:58 pm Commodity Pricing, International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, OPEC
United States, Mexico Integrate Energy Industries with Crude Oil Swaps

United States, Mexico Integrate Energy Industries with Crude Oil Swaps

Mexico’s rapidly changing oil and gas industry took another step forward last month, reaching an agreement with the United States Bureau of Industry and Security to swap crude oil depending on its respective grades. U.S. refineries, particularly on the Gulf …

September 10, 2015 - 7:02 pm International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, Regulatory
Senate Motion to Stop Iran Nuclear Deal Fails by 2 Votes

Senate Motion to Stop Iran Nuclear Deal Fails by 2 Votes

Congressional Republicans unable to mount enough opposition to stop Iran deal

Senate Democrats blocked a Republican resolution of disapproval of the Iran nuclear deal from going to a final vote today, with the procedural motion to move to a final …

September 10, 2015 - 5:29 pm International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, OPEC, Politics & Opinions
Saudi Arabia Loses Market Share in Asia

Saudi Arabia Loses Market Share in Asia

Saudi’s market share in 7 Asian countries declined to 23.2% in the first half of the year

Crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia to seven major Asian markets declined 0.7% in the first half of 2015 compared to the same …

September 9, 2015 - 5:23 pm International, Oil and Gas 360 Articles, OPEC
Source: theiet.org

Spain Reaches Deal to Transport Iranian Natural Gas

Spain and Iran come to a deal on natgas transport

Spain reached an agreement with Iran to ship natural gas from Iran to Europe following the release of sanctions against the country. Iranian authorities and an economic trade delegation of …

Interview with Haynes and Boone Partner Ricardo Garcia-Moreno

Interview with Haynes and Boone Partner Ricardo Garcia-Moreno

Ricardo Garcia-Moreno, partner with Haynes and Boone, speaks to Oil & Gas 360® at The Oil & Gas Conference® 20 in Denver about the recent reforms to the oil and gas industry in Mexico, and what it means for those …

Source: http://www.gazprom.com/press/gallery/events/649250/

Gazprom Takes New Approach with Natural Gas Auction

Gazprom makes first steps towards spot market pricing with natural gas auction

Russia’s state-owned gas giant Gazprom (ticker: OGZPY) announced that it will hold a natural gas auction in Europe as the company explores new ways to expand its market …

September 8, 2015 - 2:11 pm International, Midstream, Oil and Gas 360 Articles
Two Oil Service Companies are About to Add Facilities, Equipment and Personnel

Two Oil Service Companies are About to Add Facilities, Equipment and Personnel

Shortage of Frac Crews, Equipment Drives Favorable Pricing in Argentina

“Eighty percent of the shale in the world has been identified as being outside of North America,” EcoStim Energy Solutions (ticker: ESES) CEO Chris Boswell told Oil & Gas 360® …