Anadarko Announces Major Discovery Offshore Mozambique

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation today announced its third major natural gas discovery this year in the Offshore Area 1 of Mozambique's Rovuma Basin at the Lagosta prospect. The discovery well encountered a total of more than 550 net feet of natural gas pay in multiple high-quality Oligocene and Eocene sands.
"The Lagosta discovery, located approximately 16 miles to the south of the previously announced Barquentine discovery and 14 miles to the southeast of the Windjammer discovery, significantly expands this emerging world-class natural gas province," Anadarko Sr. Vice President, Worldwide Exploration Bob Daniels said. "The Lagosta discovery continues to validate our geophysical models, and we expect to keep the Belford Dolphin drillship in the basin for the foreseeable future to continue a very active exploration and appraisal program, including at least one planned drillstem test in 2011.
"Although additional appraisal drilling will be required, we believe the three discoveries announced to date already exceed the resource size threshold necessary to support an LNG (liquefied natural gas) development, and we have assigned an integrated project team to begin advancing commercialization options. Given the global LNG trade and its indexing to the global crude market, this resource can provide tremendous economic value for the people of Mozambique, the government and the partnership," added Daniels.
The Lagosta exploration well has been drilled to a current depth of approximately 13,850 feet in water depths of approximately 5,080 feet. The partnership plans to drill to a total depth of approximately 15,900 feet to evaluate a deeper zone. Once operations are complete at Lagosta, the partnership expects to mobilize the rig 17.5 miles to the southwest to drill the Tubarao exploration well, which also is located in the 2.6-million-acre Offshore Area 1.
Anadarko is the operator of Offshore Area 1 with a 36.5-percent working interest. Co-owners in the area are Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area 1, Limited (20 percent), BPRL Ventures Mozambique B.V. (10 percent), Videocon Mozambique Rovuma 1 Limited (10 percent) and Cove Energy Mozambique Rovuma Offshore, Ltd. (8.5 percent). Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, ep's 15-percent interest is carried through the exploration phase.
A map of Anadarko's position in the Offshore Area 1 of the Rovuma Basin and the Lagosta discovery will be available under the "Media Center/Anadarko News" tab at www.anadarko.com.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation's mission is to deliver a competitive and sustainable rate of return to shareholders by exploring for, acquiring and developing oil and natural gas resources vital to the world's health and welfare. As of year-end 2009, the company had approximately 2.3 billion barrels-equivalent of proved reserves, making it one of the world's largest independent exploration and production companies. 
Source: Press release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Govt to decide on Cairn-Vedanta deal by Feb-end: Oil Secretary

The government will decide on giving approval to the $9.6 billion Cairn-Vedanta deal by February-end, Oil Secretary S. Sundareshan has said on Monday.
"I had earlier given a timeline of December-end (for deciding on giving approval to Vedanta Resources, buying majority stake in Cairn India) on the presumption that it will take 2-3 months to process (the case) from the date we get all applications.
“But given that we have got the application (seeking approval) only last week, we will certainly be able to decide on the case by February-end,” he said here.
[Read more]
Source:  The Hindu

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

New licenses offshore Greenland

Statoil and its consortium partners – Shell and GDF Suez – have been awarded two large exploration blocks in the Baffin Bay bid round in West Greenland. Shell will be the operator of both blocks.

Blocks 5 and 8, where Greenland’s national oil company Nunaoil will have a carried interest during the exploration phase, are 9,991 and 10,618 square kilometres, respectively. Each block is equivalent to approximately 15 Norwegian blocks.  

“We are looking forward to exploring these new frontier opportunities in the Baffin Bay together with our partners in the bid consortium and in close cooperation with the Greenland authorities,” says Tim Dodson, Statoil’s senior vice president for global exploration.   

“These awards increase the optionality of our exploration portfolio. While early access to such frontier opportunities entails more uncertainties related to probability of discovery, the potential reward of one or more sizeable discoveries may be high. Together with our partners, we will use all of our experience and competence from more than 30 years of oil and gas operations in harsh environments on the Norwegian continental shelf,” Dodson continues.

This is not the first time Statoil has carried out activities in Greenland. In the 1990s, Statoil drilled an exploration well in the Fylla area west of Greenland – but the company relinquished this exploration license in 2002. Statoil is also part of the Kanumas group in East Greenland.

Statoil already holds important offshore positions in sub-Arctic conditions in Norway, Russia and Canada.

Source: Press release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Iran, Turkmenistan inaugurate gas pipeline

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov inaugurated on Sunday the last section of a pipeline to export Turkmen gas to northeast Iran, media reported.
The leaders inaugurated the final half of the 1,000-kilometre (620 miles) pipeline which links Tehran to Khangiran refinery near the northeastern Iranian town of Sarakhs, said the official IRNA news agency and state television.
[Read more]
Source: France24

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Iraq West Qurna to hit 750K barrels per day

Production from Iraq's prized West Qurna Stage 1 oil field should more than triple to 750,000 barrels a day in three years time, an oil official said Sunday.
The 8.6 billion barrel field, which is being developed by a consortium grouping Exxon Mobil and Shell, was among those awarded by Iraq during one its first international oil licensing rounds last year and is seen as a key part of the country's drive to boost overall output of a resource on which it relies for 95 percent of its foreign revenues.
[Read more]
Source: Bloomberg

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Nigeria detains 12 in U.S. firm bribery case

Nigeria's anti-corruption police have raided the offices of the U.S. oilfield services group Halliburton and arrested 12 people in a bribery case involving the former Halliburton unit KBR Inc, a spokesman said on Saturday.

[Read more]

Source: Toronto Sun

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Noble Energy Announces Notification of Termination of Production Sharing Contract Offshore Ecuador

Noble Energy, Inc. announced today that it received notice from the government of Ecuador regarding the termination of the Block 3 production sharing contract with EDC Ecuador Ltd., a subsidiary of Noble Energy. A recently enacted hydrocarbon reform bill required that all existing PSCs be renegotiated as service contracts by November 23, 2010. A service contract on Block 3 has not been negotiated. The Company is continuing to work with the government of Ecuador to resolve this matter.  
Noble Energy operated Block 3 with a 100 percent working interest. The Company's investment and reserves in Ecuador are less than 3.5 percent of Company totals.
Source: Press release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Maersk Oil Awarded Offshore Licence in West Greenland

Maersk Oil has been awarded a licence covering Block 9 in Baffin Bay, offshore West Greenland. The frontier exploration block is 11,802 sq km - about one fourth of the total size of Denmark. Nunaoil, Greenland's national oil company, will be a partner with a 12.5% interest. 
'We are pleased to have been granted the exploration rights for Block 9. We are confident that we can use our strong technical skills and pioneer mindset to turn the exploration work into a commercial success,' said Lars Nydahl Jørgensen, Head of Exploration at Maersk Oil. 
Maersk Oil, recognising the sensitive environment of the region, is committed to running a safe and responsible operation in Greenland. Any drilling activity will not start for another 3-5 years and will commence only after all environmental aspects of the operation have been fully assessed and addressed. 
'Our top priority is a strong safety and environmental performance and we will cooperate closely with the Greenland authorities and independent experts in implementing these objectives,' Jørgensen said. 'We will start our drilling campaign only if we are sure we can do it without putting both the environment and our people at risk.'
Maersk Oil will immediately begin work on plans to establish a field research facility located in the Baffin Bay area, to be made available for use to the authorities, the industry and the scientific community at large. In this way, Maersk Oil hopes the facility will be of benefit to Greenland and the environment as a whole. 
Maersk Oil now plans to acquire, process and interpret quality seismic data. If exploration activities lead to the discovery of commercially viable field development, oil production could commence in 10-15 years from today. 
Source: Press release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Qatar Said to Call for Bids in January to Explore for Offshore Natural Gas

Qatar Petroleum, the state-run energy company in the country with the world’s third-largest gas reserves, is calling for bids for offshore exploration to be submitted early in 2011, people familiar with the auction said.
Bids for rights to explore for gas off the coast of the Persian Gulf state in an area called block A are due on Jan. 9, said two of the people, who declined to be identified by name because they weren’t authorized to speak on the matter. Offers are due in early January, a third person with knowledge of the bidding procedure said.
[Read more]
Source: Bloomberg

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

BP Sells Interest in PAE to Bridas for $7.06 Billion

BP Plc, seeking to cover clean-up costs in the Gulf of Mexico, agreed to sell its 60 percent interest in Pan American Energy to Argentina-based oil and gas company Bridas Corp.
Bridas will pay $7.06 billion in cash for the holding, making it the sole owner of PAE, BP said in a statement today. The transaction is expected to be completed in 2011.
[Read more]
Source: Bloomberg

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Hungary sees deal with Russia on MOL, Malev

Hungary expects to resolve outstanding issues over a Russian stake in oil and gas group MOL when the prime minister visits Moscow next month, Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi said on Friday.
"(Prime Minister Viktor Orban's) next visit will be Moscow, he will meet Prime Minister Putin to discuss all the outstanding economic issues -- we have quite a number, I would say," Martonyi told a meeting with foreign journalists.
[Read more]
Source: Reuters

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Final draft of Shell's Iraq gas deal in 10 days

The final draft of Iraq’s multibillion-dollar deal with Royal Dutch Shell to capture flared gas at its southern oilfields would be completed within 10 days, a senior Iraqi oil official said. 
The $12 billion deal, which includes Japan’s Mitsubishi, involves capturing associated natural gas produced at fields near the oil hub of Basra, including Rumaila.
“We are confident the final draft will be completed within a week, 10 days maximum,” Deputy Oil Minister Ahmed al-Shamma told reporters at an oil conference in Basra.
[Read more]
Source: Business Standard

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

STERLING RESOURCES ANNOUNCES ENTRY INTO THE NETHERLANDS OFFSHORE

Sterling Resources Ltd. is pleased to announce that approval has been received from the Dutch authorities to transfer to Sterling interests in five licenses within the F-Quad and L-Quad areas offshore Netherlands. With this license transfer process completed Sterling Resources Netherlands BV will hold a 50 percent interest in the shallow geological horizons in blocks F14, F16, F17, F18 and L01b and will assume operatorship from Stratic Energy Corporation now wholly owned by Enquest PLC, who will continue to hold a 10 percent interest. Energie Beheer Nederland BV (EBN) participates at a 40 percent interest.
The five blocks cover 1550 square kilometers and are located 80 kilometers offshore in a water depth of 45 meters. The shallow horizons in these blocks contain four oil discoveries, with several wells which tested oil with API gravities in excess of 30 degrees. Sterling has acquired access to a recently re-processed regionally merged 3D seismic dataset which is significantly assisting the structural interpretation.
"We are delighted to announce our entry into the Netherlands, in what we believe to be a material offshore growth opportunity," stated Mike Azancot, Sterling's Chief Executive Officer. "We will now begin preparations to drill an appraisal well during the latter half of 2011."
Source: Press release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

C&C Energia halts Colombia drilling on local protests

Oil resources developer C&C Energia Ltd said on Friday it suspended production at two of its blocks in Colombia due to protests and road blockades, but talks have resumed to resolve the issue.
C&C Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Hillier told Reuters that the company was likely losing C$250,000 a day in cash flow due to the protests. But two of four blockades had been lifted and there was no risk the company would declare force majeure.
[Read more]
Source: Reuters

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

BP Makes a Significant Deep Gas Discovery in Egypt's West Nile Delta

BP Egypt announced today that it has made a significant gas discovery in the Deepwater West Nile Delta area.
The Hodoa discovery is located in the West Mediterranean Deepwater, Nile Delta concession, some 80 km northwest of Alexandria. The WMDW-7 well was drilled to a depth of 6350 metres and is the first Oligocene Deep Water discovery in the West Nile Delta area. Further appraisal is underway. 
BP operates and holds 80% of the West Mediterranean Deepwater concession with RWE Dea holding the remaining 20%. Hodoa was drilled by the Pride North America Semi-Sub rig, in a water depth of 1077 metres. 
Mike Daly, BP’s Executive Vice President of Exploration said: “The Hodoa discovery further demonstrates the great potential of the deep reservoirs in the Nile Delta.” 
Hesham Mekawi, President and General Manager of BP Egypt, commented: “Hodoa is an important discovery which builds upon BP’s previous successes in the West Nile Delta. This discovery further reinforces the leadership role played by BP in Egypt and its ongoing commitment towards the development of Egypt’s future gas business.”
Source: Press release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

South Arne Phase 3 development project approved

The South Arne Phase 3 project includes drilling, completion and stimulation of 11 new production wells, which will be produced via two new wellhead platforms to be connected to the existing South Arne production platform. Noreco's share of capital expenditures is estimated to approximately NOK 450 million spread over the next six years.

South Arne is located in the Danish sector of the North Sea, and has been producing since 1999. Current production is approximately 25,000 barrels of oil equivalents per day. Production from the Phase 3 expansion is expected to commence towards the end of 2012 and will significantly increase the overall recovery of reserves from the field.

The necessary approval from the Danish Energy Agency was received in October.

Noreco has a 6.6 % interest in the South Arne field, which is situated in license 07/89. The field is operated by Hess Corporation (57.5 %). Other partners are DONG Energy (34.4 %) and Danoil (1.5 %).

Source: Press release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Uncertainty remains on new orders

Lee Jong-hwan, a research of Shinhan Investment, revealed the investment suggestion has moved from 'neutral' to 'strong buy', in the recent shipbuilding industry report for 2011, prospecting new orders will increase by 30% compared to this year.  
[Read More]
Source: Asiasis

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Daewoo nears $4bn Maersk order

Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has reportedly been selected by Denmark's A.P. Moller - Maersk Group as a preferred bidder for the gigantic $4bn containership newbuilding project.
[Read More]
Source: Asiasis

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Aircraft carrier HMS Invincible is put up for sale

It is an ignominious end for a ship that served in the Royal Navy from 1973 to 2005, and took part in the Falklands, Balkans and Iraq wars before being decommissioned in 2005.
The Ministry of Defence is understood to be hoping to raise £2 million after they put the 17,000 ton vessel up for sale on edisposals.com.
But so far no bids have been received for Invincible, which is listed on the site as 'in stock'.
[Read More]
Source: The Telegraph

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Pilot boat crews are unsung heroes of Golden Gate

Every day for 160 years and in all kinds of weather - the calm of autumn, the fog of summer, the storms of winter - stout pilot boats have cruised 11 miles at sea, ready to provide commercial ships with pilots to guide the vessels into San Francisco Bay.
[Read More]
Source: SF Gate

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Ship charts a course for controversy as it awaits load

THE German ship that will carry 3000 tonnes of toxic waste from Orica's plant at Botany Bay to Demark is sitting off the coast of Wollongong waiting to dock.
[Read More]
Source: MELTON WEEKLY

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Maersk Near Order for 20 of Largest Container Ships Built, TradeWinds Says

A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S is close to ordering as many as 20 of the largest container ships ever built, TradeWinds reported, without saying where it got the information.
[Read More]
Source: Bloomberg

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Damaged vessel in Hoogly may disrupts ship movement

A container vessel damaged five days ago in a collision with another ship in the Hooghly river in West Bengal is awaiting repair even as officials said Sunday that it might pose a threat to other ships using the channel.
[Read More]
Source: sify news

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

The entire Baltic Dredging fleet at Odense. Photo: Bent Mikkelsen Dredger arrested by ITF Denmark

Baltic Dredging ApS, a Danish-registered company with Swedish owners, has trouble with ITF Denmark over ten Indian seafarers signed on the Panama-flagged dredger Lesse.
[Read More]
Source: Shipgaz

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Montara report slams operator

THE OFFICIAL report into last year’s Montara oil and gas rig explosion, spill and fire off Western Australia has uncovered a litany of shortcomings.
The rig’s operator, the Australian subsidiary of Thailand’s PTTEP, cut so many corners in its drilling operations that it failed “basic oilfield practice 101”, the government report said.
[Read More]
Source: Safety at Sea

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

MARITIME TERRORISM: A NEW BREED OF TERRORISM MANIFESTATION

In today’s times, along with terrorism on land, there has been a severe increase in maritime terrorism. Maritime Terrorism can be simply defined as “any act of threat or violence against any civilian or military naval vessel, passengers, cargo and crew of the said vessel.” Also, “any marine transportation used to smuggle terrorists and/or terrorist material into any targeted country” is also included under Maritime Terrorism.
Understanding Maritime Terrorism.
[Read More]
Source: Maritime Connector

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

US urges vigilance for ships in Gulf

WASHINGTON //An explosion on a Japanese tanker in July off the coast of Oman was a terrorist attack, according to the US department of transportation, which has urged ships in the area to exercise "increased vigilance".
[Read More]
Source: The Nation

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Teenage boys survive 50 days adrift in South Pacific

Three teenage boys set adrift for 50 days in a small boat in the South Pacific survived on coconuts, a seagull they managed to catch and by drinking rain and then sea water, rescuers said on Friday.
[Read More]
Source: Reuters

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Antarctic nations plan tough shipping controls

Countries that manage Antarctica plan tough new controls on ships visiting the southern oceans and the fuels they use to reduce the threat of human and environmental disasters as tourist numbers rise, officials said Saturday.
[Read More]
Source: Associated Press

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More

Canada's Shipbuilding Industry to Design New Canadian Coast Guard Vessels

The Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans announced today that contracts have been awarded for the design of the Canadian Coast Guard's new offshore science vessels.
Source: Press Release

Posted on 11/28/2010 / 0 comments / Read More