Oil Find

Iran Makes $100 B Oil Find, Major Companies Compete For Big Deals

Iran Makes $100 B Oil Find, Major Companies Compete For Big Deals Iran announced its biggest oil find in 30 years last week, a 26-billion barrel field discovered just as the country drives to revive exploration activities and foreign firms compete for big deals. Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said the oilfield in the prolific southwest Khuzestan province has the potential to produce up to 400,000 bpd. He said that development on the field, which is close to the Iraqi border, will start by the end of March 2001 and could earn revenues of some $100 billion given current estimates of recoverable reserves. The massive discovery by the National Iranian Oil Company comes under renewed Iranian efforts to rejuvenate exploration activities in a country with the world's second largest natural gas reserves and fifth biggest oil reserves. "Exploration had been neglected for 20 years. Recently there has been a great deal of exploration effort and this find shows that Iran is still under-explored," said Iranian oil expert Manouchehr Takin of London's Center for Global Energy Studies. "It underscores that Iran still has the potential for big discoveries." Oil Majors Vying For Iran Business That potential is one of the incentives now driving major Western oil firms to compete for big deals under Iran's biggest energy opening since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Ships Suspected in Estonian Oil Spill

An investigation committee headed by the Estonian Central Criminal Police now suspects 15 vessels of the oil spill off the Estonia coast that resulted in death of thousands and aquatic birds. The Liberian oil tanker Flawless, had notified authorities of problems already when approaching the Muuga seaport. The vessel had sustained a seven centimeters crack in its hull. The Estonian Maritime Administration inspected the ship after the announcement

Nigeria Sees Future In Deep Offshore Fields

Nigeria's deep offshore fields showed more promise for oil finds than fields closer to shore, a senior Nigerian official said. Of the 18 wells drilled recently in Nigerian waters less than 1,000 m deep, 11 were dry. Of the 11 drilled in water over that depth, only two were dry, Funsho Kupolokun, special adviser on oil to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, said. Kupolokun said Nigeria expects to extract up to 850 trillion barrels from only four of its deep offshore fields

Petrobras Announces Four Oil Field Finds

Brazil's state oil giant Petrobras said on Thursday that it had made four "important" new oil finds that should boost its oil reserves by about 1.4 percent. Petrobras said the discoveries in Brazil's northeast region would eventually increase reserves by more than 130 million barrels, or 1.4 percent. Brazil's current reserves are 9.278 billion barrels. The finds were made in four mature fields where production was thought to be declining.

BP Finds Major Gas Field

According to a Bloomberg report, BP Plc discovered a gas deposit in the Caspian Sea that may double production from the largest natural gas development in Azerbaijan. BP shares rose 2.8 percent, the most in a month, in London trading after the company announcement. With the latest discovery, the field may be able to pump enough gas to supply Belgium and Luxembourg together. BP and partners including StatoilHydro ASA plan to spend $4

Coast Guard, Dept. of Ecology to Conduct Investigation

The Coast Guard, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the City of Seattle Public Utilities continue to investigate the cause of the patches of light oil sheen that covered parts of of Elliott Bay in Seattle Friday. Federal, State and City of Seattle pollution investigators continued their search throughout the weekend and today for the cause of the oil spill. On Friday oil containment booms and sorbent materials were placed at storm drain outfalls at SW Lander St

Maersk Launches Quest for Oil Computer Game

Maersk is launching a new computer game called Quest for Oil. Maersk is taking the lead in an innovative way by using a video game to open up the oil business to everyone. Quest for Oil is the first game of its kind and with the convergence of forces, innovation and technology Maersk gives the chance to experience the challenging world of being on a drilling rig with its 53,000 tons of steel rammed into the bottom of the ocean.

Arctic Route Helps Owners Slash Fuel Costs

The debate regarding working in and around the Arctic is multi-tiered, with environmental, technical and emergency response heading the list. There is no debate regarding the fuel, money and emissions to be saved by shortening select global shipping routes. In a report from Bloomberg news posted June 13 on http://www.businessweek.com, it was said there will be a rise in dry bulk cargos hauled through Arctic waters this season

Petrobras: Deep Offshore Wells a New Frontier

Bloomberg reported that Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil's state- controlled oil company, opened a new exploration frontier with the discovery of oil beneath more than two kilometers of ocean and two kilometers of rock a company official said. While Petrobras doesn't know the extent or size of the oil deposits found about 250 kilometers off the shore of Rio de Janeiro, it is the first time oil has been found under such conditions

Lifeboat Repairs Shut Down Statoil Oil Fields

Statoil said it aims to restart 200,000 barrels per day of offshore oil production early this week after lifeboat repairs, according to an AP report in the International Herald Tribune. The company was forced to shut down its Snorre A platform and the linked Vigdis platform on Oct. 13 because an industry study found defects in lifeboats essential to evacuating crew in a crisis. A Statoil spokesman said the lifeboats were being upgraded and repaired