Crude Oil Producer News

Guyana is in "no rush" to draft a new production sharing agreement (PSA) for offshore oil development, its Natural Resources minister told Reuters, reversing a year-long drive to devise new rules for future output.The government of South America's newest crude oil producer said in 2021 it was planning a new agreement to revamp terms and boost royalties for future oil and gas projects. The proposed document was expected to improve terms for Guyana of a 2016 contract with Exxon Mobil and its partners for the prolific Stabroek block.But the tiny nation…

More oil from a massive offshore spill landed on the southern California shore on Monday, with beaches closed and dead fish and birds washing up on shore as officials investigated whether a ship anchor striking a pipeline could have triggered the leak.Crews dressed in white coveralls and helmets raced against an approaching storm as they cleaned damage from 3,000 barrels (126,000 gallons) of oil that spilled into the Pacific Ocean in recent days from a pipeline connected to an…

A fire on the ocean surface west of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula early on Friday has been extinguished, state oil company Pemex said, blaming a gas leak from an underwater pipeline for sparking the blaze captured in videos that went viral.Bright orange flames jumping out of water resembling molten lava was dubbed an "eye of fire" on social media due to the blaze's circular shape, as it raged a short distance from a Pemex oil platform.The fire took more than five hours to fully put out…

Unipec charters 20 VLCCs for West Africa, MidEast cargoes; China's oil demand to climb 3.4 pct this year - CNPC. Freight rates for very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are expected to remain stable next week as buoyant chartering activity from the Middle East is offset by the large number of supertankers available for charter, ship brokers said. "We're going to see rates holding at current levels," a European supertanker broker said on Friday. "Saudi Arabian cargoes for February loading should be out on Monday. Charterers might be a bit nervous, trying to fix as soon as they see the cargoes in case rates climb. But it looks like there's enough ships to keep the market in check," the supertanker broker said.

After the collapse of the global financial system in 2008, crude oil forward curves moved into steep contango. Fortunes were made in storage asset plays in 2009-2010, which is likely the reason that so much attention is being devoted to the topic today; however, the contango is inherently different today than it was after The Great Recession. As the U.S. energy revolution continues to develop, global crude oil supply and demand dynamics have begun to evolve. Improvements to hydraulic fracturing processes have helped the U.S. become the world’s largest crude oil producer.

Royal Dutch Shell is committed to expansion in Russia, Chief Executive Ben van Beurden told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on Friday amid sanctions imposed on the country after its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. Shell plans to expand Russia's only liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant with Russian partner Gazprom, he said at a meeting at Putin's residence. "We, of course, will pledge all the necessary administrative guidance and support," Putin said in response in a meeting that was later broadcast on national television.

M/T Kerala vanished on January 18 off Angola; Angolan Navy says hijacking faked. The Angolan Navy is claiming that the crew of an oil tanker reported missing off its coast on Jan. 18 were part of faked pirate attack. Separately, a regional security expert who declined to be named for the purposes of this report, expressed doubt as to the accuracy or motives of the Angolan Navy statements. The Sonangol time-chartered  vessel was eventually located in Nigerian waters. Previously, the crude oil tanker was reported missing from Luanda anchorage and thought to be hijacked by pirates. All communications with the tanker had been lost. On 26 Jan 2014 the Master made contact with the owners reporting that the tanker had been released and that the pirates had stolen a large amount of cargo.

Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has strengthened its foothold in the offshore and marine industry in Mexico with the signing of an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with PEMEX Exploracion y Produccion (PEP) and P.M.I. Norteamérica, S.A. de C.V. (PMI), both subsidiaries of Mexico's national oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). The MOU is to jointly develop, own and operate a yard facility in Mexico, the first phase of which is to support the construction of six KFELS B class jackup drilling rigs for PEP. The MOU was signed today by the General Director of PMI, Dr. Jose Manuel Carrera Panizzo, and the Chief Operating Officer and CEO-Designate of Keppel O&M…