Royal Dutch Shell Plc News

First LNG Tanker Arrives Near Venture Global's Louisiana Calcasieu Plant

A tanker, the Yiannis, arrived near Venture Global LNG's Calcasieu Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plant in Louisiana on Monday and could be first vessel to pick up a cargo at the facility, according to data from Refinitiv.Last week, Venture Global sought permission from federal energy regulators to load the first commissioning cargo from Calcasieu Pass.Venture Global asked the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to authorize the first cargo before Feb. 9 so the company could load that cargo on or after that date.Officials at Venture Global were not immediately available to comment on whether the Yiannis would be the first tanker to pick up LNG at the facility.Calcasieu started producing LNG around Jan.

Australian LNG Hit by Shell, Chevron Outages at Prelude, Gorgon

Royal Dutch Shell Plc shut production at its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) site and Chevron Corp shut one of three processing units at its Gorgon LNG plant, both off northwestern Australia, the companies said on Friday.The Gorgon and Prelude outages are expected to boost spot LNG prices, which are up about 20% from a month ago.Shell said Prelude was hit by a power outage on Thursday after smoke was detected in an electrical utility area, and the facility is operating on back-up diesel generators.

US Gulf of Mexico Oil Production Losses Lead to Cargo Cancellations

U.S. oil offshore losses remained at 76% on Thursday after Hurricane Ida hit the Gulf of Mexico, according to government data, which prolonged outages and caused the first oil cargo shipment cancellations to buyers in Asia.Production should be disrupted for several more days amid lasting damages to transfer stations and offshore facilities used by different companies, analysts said, with impact to oil prices."It seems to be at least more than a week away until most of the shut-in Gulf of Mexico production is restored…

Over 80% of U.S. Gulf of Mexico Oil Output Still Offline

More than 80% of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico remains shut in after Hurricane Ida, a U.S. regulator said on Monday, more than a week after the storm made landfall and hit critical infrastructure in the region.Energy companies have been struggling to resume production after Ida damaged platforms and caused onshore power outages. About 1.5 million barrels per day of oil production, or 84%, remains shut, while another 1.8 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas output, or 81%…

U.S. Offshore Oil Output Still Mostly Down a Week after Hurricane Ida

Damage to oil production facilities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico kept output largely halted on Sunday, a week after Hurricane Ida made landfall, according to offshore regulator the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).Energy companies have been coping with damaged platforms and onshore power outages and logistical issues, slowing efforts to restart production. Some 88% of crude oil output and 83% of natural gas production remained suspended.About 1.6 million barrels of crude oil remained offline, with only about 100,000 barrels added since Saturday.

Nine Injured on Noble Drillship During Ida

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating damage to a Noble Corp drillship hit by Hurricane Ida while operating in the Gulf of Mexico, a spokesperson said on Thursday.Nine crew members suffered minor injuries when the storm hit on Sunday, Noble said. Workers were treated onboard and four were taken to shore for evaluation, Noble's vice-president for Investor Relations Craig Muirhead said in a statement.The U.S.

Oil Firms Race to Complete Gulf of Mexico Evacuations as Major Storm Approaches

U.S. oil and gas companies on Friday raced to complete evacuations from offshore Gulf of Mexico platforms as Tropical Storm Ida advanced towards oilfields that provide 17% of the nation's oil production.The storm early Friday was about 50 miles northwest of Grand Cayman Island moving north at 15 miles (24 km) and expected to intensify and become near a major hurricane when it hits the central U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). A major…

Top U.S. LNG Exporter Launches Effort to Measure Emissions

Cheniere Energy Inc, said on Thursday it would quantify carbon emissions from its suppliers and production sites and supply the information to customers.LNG buyers have begun asking suppliers for natural gas sourcing data and greenhouse gas emissions to reduce their own carbon footprints. Several LNG producers are proposing adding carbon capture and storage alongside their LNG projects.Cheniere said it signed agreements with five natural gas producers and several academic institutions to implement quantification…

Op/Ed: All Hands On Deck to Tackle Decarbonization Today

Without action from the shipping sector to decarbonize, the sector will be responsible for approximately 17% of global CO2 emissions by 2050. And given the scale of the change required, we must address this now. Across the industry, many are wrestling with what steps to take to drive their decarbonization journeys.Last year, Shell and Deloitte published a joint report, Decarbonizing Shipping: All Hands on Deck, assessing the key factors affecting decarbonization of the shipping sector.

Global Crude Market Finds Support From China Demand

China, the global oil market's lifeline this year, has stepped up purchases from exporters like Russia, the United States and Angola in recent weeks, while buyers elsewhere pare orders as coronavirus infections surge and fresh lockdowns are put in place.China, the world's largest importer of crude, is the only major buyer expected to see increased oil demand this year as the pandemic destroyed consumption globally.With China's imports expected to reach 12 million barrels per day (bpd) next year…

Oil Firms Restoring Output as Hurricane Exits Gulf of Mexico

U.S. energy companies were returning workers and restarting operations at storm-swept production facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast on Sunday, two days after Hurricane Delta barreled through the area.Chevron Corp, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BHP Group were returning workers to production platforms in the U.S.-regulated northern Gulf of Mexico, the companies said.BHP expect[ed] to complete the return of workers to its Shenzi and Neptune production platforms on Sunday, spokeswoman Judy Dane said…

Hurricane Closes 92% of Gulf of Mexico Oil Output in Biggest Shutdown in 15 Years

A strengthening Hurricane Delta dealt the greatest blow to U.S. offshore Gulf of Mexico production in 15 years, halting most of the region's oil and nearly two-thirds of its natural gas output.An already large and powerful storm, Delta could intensify further on Friday as it churns through the Gulf's prime oil-producing area. Its winds reached 120 miles per hour (195 kmh), according to the National Hurricane Center.Delta has shut 1.67 million barrels per day, or 92% of the Gulf's oil output…

US Gulf Platforms Shutting as Hurricane Delta Strengthens

Energy companies were securing offshore production platforms and evacuating workers on Tuesday, some for the sixth time this year, as a major hurricane took aim at U.S. oil production in the Gulf of Mexico.Hurricane Delta, the 25th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season, was churning in the Caribbean with sustained winds of 140 miles per hour (225 kph), already a dangerous Category 4 storm that is expected to scrape across Mexico's Yucatan peninsula and re-enter the…

Offshore Oil Wells, Ports Shut as Hurricane Sally Advances on U.S. Gulf

Energy companies, ports and refiners raced on Monday to shut down as Hurricane Sally grew stronger while lumbering toward the central U.S. Gulf Coast, the second significant hurricane to shutter oil and gas activity over the last month.The hurricane is disrupting oil imports and exports as the nation's sole offshore terminal, the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), stopped loading tanker ships on Sunday, while the port of New Orleans closed on Monday.The U.S. government said 21%…

LOOP Crude Exports Surge Surprisingly

Crude exports from the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) are hitting a record high even as U.S. crude exports have fallen as the coronavirus pandemic has chopped worldwide fuel demand.Oil majors Royal Dutch Shell Plc and BP Plc are the main winners from rising LOOP exports, because they pump most of the mid-sour crude exported from the terminal.LOOP largely ships out Mars crude, a medium-sour grade of oil produced from the Mars platform, a joint venture of majority-owner Shell and BP, located about 130 miles (210 km) off the coast of New Orleans.

LNG Carrier to Deliver Gas to US with European Stockpiles Near Full

A ship carrying liquefied natural gas from Nigeria is expected to drop its cargo in Georgia as energy firms look for a place to store the super-cooled fuel with prices higher in the United States and stockpiles nearing full capacity in Europe.The ship, Madrid Spirit, does not have a destination listed, according to data from Refinitiv, but is located a day or two away from Kinder Morgan Inc's Elba Island LNG plant.A unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc chartered the ship, people familiar with the matter said.Shell, which has a long-term contract to use Elba, declined to comment.The United States, which is the world's third biggest LNG exporter behind Australia and Qatar…

U.S. Gulf of Mexico Oil Firms Resuming Output as Storm Passes

Energy companies on Monday began preparations to resume oil and gas production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, a day after Tropical Storm Cristobal blew through with high winds and heavy rains.Producers had evacuated 182 offshore facilities and shut in about a third of oil and gas production in U.S. Gulf of Mexico wells as of Monday.Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Murphy Oil Corp and BP Plc were among the companies that said on Monday they were starting to resume normal operations and return…

Castleton Closes Shell Shale Deal

Houston-based Castleton Resources said that its subsidiary Castleton Commodities International LLC (CCI) has closed on the acquisition of the East Texas and North Louisiana Haynesville Shale assets of BG US Production Company LLC, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc. Pro forma for the acquisition, Castleton Resources will hold approximately 222,400 net acres in the region and produce approximately 334 MMcfe/d (net). Castleton Resources is owned by CCI and Tokyo Gas America Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. Concurrent with the transaction, Tokyo Gas America Ltd. will increase its interest in Castleton Resources from 30% to approximately 46%.

GA LNG Terminal Evacuated Ahead of Dorian

Kinder Morgan Inc has halted the startup process of its liquefaction facility at Elba Island near Savannah, Georgia, following mandatory evacuation orders as Hurricane Dorian approached, Chief Executive Officer Steven Kean said on Wednesday.The Houston pipeline operator began construction on the $2 billion facility in late 2016, underpinned by a 20-year contract with Royal Dutch Shell Plc for exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG).The company will resume startup operations at the LNG plant when workers can safely return to the island…

LNG Bunkering Market to Reach $12bn by 2024

The global LNG bunkering market was valued at approximately USD 397.70 million in 2017 and is expected to generate revenue of around USD 11899.60 million by the end of 2024, growing at a CAGR of around 59.4% between 2018 and 2024.LNG bunkering is experiencing the highest growth rate in developed as well as developing countries, said a report by Zion Market Research.Escalating number of vessels using LNG owing to the need for cleaner fuels in compliance with the stringent government regulations in order to reduce air pollution and maintain sustainability is the main driver that is boosting the growth of the market. This particular factor is driving the development of the LNG bunkering market.The regulatory organization the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2012…

Record Number of VLCC Liftings at LOOP

Medium-sour crudes from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico are being snapped up by overseas buyers, paving way for a record six supertankers to load at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP) in a matter of weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.The six scheduled loadings in late May and early June would double the record of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) reached in December. An unusual influx of Gulf of Mexico crudes to the U.S. deepwater export port and weakening prices are contributing to the exports…

USCG Shuts Upper Houston Ship Channel Amid Protests

The U.S. Coast Guard closed the upper Houston Ship Channel on Thursday morning as 11 Greenpeace USA protesters blocked a portion of the country's largest oil port near Baytown, Texas, the agency said.The channel is closed from Light 102A to Light 104, the Coast Guard said in a notice.The closure of the Ship Channel at that location blocks tanker ship traffic to and from five major refineries in the Houston area, including Exxon Mobil Corp's 560,500-barrel-per-day refinery in Baytown, which is 26 miles (42 km) east of downtown Houston.One ship was waiting to enter the Ship Channel, which links the Gulf of Mexico and the Port of Houston…

GasLog Provides FSU for Panama Project

GasLog has recently signed a 10-year time charter with Sinolam LNG Terminal, S.A. for the provision of an LNG FSU to a gas-fired power project being developed in Panama.The time charter is expected to be fulfilled through the conversion of the GasLog Singapore, a 155,000 cbm TFDE LNG carrier built in 2010. The required modifications are such that, as well as being FSU ready, the vessel will still be able to trade as an LNG carrier following the conversion work.The conversion will take place in conjunction with the vessel’s scheduled 5-year dry-docking and special survey in the third quarter of 2020, enabling both time and cost synergies.