Indonesia to Offer More Energy Blocks in North Sumatra
Indonesia is looking to offer more oil and gas blocks in North Sumatra basin this year following a major discovery by Mubadala Energy in a bid to accelerate gas production, a senior energy ministry official said on Tuesday.The energy ministry is currently reviewing potential energy blocks for auction this year, director general for oil and gas Tutuka Ariadji told reporters."North Sumatra basin is one of the potential area for further exploration after a major discovery recently in Layaran-1 by Mubadala Energy," Tutuka said.United Arab Emirates' Mubadala said in December it had discovered a maj
Lukoil-backed Congo Project to Start Producing LNG in December
A senior executive at Russia's Lukoil energy company said a project in the Congo in which it is involved would begin producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) in December, Russian news agencies reported. Lukoil Vice President Ivan Romanovsky said the initiative would produce around 600,000 tonnes of LNG per year, and that Lukoil plans to boost total LNG output at the Marine XII oil and gas project in the Congo to 3 million tonnes by the end of 2025.Lukoil acquired a 25% stake in Marine XII in 2019.
Lebanon Will Use Energy Block Disputed by Israel
Lebanese Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil vowed on Friday there would be full exploration in offshore energy Block 9, part of which lies in waters disputed by neighbouring Israel. Lebanon said on Friday it had signed its first offshore oil and gas exploration and production contracts for two energy blocks. A consortium of France's Total, Italy's Eni and Russia's Novatek signed contracts for two of the five blocks that Lebanon put up for tender. Israel and Lebanon have exchanged threats and condemnation over the tender, amid rising tensions over territorial and marine boundaries. Reporting by Ellen Franci
Peru OKs $1.4 Bln Exploratory Work In Natgas Block
Peru has approved an environmental permit that will allow China National Petroleum Corp to do $1.39 billion of exploratory work in a natural gas block it is buying from Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras. Block 58, in the southern Cusco region, which could hold several trillion cubic feet of natural gas, is now controlled by Petrobras. But CNPC said last year that it was taking control of the concession as part of its $2.6 billion purchase of all of Petrobras' Peruvian assets. CNPC, China's top oil and gas company, said Monday that the government could sign off on the transfer of block 58 by the end of May. "We expect the block to be transferred by May 30...but of course it's in the government's hands," said Claudia Bustamante, a spokeswoman for CNPC's local unit.
