(Offshore Technology, 17.Oct.2018) — Mexican state-owned petroleum company Pemex has reportedly sold $2bn of its bonds. The sale of the ten-year Pemex bonds is said to have generated about 6.5% in a move, which is aimed at funding the company’s investment, as well as refinance debt. A Pemex spokesperson said […]
Mexico’s Next Government Faces Bind In Pemex Ethane Deal
(Reuters, Diego Oré, 17.Oct.2018) — Mexico’s incoming government will soon inherit a costly dilemma over an ethane supply contract between national oil company Pemex and a consortium led by a unit of Brazilian builder Odebrecht. Under the contract’s terms, Pemex has had to supply ethane well below current market prices. […]
Mexico’s Salina Cruz Refinery Normal After Electrical Accident: Pemex
(Reuters, 17.Oct.2018) — Mexico’s Salina Cruz oil refinery is operating normally after three people were injured in an electrical accident, a spokesman for state oil company Pemex said on Wednesday. The 330,000 barrel-per-day capacity facility, Pemex’s largest, had a short-circuit on Tuesday evening that sparked flames, the spokesman said. *** […]
Argentina Plans To Close LNG Importing Facility
(Bloomberg, Jonathan Gilbert, 17.Oct.2018) — Argentina plans to close a facility for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to people with direct knowledge of the matter, after booming production from shale deposits in the Vaca Muerta region turned the country into a seasonal exporter. A contract with Excelerate Energy, which […]
YPF Inaugurates Phase I Of 99-MW Wind Park In Argentina
(Renewables Now, 17.Oct.2018) — Argentine state-run oil company YPF inaugurated on Wednesday a portion of a 99-MW wind park in Chubut province that will produce clean power for its deposits and refineries. The first 50-MW phase of Manantiales Behr, as the park is named, has been switched on. The whole […]
Trump Talks Tough On Venezuela, But Imports Ever More Venezuelan Oil
(Miami Herald, Andres Oppenheimer, 17.Oct.2018) — There is a major inconsistency in President Trump’s stand on Venezuela: He talks tough — and even makes veiled threats of a military intervention in that country. But at the same time, he steadfastly refuses to cut U.S. imports of Venezuelan oil, which are […]
U.S. Eyes More Venezuelan Sanctions, But Oil On Backburner: U.S. Official
(Reuters, Roberta Rampton, 17.Oct.2018) — The United States plans to turn up sanctions pressure on Venezuela but sees less need to immediately target its energy sector, given sagging production from the OPEC member’s state-run oil company, a senior U.S. administration official said on Wednesday. The U.S. government has imposed several […]
Pemex Seeks Up To 2.1 MMbbls Of U.S. Bakken Crude -Traders
(Reuters, 17.Oct.2018) — Mexico’s state-run oil company Pemex received bids this week for up to six 350,000-barrel cargoes of U.S. Bakken crude it wants to import from November through December, according to traders with knowledge of the tender. This is Pemex’s second attempt to import U.S. light oil mostly for […]
PDVSA, Pequiven Retirees Protest Lack Of Pension Payments
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 17.Oct.2018) — Retired workers with PDVSA and Pequiven spoke out in the streets in a protest aimed at calling attention to pensions unpaid by the Venezuelan government. Unfortunately, a number of retired company workers have died waiting for pension payments, reported Venezuelan media El Carabobeño, […]
Merrill Lynch Interested In Guyana’s Proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund
(Stabroek News, 17.Oct.2018) — Representatives of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management have met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Guyana after recently indicating an interest in engaging in discussions with those charged with the responsibility of setting up Guyana’s Sovereign Wealth Fund says Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge. […]
Pemex Places $2 Billion Bond In International Markets
(Pemex, 16.Oct.2018) — Petróleos Mexicanos in September disclosed the application of a series of operating and marketing measures could generate an improvement of 30 billion pesos on the 2018 balance sheet, placing the company at an approximate deficit of 49.414 billion pesos, instead of the deficit for 79.414 billion pesos […]
Mexico’s AMLO Presses Big Oil To Start Pumping From Recent Finds
(Oilprice.com, Tsvetana Paraskova, 16.Oct.2018) — Mexico wants Big Oil to start producing from the recently discovered oil fields in Mexico as soon as possible, incoming President Andrés Manuel López Obrador told foreign executives at a recent meeting, Reuters reported on Tuesday, quoting sources and executives who attended the meeting. In […]
Mexico And Brazil’s Crude Politics
(Foreign Policy, Lisa Viscidi, .16.Oct.2018) — A potential return to resource nationalism could set both countries back. Until this year, resource nationalism—when a government asserts its control over a country’s natural resources—seemed to be on the wane in Latin America. With oil prices low, state oil companies were struggling, and […]
Texas Would Have A ‘Party’ If Mexico Prohibited Fracking
(Energy Analytics Institute, Ian Silverman, 16.Oct.2018) — Prohibiting fracking in a generalized manner, as announced by Mexico’s president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), would be an error that would benefit the United States. “I’d regret this initiative to ban fracking in a general way in our country. The day it […]
Argentina Looks to Cease Bolivian Gas Imports By 2020
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 16.Oct.2018) — With its own gas projects to develop, Argentina is seeking to reduce imports of natural gas and by 2020 it expects to stop buying it completely from Bolivia. In the run up period, Argentina looks to reduce Bolivian gas imports by 20% in […]
Mexico’s Lopez Obrador Pushes Big Oil To Hurry, But Offers Little
(Reuters, David Alire Garcia, Marianna Parraga, 16.Oct.2018) — At his first meeting with foreign oil majors, Mexico’s leftist president-elect pushed the companies to prove themselves by quickly pumping oil from recent finds, sources say, but gave no sign of offering up new fields to reverse dwindling output. President-elect Andres Manuel […]
Echo Energy, YPFB Sign Technical Evaluation Agreement For Rio Salado Block
(Echo Energy plc, 15.Oct.2018) — Echo Energy plc signed on 12 October 2018 a Technical Evaluation Agreement (TEA) for the Rio Salado Block, onshore Bolivia, directly with YPFB (Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos). The agreement was signed by Andres Brockman (Echo Regional Representative) and Oscar Barriga (President of YPFB) in the […]
Engie And Caisse Said To Plan $9B Pipeline Bid
(Bloomberg, Cristiane Lucchesi, Francois Beaupuy, Scott Deveau, 15.Oct.2018) — French utility Engie SA and a Canadian pension fund plan to offer as much as $9 billion (34 billion reals) for Petrobras’s natural gas pipeline network, potentially a $1 billion boost from their initial bid, according to people with knowledge of […]
Petrobras Expects To Revive TAG Deal Over The Next Month: Sources
(Reuters, Tatiana Bautzer, 15.Oct.2018) — Brazil’s state-controlled oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA expects to revive the sale of its pipeline operator TAG over the next month, if it can get a Supreme Court injunction lifted, with the support of the country’s solicitor-general, a person with knowledge of the matter said. […]
Echo Energy Announces Successful Initial Perforation At EMS-1001 Well In Argentina
(Echo Energy plc, 15.Oct.2018) — Echo Energy plc announced an update on the initial perforation phase on the third Argentinian well. The company previously drilled four wells across its onshore licences in Argentina. On 21 June 2018, the company announced that the third well in the sequence (EMS-1001 in the […]
PDVSA Preparing $950mn Payment On 2020 Bond
(Reuters, 15.Oct.2018) — Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA is preparing to pay holders of its 2020 bond some $950 million this month, after failing to make interest payments on most other bonds this year, sources at the company and in the local financial sector said. PDVSA has fallen behind on […]
Echo Energy Continues To Progress Argentina Wells, Signs New Deal In Bolivia
(Proactive Investors, 15.Oct.2018) — Echo Energy Plc told investors that it has confirmed that its third Argentinian well will be suitable for mechanical stimulation, and, it will now move on to the next stage in operations. The company, in a statement, updated on the EMS-1001 well at the Fraccion C […]
Bolivia’s Oil Revenue To Reach $2.2 Billion
(Xinhua, 14.Oct.2018) — Bolivia’s oil revenue this year is estimated to reach 2.2 billion U.S. dollars as it “will be able to fulfill” contracts with its southern American partners, Minister of Hydrocarbons and Energy Luis Alberto Sanchez said Saturday. “The income to the country is guaranteed,” Sanchez said. “We should […]
Air BP Nationalization In Bolivia “Technically” Not Finalized
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 14.Oct.2018) — Bolivia’s Hydrocarbon Minister Luis Alberto Sánchez, acknowledged that nationalization of Air BP, a subsidiary of British Petroleum, in charge of marketing jet fuel and airplane gasoline, wasn’t completed due to lawsuit filed by Aerosur. “We haven’t finalized the transfer of shares in Air […]
Guyana, Canadian Province Signing Oil And Gas Pact
(Stabroek News, 13.Oct.2018) — The Guyana government and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador will be signing a technical cooperation agreement on oil and gas in the coming week, when Georgetown will also be hosting a visit by a 50-odd member trade mission from the territory seeking partnerships with […]
Colombian Court Rules Community Referendums Cannot Block Mining, Oil Projects
(TeleSur, 13.Oct.2018) — The Colombian Constitutional Court has ruled to restrict the power of popular consultations to halt extractive projects. Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of a Mansarovar Energy, a transnational oil and natural gas company, and against Indigenous communities in the municipality of Cumeral Thursday. The judgment, however, […]
Venezuela Solicits Audit of Pacific Coast Refinery, Río Napo
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 13.Oct.2018) — Venezuela has solicited an audit of costs related to the Pacific Coast Refinery and Río Napo JV in order to discuss potential investment plans with Ecuador, reported the daily Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo. In May 2018, Saudi Arabia’s Aramco announced it was interested […]
Uruguay Sets Deadline To Seek Renewable Energy Fiscal Incentives
(Energy Analytics Institute, Ian Silverman, 13.Oct.2018) — Companies seeking to benefit from renewable energy tax benefits will have until October 24, 2018 to submit details related to their projects. Companies that register before the date could potentially obtain equivalent discounts of up to 70% of their investments, reported the daily […]
Shell Seeks To Sell Venezuela JV Stake
(Reuters, 12.Oct.2018) — Royal Dutch Shell Plc is negotiating the sale of its stake in a Venezuelan oil joint venture to Paris-based Maurel & Prom , three sources said this week, a move to scale down its crude business in the ailing OPEC-member country to focus on gas. The Anglo-Dutch […]
BP: Angelin Reaches Milestone
(BP, 12.Oct.2018) — The Angelin facility marked a major milestone on October 12, 2018 with the completion of the McDermott EPCIC scope called the Total Facility Handover. Other activities completed were the hydrotesting, cleaning, and drying of the pipeline, as well as tying in the final spool to the existing […]
Bolivia’s Gas Lower than LNG, Vaca Muerta Shale: Sánchez Says
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 12.Oct.2018) — Bolivian natural gas is more competitive than liquefied natural gas (LNG) and gas from Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation, announced Bolivia’s Hydrocarbon Minister Luis Alberto Sánchez. The minister stressed that Bolivian gas, priced at $7/MMbtu, was much cheaper than Argentine gas. Argentina’s LNG […]
Guyana’s Oil And Gas Capacity Building Project
(Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources, 12.Oct.2018) — The Guyana Oil and Gas Capacity Building Project (the ‘Project’) is supported by the World Bank and aims to enhance the Government’s capacity to achieve its management goals for the petroleum sector through interventions focused on enhancing legal and institutional frameworks and strengthening […]
Analysis: Brazil Presidential Frontrunner’s Advisers Clash Over Petrobras
(Reuters, Alexandra Alper, Tatiana Bautzer, Rodrigo Viga Gaier, 12.Oct.2018) — Nationalistic and free market advisers to Brazil’s right-wing presidential frontrunner are deeply split about the future of state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro, foreshadowing a showdown over divestments and fuel subsidies. University of Chicago-educated banker Paulo Guedes, economic adviser to frontrunner […]
Maurel & Prom Confirms Discussions With Shell Over Urdaneta West Field In Venezuela
(Maurel & Prom, 12.Oct.2018) — Etablissements Maurel & Prom notes recent press articles and confirms it is working on the acquisition of Shell Exploration and Production Investments B.V.’s 40% interest as “Shareholder B” in Petroregional del Lago Mixed Company, which operates the Urdaneta West field in Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela. Maurel […]
Mexico Plans To Enforce Odebrecht Fines Via Seizure -Official
(Reuters, 12.Oct.2018) — Mexico plans to enforce fines imposed on Odebrecht over corruption allegations by confiscating some $30 million owed by state oil company Pemex to the Brazilian firm, a top official at the public administration ministry said. Christian Ramirez, coordinator-general of the public administration ministry (SFP), told Reuters on […]
Pemex Rolls Out New Fuel Additive To Protect Gasoline Engines
(Pemex, 11.Oct.2018) — Pemex introduced the new gasoline additive that will be added into Pemex Magna and Pemex Premium fuels, the additive will be promoted under the brand name of Pemex Aditec. This fuel additive is environmentally friendly, and will keep the engine up to 97 per cent free of […]
Bolsonaro Plans More Power Plants In The Amazon
(Reuters, Ricardo Brito, 11.Oct.2018) — Brazil’s presidential front-runner Jair Bolsonaro would tackle chronic energy shortages by expanding nuclear and hydroelectric power in the Amazon despite environmental concerns, the adviser overseeing his infrastructure plans told Reuters. Oswaldo Ferreira, one of several retired generals advising Bolsonaro, said, if he were elected, the […]
Ecuador, Peru In Talks To Explore Oil And Gas Blocks: Energy Minister
(Reuters, Alexandra Valencia, 11.Oct.2018) — Ecuador has begun talks with neighboring Peru to jointly explore two oilfields at the border and allow state-run Petroamazonas to operate natural gas areas in Peru, Ecuadorian Energy Minister Carlos Perez said on Thursday. Ecuador, which earlier this year awarded foreign and domestic energy firms […]
Bolivia Gas Exports To Argentina To-date Averaging 18 MMcm/d
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 11.Oct.2018) — Bolivian natural gas exports shipped by YPFB to Argentina to-date have averaged 18 million cubic meters per day (MMcm/d). These volumes are below the minimum 20.9 MMcm/d guaranteed by the state oil company and a maximum 24.6 MMcm/d requested by Argentina, reported the […]
Petrobras, Murphy Oil Create US Gulf Joint Venture
(S&P Global Platts, 11.Oct.2018) — Brazilian state-led oil company Petrobras and Murphy Oil will combine production assets in the US Gulf of Mexico in a joint venture that will produce about 75,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day in the fourth quarter of 2018. “The joint venture will be formed by the […]
Why Murphy Oil Corporation’s Stock Is Soaring Today
(The Motley Fool, Matthew DiLallo, 11.Oct.2018) — The oil company made a needle-moving deal. What happened Shares of Murphy Oil Corporation took off on Thursday, rising more than 12% by 10:30 a.m. EDT after the company agreed to form a strategic joint venture (JV) with Petrobras in the Gulf of […]
Pemex Hopes Gulf Discoveries Mesh With New President’s Goals
(Houston Chronicle, Jordan Blum, 11.Oct.2018) — Leaders of Mexico’s state oil company Pemex initially feared the inevitable election of leftist presidential candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who spoke of rolling back the nation’s recent energy reforms and building new refineries. Now with López Obrador set to take office in two […]
YPF In Talks To Sell Stake In Power Unit To Asian Fund
(Bloomberg, Pablo Rosendo Gonzalez, 11.Oct.2018) — YPF SA, Argentina’s state-run oil company, is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake in its power unit to an Asian fund, said two people with direct knowledge of the plan. The fund, which the people declined to name, would get a 24.99 […]
Coca Codo Sinclair Hydroelectric Plant Operating With 5 of 8 Turbines
(Energy Analytics Institute, Ian Silverman, 10.Oct.2018) — The dispatch of energy from the Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric plant, located between Napo and Orellana, was carried out Oct. 9 “with restrictions for security reasons.” As of mid-day Oct. 9, the plant was only operating with five of its eight turbines, reported […]
Kosmos Energy To Abandon Suriname Well After Coming Up Dry
(Seeking Alpha, Carl Surran, 10.Oct.2018) — Kosmos Energy says it is abandoning an offshore well in Suriname after failing to find oil, its second straight dry well in the region in recent months. KOS says its Pontoenoe-1 exploration well in Block 42 offshore Suriname encountered high-quality reservoir but the primary […]
Costa Rica Crime Groups Diversifying Oil Theft Techniques
(InSight Crime, Parker Asmann, 10.Oct.2018) — The ways in which gangs of fuel thieves in Costa Rica are tapping oil pipelines in order to steal and later resell the good are growing increasingly sophisticated, providing further evidence of the growing strength of criminal groups in the Central American nation. What […]
Venezuela Sets New Wages For Oil Workers As Protests Simmer
(Reuters, Alexandra Ulmer, 10.Oct.2018) — Venezuela on Wednesday increased wages for workers at state energy company PDVSA after employees staged small protests to decry meager salaries amid the OPEC nation’s economic meltdown. Socialist President Nicolas Maduro in August unexpectedly ordered a 60-fold increase in the minimum wage to compensate for […]
Añelo: The Two Realities of this Small Town in the Heart of Neuquen
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 10.Oct.2018) — Añelo is a small oil town located in the heart of Neuquen and the Vaca Muerta shale revolution. This small town with a population of almost 8,000 is expected to swell to tremendously in coming years as the shale boom picks up speed, […]
IFC, Related Funds Exercise Rights Under the Pacific Midstream Limited Agreement
(Frontera Energy, 10.Oct.2018) — Frontera Energy Corporation announced the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and related funds have provided notice to the Company that they have exercised their right under the Pacific Midstream Limited (PML) shareholders agreement to receive without further payment additional shares in PML, as a result of certain […]
Frontera Energy Announces Exploration Discovery in Colombia
(Frontera Energy, 10.Oct.2018) — Frontera Energy Corporation announced a light oil discovery from its Acorazado-1 exploration well on the 100% owned and operated Llanos-25 block in Colombia. Frontera also provided an operational update highlighting current production, major project activities and details regarding the fourth quarter drilling campaign. Richard Herbert, Chief […]