(WoodMac, 6.Nov.2019) — Brazil’s largest-ever auction of oil licences – the Transfer of Rights round – saw state-controlled Petrobras walk away with the biggest prizes, the BĂşzios and Itapu blocks. Luiz Hayum, from Wood Mackenzie’s Latin America upstream research team, said: “As we anticipated, BĂşzios and Itapu were the stars […]
Tag: CNPC
Chevron Venezuela’s Exit To Aid Putin’s Russia
(S&P Global Platts, Brian Scheid and Rosemary Griffin, 17.Oct.2019) — Chevron is pushing back against the Trump administration’s plans to let the company’s Venezuela sanctions waiver expire, arguing such a move could ultimately drive oil production up, bolstering both the Maduro regime and Russia’s standing in the global market. “It’d […]
Venezuela Readies Handover Of PDVSA To Rosneft
(Tass, 16.Oct.2019) — The government of Venezuela is ready to hand over full control over its state-run oil company PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela) to Russia’s Rosneft, El Nacional newspaper said citing own sources in the industry. According to the paper, the initiative was put forward with an aim to secure […]
Nayara Supplies Fuel To Rosneft For Venezuelan Oil
(Reuters, Nidhi Verma and Marianna Parraga, 15.Oct.2019) — India’s Nayara Energy has been using Russian giant Rosneft as an intermediary to acquire Venezuelan oil, paying it in fuel rather than cash to avoid violating U.S. sanctions, three sources with knowledge of the transactions said. The United States in January prohibited […]
Venezuelan Oil Output Could Be Halved Without Chevron Waiver
(S&P Global Platts, Brian Scheid, 14.Oct.2019) — Venezuelan oil production, already averaging a historic low near 600,000 b/d, could quickly plummet below 300,000 b/d if the Trump administration allows a waiver for Chevron and four US oil services companies to expire next week, analysts told S&P Global Platts. “I think […]
Energy Cos Caught In Spat Over Venezuela Sanctions
(Chron, Sergio Chapa, 7.Oct.2019) — Frequent power outages, theft of equipment, a political tug-of-war and billions of dollars in losses would seem to signal to businesses that it’s time to get out of Venezuela. But energy companies with headquarters or major operations in Houston — including the oil major Chevron […]
PdV-CNPC JV Managers Arrested
(Argus, 7.Oct.2019) — Senior managers of Venezuelan state-owned PdV’s heavy crude-blending joint venture with Chinese state-owned CNPC were arrested late last week, days after the blending plant halted operations. PetroSinovensa had stood out as the most resilient of PdV’s crude joint ventures at the Jose industrial complex, maintaining partial operations […]
Exxon Mobil Bars Use Of Oil Tankers Linked To Venezuela
(Reuters, Jonathan Saul and Collin Eaton, 4.Oct.2019) — Exxon Mobil Corp this week banned the use of vessels linked to oil flows from Venezuela in the last year, according to four people familiar with the matter, putting new pressure on the U.S. sanctioned country and on global crude freight rates. […]
PdV Floods Cuba With Stranded Oil
(Argus, 3.Oct.2019) — At least three Venezuelan fuel tankers are heading towards Cuba today, part of a flotilla meant to free up domestic storage space while defying a US campaign to cut off Venezuela’s oil supply to its political ally. Up to 3mn bl of refined products and heavy crude […]
BP Comes Up Empty Offshore Exploration Hotspot
(Bloomberg, Peter Millard and Kelly Gilblom, 30.Sep.2019) — It was supposed to be BP’s big Brazilian breakthrough after years of setbacks in one of the world’s top destinations for offshore oil. The potential bonanza is still out of reach, two years after the London-based major teamed up with Brazil’s national […]
Brazil Approves 14 Firms For November Oil Tender
(Reuters, 30.Sep.2019) — Fourteen companies have been officially approved by Brazilian authorities to participate in an oil bidding round in November, in which total signing bonuses are expected to be the biggest so far, exceeding $25 billion, national oil regulator ANP said on Monday. As widely expected, the companies participating include […]
US Targets Entities, Vessels Moving Venezuelan Oil To Cuba
(US Treasury, 24.Sep.2019) — Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated four entities that operate in the oil sector of the Venezuelan economy pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13850. Additionally, OFAC identified four vessels that transport oil and other petroleum products from Venezuela […]
Maduro Hopes Putin Will Offer More Than Words
(FT.com, Michael Stott and Henry Foy, 24.Sep.2019) — Threats of military invasion, sweeping economic sanctions, people power, recognition of a rival government, even an attempted uprising — the US has tried almost everything to topple Nicolás Maduro. But Venezuela’s revolutionary socialist president is still clinging to power after six years, […]
Cuba Won’t negotiate On Venezuela, But Russia Might
(Miami Herald, Nora Gámez Torres and Michael Wilner, 24.Sep.2019) — Moscow has maintained communication with members of the Venezuelan opposition even as the Cuban government plans on “going down with the ship” alongside Nicolás Maduro, a senior Trump administration official said on Tuesday. In an interview with the Miami Herald […]
CNPC Skips Venezuelan oil Loading For Second Month
(Reuters, Chen Aizhu, 10.Sep.2019) — China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), a leading buyer of Venezuelan oil, will skip cargo loadings for a second month in September as the state oil giant looks to avoid breaching U.S. sanctions, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. CNPC made a surprise halt […]
PdV Clings To Sliver Of Oil Refining Capacity
(Argus, 6.Sep.2019) — Venezuela’s national oil company PdV has lost almost all capacity to refine crude, with only a sliver of the 635,000 b/d Amuay plant currently in operation, according to internal company reports seen by Argus. At the end of August, Amuay was processing 120,000 b/d or about 9pc […]
Venezuelan Oil Exports At Lowest Level In 2019
(Reuters, Marianna Parraga, Mircely Guanipa, 3.Sep.2019) — Venezuela’s oil exports fell in August to their lowest level in 2019, internal reports and Refinitiv Eikon data showed, hurt by a halt in purchases by the nation’s second largest customer, China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), following tougher U.S. sanctions. Overall exports of […]
China Stays Venezuela Course
(Argus, 20.Aug.2019) — The Chinese government is so far showing no sign of curtailing its oil ties to Venezuela, despite state-owned PetroChina’s rescheduling of Merey crude loadings in August. Argus has confirmed that state-owned PetroChina’s trading arm ChinaOil rescheduled up to seven VLCCs of heavy sour Merey in August that […]
CNPC Suspends Venezuelan Oil Loading
(Reuters, Chen Aizhu and Marianna Parraga, 18.Aug.2019) — China National Petroleum Corp, a leading buyer of Venezuelan oil, has halted August loadings following the latest U.S. sanctions on the South American exporter, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday. The Trump administration in early August […]
CNPC Backs Out Of Oil Purchases With Venezuela On Sanctions Scare
(Oilprice.com, Julianne Geiger, 16.Aug.2019) — Russia and China have stuck with Venezuela during its most recent time of need, but at least one of their loyalties may soon come to an end, according to anonymous sources who spoke to Bloomberg on Friday. CPNC’s PetroChina has canceled loading plans in August […]
PDVSA Partners Fear Latest U.S. Sanctions: Sources
(Reuters, Luc Cohen, 14.Aug.2019) — Foreign joint venture partners with Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA are concerned the latest set of U.S. sanctions on the South American country could disrupt their operations, three industry sources said. The Trump administration last week froze all Venezuelan government assets in the United States […]
Trump Freezes All Venezuelan Govt Assets
(Reuters, Matt Spetalnick and Roberta Rampton, 5.Aug.2019) — U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a freeze on all Venezuelan government assets in the United States on Monday, sharply escalating an economic and diplomatic pressure campaign aimed at removing socialist President Nicolas Maduro from power. The executive order signed by Trump goes […]
Petropiar JV starts blending
(Reuters, 29.Jul.2019, Words: 316) — Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA said on Monday the Petropiar extra-heavy crude upgrader, part-owned by U.S. oil company Chevron Corp, had begun operations as a blending facility. The facility, which used to produce upgraded crude destined mainly for the U.S. market, is expected to produce […]
Chevron To Keep Drilling In Venezuela Despite Sanctions
(Reuters, 26.Jul.2019) — The administration of United States President Donald Trump said on Friday that it has renewed Chevron Corp’s licence to drill for oil and gas in Venezuela despite sanctions, signalling that it sees value in having the US oil producer operate in a country on the verge of […]
Sanctions Squeeze Venezuela’s EHCO Output
(Petroleum Economist, 18.Jul.2019) — Latin America’s economically troubled oil giant faces the difficult task of significantly raising Asian crude grades. Venezuela’s upgraders have been forced to stop upgrading extra-heavy crude and instead focus on blending light and heavy grades, as US sanctions limit exports of the South American country’s most […]
LatAmNRG Ecuador Briefs: PetroAmazonas Deals, Drilling, Output, And Merger
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 20.May.2019) — Heard on the street and LatAmNRG briefs related to the Petroamazonas EP and contracts for $78.1 million with China’s CNPC And Sinopec, optimized drilling at Sacha and Coca Payamino, rising output during the first four months of 2019, secondary recovery efforts and the […]
Peru Cuts Gas Reserves, CNPC Block On Hold
(Argus, 10.Apr.2019) — Peru’s natural gas reserves declined after the energy ministry reclassified the potential of Chinese state-owned CNPC’s block 58 from proven/probable reserves to contingent resources. The ministry said the decision was based on the methodology used for the report, which classifies P2 reserves as those that will be […]
Petrobras and CNPC Define Business Model For COMPERJ, Marlim Partnership
(Hydrocarbon Engineering, Alex Hithersay, 18.Oct.2018) — Petrobras has announced that it has signed an integrated project business model agreement (IPBMA) with China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Co. (CNODC), a subsidiary of CNPC, advancing towards their strategic partnership, as disclosed to the market on July 4, 2018. The […]
Aker Solutions Wins Subsea Order for Libra’s Mero Field Offshore Brazil
(Aker Solutions, 5.Oct.2018) — Aker Solutions has signed a contract with Petrobras to provide a subsea production system and related services for the Mero 1 project within the Mero field development, one of the largest oil discoveries in Brazil’s pre-salt area. The subsea production system will consist of 12 vertical […]
Venezuela Doubles Down on Chinese Money to Reverse Crisis
(AP, 20.Sep.2018) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday that new investments from China will help his country dramatically boost its oil production, doubling down on financing from the Asian nation to turn around its crashing economy. Already a major economic partner, China has agreed to invest US$5 billion more […]
Venezuela Oil Production Continues to Collapse
(Energy Analytics Institute, Jared Yamin, 12.Sep.2018) — The decline is consistent and constant as well as consistently and constantly bad, writes Caracas Capital Market in a research note emailed to clients. Summary details from the research note follow: OPEC released the production counts for its member states today and while […]
Petrobras Targets China with New Crude Oil
(Reuters, Florence Tan and Alexandra Alper, 27.Jul.2018) – Brazil’s state-controlled energy company Petrobras plans to push more crude oil to top importer China by marketing a new medium-sweet grade that could be shipped from October, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. Petrobras expects to start pumping pre-salt oil […]
Petrobras, CNPC to Finish Rio Refinery
(Efe, 4.Jul.2018) – Brazilian state oil company Petrobras and China’s state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation signed a letter of intent to conclude construction of a refinery in Rio de Janeiro, the South American company said. Work on the refinery, known as the Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Complex (Comperj), has been […]
PDVSA Completes First Ship-to-Ship Transfer
(Kallanish Energy, 11.Jun.2018) — Venezuela’s PDVSA has reportedly completed its first ship-to-ship (STS) transfer last week, in a move to tackle the severe bottleneck of tankers around its main crude ports. Reuters reported the inaugural operation was with the Suezmax tanker Sonagol Kalandula for a Thai company’s refinery in Kemaman, […]
Venezuela’s Oil Sector Glory Days [EAItv]
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 1.May.2018) – A brief look at Venezuela’s oil sector glory days. Will they return?
Repsol Starts Gas Production at the Sagari Field in Peru
(Repsol, 27.Dec.2017) – Repsol has begun gas production from the Sagari field, located in block 57 in the Cusco region of Peru, reinforcing the company´s gas output drive in its reserves development strategy. The start of production at Sagari will lead to a 25% increase in the block’s total output. […]
New Libra Well Confirms Extension of Petrobras Oil Find
(Petrobras, 15.Jun.2016) – The Libra Consortium has concluded the drilling and evaluation of the seventh well in the block, located in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin. The well found the thickest oil net pay column ever encountered in Libra, reaching 410 meters. This column overcomes the last found (301 […]
Petrobras Libra Consortium 2nd Extension Well
(Petrobras, 24.Mar.2015) – The Libra consortium has finished drilling extension well 3-BRSA-1267-RJS/3-BRSA-1267A-RJS (3-RJS-735/735A). The drilling results confirmed the presence of a hydrocarbon column approximately 200 meters deep in reservoirs with good permeability and porosity characteristics. Informally known as C1, the well is located in the central part of the Libra […]
Ecuador, China Advance Refinery Plans
(OGJ, 24.Jan.2014) — China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) and the Ecuadorean government have reached an agreement regarding cooperation in a plan to construct a long-delayed refinery on Ecuador’s Pacific Coast. On Jan. 21, Ecuador’s Vice-President Jorge Glas and CNCP Chairman Zhou Jiping reached a joint-approval of the feasibility report for […]
Rafael Ramirez Speech in Caracas
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 7.Oct.2013) – PDVSA President Rafael Ramirez spoke with journalist in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. What follows are excerpts from the discussion. Rafael Ramirez regarding shipments to China: Ramirez: We are currently exporting 640,000 b/d to China and 430,000 b/d to India. We are supplying oil […]
Rafael Ramirez Speech in Puerto La Cruz
(Energy Analytics Institute, Piero Stewart, 4.Oct.2013) – Venezuela’s Oil Minister President Rafael Ramirez spoke with journalist in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. What follows are excerpts from the discussion. Rafael Ramirez on the economic sector: Ramirez: We have bonds that we are using to bring in food stuffs to guarantee supply […]
Journalist round table with PDVSA head Rafael Ramirez about the Faja, FONDEN, and more
CARACAS, VENEZUELA (By Pietro D. Pitts, Energy Analytics Institute, 31.Jul.2013, Words: 1999) – PDVSA President Rafael Ramirez held a small round table with journalist in Caracas, Venezuela. What follows are excerpts from the discussion.