BP reorganized in 2011 to give greater value to shareholders
February 8, 2012
BP Raises Dividend as Operational Momentum Returns | www.bp.com
Reporting on Q4 and full year results, BP CEO Robert Dudley said that operational momentum and improved cash flow during 2011 gave the company confidence in its ability to grow shareholder value. Operating cash flow for 2011 was $22 billion. BP announced a 14% increase in the dividend. In his presentation to the financial community, Dudley said that payments into the Gulf of Mexico Trust Fund (created after the Macondo incident) would be completed by year end 2012.
Newfield Exploration selling assets to rapidly become an oil company
February 8, 2012
Newfield Exploration Updates GOM-Stake Sale | www.rigzone.com
Newfield has been selling non-strategic assets to concentrate on drilling for crude oil and other liquid-rich plays on land. Last year the company disposed of assets worth $400 million and is planning additional sales this year of $335 million. Newfield plans to continue to focus on oil growth. The emphasis will be developing long-lived onshore resource plays. The company plans no further exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.
ExxonMobil's acquisition of XTO was a long term bet on natural gas
February 7, 2012
ExxonMobil's Natural-Gas Push Could Hit Small US Producers | www.rigzone.com
ExxonMobil’s decision to maintain its current production of natural gas could possibly drive some smaller producers to the wall. Such consolidation could make ExxonMobil even more powerful than it already is. The news that the energy giant has no plans to curtail gas production puzzled some analysts. Others think the ExxonMobil decision will have little impact because the company operates only 30 rigs in the gas shale regions.
Santos basin shallow water wildcat may be game changer for Brazil's oil
February 3, 2012
OGX Confirms Hydrocarbon Find in Santos Basin | www.rigzone.com
Eike Batista, CEO of Brazilian independent OGX, commented that wildcat 1-OGX-63-SPS located in BM-S-57 (Fortaleza) identified hydrocarbons in both the Aptian and Albian of the stratigraphic column. What makes this remarkable is that the well was drilled in 509 feet of water. The OGX-63 cut 361 feet of high pressure Aptian which caused a well control incident.
Argentinian politicians' efforts to increase production are likely to backfire
February 3, 2012
Argentinean Governors to Push Oil Companies to Invest More | www.rigzone.com
Governors from 10 of the country’s oil producing provinces have planned a meeting for next week to pressure to oil companies. Last week President Cristina Kirchner attacked the industry for allowing production to decline. In 2011, Argentina imported $9.4 billion in fuel, double 2010 imports. Kircher added that oil companies should remember that they are working on land owned by the Argentine people.
Royal Dutch Shell to focus on frontier exploration in Arctic regions
February 2, 2012
Shell CEO Says Arctic Focus on Alaska, Greenland | www.rigzone.com
Shell CEO Peter Voser said in an interview that the company plans activity in Alaskan waters, offshore Greenland and in Russia’s far north. Most of the drilling will be in or near Arctic waters. Voser acknowledged that the Arctic environment is sensitive and challenging but added that he believes Shell can safely conduct operations there.
BNP Paribas asset sale puts small oil and gas companies on the spot
January 31, 2012
BNP Paribas O&G Loan Sale is Bad News for Explorers Seeking Funds | www.rigzone.com
The Financial Times reported last Thursday that BNP wants to dispose of its $11 billion oil and gas loan portfolio. The news is important for small companies because BNP has been a key player in funding frontier exploration projects. Risk appetite has changed for banks that lend to the oil and gas sector. Equity indicators for U.K.-listed companies are far from strong.
Funiwa Deep 1A may sand up and stop burning before the relief wells are drilled
January 30, 2012
Chevron: Funiwa Ffire Burning at Diminished Rate | www.rigzone.com
Chevron reported on January 27 that the fire burning at Funiwa 1A deep offshore Nigeria has diminished. The well caught fire during the early morning on January 17. By January 25, the KS Endeavor jackup rig had collapsed and no part of its structure was still above water. Chevron plans to drill two relief wells which could begin in the next seven to ten days.
Tullow stymied once again in sale of Uganda assets to Cnooc and Total
January 30, 2012
Uganda President: Tullow Asset Deal Deadlocked | rigzone.com
In early 2011, Tullow reached an agreement with Total and Cnooc to sell two thirds of its landlocked crude oil discoveries for $2.9 billion. The Ugandan government has repeatedly found reasons to block the sale. The assets are located in the Lake Albertine rift valley. This time the objection is that the three proposed partners objected to the government’s desire to amend certain stabilization clauses which were intended to manage risk.
Chesapeake Energy bites the natural gas bullet
January 25, 2012
Chesapeake Energy Corporation Updates its 2012 Operating Plan in Response to Low Natural Gas Prices | www.chk.com
Chesapeake plans to reduce its dry gas drilling by 50% to 24 rigs by Q2 2012. Its dry gas drilling expenses are expected to decrease to $900 million, down from $3.1 billion in 2011. The company will immediately curtail gas production by 500 million cubic feet/day, equal to 8% of current capacity. This will be the lowest level of dry gas spending since 2005.
Chesapeake Energy bites the natural gas bullet
January 25, 2012
Flurry of newbuild drilling rig deliveries in 2012 may dampen rig rates
January 20, 2012
Talisman joins the ranks of cautious E&P companies
January 12, 2012
Early signs of caution begin to cloud frontier exploration and production
January 4, 2012
Two global energy pipeline projects deserve attention
November 15, 2011