ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Norway AS has received approval from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate to start up a subsea facility for production well E-29 AH at Balder oil field on Block 25/11 in the central North Sea. Source: News

The Faroe Petroleum PLC-operated Brasse sidetrack well (31/7-1A) reached a TD of 2,530 m, encountering a 25-m gross oil column and 6-m gross gas column at the Brasse discovery on license PL740 in the Norwegian North Sea. Source: News

Norwest Energy NL and Transerv Energy Ltd., both of Perth, have formed an alliance to facilitate the farmout and drilling of the Xanadu prospect in shallow territorial waters just offshore Western Australia. Source: News

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd. (BPCL), Mumbai, has completed installation and startup of a clarified oil (CLO) filtration system at the fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) at subsidiary Kochi Refineries Ltd.’s 9.5 million-tonne/year (tpy) refinery near the city of Kochi, at Ambalamugal, Ernakulam district, in the Indian state of Kerala. Source: News

Crude oil prices closed with modest gains July 8 on the New York and London markets, ending a volatile week after light, sweet crude and Brent crude dropped more than $2/bbl on July 5 and July 7. Analysts attributed price swings to an uncertain global economic outlook and a rising US rig count. Source: […]

Merlin Energy Resources Ltd., a UK geoscience and data management consultancy focused on the oil and gas industry, has become an employee-owned organization. Source: News