Origin Energy Ltd., Sydney, has completed its program of shedding noncore assets with the sale of the Darling Downs natural gas pipeline in southeast Queensland to Jemena Gas Pipelines Holdings for $392 million (Aus.). Source: News

New Zealand Oil & Gas Ltd. (NZOG) has bought back into Kupe oil and gas field in the offshore Taranaki basin offshore New Zealand’s North Island. NZOG paid a lower price than it sold to Genesis Energy Ltd. in November 2016. Source: News

The Alberta government is seeking legislative approval to lend the Orphan Well Association (OWA) $235 million (Can.) to accelerate work on oil and gas wells with defunct or insolvent owners. Source: News

Patrick K. Mullen has been appointed CB&I president and chief executive officer, effective July 1. He’s succeeding Philip K. Asherman, who is retiring after almost 12 years leading the firm. Source: News

Officials from the Oil Spill Commission Action (OSCA) project, a continuation of the presidential commission that investigated the 2010 Macondo deepwater oil well blowout and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, expressed their opposition to US President Donald Trump’s plans to open Atlantic and Arctic offshore areas to oil and gas leasing. […]

The front-month contract for light, sweet crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange jumped back up above $50/bbl during May 18 trading for the first time in more than 3 weeks as prices headed toward a second straight week of gains. Source: News