Royal Dutch Shell PLC is exiting Ireland’s upstream segment in a deal that includes its 45% interest in the Corrib gas venture. Source: News

Statoil ASA is to buy an additional 10% interest in the BM-S-8 license in the Santos basin offshore Brazil for $379 million. Source: News

The US Energy Information Administration expects Brent crude oil prices to average $51/bbl in 2017 and $52/bbl in 2018, down $2/bbl and $4/bbl, respectively, from last month’s Short-Term Energy Outlook. Source: News

The office of US Sen. Bill Nelson (D) of Florida released two letters on July 11 from officials at the US Department of Defense urging retention of a moratorium on offshore oil and gas leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Source: News

Chevron Corp. has let a contract to Ensco PLC for its Ensco DS-4 drillship to work offshore Nigeria starting in next year’s first quarter. The single-year contract has five 1-year priced customer options. Source: News

Regions along the US Gulf of Mexico will play an increasing role as oil exporters with US crude oil exports forecast to rise to 2.25 million b/d by 2020, a fourfold increase from 2016, said a special report from PIRA, an analytics and forecasting unit of S&P Global Platts. Source: News