The US drilling rig count gained another 5 units to reach 1,013 during the week ended Apr. 20, data from Baker Hughes indicate. The report shows an overall increase of 156 units from year-ago levels. Source: News

Praxair Inc., Danbury, Conn., has started up delivery of hydrogen to Marathon Petroleum Corp.’s 556,000-b/d refinery at Garyville, La., to support the operator’s previously announced ultralow-sulfur diesel (ULSD) project at the site. Source: News

US President Donald Trump fired a broadside at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries for trying to raise crude oil prices in an Apr. 20 early-morning Tweet. “Looks like OPEC is at it again. With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very […]

Saudi Aramco has let a contract to SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., Montreal, to build additional installations at the operator’s 2.5-bcfd Wasit gas processing plant north of Jubail Industrial City in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province.  Source: News

US petroleum demand reached 20.6 million b/d in March—the highest level since 2007, according to the latest monthly statistics of the American Petroleum Institute. To satisfy demand, US refineries utilized 91.5% of their capacity—a record for the month of March—and processed 17 million b/d of oil and natural gas liquids. Source: News

US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Minority Member Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.), joined by 15 other Democrats and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), introduced legislation to codify two offshore safety and environmental rules the US Department of the Interior finalized in 2016 following the 2010 Macondo deepwater well blowout and subsequent crude oil spill. […]

Japanese combine Mitsui & Co. has extended the offer period until May 2 for its unconditional recommended cash takeover offer for Sydney-based AWE Ltd.  Source: News