In fourth-quarter 2018 upstream, merger and acquisition activity fell to its lowest level since first-quarter 2015 as volatile oil prices and bearish equity markets impeded deal flow. Activity also may be sluggish in 2019, according to Wood Mackenzie. Source: News
NEB approves winter clearing work for Keystone XL’s north section
TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone Pipeline GP Ltd. can begin winter clearing work on the North Spread of its Keystone XL project. Canada’s National Energy Board (NEB) approved the company’s request as Keystone has satisfied the regulatory requirements for clearing of trees and shrubs along the pipeline route’s north section, starting at Hardisty, Alta. Source: News
Tallgrass, Kinder Morgan explore Rockies oil transportation
Tallgrass Energy LP and Kinder Morgan Inc. will jointly develop a solution to increase existing crude oil takeaway capacity in the Powder River and Denver-Julesburg basins and to add incremental capacity to the Williston basin and portions of Western Canada. Source: News
New survey supports Gabon’s latest offshore licensing round
Geoscience company CGG is extending its Gabon multiclient data footprint with a 9,800-km offset 2D seismic survey in an unexplored deepwater area of the South basin. CGG said it is building on the recent success of its 25,000-sq-km 3D BroadSeis survey, which led to the Boudji-1 and Ivela-1 oil discoveries. Source: News
Watching Government: Sizing up the shutdown
The partial US government shutdown closed some departments and agencies that regulate oil and gas, notably the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. Weeks into the standoff, however, trade association leaders were not certain how soon their members would start feeling the impacts. Source: News
Rystad Energy: Offshore service market growth to outpace shale
Rystad Energy forecasts offshore spending will outgrow spending on onshore shale activities this year. Service companies exposed to the offshore subsea market and the maintenance, modifications, and operations (MMO) sector are set to benefit from this trend reversal. Source: News
Santos group prepares for Dorado appraisal
A joint venture of Santos and Carnarvon Petroleum is moving swiftly in preparation for its appraisal of last year’s large Dorado oil and gas discovery in permit WA-437-P in the Bedout subbasin offshore Western Australia. Carnarvon said in its quarterly report that the Noble Tom Prosser jack up drilling rig has been contracted to drill […]
Producers assess Alberta government-mandated oil production cuts
Canadian oil companies reconsidered 2019 production guidance numbers in early January and reevaluated production strategies after Alberta’s government outlined a temporary production cut of heavy crude oil and crude bitumen. Source: News
What might work
Political futility of the Green New Deal, which combines decarbonization of the US energy economy with governmentally guaranteed employment and health care, results from more than economics. As noted here last week, the current version of the initiative pivots on authoritarianism for which little support exists outside groups craving political and intellectual control Source: News
The same page
The role of an Oil & Gas Journal technical editor is multifaceted. Alongside procuring, editing, and bringing the latest and most relevant technology articles to publication, the technical editor also is responsible for covering daily news items for her or his specific sector of the industry. Source: News