UK budget eases oil and gas taxation

The UK government proposes to ease taxation of the oil and gas industry in its 2016 budget disclosed on Mar. 16. Source: News

Honeywell UOP details contract let for SOCAR refinery revamp

Honeywell UOP LLC, a subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., has released additional details of its earlier contract award from State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) to provide technology and licensing for installations to be built as part of the company’s ongoing modernization and expansion program at the Heydar Aliyev refinery at Baku in Azerbaijan. […]

OMV schedules 2-month turnaround for Austrian refinery

Austria’s OMV AG will shut down about half of its 203,892-b/d integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in Schwechat, Austria, beginning in April for 2 months of routine turnaround activities. Source: News

Kosmos well extends gas field offshore West Africa

Kosmos Energy Ltd., Dallas, reported that its Ahmeyim-2 appraisal well offshore Mauritania encountered 78 m of net gas pay in two high-quality reservoirs, including 46 m in the Lower Cenomanian and 32 m in the underlying Albian. Source: News

GAO: BSEE makes little progress on offshore oil, gas reforms

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s ongoing efforts to improve offshore oil and gas regulatory enforcement have been compromised by limited progress in improving its investigation capabilities, a US Government Accountability Office report concluded. Source: News

IEA: Carbon dioxide emissions flat as economy grows

Emissions of carbon dioxide remained unchanged for the second year in a row in 2015 while the global economy continued to grow, according to preliminary data from the International Energy Agency. Source: News

Blanchard to be CEO of Panhandle Oil & Gas

Paul F. Blanchard has been named president and chief executive officer of Panhandle Oil & Gas Inc., Oklahoma City, succeeding Michael C. Coffman, who will retire at yearend. Source: News

Whitfield to become Cobalt special advisor

Van P. Whitfield will serve as special advisor to Cobalt International Energy Inc., Houston, for 6 months beginning July 1 after resigning as chief operating officer and executive vice-president. Source: News

Tullow reports ‘strong oil shows’ in northern Kenya

Tullow Oil PLC reported “strong oil shows” in cuttings and rotary sidewall cores across a 700-m interval in its Cheptuket-1 well drilled on Block 12A in the Kerio Valley basin in northern Kenya. Source: News