Shell to sell stake in Australian LNG facilities for £1.9bn
Shell has struck a deal to sell a 26.25% stake in the Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) common facilities to Global Infrastructure Partners Australia for £1.9 billion.
Australasia
Australia’s Santos steals a march with Barossa LNG deal
The Santos-led Barossa LNG export project is on track for a final investment decision (FID) within six months after drastically cutting costs and securing a major Japanese buyer for some of Australia’s dirtiest LNG.
Woodside helps Australian offshore exploration spend hit 44-year low
Despite offshore exploration spending hitting a new low, drilling activities are expected to ramp up, with BP’s exciting Ironbark-1 well targeting a potentially giant gas deposit off Western Australia and Santos probing an exciting shale formation in Northern Australia
BOSS aims to find sweet seismic spot
The energy industry has a reputation for being slow to support new technologies, but one exception to this generalisation is the rise of autonomous offshore vehicles.
BP backs robot BOSS
Blue Ocean Seismic Services (BOSS) has won £10 million of backing from a range of companies including BP Ventures, Woodside Energy and Blue Ocean Monitoring.
Job hopes as MODS sells stake to Japanese firm
Bosses at MODS are planning a recruitment drive after selling a 40% stake in the family-owned energy software business to a Japanese engineering firm for £7.3 million.
Australian-firm Oilex records pre-tax losses of $4.5m
Oilex has said it will continue to “review business opportunities” in high potential areas despite taking a financial hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Warrego and Alcoa sign large scale, long term gas sales agreement
Warrego Energy has signed a binding Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) with one of Western Australia’s leading gas buyers, Alcoa of Australia, for the long term supply of a total of 155 petajoules (PJ) of natural gas from the West Erregulla gas field.
Aberdeen duo on cusp of big break in Australia after years of struggle
An Aberdeen-based duo have claimed their Australian venture is “on the cusp” of becoming a major, international onshore, conventional gas exploration and production company.
BP worker sacked over Hitler meme wins more than £100,000 in compensation
A BP worker who was sacked for mocking management using a meme of Hitler has won a compensation claim for nearly £110,000.
EnerMech secures contract for major Australian infrastructure project
Aberdeen’s EnerMech has secured a contract to provide mechanical, electrical and instrumentation (ME&I) services on the next stage of WestConnex, Australia’s largest road infrastructure project.
Might makes for LNG opportunities
Pandemic-driven lockdowns have taken their toll on small companies in every sector, while larger companies can take a longer view on matters, including in the LNG sector.
Helicopter operators Bristow, Era complete merger
Helicopter operators Bristow Group and Era have finalised their merger.
Australia looks to Big Oil in latest plan to curb emissions
Australia is seeking to cut emissions in one of the world’s biggest per-capita polluters by encouraging oil firms including Chevron Corp. and Woodside Petroleum Ltd. to invest in carbon-reduction projects.
Supply chain threatened with collapse, Woodmac warns
The upstream supply chain “faces the very real threat of collapse”, a new report from Wood Mackenzie has warned, setting the industry on the path of another crisis as demand recovers.
Asia Pacific M&A shake-up on the horizon
More assets are expected to hit the market across Asia Pacific this year following the sustained drop in global oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has destroyed energy demand growth as economic activity contracts.
PNG-focused Oil Search is a takeover target
Despite a recently announced planned capital raising, Australian-listed Oil Search, which has major stakes in Papua New Guinea’s emerging LNG sector, is a prime takeover target, as mergers become more likely in a low oil price world.
Despite Woodside cuts, Sangomar continues
Woodside Petroleum has slashed its spending this year by 50%, to around $2.4 billion, but Senegal’s Sangomar development should progress as planned.
Equinor drops Australia oil plan in win for green activists
Equinor ASA has dropped plans for oil drilling deep in the ocean off Australia’s south coast following a sustained campaign from environmentalists who said the project posed too big a risk to the vast and unique marine ecosystem.
PNG plays hardball with ExxonMobil over LNG expansion
ExxonMobil’s PNG LNG expansion project risks being delayed several years after the government of Papua New Guinea rejected the US major’s proposed terms for the P’nyang field development.
Worley chief to retire, replacement named
Energy service firm Worley said today that its chief executive, Andrew Wood, will retire later this month after 26 years with the firm, including seven at the helm.
Wood ties up £100m contract extension with Melbourne Water
Energy services giant Wood has secured a £100 million, three-year contract extension to provide maintenance on Melbourne's water infrastructure.
Zenith set to build on impressive year of growth
Well engineering firm Zenith Energy is expecting an even better year ahead after UK office turnover soared by 80% during 2019.
Australian LNG to beat out Qatar in 2019
Australian LNG exports will rise to 81 million tonnes in 2019-20, according to the country’s new Resources and Energy Quarterly (REQ), although the value of these will decline.
Chevron buys Australia’s Puma Energy for nearly $300m
U.S. energy giant Chevron will buy Australia's Puma Energy for about $292 million to provide more fuel distribution support in the Asia-Pacific region.