Supreme Court in Netherlands drops oil case
The Supreme Court in the Netherlands has given a final verdict in favour of Ecopetrol. It comes after Llanos Oil Exploration filed a lawsuit in 2011.
Other News
UAE energy minister set to lead IPIC as managing director
The energy minister of the UAE (United Arab Emrirates) has been appointed managing director of the IPIC (International Petroleum Investment Company). The move follows a reshuffle of the board. Suhail Mohammed al-Mazrouei will take up the position, replacing Khadem al-Qubaisi.
ExxonMobil to pay $5.07million over oil spill
ExxonMobil has agreed to pay $5.07million after it was alleged the company violated the federal Clean Water Act and state environmental laws. The payment relates to 2013 oil spill in Arkansas. The incident two years happened after the rupture of Exxon's Pegasus pipeline, which caused an estimated 3,190 barrels of oil to flow into a residential neighbourhood and nearby waterways, including Lake Conway which flows into the Arkansas River.
Rose Petroleum appoints new head of oil and gas operations
Rose Petroleum has appointed Ty Watson as its head of oil and gas operations. The move comes as John Blair made the decision to step down from the position, effective immediately.
Atlas Knowledge and Amplo Development Services join forces in South Africa and Namibia
Atlas Knowledge and its strategic partner Amplo Development Services have launched a new initiative to bring internationally certified construction, commercial and oil and gas training to the South African and Namibian energy industries. The move is in response to the increasing demand in the region for accessible and affordable training to workforce in the developing energy region. The first two authorised training centres of Amplo's have been certified to deliver in excess of 1,000 e-learning courses as well as OPITO certified invigilated training.
NOV appoints interim CFO after Transocean move
NOV has appointed an interim chief financial officer after Jeremy Thigpen was snapped up to take the helm of Transocean as chief executive. It follows his move after 18 years with the company. The firm's vice president, Scott Duff, has been named as interim financial officer while a replacement is sought.
Inspirational keynote speaker confirmed for Industry Safety Awards
A paralympian who has overcome significant hurdles within her own life will offer words of inspiration at this year’s UK Oil & Gas Industry Safety Awards. Karen Darke was just 21-years-old when she fell while climbing up a cliff in Aberdeen, leaving her paralysed from the chest down. The 43-year-old had always loved the outdoors, even prior to her accident, and after watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics decided she wanted to compete in London four years later.
Norway seeks permission to help support Statoil project
Norway is set to ask the European competition authorities whether it can provide state support to energy firm Statoil in a bid to bring oil and gas to the shore from its Johan Castberg field in the Arctic. The country's oil minister, Tord Lien, said bringing it to shore would provide more benefits. Statoil had initially planned to pipe the oil to an onshore loading terminal, but deemed it too expensive and said pumping it onto tankers at sea might be a more viable option.
ExxonMobil boss urges support for LNG exports
ExxonMobil’s president said the US could be at risk of losing economic opportunity and the ability to solidify its role as a “global leader” unless the government moves to approve LNG exports. Rob Franklin, president of ExxonMobil Gas & Power Marketing, said it was important to make sure the case of LNG exports did not become “just another casualty of bureaucracy." The company has recently embarked on a $10billion project to convert the LNG regasification terminal at Golden Pass , Texas, into an LNG export terminal.
Oil companies collaborate on operational tasks in the Barents Sea
A number of oil companies including Statoil and GDF Suez are set to collaborate on solving operational tasks tied to exploration in the Barents Sea. The project, called BaSEC (Barents Sea Exploration Collaboration) will initially last for around three years. It will cover the Barents Sea, with a special focus on the areas which have been included in the 23rd licensing round. Other companies involved include Eni Norge, Lundin Norway and OMV.
Maersk Training creates innovative learning system
Maersk Training has been using a unique system in a bid to go completely paperless. Staffs at the company’s centre in Aberdeen have been working closely with the creator of the iPad, Apple, to develop a unique learning experience. Operations manager Mike Prater-Cockayne said: “It’s quite an extensive project we are going through at the moment.
Deepsea Aberdeen begins drilling on Quad 204
Odfjell Drilling has commenced drilling operations as part of its seven-year contract with BP on the Quad 204 development project West of Shetland. The company will use its new-build semi-submersible rig, Deepsea Aberdeen, on the project. The mobile offshore drilling unit it’s the latest addition to Odfjell’s fleet of deepwater and harsh environment units.
Chevron appeals to uphold case against lawyer
Oil giant Chevron has had its appeal hear in the US to uphold a ruling that a lawyer had used corrupt means to secure a $9.5billion pollution judgement in Ecuador. At the second US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York a lawyer for the company alleged that Steven Donziger – the US lawyer who represented a group of Ecuadorians that sued the company – had pursued a case which was “shot with fraud.” The three-judge panel was asked to uphold a ban on Donziger profiting from the case and from the attorney or villagers enforcing the judgement in the US.
Prime Minister writes to President of Gabon over oil dispute
The Prime Minster has written to the President of Gabon in a disagreement between oil companies and the country’s petroleum ministry. According to reports, the move comes after previous interventions from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were unable to solve the dispute. The petroleum ministry had expropriated assets from Tullow Oil as well as threatening oil giant Shell with a fine for alleged non-payment of back taxes.
Changes to management at Africa Oil
Africa Oil said its current vice president of development will move to a new role within the company. Tim Thomas will now become chief operation officer at the firm's Calgary-based office.
Labour ‘would create one million green jobs’
A Labour government would bring in a legal target to slash carbon emissions from the power sector and improve energy efficiency for five million homes, as it seeks to create a million new “green” jobs. Setting out details of Labour’s “green plan”, shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint said that “building a more equal society means tackling climate change and protecting nature”. The plan includes a legally binding target to decarbonise electricity supplies by 2030, delivering energy efficiency upgrades to at least five million homes over 10 years and developing a green industrial strategy to create a million new jobs.
Lundin Petroleum makes senior appointment
Lundin Petroleum has confirmed the appointment of a new upper management position. Nick Walker will join the international petroleum firm's management team as senior vice president of development and operations with immediate effect. Mr Walker will have the responsibility of overseeing all worldwide development projects as well as being a member of the Investment Committee.
Saudi Arabian government warns of potential terrorist attack on energy installations
Security forces have been put on alert in Saudi Arabia for a possible attack on a shopping mall or energy installation. The country’s Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour Turki said information had been passed on which included the possibility of an attack on an Aramco installation. In 2006, four Al Qaeda militants breached the gates of a Saudi Aramco plant but were killed in a shootout with security guards before managing to cause any damage.
Subsea UK looks to establish regional hub in England
Subsea UK is looking to establish a regional hub in England which could bring together businesses across the subsea supply chain and help identify new opportunities within the sector. The Industry body will host its second event in Bristol tomorrow, where around 40 businesses are estimated to be involved in the sector, which is focused on underwater activity in relation to oil and gas, defence, oceanology and marine renewables. Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK said: “The south-west of England is home to a huge amount of innovation and expertise, particularly in the areas of oil and gas. As an organisation covering the whole of the UK, we want to help these companies exploit the potential to increase business at home and abroad.
Oil and gas body to stage hustings
Energy industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) will host a hustings event featuring four parliamentary candidates in Aberdeen this week. The hustings will be attended by chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, Labour’s Dame Anne Begg, Conservative candidate Alexander Burnett and former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond.
Lessons from Macondo disaster must be heeded
An international well control training and certification body has launched a new programme aimed at reducing behavioural problems implicated in the Macondo disaster. The International Well Control Forum (IWCF) has initiated a pilot scheme to bring in a “culture shift” which will empower people to act on safety concerns. The programme, Crew Resource Management (CRM) has been designed to improve non-technical skills and encourage a change in attitude to raise awareness of human factors in well operations.
Statoil chief says more oil deals likely after Shell-BG merger
The chief executive officer of Norway’s largest oil producer said the industry will probably see more deals after Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s $70 billion to BG Plc, especially if crude prices remain depressed. “All player are looking now at opportunities,” Eldar Saetre, said in Washington on Friday. “There could be more deals. It depends on the oil price, if prices stay low players will get distressed and look for deals.” Saetre said that the high valuation expectations of potential sellers was “still a problem.”
PSA find number of breaches following lifeboat incident
The PSA (Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority) has found a number of breaches after a lifeboat was unintentionally launched from the mobile unit Maersk Giant earlier this year. The incident, in January, occurred during testing of the lifeboat systems. An investigation by the PSA found if the boat had been released with workers in it, there could have been serious injuries caused or even fatalities. The NSA said during testing, a lifeboat had descended to the sea, with efforts being made to activate the manual brake on the lifeboat winch.
AA queries fuel retailers prices
Drivers are paying out more at the pumps for petrol despite a dip in world oil prices, according to the AA. Yet the need for fair pricing on forecourts has been largely ignored by politicians during the General Election campaign, the motoring group said. Its figures showed the price of oil was 5% lower per barrel in the first two weeks of April 2015 than in the first two weeks of March 2015. But average UK petrol prices rose from 111.92p a litre in mid-March to 113.29p a litre in mid-April.
BP pays out more than $5billion in compensation
An administrator overseeing compensation payouts for people and businesses affected by the BP 2010 Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico said more than $5billio had already been issued. A total of 62,162 claimants have been paid $5.037 billion. The payments come after a settlement in 2012 tied to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.