Drillships back to pre-Covid levels as owners test $200K ‘ceiling’ on day rates
The “psychological ceiling” of $200,000 day rates for offshore drillships will be broken “more routinely” now that the market has reached pre-Covid levels.
Westwood Global Energy Group
CNOOC plots two appraisal wells at Glengorm
Westwood Global Energy reports that as of 1 February there was one exploration well and one appraisal well active in the UK, with no change since the last report.
Equinor and Shell targets among trio of UK ‘wells to watch’ in 2021
High-impact targets from Equinor and Shell have been named among the “wells to watch” for the UK North Sea in 2021 by Westwood Energy.
Updated: Neo Energy enters exclusive talks with ExxonMobil over North Sea portfolio
Oil and gas firm Neo Energy has entered into exclusive negotiations over the purchase of ExxonMobil's UK central and northern North Sea portfolio.
UK North Sea exploration well tipped as ‘one to watch’ in 2021 by Westwood Global
An oil and gas market researcher has highlighted a UK North Sea exploration well expected to be drilled this year by Shell as “one to watch”.
Exploration drilling activity expected to recover in 2021, says Westwood Global
Offshore drilling activity on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) is expected to recover in 2021 with a dozen potential exploration wells identified.
West of Shetland oil and gas remains UK’s best bet for growth despite recent setbacks
The West of Shetland oil and gas (WoS) basin has long been held aloft as the UK’s last great hope for indigenous oil and gas production growth.
Baker Hughes leads oil field services firms on emissions reduction targets
Baker Hughes has the “most ambitious” emissions reduction targets of the major oil and gas services firms, a new report has found.
Premier Oil deal won’t end Chrysaor acquisition spree – Westwood
The Chrysaor-Premier Oil mega merger won’t mark the end of Chrysaor’s acquisition spree, according to the top consultant at Westwood Global.
Early rig exit suggests no Finzean find
Westwood Global Energy reports that as of September 30 there was one exploration well active in the UK. So far in 2020, four exploration wells have completed. There has been no appraisal drilling to date this year.
The oil market continues its cautious rally but more uncertainty lies ahead
For the oil markets, the first half of the year saw extraordinary swings in supply and demand, culminating in what is now thought to have been a staggering 22mbbpd of oversupply in April as OECD economies headed into lockdown and OPEC+ cuts dissolved. Demand fell to 78mmbpd and Saudi Arabia pumped an additional 1.6mmbpd, driving Brent down to under $10/bbl on April 21st and briefly pushing the WTI futures contract into negative territory.
Floating production system market set for quick rebound, Westwood Global says
The floating production systems (FPS) market will rebound to $13 billion annually from 2021-24 with an average oil price of $60 per barrel, analysts have said.
Stena Drilling confirms job cuts across offshore vessels
Stena Drilling has confirmed it is making redundancies on four of its offshore drilling vessels, along with cuts to a number of roles onshore.
BP highlights diverging views on the future of oil and gas, Westwood Global says
BP’s announcement that it is going to write down the value of its exploration assets by $8-10 billion (56-70%) shows the accounting impact of its energy transition strategy.
Business case for exploration still exists, Westwood Global says
Confidence had returned to global exploration with improved performance and the emergence of several new multi-billion barrel plays. The confidence carried over into 2020 but has evaporated in the face of the Covid-19 crisis and the collapse in oil prices. Short term plans are in a state of flux and exploration strategy is being reset again.
Norway decision on production cuts looms
Norway has said it will soon decide whether to cut its oil production to help support plummeting prices.
The current challenges for the UK and Norway in the face of Covid-19
The world has been transformed in the past month since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. The dramatic impact of COVID-19 on global oil demand and has been compounded by Saudi Arabia and Russia failing to agree production cuts to stabilise oil prices. With Brent trading well below US$30/bbl the resilience of the sector is once again being pushed to its limit. What does this mean for the UK and Norway upstream sectors?
At $30 oil, offshore drillers may be out of options
With the oil price crash and COVID-19, the near-term outlook for the offshore rig market is on a lot of minds.
Prolonged price war threatens return of ‘brutal’ cost cuts, experts say
A price war between two of the world’s biggest oil producers has sparked one of the worst crude routs in decades, putting companies under “huge pressure” and threatening “brutal” cost cuts.
Resources at Total’s major Glendronach discovery cut by 40% following appraisal
One of the largest offshore discoveries in UK waters of the last decade has had its recoverable resources cut by 40% following an appraisal well.
Halliburton-TechnipFMC deal: ‘Creating another giant’ comes with uncertainty, experts claim
North Sea job losses could be a potential outcome of “creating another giant” in the oilfield services sector, a top energy consultant said yesterday,
Equinor’s Rosebank to help bring North Sea spending to decade high – Westwood
Projects from Equinor off the UK and Norway will help bring North Sea spending to its highest level in a decade, according to Westwood Global.
Explorers to keep up the chase in 2020
Westwood Global Energy reports that as of December 31 there were two active exploration wells drilling in the UK.
UK exploration up but success rate ‘falls off a cliff’
Exploration activity in the UK North Sea has picked up substantially since last year, but the success rate has “fallen off a cliff”, an analyst has said.
EV Private Equity eyes sales to reap rewards of oil and gas investments
EV Private Equity (EVPE) plans to reap the rewards of its investment in the oil and gas sector through a number of sales later this year.