USA:
Öljy +7 kpl
Kaasu -8 kpl
Kanada +16 kpl

"Part 5: Petrobank's THAI technology
While there are many new oil sands technologies under development, one stands out as a potential game-changer: Petrobank's THAI technology. The company says it has found a cheaper way to loosen the bitumen and partially upgrade it before pumping it to the surface: igniting an underground fireflood. Petrobank's pilot project is close to proving the theory. BNN goes along for a personal tour and talks to analysts about their outlook for THAI."
"Petrobras will drive the demand for deep-water rigs but the Brazilian giant should be in no hurry to commit to newbuilding contracts given the excess floater supply through mid-2012, according to ODS-Petrodata’s Gavin Strachan.
Strachan estimated that about 20% of the floaters under construction have not been contracted. The excess supply will allow Petrobras the option to either charter or purchase rigs to meet its drilling requirements, he said..."
"BP has racked up its 18th find at Block 31 in Angola's prolific ultra-deep water play, with the Oberon-1 well.
Oberon-1 lies in the southern sector of Block 31 about 335 kilometres north-west of Luanda and 4.3 kilometres to the north-east of the Dione discovery.
The well was drilled to a total depth of 3622 metres in water depths of 1624 metres... "
"Bonterra Oil and Gas thinks it has a Bakkenstyle oil play here in Alberta -- in one of the province's largest and oldest oil pools, its chief executive said in Calgary on Thursday.
George Fink told his company's annual general meeting that horizontal wells with multistage fractures in the historic Pembina oilfield could rival the more trendy Bakken in Saskatchewan.
"It's still pretty new, but we think we can recover more on a per-well basis than the Bakken," he said."
"The Black Sea comprises two extensional basins formed in a back-arc setting above the northward subducting Tethys Ocean, close to the southern margin of Eurasia. The two basins coalesced late in their post-rift phases in the Pliocene, forming the present single depocentre. The Western Black Sea was initiated in the Aptian, when a part of the Moesian Platform (now the Western Pontides of Turkey) began to rift and move away to the south-east. The Eastern Black Sea probably formed by separation of the Mid-Black Sea High from the Shatsky Ridge during the Palaeocene to Eocene. Subsequent to rifting, the basins were the sites of mainly deep water deposition ; only during the Late Miocene was there a major sea-level fall, leading to the development of a relatively shallow lake. Most of the margins of the Black Sea have been extensively modified by Late Eocene to recent compression associated with closure of the Tethys Ocean. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and carbon isotope analysis of petroleum and rock extracts suggest that most petroleum occurrences around the Black Sea can be explained by generation from an oil-prone source rock of most probably Late Eocene age (although a wider age range is possible in the basin centres). Burial history modelling and source kitchen mapping indicate that this unit is currently generating both oil and gas in the post-rift basin. A Palaeozoic source rock may have generated gas condensate in the Gulf of Odessa. In Bulgarian waters, the main plays are associated with the development of an Eocene foreland basin (Kamchia Trough) and in extensional structures related to Western Black Sea rifting. The latter continue into the Romanian shelf where there is also potential in rollover anticlines due to gravity sliding of Neogene sediments. In the Gulf of Odessa gas condensate has been discovered in several compressional anticlines and there is potential in older extensional structures. Small gas and oil discoveries around the Sea of Azov point to further potential offshore around the Central Azov High. In offshore Russia and Georgia there are large culminations on the Shatsky Ridge, but these are mainly in deep water and may have poor reservoirs. There are small compressional structures off the northern Turkish coast related to the Pontide deformation ; these may include Eocene turbidite reservoirs. The extensional fault blocks of the Andrusov Ridge (Mid-Black Sea High) are seen as having the best potential for large hydrocarbon volumes, but in 2200 m of water."
"Scorpion’s contract backlog stands at US $821 million"
"Scorpion requires approximately $40 million in additional funds to finance the start-up of the Offshore Intrepid and Offshore Freedom charter contracts. In addition, under the Company’s investment program, it is currently anticipated that there is an unfunded amount of approximately USD 74 million to complete construction of the Offshore Mischief. Such funds will be required to make payments scheduled from November 1, 2009 onwards. It is envisaged that the funds will be raised in the form of bank debt and equity"
"Although the Company continues to market the Offshore Mischief for drilling operations, the Company is also pursuing sale of the rig"
"Scorpion International Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scorpion Offshore Ltd., received a letter of intent (LOI) from Thanglong Joint Operating Company to extend the current contract for the Offshore Resolute. This LOI is in direct continuation of the current program offshore Vietnam and has a duration of 6 months beginning early August 2009. The estimated LOI value is approximately US$ 27 million"
"Current low natural gas prices are setting the stage for a dramatic price rebound that should begin this fall or winter, Chesapeake Energy Corp.’s chief executive officer told analysts Tuesday."
"Chesapeake Energy Corp. is "imminently about to close" on $1 billion in asset and output sales, Chief Financial Officer Marc Rowland said Wednesday."
"Singapore’s Sembcorp Marine said today that PetroRig I's lawsuit filed in New York bankruptcy courts to stop its unit from selling a rig has been delayed until Friday due to a proposal made by PetroRig I and its associated third parties to pay Sembcorp in full for the rig. "
"If a situation should arise where Petromena is not in the position to finance the rigs or repay the amounts due to the Bondholders in accordance with the existing loan agreements, Seadrill might be prepared to assist the projects with senior financing and operational expertise in order to maximize the recovery to bondholders"
"Canada's oil sands can meet the challenge of turning "dirty oil" into "green bitumen," but oil prices would have to climb as high as US$105 a barrel to pay for the cost of integrating new technologies, according to a study by the Canadian Energy Research Institute."
"Study co-author David McColl, research director at CERI, said carbon capture and storage would be the cheapest option, costing an additional US$2.25 to produce a barrel of bitumen and suggesting oil prices would have to be US$85 a barrel for projects to be economic. Carbon capture would involve capturing carbon at the source and piping it into depleting reservoirs for storage, or into producing reservoirs to enhance hydrocarbon recovery.
Gasification, a new technology that is being pioneered by Nexen Inc. and OPTI Canada Inc. at their recently completed Long Lake oil-sands project, would add US$13.50 a barrel, suggesting oil prices would have to be about US$95 a barrel for projects to be economic. Gasification involves producing synthetic gas from bitumen waste, eliminating the need to use natural gas..."
Based on the current operational forecast and with reference to the aforementioned risk factors, the Company has the following expectations for the full year 2009:
- 2009 EBITDA between $700-800 million.
- 2009 active Marine 3D vessel capacity: 25%
MultiClient and 75% contract.
- MultiClient cash investments approximately
$200 million.
- Capital expenditures approximately $350
million.
"In 2009, our primary focus will be to maintain our low-cost advantage through selective drilling in the Bakken. We are positioned for continued long term reserve and production growth, despite our reduced pace of development at the beginning of 2009. At current commodity prices we expect to drill a further 50 wells this year and if oil prices improve we are prepared to drill as many as 120 wells in 2009."
"Petrobank pioneered the horizontal fracture stimulation techniques that opened up the true potential of this substantial resource, and we continue to find new ways to improve well performance and expected ultimate recoveries from the Bakken. Our recent efforts to further improve Bakken production have focused on increasing the intensity of fracture stimulation completions (fracs) by 38% in our long (1400 metre) horizontals, by 200% in our short (700 metre) horizontals, and by 400% in our shortbilateral (two 700 metre horizontal legs from a single vertical well bore) horizontal wells."
"Petrobank has also established strong positions in two massive natural gas resource plays; the Montney and the Horn River Basin. The key to unlocking the potential of these plays is through the use of horizontal wells and multi-stage fracture stimulation technologies, similar to those pioneered by Petrobank in the Bakken. We intend to capitalize on our evolving experience with advanced fracturing techniques, with the goal of building a substantial, long-term inventory of drilling locations at a low nearterm cost."
"Whitesands Project
During March and into the second quarter of 2009, P3B operations were stabilized and rateable production was achieved. In the first quarter, P3B operations were ramped up following the A3 injectionwell workover and the commissioning of new plant facilities. Production averaged 248 bopd in March and 256 bopd in April, these restricted production rates correspond to a reduced air injection rate required to balance P2 production operations."
"May 12 (Bloomberg) -- Quantum Energy Partners, the Houston private-equity firm that put together a $3.5 billion bankroll to go bargain-hunting for acquisitions after oil and natural-gas prices plunged, is waiting for a better time to pounce.
Buyers will accelerate acquisitions late this year and in early 2010 as the hedging contracts that shielded potential takeover targets from tumbling prices expire, said Wil VanLoh, Quantum’s chief executive officer..."
" The Iraqi federal oil ministry said Sunday it will allow the autonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq to start exporting crude oil in June to world markets after blocking such shipments for the past two years. The Kurds and the central government, which grants all oil-export licenses, have been at odds since 2007 over Iraq's draft hydrocarbons law and oil contracts that the Kurds signed with foreign companies. Despite those issues being still unresolved, Baghdad -- under increased financial strain because of weak oil prices and falling revenue -- will allow the Kurds to begin exporting 60,000 barrels a day from June 1, oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said. "We are agreeing to the exports," he said. The Kurds said Friday they would start exports regardless of the ministry's approval. Mr. Jihad didn't say why Baghdad had reversed itself, but it is likely that the central government's need for more revenue played a part in its decision. The government has slashed its 2009 budget three times because of falling oil prices."
"The Iraqi Oil Ministry still considers contracts signed by the largely autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) foreign oil companies illegal, despite news this week the ministry would allow exports from Kurdish fields, an official said today."
"Ship owners are being forced to pay to carry oil from the Middle East to the U.S. for the first time in at least a decade after demand collapsed and the fleet expanded. Supertanker owners make no rental income from the voyages and are paying $3,445 a day toward fuel costs, data from the Baltic Exchange in London show. Rental rates normally cover fuel costs . The journey to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port from Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia’s largest export facility, earned owners as much as $104,663 a day in July..."
VLCC
A quiet week with little fresh enquiry from MEG and rates now slipped ex-West Africa, owners struggling to find any positive signs in the market and charterers just sitting back in no rush to fix.
Suezmax
A modest amount of activity but with a tonnage list a mile long rates were unable to make any significant gain.
Panamax
1. CARIBS - A good amount of activity this week but any sustainable gain in rates seems unlikely. Expect rates to remain soft next week.
2. FAR EAST- There are plenty modern vessels available off Singapore, and very little requirement to even keep the voyage calculator ticking over. There were various fuel oil tenders closing during the week, but still a large proportion of the players in these control tonnage that they will look to protect first, before showing to the spot market. Current market assessment for Indo/North is at ws70 level
"Reference is made to a notification on the website of the Kurdistan Regional Government ("KRG") today, announcing commencement of crude oil exports from the Tawke field and the Taq-Taq field from June, 2009.
DNO International ASA has not received any notification from KRG concerning commencement of crude oil exports..."
"Venezuela today approved legislation allowing the nationalisation of a group of oil service companies, opening the door for future takeovers as President Hugo Chavez extends control over the oil industry..."
"Dissenting congressman Luis Díaz lamented the endorsement and called it a “most serious mistake,” as the country lacks technological capacity, among others"
"Crescent Point is pleased to announce that it has entered into two separate arrangement agreements (the “Arrangements”) with Wild River Resources Ltd. (“Wild River”) and Gibraltar Exploration Ltd. (“Gibraltar”), each a private oil and gas company active in southwest Saskatchewan. The effective consideration payable by the Trust pursuant to the Arrangements, including the Trust’s prior $20.0 million investment in Wild River, is approximately $324.2 million, based on a five day weighted average trading price of $27.16 per trust unit and including $83.5 million of net debt."
"Under the terms of the arrangement agreement with Wild River (“the Wild River Arrangement”), Crescent Point unitholders will
exchange their trust units for common shares of Wild River, thereby providing for the conversion of the Trust into a
corporation."
"While all of our jack-ups are under contract today, we are likely to have idle time on jack-ups in both the Gulf of Mexico and the Middle East in the near future. Nonetheless, we continue to believe that the quality of our rigs and our operational reputation will enable us to maintain above average utilization of our available jack-ups."
"Flere meglere TDN Finans har vært i kontakt med viser til at selskapet skal ha inngått en kontrakt. En meglersjef forteller om rykter som sier at selskapet har gjort en slutning til en rate på rundt 500.000 dollar dagen."
"US gas resource base has multiplied “overnight”"...Shale plays: An undeveloped “sea of gas”"...Supply demand fundamentals favor oil...
So what changes has shale gas brought about?
For one, Mr Latshaw believes it has significantly reduced the risk in drilling new wells. “If you go back 30 years, the rule of thumb was nine dry holes for every producer,” he recalled. “They call it natural gas farming now because every well you drill, you just drill it horizontally and frac it, and they all produce. It’s like planting seeds out there and watching it grow.”
Another change is in initial production rates, with shale gas wells coming on-line at massive volumes. In the Haynesville, for example, some wells have announced initial production rates of up to 28 MMcf/day. That’s more than 10 times as much as an average Gulf of Mexico shelf well, Mr Mauger said.
But the biggest thing about shale gas is not so much its absolute size today, he continued. Rather, it’s its size relative to five or eight years ago – 5 Bcf/day now versus just over 1 Bcf/day then. “We’ve got nearly a 500% increase in production... Particularly in the last three years, we’ve seen shale gas production really soar, and that has contributed to an oversupply of natural gas in North America.”
"Our own internal work suggests that the very best unconventional plays will need $6 to $7 NYMEX -- gas prices to justify an increase in drilling while the more challenging conventional plays will need at least $8 to 9$ NYMEX gas prices for drilling to return at sufficient levels to maintain current production."
"We were also quite pleased to announce that Apache has begun operating its first compressed natural gas refueling station at Elk City, Oklahoma; enabling the Company to fuel 40 field vehicles with cleaner-burning natural gas produced from the company's wells in the Anadarko basin.
We had to install conversion kits in these trucks since domestic pick up manufacturers do not presently produced CNG vehicles. We are hopeful that the success of this project will encourage production of such vehicles in the future leading to both cleaner air and lower costs."