The Oil and Gas Journal articles from April 1997

The Oil and Gas Journal archives from April 1997

Recent news developments continue to reflect fundamental change under way in the global petroleum industry with the upstream outlook still a bright spot.(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Recent news developments continue to reflect fundamental change under way in the global petroleum industry, with the upstream outlook still a bright spot. In spite of recent U.S. oil and gas price slippage, causing "momentum sellers" to...

Still, precedent-setting drilling is on tap - off California and in a Utah national monument. (Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Still precedent-setting drilling is on tap off California and in a Utah national monument. Benton Oil & Gas will operate an extended-reach gas drilling project into state waters of the Santa Barbara Channel using an onshore drill site. ...

Germs of Texaco's proposed out-of-court settlement over a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the company last year are now officially approved, effectively closing the case. (1996)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Terms of Texaco's pose out-of-court settlement over a racial discrimination lawsuit filed against the company last year are now officially approved, effectively closing the case. A U.S. federal judge signed off on the company's diversity...

Strategic alliances, which can reduce costs and risks and enhance mutual operating efficiencies, are toppling gas production/transportation boundaries between the U.S. and Canada.(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Strategic alliances, which can reduce costs and risks and enhance mutual operating efficiencies (see Management Perspective, p. 25), are toppling gas production/transportation boundaries between the U.S. and Canada. Calgary's Petro-Canada...

Nymex's first year of electricity futures/options trading exceeded expectations, says Nymex Pres. R. Patrick Thompson. (New York Mercantile Exchange)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Nymex's first year of electricity futures/options trading exceeded expectations, says Nymex Pres. R. Patrick Thompson. Thompson, in Houston recently to dedicate Nymex's new office there, said Houston could become "the hub of the electricity...

Another big power project is moving ahead in Thailand. (at Sri Racha, Chon Buri, for Electric Generating Authority of Thailand)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Another big power project is moving ahead in Thailand. Further leveraging its established Thailand hydrocarbon production base, Unocal has signed agreements to construct a $350 million independent power project (IPP) at the eastern seaboard...

Apache says the highest-flowing gas well to date has been brought in on the Khalda concession in Egypt's western desert, and a second sales pipeline may be necessary.(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Apache says the highest-flowing gas well to date has been brought in on the Khalda concession in Egypt's western desert, and a second sales pipeline may be necessary (OGJ, Jan. 15, 1997, p. 27). The Shams-2X tested a combined total of about 104...

In our own backyard. (exhibit at Museum of Natural Science, Weiss Energy Hall, Houston, TX)(Editorial)
April 7, 1997... When asked to write this week's Journally Speaking, I was a little intimidated. What is there for a statistics editor--busy crunching numbers on a computer, scouring through quarterly earnings reports, statistical databases, etc.--to write...

The Greenpeace method. (demonstrations against offshore industry)(Editorial)
April 7, 1997... Shell U.K. Exploration & Production, British Petroleum, and other oil companies wishing to work in the U.K. offshore have no choice: They must try to reason with Greenpeace. The U.K. government has another option: It can follow the law. So far,...

How to identify the key elements of successful industry alliances. (oil and gas industry)
April 7, 1997... The role of alliances in the oil and gas industry in the coming years cannot be overestimated. While the "right" form of alliance is still evolving, those in existence and presently taking shape vary widely from company to company and from...

Crunch looms for U.S. service/supply sector. (oil field service and supply)
April 7, 1997... A leaner U.S. oil field service/supply sector is benefiting from increased industry activity levels and higher volumes of oil and gas production worldwide. But higher activity levels have put the sector in a catch-up mode. Supply companies...

U.S. M&A off to fast start in 1997. (mergers and acquisitions in the petroleum industry; report by Randall & Dewey Inc.)
April 7, 1997... The pace of U.S. mergers and acquisitions in 1997 appears to be off to a fast start, reports Houston's Randall & Dewey Inc., acquisition and divestiture (A&D) consultants. Randall & Dewey expects about $2 billion in A&D announcements...

Signals on Sudan. (omitted from list of nations sanctioned for terrorism)(Column)
April 7, 1997... The U.S. government may have given U.S. firms wanting to do business with Sudan conflicting signals in the past, but now the answer is dearly "no." Sudan is one of seven nations the U.S. has accused of sponsoring terrorism. The State...

EPA proposes changes to U.S. RFG program. (Environmental Protection Agency; reformulated gasoline)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed procedural changes to the reformulated gasoline (RFG) program to ensure a smooth transition with the program's second phase beginning in 2000. In a related action, EPA also proposed a...

BLM survey finds Alyeska's woes continue. (Bureau of Land Management; labor, environmental and safety problems of Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... A U.S. Bureau of Land Management survey of Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.'s "employee concerns program" says many workers still fear harassment and retaliation if they report environmental or safety problems regarding the Trans-Alaska Pipeline...

Cotton Valley reef pipeline, E&D expand. (exploration and development, East Texas)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Operators continue to develop infrastructure in the upper Jurassic Cotton Valley pinnacle reef play in East Texas. Delhi Gas Pipeline Corp., Dallas, a member of USX-Delhi Group, a USX Corp. unit, has completed its second-phase system...

Austin chalk wells yield huge flow rates. (Southeast Texas)
April 7, 1997... Cretaceous Austin chalk horizontal drilling and production activity is heating up in Southeast Texas, yielding record U.S. onshore horizontal flow rates, according to operators. In the deep Giddings field area of Washington County, Union...

R&D fear in cost-cutting era. (United Kingdom's Cost Reduction Initiative for the New Era, research and development in oil well engineering)(Column)
April 7, 1997... BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. and partners in U.K. Andrew field have just paid a 2.35 million pounds ($3.76 million) bonus to the project's well engineering alliance. The alliance consists of operator BP; well contractor Baker Hughes...

Shell/Esso to use PES 'smart' well completion system. (Shell U.K. Exploration & Production, Petroleum Engineering Services Ltd.'s Surface-Controlled Reservoir Analysis & Management System)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Shell U.K. Exploration & Production has signed a multimillion-dollar agreement with Petroleum Engineering Services Ltd. (PES), Aberdeen, for use of a "smart" well completion system. The Surface-Controlled Reservoir Analysis & Management...

Offshore Northwest Europe development activity simmering.
April 7, 1997... Norsk Hydro AS has let a 1.6 billion kroner ($240 million) contract to Aker AS, Oslo, for construction of gas processing platform topsides for installation in Oseberg field on Norwegian Blocks 30/6 and 30/9. Texaco North Sea Co. Ltd. plans...

Conoco gets nod to develop Viking satellites. (gas accumulations in U.K. North Sea from existing platforms)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Conoco (U.K.) Ltd. has received U.K. Department of Trade and Industry approval to develop four gas accumulations in U.K. North Sea Viking field as satellites of existing platforms. The four accumulations--F and Fs, which are part of Viking...

pacts to boost exploration off Ghana.(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Exploration activity off Ghana will continue to accelerate under two more agreements disclosed by Ghana National Petroleum Corp. (GNPC). One agreement gives a unit of Houston-based Nuevo Energy Co. and its partner, Yukong Ltd., a unit of...

Mobil group to explore Peruvian blocks. (Mobil Oil Corp., Exxon Corp., Societe Nationale Elf Aquitaine)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Seismic studies in Peru's Madre de Dios basin will start this month, following Petroperu SA's signing of licensing exploration and development contracts Mar. 26 with units of Mobil Oil Corp., Exxon Corp., and Elf Aquitaine. Mobil...

Exploration in Chile poised to advance. (Evergreen Resources Inc. contract)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Exploration stands to advance in northern Chile with the awarding of two onshore exploration blocks to Evergreen Resources Inc. The government of Chile awarded the Denver-based company contracts covering two 5,000-sq km blocks in the...

India sweetens exploration terms. (partnerships with state petroleum companies)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... India has proposed a new exploration licensing policy that outlines a comprehensive fiscal package with sweetened incentives for private investment and drops a requirement for private companies to take on state petroleum companies as partners....

Correction. (to article about Chemical Market Associates Inc. in issue of March 17, 1997)(Correction Notice)
April 7, 1997... Chemical Market Associates Inc. is based in Houston, not Tarrytown, N.Y., as reported (OGJ, Mar. 17, 1997, p. 39).

Star Enterprise. (plans to modify power plant in Delaware)(Cogeneration)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Star Enterprise, Houston, will spend $350 million modifying an existing power plant at its Delaware City, Del., refinery to generate power and steam using petroleum coke from the refining process. The plant will use an integrated gasification...

Turkey's. (contract for gas pipeline)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Turkey's state pipeline firm Botas let a $118 million contract to a group of 14 Turkish companies to lay a 188-mile section of a natural gas pipeline linking Iran with Turkey. The two nations last year signed a $23 billion, 23-year gas supply...

Nautilus Pipeline Co. LLC. (Gulf of Mexico gas pipeline approved)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Nautilus Pipeline Co. LLC, Houston, got approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its $121 million pipeline in the central Gulf of Mexico. The 101-mile, 600-MMcfd capacity, 30-in. pipeline will connect with the Manta Ray off....

U.S. Coast Guard. (reported well blowout in Gulf of Mexico)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... U.S. Coast Guard said a well blowout was still burning at presstime last week on an oil and gas platform operated by American Exploration Co., Houston, on East Cameron Block 328 in the Gulf of Mexico. The well blew out and caught fire Apr. 1....

Apache Corp. (contract with power plant in Cote d'Ivoire)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Apache Corp., Houston, and partners signed a 10-year take-or-pay contract to supply about 200 bcf of natural gas starting in 1999 to an electric power plant at Abidjan, COte d'Ivoire. The contract establishes commercial viability of Foxtrot...

Iranian Offshore Engineering & Construction Co. (contract with National Petroleum Construction Co., Abu Dhabi)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Iranian Offshore Engineering & Construction Co. let contract to National Petroleum Construction Co. of Abu Dhabi for fabrication of a wellhead drilling platform and cellar deck for first-phase development of South Pars gas field. Completion is...

Norske Energy Corp. (venture with Ukhta Neft)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Norske Energy Corp., New York, will form a 50-50 venture with Ukhta Neft, a joint stock company in Russia's Komi republic. The agreement covers oil fields east of Ukhta, close to existing pipelines and other infrastructure. The venture covers...

Enron Oil & Gas India Ltd. (offshore gas field)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Enron Oil & Gas India Ltd. on Mar. 31 started up Tapti gas field off India and expects output to reach 150 MMcfd of gas by yearend. Gas Authority of India Ltd. is purchasing the gas. Operator Enron has a 30% working interest in the field, about...

Tuskar Resources plc. (2.5% working interest in offshore Nigerian field)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Tuskar Resources plc, Dublin, has acquired a 2.5% working interest in Ukpokiti field off Nigeria from Camac International (Nigeria) Ltd. Tuskar will issue ordinary shares to Camac in payment. The field is being developed by operator Conoco...

BHP Petroleum Pty. Ltd. (to be unit operator of offshore gas field in Timor Sea Zone of Cooperation)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... BHP Petroleum Pry. Ltd. will be unit operator of Bayu-Undan gas condensate discovery on Blocks 91-12 and 91-13 in the Timor Sea Zone of Cooperation Area between Indonesia and Australia. The find has estimated reserves of more than 5 tcf of gas...

Petroleum Authority of Thailand. (wildcat in Gulf of Thailand)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) found more gas and oil in the Thai-Malay Joint Development Area (JDA) in the Gulf of Thailand. A wildcat about 180 miles east of the Thai province of Songkhla flowed on test 48 MMcfd of gas, 585 b/d of...

Esso Production Malaysia Inc. (to explore offshore Malaysia)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Esso Production Malaysia Inc. and Petronas Carigali formed an 80-20 venture to spend $22.9 million to explore Offshore Malaysia Blocks H and SB302 under production-sharing contracts signed in March. The venture plans to process more than 10,000...

Vastar Resources Inc. (discoveries in offshore Louisiana)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Vastar Resources Inc., Houston, disclosed two adjacent discoveries about 25 miles off Louisiana on Ship Shoal blocks 126 and 105. No. 1 Ship Shoal 126 wildcat, drilled to 17,000 ft TD, logged about 126 ft of net pay in three zones; Vastar also...

U.S. Coast Guard. (issues rules for monitoring equipment on oil tankers)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... U.S. Coast Guard issued a temporary rule setting minimum performance standards for devices in single-hulled oil tankers that monitor pressure and tank levels. The devices would reduce the size and effects of an oil spill by alerting tanker...

Oil Spill Response Ltd. (memorandum of understanding with Clean Caribbean Cooperative)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Oil Spill Response Ltd. (OSRL), Southampton, U.K., and Clean Caribbean Cooperative, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have signed a memorandum of understanding to link their oil spill response capabilities. Both organizations are oil industry-funded, and...

Argentina's. (YPF S.A. forced to shut 112 oil wells because of spills)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Argentina's government ordered YPF SA to shut in 112 oil wells as a result of spills on Feb. 14 and Mar. 6 that polluted the Colorado River in two southern provinces. The government also is inspecting facilities of Perez Companc and Petrolera...

Talisman Energy Inc. (takeover bid for Wascana Energy Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Talisman Energy Inc. and a unit of Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd. (CanOxy), both of Calgary, remain locked in a takeover battle with a price tag of at least $1.7 billion (Canadian) for Wascana Energy Inc., Regina, Sask. CanOxy mailed a...

Tosco Corp. (completes purchase of marketing and refining assets from Unocal Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Tosco Corp., Stamford, Conn., completed its $1.4 billion acquisition of Unocal Corp.'s refining and marketing assets (OGJ, Nov. 25, 1996, p. 32). Recently formed Tosco Marketing Co, formerly Circle K Co., will be based in Phoenix. As a result...

Hurricane Hydrocarbons Ltd. (secures financing for purchase of Yuzhneftegaz)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Hurricane Hydrocarbons Ltd., Calgary, closed in escrow a $110 million Canadian private placement of special unit purchase warrants. The financing will enable Hurricane to complete its $120 million (U.S.) purchase of privatized Kazakhstan firm...

Powergen PLC. (purchases half of Kinetica Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Powergen plc, London, bought the 50% interest held by partner Conoco (U.K.) Ltd. in U.K. gas supplier Kinetica Ltd. for $29 million. The deal recognizes diverging strategic interests of the partners and reduces Kinetica's exposure to long term...

Germany's. (Ruhrgas AG, PreussenElektra AG invest in Latvijas Gaze)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Germany's Ruhrgas AG, Essen, and PreussenElektra AG, Hanover, jointly acquired a 16.25% stake in Latvian gas supply company Latvijas Gaze, Riga. The purchase price was $25 million. Russian gas supplier Gazprom, which provides Latvijas Gaze's...

Conoco (U.K.) Ltd. (major overhaul scheduled for U.K. Humber refinery)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Conoco (U.K.) Ltd. is preparing for a major maintenance turnaround at its U.K. Humber refinery that will start early in May and last for 5 weeks. During the $32 million overhaul, about 40 pieces of equipment will be replaced either partly or...

UOP. (Flying J Inc. refinery in North Salt Lake, UT, starts up naphtha isomerization process unit)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... UOP, Des Plaines, Ill., began operation of the first Par-Isom light naphtha isomerization process unit at Flying J Inc.'s refinery at North Salt Lake, Utah. The process uses a new UOP catalyst to provide higher octane than conventional...

Hungary's. (MOL acquires Romanian gasoline retail business of Amoco Corp)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Hungary's partly state-owned petroleum company MOL bought Amoco Corp.'s Romanian gasoline retail business. The acquisition includes 12 service stations, three now being built. Eight of the sites are in Bucharest. MOL already has four stations...

Dubai Gas Co. (starts up methyl tertiary butyl ether plant in Jebel Ali, Dubai)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Dubai Gas Co. began operation of a $250 million, 500,000 metric ton/year methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) plant at Jebel Ali, Dubai, making the U.A.E. the second Persian Gulf state, after Saudi Arabia, to have an MTBE industry. Saudi Arabia...

India's. (starts production at naphtha cracker unit in Hazira, Gujarat, India)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... India's Reliance Industries brought on stream a 2.2 million metric ton/year naphtha cracker unit at its petrochemical plant at Hazira in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The naphtha-fed cracker will produce 750,000 tons/year of ethylene and...

Technology pushes reserves 'crunch' date back in time. (technological advances increase estimates of global oil and gas reserves)(Reserves Growth: Geology, Technology, Economics)
April 7, 1997... Few would seriously dispute the contention that the amount of oil and gas present in the earth is finite. On this truism has grown a pseudo-science of quantitative estimation, which in turn has served as the basis of usually doom-laden...

Fixed view of resource limits creates undue pessimism. (crude oil reserve estimates continue to rise)(Reserves Growth: Geology, Technology, Economics)
April 7, 1997... Ever since the human race began to for minerals, there has been worry about exhaustion. In theory, the more we remove from a limited stock, the less remains, and the harder it becomes to locate and extract additional amounts. Exhaustion forces...

Case studies reveal common design, equipment errors in revamps. (common process for revamping product recovery sections of fluid catalytic cracking units in petroleum refineries)(FCC Revamp, part 1)
April 7, 1997... Revamps of the product recovery section of fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) are common. Failure to thoroughly evaluate the existing process flow scheme and equipment design often results in unit operating problems after a revamp. ...

Amoco opens drilling test facility to industry. (Amoco Exploration Production Technology Group)
April 7, 1997... Budget cuts and reductions in expense-related items forced Amoco Exploration Production Technology Group (EPTG) to gradually open its drilling technology test facility (DTTF) to external companies and to collaborations with other...

Study identifies upgrade scenarios for Slovak gas system. (the Slovtransgaz gas-transmission system)
April 7, 1997... Study of a major Slovakian gas-pipeline system to determine future upgrade and expansion needs resulted in a strategy that, among other benefits, fully utilizes old units on standby, offers acceptable investment costs, and represents the best...

UTEX Industries. (selects Joel J. Pippert as president and chairman of the board)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... UTEX Industries, Houston, Tex., has named Joel J. Pippert chairman of the board and president. Pippert has been with the company since April, 1970 and has held various executive positions since that time. Most recently, Pippert served as...

Trico Industries Inc. (selects Daniel J. Eshom as national marketing and sales manager)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Trico Industries, Inc., San Marcos, Tex,. has named Daniel J. Eshom national marketing and sales manager, responsible for sales and administration at all Trico domestic branch stores. Eshom was previously western division manager for Trico in...

Raster logs may be basis for a geologic workstation.(Exploration)(Technical)
April 7, 1997... Use of computers in exploration geology has expanded during the past decade to include many areas of data collection and analysis. Computerization is now viewed in the petroleum industry as essential to such activities as: mapping and...

Egypt. (Seagull Energy Corp. and Apache Corp. plan oil drilling in Egypt)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Two Houston independents plan significant drilling in Egypt this year. Apache Corp. plans to drill 62 wells, two thirds of them exploratory, and Seagull Energy Corp. will drill 40, 23 of them exploratory. Apache, with interests in...

Ukraine. (Odyssey Petroleum Corp.'s agreement with Trident Exploration Ltd., developing Dolina oil field)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Canadian companies are formulating a plan to further develop giant Dolina oil field in the western Ukraine Carpathians starting this summer. Odyssey Petroleum Corp., Calgary, signed an option agreement with Trident (88) Exploration Ltd.,...

California. (Tri-Valley Oil & Gas Co., gas discovery in Tracy)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Tri-Valley Oil & Gas Co., Bakersfield, is completing its 1-15 Pimentel well as a 2.5 MMcfd gas discovery from two zones, The well, in the city of Tracy, is the first commercial Upper Cretaceous Lathrop test on the high side of the Tracy...

Louisiana. (Yuma Petroleum Co.'s oil well drilling)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... A group led by Yuma Petroleum Co., Houston, is starting production from and plans development drilling near a discovery in Main Pass Block 2 off St. Bernard Parish. The 1 State Lease 14564 well flowed 451 b/d of oil and 100 Mcfd of gas...

Sudan. (3D seismic survey by Arakis Energy Corp.'s State Petroleum Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... A group led by Arakis Energy Corp.'s State Petroleum Corp. unit plans a 3D seismic survey this year over the El Toor structure, where it found Cretaceous Bentiu and overlying Upper Aradeiba oil pay at an appraisal well (OGJ, June 10, 1996, p....

Mississippi. (Roundtree & Associates Inc.'s oil discovery)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Roundtree & Associates Inc., Jackson, spudded a 10,300 ft well near a Cretaceous Hosston discovery on the Moselle salt dome. The 1 Gladdis Knight 32-14, in 32-7n-13w, Jones County, flowed 312 b/d of 37o gravity oil on a 24/64 in. choke from...

Texas. (Tesoro E&P Co. LP and Kaiser-Francis Oil Co. to conduct seismic surveys)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... East Kaiser-Francis Oil Co., Tulsa, and Tesoro E&P Co. LP, San Antonio, plan to conduct four 3D seismic surveys this year in the East Texas Cotton Valley reef play (OGJ, Mar. 10, 1997, p. 32). Tesoro paid $3.1 million for a 40%...

Utah. (Harken Southwest Corp. and Utah Geological Survey, oil drilling)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Harken Southwest Corp., Irving, Tex., and the Utah Geological Survey are drilling a horizontal well in Mule field in San Juan County in the Paradox basin. The Mule 31 K-1 well part of a 6 year, $5 million project funded by the U.S....

Wyoming. (Louisiana Land & Exploration Co.'s estimated reserves)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Louisiana Land & Exploration Co. hiked to 1 tcf its estimate of gross proved and probable reserves in the Madden field Mississippian Madison reservoir in the Wind River basin. This is based on results of the 4-36 Big Horn extension well in...

W. Paul Tiefel. (selected as president of Ashland Exploration Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... W. Paul Tiefel has been named president of Ashland Exploration Inc., Ashland, Ky. He succeeds G. Thomas Wilkinson, who has retired.

Dennis M. Ellard. (selected as president of ATCO Gas Services)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Dennis M. Ellard has been appointed president of ATCO Gas Services, Calgary. Larry Graburn has been appointed president and Russ Kupin has been appointed vice-president of newly formed ATCO Gas Pipelines.

John C. Snyder. (selected as interim president of Snyder Oil Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... John C. Snyder has been appointed interim president of Snyder Oil Corp., Ft. Worth, Tex. He succeeds Thomas J. Edelman, who has retired.

Curtis R. Frasier. (selected as president of Shell Midstream Enterprises)(Brief Article)
April 7, 1997... Curtis R. Frasier has been appointed president of Shell Midstream Enterprises, Houston. He succeeds James M. Funk, who will continue as chairman of Shell Midstream Enterprises and as general manager of Shell Offshore Inc., shelf division.

Crude oil prices are at their lowest point since February 1996, but there is reason to believe the market is overreacting.(OGJ Newsletter)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... Crude oil prices are at their lowest point since February 1996, but there is mason to believe the market is overreacting. In London trading Apr. 9, Brent for May delivery closed at $17.75/bbl, down from more than $20/bbl late in March. ...

Greenpeace has stepped up its actions against BP, staging a building assault and rooftop protest at BP's Aberdeen offices. (British Petroleum; Aberdeen, Scotland)(OGJ Newsletter)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... Greenpeace has stepped up its actions against BP, staging a building assault and rooftop protest at BP'S Aberdeen offices. Twenty activists scaled the building Apr. 9 to install an array of solar panels-which were purchased from BP--on the...

FERC Chairman Elizabeth "Betsy" Moler is President Clinton's choice to succeed DOE Deputy Energy Sec. Charles Curtis. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Energy)(OGJ Newsletter)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... FERC Chairman Elizabeth "Betsy" Moler is President Clinton's choice to succeed DOE Deputy Energy Sec. Charles Curtis, who has submitted his resignation. Curtis served in the position since August 1995 and as Undersecretary of Energy since...

Amid disclosure last week of a flurry of natural gas pipeline projects to serve expanding U.S. markets. (coal/power-generation projects)(OGJ Newsletter)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... Amid disclosure last week of a flurry of natural gas pipeline projects to serve expanding U.S. markets (see stories, p. 28) there is considerable U.S. coal/power-generation action, including a $500 million power project--called Red Hills--in...

It is believed the Bonny LNG project would not be affected. (by Nigeria's plans to divest its stake in petroleum, liquefied natural gas sectors)(OGJ Newsletter)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... It is believed the Bonny LNG project would not be affected, but it's unclear what effect Nigeria's actions may have on the Escravos gas project and a gas liquids scheme (OGJ, Nov. 4, 1996, p. 44). Nigeria's action comes on the heels of...

According to wire service reports, Omani officials say the proposed Oman-India gas pipeline is not feasible due to technical problems. (high risk, costs)(OGJ Newsletter)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... According to wire service reports, Omani officials say the proposed Oman-India gas pipeline project is not feasible due to technical problems, too much risk, and the high cost, now put at $10 billion. Oman has already spent $70 million just...

There's some upside to be found in the downside of Japanese downstream restructuring. (Cosmo Oil offering financial aid to service station operators)(OGJ Newsletter)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... There's some upside to be found in the downside of Japanese downstream restructuring. Cosmo Oil is providing financial aid--including low-interest loans and direct grants--to affiliated service station operators who need to restructure....

New thoughts on oil supply. (petroleum reserves estimates continue to increase)(Editorial)
April 14, 1997... The oil and gas industry, facing a classic paradox of resource economics, needs to think in new ways about petroleum supply. The paradox is this: Crude oil, as conventionally defined, exists in nature in some finite quantity. Yet the more the...

Iraq building E&D project list for post-U.N. sanctions period. (exploration and development)(includes related article on US-Iraq relations)
April 14, 1997... Iraq is compiling a list of domestic exploration and development projects for the day when trade sanctions on it are lifted. During the Persian Gulf War, the United Nations imposed an embargo on trade with Iraq, but in the 6 years since the war...

BG to develop gas discoveries off Trinidad.(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... BG plc has signed a contract to develop fields off Trinidad's northern coast. BG, which was formed to manage U.K. gas transportation and international exploration and production operations of the demerged British Gas plc, is operator of a...

Enron presses development work off India. (Enron Oil & Gas India Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 14, 1997... 5 A group led by Enron Oil & Gas India Ltd. is pressing development of gas and oil reserves from three field project areas off India. Enron disclosed earlier this month gas production has begun from Tapti field, about 60 miles off the...