The Oil and Gas Journal articles from April 2001

The Oil and Gas Journal archives from April 2001

OPEC defending oil prices with output strategy.
April 2, 2001... Is "just-in-time" production the new buzzword that defines OPEC's approach to oil markets? Simply put, this term merely reflects OPEC's aggressive efforts to cut or hike production quotas in response to anticipated demand levels, not...

EIA: World energy use to grow 59% by 2020.
April 2, 2001... Worldwide energy consumption is projected to grow 59% over the next 2 decades, EIA predicts Half of the projected growth is expected to occur in the developing nations of Asia and Latin America. EIA's reference case holds that oil...

Middle East LPG exports declining.
April 2, 2001... Uncertainty about LPG supplies exists in many parts of the world, with Middle East LPG exports declining while Far East LPG demand is growing, particularly in China and India, S. Craig Whitley, senior principal of Purvin & Gertz, said at an LPG...

US INDUSTRY SCOREBOARD--4/2.
April 2, 2001... US INDUSTRY SCOREBOARD--4/2 4 wk. 4 wk. avg. % Year-to-date YTD avg. Latest week 3/23 average year ago [1] change average [1] year ago [1] Demand (1,000 b/d) Motor gasoline...

OFFSHORE DRILLING PROFITABILITY CONTINUES TO CLIMB.
April 2, 2001... Houston-based offshore drilling contractor Global Marine reports its worldwide Summary of Current Offshore Rig Economics (SCORE) for February increased 7.1% over January--the 18th consecutive month of increases in the rating. Global Marine...

THE OIL INDUSTRY IS WORKING TOWARD DEVELOPING A FORM OF GASOLINE THAT COULD POWER FUEL CELL CARS.
April 2, 2001... Hydrogen and methanol are competing options for rapidly advancing fuel cell technology, but both appear less suited for the nearer term marketplace than technology fueled by gasoline, API chief Red Cavaney told a conference in New Orleans late...

THE OIL INDUSTRY IS ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER DIZZYING ROUND OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS.
April 2, 2001... THE OIL INDUSTRY IS ON THE VERGE OF ANOTHER DIZZYING ROUND OF MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS, Wall Street analysts and investment fund managers predicted at the annual Howard Well energy investment conference. Robust prices gave an air of excitement...

UK ENERGY MINISTER PETER HAIN.
April 2, 2001... UK ENERGY MINISTER PETER HAIN last month set out the government's three-prong strategy to deal with the problem of sharply rising natural gas prices in Britain. The strategy, he said, will involve collaborating with the European Commission...

US SENATE DEMOCRATS HAVE OFFERED TO COMPROMISE ON AN ENERGY BILL.
April 2, 2001... US Senate Democrats want to work with their Republican colleagues to pass a comprehensive energy bill this year, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) said last month, as Democrats filed their own energy legislation. The Democratic energy...

EXPLORATION CONTINUES TO SIZZLE IN THE GULF OF THAILAND.
April 2, 2001... Chevron Offshore (Thailand) reported the discovery of an oil field in the historically gas-prone Gulf of Thailand, supporting Chevron's strategy to more than double oil production off Thailand to more than 70,000 b/d by 2004 (see related item,...

Santos.
April 2, 2001... In other exploration action, Santos announced a natural gas discovery in the Queensland sector of the Cooper basin, 135 km south of the Ballera gas center. The wildcat, Quasar-1, had a flow rate of 10.8 MMcfd, the fourth highest recorded in...

ENI.
April 2, 2001... The second well drilled by the North Caspian Sea consortium on the giant Kashagan structure off Kazahkstan has detected hydrocarbons, the development's single operator, ENI, said on behalf of subsidiary Agip Caspian. The Kashagan West 1 well,...

HELMERICH & PAYNE HAS ORDERED 15 NEW LAND RIGS, WORTH $9 MILLION EACH, WITH DELIVERY SLATED FOR MARCH 2002 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2003.
April 2, 2001... It said the order was prompted by high levels of E&P activity, attractive economics, and recent contracts for other rigs under construction. The 15-rig order comes in addition to a 12-rig order last year (OGJ Online, Jun 14, 2000). H&P...

Transocean Sedco Forex.
April 2, 2001... Elsewhere on the drilling scene, Transocean Sedco Forex said its Discoverer Deep Seas ultradeepwater drillship has completed acceptance testing and has begun a 5-year, $374 million contract to work for Chevron USA Production in the US Gulf of...

AN OLD UK NORTH SEA FIND IS TARGETED FOR DEVELOPMENT.
April 2, 2001... TotalFinaElf and its partners said they have agreed on plans to develop Otter oil field in the northern UK North Sea, with production start-up slated for fourth quarter 2002. The plan remains subject to approval by the UK Department of...

TECHNIP TAKES CENTER STAGE THIS WEEK IN PETROCHEMICAL NEWS.
April 2, 2001... Enichem awarded a turnkey contract to Technip to revamp instrumentation and automation at its ethylene plant at Porto Torres, Sardinia. The lump sum contract, valued at 8 million euros, covers basic and detailed engineering, procurement,...

Copene Petroquimica do Nordeste.
April 2, 2001... Meanwhile, Copene Petroquimica do Nordeste awarded a contract to Technip for the front-end engineering design of a major expansion of its Ethylene II plant in the large Camacari petrochemical complex about 40 km from Salvador in northeastern...

THE US HOUSE HAS ALTERED THE OIL SPILL LAW.
April 2, 2001... The US Coast Guard will be allowed to borrow up to $100 million from the Oil Spill Liability fund for additional emergency cleanups under legislation passed by the US House of Representatives Mar, 22. The 1990 Oil Pollution Act, passed...

NORWEGIAN NORTH SEA PIPELINE PROJECTS TOP THIS WEEK'S PIPELINE NEWS.
April 2, 2001... Norsk Hydro awarded Stolt Rockwater--a JV of a unit of Halliburton and Stolt Offshore--a $22 million contract to perform subsea tie-in work for the Vesterled pipeline project. Last year, Norsk Hydro chose European Marine Contractors for the...

Statoil.
April 2, 2001... Meanwhile, Statoil said it started the gas export line that eventually will supply 25 million cu m/day from the Gullfaks area in the Norwegian North Sea to the Karsto gas complex prior to send-out to the Statpipe trunkline for transport to...

Williams.
April 2, 2001... Rounding out pipeline news, a unit of Williams announced an expansion project on its Kern River pipeline that will cost more than $1 billion and will more than double the amount of natural gas transported on the 926-mile pipeline system. The...

Gas Technology Institute.
April 2, 2001... The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) announced plans to construct a testing facility for evaluating protective coatings applied to buried steel pipelines. The $1 million facility will include a field site for in-ground accelerated short-term and...

US state department.
April 2, 2001... The US government last month praised an agreement that would allow Turkey to buy gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field. The US state department said the agreement "further strengthens the East-West Caspian transportation corridor that includes...

NL Bulletin.
April 2, 2001... Royalty relief Incentives to drill deeper for natural gas in shallow waters, along with the continuing attraction of major oil firms to the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, were the drivers in a strong central gulf lease sale held last week. MMS...

O Canada, indeed.
April 2, 2001... As OGJ readers know, the anthemic superlative indicated by the above headline might just as easily apply to an assessment of Canada's energy resource prospects as it does to its citizens' patriotism. It may not surprise anyone to learn...

Uneven energy deregulation.
April 2, 2001... Discord over energy deregulation in Europe should remind US officials haggling over energy policy of something missing from their debate. As members of the European Union prepared to meet in Stockholm late last month, the policymaking...

Effective US energy policy critical to world energy balance.
April 2, 2001... It is said that US President George W. Bush is much more interested in domestic issues than in international affairs, but the country's need for an effective, all-encompassing energy policy is so compelling that President Bush can ill-afford...

Oil industry challenges include chance of OPEC misstep.
April 2, 2001... Challenges for an oil and gas industry that must retool for growth include a chance the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has misread the market. "OPEC may be underestimating the weakness of demand," said Fereidun Fesharaki,...

Mexico seen 'trying to keep everyone happy' on its oil output levels.
April 2, 2001... There are some doubts that Mexico actually will cut its oil production, despite an official announcement that the country will cooperate with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' production cut. Mexico's Energy Secretariat...

Something old, something new.
April 2, 2001... As Ali Rodriguez Araque, secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, cut across the lobby of Vienna's Intercontinental Hotel on Mar. 16 during a break from meetings with member state ministers aimed at hammering out...

Asia-Pacific trade patterns to influence OPEC strategy.
April 2, 2001... Changing oil-trade patterns in the Asia-Pacific region will influence strategy of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and, by association, the oil-price outlook worldwide. Top executives from two oil companies active in the...

Petrobras scandal grows in platform disaster aftermath.
April 2, 2001... Complicating the handling of the aftermath of the P-36 platform disaster off Brazil for operator Petroleo Brasileiro SA is a blossoming scandal over whether the state firm knew of problems with the structure before explosions crippled it,...

Hain: OK service and supply firms must diversify.
April 2, 2001... UK oil and gas service and supply companies need to diversify into markets including renewable energy while increasing exports, UK Energy Minister Peter Hain said last week. He said such diversification is necessary if the...

Outlook seen strong for oil service industry.
April 2, 2001... Oil service companies are watching both their stock prices and their earnings margins grow, analysts have said, adding that the service sector is being driven by increased oil and gas drilling activity worldwide. Investors appear to agree,...

Push for case on more access to VS lands gathers steam.
April 2, 2001... The information campaign in support of expanded exploration and development on US federal lands is gathering momentum. US federal lands hold the potential to contain large oil and gas deposits, government and industry witnesses told the...

Call it a crisis.
April 2, 2001... Tight energy supplies are creating mounting headaches for US policymakers, who fear voters may blame them for summer power outages and higher gasoline prices. In quick fashion, both Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are pointing the...

Deciphering turbiditie on seismic: key to understanding basins off Africa, Brazil.
April 2, 2001... This is the second part of an article designed to review some of the key concepts that relate to the geology of deepwater basins in the south central Atlantic Ocean. The first part contained a review of economic ingredients as well as key...

Northern Ireland.
April 2, 2001... Evergreen Resources Inc., Denver, agreed to exchange nearly 25,000 shares of its restricted stock for a 100% interest in 605,000 acres of prospective tight gas sand properties in the Northwest Carboniferous basin of Northern Ireland. ...

Poland.
April 2, 2001... FX Energy Inc., Salt Lake City, expected first cash flow this month after gas flow started in February from its 49% interest in the Kleta-11 well. Flow rate began at 2 MMcfd in February and was to be raised to 4 MMcfd and maintained 2...

Thailand.
April 2, 2001... Chevron Corp., San Francisco, refocused its Gulf of Thailand E&P efforts towards recovering more crude oil than natural gas in the wake of restricted Thai gas demand, OGJ Online reported. The revised strategy sees Chevron gearing toward...

Ukraine.
April 2, 2001... Carpatsky Petroleum Inc., Houston, is to acquire Lateral Vector Resources Inc., Regina, Sask., by May, joining two companies with Ukrainian upstream assets. LVR's main asset is its interest in Bugruvativske oil field, which Carpatsky...

Venezuela.
April 2, 2001... The Energy and Mines Ministry in late March appointed a commission to handle a public tender for private national and foreign investment to develop 11 areas rich in nonassociated gas reserves. Tender terms were to be decided in April, bids...

Gulf of Mexico.
April 2, 2001... Operators plan to start production by yearend from discoveries on Main Pass Block 61 and Ewing Bank Block 871. Pogo Producing Co., Houston, will set a 12-slot jacket in second quarter near where its 100%-owned No. 2 well on Block 61 cut 91...

Michigan.
April 2, 2001... Soaring energy prices have rekindled debate over oil and gas drilling in US waters of the Great Lakes, press reports noted. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has proposed to resume leasing as soon as a few months from now in the...

Texas.
April 2, 2001... Gulf Coast Esenjay Exploration Inc., Houston, was to drill four to eight wells to develop its 2 Pereira Children's Trust discovery in Goliad County. The well flowed 17.6 MMcfd of gas, natural, on a 22/64 in. choke with 7,002 psi FTP...

ABB Vetco Gray.
April 2, 2001... Houston, has appointed Mark T. Thatcher president and chief executive officer. He succeeds Donald K. Grierson who is retiring after holding the position for 11 years. Grierson will continue as a member of the board. Thatcher has degrees in...

Object Reservoir Inc.
April 2, 2001... Austin, has named Stephen R. Kennon as its chief scientist. Since joining OR in 1996, Kennon's work has included development and implementation of 4-D space-time solutions and mesh adaptation algorithms, which enable unprecedented accuracy. His...

PYPSA International.
April 2, 2001... Houston, has named Robert E. MacMillan Jr. to the post of senior vice-president and chief financial officer. Prior to joining PYPSA, MacMillan was marketing director of offshore services and technology for Enron Engineering & Construction Co....

TAM International.
April 2, 2001... Houston, has announced expansion of its production facility in northwest Houston. The facility will grow from 30,000 to 68,000 sq ft, doubling TAM's capacity to meet increased world demand for its downhole products. TAM International, in...

TH Hill Associates Inc.
April 2, 2001... Houston, has announced that James M. Adams joined the firm as vice-president of marketing. He will direct strategic planning and marketing communication efforts for the company and its subsidiary, Prentice & Hill LLC, worldwide. A...

OGJ CRACK SPREAD.
April 2, 2001... OGJ CRACK SPREAD 3-23-01 [*] 3-24-00 [*] Change % $/bbl change SPOT PRICES Product value 32.01 32.90 -0.89 -2.7...

API IMPORTS OF CRUDE AND PRODUCTS.
April 2, 2001... API IMPORTS OF CRUDE AND PRODUCTS Districts 1-4 District 5 3-23 3-16 [1] 3-23 3-16 [1] 2001 2001 ...

API CRUDE AND PRODUCT STOCKS.
April 2, 2001... API CRUDE AND PRODUCT STOCKS Motor gasoline Blending Jet fuels Crude oil Total Comp. [2]...

API REFINERY REPORT--MARCH 23, 2001.
April 2, 2001... API REFINERY REPORT--MARCH 23, 2001 REFINERY OPERATIONS Total Input refinery Crude to crude Operable % District ...

OGJ GASOLINE PRICES.
April 2, 2001... OGJ GASOLINE PRICES (Approx. prices for self-service unleaded gasoline) Price Pump Pump ex tax price [*] price 3-21-01 3-21-01...

REFINED PRODUCT PRICES.
April 2, 2001... REFINED PRODUCT PRICES 3-16-01 ([cts.]/gal) Spot market product prices Motor gasoline (Conventional-regular) New York Harbor ...

BAKER HUGHES RIG COUNT.
April 2, 2001... BAKER HUGHES RIG COUNT 3-23-01 3-24-00 Alabama 6 0 Alaska 14 5 Arkansas 2 0 California ...

SMITH RIG COUNT.
April 2, 2001... SMITH RIG COUNT 3-23-01 3-24-00 Proposed depth Rig % Rig % (ft) count footage [*] count footage [*] 0-2,500 59 5.0 22 ...

OGJ PRODUCTION REPORT.
April 2, 2001... OGJ PRODUCTION REPORT (Crude oil and lease condensate) 3-23-01 [1] 3-24-00 [2] (1,000 b/d) Alabama 30 31 Alaska 973 ...

U.S. CRUDE PRICES.
April 2, 2001... U.S. CRUDE PRICES ($/bbl) [*] 3-23-01 Alaska-North Slope 27[degrees] 17.49 Southern Louisiana Light 24.50 California-Kern River 13[degrees] 19.75 Lost Hills...

WORLD CRUDE PRICES.
April 2, 2001... WORLD CRUDE PRICES ($/bbl) [1] 3-16-01 United Kingdom-Brent 38[degrees] 24.11 Russia-Urals 32[degrees] 21.61 Saudi light 34[degrees] 23.73 Dubai...

AGA NATURAL GAS STORAGE.
April 2, 2001... AGA NATURAL GAS STORAGE [*] 3-16-01 3-9-01 Change (bcf) Producing region 228 225 3 Consuming region east 310 341 -31 Consuming regiss west...

PACE REFINING MARGINS.
April 2, 2001... PACE REFINING MARGINS Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. % 2001 2001 2001 2000 Change Change $/bbl 2001...

U.S. NATURAL GAS BALANCE DEMAND/SUPPLY SCOREBOARD.
April 2, 2001... U.S. NATURAL GAS BALANCE DEMAND/SUPPLY SCOREBOARD Dec. Total YTD Dec. Nov. Dec. change YTD change ...

U.S. HEATING DEGREE DAYS.
April 2, 2001... U.S. HEATING DEGREE DAYS [1] 2000 % change Total degree days Jan. Jan. from July 1 through Jan. 31 ...

WORLDWIDE NGL PRODUCTION.
April 2, 2001... WORLDWIDE NGL PRODUCTION 12 month Chg. vs. average previous Dec. Nov. Production year...

OXYGENATES.
April 2, 2001... OXYGENATES Jan. Dec. YTD YTD 2001 2000 Change 2001 2000 Change 1,000 bbl Fuel ethanol Production 3,574 3,505 69 3,574 3,329 246...

Wyoming.
April 2, 2001... The latest deep well at Madden field in the Wind River basin is noncommercial, but it yielded data that could result in addition of 300-600 bcf to the Mississippian Madison carbonate reservoir's reserves. The well if successful could have...

Production history provides CBM insights.
April 2, 2001... A review of previous coalbed methane (CBM) case studies explains why some seams produce at ever increasing rates while others undergo production declines. Over the past 2 decades, coalbed methane (CBM) has already produced more than 28...

Russian multilobe PDMs compete against rotary, turbodrills.
April 2, 2001... Multilobe positive displacement motors (PDM) now compete against rotary and turbodrills in Russia's drilling sector, with promising prospects for worldwide applications. This technology, first developed by the Scientific Production...

Analysis identifies cause of pump failure.
April 2, 2001... A Weibull reliability analysis of a repeated pump problem at Chevron Corp.'s Pascagoula, Miss., refinery helped the company identify the failure mode and improve reliability. Rather than accepting the frequent repairs as normal for rotary...

Outlook for vinyls market is positive.
April 2, 2001... The future for the vinyls market remains "bright," despite a miserable short-term outlook, says Rick Smith, executive vice-president and director of the chlor-alkali/vinyls team for Chemical Market Associates Inc. (CMAI), Houston. The...

NELSON-FARRAR COST INDEXES.
April 2, 2001... NELSON-FARRAR COST INDEXES Refinery construction (1946 Basis) (Explained on p.145 of the December 30, 1985 issue) Dec....

Stranded-gas study sees good future for synfuels.
April 2, 2001... The use of low-cost, stranded-gas reserves for production of synthetic fuels (synfuels) and chemicals will be an economic alternative to conventional fuels and chemicals, says Chem Systems, White Plains, NY; in its recent...

Indexes for selected equipment show moderate increase.
April 2, 2001... Costs for six selected equipment items used in refining construction operations have been surveyed for the 3 years, 1998-2000. The accompanying table shows Nelson-Farrar equipment indexes for these items of equipment. Valves and fittings...

Remediating UK river crossing addresses variety of concerns.
April 2, 2001... To address the exposure by scour of Mainline Pipelines Ltd.'s high-pressure petroleum products line crossing the River Wye in the UK, design and remedial construction allowed for safety issues, the potential impact on the river ecology,...

Smart, intelligent wells provide real-time well control, monitoring.
April 2, 2001... Advancements in downhole tools and sensors are allowing operators real-time control and monitoring of flow from each separate producing or injection interval in a well. These completions, commonly referred to as smart or intelligent wells, can...

Intelligent completion provides savings for Snorre TLP.
April 2, 2001... Because of restricted intervention capabilities while new wells are being drilled, Norsk Hydro AS installed an intelligent well system in the Snorre field, 210 km northwest of Bergen, Norway. The Baker Oil Tools intelligent well system...

High pressure gas flare tip.
April 2, 2001... The new DASS single-point, high-pressure gas flare tip for the oil and gas industry helps improve service life, reduce thermal radiation, and maximize smokeless performance. It allows oil and gas production facilities to avoid expenses such...

New rotator increases production tubing service life.
April 2, 2001... New RODEC tubing rotators promise effective distribution of wear on the internal circumference of production tubing. Field use shows that the product helps extend tubing life by six to 10 times, the company says. Rotators can be used on...

New video system monitors crane loads.
April 2, 2001... A new video system, CraneCam, monitors crane loads that are not in direct view of the crane operator. The gravity stabilized mounting system always keeps the color video camera looking down the lift cable. The system is furnished with a...

New quartz lamp infrared heater.
April 2, 2001... The most recent addition to this firm's infrared product line is the QRH1 quartz lamp infrared heater. Translucent fused quartz promises an efficient heat transfer capability and quick responding radiant heat source, the company reports....

eVideo Management Inc.
April 9, 2001... Houston, has announced the appointment of Andrew L. (Drew) Michel as vice-president of business development and member of the board of directors. Michel has over 25 years of industry experience and most recently served as vice-president of...

Gas Technology Institute.
April 9, 2001... Des Plaines, Ill., has named Melanie A. Kenderdine as vice-president of its Washington operations office in Arlington, Va. Kenderdine, who earned a BA in political science from the University of New Mexico, served in several posts with the...