The Oil and Gas Journal articles from February 1996

The Oil and Gas Journal archives from February 1996

Oil prices have seesawed about $1/bbl since Iraq and the U.N. late last month agreed to meet in New York Feb. 6 to discuss limited Iraqi oil sales. (to finance purchases of medical supplies and food)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Oil prices have seesawed about $1/bbl since Iraq and the U.N. late last month agreed to meet in New York Feb. 6 to discuss limited Iraqi oil sales to pay for food and medical supplies. Although it appears weaker market fundamentals are as much...

U.K. electricity customers may face blackouts as gas demand there hits a record high.(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... U.K. electricity customers may face blackouts as gas demand there hits a record high. British Gas Transco logged a record 24 hr gas dispatch of 378.7 million cu m Jan. 25. This beat a previous peak of 369 million cu m just before Jan. and was...

London's International Petroleum Exchange will begin limited trading of natural gas futures contracts in mid-April. (UK)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... London's International Petroleum Exchange will begin limited trading of natural gas futures contracts in mid-April, shortly after delivery of first supplies under the liberalized market begins. IPE wanted trading systems in place Mar. 1 but cited...

More U.S. majors are bumping up capital spending for 1996. (oil companies)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... More U.S. majors are bumping up capital spending for 1996 (see related story, p. 39). Conoco plans about $2.25 billion for capital and exploration spending this year, up 20% from 1995 outlays. That breaks out as $1.6 billion non-U.S. vs. $660...

Large Canadian oil and gas companies continue to report strong 1995 profits.(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Large Canadian oil and gas companies continue to report strong 1995 profits. Imperial cites higher oil prices that helped it log a 1995 profit of $514 million (Canadian), up 43% from 1994. Shell Canada reports a record 1995 profit of $523 million...

A new political risk. (international companies criticized for government actions)(Editorial)
February 5, 1996... Political risk, the potential poison of any oil and gas investment, is gaining a troubling dimension. Increasingly, oil companies are being held to account for political misbehavior in countries where they do business. Political risk thus becomes...

World's developing regions provide spark for pipeline construction.
February 5, 1996... Pipeline construction in the developing regions of the world, especially Latin America and Asia-Pacific, will increase in the rest of this decade and into the next century. Plans for several large diameter gas projects--will drive the...

Mobil, PanEnergy eye downstream gas deal. (PanEnergy to buy Mobil's US gas gathering and processing businesses)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Mobil Corp. and PanEnergy Corp., Houston, last week disclosed that subsidiary companies have signed a letter of intent to negotiate the sale of Mobil's U.S. natural gas gathering and processing assets to PanEnergy. Under the proposed...

Shell combine starts production from innovative system in gulf. (Shell Offshore Inc.; diverless, cluster system in Gulf of Mexico)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Shell Offshore Inc. and partners are producing gas at a deepwater field using the Gulf of Mexico's first subsea, diverless, cluster production system. The group began production Jan. 11 from two subsea Popeye field wells in 2,000 ft of water...

TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. (and MCN Investment Corp. join Portland Natural Gas Transmission System)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. and MCN Corp. unit MCN Investment Corp. agreed to join the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (Pngts) as shippers and equity partners. Pngts, a 250 mile, $230 million pipeline designed to connect with...

Bataan Polyethylene Corp. (to build polyethylene plant in Philippines)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Bataan Polyethylene Corp. (BPC) plans to build the Philippines' first polyethylene plant, a $200 million, 200,000 metric ton/year project at Limay, Bataan, slated to start up in 1998. BPC is a venture of Bataan Polyethylene Holding Corp. 50%, BP...

Montell Polyolefins. (to build two joint venture petrochemical plants in partnership with Natpet investment group in Saudi Arabia)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Montell Polyolefins, a Venture of Shell International Chemicals Ltd. and Montedison SpA, will build two petrochemical plants at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, in partnership with local firms. Interests will be Montell 50% and Natpet, a group of Saudi...

Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. (and Talisman Energy get financing for Sumatra gas project)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Gulf Canada Resources Ltd. and Talisman Energy Inc. secured financing of $450 million from a group led by Itochu Corp. for their $600 million Corridor Block gas project in Sumatra. The two Calgary firms will produce and ship 300 MMcfd from their...

Vanguard Petroleum Ltd. (Magma Oil unit obtains production license for Siberia's Orekhovskoye oilfield)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Vanguard Petroleum Ltd., London, said its Russian venture Magma Oil secured a production license for western Siberia's Orekhovskoye oil field, 25 km northwest of Magma's Yuzhnoye oil field. There, Magma laid a 35 km twin oil and gas pipeline to...

Arch Petroleum Inc. (starts well infill program in New Mexico)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Arch Petroleum Inc., Fort Worth, started a seven well pilot infill program in Teague Blinebry oil and gas field in Lea County, N.M. Arch estimates that halving weil spacing to 20 acres and drilling as many as 40 more wells will add about 1.9...

Norway's. (Den Norske Stats Oljeselskap AS charters semisubmersible drilling rig from Transocean AS)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS let a $40 million contract to Transocean AS, Tananger, Norway, to charter the Ross Rig semisubmersible drilling rig for 12 months off Norway. The rig is working for Saga Petroleum AS in the Norwegian Sea...

Dana Petroleum plc. (share offering provides funds for Russian development work)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Dana Petroleum plc, London, raised more than $16.5 million through a share offering to fund further development work in Russia. Dana is a partner in a venture producing from Vat-Yoganskoye oil field in western Siberia and planning development...

Mobil Corp. (adds reserves equal to 106% of 1995 oil/gas production)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Mobil Corp. replaced 106% of its oil and gas production with additions to reserves in 1995, excluding asset sales and purchases. This breaks out as 85% replacement of liquids and 126% replacement of gas. Additions to proved reserves in 1995...

Poco Petroleums Ltd. (to purchase Amoco Canada Petroleum's interest in Swan Hills oilfield in Alberta)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Poco Petroleums Ltd., Calgary, agreed to acquire Amoco Canada Petroleum Ltd.'s interests in Alberta's Swan Hills oil field for $145 million (Canadian). The sale involves Amoco's 46.4% interest in South Swan Hills Unit No. 1, 15.1% of Swan Hills...

Elf Enterprise Petroleum Ltd. (being split by parent firms Elf Aquitaine and Enterprise Oil)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Elf Enterprise Petroleum Ltd., the U.K. operating venture owned two thirds by France's Elf Aquitaine and one third by London's Enterprise Oil plc, is being split between the parent companies. Elf Enterprise was formed in May 1991 to take over the...

U.S. Commerce Department's. (Foreign Trade Zones Board considering applications by Exxon Corp. and Sun Company Inc. for changes in foreign trade zone status at their refineries)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... U.S. Commerce Department's Foreign Trade Zones Board (FTZ) received an application to grant Exxon Corp.'s 400,000 b/d Harris County, Tex., refinery complex FTZ status. The board also is considering Sun Co. Inc.'s request to expand FTZ status of...

Petroleo Brasileiro SA. (contract)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Petroleo Brasileiro SA let a $67 million contract to Stolt Comex Seaway SA, Aberdeen, for deepwater pipelaying in the Campos basin off Brazil. The 3 year contract calls for laying of flexible flow lines and provision of diving and remotely...

Thailand. (contract)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Thailand let an $18 million consulting contract to units of NOVA Corp., Calgary, for a $400 million natural gas pipeline in western Thailand. NOVA Gas international Ltd. and its 40% owned Malaysian subsidiary OGP Technical Services Sdn. Bhd. will...

NEB. (Canadian National Energy Board approved pipeline expansions)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... NEB granted approvals to two pipelines for complementary system expansions. Interprovincial Pipe Line Inc., Edmonton, will add pump horsepower and related facilities to support an $86 million (Canadian), 120,000 b/d expansion of its crude oil...

British Gas plc.(Exploration)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... British Gas plc let contract to PGS Exploration AS, Oslo, to acquire 2,100 sq km of 3D and 900 line km of 2D seismic data over the Rosetta and West Delta Marine blocks in the Nile Delta area of the Mediterranean Sea off Egypt. PGS will conduct...

Australia's. (Victoria Petroleum NL; Lakes Oil NL; drilling plans)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Australia's Victoria Petroleum NL and Lakes Oil NL each will take a 50% interest in license area ATP560P in southern Queensland from title holder Oil Wells Inc. of Georgia in the U.S. The 96 sq km block in the Cooper-Eromanga basin contains the...

Chevron U.K. Ltd. (planning)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Chevron U.K. Ltd. plans to drill two wildcats this spring in about 40-50 ft of water on U.K. Irish Sea Block 110/18 off Northwest Wales and gather seismic data off Southwest Wales. The block lies south of Block 110/13, where BHP Petroleum Ltd....

Coplex Resources NL. (exchanges investments with Shell Oil Co.)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Coplex Resources NL, Hobart, Tasmania, agreed to acquire from Shell Oil Co. unit Pecten International an added 25% working interest in the North Sanau block in Yemen in exchange for a royalty interest of as much as 0.865%, or $5 million, in...

Sweden's. (OK Petroleum AB's chain of service stations named Preem Petroleum AB)(Marketing)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Sweden's OK Petroleum AB grouped 130 of its service stations plus outlets bought from Texaco Inc. to form a retail chain of 500 stations under the name Preem Petroleum AB. The new chain will claim about 11% of Sweden's products market, while the...

Canada's. (National Energy Board approved licenses)(Exports-imports)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Canada's NEB approved three gas export applications and one extension covering combined volumes of 248.6 bcf. Altresco Pittsfield LP received a 16 year license for 31.5 MMcfd for a cogeneration plant at Pittsfield, Mass.; Crestar Energy Ltd. a 5...

Oil advocacy on the Internet.(Column)
February 5, 1996... Oil companies and associations continue to place horne pages on the Internet's World Wide Web. The American Petroleum Institute, Amoco, and Conoco recently established pages. Coming soon are the American Gas Association, Petroleum Marketers...

Bids to be sought on 7 million bbl of U.S. SPR crude oil. (Strategic Petroleum Reserve; includes information on fracture at storage site)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... The U.S. Defense Fuel Supply Center (DFCS) is preparing to invite bids for as much as 7 million bbl of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The sale, authorized by a short term spending bill, will raise funds to complete the...

Changes due in Russian petroleum product mix. (Boston Consulting Group report)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates Russia's refiners could increase their total crude distillation capacity by more than 500,000 b/d by 2000 if all announced expansion projects were completed. At the same time, planned up-grades could...

Four more U.S. companies fix budgets for 1996 operations. (petroleum industry)
February 5, 1996... Three more U.S. petroleum companies have stepped up spending plans for 1996. A fourth has trimmed its budget. Mobil Corp. laid out a total budget that exceeds $5 billion, while Union Texas Petroleum Holdings Inc., Houston, hiked its planned...

EC has a dream for transportation. (European Commission)(Column)
February 5, 1996... Europeans are in two minds about transportation. They want a cleaner environment and recognize that cars cause pollution, yet they are buying bigger, more powerful cars and using them more. The European Commission has produced a position...

Petroperu sale on track for 1996-97 - finally. (Empresa de Petroleos del Peru)
February 5, 1996... Petroperu SA's on again, off again sale to private investors seems finally to be going ahead. The company's privatization committee has set a tight timetable for sale of the state oil company's business units. This is slated to begin in March...

Total group to develop Algerian gas, liquids. (Total Compagnie Francaise des Petroles S.A.)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... A group led by Prance's Total plans to develop a major gas field in Southeast Algeria and produce and market gas and associated condensate and natural gas liquids. Combined gas and liquid hydrocarbon reserves are estimated at 1 billion bbl of...

Compression decks extend production platform life. (offshore platforms)
February 5, 1996... Installation of cantilevered compression decks on two North Sea platforms has extended their productive lives. The decks afforded space for gas treatment and compression of process gas to fuel turbine generators in processes that inject water...

Secondary processes key to gauging U.S. refining capability.
February 5, 1996... Utilization rates for crude oil distillation no longer correlate well with refining gross margins. This relationship suggests that an alternative way to measure refining capacity and utilization is needed to properly assess the effect of...

Thermoplastic film prevents proppant flowback. (oil well production)
February 5, 1996... Thermoplastic film added to proppants is effective and economical for preventing proppant flowback after an hydraulic fracturing treatment. Most other methods, such as resin-coated proppant and fiber, for controlling proppant flowback have...

Equations determine flow states for yield-pseudoplastic drilling fluids.
February 5, 1996... A new calculation method can determine the state of flow and pressure losses, for all ranges of flow, for a yield-pseudoplastic drilling or cementing fluid. This method can evaluate the flow regimes without considering the fluid density as a...

Glitsch International Inc. (executive changes)(Brief Article)
February 5, 1996... Glitsch International, Inc. has named Michele Acerra vice president, and also president of the Glitsch Technology Group. Acerra had been vice president of Foster Wheeler Energy International, Inc. since May 1994. He joined Foster Wheeler...

Geology of marine evaporites favorable for oil, gas exploration.
February 5, 1996... The conditions necessary for evaporite deposition are also important with respect to genesis of source beds for petroleum. In a restricted basin marked by large-scale salt successions it is presumed that the basin proper is separated from the...

Permitting, wells boost Timor potential. (Timor Sea)
February 5, 1996... The Timor Sea is fast becoming an important oil and gas province. BHP Petroleum has "gone it alone" in its successful bid to secure highly fancied Timor Sea exploration Permit WA-260-P in the northern Timor Sea. The wedge shaped area lies...

Gas markets are buoyed by another arctic blast in North America, while oil markets shiver at the prospect of renewed Iraqi oil sales.
February 12, 1996... Gas markets are buoyed by another arctic blast in North America, while oil markets shiver at the prospect of renewed Iraqi oil sales. Consolidated Natural Gas says the cold wave sweeping the U.S. through early last week has pushed horne...

Gulf of Mexico deepwater development pioneers contend the economic threshold for such projects has fallen sharply.(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Gulf of Mexico deepwater development pioneers contend the economic threshold for such projects has fallen sharply. Shell Oil and Texaco panelists at the Energy Week conference in Houston said the threshold for developing Gulf of Mexico fields...

Privatization of Hungary's integrated petroleum giant MOL may be hampered by persistent red ink.(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Privatization of Hungary's integrated petroleum giant MOL may be hampered by persistent red ink. Hungary's second state oil firm Mineralimpex, now a trading arm of MOL, is expected to report 1995 pretax profit of $123,000. But that is...

European refiners are looking at possible cooperative action. (to cope with overcapacity)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... European refiners are looking at possible cooperative action--albeit at a very preliminary stage--to cut regional refining overcapacity, says Total Pres. Thierry Desmarest. However, Jean-Paul Vettier, Total's general manager of refining and...

Petroleum grade coke has become a hot commodity now that many refiners disdain it.(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Petroleum grade coke has become a hot commodity now that many refiners disdain it. Petroleum coke buyers have seen prices more than double the last 12 months, rising to $240-250/metric ton from $110/ton, as refineries increasingly change...

Oman has added LNG to the mix of its business ventures in India.(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Oman has added LNG to the mix of its business ventures in India (see related story, p. 19). Oman is talking to Indian firms Essar Oil, Gujarat Gas Co., Williamson Magor Ltd., and Gas Authority of India about securing sales contracts tied to...

How to cut costs. (management of press releases)(Column)
February 12, 1996... This article offers advice on cutting costs. Is everyone paying attention now? Here it is: If you issue press releases, just mail or fax the things and wait by the phone. Editors with questions will call. For some reason, press...

Iraqi oil exports. (impact on global market)(Editorial)
February 12, 1996... If negotiations that began last week at the United Nations succeed, the world will not suddenly have 700,000-800,000 b/d of new oil from Iraq. A grasp of the subtle points of this proposition is essential to understanding why resumption of...

India still lagging potential as major player on world energy markets.
February 12, 1996... India continues to lag its huge potential as a major player on world energy markets. All forecasts point to strong growth rates in oil and gas demand continuing well into the next century. Current government estimates see India's...

CATS line plans terminal expansion. (Amoco U.K. Exploration Co. planning expansion of Central Area Transmission System gas terminal at Teesside, U.K.)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Amoco (U.K.) Exploration Co. has disclosed plans to expand its Central Area Transmission System (CATS) gas terminal at Teesside, U.K., in a 70 million pounds ($105 million) program. The project will enable the terminal to handle 360 MMcfd...

BDM-Oklahoma seeks applications for reservoir management.(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... BDM-Oklahoma Inc., Bartlesville, Okla., operator,of the U.S. Department of Energy s National institute for Petroleum & Energy Research (Niper), is seeking applications for its third reservoir management demonstration project. Goal of the...

DOE assists independents' oil recovery. (Department of Energy)
February 12, 1996... The U.S. Department of Energy has let contracts to eight independent producers so they can apply technologies to improve off and gas production. DOE plans grants to other producers in coming months. The department, working through the...

Developer, DOE defend synfuel operation. (Dakota Gasification Co.; protest lodged over preliminary decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ordering refund)
February 12, 1996... Dakota Gasification Co. (DGC) and the U.S. Department of Energy have attacked a finding by an official of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission involving synfuel production in North Dakota. At issue is a preliminary decision by FERC...

MMS plays catch-up. (Minerals Management Service still recovering from federal government shutdowns between December 1995 and January 1996)(Column)
February 12, 1996... Minerals Management Service Director Cynthia Quarterman said last week two government shutdowns in 2 months and the threat of deep cuts in MMS funding have sent the U.S. agency and its customers reeling. She said, "No sooner did MMS...

Calub Gas Share Co. (contract with London unit of Parsons Process Group Inc. for management services for design and construction of gas processing plant in Ethiopia)(Gas Processing)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Calub Gas Share Co. let contract to Parsons Process Group Inc.'s London unit to provide design and project and construction management services for a gas processing plant tied to Ethiopia's first commercial hydrocarbon development, a natural...

Lagoven SA. (discovery at Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Lagoven SA found 31 degrees gravity crude in a new pool in the Bachaquero oil field area of Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo. Its BA-2174 wildcat, drilled to 10,300 ft, flowed 6,000 b/d of oil on test. Lagoven estimates reserves at 55 million bbl of...

A unit of Kerr-McGee Corp. (Kerr-McGee China Petroleum Ltd. contract with China National Offshore Oil Corp. for exploration in Bohai Bay, China)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... A unit of Kerr-McGee Corp. signed a contract with China National Offshore Oil Corp. to explore an area of about 415,000 acres in China's Bohai Bay. KerrMcGee China Petroleum Ltd. will operate Contract Area 05/36, just east of KerrMcGee's three...

Enron Capital & Trade Resources. (taking a 38.67% interest in Promigas)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... "Enron Capital & Trade Resources acquired a 38.67% interest in Promigas, a natural gas pipeline operator in Colombia, from state owned Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos for $100.5 million. Promigas operates 900 km of pipelines in Colombia as well...

Canada's. (National Energy Board grants Novagas Clearinghouse Pipelines Ltd. approval for Pesh Creek pipeline project)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Canada's National Energy Board approved an application from Novagas Clearinghouse Pipelines Ltd., Calgary, to lay the Pesh Creek pipeline from British Columbia to Alberta. The 60 MMcfd, 10 mile, 10 in. gas line will extend from a...

Chauvco Resources Ltd. (laying gas pipeline to process facilities of Westcoast Energy Ltd.)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Chauvco Resources Ltd., Calgary, Will lay a 35 mile, 90 MMcfd pipeline to ship gas to Westcoast Energy Ltd. processing facilities in Northeast British Columbia. The Martin Creek pipeline will move gas for Chauvco and other producers in the...

NOVA Gas International Ltd. (Chile grants approval to NOVA and partners for section of GasAndes pipeline project)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... NOVA Gas International Ltd. and partners received final approval from Chilean regulators for the $350 million Chilean section of the GasAndes pipeline they propose to lay from Argentina to Santiago. Construction is under way on the Argentine...

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (draft environmental impact statement in favor of Granite State Gas Transmission Co.'s building of a liquefied natural gas storage plant)(LNG)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a draft environmental impact statement supporting Granite State Gas Transmission Co.'s construction of a liquefied natural gas storage facility. Construction of the $44 million, 580,000 bbl capacity...

U.S. Commerce Department's. (foreign trade zone status requests from Shell Oil Co., Mobil Oil Corp., and Conoco Inc.)(Refining)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... U.S. Commerce Department's Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Board received an application from Shell Oil Co. asking FTZ status for its refinery at Norco, La. In addition, Mobil Oil Corp. asked to change the FTZ status of its Beaumont, Tex., refinery....

Tosco Corp. (acquires US Northeast assets of BP Oil Co.)(Refining)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Tosco Corp. completed purchase of BP Oil's U.S. Northeast assets. included are an exclusive 15 year license to market under the BP brand in an 11 state Northeast region, as well as extension to 15 years from 11 Tosco's exclusive BP license in...

Kansas City Board of Trade. (seeking approval for strip trading of natural gas futures)(Futures)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT) sought approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to begin strip trading in its western natural gas futures contract effective Feb. 12. In a strip transaction, a trader simultaneously buys or sells...

Pembina Acquisition Corp. (extending acquisition bid for Mark Resources Ltd.; competing bid from Enerplus Energy Services Ltd.)(Companies)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Pembina Acquisition Corp. extended a $485 million (Canadian) takeover bid for Mark Resources Ltd. to Feb. 12. It is the second extension of the $7/share bid (OGJ, Jan. 29, Newsletter). Enerplus Energy Services Ltd. is competing with an offer to...

IPL Energy Inc. (acquisition bid for remaining 15% interest in Consumers' Gas Co.)(Companies)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... IPL Energy Inc., Calgary, offered $214 million (Canadian) to buy the remaining 15% interest in Consumers' Gas Co., Toronto, it does not own. The takeover bid is subject to approval by Ontario. If it receives approval, IPL would formalize its...

NorAm Trading & Transportation Group. (layoffs planned in gas pipeline group)(Companies)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... NorAm Trading & Transportation Group, Houston, will cut about 275 jobs in a restructuring of NorAm Energy Corp.'s gas pipeline group, citing a need for streamlining and improved efficiency as a result of deregulation and increased competition...

Chevron Canada Resources Ltd. (with Mobil Oil Canada Ltd. planning to build a shuttle tanker or an onshore terminal to handle oil from Newfoundland's Hibernia offshore field)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Drilling-production Chevron Canada Resources Ltd. and Mobil Oil Canada Ltd. will develop their own plans for handling oil produced from Hibernia oil field development off Newfoundland. The companies had issued a bid tender for an onshore...

Petroleos Brasileiro SA. (Brasoil unit awards contract to Grupo Astilleros Espanoles for converting an oil tanker into a vessel for handling production, storage and offloading)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Petroleos Brasileiro SA unit Brasoil let contract to Grupo Astilleros Espanoles, Madrid, for conversion of a tanker into a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel at its Cadiz yard. The 283,000 dwt Cairu crude carrier will...

Russia's Lukoil. (contract with GeoQuest for workstations and integrated software for use in developing gas and oil fields in Siberia)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Russia's Lukoil let contract to GeoQuest, Houston, to supply integrated software and workstations to help develop oil and gas fields in western Siberia's Kogalym area. GeoQuest started delivery of $4 million worth of software and workstations...

Chevron Corp. (Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Ltd. unit has begun production from field off Angola)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Chevron Corp. unit Cabinda Gulf Oil Co. Ltd. (Cabgoc) started production of 17,000 b/d of oil from Angola's Nemba offshore field. Cabgoc installed a three well subsea completion system on Block B in 400 ft of water about 40 miles off Angola's...

Taiwan's. (Taiwan Fertilizer Co. considers joining Itochu Corp., Brown & Root Inc., and unnamed company from the U.K. in $800-million venture for urea and ammonia plant in Myanmar)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Taiwan's state owned Taiwan Fertilizer Co. (TFC) is studying a plan to join an $800 million venture to produce ammonia and urea in Myanmar. Other potential investors in the project include Japan's Itochu Corp., Brown & Root Inc., Houston, and...

Montell Polyolefins. (with Compania Ipiranga Quimica and Compania Suzano de Papel e Celulose acquired Petrobras Quimica units Koppol Films SA and Polipropileno SA)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Montell Polyolefins a venture of Shell International Chemicals Co. Ltd. and Montedison SpA; and private Brazilian firms Cia. Suzano de Papel e Celulose and Cia. Ipiranga Quimica acquired the Polipropileno SA and Koppol Films SA units of...

Borealis AS. (acquiring Montell Polyolefins' holdings in North Sea Petrochemicals NV)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Borealis AS, the Statoil/Neste Oy petrochemical venture, signed a letter of intent with Montell Polyolefins to take over from Montell management their 50-50 joint venture North Sea Petrochemicals NV (NSP). NSP operates a 400,000 metric...

BP Chemicals Ltd. (building second polyketones plant, and in joint research and development agreement with GE Plastics involving polyketones)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... BP Chemicals Ltd. will build a second polyketones pilot plant at Grangemouth, Scotland, with a view to testing market potential. BP, which did not disclose pilot capacity, wants to see how market development proceeds before deciding on a full...

Sasol Ltd. (methyl isobutyl ketone plant commissioned)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Sasol Ltd., Johannesburg, commissioned a $10 million methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) plant at its Sasolburg, South Africa, petrochemical complex. The plant can produce 15,000 metric tons/year of MIBK, a solvent used in the paint industry. Eighty...

National Corp. Uzbekneftegas. (contract with ABB Group and Japanese companies for construction of petrochemical complex based on a natural gas feed)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... National Corp. Uzbekneftegas, a unit of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Oil & Gas, let a $500 million contract to ABB Group, Norwalk, Conn., and a combine of Japanese companies to build a natural gas fed petrochemical complex at Shurtan, Uzbekistan....

Associated Octel Co. Ltd. (fined and ordered to cover legal costs in case involving fire at chemical plant)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Associated Octel Co. Ltd. of Ellesmere Port, U.K., was fined $225,000 and ordered to pay legal costs of $215,000 following British Health & Safety Executive prosecution. HSE took Octel to court after a Feb. 1, 1994, fire at its ethyl chloride...

Shell Chemical Co. (unit Pecten Poliesters Manufacturas S.A. de C.V. contracts with M.W. Kellogg Co. and Grupo Bufete Industrial for engineering and construction services in building a polyethylene terephthalate plant)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
February 12, 1996... Shell Chemical Co. unit Pecten Poliesters Manufacturas SA de CV named M.W. Kellogg Co. managing contractor for a $100 million, 200 million lb/year polyethyelene terephthalate plant to be built at Altamira, Mexico. Grupo Bufete Industrial,...