The Oil and Gas Journal articles from January 1997

The Oil and Gas Journal archives from January 1997

What a difference a forecast can make for gas futures prices. (trading for week ending January 3, 1997)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Despite a wintry blast of snow and ice in the U.S. Northwest last week that virtually shut down the Seattle area before moving east. predictions for warmer weather drove down gas futures to a @@week low. Gas futures prices as 1996 ended...

Phillips' GPM Gas Corp. unit will sell about 170 miles of gas gathering pipeline assets.(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... The 165 MMcfd system being purchased includes 12 compressor stations and involves assets in Northwest and West-Central Oklahoma, including ANR's Laverne, Lovedale, Mooreland, Korfman, and Weatherford gathering systems. No processing complexes...

Russia's Lukoil wants a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Lukoil, Russia's largest oil company, is already traded in the U.S. using American depositary receipts (ADRs). Each ADR is worth one Lukoil share. Among other listing requirements, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has told...

Saudi Arabia plans to boost production of MTBE. (methyl tertiary butyl ether)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Plans call for an increase to almost 3.2 million metric tons/year in 1997 from the current level of about 2.5 million tons/year. Saudi Arabia currently produces almost 13% of world MME supply, virtually all for export, with the U.S. holding...

Capitalization in Bolivia. (privatization of Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos)(Editorial)
January 6, 1997... On the occasion of partial privatization of Bolivia's state-owned oil and gas company last month, a few well-meaning words to Bolivians: Congratulations. You have taken an important step, the political difficulties of which are evident in...

U.S. refiners must piece together RFG, pollution control puzzle. (reformulated gasoline)
January 6, 1997... Refiners in the U.S. face a new wave of uncertainty, as regulators revisit pollution control policies that could dramatically change the market for reformulated gasoline (RFG) in years to come. While hardly being the only focus of...

U.S. import strategy. (petroleum imports)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... The General Accounting Office says U.S. reliance on low-priced foreign oil is not a bad energy policy. GAO, a congressional watchdog agency, studied the issue recently for the House Budget Committee and is sued a report titled: Evaluating...

NEB unveils pipeline SCC study results.(National Energy Board of Canada, stress corrosion cracking)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Canada's National Energy Board (NEB) has released a report and 27, recommendations by a panel on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in pipelines. It rejected reduced pressures on lines as a solution to the problem. A three-member panel began...

Norwegian N. Sea developments slated. (Statoil A/S and Norsk Hydro A/S)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Statoil) and Norsk Hydro AS have disclosed plans for Norwegian North Sea development projects. Statoil said exploratory drilling off Norway this year is thought to have added 400 million bbl of oil and 1.75...

New FERC rules to boost utility competitiveness. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission policy on gas, energy utility mergers)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has streamlined its utility merger policy to allow more competition. The rules, which will simple and expedite merger applications, are important to both gas and electric firms as mergers...

Unocal Corp. (restructures UNO-VEN Co. venture)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Unocal Corp. and units of Petroleos de Venezuela SA (Pdvsa) signed a letter of intent to restructure the Uno-Ven joint venture that operates the 153,000 b/d, Lemont, Ill., refinery. Restructuring involves transferring all of Uno-Ven's refining...

Algeria's Sonatrach. (liquefied petroleum gas plant expansion)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Algeria's Sonatrach is constructing two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) separation trains at its Arzew GP1Z complex in Northwest Algeria to expand capacity to 2.4 million metric tons/year. Added to the output from the existing GP1Z and GP2Z...

Williams Production-Gulf Coast Co. LP. (acquires interest in Kelley Oil and Gas Corp. field)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Williams Production-Gulf Coast Co. LP, a unit of Williams Cos. Inc., Tulsa, paid $20.5 million to Kelley Oil & Gas Corp., Houston. for a 50% interest in Kelley's 27,000 net acre position in the Houma embayment in Terrebonne Parish, La., and...

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (and Arco Alaska Inc. oil field leases)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Houston, and partner ARCO Alaska Inc. were high bidders on 10 of 13 total tracts in Alaska state lease Sale 85-A, spending $832,596 for tracts covering 38,763 acres on the west side of Cook inlet and the Kenai...

CanBaikal Resources Inc. (oil exploration and production contract)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... CanBaikal Resources Inc., Calgary, signed an exploration and production agreement involving work in Russia's Khanty-Mansiysk province. The 154-sq mile property in western Siberia has four identified pools with estimated proved and probable...

Stone Energy Corp. (plans offshore wells)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Stone Energy Corp., Lafayette, La., plans two delineation wells in first half 1997 after completing 24 OCS-G-1238 new pool discovery in about 60 ft of water in South Pelto Block 23 field off Louisiana. Well flowed on test at an average rate of...

American Exploration Co. (exploration plans with Tom Brown Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... American Exploration Co. Houston, will spend about $7.3 million to acquire land and conduct a 3D seismic survey as part of an exploration joint venture with Tom Brown Inc., Midland, Tex., involving 50,000 gross acres of Tom Brown's Lost Prairie...

Japan's Idemitsu Kosan KK. (gasoline stations to open convenience stores)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Japan's Idemitsu Kosan KK plans to open convenience stores at its service stations nation wide in a partnership with Yamazaki Baking Co. Move comes weeks after rival Nippon Oil Co. teamed with fast-food chain McDonald's in a comparable venture...

Westcoast Gas Services Inc. (production increase planned)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Wastcoast Gas Services Inc., a unit of Westcoast Energy Inc., Calgary, plans to increase capacity the next few months to 140 MMcfd from 70 MMcfd at its recently completed gas processing plant 140 km north of Fort St. John, B.C. Plant expansion...

TransTexas Gas Corp. (construction of natural gas liquids plant)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... TransTexas Gas Corp., Houston, will construct a $42 million, 750 MMcfd inlet capacity natural gas liquids processing plant in the Agua Dulce area of Nueces County, Tex., to meet increasing area NGL demand. Plant, to be served by the company's...

Kuwait. (petroleum production, oil well rehabilitation)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Kuwait completed rehabilitation of 160 damaged oil wells in Al Wafra field, with imminent production planned at a combined rate of 35,000 b/d of heavy crude. Rehabilitation program began in 1991 following the Persian Gulf War, with priority...

Abacan Resources Ltd. (production begins at Ngo field in Niger River delta)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Calgary, began production from its offshore Ngo field in the Niger Delta from two wells at a rate of about 15,000 b/d. Company expects five wells to be on production in January and total output to reach 40,000-50,000 b/d this year. Ngo field...

Ranger Oil Ltd. (increases investment in Anglia gas field)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Calgary, increased its interest in Anglia gas field on Blocks 48/18b and 48/19b in the U.K. North Sea to 67.2% with purchase of a 29.3% interest from Amerada Hess Ltd. Ranger also agreed to sell Amerada a 17% interest in Block 29/8b and a 10%...

Shell Deepwater Development Inc. (contract with Noble Drilling (U.S.) Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... a Shell Oil Co. unit, signed a letter of intent with Noble Drilling (U.S.) Inc., a unit of Noble Drilling Corp., Houston, for an Economic Value Advantage (EVA)-4000 semi-submersible drilling rig (OGJ, Nov. U, 1996, p. 24). Unit will be the first...

Chateau Oil & Gas Inc. (acquires interests in San Juan Basin in New Mexico from Snyder Oil Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Dallas, completed acquisition of Fort Worth-based Snyder Oil Corp.'s interests in the San Juan basin, including 220 operated wells and 45 non-operated wells and Snyder's district office at Farmington, N.M. Chateau is preparing to close on...

China's. (Daqing Lianyi Petrochemical planning fertilizer plant in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Daqing Lianyi Petrochemical (DLP) plans a $130 million (U.S.) fertilizer plant at Medicine Hat, Alta. Plant capacity is planned at 860,000 metric tons/year of urea and ammonia.

Malaysia LNG Tiga Sdn. Bhd. (liquefied natural gas project contracts with Fluor Daniel Ltd., Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... let contract to Fluor Daniel Ltd., Camberley, U.K., and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Tokyo, for project specification work on Malaysia's third liquefied natural gas project. Work is slated for completion by September. Fluor Daniel said the...

Encal Energy Ltd. (oil and gas lands acquired from Morrison Petroleum Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Calgary, paid Morrison Petroleum Ltd., Calgary, $45.5 million (Canadian) for oil and gas lands and related assets near Fort St. John, B.C. Encal will gain production of 8.5 MMcfd of natural gas and 930 b/d of oil. Deal includes gas processing...

Exxon Corp. (petroleum distribution joint venture in Vietnam)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... unit Esso Eastern Inc. and Eastern Investment Co. (EIC), a Vietnamese government company, signed an agreement to form a joint venture to distribute petroleum products in Viet Nam. Exxon's unit will hold 70%, in the venture, while EIC will hold...

Mobil Corp. (finalization of acquisition of Ampolex Ltd.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... unit Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia (MEPA) has now secured all but 0.25% of the shares in Ampolex Ltd., Sydney (OGJ, June 3, 1996, p. 27). Ampolex and MEPA will consolidate offices at Perth early in 1997. Move will include Ampolex's...

Pogo Producing Co.(increasing share in offshore block in Gulf of Thailand)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Houston, unit Thaipo Ltd. will purchase a share of Maersk Oil (Thailand) Ltd.'s interest in Block B8/32 in the Gulf of Thailand. Acquisition brings Pogo's interest to 46.34% in all concession areas outside Tantawan field (OGJ, Dec. 2, 1996, p....

High oil and gas prices, fundamental change mark global energy industry scene in 1996.
January 6, 1997... Mergers and acquisitions, a realignment of energy markets and players, high oil and gas prices, and deepwater enthusiasm defined the global energy scene in 1996. Some industry segments fared better than others. But all in all, it was a...

Gels correct in-depth reservoir permeability variation. (colloidal dispersion gels used during waterflooding of oil wells)
January 6, 1997... Continuous, long-term injection of an environmentally sound colloidal dispersion gel (CDG) provides a solution to in-depth, away from the well bore, channeling and crossflow problems inherent with waterflooding. This unique in-depth...

How refinery fuel indexes have varied.(Illustration)
January 6, 1997... Refinery fuels costs have endured a steady incline since 1993, except for a period in 1993. As shown in the accompanying table, these increases in cost have occurred for residual fuel oil costs in three of the five PADD districts. PADD 1...

New etherification process commercialized in Finland. (NExTAME tertiary ether production unit at Porvoo, Finland, refinery of Neste Oy)
January 6, 1997... The phase-out of leaded fuels in Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa and Latin America is increasing demand for octane and octane-bearing fuel components such as ethers. Early solutions to the problem of increasing octane while reducing...

Npdes permits have increased emphasis on control of toxic pollutants. (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System)
January 6, 1997... The latest National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits issued to the oil and gas industry have become significantly more stringent and complex. Operators will have to exercise more diligence in monitoring discharges to ensure...

Aker Omega, Inc. (changes name to Aker Engineering Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Aker Omega, Inc. has changed its name to Aker Engineering, Inc. The name change has been made to symbolize and reconfirm Aker Maritime's focus and commitment to the deepwater drilling and production arena. With corporate responsibilities...

Overview of New Zealand's petroleum systems, potential. (focus on western region)(part 1)
January 6, 1997... New Zealand and its extensive offshore territory are well endowed with sedimentary basins that formed over the past 100 million years (Fig. 1). Most have been partially explored, with internationally attractive drilling success rates (Figs. 2...

Montana reservoir management plan launched. (Nance Petroleum Co. will develop strategy for US Dept. of Energy)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Nance Petroleum Co., Billings, Mont., will develop a reservoir management strategy for North Bainville field in Roosevelt County under a research grant from the Department of Energy. BDM-Oklahoma, which operates DOE's Bartiesville, Okla.,...

Tight gas flow growing in Wyoming's Jonah field.(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Operators in Jonah natural gas field in the Green River basin of Wyoming have had on average two rigs running since May 1996, and production from the field's 24 producing wells has reached MMcfd. The field, which first produced gas in 1993,...

Australia. (Conoco Australia has begun coalbed methane production from Moura operations)(Brief Article)
January 6, 1997... Conoco Australia began supplying coalbed methane into the Queensland gas market to Gas Corp. of Queenslands from its Moura operations. Initial flow in late 1996 was 7.5-9.3 MMcfd via the Pacific Gas Transmission pipeline, which runs from...

The American Automobile Association has urged DOE to encourage the oil industry to boost its crude and gasoline stocks. (Department of Energy)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... The American Automobile Association has urged DOE to encourage the oil industry to boost its crude and gasoline stocks (see editorial, p. 19). AAA noted average December self-serve regular gasoline prices were $1.29/gal,up 17[cts.] from a...

U.S. Department of Interior has sent out nine more royalty underpayment bills totaling $273.6 million. (companies produced crude petroleum from California)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... U.S. Department of Interior has sent out nine more royalty underpayment bills totaling $273.6 million. alleging companies underpaid federal royalties in California from January 1980 through September 1983. Latest bills are in addition to...

Operator-service company alliances continue to proliferate. (Santa Fe Energy Resources Inc., Reading and Bates Development Co. drilling for petroleum)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Operator-service company alliances continue to proliferate. Santa Fe Energy Resources and Reading b Bates Development Corp. have agreed to a 50-50 drilling venture in Gulf of Mexico intermediate water depths. The Houston companies will...

Two gas gathering pipeline systems in the eastern Gulf of Mexico are merging. (Dauphin Island Gathering Partners, Main Pass Gathering Co.)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Two gas gathering pipeline systems in the eastern Gulf of Mexico are merging to meet anticipated increasing production from that region and enhance operating synergies. Dauphin Island Gathering Partners, operator of the Dauphin Island...

It appears that larger U.S. gas producers have increased their role in gas exploration. (Natural Gas Supply Association finds small companies focusing on management of fields)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... It appears that larger U.S. gas producers have increased their role in gas exploration. while smaller producers have concentrated on managing mature fields, Natural Gas Supply Association says. NGSA's conclusions were drawn from an analysis...

Enron Corp.'s planned merger with Oregon's Portland General Corp. electric utility will serve the public interest, the companies claim.(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Enron Corp.'s planned merger with Oregon's Portland General Corp. electric utility will serve the public interest, the companies claim. in disclosing the merger now has the backing of 13 environmental, natural resource, and public interest...

Calgary's Alliance Pipeline has 38 signed requests. (Canadian company sees strong interest in planned gas pipeline)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Calgary's Alliance Pipeline has 38 signed requests to ship 1.498 bcfd on its proposed 1.3 bcfd British Columbia-Chicago gas pipeline (OGJ, Dec. 2, 1996, Newsletter). It says eight more requests are still under negotiation for another 165 MMcfd....

Responding to pollution concerns, India's supreme court has ordered 292 industries that burn coke or coal within the Taj Mahal area closed. (use of natural gas required)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Responding to pollution concerns, India's supreme court has ordered 292 industries that bum coke or coal within the Taj Mahal area closed by Dec. 31, 1997, if they fail to obtain natural gas connections or do not have alternative sites selected...

As part of continuing deregulation of its oil industry, Japan has liberalized sales of "entrusted" oil products. (all foreign petroleum refined by Japanese companies may be sold in Japan)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... As part of continuing deregulation of its oil industry. Japan has liberalized sales of entrusted,, oil products. MM and the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy will now permit full internal sales of oil products that Japanese oil firms...

Oil from a Russian crude tanker that sank in the Sea of Japan has hit the Japanese coast. (spill of nearly 19,000 metric tons of heavy fuel oil)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Oil from a Russian crude tanker that sank in the Sea of Japan has hit the Japanese coast. affecting the main island of Honshu. On Jan. 2, the Nakhodka tanker broke apart in heavy storms and most of the 19,000-metric ton cargo of heavy fuel...

Russia's oil sector continues to cope with the effects of privatization. (Raytheon Engineers and Constructors Inc. official says petroleum refineries need billions in investments)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Russia's oil sector continues to cope with the effects of privatization (OGJ, Sept. 9, 1996, p. 29). But considerably more refining sector investment will be required. Companies will need to invest almost S@ billion in refinery...

The AAA's inventory blunder. (American Automobile Association wrongly urges government to require larger stocks of gasoline, petroleum)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... The American Automobile Association charged bravely onto the wrong battlefield with its request to the Department of Energy for action on oil inventories. In a press release, William Berman, AAA's director of energy and environment, notes that...

SPR raids signaling demise of U.S. emergency oil stockpile? (government sells part of Strategic Petroleum Reserve for budgetary reasons)(includes related article on planned sale of government stake in Elk Hills petroleum field in California)
January 13, 1997... Now that the U.S. has begun to raid the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, its crude oil piggybank, there may be no stopping the process. For budget reasons last year, Congress and the Clinton administration agreed to sell 28 million bbl of oil...

Abandonment looms for fields off California. (Chevron Corp., partners planning end to petroleum production in Santa Barbara Channel)(includes related article on settlement of lawsuit between Exxon Corp., Santa Barbara County)
January 13, 1997... One of the most frustrating chapters in Chevron Corp.'s more than 40-year association with drilling and production off California is coming to an end sooner than expected. Faced with smaller-than-expected reserves, Chevron and other...

Cook Inlet Sunfish development possible. (Arco Alaska Inc., Phillips Petroleum Co. in deal to drill for petroleum)(includes related article on planned offshore lease sale in Cook Inlet)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Long-delayed development of the former Sunfish discovery in Alaska,s North Cook Inlet is primed to move ahead. ARCO Alaska Inc. and Phillips Petroleum Co. agreed to new terms that essentially makes Phillips operator of the prospect, now...

Big gas supply deal underpins Egyptian E&D. (Apache Corp. to provide gas for country, continuing exploration, development efforts)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Apache Corp., Houston, and partners have agreed to supply 200 MMcfd of gas from the Khalda concession in Egypt,s western desert to the country's national gas grid under a 25-year take-or-pay contract that begins May 1, 1999. Total gas...

Change ahead in Nigeria? (government considers reducing financial stake in liquefied natural gas, petroleum projects)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Lading recent news reports from Nigeria, it would appear at first that business continues as normal -- that is, with an exceptionally large share of problems. For example, late last year, Italian state electricity utility ENEL canceled a...

KCS Energy Inc. (acquires several businesses based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for stock, $210 million in cash)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... KCS Energy Inc., Edison, N.J., completed a cash-stock acquisition of InterCoast Oil is Gas Co. and two gas marketing units of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., GED Energy Services inc. and Intercoast Gas Service Co., for about $210 million cash...

Phillips Petroleum Co. (petroleum, gas production begins in 1997 in Gulf of Mexico field)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Phillips Petroleum Co. began production from Mahogany platform after completing the first of four predrilled wells as part of Ship Shoal South Addition Block 349/359 subsalt development in the Gulf of Mexico (OGJ, Sept. 23,1996, p. 32). After...

Esso Australia Ltd. (begins petroleum production with Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd. from Bass Strait, Australia)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Esso Australia Ltd. and BHP produced first oil on schedule from Bream B concrete gravity platform, placed in Australia,s Bass Strait this past October. First of 15 wells came on stream at 4,000 b/d late in December. Remaining wells will be...

Elf Exploration U.K. plc. (to pay $48 million for drilling fluids from Dresser Industries Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Elf Exploration U.K. plc let a U@ million contract to Dresser Industries Inc., Aberdeen, to provide drilling and completion fluids during development of Elgin and Franklin fields in the U.K. North Sea. Development drilling is expected to take...

Crown Energy Corp. (to build Utah facility for converting oil sands into asphalt)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Crown Energy Corp., Salt Lake City, plans to construct the company's first permanent production complex at its Asphalt Ridge oilsands deposit near Vernal, Utah, after receiving final regulatory approvals. Complex, on 45 acres of as 7,500-acre...

ARCO. (Atlantic Richfield Co. doubles stake in Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Co. for $128 million)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... ARCO paid $128 million to increase its stake in Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co. (ZRCC), China's third-largest refiner. ARCO now owns a 20% interest in ZRCC, up from about 10% previously. ZRCC owns a 130,000 b/d refinery about 100 miles south of...

Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co. (Safco). (letter of intent for two plants at Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Co. (Safco), a unit of Saudi Basic Industries Corp., signed a letter of intent with Tecnimont SpA, Milan, to build two new plants at Al Jubail. Company plans to build a 500,000 metric ton/year ammonia plant and a...

Chevron Chemical Co. (contract with Brown & Root Inc. to modernize plant)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Chevron Chemical Co. let contract to Brown a Root Inc., Houston, to begin construction this month to modernize its Port Arthur, Tex., cumene plant. Project, slated for completion in September 1997, will increase capacity to 455,000 metric...

Kaucuk AS. (contract with ABB Lummus global for styrene plant construction)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Kaucuk AS, Czech Republic, let contract to ABB Lummus Global, Bloomfield, N.J., to build a 130,000-metric ton/year styrene monomer plant at Kralupy, Czech Republic. Lummus will be responsible for process licensing, engineering, procurement,...

William Field Services. (begins operation of Dry Trail gas treatment plant)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Williams Field Services, a unit of Williams Cos. Inc., Tulsa, began operating the 50 MMcfd Dry Trail gas treatment plant for Mobil Exploration & Producing U.S. Inc.'s enhanced oil recovery operations in the Oklahoma Panhandle. Plant removes...

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. (terminates contract with Tesoro Exploration & Production Company LP)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co., a unit of El Paso Energy Corp., Houston, and Tesoro Exploration a Production Co. LP, San Antonio, agreed to terminate, effective retroactive to Oct. 1, 1996, the contract under which the pipeline was purchasing...

El Paso Energy. (settles contract disputes with KCS Energy)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... El Paso Energy settled gas contract disputes with KCS Energy. El Paso agreed to dismiss lawsuits claiming that KCS illegally boosted the BTU content of gas it delivers and increased such deliveries in bad faith. In return, KCS agreed to early...

Indonesia's. (PT Perusahaan Gas Negara contract with PT KHI Pipe Industries' Krakatau steel group)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Indonesia's PT Perusahaan Gas Negara let contract worth $74 million to PT KHI Pipe Industries' Krakatau steel group to supply 550 km of 28-in. steel pipe for a pipeline that will link Caltex's Duri oil field in Riau with Asamera (Overseas)...

Occidental Philippines Inc. (approval of onshore pipeline in Philippines)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Occidental Philippines Inc. and Shell Philippines Exploration BV received approval of the Philippines energy department to build 80 km of onshore pipeline related to development of the 2.5 tcf Camago-Malampaya gas field (OGJ, Mar. 27, 1995,...

ARCO Transportation Alaska Inc. (agrees to buy portion of Mobil Alaska Pipeline Co.'s interest in Trans-Alaska Pipeline System)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... ARCO Transportation Alaska Inc. agreed to purchase for $14.1 million about 25% of Mobil Alaska Pipeline Co.'s 4.08% interest in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). If approved by U.S. Interior Department, ARCO's TAPS equity stake will...

U.S. Minerals Management Service. (divides responsibility for regulating pipelines on Outer Continental Shelf with Transportation Dept.)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... U.S. Minerals Management Service and Transportation Department signed a memorandum dividing responsibility for regulating pipelines on the Outer Continental Shelf. MMS will have responsibility for producer-operated facilities and pipelines,...

U.S. Justice Department. (settles with Tenneco Oil Co.)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... U.S. Justice Department and Tenneco Oil Co. reached a $3.5 million settlement under which Tenneco will build a water system for the Sac and Fox nation to resolve allegations that it polluted groundwater on the tribe's Oklahoma reservation....

IPC unit slates exploration in Libyan basin. (International Petroleum Corp. unit, International Petroleum Libya Ltd.)
January 13, 1997... A unit of International Petroleum Corp. (IPC), Vancouver, B.C., plans exploratory drilling in Libya's Sirte basin. IPC said Red Sea Oil Corp. (RSO), through its wholly owned subsidiary International Petroleum Libya Ltd. (IPL), soon will...

Hydro plans Oseberg-Statpipe gas line. (Norsk Hydro AS submits plans to Norway government)(Brief Article)
January 13, 1997... Norsk Hydro AS has submitted to Norway's Ministry of Industry and Energy a plan to build and operate a pipeline to take gas from Oseberg field to the Statpipe trunk line terminal in Heimdal field. Pipelaying for the $150 million, 110 km,...

Ethylene consumption seen doubling by 2015. (feedstock study by Chemical Market Associates Inc., Purvin & Gertz Inc.)
January 13, 1997... Global ethylene consumption is expected to almost double by 2015. That expansion, according to a worldwide petrochemical feedstock study by Chemical Market Associates Inc., Houston, and Purvin & Gertz Inc., Dallas, is due in large part to...

Ream-while-drilling tool cuts costs of three Venezuelan wells. (includes related article on a drilling tool)
January 13, 1997... A new tool that permits simultaneous drilling and hole enlargement reduced drilling costs by more than $780,000 on three wells in eastern Venezuela. Lagoven SA ran the ream-while-drilling tool in an exploration well, saving almost $635,000...

U.S. E&P surge hinges on technology, not oil price. (exploration and production)
January 13, 1997... Technology, not oil and gas prices, have fueled the recent surge in U.S. activity, leading to greater sustainability, according to Clarance P. Cazalot Jr., vice-president of Texaco Inc. and president of Texaco Exploration & Production Inc. ...

Gravity, sulfur content of U.S. crude slate holding steady. (for period 1991 - 1995)
January 13, 1997... After declining in the 1980s and early 1990s, the quality of the crude oil processed by U.S. refiners has changed little in the past 5 years. The author performed a regression analysis on data published by the Energy Information...

Gas-sampling accuracy unaffected by in-line separator.
January 13, 1997... How sampling accuracy is affected by the use of an in-line separator during the sampling of unprocessed natural gas has been studied at Chevron's Sand Hills gas plant, in Crane, Tex. In experiments on three pipelines, the in-line separator...

Tuboscope Vetco International Corp. (acquired Gauthier Brothers Rentals Inc.)
January 13, 1997... Tuboscope Vetco International Corp., Houston, Tex., has acquired all of the stock of Gauthier Brothers Rentals, Inc., and its affiliates, a provider of solids control equipment and services on the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Gauthier Brothers...

Geo-Con Inc. (named Peter J. Nicholson president)
January 13, 1997... Geo-Con, Inc., the construction subsidiary of the Woodward-Clyde Group, Inc., Monroeville, Pa., has named Peter J. Nicholson president. He was previously the CEO of P.J. Nicholson Consulting Co. For 25 years, Nicholson was associated with...