The Oil and Gas Journal articles from July 1996

The Oil and Gas Journal archives from July 1996

Is another oil crisis involving a major oil exporter simmering in the Middle East just as Iraq inches toward normalized relations? Oil prices shot up last week after a car bomb killed 19 U.S. personnel and injured hundreds more at a U.S. military housing complaex near Dhahran.(June 25, 1996 terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Is another oil crisis involving a major oil exporter simmering in the Middle East just as Iraq inches toward normalized relations? Oil prices shot up last week after a car bomb killed 19 U.S. personnel and injured hundreds more at a U.S....

Shell U.K. E&P will disclose July 3 a list of about 20 contractors to be invited to develop outline disposal plans for the derelict Brent spar oil loading buoy.(Shell U.K. Exploration and Production, 1996)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Shell U.K. E&P will disclose July 3 a list of about 20 contractors to be invited to develop outline disposal plans for the derelict Brent spar oil loading buoy. Shell intends to shortlist this group to a few invited to submit detailed disposal...

Norwegian offshore drilling programs must be reshuffled in the wake of a crippling strike by oil workers.(Statoil A/S)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Norwegian offshore drilling programs must be reshuffled in the wake of a crippling strike by oil workers. A strike by well service crews in Norway came to an end June 25 after a month of disruption that halted operations on drilling rigs at a...

Brazil will provide sovereign guarantees to help build the $1.7 billion Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline.(Enron, Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Brazil will provide sovereign guarantees to help build the $1.7 billion Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline. Bolivian President Gonzalao Sanchez de Lozada said Brazil will begin contacts about the project with such institutions as the World Bank and...

Gas major Enron continues to chase deals around the world.(Enron Oil and Gas Co. signs development contracts with Chinese National Petroleum Corp. and Uzbekneftegaz Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... As in Bolivia, gas major Enron continues to chase other deals around the world. Enron Oil & Gas Co. (EOG) has signed a cooperative agreement with China's state owned Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) covering further development...

Trade issues are cropping up for U.S. petroleum sectors. The U.S. plans to revise a 1993 EPA rule that set tougher standards for conventional and reformulated gasoline (RFG) imported from Venezuela and Brazil.(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Trade issues are cropping up for U.S. petroleum sectors. The U.S. plans to revise a 1999 EPA rule that set tougher standards for conventional and reformulated gasoline (RFG) imported from Venezuela and Brazil. The World Trade Organization early...

Shell Oil is moving to expand onshore and offshore activity along the U.S. Gulf Coast.(Shell Oil Co.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Shell Oil is moving to expand onshore and offshore activity along the U.S. Gulf Coast. In addition to creating a financing alliance with Enron Capital & Trade Resources to pursure onshore E&D in South Louisiana (see Industry Briefs, p. 46),...

Improved oil and gas prices and lower costs are bolstering U.S. E&D.(Mitchell Energy and Development Corp. to drill 129 exploratory and development wells in FY 1996)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Improved oil and gas prices and lower costs are bolstering U.S. E&D. Mitchell Energy & Development Corp. will drill 129 development and exploratory wells in its current fiscal year, up 42% from the 91 wells originally planned. This jacks up...

Sharing the credit.(Enserch Corp. CEO David Biegler attributes fall of natural gas prices in 1990s to companies' reduction of production costs)(Brief Article)(Column)
July 1, 1996... Real natural gas prices to u.s. consumers have fallen in recent years, and segments of the natural gas industry, particularly producers and transmission and distribution (T&D) companies, share the credit almost equally. So thinks Enserch...

The war on terrorism.(G-7 states' response to terrorism)(Editorial)
July 1, 1996... A terrorist bomb killed 19 Americans in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and U.S. President Bill Clinton took the fight against terrorism to France. Here's hoping he had more in mind than a reinvigorated pitch for trade sanctions against the usual...

U.S. refiners home in on profits amid near term uncertainties.(Industry Overview)
July 1, 1996... Refiners in the U.S. are struggling for profits in an economic game stacked against them by long term fundamentals and near term uncertainty. Chief among the long term factors are stiff environmental mandates in the U.S., mostly stemming from...

CGES warns of fourth quarter oil price slide.(Centre for Global Energy Studies' fourth quarter 1996 oil price predictions)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... London's Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES) warns that world oil prices will drop this year unless Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries members make room for Iraq's limited oil sales. CGES pointed out that present oil prices are...

Chevron plans spar installation in U.S. Gulf.(Chevron U.S.A. Production Company Inc.'s development project in Gulf of Mexico)
July 1, 1996... Chevron U.S.A. Production Co. and partners are advancing a $750 million deepwater development project in the Gulf of Mexico with the world's second production spar. The group expects its Genesis spar to start production in late 1998 on a three...

Texaco: Gemini subsalt discovery in Gulf of Mexico is commercial.(gas and condensate discovered at Gemini field by Texaco Exploration and Production Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Texaco Exploration & Production Inc.'s initial tests show its Gemini subsalt gas/condensate discovery in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico is commercial. The company last week disclosed a combined gauge of 54 MMcfd of gas and 4,405 b/d of...

EU's drive to standardize policy.(European Union adopts measures to phase out leaded gasoline and to open up electrical power markets to competition)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Two recent developments underscore the European Union's determination to standardize energy policy. In one move, EU proposed to phase out leaded gasoline from the market by 2000 in most 6f its 15 member countries and by 2002 In nations with...

Statoil assumes operatorship of big Troll field.(Norway)
July 1, 1996... Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS has taken over as operator of the giant Troll field platform and onshore gas treatment plant from development operator Norske Shell AS. The handover to state owned Statoil took place during inauguration...

A Norse saga of the Troll handover. (transfer of Troll gas project in Norway to Statoil AS operation)(Column)
July 1, 1996... There was music played on traditional instruments. There was a recital in the form of a Norse saga. The king of Norway gave a speech, A huge figure of a troll split asunder to reveal a model of a production platform within. The occasion was...

Express pipeline proposal wins Ottawa approval.(Express Pipeline Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... The proposed Express Pipeline Ltd. crude oil pipeline from Alberta to Wyoming has received environmental approval from Ottawa. The Canadian federal cabinet endorsed a favorable ruling from the National Energy Board. The approval includes 39...

El Paso acquisition to create coast to coast gas system.(El Paso Energy Corp., Tenneco Energy)
July 1, 1996... El Paso Energy Corp.'s acquisition last month of Tenneco Energy, Houston, marks another megamerger in the evolution of U.S. gas and power markets. The combination will create the only pipeline system in the U.S. capable of shipping natural gas...

Elf Exploration Angola. (contract extended with Reading & Bates Corp. for semisubmersible drilling rig)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Elf Exploration Angola extended its contract for the Jim Cunningham semisubmersible drilling rig owned by Reading & Bates Corp., Houston, for deepwater exploratory drilling off Angola. The Elf program now calls for six firm wells in about 18...

Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn. Bhd. (investment in British Gas PLC's Gambat block in Pakistan)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Petronas Carigali Overseas Sdn. Bhd., a unit of Malaysia's state oil company, acquired a 37.5% interest in British Gas plc's (BG) Gambat block in Pakistan. Operator BG will retain a 57.5% interest, and Pakistan's government will hold 5%. The...

BHP Petroleum Pty. Ltd. (oil company to comply with Australian government review which will result in several shutdowns between July and December 1996)(Safety)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... BHP Petroleum Pty. Ltd. accepted conclusions of a government review that criticized safety on the Griffin Venture production, storage, and offloading vessel operating in Griffin oil field off Western Australia. BHP responded that it will improve...

Oil Stop Inc. (contract with US Coast Guard for oil boom systems)(Spills)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Oil Stop Inc., a unit of Superior Energy Services Inc., Belle Chasse, La, agreed to provide oil boom systems to all U.S. Coast Guard strike teams. Oil Stop's Fast Sweep oil booms are designed to contain oil spills in 8 ft seas and 20 knot winds...

Finland's Neste Oy. (building products storage terminal)(Storage)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Finland's Neste Oy will build a products storage terminal at Riga, Latvia, alongside a similar terminal under construction by Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Statoil). Neste's terminal, to cost $17 million, is to be complete by yearend...

Ras Laffan LNG Co. (contract with Foxboro Co. through M.W. Kellogg and JGC Corp. for systems for LNG plant in Qatar)(LNG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Ras Laffan LNG Co., Qatar, through a venture of main contractors JGC Corp. and M.W. Kellogg, hired Foxboro On., Foxboro, Mass.; to implement an integrated process control, safety, and business information system for Qatar's second of three...

Statoil. (contract with Linde AG for research into improvements in handling natural gas liquefaction)(LNG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Statoil and Linde AG, Hoellriegelskreuth, Germany, are to collaborate in improving technology for natural gas liquefaction. Statoil said the partners will try to find more cost effective technology and operating methods for LNG production,...

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (received second LNG ship from Kvaerner Masa-Yards Inc.)(LNG)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. took delivery of a second 135,000 cu m capacity LNG carrier from Kvaerner MasaYards Inc., Helsinki, for use in its Das Island LNG export project. The first carrier, part of an April 1993 order for four such vessels, was...

Chevron Chemical Co. (gets license from BP Chemicals Ltd. for Innovene polyethylene process)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Chevron Chemical Co. obtained a license for BP Chemicals Ltd.'s Innovene polyethylene (PE) process to more than double capacity of its 100,000 metric ton/year PE plant at Orange, Tex. Chevron plans to rebuild the plant's high density polyethylene...

Montell Polyolefins. (50-50 joint venture with Japan Polyolefins Company Ltd., forming Montell-JPO Company Ltd., for marketing of polypropylene compounds)(Petrochemicals)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Montell Polyolefins and Japan Polyolefins Co. Ltd. formed a 50-50 Tokyo venture to sell polypropylene compounds, mainly to the automotive market. The venture, Montell-JPO Co. Ltd., was to begin operations July 1. The company will mainly sell and...

British-Borneo Petroleum Syndicate plc. (contract with Atwood Oceanics Inc. for chartering semisubmersible drilling rig)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... British-Borneo Petroleum Syndicate plc chartered the Atwood Hunter semisubmersible drilling rig for 2 years beginning in mid-1997 from Atwood Oceanics Inc., Houston. British-Borneo will pay Atwood an initial $10 million to mobilize the rig from...

Saskatchewan. (studying ways to increase royalties on heavy oil production)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Saskatchewan is considering ways to bring its royalties on heavy oil production closer to Alberta levels. Alberta producers currently pay about 25% less on taxes and royalties than those in Saskatchewan. Canadian Association of Petroleum...

Numac Energy Inc. (acquires natural gas properties from Gardiner Oil & Gas Ltd. in British Columbia with plans for expanding operations)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Numac Energy Inc. will expand natural gas drilling in the Martin area of Northeast British Columbia after purchasing for $14.1 million (Canadian) gas properties there from Gardiner Oil & Gas Ltd. Both are Calgary firms. The purchase includes...

France's Total. (has begun development drilling in Iranian offshore oil fields)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... France's Total started delineation drilling in Sirri A and Sirri E oil fields off Iran, part of a $600 million development project. Production is to start up in 1998. Last year, Total signed an agreement with National Iranian Oil On. (NIOC) to...

Elf Aquitaine. (forms oilfield venture with Neste Oy and Komitek)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Elf Aquitaine, Neste Oy, and KomiTek, state owned company of Russia's Komi republic, formed a venture to develop and produce oil from four fields in the Shapkino region of Nenets district and Komi republic north of the Timan-Pechora basin near...

Canadian Oil Sands Investments Inc. (buys 10% of Syncrude oilsands project in Alberta, Canada, from PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd.)(Oilsands)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Canadian Oil Sands Investments Inc., Calgary, completed the purchase of a 10% working interest in Alberta's Syncrude oil-sands project from PanCanadian Petroleum Ltd. The purchase is being funded through public and private offerings,...

ARCO Oriente Inc. (with Agip Petroleum in deal with Ecuador to allow crude petroleum pipeline)(Pipelines)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... ARCO Oriente Inc. and Agip Petroleum (Ecuador) Ltd. signed an agreement with Ecuador's government allowing them to lay a 170 km secondary pipeline to ship crude from Villano oil field to the Transecuadorian Pipeline System. The agreement amends...

Shell Co. of Thailand Ltd. (Rayong refinery at Mab Ta Phut begins formal production)(Refining)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Shell Co. of Thailand Ltd. inaugurated its $2 billion, 145,000 b/d Rayong refinery at Mab Ta Phut, Thailand. Rayong, Thailand's fourth refinery, was developed by a venture of Shell 64% and state owned Petroleum Authority of Thailand 36%....

Nigeria. (allows Qua Petroleum Refinery Ltd. and Brass Oil Refinery Ltd. to build petroleum refineries)(Refining)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Nigeria approved proposals by local investors to build the country's first privately owned refineries, each export oriented. Brass Oil Refinery Ltd. would build and operate a 200,000 b/d refinery in Rivers state, and Qua Petroleum Refinery Ltd....

Orient Catalyst Co. Ltd. (forms long term alliance with Degussa Corp. for hydrotreating catalysts production)(Catalysts)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Orient Catalyst Co. Ltd., Tokyo, and Degussa Corp., Ridgefield Park, N.J., formed a long term alliance to produce hydrotreating catalysts. The agreement enables Degussa to increase the number of product lines produced at its Calvert City, Ky.,...

Mapco Natural Gas Liquids. (contract with Rexene Corp. to form joint venture)(NGL)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Mapco Natural Gas Liquids, Tulsa, signed a letter of intent with Rexene Corp., Dallas, to form a venture to fractionate and market natural gas liquids. The new company will acquire a fractionator at Rexene's Odessa, Tex., petrochemical complex,...

Phillips Petroleum International Investment Co. (buys Bridge Oil Timor Sea Inc. from Parker & Parsley Petroleum Co.)(Companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Phillips Petroleum International Investment Co. closed the purchase of Bridge Oil Timor Sea Inc. from Parker & Parsley Petroleum Co., Midland, Tex., for $78.4 million. Bridge Oil Timor owns interests in Bayu (ZOCA 91-13) gas/condensate field in...

Enron Capital & Trade Resources. (will finance onshore oil and gas exploration with Shell Western E&P Inc.)(Companies)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Enron Capital & Trade Resources (ECT) agreed with Shell Western E&P Inc. to finance onshore oil and gas exploration and development. ECT will arrange for part of the capital Shell needs to acquire land, conduct seismic work, and drill wildcats...

U.S. gas processing consolidates while world tempo increases.
July 1, 1996... Consolidation characterized U.S. gas processing in 1995, while plants in Canada, Western Europe, Middle East, and Asia displayed growth in capacities and NGL production. The U.S. and Canada continued to lead the rest of the world in capacity,...

Global gas processing will strengthen to meet expanding markets. (includes related article on gas processing capacity around the world)
July 1, 1996... The worldwide LPG industry continues to expand faster than the petroleum industry--4%/year for LPG vs. 2%/year for petroleum in 1995 and less than 1%/year in the early 1990s. This rapid expansion of LPG markets is occurring in virtually every...

Foam computer model helps in analysis of underbalanced drilling.
July 1, 1996... A new mechanistic model attempts to overcome many of the problems associated with existing foam flow analyses. The model calculates varying Fanning friction factors, rather than assumed constant factors, along the flow path. Foam generated by...

Program cuts gas well drilling/completion costs.
July 1, 1996... A 2-year cost-reduction program cut East Texas gas-well drilling and completion costs by 37%. Figs. 1a and b show the chronological trend of the cost reductions. Union Pacific Resources (UPR) has implemented the lessons learned during this...

Carbon adsorption system protects LPG storage sphere. (liquified petroleum gas)
July 1, 1996... Traditionally, refiners have used carbon systems to treat amine solutions to prevent problems such as foaming and chemical or thermal degradation. Foaming and contaminants lead to increased amine makeup and high operating costs. With...

How indexes have changed. (Nelson-Farrar indexes for finished steel, 1991-1994)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Nelson-Farrar indexes for finished steels changed randomly during the period 1991-1994. Generally speaking, the alloy steels changed less than carbon steel products. Alloy bars started the period with an index valve of 796.5 and finished at...

Baker Performance Chemicals Inc. (acquires Suramco Chemical Research Ltd.'s oilfield chemical business)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Baker Performance Chemicals Inc., Houston, Tex., has acquired the oilfield chemical business of Suramco Chemical Research Ltd., Lloydminister, Alberta, Canada. Baker expects additional growth potential from the geographic area because of its...

The M.W. Kellogg Co. (buys Granherne Group)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... The M.W. Kellogg Co., Houston, Tex., has purchased Granherne Group. Granherne is an ISO 9001-certified, process engineering-led business that specializes in sophisticated front-end engineering and design of upstream oil and gas production...

Shannon Petroleum Engineering Inc. (formed by Sean S. Murphy)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Shannon Petroleum Engineering, Inc., Cortez, Colo., has been formed by Sean S. Murphy. The firm specializes in identifying and implementing production uplift opportunities and offers a wide range of petroleum engineering services for domestic and...

Federal. (contract with Inrock Drilling Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Federal, Houston, Tex., a business unit of M-I Drilling Fluids L.L.C., and Inrock Drilling Systems, Inc. have signed an alliance agreement to serve the trenchless technology or horizontal tunnel boring market. Federal is a worldwide supplier...

Catalyst Recovery of Louisiana Inc. (forms marketing alliance with Rocky Mountain Salvage and Equipment Co.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Catalyst Recovery of Louisiana Inc. (CRLA), a subsidiary of CRI International, Inc., and Rocky Mountain Salvage and Equipment (RMSE) Co., Grand Junction, Colo., have formed a marketing alliance to acquire, regenerate and resell spent...

Daniel Instruments, Inc. (formation)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Daniel Instruments, Inc., Houston, Tex., has been formed from the former Electronics division of Daniel Flow Products, Inc. Daniel Instruments will continue to develop and manufacture gas chromatographs, flow measurement computers, ultrasonic...

Catalytica Combustion Systems, Inc. (appoints Dennis A. Orwig president)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... Catalytica Combustion Systems, Inc., Mountain View, Calif., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Catalytica, Inc., has named Dennis A. Orwig president. Robert L. Garten, former president of Combustion Systems and vice president of Catalytica, has...

UOP and JGC Corp. (create new company Universal Oil Products Asia Pacific Private Ltd.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 1996... UOP and JGC Corp. have formed Universal Oil Products Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., jointly owned by UOP and Nikki-Universal Co. Ltd. The new company will serve markets in the Asia Pacific region, including the People's Republic of China, Australia and...

What do seismic 'bright fractures' indicate?
July 1, 1996... Seismic reflection technology has improved dramatically the last few years. Besides offering geologists a good image of geological cross sections of sedimentary basins otherwise impossible to achieve, seismic sections sometimes indicate peculiar...

Royalty relief, leasing, exploration may help maintain Cook Inlet production.(Alaska's E&P Outlook, part 3)
July 1, 1996... Cook Inlet production largely held its own in 1995 while Alaska's overall oil production fell 4%. The Inlet's seven oil fields produced 15.5 million bbl of oil, or a decline of only 0.6% from 1994's 15.6 million bbl. Fields and their average...

Frio, Yegua objectives of E. Texas 3D seismic. (petroleum exploration along the Oligocene Frio/Hackberry and Eocene Yegua geologic formations using three-diemnsional seismic imaging)
July 1, 1996... Houston companies plan to explore deeper formations along the Sabine River on the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. PetroGuard Co. Inc. and Jebco Seismic Inc., Houston, jointly secured a seismic and leasing option from Hankamer family et al. on...

Realignment is the watchword on world oil and gas markets as companies jockey to match new supplies with regional markets expanding at uneven rates.
July 8, 1996... Realignment is the watchword on world oil and gas markets as companies jockey to match new supplies with regional markets expanding at uneven rates. BP estimates world oil consumption increased about 1.2% in 1995 to 67.93 million b/d (see...

Norway's Storting, or parliament, has approved a Statoil group's plans to develop oil and gas fields in the Haltenbanken's Aasgard unit under a $7 billion project.(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Norway's Storting, or parliament, has approved a Statoil group's plans to develop oil and gas fields in the Haltenbanken's Aasgard unit under a $7 billion project. First oil is slated for fall 1998, with first gas in 2000. Production is expected...

Canada's gas pipeline construction outlook continues heating, as Canadian producers clamor for bigger roles on expanding U.S. markets. (includes articles on predictions by Canadian Energy Research Institute involving gas supply and oil prices)
July 8, 1996... Canada's gas pipeline construction outlook continues heating, as Canadian producers clamor for bigger roles on expanding U.S. markets. Among projects in the offing are two large diameter systems, each capable of boosting gas deliveries to the...

Clean fuel regulations in North America continue to face an uncertain future. (Canadian parliament fails to act on banning gasoline additive MMT; EPA to promulgate guidelines for withdrawing from reformulated gasoline program)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Clean fuel regulations in North America continue to face an uncertain future. Canada's parliament has recessed for the summer without passing a bill to ban use of gasoline additive MMT. Automakers support the bill because they say the additive...

The WTO's gasoline ruling. (World Trade Organization rules against EPA's different gasoline standards for domestic and foreign producers)(Editorial)
July 8, 1996... Setbacks to the U.S. in a World Trade Organization dispute over gasoline may help U.S. energy security. A WTO panel ruled that U.S. environmental regulation of imported gasoline is unfair to foreign refiners. An appellate board recently upheld...

BP sharpening focus on improved shareholder value, efficiency. (British Petroleum Company PLC)(Company Profile)
July 8, 1996... British Petroleum Co. plc has made dramatic strides the last 5 years using shareholder value as a lever to improve company performance. The U.K. major also has made equally dramatic changes in organization the last 5 years, a key to that...

Asia's new markets boost world energy use.
July 8, 1996... Buoyed by soaring demand in Asia's emerging market economies, world primary energy consumption grew 1.8% in 1995 to 8.14 billion metric tons of oil equivalent. That was double the average growth rate during the previous 5 years. Primary...

Downstream aims to cut 'unnecessary' costs. (cost saving program by UK's Dept. of Trade and Industry designed for downstream process operators)
July 8, 1996... Now that BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. has placed North Sea Andrew field on stream 83 million pounds under budget, the contractors' alliance in the project will be paid 54% of this sum by the license partners. BP said the savings in...

A CMS Nomeco International Inc. (group discovers new reserves off Congo)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... A CMS Nomeco International Inc. group found large new reserves in Cretaceous Lower Sendji with an exploratory well drilled from a Yombo field platform off Congo. The well cut existing Cretaceous Upper Sendji and Tchala pays and logged 135 ft of...

Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. (four year license awarded to group including British Gas PLC, Lasmo Oil Egypt Ltd., and Edison International S.p.A. for exploration off Egypt)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. awarded a group led by British Gas plc a 4 year license to explore Block 1 in the Red Sea off Egypt. The concession covers more than 12,000 sq km, nearly half Egypt's Red Sea territory. Partners during the term of...

Harken Energy Corp. (slated to commence mobilizing drilling equipment for oil exploration of fields in Colombia)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Harken Energy Corp., Dallas, last week was to begin mobilizing drilling equipment to Rio Negro prospect in Colombia's Middle Magdalena basin where it will drill 2 Torcaz well to TD of about 9,000 ft to test Tertiary Mugrosa, Esmeraldas, and La...

Westmount Energy Ltd. (investing in Desire Petroleum Ltd. which has license interests off the Falkland Islands)(Exploration)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Westmount Energy Ltd., St. Heller, Jersey, U.K., agreed to take a 20% stake in Desire Petroleum Ltd., London, a company set up to bid for license interests in the forthcoming Falkland Islands offshore licensing round. Westmount said Desire has a...

Coastal Aruba Refining Co. NV. (contract with Parsons Process Control Group for designing enhancements for saturate gas plant)(Refining)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Coastal Aruba Refining Co. NV let contract to Parsons Process Control Group unit of Parsons Corp., Pasadena, Calif., to design improvements to the saturate gas plant at Coastal's refinery at San Nicholas, Aruba. The upgrade, to be completed in...

Interline Resources Corp. (contracts with Sani Mobile and with Research Oil Co. for building used oil refineries)(Refining)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Interline Resources Corp., Alpine, Utah, agreed to build two 500 b/d used oil refineries for environmental services companies in Montreal and Cleveland. The two plants, each costing about $3.3 million, are to use Interline solvent extraction...

Russia's. (Lukoil may replace Gasprom in $6 billion project involving development of giant Karachaganak gas field in Kazakhstan)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Russia's Lukoil is expected to replace state gas giant Gazprom in a group hoping to develop Kazakhstan's giant Karachaganak gas field in a $6 billion project. The group's joint operators, British Gas plc and Agip SpA, reportedly brought Gazprom...

Chinese National Petroleum Corp. (contract with Enron Oil & Gas Co. for development and improved recovery studies in China's Sichuan basin)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Chinese National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) signed a cooperative agreement with Enron Oil & Gas Co., Houston, to evaluate prospects for further development and improved recovery in China's Sichuan basin. The pact calls for a 13 month study of 19,000...

Coastal Oil & Gas Corp. (together with partners obtained flows of gas and condensate from wells in Hildago County, TX)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Coastal Oil & Gas Corp. and partners gauged a combined flow of 56.8 MMcfd of gas and 542 b/d of condensate from two Northeast Jeffress field extension wells in Hildalgo County, Tex. The 1 Coates F well tested at 31 MMcfd of gas and 240 b/d of...

ARCO Qatar consortium. (ready to begin oil production in field off Qatar)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... ARCO Qatar Consortium is on schedule to start producing 35,000 b/d of oil by Sept. 1 at Al-Rayyan field off Qatar under a development plan effective through May 2017. The field's discovery well flowed at a pump restricted rate of 9,655 b/d from a...

BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. (contract with Framo Engineering AS for three subsea multiphase flow meters to be used in developing North Sea field)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. let contract for an undisclosed sum to Framo Engineering AS, Bergen, Norway, for supply of three subsea multiphase flow meters for use in its $2.4 billion Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) development in the...

Total Oil Marine plc. (acquires interest in North Sea oil fields held by BHP Petroleum Ltd.)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Total Oil Marine plc acquired BHP Petroleum Ltd.'s 12.43% interest in North Sea Mungo and Mohan oil fields. Operator BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. is developing the fields as part of its ETAP development. The sale is part of BHP's efforts to...

Seven Seas Petroleum Inc. (production test to be conducted on oil well in Colombia)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Seven Seas Petroleum Inc., Houston, expected to start a 15 day production test of 1 El Segundo well on Emerald Mountain prospect in Colombia's Magdalena basin last week after receiving permits for the operation from Colombia's energy and...

Norway's. (Statoil A/S contracts with ABB Offshore Technology AS for modification and maintenance services at two fields off Norway)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Statoil) let contracts worth $110 million to ABB Offshore Technology AS, Stavanger, for maintenance and modification work in Troll and Sleipner fields. The contracts run for 3 years, with options for...

Union Pacific Resources Group. (acquires a portion of Nuevo Energy Co.'s gas and oil holdings in Louisiana and Texas)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Union Pacific Resources Group acquired part of Nuevo Energy Co.'s Austin chalk oil and gas interests in Giddings field in Texas and Brookeland field in Texas and Louisiana for $27.3 million cash. Involved are reserves of about 19 bcf of gas and...

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (contract with Texas Drydock Inc. for conversion work on semisubmersible drilling rig)(Drilling-production)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. let contract to Texas Drvdock Inc. (TDI) to refurbish its Ocean Victory semisubmersible drilling rig to increase its water depth capacity to 5,000 ft from 1,000 ft at a cost of about $110 million. It is the third...

Mobil Shipping & Transportation Co. (contract with Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. for two very large crude tankers using double hull design)(Tankers)(Brief Article)
July 8, 1996... Mobil Shipping & Transportation Co. let contract to Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. for two double hull very large crude carriers (VLCCs), each with capacity for as much as 2.2 million bbl of crude oil. The 280,000 dwt, 1,100 ft long by 190 ft...