The Oil and Gas Journal articles from June 2000

The Oil and Gas Journal archives from June 2000

Sustaining $30/bbl possible?(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Is it possible for oil prices to be sustained above $30/bbl for much of this year? It is, if one assumes the IEA is correct in its projection that oil demand will increase by at least 1.5 million b/d this year. So says London-based think...

Gasoline price role.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Much of the upward pressure on oil prices comes from the extremely tight gasoline supply situation, notably in the US. CGES contends OPEC should have hiked output at the first of the year, in order to help US refiners replenish gasoline...

Demand outlook.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... But CGES thinks that this gasoline-related tightness is just temporary and will ease before the end of summer. Thereafter, the direction of oil prices is linked to the underlying consumption levels, which remains a guessing game. While IEA...

THE SCRAMBLE FOR CASPIAN RESOURCES.(Iran)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... THE SCRAMBLE FOR CASPIAN RESOURCES and Iran's opening of its oil sector to foreign investment are two trends that have converged. The Iranian Majlis (Parliament) has approved a bill that gives NIOC the right to enter into buy-back contracts...

DEPENDENCE ON MIDDLE EAST OIL.(challenges discussed)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... DEPENDENCE ON MIDDLE EAST OIL, the frenzy over the Caspian notwithstanding, will continue to grow until more conventional oil is found and becomes cost-competitive, speakers told a Gulf Cooperation Council conference in Manama last month. GCC...

A ROADMAP FOR THE US GAS INDUSTRY.(meeting of consumers and industry executives)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... A ROADMAP FOR THE US GAS INDUSTRY is the focus of an unusual meeting of natural gas consumers and executives of producing companies, pipelines, and utilities planned July 9-10 in Colorado Springs, Cob. The goal of the by-invitation-only summit...

THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.(environmental protection of coastal waters)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION continues to offer sops to the environmentalist lobby by throwing up roadblocks to US E&D, even as oil prices top $30/bbl and gas futures pass $4.50/MMbtu. President Clinton last week issued an executive order to...

INDUSTRY MAY GAIN SOME ENVIRONMENTAL GROUND.(case involving Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... INDUSTRY MAY GAIN SOME ENVIRONMENTAL GROUND, thanks to a US Supreme Court decision to broaden its review of EPA's 1997 smog-soot rule to consider whether the agency should have considered the rules economic costs--a view lower courts generally...

ELECTION-YEAR POLITICS IN THE US.(possibility of oil industry tax relief)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... ELECTION-YEAR POLITICS IN THE US could provide an opportunity this summer for oil tax legislation in Congress. So says IPAA Chairman Jerry Jordan, noting that several pending bills would give US producers tax relief. "This is a unique...

A MAJOR MIDDLE EAST GAS PIPELINE.(natural gas needs in Dubai, Oman, and Abu Dhabi; this and other pipeline items are discussed)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... A MAJOR MIDDLE EAST GAS PIPELINE initiative has some market data to boost its prospects. New studies show gas demand for oil field gas lift projects and for power and industrial uses will rise substantially by 2005 in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and...

WEST AFRICAN REFINING CAPACITY.(Petroleum industry in West Africa)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... WEST AFRICAN REFINING CAPACITY is getting bigger and better. Sonangol let contract to its new 40-60 JV with Technip, Technip. Angola Ltd., for project management of construction of a new refinery in Angola (OGJ Online, May 26, 2000)....

FSU DEVELOPMENT WORK.(renewal drilling permits in Russia at the Sakhalin-1 project)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... FSU DEVELOPMENT WORK tops this week's drilling-production news. The Russian Natural Resources Ministry has approved a request for permission to resume drilling work at the Sakhalin-I project. The Sakhalin I consortium plans to begin...

Letters.
June 5, 2000... Playing by old rules Thank you for the Oil & Gas Journal's courageous and insightful editorial of May 22, 2000, "A statement of value." The oil and gas industry spends a huge sum of corporate and trade group money in the halls of Congress,...

'Video production'.(two videotapes from BP Amoco on the gas injection process in oil drilling)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... For readers who want a good introduction to gas injection processes for extracting more oil from reservoirs, two videotapes might fill the bill. BP Amoco PLC distributed these tapes at an improved oil recovery conference in Tulsa last...

Why lease ANWR?(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... If oil companies never produce oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain in Alaska, US consumers will still, volumetrically speaking, have the oil. That is, they will have the oil that they need and for which they can pay. If...

China's oil products demand: despite constraints, bullish for global crude.
June 5, 2000... During the last 10 years, there has been a great deal of excitement over the potential of China's growing energy demand to push regional and global oil markets to ever-new heights. By and large, these euphoric forecasts have yet to...

Natural gas price outlook robust through 2000.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... The outlook for North American natural gas prices remains bullish for this summer and likely to the end of the year, after gas futures prices topped $4/MMbtu last week. Analysts expect price strength to continue, thanks to short supply due...

Industry skeptical about high oil prices persisting.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... Despite higher revenues generated by higher oil prices, 1998's low-price environment and the severe impact of the East Asian economic crisis have left many oil industry players leery of launching new upstream projects, said delegates at the...

Devon-Santa Fe Snyder deal tops M&A action.(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... The consolidation of the top US independents into a handful of superindependents continues. Devon Energy Corp., Oklahoma City, has agreed to acquire Santa Fe Snyder Corp., Houston, for about $3.35 billion in stock and assumed debt, in a...

Top slots at two Canadian firms taken by men.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Brian MacNeill, CEO of Enbridge Inc has been named chairman of Petro- Canada. Enbridge is Canada s largest pipeline company. Petro-Canada is Canada's second-largest integrated company. Both are located in Calgary. MacNeill has been on...

Finger pointing.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Just in case higher gasoline prices become an election issue this year, politicians are positioning themselves to blame the other party. In the Senate, Republicans claim the administration lacks an energy policy and proposed a bill with the...

Peru's Camisea project faces new possibilities, significant questions.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... The long, checkered past of Peru's Camisea natural gas exploration and development project--regarded to be of critical importance to that country's economic future--may be entering into a "new era of possibility," according to Wood Mackenzie...

Colombia oil field developments make progress.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Houston operators reported progress at oil field developments in three areas of Colombia. Pipeline connections or capacity constraints figure in most of the projects. Ecopetrol authorized Seven Seas Petroleum Inc., Houston, and its...

Vintage Petroleum Inc.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Vintage Petroleum Inc., Tulsa, was spudding NJL X-l11 as a planned 20,000-ft exploratory well in Naranjillos field. It is to test the deep Devonian Huamampampa and Santa Rosa formations. It is also to test Lower Iquiri in a downdip position...

Pertamina.(exploration and production contracts)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Pertamina signed seven exploration and production contracts it said will be worth $112 million over the next 10 years. Energy Equity Pty. Ltd., Perth, signed a production-sharing contract (PSC) on a block in Bone Bay off Sulawesi. ...

Tracer Petroleum Corp.(opens Tehran office)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Tracer Petroleum Corp., Calgary, opened an office in Tehran and reported considerable progress in securing one or more oil and gas development opportunities in the country.

Chevron Niugini Ltd.(acquires stake in prospecting license)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Chevron Niugini Ltd. has acquired a farmout on Petroleum Prospecting License 206 in Papua New Guinea. Chevron has taken a 40% interest in return for funding an unspecified share of an exploration program. Santos Ltd. of Australia operates...

The Ministry of Natural Resources Commission.(Tyumen Oil Co. receives exploration license)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... The Ministry of Natural Resources Commission awarded Tyumen Oil Co. two 5-year gas exploration licenses in eastern Siberia. The Khanda and Yuzhno-Ust Kut blocks are in Irkutsk administrative region near the China border. They are adjacent...

Saudi Press Agency.(Saudi Aramco makes gas discovery)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Saudi Aramco made a seventh gas discovery near supergiant Ghawar oil field, the Saudi Press Agency said. Al Manjora-1 was spudded in January about 30 km west of Ghawar field and 55 km northeast of Al Wudaihi gas field. On test, Al Majora-1...

Uzbekistan.(invites oil and gas development)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... State Uzbekneftegaz invited investors to develop eight oil and gas fields requiring total outlays of $242 million. The fields, operated by Uzbekneftegaz, include North Shurtan, South Kyzylbairak, and Shakarbulak, which together produce...

Meridian Resource Corp.(gas group drills two successful wells)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... A group led by The Meridian Resource Corp., Houston, boosted production at South Thornwell field, Jefferson Davis Parish, to 85 Mmcfe of gas with completion of its ninth and tenth successful wells since finding the field in November 1998. ...

Canadian Delta Inc.(drilling permit)(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... The Canadian Delta Inc. unit of Westfort Energy Ltd., Toronto, sought a drilling permit for a deep test through Jurassic Norphlet in Pelahatchie field, Rankin County. Site is 100 ft south of the same operator's 1 Pelahatchie Deep Unit...

Economics show [CO.sub.2] EOR potential in central Kansas.(enhanced oil recovery)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... Carbon dioxide ([CO.sub.2]) enhanced oil recovery (EOR) may be the key to recovering hundreds of millions of bbl of trapped oil from the mature fields in central Kansas. Preliminary economic analysis indicates that [CO.sub.2] EOR should...

Unusual methods treat Russian drilling mud losses.
June 5, 2000... In the oil fields of the Volga-Urals and Near-Caspian basin regions, Russian drillers use determinative methods and plug-back systems to treat lost-circulation zones. Much of the difficulty lies in the nature of the lithology where fluids...

New catalyst-based technology removes contaminants from produced fluids.
June 5, 2000... A new catalytic oxidation technology developed by the Saltanat Scientific Research Center removes sulfur compounds from oil and gas better than existing technologies in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan's producing facilities stand to gain at least...

Fast-tracked FCC revamp meets project goals.(Williams Refining's fluid catalytic cracking unit)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... Williams Refining LLC, a division of Williams Energy Services, successfully implemented a major revamp to increase the capacity and yield of its fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCU) in Memphis, Tenn. The project was accomplished in less...

DRA for gas pipelining successful in Gulf of Mexico trial.(drag reducing agent)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... A field trial conducted on a gas pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico on the use of a corrosion inhibitor as natural gas drag reducing agent (DRA) has resulted in peak gas-production rate increases by 10-15% and peak pressure drop decreases of up to...

Work continues for Malampaya natural gas project off Philippines.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Royal Dutch/Shell unit Shell Philippines Exploration BV and Texaco Inc. have awarded a pipeline protection contract to Tideway BV, The Netherlands, for their Malampaya natural gas project off the Philippines. The company is the offshore and...

China launches massive gas pipeline campaign.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... China now sees natural gas as a major industry and has decided to capitalize on its gas resources in order to ease pollution and provide stimulus for economic growth for the next 10 years. The government plans to boost gas consumption from...

China's coalbed methane industry development can benefit from US example.
June 5, 2000... Beijing Coalbed methane (CBM) is a highly prospective, readily usable, and clean gas source. The exploitation and utilization of CBM can compensate for a lack of supply of other clean energy sources, thus decreasing the effects of coal mining...

Directional Drilling Software.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... [3D.sup.3] Planner is a new, advanced directional borehole/well planning and survey management software program mainly used for designing 3D trajectories for oil, gas, and geothermal wells. In addition, it's also used for planning the design...

Corrosion-measurement tool.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... The risks and costs associated with measuring corrosion under "hidden areas" such as pipe supports have been reduced with the introduction of a new pipe support tool. The device, which offers an alternative to the process of inspecting...

Rental combustion fleet expanded.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... An expanded fleet of portable combustion equipment provides units with larger capacity and more flexibility in their trailer-mounted systems. Two more of these self-contained portable emission control system (PECS) units debuted recently....

Parker Drilling Co.,.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Parker Drilling Co., Tulsa, Okla., has named John Gass vice president of corporate business development. Gass will be responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities for Parker Drilling, including joint ventures, rig...

Nickles Industrial Manufacturing Corp.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Nickles Industrial Manufacturing Corp. has acquired Compressor Pump and Engine Machine from Paradigm Services LLC., CP&E, Casper, Wyo., is a diversified service company for the natural gas compression, refining, power generation, and mining...

Global Marine Inc.,.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Global Marine Inc., Houston, Tex., has named Thomas J. Morrow president of Challenger Minerals Inc. (CMI), the oil and gas subsidiary of Global Marine. Since 1997 Morrow has served as vice president and general manager of CMI. Morrow...

Aker Maritime.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Aker Maritime has named Knut Borgen managing director of Aker Maritime Pty Ltd and country manager for Australia. Based in Perth, he will be responsible for Aker Maritime's further business development activities in the Australasian markets....

Cambridge Energy Research Associates.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... Cambridge Energy Research Associates, Cambridge, Mass., has named Serena E. Leiser, CMM, associate director of global events, responsible for managing over 100 CERA-hosted conferences for energy executives in more than a dozen countries...

The Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... The Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association, Houston, Tex., has announced the election of officers for the 2000-2001 term: Rhys J. Best (Lone Star Technologies, Inc.), chairman; Loren K. Carroll M-I L.L.C.), vice chairman; Sheldon R. Erikson...

OGJ PRODUCTION REPORT.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... OGJ PRODUCTION REPORT 5-26-00 [1] 5-28-99 [2] (1,000 b/d) (Crude oil and lease condensate) Alabama 30 30 Alaska 1,002 ...

US CRUDE PRICES.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... US CRUDE PRICES ($/bbl) [*] 5-26-00 Alaska-North Slope 27[degrees] 22.82 Southern Louisiana Light 30.00 California-Kern River 13[degrees] 24.25 Lost Hills...

WORLD CRUDE PRICES.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... WORLD CRUDE PRICES ($/bbl) [1] 5-19-00 United Kingdom-Brent 38[degrees] 28.93 U.S.S.R.-Export blend 32[degrees] 27.44 Saudi light 34[degrees] 27.05 Dubai...

BAKER HUGHES RIG COUNT.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... BAKER HUGHES RIG COUNT 5-26-00 5-28-99 Alabama 3 5 Alaska 4 4 Arkansas 7 1 California 24 17 ...

SMITH RIG COUNT.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... SMITH RIG COUNT 5-26-00 5-28-99 Proposed depth Rig % Rig % (ft) count footage [*] count footage [*] 0-2,500 24 29.1 11...

OGJ GASOLINE PRICES.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... OGJ GASOLINE PRICES Price Pump Pump ex tax price [*] price 5-24-0O 5-24-00 5-26-99 (Approx. prices for...

REFINED PRODUCT PRICES.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... REFINED PRODUCT PRICES 5-19-00 ([cent]/gal) Spot market product prices Motor gasoline (Conventional-regular) New York Harbor ...

AGA NATURAL GAS STORAGE [*].(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... AGA NATURAL GAS STORAGE [*] 5-19-00 5-12-00 Change (bcf) Producing region 353 346 7 Consuming region east 561 519 42 Consuming region...

PACE REFINING MARGINS.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
June 5, 2000... PACE REFINING MARGINS Mar. Apr. May May % 2000 2000 2000 1999 Change change $/bbl U.S. Gulf Coast West Texas Sour 3.98...

U.S. NATURAL GAS BALANCE DEMAND/SUPPLY SCOREBOARD.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... U.S. NATURAL GAS BALANCE DEMAND/SUPPLY SCOREBOARD Feb. Total YTD Feb. Jan. Feb. change YTD ...

WORLDWIDE NGL PRODUCTION.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
June 5, 2000... WORLDWIDE NGL PRODUCTION 2 month Chg. vs. average previous Feb. Jan. Production year ...

OXYGENATES.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
June 5, 2000... OXYGENATES Mar. Feb. YTD YTD 2000 2000 Change 2000 1999 Change 1,000 bbl Fuel ethanol Production 3,209 3,145 64 9,683...

U.S. HEATING DEGREE DAYS [1].(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
June 5, 2000... U.S. HEATING DEGREE DAYS [1] 2000 % change Total degrees days Mar. Mar. from July 1 through Mar. 31 ...

New liquid level switches.(Brief Article)
June 5, 2000... New Identisense PD-1O1 Series liquid level switches are designed to replace mechanical float type liquid level devices for high level alarm. Switches promise reliable operation in virtually any liquid including all 16 hydrocarbons,...

VICE-PRES. AL GORE.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... VICE-PRES. AL GORE is joining the fray anew, pledging last week that, if elected president, he would never allow oil exploration on Alaska's ANWR Coastal Plain--despite a new report by EIA that estimates a mean value of 10.3 billion bbl of oil...

ECUADOR IS TRUMPETING EXPLORATION SUCCESSES.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... ECUADOR IS TRUMPETING EXPLORATION SUCCESSES in its Oriente jungle region. Ecuador is supporting Perez Companc's estimate that a recent oil discovery on Block 31 may hold 500 million bbl of reserves (OGJ Online, May 18, 2000). On test, the...

Natural gas strength.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... Analysts continue to ratchet up their forecasts for US natural gas as well. Dain Rauscher Wessels Energy Group raised its US natural gas price forecast for 2000 to $3.35/Mcf from $2.85 to reflect depletion rates, higher demand, and low...

Occidental International Exploration & Production Co.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 5, 2000... The government ended force majeure on two of three blocks operated by Occidental International Exploration & Production Co., said Lundin Oil AB, Stockholm. Block A remains under force majeure, lifted on Blocks 2 and 3. The blocks, awarded in...

China's natural gas sector generating great expectations.(Statistical Data Included)(Illustration)
June 5, 2000... After 2 decades of disappointing developments in China's onshore and offshore oil sectors, a good deal of the international energy community's attention has shifted to the prospects for developing China's natural gas industry. These hopes...

OGJ PRODUCTION REPORT.
June 12, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

U.S. CRUDE PRICES.
June 12, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

WORLD CRUDE PRICES.
June 12, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

AGA MATURAI GAS STORAGE [*].
June 12, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

WORLDWIDE CRUDE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION.
June 12, 2000... [TABLE HAS BEEN CLIPPED]

InterOil and Koch Petroleum Group.
June 12, 2000... InterOil and Koch Petroleum Group signed a letter of interest for Koch to participate in InterOil's holding company, SP InterOil LDC, as an equity holder and supplier. The letter outlines preliminary plans for Koch to provide $3 million in...

BP Amoco.
June 12, 2000... BP Amoco will soon offer low-sulfur premium gasoline in the Birmingham, Ala., area, including Jefferson and Shelby counties. BP and Amoco service stations in the area will offer BP Super 93 and Crystal Clear Amoco Ultimate premium gasoline...

Gas supply curtailments looming?
June 12, 2000... Could the continuing spike in gas prices spur the US government to curtail industrial gas use this winter? With natural gas storage injections and storage levels in the US both down from the peak injection season 1 year ago, natural gas prices...

Taxi Meter Syndrome, p. 2.
June 12, 2000... As the title of this week's special report (p. 76) indicates, a new dynamic for oil prices may very well be emerging. But an old dynamic for the oil industry is being resurrected in the process, as it enters the cross-hairs of an angry...

Oil and hope for Chad.
June 12, 2000... Fundamental issues for the oil and gas industry came into focus last week in the announcement of international financial support for the Chad-Cameroon oil-development and pipeline project. The World Bank called the agreement "an unprecedented...

Index rises only slightly.
June 12, 2000... during second tracking quarter Based on growth in oil consumption, overall economic recovery, and increases in private power plant and distribution capacity additions, the average Global Energy Investment (GEI) index for the 20 countries...

Upstream sector to experience 'severe' personnel crunch.
June 12, 2000... After nearly 20 years of steadily eliminating jobs, upstream producers and service companies may not have the manpower to supply the world's growing demand for oil and gas, says John S. Herold Inc. in a new industry study. The upstream...

Schlumberger, Baker Hughes combine seismic units.
June 12, 2000... Schlumberger Ltd. and Baker Hughes Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture of the two companies' seismic units, to be called Western GECO. Schlumberger and Baker Hughes said they would combine the seismic...

Russia's energy chief.
June 12, 2000... Russia's oil sector views the appointment of a new energy minister and less autonomy at the Fuel and Energy Ministry as positive signs. After a behind-the-scenes battle, Pres. Vladimir Putin replaced Fuel and Energy Minister Viktor...

Giant US oil fields evaluated by trap type, reservoir parameters, other properties.
June 12, 2000... Oil fields with over 100 million bbl of ultimate recovery--cumulative production plus remaining reserves--are considered giants, the gleam in the eye of any explorationist. These fields account for only 362 of the more than 31,000 oil fields of...

QATARI DRILLING FLUIDS--1: Polymer mud system improves well condition.
June 12, 2000... In more than 250 horizontal wells in the Dukhan field, Qatar, the use of a thin, nondamaging XC-polymer mud system provided a more-efficient and economical system than using a thick nondamaging polymer mud system. Hole angle The...