Gibraltar Extends Detention Of Iranian Tanker To Aug. 15

Gibraltar’s Supreme Court has granted a 30-day extension to allow authorities there to continue to detain the Iranian oil tanker Grace 1 until Aug. 15. The vessel was seized earlier this month by British Royal Marines off the coast of the British Mediterranean territory on suspicion of violating sanctions against Syria. “At a private meeting of the Supreme Court on an application by the Attorney General, the Court has extended the period of detention of the vessel, Grace 1, for a further 30 days and has set a new hearing for 15 August 2019,” the Gibraltar government said on Friday. The issue has stoked tension in the Gulf and Britain last week said it had fended off Iranian ships that tried to block a British tanker in the region. However, both sides have said they do not want the situation to escalate. British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said Britain would facilitate the release of the Grace 1 if Iran gave guarantees that the tanker would not go to Syria, once the issue had followed due process in Gibraltar’s courts. On Thursday, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo held a “constructive and positive” meeting with Iranian officials in London to discuss the tanker.         

Nigeria: SNEPCO Halts Decision To Relocate From Onne To Lagos

The management of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) has rescinded its decision to relocate its supply base from the Oil and Gas Free Zone, Onne to Lagos port. This follows protest by the River State Youth Federation. Speaking with journalists, President of the group, Saviour Patrick, described the decision of SNEPCO as a welcome development for youths in the state. Patrick praised the company for yielding to the concerns raised by the youths about the negative impact the relocation would have on the economy of Rivers State and the Niger Delta region at large. It would be recalled that youths in the State had last year staged a peaceful protest at the SNEPCO supply base, asking the company to rescind its decision to relocate the base from the free zone in Onne to Lagos port. The youths, who condemned the move, had stated that the planned relocation would lead to the loss of more than 5,000 direct and indirect jobs. While pledging the group’s resolve to maintain peace in the State, Patrick said, “We want to thank SNEPCO for them to have re-considered their decision. We have several workers working with them and most of them are of Rivers indigene. So if they had relocated to Lagos, it certainly means most of our youths will be disengaged from their work. We really want to appreciate them to have heard the cries of the youths of the State. “We also want to plead with them to engage more youths in the State. They have done well but we also want more from them. They should carry us along in their activities to achieve a better atmosphere for everyone at Onne community,” he said.           

International Hydropower Association Appoints Eddie Rich As New CEO

The International Hydropower Association (IHA) has appointed Eddie Rich as its new Chief Executive Officer, following a global recruitment search led by the association’s board. The former Deputy Head of the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) has worked extensively in international development. He has a long track record of achieving transformational change through delivering ground-breaking, multi-stakeholder partnerships with industry, government and civil society. According to the Association, Rich will take up his appointment on 9 September 2019. He succeeds Richard M. Taylor who is stepping down to work as an independent consultant and will support the new CEO in a consultative capacity through 2020. In a statement, IHA President Ken Adams said: “Rich will bring to the role extensive international experience, most recently as a founder and senior executive of the EITI. IHA welcomes Rich and looks forward to working with him as the hydropower sector helps to contribute solutions to the energy transition challenges faced by the world today.” Rich commented: “There is a need for a bigger and better contribution to green energy from hydropower. IHA is the key organisation to make sure that the industry is well informed about good practices, has the capacity to implement them, and the world benefits from the best use of this precious technology. IHA’s work on building and sharing high quality and evidence-based knowledge is critically important. “Much has been done. There is much to do. I look forward to taking this forward with an excellent team. I pay tribute to Richard Taylor who has brought us so far with unparalleled passion, knowledge and skill. I look forward to working with him to ensure a strong and smooth transition.” Welcoming the appointment of his successor, Taylor stated: “It has been a tremendous privilege to represent the International Hydropower Association. The hydropower sector has changed significantly in the last two decades, and IHA has done its best to support this. Handing over to Eddie Rich gives the association a new impetus. He brings an impressive set of skills and international experience. I look forward to working closely with him in this exciting transition.” Biography IHA’s incoming CEO, Eddie Rich, has worked on the role of corporates in international development for over 20 years. He has been Deputy Head of the EITI since the international secretariat was established in 2007, including a period as its Executive Director. His responsibilities have included leading on EITI implementation globally and overseeing the organization’s finance, human resources and communications functions, as well as the organisation of its triennial global conference. He has also published books and articles on governance entrepreneurship and multi-stakeholder governance. His prior experience includes working as the UK Government Department for International Development (DFID)’s representative to Angola and deputy head in Kenya and as head of DFID’s corporate social responsibility team. He has degrees from the University of Oxford and the University of Westminster.  

Eskom Teams Up With Police To Restore Electricity Supply In Gauteng

The Gauteng Provincial Government and Eskom agreed to implement joint action to decisively deal with the problems of ongoing disruptions in the supply of electricity in a number of areas in the province. The Gauteng Provincial Government, led by the Special Advisor to the Premier on Service Delivery and Political Management, Eric Mxolisi Xayiya, met with Eskom Management this week to discuss the ongoing problems regarding the increasing number of repeated equipment failures in some areas around Gauteng. Eskom reported that there are increasing incidences of illegal connections leading to overloading which often result in failure of transformers and mini-substations. This includes meter tampering, electricity theft and vandalism of infrastructure.  The power utility noted that increased equipment failure has a significant negative impact on operations, finances and safety of employees and the public at large. “The Gauteng Government and Eskom acknowledge that consumers who continue to pay for electricity cannot continue to suffer due to the actions of those who are not paying. Continued non-payment of electricity and illegal connections harm the economy of the province and the country,” Eskom underlined in a statement. According to Eskom, attempts to restore power supply to areas that have experienced repeated failures due to illegal connections and meter tampering are being hampered by violent resistance in the affected communities. Eskom technicians are often denied access to affected areas to conduct audits and necessary repairs to damaged equipment. To this end, the Gauteng Provincial Government will enlist the support of law enforcement agencies to ensure that Eskom restores electricity supply to legal and paying customers in all the affected areas in the province. A company statement said: “The police will act firmly and decisively against anyone obstructing Eskom from carrying out its work. “Eskom will conduct audits and remove illegal connections, fix bypassed meters, issue tamper fines and ultimately restore electricity supply to paying customers.” The Gauteng Government and Eskom will continue to engage with councilors and stakeholders in all affected areas to address all matters pertaining to the supply of electricity   Source: Esi-Africa.com                                    

Schlumberger Appoints Olivier Le Peuch As CEO

Schlumberger Limited has announced the appointment of Olivier Le Peuch as its Chief Executive Officer and member of the Schlumberger Board, effective August 1, 2019. Mr. Le Peuch succeeds Paal Kibsgaard, who will retire as Chief Executive Officer effective that same date. Schlumberger is the world’s leading provider of technology for reservoir characterization, drilling, production, and processing to the oil and gas industry. In a statement, Schlumberger said Mr. Kibsgaard will step down as Chairman of the Board and retire as a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Kibsgaard is retiring after more than 22 years of service to the Company, including eight years as CEO and four years as Chairman. “Effective the same date, Mark G. Papa, a current non-independent director, will become non-executive Chairman of the Board. Peter Currie will continue to serve as the Board’s Lead Independent Director,” the statement said. Mr. Le Peuch held a variety of global management positions at Schlumberger, including Executive Vice President, Reservoir & Infrastructure; President of the Cameron product lines; President of Schlumberger Completions; and Vice President of Engineering, Manufacturing and Sustaining. Earlier in his career, Le Peuch was GeoMarket Manager for the North Sea and President of Software Integrated Solutions.  “Olivier possesses the Company’s values, an in-depth knowledge of our business, and a proven industry track record—all together, he is ideally suited to lead Schlumberger into the next chapter of our history,” Mr. Kibsgaard stated.   Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Le Peuch said, “I am truly honored at being chosen to lead Schlumberger and its world-class workforce at a very exciting time in our Company’s history. I would like to thank Paal for his leadership and contributions to the Company, along with his guidance during the succession process.”              

Schlumberger Second Quarter Profit Up By 14%

Oilfield services provider, Schlumberger has recorded a 14 percent increase in its second quarter 2019 net profit while expecting oil market sentiments to remain balanced. Schlumberger has also revealed that its CEO will retire after eight years in the role and the company has already lined up a replacement The company on Friday posted revenues of $8.27 billion for the second quarter of the year, compared to the last year’s result of $8.3 billion. The oilfield services player recorded a net income on a GAAP basis of $492 million, which is an increase of 14% compared to 2Q 2018 and net income of $430 million. The company’s net income, excluding charges and credits, was $492 million, a 17% decrease compared to $594 million in 2Q 2018. Commenting on market situation, Schlumberger’s current CEO, Paal Kibsgaard, said: “From a macro perspective, we expect oil market sentiments to remain balanced. The oil demand forecast for 2019 has been reduced slightly on trade war fears and current global geopolitical tensions, but we do not anticipate a change in the structural demand outlook for the mid-term. “On the supply side, we continue to see US shale oil as the only near- to medium-term source of global production growth, albeit at a slowing growth rate, as E&P operators continue to transition from an emphasis on growth to a focus on cash and returns, with consequent restraining effects on investment levels. These effects, combined with the decision by OPEC and Russia to extend production cuts through the first quarter of 2020, are likely to keep oil prices range bound around present levels. Although the markets are well supplied from production added by projects that were sanctioned before 2015, this added supply will begin to fall in 2020 and create risk for the future as the decline rates in many mature production basins become an increasingly significant challenge. “In addition, while the number of new projects we expect to receive final investment decision (FID) approval in 2019 is likely to increase again for the fourth consecutive year, their size and number account for supply additions far below the required global annual production replacement rates. We therefore maintain our view that international E&P investment will grow 7% to 8% in 2019, further supported by the increase in international rig count. In contrast, spending in North America land is tracking our expectations of a 10% decline this year.”    Source: offshoreenergytoday.com              

Liza Destiny FPSO Sets Sail To Make Guyana An Oil-Producing Nation

Liza Destiny, an FPSO that will make Guyana an oil-producing nation, has set sail from Keppel’s Singapore yard where it was recently named and delivered. According to Guyanese Department of Public Information, the Liza Destiny FPSO converted from a VLCC by Keppel, is expected to reach Guyana in September. Owned by SBM Offshore, the Liza Destiny FPSO will be deployed at Exxon-operated Liza field as part of the first phase of the development offshore Guyana. First oil is expected in the first quarter of 2020. Friday data by VesselsValue showed that the FPSO was sailing through the Malacca Strait on Friday, July 19, 2019, with the next stop being Cape Town, South Africa.ExxonMobil’s Liza field, where the FPSO will be deployed, sits in the giant Stabroek block, which covers almost 27,000 square kilometers, circa 200 kilometers offshore Guyana and where ExxonMobil has struck more than a dozen oil discoveries which are yet to be developed. The Liza field is expected to start producing up to 120,000 gross bopd by the first quarter of 2020. The first phase is expected to develop around 500 million barrels of oil. The FPSO, the first of several to be deployed in Guyana, will be spread moored in a water depth of 1,525 meters and will be able to store 1.6 million barrels of crude oil.    

Ghana: AGM Petroleum Makes Oil Discovery Offshore

AGM Petroleum, an oil and gas exploration company has discovered oil at Ghana’s South Deepwater Tano (SDWT) prospect in the Western Basin. The discovery was made known by the President and CEO of AGM’s related company Aker ASA, Øyvind Eriksen in a letter to shareholders published in its second-quarter and half-year results for 2019. According to Mr Eriksen, “the drilling results, including quantification of volume, is subject to further analysis”. “In parallel, Aker continues to consider a consolidation between Aker Energy and AGM Petroleum, the main operator of the South Deepwater Tano block. AGM Petroleum is a company controlled by our main shareholder,” Mr Eriksen said. “During the second quarter, Aker Energy acted as service provider in AGM’s batch drilling of two exploration wells, Kyenkyen-1X and Nyankom-1X. We are pleased to announce that oil has been discovered in the AGM block. When it comes to volume ranges, AGM will communicate this at a later stage”. Aker commitment Mr Eriksen added that the progress made during the first half of the year was proof of Aker’s commitment to building an industry in Ghana. “The progress made during the first half year has undoubtedly removed a lot of the previously held uncertainty around Aker Energy. Aker is committed to building an industry in Ghana, and the Aker Ghana Industrial Corporation (AGIC) is another good illustration of how we are taking an active and proactive approach to ensure long-term success, both for the Ghanaian people and for our investors. “Through AGIC, Aker will promote local industry through both investments and transfer of know-how, and we are already well on our way with building the organisation that can see this through”.  

Halliburton Releases Industry’s First 3D Logging-While-Drilling Technology

US based Halliburton Company, world’s largest providers of products and services to the energy industry has introduced 3D reservoir mapping, a new logging-while-drilling (LWD) capability that provides a detailed representation of subsurface structures to improve well placement in complex reservoirs. 3D inversion, an advanced reservoir mapping process, reveals overlooked features such as faults, water zones, or local structural variations that can considerably alter the optimal landing trajectory of a well. In geosteering applications, the technology maximizes contact with oil and gas zones while mapping the surrounding formation to identify bypassed oil, avoid drilling hazards and plan for future development. “This unique technology moves beyond layered reservoir models to full 3D characterization of the reservoir, enabling accurate well placement,” said Lamar Duhon, vice president of Sperry Drilling. “In complex formations, visualizing data in a 3D environment helps operators significantly enhance reservoir understanding to drive better drilling decisions and maximize asset value.” The 3D capability originates from downhole measurements taken by the EarthStar ultra-deep resistivity service, an LWD sensor that identifies reservoir and fluid boundaries up to 225 feet (68 meters) from the wellbore. This range more than doubles the depth of detection of other industry offerings. An operator in the North Sea recently deployed the 3D capability in a field with a long history of production and water injection. The data allowed the operator to better assess the movement of reservoir fluids and visualize fault boundaries, which supported more accurate well placement and increased production.      

McDermott’s Amazon Vessel Arrives In Rotterdam For Conversion Work

The McDermott-owned construction vessel Amazon has arrived in Rotterdam to start its transformation into an ultra-deepwater J-Lay vessel. U.S. engineering company McDermott revealed its plans to convert the Amazon construction vessel to an ultra-deepwater J-Lay vessel in late July 2018. The Amazon is operated by McDermott under a long-term bareboat charter that started in 2017. The vessel is equipped with twin 400 metric ton cranes and accommodations for 200 personnel. The modifications will consist of removing the existing tower and replacing it with a J-Lay system with 1,500 tonnes of dynamic top tension on the tower, which will enable large subsea structures and hex sections of pipelines from 4.5 to 24 inches to be installed. The Amazon modifications will include an integrated multi-joint facility, where single joints will be welded to form hex joints. The 10,000 tonnes of existing cargo space onboard will remove the requirement for onshore facilities to produce the multi-joints, enhancing the mobility of the vessel and reducing reliance on shore bases for support. Dutch-based Royal IHC has been selected to design and build the J-Lay system and would perform overall management of the modification project. Initial engineering on the project began in October 2017 and transitioned into full engineering design in January 2018. McDermott will pay for the modification project primarily through an increased bareboat charter rate over an extended 12-year term once the modifications are complete. The conversion period that is expected to last ten months and redelivery to McDermott is expected in the summer of 2020.   Source: offshoreenergytoday.com

Aker Energy Postpones Decision On Ghana Floater Amid Signs Of Strategy Shift On Subsea Contract

A decision on which contractor will land a major order to supply a floating production, storage and offloading vessel for Aker Energy’s 330-million-barrel Greater Pecan project off Ghana has been delayed by up to four months. Industry sources said the Norwegian operator had been set to decide by late June which out of Netherlands-based SBM Offshore and Malaysia’s Yinson would land the FPSO deal, but Upstream understands a choice will now only be made by October. One project observer said the delay reflects how Aker is “struggling with the complexities of Ghana”. The source added that that Greater Pecan’s schedule “just keeps on slipping”. Another source said the project is “definitely going more slowly than expected”, highlighting, for example, how Aker had to re-submit a revised development plan last month to the government amid concerns, among other things, about cost. Upstream was told that two of Aker’s three partners in Greater Pecan — Russia’s Lukoil and state-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) — balked at the original project scope’s price tag. While the deep-water development was never going to be cheap, one project observer said it was “too complex and too expensive” so the partners asked Aker “to go away and simplify it”. It is understood that Aker wants SBM and Yinson to reduce the price of their commercial offers covering the FPSO lease-and-operate contract which will also have a purchase option. But a source remarked that with the FPSO market “heating up very quickly and capacity disappearing” it is unclear how far prices can be reduced, particularly in the context of other issues that SBM and Yinson are being requested to address. “To ask (FPSO) contractors to simultaneously reduce prices, increase local content and increase Norwegian content is (a challenge),” said one well-placed contact. There has been talk of upgrading Tema Shipyard possibly with the help of Kvaerner and Dubai Dry Docks. The FPSO will be designed to handle 110,000 barrels per day of oil, 110 million cubic feet per day of gas and 200,000 bpd of produced water with a storage capacity up to 1.6 million barrels. Currently, gas will have to be re-injected until it can be exported. Produced water will be cleaned up before being disposed in the sea while seawater will be injected to maintain reservoir pressure. The FPSO will be spread-moored in about 2400 metres of water with oil tandem-offloaded to a tanker. Aker Energy has not started a tender process for the subsea production system and subsea umbilical, riser and flowline system. Sources previously told Upstream that it wants to dispense with invitations to tender altogether and push through direct awards to Subsea 7 for the SURF package and Aker Solutions for the SPS. However, it was learned this week that an “open, but limited bidding process” could start later this summer, at least for the SURF, amid signs that Aker Energy’s resolve to go with a direct award solution is “weakening progressively.” It is unclear what Pecan’s subsea layout is under the revised development plan. However, in an environmental scoping document completed in mid-May, a “tentative” subsea layout involved 14 producers and 12 water-alternating-gas injectors spread across four drill centres equipped with multiphase pumps. These wells will be linked to the FPSO via 10-inch and 12-inch flowline loops and steel catenary risers, with four umbilicals also needed. There have been suggestions in the market that because of unresolved issues, a final investment decision on the Greater Pecan project could be delayed to 2020, delaying first oil from 2022 to 2023. For example, an environmental impact report must be produced (and approved by government and project lenders) and this could take between eight and 12 months to complete. So, even if work on the EIA report began in May (the date of the environmental scoping document), then it may only be finalised in early 2020. Nevertheless, an Aker Energy spokesman said FID “is still targeted for 2019.” He said: “The Environmental & Social Impact Assessment process is progressing in accordance with Ghanaian environmental and social due diligence regulations. In parallel, lenders are being provided with the necessary environmental and social information ahead of an FID. “We are in an ongoing, collaborative dialogue with the authorities as we work towards an approval of the PDO (development plan), at which point we will award contracts and make our FID together with our partners. “As previously communicated, while the PDO feedback extended our timeline, we consider it a natural part of the process as the project involves significant investment with operations and revenues impacting many stakeholders.” The spokesman added: “Our organisation has only been in existence for a year-and-a-half and we are very pleased with the progress we’ve made to date.” Greater Pecan lies in the Deepwater Tano-Cape Three Points block where Aker has a 50% stake with Lukoil holding 38%, GNPC on 10% and Fueltrade with 2%.   Source: upstreamonline.com          

Eni Managers Accused Of Attempted Witness Tampering In Oil Corruption Case

An Italian prosecutor on Wednesday told a local court that managers at Italy’s oil major Eni tried to tamper with a witness in an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in an oil block award in Nigeria. “We have become aware that Eni, through its managers, would have tried to influence and would have approached the defendant (Vincenzo) Armanna to convince him to withdraw some of his statements,” Fabio De Pasquale reportedly told the court. Eni, as well as Shell, are on trial for knowing that an alleged payment of US$1.3 billion in bribes was made to the former Nigerian government back in 2011, for which Eni and Royal Dutch Shell secured exclusive rights to develop the oil block OPL-245 offshore Nigeria. The 2011 acquisition of block OPL 245, according to Italian and Nigerian prosecutors, involved a transfer of money to personal accounts held by the Nigerian oil minister at the time. The official, Dan Etete, was later convicted of money laundering by a French court in a separate, unrelated case. The sum of the OPL 245 deal was US$1.3 billion, an investigation revealed, of which US$1.1 billion was used to bribe politicians and businessmen to secure the deal. Shell and Eni have always insisted they were unaware of any wrongdoing at the time. The case has been dragging for two years now in an Italian court after prosecutors asked in early 2017 Eni to stand trial over the alleged corruption. Eni is also subject to a separate investigation for allegedly obstructing justice in the corruption case in Nigeria. Lawyers for Eni, which denies these allegations too, asked on Wednesday the court in Milan to adjourn hearings until they examine evidence in the obstruction of justice investigation. The court denied Eni’s request to adjourn, but directed defendant Armanna to be asked only about the alleged corruption, not about the alleged obstruction of justice, Reuters reports.  Source: Oilprice.com:  

Ghana: TOR Loses GHc186 Million In Four Months

Ghana’s only oil refinery, Tema Oil Refinery, has recorded a net loss of Ghc186.35 million in the first four months of 2019, energynewsafrica.com can report. According to the 2019 TOR’s Variance Report, the company anticipated its operational loss to be around Ghc71.70 million but ended up recording the huge loss due to a number of factors. The 14-page report presented an analysis of the financial performance and situation of the Tema Oil Refinery in the West African nation, from January to April 2019. The report includes commentary on the liquidity situation and an update on the legacy debts and payments being made by ESLA PLC. The explanatory notes underlying the performance was that the turnover for the period was derived from the sale of petroleum product, fees from storage, loading rack, laboratory services and product transfer fees. The turnover of the first four months of Ghc126.38 million was lower than the flexed budgeted figure of Ghc170.52 million, representing 26 percent below budget, and this recorded variance was as a result of a reduction in the volume of products stored in the refinery. On the cost of sales, the Variance Report said Ghc114.12 million was more than the flexed budgeted amount of Ghc91.28 million, representing a negative variance of 25 percent of the budgeted amount. The higher cost of sales, it said, was due to a surge in international prices and higher exchange rates. On operating expenses of Ghc198.61 million was more than the budgeted amount of Ghc151.04 million, representing a negative variance of 31 percent of the budgeted amount. Again, the higher operating expenses could be attributed to the higher exchange difference recorded during the period. TOR’s four months’ liabilities amounted to Ghc2, 145.64 million with its long-term loan standing at Ghc267.40 million and a deferred tax of Ghc19.08 million. In spite of government injecting an additional Ghc3, 488.21 million and shareholders’ funds amounting to Gh678.89 million as at the end of the first four months under review, the refinery’s liquidity position is not good. The report was clear that the company is having serious difficulties meeting operating expenses such as personnel cost, utility bills, insurance premiums, ground rent and land lease payments, as well as statutory payments. TOR’s total debt, as at April 30, 2019, was Ghc1.5 billion, after ESLA PLC had paid a total amount of Ghc1,135.38 million of legacy debts.  

Qatargas Ships 3000th LNG Cargo To Japan

Doha-based liquefied natural gas company Qatargas has set another milestone as it successfully delivered the 3,000th LNG cargo to Japan. The cargo was transported onboard Al Jasra, a conventional LNG vessel with a capacity of 135,000 cubic meters. It was delivered to the Kawagoe LNG Receiving Terminal, owned and operated by JERA, a joint venture between Chubu Electric and Tokyo Electric. Back in January 1997, the first-ever Qatari shipment was delivered to the abovementioned terminal in Japan. “We are delighted to celebrate the 3000th LNG delivery to Japan. This significant milestone comes over two decades following the first delivery to our foundation customer in Japan,” Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum, commented. “Qatargas’ commitment to serving Japan’s energy needs has never been stronger. We are focused on boosting future cooperation with Japan,” Al-Kaabi, who is also Chairman of Qatargas Board of Directors added. “We celebrate the uninterrupted supply of this 3000th LNG cargo to Japan, which is a major milestone reflecting the relationship between Qatargas and our esteemed Japanese customers. This delivery demonstrates Qatargas’ commitment to continue providing Japan, and all of our customers around the globe, with a safe and reliable source of clean energy,” Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatargas said. Qatargas has term contracts to supply LNG with many of the key Japanese buyers. Apart from these term contracts, Qatargas also delivers a significant amount of Japan’s spot LNG requirements.