2013: The year’s biggest Hydrocarbons Technology stories

Gazprom to invest $13.5bn in Vladivostok LNG plant

Gas producer Gazprom announced plans to invest $13.5bn in its liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant near the city of Vladivostok in Russia.

As well as improving the plant, the money will also be spent on infrastructure such as a port, gas pipeline and power station.

A special-purpose company Gazprom LNG Vladivostok has been set up to implement the project, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2014.

US government approves $10bn LNG export facility

The US Government gave approval for a $10bn liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Texas, to export LNG to countries which do not have free trade agreement (FTA) with the US.

The facility is expected to start export operations in 2017 and has to clear approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The US Energy Department said it conditionally authorised Freeport LNG Expansion and FLNG Liquefaction companies to export LNG.

Rosneft to buy Enel $1.8bn stake in Arctic Russia

Russian state-controlled oil company Rosneft signed an approximately $1.8bn agreement to acquire a 40% interest in Arctic Russia from Italy’s largest power company Enel.

Rosneft’s subsidiary NGK Itera will acquire the stake, which provides the company with indirect ownership of a 19.6% stake in SeverEnergia.

SeverEnergia is a joint venture (JV) of Yamal Development and Arctic Russia, which holds gas producing assets in Yamal-Nenets, an autonomous region of Russia.

Enbridge to develop $1.6bn pipeline

Fort Hills partners (Suncor Energy, Total E&P Canada and Teck Resources) along with Suncor Energy Oil Sands selected Enbridge to develop a new $1.6bn pipeline to transport crude oil.

The new line will transport crude oil production under long-term transportation commitments to Enbridge’s mainline hub at Hardisty, Alberta.

Said to be an extension of the recently commissioned Wood Buffalo pipeline, the new Wood Buffalo extension pipeline will be constructed from Enbridge’s Cheecham terminal to its Battle River terminal at Hardisty.

UK announces huge tax breaks for fracking firms

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced an unprecedented tax break for the fracking industry in an effort to increase Britain’s energy security.

Shale gas producers will have to pay only 30% tax on their profits, compared with 62% on new North Sea oil operations and up to 81% for older offshore fields.

Osborne said that shale gas is capable of broadening the UK’s energy mix.

 

Atlas Pipeline Partners to buy Eagle Ford midstream business

US-based Atlas Pipeline Partners signed an agreement to acquire 100% of equity interests in the Eagle Ford midstream business from TEAK Midstream, for $1bn in cash.

TEAK Midstream is a natural gas gathering and processing company, which has assets in the Eagle Ford Shale in south Texas, US.

As part of the deal, the company will acquire a 200 million cubic feet per day cryogenic processing plant, known as Silver Oak I, and 265 miles of high pressure rich gas gathering lines with 750 million cubic feet per day of throughput capacity, located in Dimmit, La Salle, McMullen, and Karnes counties in Texas.

Tethys Oil finds oil in exploration well in Oman

Sweden-based energy company Tethys Oil drilled the onshore block 4 exploration well 4 (B4EW4) in Oman to a total depth of 3,030m, and encountered oil in four separate formations.

The four formations include Lower Al Bashir, Buah, Khufai and Masirah Bay.

Tethys said that the results of the testing programme are expected in three months, while wireline logging operations have been completed in B4EW4 well.

Eni, PetroVietnam to develop business prospect in Vietnam

Italy-based oil and gas company Eni and Vietnam’s state oil firm PetroVietnam signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop business potential in Vietnam and abroad.

The agreement, which was signed by PetroVietnam president and CEO Do Van Hau and Eni CEO Paolo Scaroni, followed a meeting held between Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and the Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The agreement will allow PetroVietnam to increase its global activities and give Eni the opportunity to foray into new blocks in Vietnam.

Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda to build new oil pipelines

Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to construct two new oil pipelines through East Africa, one of which will flow through landlocked South Sudan.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Yoweri Museveni, Paul Kagame and Uhuru Kenyatta, the presidents of Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya respectively.

The first pipeline will supply oil from South Sudan to the port city of Lamu in Kenya, while the second pipeline will supply oil from Rwanda to Kenya’s second-largest city Mombasa.

Rosneft, BP complete TNK-BP deal

Russia-based Rosneft paid $16.65bn to UK-based BP, as part of the sale and purchase agreement of TNK-BP, which was announced in October 2012.

The transaction will allow Rosneft to acquire 50% of BP’s stake in TNK-BP.

As part of the deal, BP will receive $12.48bn in cash, which also includes TNK-BP dividend of $0.71bn and Rosneft’s 18.5% shares.

Dejour Energy begins natural gas production at Kokopelli project

North American independent oil and natural gas exploration and production firm Dejour Energy started producing natural gas at two of its four new wells in the Piceance Basin and the Peace River Arch in the US.

The four wells were completed by Halliburton under a turnkey contract arrangement. They will be operated in sets of two in the William Fork formation with eight frac stages for each well.

Dejour said that by the end of next week all the four wells will begin production.

Rosneft discovers hydrocarbons in Eastern Siberia

Russian state-controlled oil company Rosneft discovered four new hydrocarbon deposits at its licence blocks in Eastern Siberia, Russia.

Following Mogdinskaya-10 exploration well drilling, three new deposits were discovered in the Irkutsk region at the Mogdinskiy license area within Savostyanov field. These include one oil and gas condensate and two gas condensate deposits.

The testing of complex ancient Vend-Cambrian carbonate reservoirs of the lower and upper Ust-Kut and Osinsky horizons in the well resulted in the flowing of gas and condensate. The production rate is being increased to 425,000m³ per day. Oil flows at the level of 90m³ per day.