Merlin Associates concurs that benchmarking competitive LNG projects is difficult; however, we had sufficient detailed data for existing projects to make an accurate and, most importantly, neutral study.
Gasoline futures prices hit a 100-day high on the New York Mercantile Exchange in the middle of last week, propelled by refinery problems in Texas and California and by fears that Tropical Storm Claudette might strike the US Gulf Coast as a possible hurricane some time this week.
The corruption fight
A meeting last month on corruption provided a reminder that it's easier to espouse righteousness on this subject than it is to be right.
Here's the Type 950XP explosionproof current-to-pressure transducer that is approved by Canadian Standards Association and Factory Mutual for use with natural gas.
Canyon Offshore Inc.
Houston, has appointed Kevin Brennan as technical manager for the Americas region. Brennan has over two decades of experience in remotely operated vehicle (ROV) intervention, and has held engineering and senior project management positions with a number of firms.
Recently, numerous publications have appeared warning that oil production is near an unavoidable, geologically determined peak that could have consequences up to and including "war, starvation, economic recession, possibly even the extinction of homo sapiens" (Colin Campbell in Ruppert 2002).
While mainly centered around a macroeconomic and humanitarian-based agenda, US President George W. Bush's tour last week of certain key sub-Saharan African countries had "underlying US economic concerns" relating directly to the strategic importance of the US's energy security, according to Cambridge Energy Research Associates.
With the prospect of natural gas prices escalating this winter, US policymakers are scrambling to look proactive even though Mother Nature carries more influence than politicians regarding gas price spikes.
US Department of Energy Sec. Spencer Abraham said last month his department plans to release more-timely and accurate natural gas data before the home heating season begins this fall.
Apache to buy Gulf of Mexico properties from Shell
Apache Corp. reported a $500 million deal in which it bought $200 million of oil and natural gas properties on the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf from Shell Exploration & Production Co.
Unit Corp., Tulsa, has promoted John G. Nikkel to chairman, succeeding King Kirchner, who will remain on the board but is stepping down as chairman, effective Aug. 1.
Detailed reservoir studies of two enhanced coalbed methane recovery (ECBM) field projects in the San Juan basin of New Mexico provide an understanding of the reservoir mechanisms of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2) injection into coalbeds, demonstrate the practical effectiveness of the ECBM and sequestration processes, and afford a basis for investigating the feasibility of CO2 sequestration in deep, unmineable coalbeds.
Study: Project management capability key to selecting engineering contractors
Owners of downstream petroleum and chemical companies rank project management capability as the main consideration in choosing engineering contractors, says a recent industry study.
In late August 2002, Sincrudos de Oriente Sincor CA began exporting petcoke and sulfur from its just-completed offloading terminal adjacent its crude upgrader.
