Volume 103, Issue 20

Saudi, US officials pledge response to tight oil markets

May 23, 2005

Saudi Arabian and US government officials expressed their determination May 17 to respond to tight oil markets that have pushed prices above $50/bbl.

Pipelines

Watching the World: Greece seeks energy title

May 23, 2005

With reserves of just 6 million bbl of crude oil and 35 bcf of natural gas, Greece hardly counts as one of the world’s heavyweight energy contenders.

Pipelines & Transportation

ESAI: India’s refiners importing gas oil

May 23, 2005

India’s refiners have been forced to rely on international suppliers for low-sulfur gas oil (diesel) despite high regional prices, said a report from the Energy Security Analysis...

Production Operations

Saudi Aramco chief optimistic on oil supply

May 23, 2005

Saudi Arabia and Saudi Aramco can tap massive reserves to increase oil production to help meet growing worldwide demand, said Abdallah S.

Pipelines & Transportation

Incoming IOGCC chairman will focus on technology

May 23, 2005

The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission’s incoming chairman plans to emphasize technology as a way to balance the nation’s energy needs and environmental concerns.

Government

Saudis seek $623 billion in foreign investments

May 23, 2005

Saudi Arabia, by 2020, plans to invest $50 billion in natural gas production projects, $92 billion in petrochemical expansion projects, and $90.

Companies

S&P’s sees credit lift from mergers, acquisitions

May 23, 2005

Standard & Poor’s Rating Services said the oil and gas industry’s credit ratings appear poised to benefit from expected high merger and acquisition activity in the US this year...

Companies

Oil spill preparedness:Is the focus shifting?

May 23, 2005

While environmental protection through prevention is widely accepted as necessary and beneficial, disagreement persists over response preparedness against the continuing risk ...

Refining

BP blames personnel mistakes for refinery explosion

May 23, 2005

A BP PLC investigative team concluded that personnel failures before and during start-up of an isomerization (isom) unit in the 446,500 b/cd Texas City, Tex.

Companies

Russia cancels Gazprom, Rosneft merger

May 23, 2005

The Russian government has canceled the merger between gas monopoly OAO Gazprom and OAO Rosneft.

LNG

NGSA offers natural gas quality recommendations

May 23, 2005

Federal regulators have enough information to act on balanced natural gas quality and interchangeability rules that maintain public safety and allow for supply expansion, the ...

LNG

Gas likely to fill big share of energy-market growth

May 23, 2005

Natural gas is “well positioned” to capture nearly a third of all energy-market growth by 2020, said Alex Dodds, managing director of Ras Laffan LNG Co.

Companies

OGJ Newsletter

May 23, 2005

Nearly one third of oil and natural gas executives in a survey by KPMG LLP expect a high level of merger and acquisition activity in the next 12 months.

Petrochemicals

India addresses air pollution with new standards

May 23, 2005

Increased air pollution in India, resulting from a growing population, urbanization, vehicle emissions, and industrialization, has led the government to enforce tighter emission...

Government

Editorial: The scandal grows

May 23, 2005

Oil. Money. Geopolitics. Now theater.

Government

All that boilerplate

May 23, 2005

Anyone who attends presentations by US business executives has chuckled obligingly through the routine.

Economics & Markets

Analysts assess crude supply, demand

May 23, 2005

Near-month futures prices for benchmark US crudes tumbled to a 3-month low before edging slightly higher May 13 as traders reassessed the week-long sell-off.