INTERNATIONAL BRIEFS

MARKETING

EXXON CORP. opened its first convenience store/service stations in eastern Europe. Two are on an autobahn northwest of Berlin, and a third is in Budapest. An undisclosed number of additional stations are planned in Berlin, and Exxon expects to open two more Budapest outlets in 1991.

TRANSPORTATION

BRITISH GAS PLC acquired 99% of the common shares of Consumers Gas Co. Ltd., Toronto, through its offer ending Dec. 20 (OGJ, Nov. 19, p. 28). The acquisition of Canada's biggest gas utility makes BG the first company to operate gas utilities on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

AT LEAST NINE PERSONS DIED and about 54 were injured Dec. 22 when a rail tank car carrying liquefied petroleum gas exploded on a railway siding at Yelnikovo near Belgorod in Central Russia, the Soviet press reported. Moscow's Izvestia newspaper said that either the tank car was leaking and exploded as two passenger trains passed the siding or a passing train rammed the tank car.

EXPLORATION

THE DEEPEST HOLE projected to date for the Volga-Ural region in the U.S.S.R.'s Tatar Republic reached 5,000 m (16,404 ft) and penetrated crystalline basement. The well is programmed to reach target depth of 7,000 m (22,966 ft) in 1993. The well, near Almetyevsk, is being drilled mainly for research, but the Soviets had hoped to encounter hydrocarbons in sediments above 5,000 m.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO PETROLEUM CO. LTD. (Trintopec) Tabaquite wildcat in Central Trinidad cut several pay zones en route to total depth 2,400 ft. Although flow rates weren't disclosed, Trintopec estimates the well's reserves at 8 million bbl of high quality oil. The state company plans another wildcat in the area in early 1991 .

BP EXPLORATION'S 2-22/20 wildcat flowed 3,965 b/d of oil and 3.1 MMcfd of gas 144 miles east of Aberdeen in the U.K. North Sea. The discovery is about 4.2 miles southwest of the 4-23/16A strike on an adjoining block, reported 12.44% interest owner Hamilton Oil Corp.

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUM CORP., New York, signed an association contract with Colombia's state owned Empresa Colombiana de Petroleos to explore the Rio Planas region of Colombia's Llanos basin. The 959,185 acre contract area is just north of recently discovered Rubiales oil field. Plans call for geological and geophysical studies the first year, with options to either drill a wildcat after processing 100 line km or complete 250 line km the second year. AIP is committed to drill two exploratory wells/year for the third through sixth years of the agreement.

ARCO BRITISH LTD.'S 21-16/21b wildcat flowed 40 gravity oil at rates of as much as 5,700 b/d and at a stabilized rate of 4,200 b/d through a 40/64 in. choke. Site is 7 1/2 km northwest of Balmoral oil field in the U.K. North Sea. The well was drilled to 9,100 ft in 490 ft of water. Interests are ARCO 44.2%, Summit North Sea Ltd. 40%, and Goal Petroleum plc 15.8%.

ALTERNATE FUELS

O'BRIEN ENERGY EUROPE LTD. signed a letter of intent to sell all power generated during 15 years at its waste to energy plant at the Dublin County Council Dunsink landfill to the Electricity Supply Board of Dublin.

COMPANIES

NORCEN ENERGY RESOURCES LTD. hiked its capital and exploration budget to $388 million (Canadian) for 1991 from expected spending of $260 million in 1990. Canadian oil and gas development outlays will jump 58% to $95 million, and exploration spending in Canada is budgeted 11% higher at $77 million, both for 1991.

TRITON ENERGY CORP., Dallas, was awarded $930,821 and named 100% owner of Enim oil project in South Sumatra, Indonesia, by the American Arbitration Association, Los Angeles region. Veronex Resources Ltd. has until Jan. 31, 1991, to pay Triton amounts due from cash calls, revenue distributions, and joint interest billings, along with Triton's legal and arbitration costs.

JOHN BROWN signed an agreement with Mediterranean Oilfield Services Co. Ltd., Manoel Island, Malta, to cooperate on oil and gas projects in Malta. Medserv has a deepwater wharf on Manoel Island and maintenance and service facilities.

REFINING

IRAN hiked its refinery throughput in 1990, although a fuel shortage persists in the country. Currently, Iranian refineries are operating at 920,000 b/d, 27% more than the 1990 target and 48% more than last year's level. However, the government must import 234,000 b/d of refined products to meet domestic demand. Iranian Oil Minister Gholamreza Agazadeh blamed a poor transportation infrastructure for shortfalls of kerosine and LPG.

DRILLING-PRODUCTION

TEXACO INC. let a $20 million contract to Offshore Pipelines Inc., Houston, to build and install three wellhead platforms and decks and lay 12 miles of pipeline off Angola. OPI will built the platform and deck components at its Orange, Tex., fabrication yards. Installation in 60-125 ft of water will be completed by an OPI derrick/pipelay barge in late fall 1991.

STAR OIL & GAS LTD., Calgary, closed its purchase of about 400 BP Canada Inc. leases in 150 fields in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia for $80.1 million (Canadian). Closing is expected early in 1991. The properties represent about 15% of BP Canada's oil reserves and 12% of its gas reserves.

LASMO CANADA INC. closed its acquisition of Esso Resources Canada Ltd.'s 16.2% interest in Nipisi Gilwood Unit No. 1 in Alberta for $55 million (Canadian), The deal increases Lasmo Canada's reserves by about 13.5 million bbl of oil and production by about 3,000 b/d.

INVERNESS PETROLEUM LTD., Calgary, agreed to pay Esso Resources Canada $13 million for oil and gas interests in the Boundary Lake area of West Central Alberta. Upon closing Jan. 22, 1991, Inverness will acquire reserves of 17.4 bcf of gas and 155,000 bbl of oil, gas gathering, transmission, and processing facilities, and 20,000 net acres of undeveloped land.

EXPORTS-IMPORTS

PARAGUAY will buy 6,000 b/d of crude from Argentina under a barter deal to be signed by March 1991. The deal also calls for Paraguay to buy refined products, LPG, and coal from Argentina, which in turn will buy electricity from Paraguay, cement producing equipment, and steel and other metal products. Paraguay, with no commercial hydrocarbon production, imports much of its oil from Algeria.