Table of ContentsRegular FeaturesLettersJournally SpeakingOil, gas, and social mediaA recent survey has found that while oil and gas industry professionals may view certain social media tools—such as networking web sites, instant messaging, text messaging, wikis, blogs, and podcasts—as important for improving productivity and collaboration, few companies currently have tools in place to successfully benefit from these electronic tools’ potential efficiencies.
Services/SuppliersEquip/Software/LitEditor's PerspectiveSalazar: It’s not war on oil and gas; it’s taxationIn case anyone finds the difference between war and larceny puzzling, US Interior Sec. Ken Salazar Offers help.
Market JournalEconomic outlook remains cloudyIn the final days of March, market analysts saw some indications that the economic crisis might be nearing bottom and could perhaps rebound in the second half of this year.
General InterestEditorial: Stopping the juggernautFor anyone in the oil and gas industry, the spectacle of an American president sacking the head of General Motors should be chilling.
Special Report: Survey notes project delays, cancellationsOil & Gas Journal’s semiannual Worldwide Construction Update shows a decline in construction activity compared with the previous edition of the report (OGJ, Nov. 17, 2008, p. 24).
Iraqi oil minister seeks investment, offers contractsIraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani, in a wide-ranging interview with Arab media in Paris, said his country’s oil industry needs $50 billion in investment over the next 5-6 years, with much of it expected to come from international oil companies (IOCs).
Iraq considers PSAs in second licensing roundIraq is considering offering exploration blocks under production-sharing agreements (PSA) this year for its second licensing round, according to Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani.
Watching The World: Bring on the clownsThe international oil and gas industry—as well as Russia’s—is watching with incredulity as prosecutors bring a new case against former OAO Yukos Chief Executive Mikhail Khodorkovsky.
Aramco renews commitment to long-term investment plansSaudi Aramco, in line with newly announced government policies, will continue to invest in new oil, gas, and petrochemical projects, despite the current global economic downturn, according to government leaders and company officials.
Brazil considering OPEC’s renewed membership invitationBrazil’s President Luiz Lula da Silva, apparently reversing earlier decisions, said his government is again considering an invitation to join the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Obama signs far-reaching public lands billCalling it an “extraordinary piece of legislation,” US President Barack H. Obama signed a far-reaching public lands bill into law on Mar. 30.
Waxman’s clean energy draft includes cap-and-trade proposalsUS House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman released a draft of clean energy legislation on Mar. 30.
CFTC increases its exempt commercial market oversightThe US Commodity Futures Trading Commission closed the so-called “Enron Loophole” on Mar. 23 as it approved final rules and amendments increasing its oversight of exempt commercial markets (ECMs).
Watching Government: Hard work for Western CaucusUSRep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) was ready to give Ken Salazar the benefit of the doubt.
NPRA: Speakers differ on ethanol ‘blend wall’ issuesMeeting specifications for renewable fuels in the US requires rapid growth in the use of 85-15 ethanol-gasoline blends (E85) and, if the ethanol industry has its way, relaxation of the current 10% cap on gasoline for uses other than in flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs).
NPRA: Economy shaping climate politicsEconomic pain will shape how the US addresses climate change—if not the question whether it responds at all.
US to see more LNG, despite downturnMore shipments of LNG will come to the US this year, whether the market needs them or not.
COMPANY NEWS: Suncor, Petro-Canada merge in $19.3 billion (Can.) dealSuncor Energy Inc. and Petro-Canada, both of Calgary, have agreed to merge the two companies in a $19.3 billion (Can.) transaction. The resulting company, Suncor, will have 7.5 billion boe of proved and probable reserves with existing production of 680,000 boe/d.
Exploration & DevelopmentNonproducing Paraguay’s potential conventional and unconventionalA number of external factors have come together to provide many opportunities for growth for the fledgling hydrocarbon industry in Paraguay.
Drilling & ProductionHYDRAULIC FRACTURING— Conclusion: Additional keys give stimulation insightsFour keys provide a way for understanding, modeling, and predicting shear stimulation and its benefits in naturally fractured reservoirs.
ProcessingGUIDE TO WORLD CRUDES: StatoilHydro publishes Gimboa crude oil assayStatoilHydro has published a crude oil assay for its Gimboa field, which began producing first-quarter 2009 from Block 4/05 about 3 miles off Angola (Fig. 1) in 2,300 ft of water.
Nelson-Farrar Quarterly Costimating: Indexes for selected equipment show moderate increaseCosts for six selected equipment items used in refining construction operations have been surveyed for the 3 years 2006-08.
TransportationEXTERNAL CORROSION—1 Study investigates damage to cased pipeline segmentsNew analysis shows pipelines using shorted casings are more susceptible to corrosion than pipelines using nonshorted casings.
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