Energy & Oil

• Saturday, April 4th 2009 - 02:18 UTC

  A Brazilian oil carnival?

  

  How much access western energy firms win to Brazil’s vast offshore oil fields hinges on complex political currents in the country – and how well the companies navigate these, argues Juliet Hepker.

• Friday, April 3rd 2009 - 09:14 UTC

  Argentine province extends oil and gas concessions to US company

  

  United States Apache Corporation announced this week that the Argentine Patagonian province of Neuquen has agreed to extend eight federal oil and gas concessions for 10 additional years.

• Tuesday, March 31st 2009 - 08:56 UTC

  Qatar says “it’s OK” with crude at 50USD per barrel

  

  Qatar's oil minister said Monday he was “OK” with crude oil at 50 US dollars per barrel for this year, reflecting a measure of pragmatism by OPEC. However OPEC president forecasted that oil prices could reach 75USD by the end of the year.

• Wednesday, March 25th 2009 - 07:57 UTC

  Brazil begins to cut natural gas dependency from Bolivia

  

  President Lula da Silva said that Brazil can’t depend for its natural gas solely on Bolivia and anticipated that with the recent opening of a liquid gas plant, the fuel can be imported from the Caribbean. Anyhow “we will continue to purchase Bolivian gas until at least 2019”.

• Monday, March 23rd 2009 - 08:48 UTC

  Petrobras guarantees fuel supply ahead of five day strike

  

  Brazil’s government managed oil and gas corporation Petrobras said there is “no chance” a planned strike by its workers beginning Monday will limit the country’s fuel supply.

• Friday, March 20th 2009 - 05:27 UTC

  Brazil needs 270 billion USD in ten years to make true its oil dreams

  

  Brazil needs 270 billion US dollars in investment over the next 10 years to develop massive new deepwater oil reserves, energy minister Edison Lobao said on Thursday.

• Thursday, March 19th 2009 - 16:22 UTC

  Saudis warn of “catastrophic” oil supply crunch in near future

  

  Saudi Arabia's oil minister Ali al-Naimi warned Wednesday of a possible “catastrophic” energy supply crunch without prompt investment. The minister said the ideal price for oil lies between 60 and 75 US dollars a barrel.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2009 - 15:32 UTC

  New natural gas discovery in Tierra del Fuego

  

  Latinamerican oil and gas explorer GeoPark Holdings Ltd (GPK.L) announced this week that tests at its newly drilled gas well in southern Chile were “successful” and that it planned to drill seven to nine new wells in 2009.

• Wednesday, March 18th 2009 - 13:54 UTC

  Falkland Oil & Gas and Billiton ready to drill in Falklands’ waters

  

  Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd (FOGL.L), which has a farm-in-deal with BHP Billiton, said on Tuesday it expected to be “drill ready” by the end of the third quarter or early 2010. The announcement was made after having posted a narrower full-year pre-tax loss.

• Monday, March 16th 2009 - 08:58 UTC

  Repsol accepts Ecuador new contract rules for oil sharing

  

  Ecuador’ government owned Petroecuador signed a transitional contract with Repsol-YPF, giving the Ecuadorian government a bigger share of the Spanish oil company’s profits for one year and paving the way for new fee-for-service deal.