GENERAL INTEREST Quick Takes
Biden names Glick FERC chairman
The Biden administration named Rich Glick chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Chairman Glick joined FERC in November 2017 after serving as general counsel for the Democrats on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, providing policy advice on numerous issues including electricity and renewable energy.
Prior to that, Chairman Glick was vice-president of government affairs for Iberdrola’s renewable energy, electric and gas utility, and natural gas storage businesses in the US. He ran the company’s Washington, DC, office and was responsible for developing and implementing the US businesses’ federal legislative and regulatory policy advocacy strategies. He also served as a senior policy advisor to US Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, and before that was legislative director and chief counsel to US Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas.
FAR signs agreement with Woodside for Senegal assets
FAR Ltd., Melbourne, executed a sale and purchase agreement with Woodside Energy Ltd. for FAR’s 15% interest in Rufisque, Sangomar and Sangomar Deep (RSSD) holdings (including Sangomar oil field) offshore Senegal.
The agreement is on the same terms and conditions as a previously announced sale to ONGC Videsh Vankorneft of India in November 2020. Woodside pre-empted the sale of FAR’s Senegal interests to ONGC for $45 million in December (OGJ Online, Dec. 4, 2020).
FAR then received a $210 million (Aus.) all-cash takeover proposal from private investment fund Remus Horizons PCC Ltd.
That proposal is still current, but FAR issued a statement at the time cautioning that it is not a legally binding offer and that the proposal terms are still uncertain. That is still the case.
FAR said that Remus, which is a fund regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission in the Channel Islands, is willing to discuss the possibility of making a loan of up to $50 million to FAR from the date of a binding offer so that FAR can meet its funding obligations towards its interest in the RSSD project.
One of Remus’ conditions for its proposal called for the re-scheduling of the FAR shareholder meeting called to consider the RSSD sale to Woodside.
That meeting is to be held Feb. 18, 2021, and will consider authorizing the sale and purchase agreement with Woodside. In the meantime, FAR has undertaken to provide its shareholders with further information to consider the Woodside sale in the context of the Remus proposal with the proviso that Remus elevates its offer to a binding proposal prior to Feb. 18.
Shell Malaysia to shed upstream jobs
Shell Malaysia will shed about 2% of its workforce, including 250-300 jobs from its upstream business, as part of an effort to reshape and simplify the organization to ensure that it “thrives through the energy transition,” the company said Jan. 13.
Shell Malaysia will see growth in jobs in certain areas of its business nationwide as well as reductions in others. The reduction will take place progressively over 2 years.
“Malaysia is a very important country for the Shell Group. Upstream Exploration & Production continues to be a critical business for Shell, and the upstream business in Malaysia has been identified as one of Shell’s nine Core Performance Units worldwide,” said Datuk Iain Lo, chairman of Shell Malaysia.
Most of Shell Malaysia Upstream staff will relocate to the principal office in Miri, Sarawak. The company will maintain an office in Kota Kinabalu for the downstream businesses and some upstream support. There are no changes to Shell’s offshore deepwater operations in Sabah. Menara Shell in Kuala Lumpur will continue to host Shell Malaysia Downstream and corporate entities. The business operations center will continue in Wisma Shell in Cyberjaya.
Shell Malaysia intends to grow its downstream marketing businesses to reinforce its retail and lubricants positions in the country. Shell’s Middle Distillate Synthesis (Shell MDS) plant in Bintulu continues to be a niche business for Shell in Malaysia, producing a range of finished products including GTL waxes, drilling fluids, and chemicals.
Exploration & Development Quick Takes
Winterfell partners plan GoM oil discovery appraisal
A Beacon Offshore Energy LLC affiliate will work with partners on an appraisal plan and development options following an oil discovery in the US Gulf of Mexico at the Winterfell infrastructure-led exploration (ILX) well, partner Kosmos Energy, Dallas, said in a Jan. 19 release.
The discovery lies within tie back distance to several existing and planned host facilities, Kosmos said.
Winterfell was designed to test a subsalt Upper Miocene prospect in Green Canyon Block 944. The well encountered 26 m (85 ft) of net oil pay in two intervals.
Winterfell, in some 1,600 m (5,300 ft) of water, was drilled to 7,000 m TD (23,000 ft).
A Beacon Offshore Energy affiliate operates Winterfell. Additional interest owners include Red Willow Offshore LLC, Ridgewood Monarch North LLC, CSL Exploration LP, CL&F Offshore LLC, Houston Energy LP, Beacon Offshore Energy Exploration LLC, and Beacon Asset Holdings LLC.
Energean takes FID on offshore Egypt subsea tieback project
Energean PLC has taken a final investment decision on the North El Amriya and North Idku (NEA/NI) concession subsea tieback project offshore Egypt. The NEA concession contains two discovered and appraised gas fields (Yazzi, Python) while the NI concession contains four discovered gas fields, one of which is readied for development. NEA/NI is due to deliver first gas in second-half 2022 with 49 MMboe of 2P reserves, 87% of which is gas. Peak production is expected at 90 MMscfd plus 1,000 b/d of condensates.
An initial development of two of the discovered gas fields in the NEA/NI area (Yazzi and Python) is planned. These fields will be developed as satellite fields to the Abu Qir gas-condensate offshore and onshore infrastructure. The combined development concept includes three subsea wells, to be drilled in water depths of 30-85 m, and tied back to the North Abu Qir III platform. A fourth well will be required to develop the NI-1 discovery. The infrastructure will be installed alongside the NEA development to allow the NI-1 well to be hooked up either in parallel with NEA or afterwards.
Total capital expenditure is expected to be $235 million, the majority of which is expected to be incurred in 2022. TechnipFMC has been awarded the engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract.
The NEA/NI drilling campaign is expected to be integrated with Energean’s broader Abu Qir drilling campaign. The Abu Qir concession remains one of the largest gas producing hubs in Egypt, and comprises three fields (Abu Qir, North Abu Qir, and West Abu Qir) and a network of six production platforms interconnected by pipelines.
Spirit Energy to drill new well at Grove field
Spirit Energy will drill a new well in the Grove North East area in hopes of extending the life of the UK Continental Shelf field by 5 years to 2028, the company said Jan. 13.
The infill is expected to target the unappraised northeastern limb of Grove field and has the potential to deliver 4.2 MMboe net additional reserves, potentially adding years of life to the field and improving the prospect of opportunities in the area, said Neil McCulloch, executive vice -president, technical and operated assets.
Several concept solutions have been studied, including horizontal, simple vertical and platform deviated wells, subsea tie-back concepts, as well as an appraisal well before the development well from the platform.
The well will be drilled by Maersk Drilling’s Maersk Resolve jackup rig beginning in this year’s first quarter, with first production targeted for the third quarter.
Gas from Grove field is processed at the Spirit-operated Markham J6-A platform and transported via the West Gas Transport pipeline system to the Den Helder terminal in the Netherlands for further processing.
Grove field lies close to the UK–Netherlands median line. Grove field and Grove North East are operated by Spirit Energy (92.5% owner share) and RockRose is license partner (7.5% owner share).
Drilling & Production Quick Takes
Norway production increased in December, NPD says
Norway’s liquids production averaged 2.135 million b/d in December, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate reported. Norway’s daily liquids production averaged 2.026 million b/d in November (OGJ Online, Dec. 18, 2020).
On Apr. 29, the government decided to implement a cut in Norwegian oil production. The production figures for oil in December include this cut of 134,000 b/d in second-half 2020. Oil production in December is 5% higher than the NPD’s forecast, and 1.3% below the forecast this year.
The average daily liquids production in December consists of 1.811 million bbl of oil, 310,000 bbl of NGL, and 13,000 bbl of condensate.
The total petroleum production in 2020 is about 228.8 million standard cu m oil equivalents. The total volume is 12.9 million standard cu m oil equivalents higher than in 2019.
Pantheon Resources advances Alaska North Slope well
Pantheon Resources PLC has spudded the Talitha #A well in Alaska’s North Slope ahead of schedule on Jan. 13, 2021. The well is about 8 miles west of the Dalton Highway and Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) and 4 miles from the Pipeline State #1 well, drilled by ARCO in 1988, which confirmed the presence of movable hydrocarbons in the objective horizons.
The well will target the shallowest Shelf Margin Deltaic horizon as the primary objective and will also drill through secondary objectives including Slope Fan System, Basin Floor Fan, and Kuparuk horizons. All four of these formations were previously penetrated by the Pipeline State #1 wellbore on Pantheon’s acreage and all were confirmed as oil bearing. Drilling is planned to a total vertical depth of about 10,000 ft.
Drilling and testing operations at the well must be completed prior to the onset of spring when the ice road begins to thaw, usually near the end of March. Pantheon intends to make full use of the available drilling window, undertaking drilling and testing operations if weather permits.
Pantheon estimates the well will target a potential of about 1 billion bbl recoverable oil across multiple stacked (primary and secondary) objectives. An independent expert’s report was completed on the updip section of the Shelf Margin Deltaic, and confirmed a prospective resource of 302 million bbl recoverable oil. Formal delineation of the ultimate potential of the lower, secondary targets requires additional analysis.
Pantheon acquired 100% interest in about 66,000 acres in the State of Alaska’s North Slope Areawide Lease Sale. The new leases are positioned in two areas contiguous to the company’s current acreage on the northwestern, western, and eastern boundaries. Pantheon now holds about 160,000 contiguous acres.
Pantheon has 89.2% working interest in Talitha #A.
Lundin to proceed to North Sea well following dry hole
Lundin Energy Norway AS will move the West Bollsta semisubmersible drilling rig to its operated Segment D prospect in PL359, adjacent to the Solveig subsea tie back development on the Utsira High area of the North Sea, after drilling a dry hole in PL533B in the southern Barents Sea.
The rig move will follow completion of exploration well 7219/11-1, which targeted the Bask prospect, northwest of the Alta discovery. The well was drilled 35 km northwest of Alta and due south of Johan Castberg field. The main objective was to prove hydrocarbons in Paleocene aged sandstones. The targeted formation contained poorly developed reservoir, and although traces of hydrocarbons were found, it is not considered commercial. The well is dry.
West Bollsta will drill well 16/4-13S targeting Permian and Triassic aged sandstones, like those found at Solveig. If successful, development will be via tie-in to the Solveig subsea facilities.
Lundin Energy Norway is a subsidiary of Lundin Energy and is operator of PL533B (40%) with partners AkerBP ASA (35%), and Wintershall DEA Norge AS (25%).
PROCESSING Quick Takes
Chinese refiner lets contract for hydrocracker project
Shandong Shangneng Industrial Co. Ltd.—a subsidiary of Shandong Shangneng Investment Holding Group Co. Ltd. (Shangneng)—has let a contract to Royal Dutch Shell Ltd.’s Shell Catalysts & Technologies (SC&T) to provide a new heavy-feed hydrocracking catalyst system to help maximize diesel production capacity at the operator’s 3.5-million tonnes/year (tpy) refinery in the Economic Development Zone of Guangrao County, Dongying City, Shandong Province, China.
As part of the contract, SC&T delivered Shangneng a plan for improving its operating strategy and catalyst system during an upcoming catalyst refill of the refinery’s two-stage deasphalted oil (DAO) hydrocracker based on the service provider’s new, proprietary molecular access catalysts for hydrocracking (MACH) system, SC&T said.
Alongside including a more robust pretreat catalyst system to accommodate additional DAO feedstock, the customized MACH cracking-catalyst system is designed to improve the DAO hydrocracker’s distillate yields at high conversion while simultaneously minimizing accumulation of polycyclic aromatics in the recycle loop.
Following scheduled completion of project implementation in April 2021, Shangneng expects the DAO hydrocracker’s improved performance will support expansion of the unit’s diesel production capacity at 98% conversion to generate an estimated $15-million margin improvement, SC&T said.
Shangneng’s refinery will be the first to use SC&T’s new MACH system, which is based on catalysts powered by a proprietary zeolite technology designed to optimize pore structure and enable increased heavy-feed cracking efficiency to desired product range, according to SC&T’s website.
Equipped with unidentified advanced joint-refining and chemical technology and equipment from China University of Petroleum and Honeywell UOP LLC, Shangneng’s Dongying City refinery also appears to house a residuum oil supercritical extraction (ROSE) unit, according to information on the operator’s website.
Licensed by KBR Inc., ROSE solvent deasphalting (SDA) technology produces DAO refineries use as feedstock for further processing at units such as hydrocrackers to produce lighter, cleaner products (OGJ Online, Apr. 1, 2019; Jan. 26, 2016; July 15, 2013).
The refinery also includes additional units for wax oil hydrocracking, SDA, and sulfur recovery, as well as unidentified production capacities for lubes and needle coke.
OMV’s German refinery to expand petrochemical production
OMV AG, Vienna, is investing €40 million to increase ethylene and propylene production capacities at subsidiary OMV Deutschland GMBH’s 3.8-million tonnes/year Burghausen refinery on the German-Austrian border in Bavaria, Germany.
Part of the operator’s strategy to realign its downstream operations for a petrochemicals-based future, the project—which will expand and modernize the refinery’s cracker units and petrochemical cold section—aims to increase feedstock for the neighboring Bavarian Chemical Triangle, OMV said.
With initial groundwork for the project already under way using enhanced safety measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and slated for full execution during the refinery’s next turnaround, the expansion of Burghausen cracker units will increase ethylene and propylene production at the site by about 50,000 tpy, the company said.
The upgraded units are scheduled to enter operation during third-quarter 2022.
OMV’s 20.66% interest in EPS Ethylen-Pipeline-Süd GMBH & Co. KG’s ethylene pipeline, which—linked to the trans-European pipeline network—also allows the Burghausen refinery to sell its ethylene for transport abroad, according to the company’s latest factbook and annual report to investors.
In its latest factbook and a November 2020 company presentation, OMV said it intended to further strengthen the competitive position of its European refining assets to reflect the region’s increasing shift in demand for high-value products.
By 2025, the company said it plans to invest up to €1 billion in three regional refineries—including the Burghausen refinery, as well as the 9.6-million tpy refinery in Schwechat, Austria, and 4.5-million tpy Petrobrazi refinery in the southeast region of Romania, near Ploiesti City—with more than 50% of this amount dedicated to petrochemical developments at the sites.
Iraq’s SGC lets contract for gas processing plant
State-owned South Gas Co. (SGC)—a subsidiary of Iraq’s Ministry of Oil—has let a contract to a division of Baker Hughes Co. to provide a series of services and equipment for a new 200-MMcfd natural gas processing plant to be built in Dhi Qar Province.
As part of the contract, the Baker Hughes Turbomachinery & Process Solutions (TPS) team will deliver design, manufacturing, delivery, construction, and commissioning of the integrated plant that will process previously flared natural gas from Iraq’s Nassiriya and Gharraf oil fields, Baker Hughes said in its fourth-quarter and yearend-2020 earnings report to investors.
Alongside overseeing construction and startup of the plant, Baker Hughes said it also will supply compression equipment, digital monitoring systems, and other unidentified services for the project.
Once in operation, the gas plant will reduce estimated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from Nassiriya and Gharraf oil fields by more than 6 million tonnes/year, according to the service provider.
Further details regarding the project were not disclosed.
This latest contract follows SGC’s 2018 contract award to Baker Hughes—then Baker Hughes, a GE company, ahead of its 2019 divestment—to develop solutions for flare-gas recovery from Nassiriya and Gharraf oil fields using modular skid-mounted gas processing technology for construction of a fully integrated NGL plant at Nasiriya that would recover 200 MMcfd of dry gas, LPG, and condensate (OGJ Online, Aug. 6, 2018).
The previous iteration of the gas plant was scheduled for completion by yearend 2021.
TRANSPORTATION Quick Takes
Centurion places Permian crude line in service
Centurion Pipeline LP commenced service on its 30-mile, 150,000-b/d Augustus crude oil pipeline on Dec. 1, 2020. The 20- and 18-in. OD pipeline moves West Texas Intermediate, West Texas Light, and West Texas Sour crude from Midland, Tex., to Crane, Tex., connecting Centurion’s 2-million bbl Midland terminal to multiple transmission pipelines.
Pipelines shipping crude from Crane include Epic Midstream’s 600,000-b/d pipeline to the Port of Corpus Christi, Phillips 66’s 900,000-b/d Gray Oak pipeline to Sweeny, Tex., Corpus Christi, and Ingleside, Tex., and Magellan Midstream Partners’ 275,000-b/d Longhorn and 400,000-b/d BridgeTex pipelines to Houston and surrounding refining complexes.
Assessment of gas trunkline across Mongolia advances
Gazoprovod Soyuz Vostok has been registered in Mongolia as part of an August 2020 memorandum of intent between Gazprom and the government of Mongolia to set up a special purpose vehicle to perform design and survey works and conduct a feasibility study regarding construction of a gas trunkline to supply Russian gas across Mongolia to China.
“With the Soyuz Vostok gas pipeline, Russia’s Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline will extend through Mongolia, and its export capacity might become more than 1.3 times higher than that of Power of Siberia. This will allow us to export large amounts of gas from Western Siberia not only westward but also eastward,” said Alexey Miller, Gazprom’s management chairman and deputy chairman of the board.
The memorandum of intent followed a December 2019 memorandum of understanding providing for a joint assessment of the feasibility of the project for pipeline gas supplies from Russia to China across Mongolia (OGJ Online, Dec. 6, 2019).
Hess Midstream reduces 2021 budget
Hess Midstream LP expects 2021 capital expenditures of $160 million, reflecting lower ongoing capital levels following the completion of major construction at the Tioga gas plant expansion in North Dakota. Some $140 million is allocated to expansion, with an estimated $20 million allocated to maintenance.
About $90 million of the total capital budget is allocated to gas compression, with activities focused on the construction of two new greenfield compressor stations and associated pipeline infrastructure, which, when online in 2022 will initially provide an additional 64 MMcfd of gas compression capacity.
About $10 million is allocated for the completion of export tie-ins for the Tioga gas plant expansion, with about $40 million allocated to gathering system well connects to service Hess and third-party customers.
Maintenance capital is primarily related to planned maintenance turnaround at the Tioga gas plant.