Day: November 19, 2020

Total Bets Big On Libya’s Oil Industry

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French Total plans to increase its investments in Libya’s oil industry, the National Oil Corporation said, adding it had discussed with the company raising Libya’s production to “the highest levels.” Total has stakes in several Libyan oil fields, including the nation’s biggest, Sharara. The field, along with many others, was shut down for more than eight months this year after groups affiliated with the eastern government blockade oil export terminals, which pushed Libya’s oil output from above 1 million bpd to less than 100,000 bpd. In late September, when the…

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Oil Search Ready To Restart Alaskan Crude Production

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Australian Oil Search plans to make the final investment decision on the Pikka project in Alaska next year and launch production in 2025, chief executive Keiran Wulff told investors in a company announcement this week. The breakeven cost of Pikka has come down to $40 a barrel, but the company and its partner in the development, Spain’s Repsol, plan a further reduction to $35 a barrel by 2025. The cost of the development of Pikka is seen at about $3 billion. “While further appraisal will be required, the 2020 Mitquq…

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A Big Week For Venezuela’s Oil Industry

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Venezuela’s vice president and the head of state oil company PDVSA arrived in Russia last week on a trip aimed at deepening “strategic alliances,” Venezuela’s information ministry said, Reuters reported. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and PDVSA chief executive Asdrúbal Chávez, as well as Science Minister Gabriela Jiménez, flew to Moscow to discuss possible new oil joint ventures with Russian energy officials and investors, Argus Media reported. Among the potential partnerships are the transfer of existing upstream and downstream assets to Russian firms as well as new projects, according to Venezuela’s…

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China Buys Into Mexico’s Emerging Renewable Energy Sector

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A Chinese energy giant has bought the biggest independent producer of renewable energy in Mexico, giving the industry a vote of confidence even as Mexico’s authorities have moved to slow down private investment in renewable energy in the country. State Power Investment Corp (SPIC) of China, which has more than US$170 billion in energy assets globally, including in solar, wind, and hydrogen power in South America, has acquired Mexico’s leading independent renewables firm Zuma Energia, a spokesman for the Mexican company told Bloomberg in a press release, without disclosing the…

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The Oil Price Crash Has Made Diversification Vital For Gulf Nations

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While many Gulf nations were already working to diversify their economies prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the subsequent economic downturn and collapse in oil prices has meant that governments in the region have had to reassess and – in some cases – accelerate their strategic plans. The implementation of social distancing measures and travel restrictions has impacted activity across all sectors in the region. With economies operating under capacity and global travel severely curtailed for much of the year, there has been a significant drop in demand for – and…

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