offshore drilling

36 Million Acres for Oil and Gas Development; March 17 Sale Could Produce up to 1.3 Billion Barrels of Oil

November 13, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the Department will hold an oil and natural gas lease sale for the Central Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf that will offer nearly 36 million acres and could produce up to 1.3 billion barrels of oil and 5.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.    » read more »

October 19, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Mark Begich issued the following statement today after learning The Department of Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) has approved, with conditions, Shell Offshore, Inc.'s Exploration Plan to explore two leases in the Beaufort Sea:

"I am pleased to hear that the MMS has approved Shell's Exploration Plan for the Beaufort Sea. Alaska has long been America's energy storehouse and this positive development demonstrates that our state's role in helping meet the nation's energy needs will continue.    » read more »

Washington, DC - 09/17/2009 - More than 400 scientists from the U.S. and 20 other countries have signed a strongly worded letter urging the Obama administration to defer offshore oil and gas development in the U.S. Arctic Ocean until research can adequately assess potential risks to fragile marine ecosystems.

"The Arctic Ocean is our last opportunity to prevent damage to a pristine environment that will be a legacy to our children," said Henry Huntington, science director for the Pew Environment Group's Arctic program. "We must stop and do the thorough research that is needed to protect this special place that is already stressed by climate change."    » read more »

Project is Chevron's First Major Upstream Development in Brazil

SAN RAMON, Calif., June 23, 2009 - Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) announced today that its subsidiary Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltda. has commenced crude oil production from the Frade Field, the company's first operated deepwater development in Brazil.

The estimated $3 billion project, with continuing development drilling, is expected to achieve peak production of 90,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids per day in 2011.
Frade

This schematic drawing depicts the Frade subsea system. Oil from the field is produced through a floating production storate and offloading vessel (FPSO). The crude is stored in the FPSO and offloaded to crude oil tankers.    » read more »

KazMunayGas, ConocoPhillips and Mubadala Announce Signing of Project Agreements for Exploration and Development of N Block, Offshore Kazakhstan

HOUSTON, June 11, 2009 – ConocoPhillips [NYSE: COP], JSC National Company KazMunayGas (KMG) and Mubadala Development Company PJSC (Mubadala) today announced that they have signed project agreements allowing the joint exploration and development of the Nursultan Block (N Block) located in offshore Kazakhstan.

KMG as majority owner will hold a 51 percent interest in the subsoil use contract and the remaining 49 percent will be shared equally between ConocoPhillips and Mubadala. The project will be operated by a Kazakh LLP, which will be jointly owned by the participants in proportion to their equity.    » read more »

Approximately seven million acres to be explored in Turkish Black Sea

IRVING, Texas -- Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) today announced the Turkish government approved an agreement between its affiliate ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Turkey B.V. and the Turkish national oil company Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) to explore two deepwater blocks in the Black Sea.

ExxonMobil and TPAO signed the agreement in November 2008 to jointly explore deepwater prospects in the Samsun Block, which measures approximately 2 million acres (8,500 square kilometers) and the eastern portion of 3921 Block, which measures approximately 5 million acres (21,000 square kilometers). Water depths reach an approximate 6,500 feet (2,000 meters).    » read more »

27 May 2009 -- Sociedade Nacional de Combustíveis de Angola (Sonangol) and BP Exploration (Angola) Limited today announced the 'Oberon' oil discovery in ultra-deepwater Block 31, offshore Angola.

This is the eighteenth discovery made by BP in Block 31 and is located in the southern portion of Block 31 about 335 kilometres northwest of Luanda and 4.3 kilometres to the north-east of the Dione discovery.

Oberon-1 was drilled in a water depth of 1624 metres and reached a total depth of 3622 metres TVD below sea level. The well test results confirmed the capacity of the reservoir to flow in excess of 5000 barrels/day under production conditions.    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- Total announced last week that, within the framework of the EGAS 2008 international bid round organized by the Egyptian authorities, it has been awarded a 90% participation in and the operatorship of Block 4 (East El Burullus Offshore) in conjunction with partner ENEL (10%). This award is subject to approval by the competent authorities.

This block is located in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Nile Basin, and covers an area of 2,516 square kilometres, and is situated approximately 70 kilometres from the coast in water depths varying from 100 to 1,600 metres. The Nile basin is a prolific area where numerous gas discoveries have already been made.    » read more »

May 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today asked the Department of Justice to seek clarification from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on the scope of its April 17, 2009 decision that Bush Administration officials did not conduct sufficient scientific and environmental analysis before scheduling oil and gas lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf off Alaska.    » read more »

SAN RAMON, Calif., May 7, 2009 - Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) today confirmed a discovery within the Moho-Bilondo license in the Republic of the Congo.

The Moho Nord Marine-4 well, in which Chevron Overseas (Congo) Limited holds a 31.5 percent interest, is located approximately 46 miles (75 kilometers) offshore of the Republic of the Congo, in 3,537 feet (1,078 meters) of water in the northern part of the Moho-Bilondo license.

George Kirkland, Chevron executive vice president, Global Upstream and Gas, said, "This exciting discovery emphasizes the future potential of this region in which Chevron and its partners have already made significant energy investments, including the Moho-Bilondo project."    » read more »

Impact Assistance Funds will Help Gulf States, Alaska and California to Restore and Protect Coastal Areas

April 20, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Six U.S. coastal states will share nearly half a billion dollars from offshore oil and gas revenues in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to help restore and protect coastal wetlands, wildlife habitat and marine areas, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today. The funds are available for approved uses by Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and their coastal local governments.    » read more »

April 17, 2009, Juneau, Alaska - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin today objected to a court ruling that undermines the federal leasing program for oil and gas reserves in the Beaufort, Bering and Chukchi seas.

The finding by a three-judge panel in Washington, D.C., in a lawsuit brought by environmentalists against the Interior Department during the Bush administration, comes just three days after Alaskans had an unprecedented opportunity to voice their opinions on off-shore drilling in a hearing before Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.    » read more »

April 15, 2009 -- San Francisco, CA - Hundreds of California residents, fishermen, scientists, environmentalists and youth are expected to speak out against proposed offshore drilling plans tomorrow at a public hearing held by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in San Francisco. This is the last of four hearings and the only one held on the West Coast.    » read more »