Drilling & production

Shell has agreed to sell its interest in six Gulf of Mexico oil and gas fields to W & T Energy VI, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of W&T Offshore Inc., for US$ 450 million.

It has been reported that at least five people have been kidnapped from the High Island VII jackup rig operating off the coast of Nigeria’s southern delta. The newly installed rig is operated by Afren PLC.

US House passes a bill requiring notification of a pipeline leak within an hour; whilst raising penalties for violations.

Hancock Prospecting has opened its 100,000 t Alpha test pit. The launch represents “the historic first mining of the Galilee Basin,” in Queensland, Australia.

A letter from members of the UN High Level Advisory Group on climate change financing.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change has opened up its carbon capture and storage demonstration programme to projects on gas-fired power plants.

Morocco’s power utility, ONE, has awarded a consortium led by UK company International Power the contract to build a 1300 MW coal-fired power plant

Murphy oil has acquired a 50% interest in the Central Dohuk block in Kurdistan.

South Korea, the second largest importer of Australian coal, will reduce its dependence on the fossil fuel as part of a wide-ranging plan to green its economy.

FMC Technologies has joined The National Subsea Research Institute’s (NSRI) industry steering group, which focuses on developing technologies to maintain the UK subsea sector’s leading position in global markets.

Latin America's goal for energy independence is tied to its offshore oil and gas reserves. Experts from the illustrious O&G LA 20 committee believe that the offshore sector will become even more important in the future as the industry shifts to deeper waters.

Fred H Bartlit, the chief investigator for the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, has sent a letter to the commission outlining some of the preliminary results learned from an analysis of the cement used in the Macondo well.

Arch Coal Inc. has announced a 42% growth in revenue for Q3 2010 at US$ 2.35 million compared to US$ 1.85 million in the corresponding period of last year. The results have been attributed to more favourable coal market conditions and the acquisition of Jacobs Ranch mine into its Black Thunder operations.

API provides expanded online access to its safety standards.

With players from the US and China seeking stakes in the Australian coal mining industry, Whitehaven Coal, an independent coal producer in the Gunnedah Basin, has put itself up for sale, announcing a formal process to identify potential buyers that will offer best interest to all share holders.