Drilling & production

Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, is allocating €1 million to a High Potential Research Program aimed at achieving a deeper understanding of nuclear fusion.

RasGas has unloaded two fully loaded LNG Q-Flex vessels for EDF Trading at Belgium’s Fluxys Zeebrugge LNG Terminal.

Shale gas producers may soon be limited by federal regulation over their use of fracture drilling techniques to open up shale gas reserves.

Renewable energy trade groups are pressuring the US government to pass legislation and speed up project applications for the renewable energy industry.

BHP Billiton, Xstrata and Arch Coal Inc. release their full year results for 2009 and look ahead to a better 2010 driven by demand from Asia.

Sembcorp Marine has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Jurong Shipyard (JSPL) will be building a new shipyard in Brazil to cater directly to one of the fastest growing offshore oil and gas exploration and production markets in the world.

Despite environmental concerns, India will increase its coal burn as power and coal shortages loom. However, the country must still face these environmental and market challenges.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. announced that the Lucius sidetrack appraisal well, located in Keathley Canyon Block 875 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, has encountered almost 600 net ft of high quality oil pay with additional gas condensate pay in thick subsalt Pliocene and Miocene sands.

Oracle Coalfields plc has announced that it has entered into two Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to supply its lignite to two local customers: Karachi Electric Supply Co. (KESC) and Lucky Cement Ltd.

Peabody Energy has reported better than expected results for 2009. EBITDA was US$ 1.29 billion, while revenue totaled US$ 6.01 billion on sales of 243 million t. Asia is driving demand and will continue to do so in 2010. In the US, a recovering economy is expected to increase the raise consumption of coal by 60 – 80 million t.

Fernando Luiz Zancan, Brazilian Coal Association, Brazil, provides an overview of the country's coal industry and examines its future prospects.

Statoil has awarded Baker Hughes two year extensions on two contracts in Norway. The contracts are for the provision of drill bits, directional drilling, formation evaluation and related services on 10 - 12 rigs operating in multiple fields offshore Norway.

Chevron Australia Pty Ltd has announced successful drilling in the Greater Gorgon area in the Carnarvon Basin offshore Western Australia. The Yellowglen-1 exploration well is located in the WA-268-P permit area approximately 250 km northwest of Onslow.

Westar Energy has agreed to spend approximately US$ 500 million to significantly reduce harmful air pollution from a Kansas power plant and pay a US$ 3 million civil penalty under a settlement to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act.

February 2010: Kay Sever asks if companies really understand their improvement shortfalls?