Repsol (OTCPK:REPYF, OTCQX:REPYY) says it will postpone maintenance at its joint-biggest refinery, supporting speculation that collapsing crude prices are boosting margins and encouraging European plants to limit routine works.
The company says it will carry out work at the 220K bbl/day plant on the Mediterranean Sea at some point in 2016 rather than in Q4 2015.

The premium for diesel over crude rose to $15.88/bbl as of yesterday, the highest for the time of year since 2012.

"Because refiners have enjoyed very strong margins over the summer, they are continuing to maximize output and push back maintenance wherever they can,” says energy consultant Wood Mackenzie.

Repsol looking to make big U.S. acquisition: WSJ • 7:38 PM

Repsol (REPYY.PK) is looking to spend $5-10B on a North American E&P company as the Spanish oil major seeks to gain a foothold in "stable-market" economies after the Argentina debacle imperiled the company's investment-grade rating, WSJ says.

Companies mentioned in the article as possible targets based on their size and perceived willingness to pursue a deal include Whiting Petroleum (WLL) and Kodiak Oil & Gas (KOG) — those names may get a lift from the article come Monday.

$YPF, Don't cry for me Argentina: http://tinyurl.com/7uozntn

Probably a smart move, big drops usually last longer then a day.
Missed todays low for a day trade anyways.

Yeah, I understand the secret service agents like it there too!!!

I think Im going to watch YPF a few days, then throw a couple bucks at it.

I'm invested in Columbia

Do you have any faith in the Argentine government..??? Time to buy..????

Yes, i'm watching.

Trading now...down 5 bucks a share

YPF shares halted...

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/98450/ypfs-stocks-plunge-in-buenos-aires-transactions-halted-in-new-york

Why Columbia?

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-16/argentina-to-send-bill-to-congress-for-control-of-51-percent-of-ypf

Go Columbia !!

To start with, Colombia is one of the few countries with significant untapped oil resources capable of supporting growth in oil production and exports.

Colombia is considered one of the most politically stable countries in Latin America with economic growth and a vastly improved security environment both of which are opening the door to foreign investment and renewed economic growth.

The Colombian government recently enacted a number of progressive fiscal changes aimed at increasing international oil company investment similar to those in the UK which spurred renewed interest in the North Sea.

Foreign oil companies now can own 100% stakes in oil ventures. Also, the sliding scale royalty rates have been lowered on oil projects depending on field size, with an 8% royalty rate for most oil fields. In addition, longer exploration licenses are now being granted to foreign oil companies.

With these changes in place, Colombia has seen a resurgence of interest in the oil and gas industry as foreign investment now exceeds over $3.5 billion a year. A growing number of international companies are pursuing hydrocarbon exploration in Colombia as oil production is forecast to rise to 700M barrels per day by the end of the year and potential reserves will increase to more than 3.0 billion barrels.

Major players such as Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP and Total to name a few are now taking advantage of the investor friendly policies and are operating in Colombia.

As the majors struggle to replace dwindling reserves through success in Colombia, clearly the opportunity lies in the junior, mid and small cap entrants where the impact is much greater on their share value.

I believe that to be a fact!

They are getting ready to kick but in Iraq as well.

Repsol looking ahead to production in Libya and Argentina
| 9:49 AM |

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=68876164

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A huge oil discovery by the Spanish company Repsol has sharply boosted Argentina's potential to cash in on energy and could eventually attract an infusion of investment to exploit the shale oil.

Experts said Tuesday that the find is very promising, but it is unclear how much time and investment may be needed to capitalize on the oil beneath the rocky, barren plains of Patagonia. The company said the discovery includes 927 million barrels of recoverable oil and natural gas, of which 741 million barrels is shale oil.

Shares in Repsol YPF SA soared a day after the find was announced, rising 6.3 percent in Madrid and 7.4 percent in New York at the close of trading on Tuesday.

Former Argentine Energy Minister Jorge Lapena said it's a "spectacular announcement" but that the reserves have yet to be proven and that studies on economic feasibility and environmental impact still need to be carried out.

Some environmentalists also are concerned that such oil development in Argentina would put pressure on freshwater supplies and could pollute water sources.

"There's still a long path to go from resources to reserves, and then to put them into production," Lapena told reporters. He said the find, if proven, appears to represent about 40 percent of Argentina's reserves.

Though potentially a game-changer for Argentina, the find is small compared to Brazil's recent deep-sea oil discoveries, which experts have estimated could represent as much as 55 billion barrels. Venezuela, South America's largest oil exporter, says it has a whopping 296.5 billion barrels in proven crude reserves.

Still, for Argentina the find could lead to an eventual increase in oil output, and other areas remain to be explored.

"It must be proven first of all that they're commercially exploitable reserves," said Daniel Bosque, editor of the Argentina-based website Enernews. He said a key question is how competitive the government-regulated prices end up being for such oil shale, or unconventional oil, which is costlier to extract that normal crude.

He said heavy government regulation in the past decade has been a disincentive to investment as oil production has declined and as imports of oil products and natural gas have risen. The latest find could help reverse that trend if it's economically feasible, Bosque said.

Jason Schenker, an energy analyst and president of Austin, Texas-based Prestige Economics LLC, said such oil discoveries "will be critical to meet rising global oil demand."

"Now, the questions will be: How quickly can this oil be brought into production ... and at what price?," Schenker said.

Those are questions that Repsol isn't immediately ready to answer with specifics.

But Kristian Rix, a Repsol spokesman in Madrid, said that because 15 vertical wells have already been drilled and are producing 5,000 barrels a day of shale oil, developing the area "is uncomplicated from our point of view."

"It's a producing region, so all the infrastructure is there already, so putting new wells on line is very fast," Rix said in a telephone interview Tuesday.

He said that while it's typical in the industry to have a lag time of five to seven years between exploration and production, "this is clearly not the case here, because we're already producing from wells."

He said it's too soon to comment on projected investment or how long it could take.

"We are still at a very intense exploration stage," Rix said.

The shale oil was discovered in the arid "Vaca Muerta," or "Dead Cow," basin of Neuquen province in northern Patagonia, a region of treeless plains dotted with dry brush where there are two nearby lakes.

Rix said the oil would be extracted by hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," the technique that involves injecting water, sand and chemicals at high pressure to force out the fuel. It's not yet clear which water sources would be used in that process.

The environmental group Greenpeace opposes such oil developments unless "it's shown that there's no impact," said Ernesto Boerio, an energy and climate campaign coordinator for the organization in Argentina.

"More needs to be known about this project," Boerio said.

Greenpeace said in a recent report that fracking puts serious pressure on water supplies, particularly in arid regions, and also warned that chemicals used in the process can contaminate underground aquifers and that little is known about the possible effects.

As for Repsol, "we operate to the highest standards of safety and environmental protection," Rix said.

Repsol YPF owns oil rights to 12,000 square kilometers (4,600 square miles) of the Vaca Muerta basin, but like other oil companies, it has just begun exploration. The discovery came while exploring an area of just 428 square kilometers (165 square miles) known as "Loma La Lata Norte."

The company now plans to expand its drilling in a nearby area of about the same size that shows similar potential, Rix said.

Repsol YPF SA is based in Spain but operates in more than 30 countries. Argentina is now home to two-thirds of the 3 billion barrels of oil deposits that the company considers recoverable, up from half.

http://news.yahoo.com/huge-oil-discovery-boosts-argentinas-potential-163158210.html

I like it.

Repsol is a fantastic exploration play.

I can see this PPS growing over the next year.

Repsol has some very interesting projects under development.

Getting ready to rock here