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China warns of death for oil theft
by
Friday 31 March 2006 7:57 AM GMT
China is the world's second largest consumer of oil
Faced with a spriralling demand for energy and soaring international oil prices, China is threatening to execute anyone found stealing from fuel pipelines.
According to police nearly 3,000 people were arrested last year for stealing oil in crimes which cost the industry more than 1 billion yuan ($124.6 million) and caused the economy untold damage.
"Oil issues in a large, developing country like ours with relatively few of its own reserves, impact upon national security, social stability and the economy's sustainable, fast and healthy development," Ma Weiya, vice director of the police's social security management department, told a press briefing in Beijing.
"Criminal punishments will be meted out, including the death penalty, as stealing oil in some areas has reached such a serious level it has wrecked production facilities," Ma said.
"The highest penalty for destroying facilities that are easily combustible is death, because it threatens public safety," he added.
Though police said the number of cases involving oil theft or illegal drilling had fallen, they were still concerned that many incidents were going unnoticed in China's vast countryside, home to some 700 million people.
"They put huts up and drill into pipes underneath," Ma said. "Many we don't find."
Temptation
"The reason they steal oil is to sell it, and as prices are so high that encourages stealing"
Ma Weiya, vice director of police social security management department
The temptation is that much greater due to soaring global crude oil prices, he added, and hard to resist for peasants who earn a third as much as their urban cousins.
China is the world's second largest oil consumer, and with soaring energy demands to fuel its rapidly growing economy has become a major importer of oil.
That in turn has added further pressure to global oil prices, which last year climbed to a record $70 a barrel.
"The reason they steal oil is to sell it, and as prices are so high that encourages stealing," Ma said.
Last year state media reported on farmers in impoverished central China who, tempted by rocketing world crude prices, were stealing oil from pipelines in plastic bags and earning up to $1,000 a month selling it to small refineries.
People living near Chinese gas fields have even been caught using huge balloons to capture the valuable commodity, which they then carry away on bicycles.
Reuters
Who needs a radio on the island when you have Ginger and Mary Ann!
petroleumafrica.com
Chevron Hits Oil in JDZ
The tiny island nation of Sao Tome and Principe has something to celebrate; the first well in the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) has struck oil. Confirmation on Petroleum Africa’s March 27 news item that reported the discovery rumor, came in a Chevron statement yesterday. According to Chevron its first well drilled on Block 1, the Obo-1. Initial geological studies of the well suggest there are around one billion barrels of recoverable reserves.
Chevron acquired operatorship and a 51% stake in the field during the first bid round for JDZ acreage in 2004. Exxon Mobil owns a 40% stake and Dangote Energy Equity Resources holds a 9% stake.
Chevron said it was reviewing the drilling results from the Obo-1 well to determine the next steps in its exploration program
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 29, 2006
President Bush Welcomes President Obasanjo of Nigeria to the White House
The Oval Office
In Focus: Global Diplomacy
10:30 A.M. EST
PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. President, welcome back to the Oval Office. We have just had a discussion that covered a lot of topics. Every time I meet with the President he brings a fresh perspective about the politics and the situation on the continent of Africa, and I want to thank you. I want to thank you for your leadership.
The President and I talked about Darfur and the Sudan, and I made it very clear to him that we're deeply concerned about the humiliation, the rape, the murder that is taking place among the -- against the citizens of Darfur. He agreed. And I want to thank you for your compassion.
We talked and strategized about how to move forward, how to make it clear to the Sudanese government that there will be a international response in working toward a peace. We talked about a dual track, that the rebels must come together and negotiate with the government, and at the same time, we talked about bolstering the AU peacekeeping force with a Blue Helmet force. And I explained my desire to have a NATO overlay, to make sure that force is robust.
We talked about economic development. Of course, I brought up energy to the President. He's -- and I talked about the situation in the Nigerian Delta. He talked to me about his strategy to deal with the energy issue.
And finally, I appreciate the decision he made regarding Charles Taylor. In my visit last week with the President of Liberia, we talked about Charles Taylor. The fact that Charles Taylor will be brought to justice in a court of law will help Liberia and is a signal, Mr. President, of your deep desire for there to be peace in your neighborhood.
So welcome to the Oval Office. It's good to have you here, sir.
PRESIDENT OBASANJO: Thank you very much. And as usual, I want to thank you for the warm and hardy reception that you have accorded us.
The areas that I would call the areas of concern, by the time I arrived here last night, seemed to have been definably dealt with by this morning, particularly the issue of Charles Taylor. And as I said to you about a minute -- a few minutes ago, Charles Taylor should be landing in Liberia by now, which should start putting the issue of Charles Taylor behind us.
I appreciate the understanding of everybody and the way that the issue has been handled. I met the press earlier today to actually give what was our own position and how we were hoping to deal with the issue of Charles Taylor's disappearance. And of course, I do not agree, must disagree that we have been negligent in the way we handled the Charles Taylor issue. If we had been negligent then Charles Taylor would have got away. He would not have been arrested if there was connivance or condonation on our part.
Having said that, we, of course, talked about the general situation of peace and security in the West Africa sub-region, and how West Africa sub-region, with Charles Taylor issue behind us, how West Africa sub-region is gradually becoming a haven of peace. We have dealt with Togo, we have dealt with Guinea-Bissau, we have dealt with Sierra Leone. Hopefully, we are now dealing with Liberia. And things seem to be going fairly well in Cote D'Ivoire. Well, of course, we are keenly watching the situation in Guinea Conakry.
Then we looked at the rest of Africa, particularly Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, and the Great Lakes, generally. Then we talked about the issue of development, particularly security -- supplies, security, stability, and also -- of hydrocarbons from the Gulf of Guinea area, and how we are working hard to establish a Gulf of Guinea commission that will also deal with the issue of reconciling and dealing with ending misunderstanding among those in that -- among countries that are in the Gulf of Guinea, how we can protect and how we can monitor what happens in that area, because the hydrocarbon we need for our own development and we need for the economic development and progress of the world. We are moving in this regard not only by ourselves, but also by our -- with our development partners.
Then, of course, we talked about NEPAD, which is where we work with the G8 and -- politically and individually.
And we -- I briefed the President on what we are doing with the Niger Delta, which is very important. And we are very grateful that the measures we are taking, which are essentially socioeconomic measures, to address some of the grievances, identified grievances, will resolve the issue of the Niger Delta.
I think these are some of the points. And I think -- I want to thank President for remaining his charming self. (Laughter.)
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir.
END 10:38 A.M. EST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/20060329.html
Addax gets output boost
By Upstream staff
Addax Petroleum has posted a 229% increase to its full year net profit to C$206.1 (US$175.9 million) million, or $1.47 per share, in 2005 due to higher production and oil prices.
Revenues for the year increased from C$524.1 million in 2004 to C$1.2 billion in 2005 due to a 45% increase in crude oil prices and a 64% increase in average daily production to 65,300 barrels of oil per day.
The company said that it plans to invest about C$300 million on its exploration and appraisal activity in 2006.
This will cover its expenditure on all existing Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon blocks, acquisition payment and appraisal drilling at Okwok, signature bonuses, acquisition fees and exploration work on the JDZ blocks and appraisal activity on the Taq Taq field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
Newfield added that it expects its 2006 output to increase by about 30% to 85,000 bpd. Most of the increase is expected to come from the OPL90 block in Nigeria where the Nda field development is taking place.
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30 March 2006 00:30 GMT | last updated: 30 March 2006 00:
sorry, I can't...but I do know that blue horseshoe loves ERHE!
Chevron testing promising Africa well
By Jasmina Kelemen, MarketWatch
Last Update: 6:59 PM ET Mar 27, 2006
HOUSTON (MarketWatch) -- Chevron Corp. said Monday it has completed its first exploration well off Western Africa's coast in a discovery that's reported to have as much as 1 billion barrels worth of oil and gas.
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6:40pm 03/27/2006
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CVX58.21, +0.64, +1.1%) official said the company is evaluating the results of the drilling, completed on March 15. The official declined to give specifics about the well, other than to say it's in waters of Sao Tome and Principe, a tiny archipelago nation near the equator in the Gulf of Guinea.
But initial geological studies of the well suggest there are around 1 billion barrels of recoverable reserves, according to a weekend report in The Business, a British newspaper, citing unnamed sources.
If the billion barrel mark holds true, it would put the discovery on par with the entire holdings of some large exploration and production companies, said Aliza Fan, senior equity analyst at John S. Herold.
"That's a significant size," Fan said.
Even if the well found a thick column of oil, discoveries typically require several more wells to delineate the size of the field and its commercial potential.
For Chevron, a major discovery would come at a time when the San Ramon, Calif.-based company is struggling to expand its reserves. Its oil and gas holdings stood at 9 billion barrels of oil equivalent at the end of 2005.
Chevron acquired rights to explore the island nation's waters in October 2004 and began drilling Obo-1, the location of the well, last January.
It now has a 51% stake in the site, with Exxon Mobil (XOM : exxon mobil corp com
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Last: 61.29+0.12+0.20%
6Nigeria.
Strat... someting tells me we would quickly have our 51st and 52nd states!!
Sao Tome holds general elections, some boycott
Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:42 AM ET
By Adsney Lucas
SAO TOME, March 26 (Reuters) - Some residents of Sao Tome and Principe barricaded roads in a partial boycott of general elections on Sunday, accusing politicians of failing to deliver on promises to provide electricity, water and other services.
Witnesses said the protesters used tree trunks, boulders and old car wrecks to block streets in some neighbourhoods of the two biggest voting districts, including Agua Grande where the capital is situated.
"The people are demanding water, light and better roads, which they say they've been asking for years and haven't received," one witness, who asked not to be named, said.
Voting went ahead normally in other districts of the tiny, twin island state in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, and it was not clear how the partial boycott would affect the outcome of the polls to elect 55 members of the National Assembly.
The protests potentially affected a few thousand voters out of a total electoral register of nearly 80,000.
The main parties running in this year's election in Sao Tome are battling to win an outright majority to secure political stability ahead of an expected oil bonanza in the impoverished former Portuguese colony.
The volcanic islands, which are surrounded in the Gulf of Guinea by other African oil producers like Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, have become an international oil exploration hotspot, whetting the expectations of poor local people. Since the last parliamentary elections in 2002, Sao Tome has been rocked by a brief coup, corruption scandals and a succession of government collapses.
This has undermined confidence as the country, with the help of international and Nigerian oil companies, prepares to reap the benefits of what are thought to be rich oil reserves beneath its deep sea waters.
The ruling centre-left MLSTP-PSD party is seeking a new term in office, hoping to improve on the 24 seats it holds in the 55-seat assembly.
Its lack of an outright majority since 2003 had meant an uncomfortable and fractious cohabitation with President Fradique de Menezes, who supports the opposing MDFM-PCD party, which holds 23 seats.
OIL EXPLORATION
A coalition led by a third party, the ADI, took the remaining eight seats four years ago, but is now running alone in a total field of 10 parties and coalitions.
The outcome of the parliamentary elections could have a bearing on a presidential election later this year, in which de Menezes, who has often tussled with the MLSTP-PSD over policies, is expected to stand for re-election.
Sao Tome's population of nearly 180,000 has been earning on average less than $1 a day and the heavily-indebted country has relied on international aid and exports of cocoa, bananas and fish, though crude oil production could change all that within a few years.
Up until now, oil income for Sao Tome has taken the form of one-off signature bonuses paid by oil companies for exploration blocks shared with Nigeria in a joint development zone.
U.S. energy giant Chevron <CVX.N> recently drilled a first exploration well in one of these blocks and the results are eagerly awaited.
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Takeover rumours spur Pioneer stock
By Upstream staff
Shares of US independent Pioneer Natural Resources rose sharply amid speculation the company could be the target of a takeover bid from Texas-based explorer XTO Energy.
According to Reuters, neither Pioneer nor XTO could be immediately reached for comment, but stock and option analysts said talk was heavy in the marketplace about a potential deal.
Pioneer shares were up 4.2% at $41.50 and traded as high as $43 on the day, while XTO was up about a percentage point at $43.09.
"XTO Energy announced on March 23 a successful pricing of $1 billion in notes. There is speculation they will utilise that cash in their balance sheet to purchase (Pioneer)," said Paul Foster, options strategist at financial-information Web site theflyonthewall.com.
Sell-side analysts said while they were also hearing talk of a Pioneer-XTO deal - and while such a combination was plausible on paper, it was nonetheless unlikely.
"Our response is no way. It's intriguing because there is some asset overlap ... (but) XTO has never made a corporate acquisition and I don't think Pioneer is the first one they'd do," said RBC Capital Markets analyst Joe Allman.
"Most companies couldn't buy Pioneer and make it an accretive transaction from a cash flow perspective," Allman said. "I think Pioneer's probably going to give a go on its own."
With shares trading near $42, dealing is active in the calls that give the right to buy the company's shares at $45 each by mid-April.
“That indicates traders are betting on an announcement soon,” said Frederic Ruffy, an analyst at Optionetics, an investment analysis firm based in Redwood City, California.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 March 2006 18:57 GMT | last updated: 24 March 2006 18:57
wa sup with PXD... maybe we are buying them out!
Kobi posted the story on Yahoo CVX board. em
In hot pursuit of Africa's oil
The rise of Africa's energy industry is changing the region's geopolitical landscape. IHS Energy, an oil and gas consulting firm, calculates that Africa will supply 30 percent of the world's growth in hydrocarbon production by 2010.
Adam Wolfe
Wednesday, 22 March, 2006
The rise of Africa's energy industry is changing the region's geopolitical landscape. IHS Energy, an oil and gas consulting firm, calculates that Africa will supply 30 percent of the world's growth in hydrocarbon production by 2010.
The West has found its leverage in the region challenged by China's willingness to invest in oil-producing states in order to ensure Beijing's energy security.
India has also made significant investments and is looking to expand its presence in the region.
However, political instability, criminal syndicates and terrorism threaten growth in the region. These factors are the main reason the region's hydrocarbon industry has not fully developed in the past.
But as China and India demand more oil and gas to fuel their rising economies and as major oil fields reach maturity in other regions, Africa's oil and gas supplies have become more attractive investments.
China's deputy foreign minister famously told The New York Times: "Business is business. We try to separate politics from business."
This statement is not strictly true; China uses politics for different aims than does the West. China uses its geopolitical position in order to gain access to natural resources around the world without regard to the domestic political situation where these resources are located, making it an attractive partner for many countries marginalized by the Western powers for internal strife, corruption, and human rights violations.
India, South Korea, Malaysia and Brazil are following China's lead. China, however, also has an asset that these other states cannot exploit - a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Beijing's willingness to use its seat to protect states from international sanctions is welcomed in a region not lacking in egregious violations of international law and is undermining Washington's influence in Africa. Beijing has not shied from investing in countries that are being marginalized by the West in order to secure access to energy sources.
In other regions, China has repeatedly lost contracts to large, multinational corporations. Russia's Siberian reserves were once thought to be all but wrapped up in a deal for China, but now Japan may win the contract. The Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation's attempt to gain control of Unocal collapsed under pressure from the US Congress. Such failures have pushed Beijing to take risks in unstable countries to avoid competition from the major multinationals.
The Financial Times reported on February 28 that Nigeria is shifting its sourcing for military equipment to China because US concerns about corruption within the Nigerian security forces have delayed the delivery of equipment. In July 2005, China signed a US$800 million (HK$6.24 billion) crude oil agreement with Nigeria, and Beijing is considering US$7 billion worth of investments there.
Ethiopia called China "its most reliable [trading] partner" after Western states criticized its recent election irregularities and its continuing border dispute with Eritrea. A mainland company earlier this month started drilling the first exploration well in the Gambella basin, west Ethiopia.
Angola has delayed implementing IMF recommendations after receiving a US$2 billion soft loan from China. China recently won the rights to oil- exploration blocks in Angola away from Total and Shell.
China, now the world's second- largest importer of oil, imports 28 percent of its oil from Africa, mostly from Sudan, Angola, Congo, and Nigeria.
In each of these countries, a similar pattern emerges: China moves in after Western companies are forced to pull out because of domestic pressure, thus undermining the ability of Western countries to use economic isolation and economic aid to influence the policies of the oil-producing countries.
In Sudan, Beijing's investments have helped double Sudan's proven reserves in the past three years, estimated at 563 million barrels, and double production in the past two years, now at 500,000 bpd. China receives 7 percent of its oil imports from Sudan, and it is Sudan's second-largest foreign investor with about US$4 billion invested.
Estimates reach as high as 80 percent for the amount of revenue generated by Sudan's oil fields that have been invested in fighting its recently resolved north-south civil war, the ongoing conflict in Darfur, and the mounting conflict in the country's northeast. China is also Sudan's largest arms supplier.
China has threatened to use its veto on the UN Security Council to protect Khartoum from sanctions and has been able to water down every resolution on Darfur in order to protect its interests in Sudan. Washington has called the conflict in Darfur genocide and has seen its ability to effect change in the region limited by Beijing.
China's thirst for oil is limiting Washington's influence in Khartoum, but there are some areas of agreement between Beijing and the West in regards to Sudan's future.
The historic peace deal that ended the 21-year north-south civil war has allowed the return of foreign investors that were forced out due to domestic pressures and politics.
France's Total, the United States' Marathon, and the Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Company renewed their exploration rights in the south of the country in recent months.
While the new competition may make Beijing nervous, it also means that Beijing and the West now have a similar stake in ensuring that the peace agreement holds.
Adam Wolfe is an editor and senior analyst with PINR. Reprinted with permission from The Power and Interest News Report. www.pinr.com
Peter J. Robertson
Vice Chairman of the Board
Peter J. Robertson is vice chairman of the board of directors for Chevron Corp., a position he has occupied since January 1, 2002.
From January 1, 2002, until December 31, 2004, he was responsible for directing the company's worldwide exploration, production and global gas businesses. Since January 1, 2005, he has direct responsibility for strategic planning; policy, government and public affairs; and human resources. He collaborates closely with the chairman in overseeing the strategies and operations of the company.
Robertson is a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Edinburgh University, and he holds a master's degree in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he attended as a Thouron Scholar.
He joined Chevron in 1973, and after a variety of analytical assignments, he was named manager of internal auditing for the company's European operations in 1977. He became comptroller for Chevron Oil Europe in London in 1980. From 1983 to 1986, he held positions with increasing responsibility and was named comptroller of Chevron U.S.A. Inc. in 1987. Then in October 1989, he was elected vice president of finance for Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
In October 1991, Robertson was named president of Warren Petroleum Co., Chevron's former natural gas liquids subsidiary, headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On September 1, 1994, he was elected a vice president of Chevron Corp., responsible for strategic planning and the company's "total quality management" activities.
Robertson was named executive vice president of Chevron U.S.A. (CUSA) Production Co. in October 1996. In March 1997, he was elected president of CUSA and a vice president of Chevron Corp., responsible for Chevron's North America exploration and production operations in such areas as Canada, Alaska, California, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico.
In January 2000, he was named president of Chevron Overseas Petroleum Inc. (COPI). At COPI, he was responsible for directing Chevron's oil exploration and production activities around the world.
Robertson is a director of the United Way of the Bay Area, International House Berkeley, the U.S.-Russian Business Council, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council and the American Petroleum Institute. He also is vice chairman of the U.S. Energy Association. He has served as chairman of the American Petroleum Institute's Upstream Committee. He also is past director of Sasol Chevron Holdings Ltd., Dynegy Inc. and Caltex Petroleum Corp. Caltex was a 50-50 joint venture of Chevron and Texaco, with refining and marketing activities throughout the Eastern Hemisphere.
Robertson was born in January 1947.
Executive Committee
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Peter Robertson-Vice Chrm of CVX at the Sullivan dinner in D.C. a couple of weeks ago.
March 17, 2006
China Pays Dearly for Kazakhstan Oil
By CHRISTOPHER PALA
ALMATY, Kazakhstan — China, which for more than a century turned its back on Central Asia, has reached out to Kazakhstan, Central Asia's biggest country, for one major reason: oil.
In 2005, the China National Petroleum Corporation bought Petrokazakhstan, a Canadian-run company that was the former Soviet Union's largest independent oil company, for $4.18 billion and spent another $700 million on a pipeline that will take the oil to the Chinese border.
Petrokazakhstan was the largest foreign purchase ever by a Chinese company, in this case a state-owned one. Chinese oil producers were already operating four smaller oil fields in Kazakhstan.
"China is being increasingly dependent on Middle East oil and it wants a supply that would be blockade-proof in case of a conflict over Taiwan," said Thierry Kellner, a specialist in China's relations with Central Asia at the Free University of Brussels.
But the Chinese are paying a high price.
Shortly after the sale, Kazakhstan forced the Chinese company to resell a third of its new acquisition to KazMunaiGaz, the state oil company and industry regulator — and be paid in future revenue. A spokesman for KazMunaiGaz, Mikhail Dorofeyev, has said the deal is expected to be completed by the end of March.
Kazakhstan authorities are also believed to be easing the way for Lukoil of Russia to acquire the other half of Turgai Petroleum, which it now jointly owns with Petrokazakhstan. In addition, a local court recently awarded Lukoil a $200 million judgment against Petrokazakhstan in a dispute over how to share the oil in a common deposit. Both developments are unmistakable signals that Chinese ownership is no guarantee of a smooth ride.
It remains unclear how much of Petrokazakhstan's oil China will be able send through its import pipeline. Also unknown is the profitability of the pipeline itself, which requires the addition of Russian crude from Siberia that has not yet been committed. The Chinese oil company's vice president, Zhou Jiping, was ebullient at the pipeline's opening last December, near the eastern Kazakhstan town of Atasu.
"This is the new Silk Road," Mr. Zhou said, adding that he hoped China would continue to acquire more oil assets in Kazakhstan. Indeed, China is widely believed to be readying a bid for a smaller Canadian-owned oil company, Nations Energy, which produces a third of Petrokazakhstan's output.
"The Chinese are overpaying, but they have a lot of money from exports and they want to spend it on any equity oil they can find," said Robert Ebel, chairman of the energy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, and co-director of its Caspian Sea Oil Study Group.
"Price is less important than reliability and building good will in the Kazakhstani government," Mr. Kellner of the Brussels university added.
If it reaches its full capacity, the pipeline will provide 400,000 barrels a day, about 8 percent of China's current energy needs, the pipeline's builders said at the opening.
"For the Chinese," Mr. Kellner said, "ensuring friendly relations with the Kazakh leadership is just as important as getting the oil."
China's leadership has viewed with alarm the creation after Sept. 11, 2001, of American military bases in Central Asia — which China considers its backyard — and has tried to woo Kazakhstan's longtime president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, away from closer relations with the United States, he said.
At the same time, Russia continues to have an influence.
When Mr. Nazarbayev delivered a major policy speech on March 1, he listed "increasing integration with Russia" as Kazakhstan's first foreign priority and "improving cooperation" with China as his second. Maintaining a "long-term, stable partnership" with the United States came in third place.
But beyond investments in the rich but challenging Caspian Sea oil deposits that are expected to turn Kazakhstan into one of the world's top five exporters of crude in a decade, the United States has less to offer Kazakhstan than China does.
Even though most Kazakhs view China with a mixture of fear and suspicion, Mr. Nazarbayev approved the Chinese pipeline because it offered an extra oil export route to reduce his landlocked country's dependence on Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Eventually, a sixth of Kazakhstan's total production could flow to China.
The risks inherent in getting Kazakhstan's oil to its main market, Western Europe, were highlighted in 2005 when Russia blocked the expansion of a Western-owned pipeline going from the North Caspian shore to the Black Sea in Russia; the line was expected to carry a major portion of Kazakhstani oil. As a result, Tengiz, Kazakhstan's second-largest field, operated by ChevronTexaco, has had to plan for more costly transportation by rail
Navy Exchanges Fire With Suspected Pirates
One Dead and Five Hurt After U.S. Navy Exchanges Gunfire With Suspected Pirates Off Somali Coast
By JIM KRANE
The Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Two U.S. Navy warships exchanged gunfire with suspected pirates Saturday off the coast of Somalia, and one suspect was killed and five others were wounded, the navy said.
Seven other suspects were taken into custody after the early-morning shootout, said Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown, spokesman for the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.
No sailors were wounded in the battle, which occurred at about 5:40 a.m. local time, approximately 25 nautical miles off the Somali coast in international waters.
The battle started after the USS Cape St. George and USS Gonzalez, which were patrolling as part of a Dutch-led task force, spotted a 30-foot fishing boat towing smaller skiffs and prepared to board and inspect the vessels.
The suspected pirates were holding what appeared to be rocket-propelled grenade launchers, the navy said. When the suspects began shooting, naval gunners returned fire with mounted machine guns, killing one man and igniting a fire on the vessel.
Three suspects were seriously wounded and being treated on one of the Navy ships, Brown told The Associated Press. A Dutch Navy medical team was en route.
The suspects' nationalities were unknown.
The Navy boarding teams confiscated an RPG launcher and automatic weapons, the statement said.
The Cape St. George, a guided-missile cruiser, and Gonzalez, a guided-missile destroyer, were conducting maritime security operations in the area. They are based in Norfolk, Va.
The International Maritime Organization has warned ships to stay away from the Somali coast because of pirate attacks, which surged to 35 last year from two in 2004.
On March 15, the U.N. Security Council encouraged naval forces operating off Somalia to take action against suspected piracy. Pirate attacks against aid ships have hindered U.N. efforts to provide relief to the victims of a severe drought in the area.
The pirate raids are part of the anarchy wracking Somalia, which has had no effective government since 1991, when warlords ousted a dictatorship and then turned on each other.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures
OK...you are a whiner! em
Good evening Meridian...any insight re: Blks 5 & 6 ? tia
Nigeria Oil & Gas 2006
3 April 2006 to 5 April 2006
Abuja, Nigeria
www.cwcnog.com
Conference update - 10/03/2006
NNPC To Host Gala Dinner for NOG6 on the 4th of April
The NNPC is to host a Dinner for delegates of NOG6 on the Middle night of the event, it will take place at the Sheraton at 7.30 pm. It will be a fantastic opportunity to network with high level delegates, exhibitors and speakers, and enjoy the hospitality of the Senior Management of the NNPC.
Following the outstanding success of five previous events, Nigeria Oil & Gas Conference is delighted to announce the dates for its sixth year; the conference will take place on the first two days of Nigeria Oil & Gas 6 on the 3rd and 4th April 2006 at the International Conference Centre. The programme is being developed in conjunction with the Organising Committee to address the topical strategic issues facing investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Expert, senior level representatives from the following organisations will be invited to share
their experiences, case studies and latest information:
· Government departments and agencies
· NNPC
· Joint ventures
· Indigenous and international operators
· Indigenous and international service companies
· Legal and financial consultants
The aim of the conference is to add benefit to the Nigerian oil and gas industry and so ample time will be allocated to debate the critical topics facing the industry. The key topics will include – a focus on gas, sustainable development and regulatory issues. The conference will focus not only on the international investment community but also on the critically important indigenous investment in the industry.
The conference and the exhibition will be held together at the International Conference Centre thus further maximising networking opportunities for the 500 delegates that attend annually. Delegates will be able to take the opportunity to share experiences with a broad cross section of players in the industry. All delegates will have full access to the technical sessions.
For more information and for opportunities on how your company can benefit from association with this event please contact Tim Millard or telephone +44 207 089 4178 fax: +44 207 089 4201
We look forward to seeing you in Abuja!
Speakers already confirmed include:
Dr. Edmund Daukoru, Hon. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources
Mrs. Ammuna Lawan-Ali, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources
Eng. Funsho Kupolokun, Group Managing Director, NNPC
Dr. Edmund O. Ayoola, Group Executive Director, E&P NNPC
Chief Sena Anthony, Chair, NNPC Commitee on Gas Policy
Eng. Smart Fadayomi, Group General Manager LNG & Power, NNPC
Eng. J.A. Akande, Group General Manager Nigeria Content, NNPC
Dr. Levi Ajuonuma, General Manager, Group Public Affairs, NNPC
Eng. George Osahon, Gruop General Manager, NAPIMS
Carlos Gomes, Chairman of the Board, Nigeria - São Tomé & Príncipe Joint Development Authority
Jacques Marraud de Grottes, Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Total Upstream Nigeria
Basil Omiyi, Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
Chris Haynes, Managing Director and CEO, Nigeria LNG
Jim Pearce, Managing Director, Addax Petroleum Development (Nigeria) Limited
Bunmi Obembe, General Manager of Nigeria Content, Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd.
Dr. Alirio A. Parra, Senior Associate, CWC Associates Ltd.
Basil Omiyi, Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd.
Tony Chukwueke, Director, DPR
Keith Meyer, President, Cheniere LNG
Bobby Martinez, Director LNG Licensing, Global Gas, Conoco Phillips
Great post! I was in the Casino business for 13 years...one of my favorite quotes was,..."bet like a man and cry like a baby!" eom
Don't know where it is but you can bet it involves saki and Chinese take-out...remember, with #2 you get eggroll!
Did you happen to see the text of Dr. D.'s or Carlos Gomes' speech from yesterday?
Meridian: Is the 1 p.m. signing still good? tia
JDZ awards delayed
By Barry Morgan
Suitors hoping for decisions this week as promised on final awards for deepwater blocks in the Gulf of Guinea's joint development zone (JDZ) managed by Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe may have to wait a little longer.
Nigerian minister of state for petroleum resources had indicated that he hoped production sharing contracts for blocks two through six might be signed on 14 March, but so far only one looks set to go.
Anadarko-operated block 3 has been finalised for tomorrow's signature, according to sources in Abuja.
Houston-based ERHC Energy enjoys a junior preferential stake in this block with Norwegian-Nigerian indie Energy Equity Resources. Equity also has a small stake in block 1 with fellow Nigerian indie Afren.
Also tipped to go tomorrow is JDZ block 4, which has been assigned to Addax and ERHC. Negotiations over block 4 stalled once more following continuing discord over Nigerian indie Conoil's persistent unwillingness to ink a deal that fails to address its equity demands in the block.
It is unlikely that Conoil's refusal to sign would forge a re-bid since the JDZ second licencing round is about to expire.
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13 March 2006 20:47 GMT | last updated: 13 March 2006 20:47 GMT
JDZ awards delayed
By Barry Morgan
Suitors hoping for decisions this week as promised on final awards for deepwater blocks in the Gulf of Guinea's joint development zone (JDZ) managed by Nigeria and Sao Tome and Principe may have to wait a little longer
Without an Upstream subscription,this is what everyone saw.
I'm just glad the signing is in Abuja and not on fantasy island!
So you expect to see J.C. Gandur again on Tues?
I got the impression that last time, Dr. D. was playing good cop..bad cop, and that this time the good cop will not be on stage.
Sounds like the 9/10 just increased to 100% Thank You!!
Ruby: like I said yesterday, Gomes' speech on Tues. is titled... "Nigeria-Sao Tome JDA- the Journey so Far" I hope he doesn't bring the Cliffnotes version of it. GLTA Ken
Meridian: Don't you have a flight to catch?
Doug...please stay on topic ty ... Cecil
That reminds me...I have an AA meeting on Monday night! em
planning on blowing the froth off a few?
I could be wrong..but with Brandhuber it would appear there is a new sheriff in town! Looking forward to some communication.
Yeah..I remember BB being one of the first to rip into Memon and quite a few running to Memons defense. That sort of thing has appeared to have slowed down!
Meridian...you called Memon a "wurm"..I'm not familiar with that term..can you elaborate? Are you saying Memon "stuffed" us?
His notes on next Tuesdays' keynote address..but I'd settle for the notes of Carlos Gomes!