Already the largest oil exporter in the world, state-owned Saudi Aramco plans to significantly expand refining capacity and for the first time ever to venture into oil trading, which could render it the world’s largest integrated energy company; but mounting security threats pose a serious challenge to these ambitious goals. Aramco Trading, which opened in…
Daily Archives: May 14, 2012
U.S., China Compete for Canadian Energy Assets
To hear Carlos Pascual, the U.S. State Department’s special envoy on international energy tell it, “The United States values Canada as its most important energy partner. There has never been a doubt about that. It is true now and it will continue to be true in the future.” A year ago at the Gas & Oil…
Libya: A Real World Syriana
A curtain is slowly getting drawn back on the death of Shokri Ghanem, the former head of the Libyan oil industry found floating in the Danube River last month. Rumors have surfaced that Ghanem was perhaps speaking with former rebels curious about what he might've known about deals with foreign entities that made the Gadhafi…
Total Finally Begins Elgin Well-Intervention Operation
Total’s West Phoenix drilling rig has begun pumping heavy mud into the well.
Continuing the Dialogue with the White House
Takeaways from White House energy and climate adviser Heather Zichal’s appearance at Monday’s hydraulic fracturing workshop in Washington, D.C., hosted by API: Outreach – The oil and natural gas industry agrees with the Zichal and the administration that constructive dialog on energy issues is, well, constructive. Zichal: “I give [API President and CEO] Jack [Gerard]…
French utility EDF to buy 3 Arava Power thermosolar projects
The deal involves three thermosolar projects under construction at Mishmar Hanegev, Berur Hayal, and Kerem Shalom.