Author: intent

Oil Prices Rise as Fed Pivot Boosts Demand Optimism

Oil prices continued to climb on Thursday, with WTI up above $70 and Brent rising to $75.60.
Optimism around both economic growth and oil demand was boosted on Wednesday when the Fed signaled it would cut interest rates next year.
The Fed’s comments also triggered a rally in stocks, bonds, and gold, and sent the U.S. dollar to a four-month low.

TotalEnergies Cements Its Position in South Africa’s Offshore Oil Boom

TotalEnergies has received government approval for drilling in South Africa’s Orange Basin, a key part of the company’s plans in the country.
Environmental groups have been resisting TotalEnergies’ efforts due to concerns about the impact on marine life and the risk of oil spills.
TotalEnergies has strategically shifted its focus in the country from downstream activities and is now fully focused on its upstream operations.

New Methane Rule Could Kill Small U.S. Oil and Gas Producers

A new federal rule designed to slash methane emissions in the industry could force small oil and gas producers to shut down wells and put them out of business.
EPA: Oil and natural gas operations are the nation’s largest industrial source of the “super pollutant” methane.
Environmental organizations and supermajors such as BP welcomed the finalization of the rule.

Consolidation Push Could Turn U.S. Oil Industry into Handful of Giants

Acquisitions have essentially become the only option for producers that want to grow in the hydrocarbon-rich Permian basin.
Oxy’s acquisition of CrownRock cements an absolute banner year in Permian acquisitions and divestments spending.
Many analysts seem to expect that the consolidation drive will continue next year as well, suggesting that even the end of 2024 could see a lot fewer operators in the star play of the U.S. shale patch.

COP28 Urges Climate Justice In South Africa

On 9 December, people across the country united in local actions against oil and gas exploration and drilling off South Africa’s coastline. Multinational corporations – including Shell, QatarEnergy, Total Energies and contractors such as CGG and Searcher Seismic – are amongst the focal points of this latest public outrage. According to Liziwe McDaid, Strategic Lead at The Green Connection (one of the civil society organisations that got in on the action), “Recent decisions by government to authorise seismic surveys in the Algoa/Outeniqua Basin off the Southeast Coast of South Africa and also off the West Coast, in addition to decision to reject the environmental appeal against oil and gas exploration, from Gansbaai on the South Coast to Doring Baai on the West Coast, has been the catalyst for these actions.”