Algeria delays oil bids until September, contracts in Oct

Algeria has welcomed a proposal by foreign energy companies to delay by a month the opening of bids for its new oil and gas round initially planned for August this year, the head of the energy agency handling bids said on Monday.

In January it launched an energy bidding round with 31 fields on offer, setting bids opening for August 6. Winning firms were due to sign contracts on September 5.

“Some foreign firms asked us for more time to assess the potential of all perimeters. We have accepted their request,” said Sid Ali Betata, president of Algeria’s national hydrocarbons agency ALNAFT.

“Bids will opened in September. This decision means contracts are due in October,” he added, speaking at in a panel debate at a conference.

Russia’s Lukoil in talks with Hess over Ghana project

Lukoil is in talks with U.S. oil firm Hess Corp to buy a stake in its offshore project in Ghana, two sources close to the talks said, as part of its strategy to look beyond a closed Russian market. Lukoil, a private company that is struggling to get a foothold in new major domestic fields largely taken by state firms, has the most foreign interests of any Russian energy company.

‘Lukoil is interested in the Deepwater Tano/Cape Three Points project operated by Hess,’ one of the sources said. The project, located about 44 miles (70 km) offshore Ghana, is 90 percent owned by Hess, and the rest belongs to Ghana National Petroleum Company. Hess started pre-development studies on the block after finishing drilling its seventh well last year.

The other source said Lukoil was considering buying a significant stake but not a majority stake. Lukoil declined to comment. Hess did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

Swala Energy requests trading halt ahead of Kenya farmout announcement

ASX-listed Swala Energy has requested a trading halt be implemented in respect of all Swala securities quoted on the ASX, pending an announcement from the Company in relation to an update of the farm-out agreement for a 25% working interest in Block 12B in Kenya, pursuant to the Company’s ASX announcement on the 10th March 2014.

The Company expects the trading halt to last until an announcement is made which it expects to occur before the commencement of normal trading on Monday 23rd June 2014.

CNOOC to drill in E. Guinea using Atwood Hunter semi

Atwood Oceanics, Inc. has been awarded a drilling services contract by CNOOC Africa Limited for the semi-submersible rig Atwood Hunter.

The contract will be performed offshore Equatorial Guinea, specifies a day rate of $337,000 for a minimum term of 90 days and includes an option for one additional well. To the extent the term exceeds 90 days the day rate for days 91 to 180 shall be $330,000. Any term in excess of 181 days shall have a day rate of $325,000. The Atwood Hunter is expected to commence the contract mid-August 2014.

In connection with this contract, an Atwood subsidiary and Guinea Ecuatorial de Petroleos 

(“GEPetrol”) mutually agreed to terminate the parties’ previously announced contract for the Atwood Hunter provided certain conditions are met.

Contractors give ExxonMobil 14 days to address alleged discriminatory contract awards

Indigenous contractors working for ExxonMobil Unlimited in Eket, Akwa Ibom, on Thursday gave the company 14 days to address lingering issue of discrimination against them in the award of contracts.  

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the contractors are indigenes of Eket, Esit-Eket, Onna and Ibeno local government areas, which constitute the host communities of the oil company.

The ultimatum by the contractors operating under the aegis of “Joint Core Communities Contractors Association” was contained in a letter dated June 17, 2014, to the management of ExxonMobil
In the letter by the contractors’ Chairman, Chief Friday Ebong and Secretary, Mr Godwin Eleazar, which was made available to NAN in Eket, they described ExxonMobil’s attitude toward them “as disdainful and retrogressive.”

They accused the company of oppressing local contractors in spite of their competence.
“We are competent to handle major contracts both onshore and offshore, but over the years, no meaningful contract had been given to our members.

“In line with the local content policy of the Federal Government, we, as stakeholders, deserve a better deal and partnership with the oil company,” the contractors said.

They threatened to explore every legitimate means to compel the oil company to address the “injustice” if it failed to act before the expiration of the deadline which began on Tuesday.

“ExxonMobil has the responsibility to develop and patronise indigenous contractors with quality contracts, so that they can compete with other contractors nationally and internationally,” they stated.

They alleged that the company had been evading dialogue on “mutual working relationship” with the association.

Minister appeals to labour unions over PIB

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, has urged trade unions and other critics of the Petroleum Industry Bill to prepare for the changes that will be brought about when it is eventually passed.

The minister, who was represented by Mr. Jonathan Okehs, expressed optimism that the PIB, which is currently under consideration by the National Assembly, would come with changes that would bring about the reformation of the petroleum sector.

She spoke during a workshop organised by Unite Consult in collaboration with the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lagos Branch, in Lagos on Thursday.

Among the unions present at the workshop were the Trade Union Congress, NLC, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.

She said, “Today, Nigeria is on the way to assessing capital investors in a sector that hitherto has been without prospects due to policies that make investments uneconomic to pursue. It is my firm belief that the PIB embodies the essential reforms that will put the petroleum sector on the path of robust growth.

“Adhering to the transformation principles advocated in the bill, Nigeria fully expects to be a significant hub in the African region for petroleum activities.

“The global economy is changing and Nigeria must adapt to these changes in order to grow sustainable economy in the future. As a nation, we need to wean ourselves from the dependence on natural resources and to diversify the economy to other important sectors. It is, therefore, my hope that the labour movement will adapt even as Nigeria adapts to global economic realities.”

The Vice President, NLC, Mr. Issa Aremu, described the PIB as one of the most important legislation in the history of the country, adding that the bill must address seven critical issues.

He explained that the PIB must recognise and uphold the interests and welfare of the organised labour and workers.

Aremu said, “The bill must ensure that all companies operating in the Nigerian oil and gas industry comply with all international labour conventions that have been ratified by Nigeria; ensure the mandatory recognition of the right to freedom of association and effective collective bargaining by all companies operating or doing business in the Nigeria oil and gas industry irrespective of where they are located.

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Potato power: the spuds that could light the world

For the past few years, researcher Rabinowitch and colleagues have been pushing the idea of “potato power” to deliver energy to people cut off from electricity grids. Hook up a spud to a couple of cheap metal plates, wires and LED bulbs, they argue, and it could provide lighting to remote towns and villages around the world.

They’ve also discovered a simple but ingenious trick to make potatoes particularly good at producing energy. “A single potato can power enough LED lamps for a room for 40 days,” claims Rabinowitch, who is based at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The idea may seem absurd, yet it is rooted in sound science. Still, Rabinowitch and his team have discovered that actually launching potato power in the real world is much more complex than it first appears.

While Rabinowitch and team have found a way to make potatoes produce more power than usual, the basic principles are taught in high school science classes, to demonstrate how batteries work.

To make a battery from organic material, all you need is two metals – an anode, which is the negative electrode, such as zinc, and a cathode, the positively charged electrode, such as copper. The acid inside the potato forms a chemical reaction with the zinc and copper, and when the electrons flow from one material to another, energy is released.

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General Electric deploys 75mw gas turbines to PH refinery

As part of the efforts to overcome power outages at Port Harcourt Refinery, General Electricity has supplied GEL Utility Limited with three 25-megawatt (MW) trailer-mounted TM2500+ aero-derivative gas turbines to generate uninterrupted power at the refinery.

The installation by GEL Utility Limited of GE’s mobile gas turbines at the refinery will also ensure the country’s largest oil refinery has the power it needs to overcome chronic grid outages and return to full capacity for refining.

Grid outages have reduced PHRC’s output to 30 percent of its total maximum capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.

The outages and other factors have also forced the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and private marketers to import large volumes of refined petroleum products to meet the country’s domestic needs.

To help address the chronic power challenges at the refinery, Genesis Electricity Limited, an independent power producer and one of the owners of GEL Utility Limited signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with NNPC for the installation of GE’s TM2500+ units at the 49-year-old refinery.
The TM2500+ gas turbines will provide both the base-load and back-up power to support refinery operations.