:: Oryx GTL plant to be shut down by Sasol in February
Posted: 17 September 2007
South African energy group Sasol has revealed plans to shut down its high-profile gas-to-liquid (GTL) plant in Qatar next year for maintenance purposes after encountering technical problems earlier this year.

:: OPEC blamed for high oil prices
Posted: 17 September 2007
OPEC is to blame for the surge in oil prices as the 12-nation Cartel has managed to force key consumers to trim their inventories through its persistent policy of production cuts, according to a specialized study.

:: Abu Dhabi's Taqa plans to enter Kuwaiti energy market
Posted: 17 September 2007
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company’s (Taqa) hopes to enter the Kuwaiti market in the upcoming period through establishing energy investment companies or acquiring companies already operating in the sector, Taqa CEO Peter Parker-Homick said.

:: Shell to upgrade Kuwait’s Shuaiba refinery
Posted: 17 September 2007
Kuwait National Petroleum Co (KNPC) has signed an agreement with Royal Dutch Shell to improve the performance and maintenance of its ageing Shuaiba refinery that has suffered from fires and leaking accidents.

:: Fujian financing documents signed
Posted: 17 September 2007
Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited (FREP), the joint venture formed by Sinopec, Fujian Province, and subsidiaries of Saudi Aramco and ExxonMobil in March 2007, executed loan documentation for the financing of the project with a lender group last week in Beijing.

:: DNO updates Middle East drilling operations
Posted: 17 September 2007
DNO provides an update of the drilling results from Kurdistan/Northern-Iraq and the Republic of Yemen:

:: Drilling at WEEM block in Egypt to begin in November
Posted: 17 September 2007
The operator of the block, Aminex Egypt , has advised Groundstar that a brand new drilling rig is available to drill two wells back to back on the WEEM block beginning in mid November 2007. The rig is rated at 2000 hp and is currently in Egypt . The rig will drill its first well in Egypt for another operator, then move to the WEEM block.

:: High production potential for Taq Taq field in the Kurdistan
Posted: 17 September 2007
Addax Petroleum reported flow test results for the TT-07 well, the fourth appraisal and development well recently drilled on the Taq Taq field by Taq Taq Operating Company, the joint venture company formed by Genel Enerji A.S. ("Genel") and Addax Petroleum to carry out the petroleum operations in the Taq Taq license area.

:: ONGC becomes first Indian OGP member
Posted: 17 September 2007
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC), India ’s largest oil company has joined Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) during the nation’s 60 th anniversary in August.

:: Thule granted limited access to its rigs
Posted: 17 September 2007
Thule Drilling ASA said it has gained limited access to the yard and its rigs. The Court of Urgent Matters in the United Arab Emirates has ruled that representatives from Thule Drilling and Noble Denton have gained the right to inspect the rigs and the Thule-owned equipment that is present on the QGM facilities.

:: DNV to qualify Aker Kvaerner’s carbon capture technology
Posted: 17 September 2007
Aker Kvaerner has today awarded DNV a contract to qualify the carbon capture technology which will be used in the Just CatchTM Bio Demo plant.

:: Germanischer Lloyd acquires Advantica
Posted: 17 September 2007
Germanischer Lloyd acquires the British Advantica Holding, based in Loughborough, with 660 employees worldwide from National Grid plc. With this acquisition, Germanischer Lloyd will double its turnover in the oil and gas industry and significantly strengthen its position in the UK , Middle East and US markets.