Industry: Upstream and E&P

ExxonMobil, Sabic choose new JV site Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic) and ExxonMobil Chemical Co. have selected Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia, as the location of a new joint venture plant that will include plastic production. In a March 1 news release, officials with Riyadh, Saudi Arabia-based Sabic and ExxonMobil of Houston said they selected the site […]

Former Dow scientist convicted of selling trade secrets A former Dow Chemical Co. scientist has been convicted of selling information on production of Tyrin-brand chlorinated polyethylene to Chinese firms. Wen Chyu Liu – also known as David Liou – was convicted by a jury in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge on Feb, 6 and […]

The current pursuit of US gas export terminals contrasts sharply with the situation five years prior, when oil and gas majors actively developed LNG import facilities. This shift is largely attributable to the shale gas revolution.

AMERICAS BP oil leak in Gulf of Mexico – Updates After a series of unsuccessful efforts, BP has made some headway in containing the oil spilling out of a well at a depth of 5,000 feet in the Gulf of Mexico. Following the failed “top kill” operation, BP deployed the lower-marine-riser-package (LMRP) cap containment system, […]

The Wall Street Journal today presented an interesting framework to think about investing in oil. The article takes a rather conservative perspective and suggests that investors should look at oil not for growth but for dividends.  So they consider the super majors a better bet than the independents. While several points in the article are […]

AMERICAS PolyOne and Kautex introduce multilayer TPE technology PolyOne Corp. has introduced technology that allows extrusion blow molders to make co-extruded high-density polyethylene bottles layered with thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). PolyOne’s GLS Thermoplastic Elastomers unit unveiled the technology, which it co-developed with Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH. The new process can be used with traditional or recycled HDPE, […]

AMERICAS U.S plastic bag update U.S. to levy fees on bags from Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia The U.S. government plans to impose final duties of up to nearly 96 percent on plastic shopping bags from Indonesia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The rulings from the Department of Commerce impose specific penalties on 18 companies from Vietnam, two from […]

AMERICAS LyondellBasell Updates LyondellBasell prices USD 2.75 billion senior notes LyondellBasell Industries (LBI) has priced a senior note offering at USD 2.75 billion to support the chemical company’s emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The notes will be issued by LBI Escrow Corp., which will merge into subsidiary Lyondell Chemical Co., as part of Lyondell […]

AMERICAS LyondellBasell Updates Access Industries terms US$12 billion offer by RIL too low for LyondellBasell Access Industries claimed that the US$12 billion which RIL has valued LyondellBasell was too low, and lacked merit. Access Industries claimed that since creditors like Apollo would make losses if the deal were to go through at RIL’s initial offer, […]

I have just published an op-ed article on India’s oil and gas exploration and production policy.  It appeared in Business Line, India’s leading business newspaper.  The main argument is: That India does not fit ‘Big Oil’s’ strategy need not be disappointing. As the country’s economy grows, ‘Big Oil’ will have to find new business models […]

The New York Times has published a piece commenting on the flood of recent oil field discoveries, far exceeding the pace in this decade. Much as this is cause for joy, new oil finds are deeper, costlier, and more difficult to process. Finally, we ought to have a few more data points before calling a […]

The Gulf of Mexico benefits significantly, as reduced fiscal burdens, political stability, accessible expertise, and technological advancements have transformed it into a prominent hub for hydrocarbon exploration and production.