Stabroek deposit

Ten days before COP30, Brazil awarded five offshore oil blocks for over $19mn, confirming its deepwater development strategy despite environmental criticism.
Tripoli mise sur des partenariats avec des majors et jusqu’à 4 milliards $ d’investissements pour relancer sa production pétrolière, malgré un climat politique divisé.

Niger maintains oil cooperation with China despite growing demands

Niger hardens its stance on energy sovereignty but avoids breaking with China National Petroleum Corporation, its main oil industry partner, in order to safeguard export revenues.
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As Brent hovers near $60, growing opacity around OPEC’s output restrains a steeper decline in crude prices amid surplus warnings by the International Energy Agency.
Portuguese energy group Galp plans to finalise a strategic partnership for its offshore oil project Mopane in Namibia before the end of the year.

Shell faces $2 billion lawsuit in Nigeria ahead of asset divestment

A traditional leader from the Niger Delta is seeking compensation before Shell’s onshore asset sale, citing decades of unaddressed pollution in his kingdom.
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The Oxford Energy Institute study shows that signals from weekly positions and the Brent/WTI curve now favor contrarian strategies, in a market constrained by regulation and logistics affected by international sanctions. —
Russian company Russneft has shipped its first oil cargo to Georgia’s newly launched Kulevi refinery, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties between Moscow and Tbilisi.

New Stratus enters Brazil with 32.5% oil deal on two blocks

New Stratus Energy has signed a definitive agreement with Vultur Oil to acquire up to 32.5% interest in two onshore oil blocks located in the State of Bahia, Brazil, with an initial investment of $10mn.
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Clearview Resources has completed the sale of all its shares to a listed oil company, exiting Canadian financial markets following shareholder and court approval.
The Brazilian government has approved an offshore drilling project led by Petrobras in the Equatorial Margin region, weeks before COP30 in Belém.

Trump reignites regulatory debate over oil in California

In Taft, a historic stronghold of black gold, Donald Trump's return to the presidency reopens the issue of California's restrictions on oil production and fuels renewed optimism among industry stakeholders.
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Vantage Drilling halted a 260-day drilling contract for the vessel Platinum Explorer following a rapid evolution of international sanctions regimes that made the campaign non-compliant with the applicable legal framework shortly after it was signed.
Paratus Energy Services received $58mn through its subsidiary Fontis Energy in Mexico, initiating the repayment of arrears via a government-backed fund established to support investment projects and ensure supplier payments.

The United States keeps 50% duties if India buys Russian crude

Washington ties the removal of additional duties to a verifiable decline in India’s imports of Russian crude, while New Delhi cites already-committed orders and supply stability for the domestic market.
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The decline in imports and the rise in refining in September reduced China’s crude surplus to its lowest in eight months, opening the way for tactical buying as Brent slips below 61 dollars.
Chinese executive Zhou Xinhuai, 54, resigned from his post as chief executive of CNOOC Limited after holding the role since April 2022. A strategic reorganization is underway.

SM Energy secures $3bn borrowing base with unanimous lender approval

Texas-based SM Energy gains full support from its banking syndicate, maintaining a $3bn borrowing base and easing short-term debt maturity terms.
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Halliburton and Aker BP have completed the first umbilical-less tubing hanger installation on the Norwegian continental shelf, paving the way for digitised offshore operations with reduced infrastructure.
The US group has finalised operations at the Begonia field, marking its first offshore deepwater intervention in Angola’s Block 17/06, located 150 kilometres off the coast.
Aramco CEO Amin Nasser warns of growing consumption still dominated by hydrocarbons, despite massive global energy transition investments.
China imported an average of 11.5 million barrels of crude oil per day in September, supported by higher refining rates among both state-run and independent operators.

Unipec redirects supertanker to Ningbo after US sanctions

The New Vista vessel, loaded with Abu Dhabi crude, avoided Rizhao port after the United States sanctioned the oil terminal partly operated by a Sinopec subsidiary.
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OPEC confirms its global oil demand growth forecasts and anticipates a much smaller deficit for 2026, due to increased production from OPEC+ members.
JANAF is interested in acquiring a 20 to 25% stake in NIS, as the Russian-owned share is now subject to US sanctions.

Washington targets Iranian oil with new sanctions on phantom fleet

The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on more than 50 entities linked to Iranian oil exports, targeting Chinese refineries and vessels registered in Asia and Africa.
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Khartoum et Juba annoncent un mécanisme commun pour protéger les oléoducs transfrontaliers, sans clarifier le rôle des forces armées non étatiques qui contrôlent une partie des installations.
The Namibian government signed an agreement with McDermott to strengthen local skills in offshore engineering and operations, aiming to increase oil sector local content to 15% by 2030.

Nigeria inaugurates its first publicly funded floating oil terminal

Nigeria deploys a 2.2 million-barrel floating storage unit funded by public investment, strengthening sovereignty over oil exports and reducing losses from theft and infrastructure failures.
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Despite open statements of dialogue, the federal government maintains an ambiguous regulatory framework that hinders interprovincial oil projects, leaving the industry in doubt.
Canada’s Sintana Energy acquires Challenger Energy in a $61mn all-share deal, targeting offshore exploration in Namibia and Uruguay. The move highlights growing consolidation among independent oil exploration firms.

Exxon restarts catalytic cracking unit in Beaumont after technical failure

The 120,000-barrel-per-day catalytic cracking unit at the Beaumont site resumed operations after an unexpected shutdown caused by a technical incident earlier in the week.
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An agreement was reached between Khartoum and Juba to protect key oil installations, as ongoing armed conflict continues to threaten crude flows vital to both economies.
Alnaft has signed two study agreements with Omani firm Petrogas E&P on the Touggourt and Berkine basins, aiming to update hydrocarbon potential in key oil-producing areas.

Chinese refineries cut Iranian crude purchases by 46% in September

Import quotas exhaustion and falling demand push Chinese independent refineries to sharply reduce Iranian crude volumes, affecting supply levels and putting downward pressure on prices.
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Serbian oil company NIS, partially owned by Gazprom, faces newly enforced US sanctions after a nine-month reprieve, testing the country's fuel supply chain.
US-based Chevron appoints Kevin McLachlan, a veteran of TotalEnergies, as its global head of exploration, in a strategic move targeting Nigeria, Angola and Namibia.

Lycos Energy sells assets for $60mn and redistributes $47.9mn to shareholders

Lycos Energy finalises the sale of its Alberta assets for $60mn, planning an immediate $47.9mn cash distribution to shareholders and the launch of a share buyback programme.
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Russian oil output moved closer to its OPEC+ allocation in September, with a steady rise confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
Fuel shortages now affect Bamako, struck in turn by a jihadist blockade targeting petroleum flows from Ivorian and Senegalese ports, severely disrupting national logistics.