Niobrara oil seen as potential savior for West Coast refiners

Companies from Noble Energy Inc. to Whiting Petroleum Corp. are ramping up output in the Niobrara shale oil play near the Rocky Mountains that may help save U.S. West Coast refiners from dwindling supplies in their own region.

The formation spread across parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming is estimated to hold as much as 2 billion bbl of oil, Energy Information Administration data show. Niobrara’s oil and lease condensate output will reach a record 304,434 bpd this month, the agency said.

The Rocky Mountains play may be a godsend for Western refiners because its crude closely matches the characteristics of oil from the region’s largest domestic supplier, Alaska’s North Slope, where output has declined every year since 2002. A slide in Alaska and California oil production has forced West Coast refiners to increasingly rely on foreign imports and oil shipped by rail from other states.

“We’ve had a number of shipments move by rail, but I don’t think any of it has gone to the West Coast yet,” Gary Willingham, Noble’s senior V.P. of U.S. onshore, said in Denver during a conference on Bakken and Niobrara crudes. “It’s certainly part of our plan to have that flexibility. We want it to go where the demand is and where the best price is.”

The posted price for oil from the Denver-Julesburg basin, where the Niobrara is located, rose $1 to $85.05/bbl Friday, according to the marketing division of Plains All American Pipeline LP.  Alaska North Slope oil rose $1.20 to $107.39/bbl, data compiled at 4:16 p.m. New York time show.

Noble, the largest producer in the Niobrara, expects its output from the basin to surpass 100,000 boed this year and reach 250,000 by 2018, Willingham said at the 2014 DUG Bakken and Niobrara conference. Whiting has three rigs running in its Redtail prospect there and plans to add a fourth in August.

Oil from the Niobrara matches the medium crude Alaska North Slope so well that it may be “demanded by folks on the West Coast,” said Mark Smith, V.P. of development, supply and logistics for Tesoro Corp., the largest refiner in the West.

Niobrara crude “fills the bill” for the West Coast, Jim Volker, Whiting’s CEO, said at the conference. Oil from the formation will have to compete against other Western plays such as the Uinta basin of Utah to supply the region, he said.

Tesoro is developing a terminal at the Port of Vancouver, Washington, with Savage Services Corp. that would take oil off rail cars and load it onto marine vessels for delivery.

“That Niobrara stuff could easily take up space” at the terminal, Smith said.

Wyoming, home to the Guernsey oil-pipeline hub, issued permits last year allowing projects with collectively more than 459,000 bpd of crude trans-loading capacity. It has approved permits for two more sites this year with as much as 146,000 bpd in capacity.

Musket Corp. runs an oil-by-rail terminal in Windsor, Colorado, that began loading unit-trains at the beginning of this year. The White Cliffs pipeline that carries oil from the basin to Cushing, Oklahoma, is scheduled to double capacity to 150,000 bpd this year.

California, home to two-thirds of the West Coast’s refining capacity, received 55,025 bbl of oil by rail from Colorado in December, the most ever for that month, and took in a record 87,951 from the state in May 2013. Colorado oil production reached a record 206,000 bpd in October.

While companies including Noble and Whiting are accelerating drilling in the Niobrara, Continental Resources decided to allocate spending elsewhere this year, said John Kilgallon, the company’s V.P. of investor relations.

“There has been some success by some operators there, but we’re not one of them,” Kilgallon said by telephone March 28.

Providing useful resources, articles and writings on crude oil, other petroleum products, energy and gas. By Blockline and Associate Ltd Nigeria Ltd, online.

Emerson’s new ultrasonic flow meters improve accuracy

Emerson Process Management has introduced new Daniel multi-path gas and liquid ultrasonic meters that feature a next-generation electronics platform.

The accuracy, line size breadth, and flexibility make the new JuniorSonic one-path (3411) or two-path (3412), and SeniorSonic four-path (3414) gas ultrasonic meters ideal for a number of flow measurement applications. In addition, the new four-path (3814) liquid ultrasonic meter expands on the functionality and performance of its predecessor, the 3804 liquid ultrasonic meter, to offer improved reliability for custody transfer applications.

With faster flow sampling rates, the new electronics platform significantly increases the data set used to calculate average velocity, allowing rapid recognition of changing flow dynamics. Users will have access to high-volume data capture as well as detailed flow parameters, including pressure, temperature, and gas composition, allowing the meter to act as a redundant flow computer.

Improved calculations for auditing or invoice resolution are enabled by the electronics’ fast delivery of key data from the meter’s audit trail. The audit trail complies with American Petroleum Institute Standard 21.1, and is supported by a standard 128 MB non-volatile memory. Access to alarms, events and configuration changes is provided in a matter of seconds.

Additionally, the meters’ electronics feature a compact circuit board for increased reliability and maintainability, simplifying field removal and reinstallation. The electronics retrofit Daniel legacy ultrasonic meters and are expandable, enabling future upgrades to help meet changing customer needs. The electronics support remote access as well as true 100BaseT Fast Ethernet connectivity to facilitate enterprise-wide communication and integration.

To further improve reliability and uptime, each Daniel gas ultrasonic meter is supplied with new, rugged T-20 Series transducers that are engineered for wet, rich and/or dirty gas applications.  The transducers facilitate troubleshooting by enabling operators to quickly detect and isolate problems, preventing unnecessary depressurization of the meter.

The new Daniel gas and liquid ultrasonic meters are also equipped with an updated version of MeterLink (v1.10), a configuration and diagnostic software that utilizes an intuitive interface to improve overall functionality and ease of use.  MeterLink displays abnormal flow profiles, upstream blockage, deposit build-up within the meter, and the existence of liquid hydrocarbon in gas.

Providing useful resources, articles and writings on crude oil, other petroleum products, energy and gas. By Blockline and Associate Ltd Nigeria Ltd, online.

API-PA: Over $224 million invested in Pennsylvania communities by energy producers this year

API-PA, a division of the American Petroleum Institute, approved of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) statement that more than $224 mn will be distributed to local communities through the fees paid by natural gas producers under Act 13.

“Shale energy production is generating huge revenues for Pennsylvania in addition to driving job growth,” said Stephanie Catarino Wissman, Executive Director, API-PA.“Pennsylvania has collected more than $220 mn dollars from shale development fees for 2013 production. That translates into better roads, better housing, and better services for families and communities across the state.”

Under Act 13 of 2012, natural gas producers are required to pay a local impact fee which is deposited into the Unconventional Gas Well Fund. More than $630 mn has been collected from 2012-2014, according to the PUC. These revenues have supported housing initiatives, highway and bridge improvements, and environmental programs.

“Shale energy development, made possible by hydraulic fracturing, has transformed Pennsylvania’s economic future,” said Wissman. “The oil and natural gas industry is investing in communities, providing new revenue for the government and delivering a long-term path to new jobs for Pennsylvania workers. With the right policies moving forward, energy development will mean good news for the commonwealth for many years to come.”

Providing useful resources, articles and writings on crude oil, other petroleum products, energy and gas. By Blockline and Associate Ltd Nigeria Ltd, online.

Shell lifts first crude oil from Majnoon oil field

Shell announced April 7 that the Majnoon oil field it operates, in partnership with South Oil Company (SOC), Petronas and Missan Oil, in Southern Iraq has successfully exported its first shipment of crude oil to Shell trading, a significant milestone for the field.

The achievement comes as production at Majnoon has reached a current average of 210,000 bopd, well in excess of the 175,000 bopd First Commercial Production target, which initiates the commencement of cost recovery and was achieved after extensive rehabilitation works at the field.

Shell and its partners successfully recommenced production from Majnoon in September 2013, following the completion of major overhaul works, including 28 sq km of mine clearance, extensive refurbishment of brownfield facilities to meet safety standards, and the construction of a new greenfield central processing facility - the largest to be built in Iraq in the last decade - to allow for increased production capacity. To date, 18 new wells have been drilled at the field.

Providing useful resources, articles and writings on crude oil, other petroleum products, energy and gas. By Blockline and Associate Ltd Nigeria Ltd, online.

Chevron production heads for 8-year low as profit declines

Chevron is on track to post its lowest first quarter production in eight years after bad weather disrupted operations in Central Asia and North America.

Chevron by its market value also signaled that profit for the first three months of the year was the lowest since late 2010, according to a statement. Chevron, which is overseeing the $54 bn Gorgon natural gas export project in Australia, cited currency fluctuations and the falling value of some assets for the decline.

Chevron said it pumped the equivalent of 2.579 MMbpd during January and February. If output persisted at that pace through March, production for the full quarter would have been the lowest for that time of year since 2006.

Chevron is scheduled to disclose results for the entire three month period on May 2.

Before its statement, the company was expected to report full quarter output of 2.61 MMbbl, based on the average of three analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. That compares with 2.645 MMbbl in the first three months of 2013.

Chevron is accelerating oil exploration from Argentina to China to add reserves and revive output. Chairman and CEO John Watson is spending almost $40 bn this year to find, extract, transport and process oil and gas. Watson’s strategy also calls for auctioning off $10 bn in oilfields and other assets to hone the Chevron’s focus on the highest profit projects.

The statement was released after the close of regular trading in New York, where the shares fell 0.7% to $118.22.

Chevron declined 4.7% this year through the close, after advancing 16% in 2013. In March, Watson cut the company’s long-term production target by 6.1% to the equivalent of 3.1 MMbpd in 2017.

The company’s output fell for a third consecutive year in 2013, the longest streak of declines since the 2001-2004 period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Exxon Mobil is the biggest energy company by market value, followed by Shell.

Providing useful resources, articles and writings on crude oil, other petroleum products, energy and gas. By Blockline and Associate Ltd Nigeria Ltd, online.

Regulators to require two-person crews on crude trains

U.S. regulators, acting after an oil-train derailment last year ignited a fireball that killed 47 people in Canada, said they intend to require at least two crew members for crude shipments, a proposal opposed by the railroads.

The Federal Railroad Administration also will establish minimum crew size standard for most freight trains and passenger rail lines, the agency said in a statement.

“We are committed to taking the necessary steps to assure the safety of those who work for railroads and shippers, and the residents and communities along shipping routes,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.

The agency is acting after a train that was operated by one person was left unattended for the night in July and rolled into the center of Lac-Megantic, triggering a fatal explosion that destroyed half the town.

The Association of American Railroads, whose members include Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s BNSF, said large railroads already run oil trains with at least two crew members.

Nevertheless, Edward Hamberger, the group’s CEO, said the Federal Railroad Administration “has never shared an iota of data that shows or proves two-person crews are safer.”

“If a regulation is proposed, then the least that can be expected is that a federal agency should back it up with grounded data that justifies the recommend rule,” Hamberger said in a statement.

FRA administrator Joseph Szabo said in the agency’s statement that two-person crews would improve the safe transport of crude oil.

Crude-by-rail shipments have soared as oil drillers employ new technologies to crack open and free oil and gas from shale formations at a faster pace than pipelines can handle.

Canadian investigators found that the brakes on the Quebec train weren’t applied with enough force. Canadian regulators have since banned one-person train crews when hauling hazardous material.

“Whether a railroad is carrying crude oil through towns across America, or people taking a well-earned vacation or commuting to work, we need to make sure people are safe, whether on the train and near the tracks,” said Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat.

Murray is the chairman of the Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee, which is holding a hearing on rail safety today.

Previously, the Transportation Department ordered energy companies using rail to ship oil to test the chemical composition of all crude before loading it on tank cars. It is also studying whether rail cars carrying crude need to be made more robust to lower the risks a derailment will cause an explosion.

Foxx told the subcommittee the oil industry has provided a minimal amount of data on the characteristics of oil from North Dakota’s Bakken shale region, which is slowing down efforts to improve the safety of transporting the fuel. Bakken crude may be more volatile than other types of oil.

Providing useful resources, articles and writings on crude oil, other petroleum products, energy and gas. By Blockline and Associate Ltd Nigeria Ltd, online.