In New Zealand Methanex said it hoped to maintain methanol production levels while an extended production test will be carried out on the Pohokura South well next month. Todd Energy is drilling for the first time in 50 years in NZ without Shell looking over its shoulder.
The Kiwi government is also offering up some prime northern offshore and onshore Taranaki acreage to explorers to get the country out of its impending energy shortage.
The Woollybutt FPSO in the Carnarvon Basin has commenced oil production along with the news that the floating production market will only keep expanding, according to a recent report.
PetSec is following on from its recent share price gains by announcing a two well drilling program in the Gulf of Mexico. In the same neighborhood, FAR is drilling a number of wells in the near future which it hopes to put on production as quickly as they have with the current Rainosek well.
Arc sold out of their Cliff Head equity for $9 million up front and with a possible $3.765 million later, to concentrate on their onshore Perth Basin core acreage.
Nearby Arc's Hovea oilfield in the Perth Basin, the Jingemia production test got underway to the joy of the swag of local juniors involved.
Amity successfully got through the neighbouring Iraq war without its share price being a casualty and has rewarded its shareholders with yet another discovery, with the Cayidere-1 well.
In PNG, more kit is enroute for InterOil's Napa Napa refinery while the company keeps drilling the Moose well and the markets may be looking at Oil Search's financials with a bit more diligence as its business is evolving to more than a proposed pipeline operator.
Eastern Star Gas said it would form a power unit to run the Narrabri Power Station in NSW while Woodside announced it would save over $550 million by slashing jobs and capital expenditure programs. Woodside also outlined its final Environmental Impact statement for the Vincent Enfield project in the Carnarvon Basin.
Internationally, the environmental lobby in the North Sea are happy the Norgies have specified a zero discharge policy in the area for produced water and TotalFinaElf is reverting back to its name of old, Total.
And to finish the week off on an untidy note (after AlintaGas's success in acquiring United Energy's assets last week), the WA Gas Regulator has cried off handing down its contentious tariff decision yet again. The first was to build a stronger legal bunker and the second was at Epic's request, after Epic had seen early drafts, it seems. One gets a sinking feeling there might be a fire sale in the pipeline … err, future.
And you can't keep Felsy out of the limelight for too long. The Consumer Commission tsar said he'd probably kibosh any planned stake in the Dampier pipeline by AlintaGas, just in case they were thinking of such a deal.
