The picture of U.S. future energy supplies looked brighter Thursday after the federal Energy Information Administration said U.S. oil reserves grew by a record amount, driven by new shale discoveries.

But the shares of two oil giants took hits as Royal Dutch Shell wrote down the value of its U.S. shale assets by $2 billion and warned that rebels’ continuing sabotage of Ni­ger­ia’s onshore output could damage the company’s production. Exxon Mobil fell as earnings in its refining and chemical units suffered downturns.

Separately, TransCanada, the Calgary-based company behind the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, announced that it would push ahead with a $12 billion pipeline from Canada’s oil sands to the port of St. John on Canada’s eastern coast. The new pipeline would carry 1.1 million barrels a day, more than a third more than the Keystone XL would.

The EIA report said that “proved” oil reserves — oil that can be extracted and marketed under current conditions — grew by 15 percent, or almost 3.8 billion barrels, the second straight record year of increases. That brought U.S. proved oil reserves to the highest level since 1985. The agency said that U.S. proved reserves of natural gas jumped 10 percent, the second-largest annual increase since 1977.

Texas posted the largest increase in proved oil reserves, largely because of shale developments in the state’s Permian Basin and the Eagle Ford formation. North Dakota had the second-largest increase, boosted by activity in the Bakken formation in the Williston Basin.

READ MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/us-oil-reserves-rise-to-highest-level-since-1985/2013/08/01/881d2a7c-fad9-11e2-a369-d1954abcb7e3_story.html

During a trip to survey booming oil development in North Dakota on Tuesday and Wednesday, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said she saw evidence energy companies are working aggressively to pare greenhouse gas emissions ahead of federal regulations on the practice.

During her two-day visit to North Dakota, Jewell visited an oil rig working for Oklahoma City-based Continental Resources, a major operator in the Bakken and Three Forks plays of Montana and North Dakota. She also toured facilities operated by Norway’s Statoil, which has invested more than $4 billion in the region.

It was Jewell’s first visit to the surging oil region since she became Interior secretary in April.

“It’s extraordinary how much oil is in the ground here and is being produced,” she said in an interview. “North Dakota has become the second-largest producer of crude oil among the 50 states. It has passed Alaska. It has passed California.”

“To see that on the ground is amazing,” Jewell added.

READ MORE: http://fuelfix.com/blog/2013/08/07/drilling-regulator-sees-methane-reductions-in-booming-bakken/

The popular yellow EnergyGuide labels listed with many consumer appliances provide valuable operating cost and energy use information to the public.

And if the propane industry gets its way, these appliance labels will show additional data that positions LP gas-fueled appliances favorably, especially against electricity.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sets energy-efficiency standards for appliances in residential and commercial buildings based on site measurements, or at the point of use. The National Propane Gas Association (NPGA), among other groups, has been pushing for a full-fuel-cycle (FFC) measure of energy consumption at the federal level. This measure considers the energy consumed in extracting, processing and transporting primary fuels through its point of use and, according to proponents, provides a more accurate portrayal of energy use and emissions.

“Full fuel cycle goes back to the extraction of liquids out of the ground,” says Michael Caldarera, vice president of regulatory and technical services for NPGA.

Read more: http://www.lpgasmagazine.com/what-a-new-measure-of-appliance-efficiency-emissions-could-mean-for-propane/

The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board issued an authorization that lets Encana Corportation to start shipping natural gas from its reservoir to an offshore production centre. Then it can be sent to market.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/08/02/ns-deep-panuke.html

A pop psychologist would say I'm conflicted. I'm sure a lot of other Canadians feel the same about Thursday's announcement of an all-Canadian oil pipeline.

The TransCanada Corporation says it is going to invest $12 billion to stretch a thin line of crude from Alberta to New Brunswick, with stopovers in Quebec, pumping more than a million barrels a day from the booming west to Canada's old industrial heartland.

“It would be the most efficient and the safest and economic way to transport crude oil to eastern Canadian refineries, creating jobs, long-term economic benefits across the country and displace foreign imported oil, making Canada more energy independent,” says Russ Girling, TransCanada's CEO.

By all traditional measures it is a perfect economic project for these times. And in principle, it is something I have begged for repeatedly.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/08/01/busines-pittis-pipeline.html

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The price of oil soared to above $102 US a barrel Wednesday for the first time in over a year as Egypt's political crisis intensified, raising the risk of fuel supply disruptions in the Suez Canal.

A report showing an unexpectedly large fall in U.S. stockpiles of crude oil also helped boost prices.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for August delivery was up $1.86 at $101.46 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, having risen as high as $102.18 earlier in the session. On Tuesday, the contract gained $1.61, or 1.6 per cent.

Embattled Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi vowed not to resign hours before a deadline to yield to the demands of millions of protesters or see the military suspend the constitution, disband parliament and install a new leadership.

The Islamist leader demanded that the powerful armed forces withdraw their ultimatum, saying he rejected all "dictates" — from home or abroad. On the streets, the sense that both sides are ready to fight to the end sharpened, with clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents killing at least 23 people, most of them in a single incident of fighting outside Cairo University.

READ MORE: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/07/03/business-oil-prices-egypt.html

Come visit us, Northern Star Communications, at Booth #1803 in the BMO Centre. See you there!

http://gasandoilexpo.com

VICTORIA - The B.C. government has formally rejected the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, saying the company has not properly addressed the province’s environmental concerns.

To read more visit:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/formally+rejects+proposed+Northern+Gateway+pipeline/8462057/story.html

The ability of the oil and gas sector to absorb tough government controls on their greenhouse gas emissions depends on Canada getting a better price for its oil, Environment Minister Peter Kent says.

The extra revenue would allow companies to invest heavily in leading-edge technology that would curtail pollution, he said in an interview from London.

"What we have to do, one way or another, is get rid of the U.S. discount," Kent said. "That would certainly provide great latitude to invest in the technology....Keystone or not."

READ MORE: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/05/13/pol-kent-oil-gas-emissions.html

TORONTO, Ontario — Former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty admitted Tuesday he did not know what it would cost when he made the decisions to cancel planned gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga and move them to other locations.

Testifying under oath at the legislature’s justice committee, McGuinty acknowledged in his opening statement that he made the decisions to scrap the two energy projects, which were widely opposed by local residents.

“In my office, we don’t have the capacity to make calculations associated with these kinds of contractual arrangements, or to make these kinds of estimates as to what ultimate costs might be,” he told the committee.

“I knew that going into this, that when I said we’re going to relocate gas plants, that I did not have at my hand the costs associated with that.”

to read more go to: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/05/07/former-ontario-premier-dalton-mcguinty-testifies-that-it-was-his-decision-to-kill-oakville-gas-plants/

 Workers tend to a well head during a hydraulic fracturing operation in western Colorado, March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

The United States has double the amount of oil and three times the amount of natural gas than previously thought, stored deep under the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana, according to new data the Obama administration released Tuesday.

In announcing the new data in a conference call, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell also said the administration will release within weeks draft rules to regulate hydraulic fracturing, technology that has come under scrutiny for its environmental impact but that is essential to developing all of this energy.

“These world-class formations contain even more energy-resource potential than previously understood, which is important information as we continue to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of oil,” Jewell said in a statement.

READ MORE: http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/the-u-s-has-much-much-more-gas-and-oil-than-we-thought-20130430?mrefid=site_search

Building a diamond mine, expanding an oilsands mine, offshore exploration or an interprovincial bridge could soon require a federal environmental review under proposed additions and subtractions to the Harper government's new environmental rules.

But provincially regulated pipelines, facilities used to process the heavy oil from the oilsands, pulp and paper mills as well as chemical explosive plants are among those being deleted from a list of projects requiring federal environmental investigations prior to approval.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/Harper+government+amends+list+industrial+projects+requiring+environmental+reviews/8307066/story.html#ixzz2RtLVBnB4

Inuvialuit leaders in the Mackenzie Delta question how serious Alberta is about building an oil pipeline to ship oil north to the Beaufort Sea.

READ MORE: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2013/04/29/nwt-inuvik-oilsands-pipeline-skeptical.html

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Oil rose more than five per cent this week, even with a decline on Friday, as traders concluded last week's dive to a low for the year was overdone.

The price of oil slipped Friday after a report showing that growth picked up in the U.S. economy last quarter, but not as much as expected. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for June delivery fell 64 cents to US$93 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Still, oil rose $4.99 a barrel over the week, with the 5.6 per cent increase the largest weekly gain of the year.

Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/falls+below+ahead+firstquarter+figures/8299312/story.html#ixzz2RbZUJIjV

Canada's Supreme Court on Thursday, April 11, 2013 declined to hear an Alberta aboriginal group's application to block an upcoming regulatory decision for a Royal Dutch Shell oil sands development.

Read more: http://www.lse.co.uk/FinanceNews.asp?code=p9smuzdw&headline=Top_Canada_court_will_not_hear_oil_sands_case

If the Obama administration rejects the Keystone XL pipeline, it would be a significant thorn in Canadian-U.S. relations, Alberta's premier said Wednesday.

Premier Alison Redford was in Washington for her fourth trip to lobby on behalf of a pipeline that Canada sees as critical to its economic well-being. The Obama administration is considering whether to approve the pipeline, which would carry 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta across six U.S. states to the Texas Gulf Coast, which has numerous refineries. A decision is expected later this summer.

"It would become something that we would continue to talk about," Redford said of a possible rejection during a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It would be a continuing issue."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2013/04/10/calgary-alberta-alison-redford-washington-pipeline.html

Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB) and a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles have teamed up to buy the Blackspring Ridge wind generation project near Lethbridge, Alta., on a 50-50 basis from Greengate Power Corp.

The companies say Blackspring Ridge represents a $600-million investment in wind energy but financial details of the transactions weren't disclosed in Monday's announcement.

When completed, it will have 166 turbines — making it the biggest wind power project in Western Canada, according to the companies.

to read more visit: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/enbridge-edf-energies-buy-600-million-alberta-wind-project-from-greengate-201908731.html?domain=fpnews

 The Government's commitment to ensure responsible resource development and achieve the goal of "one project, one review", which includes system-wide legislative improvements to the review process for major economic projects that will establish clear timelines, reduce duplication and regulatory burdens, are concepts long-supported by the Canadian Propane Association (CPA).

Last month, the CPA endorsed the recommendation for an efficient and effective regulatory regime put forth by the Energy Policy Institute of Canada (EPIC) at their conference in Calgary, Alberta.

"The CPA applauds the Government for acting on the recommendation," said CPA President & CEO, Jim Facette. "As an important part of the larger energy industry in Canada, the propane industry will also benefit from the reduced administrative and financial hurdles, as well as the increased growth, that 'one project, one review' will bring to the energy industry." 

to read more go to: http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/947141/economic-action-plan-2012-supported-by-propane-industry

Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

A leading biennial event for the North American gas and oil industry. Held in the energy capital of Canada - Calgary, Alberta - the event offers opportunities for brand exposure, business development, education, and networking. Indoor and outdoor exhibits showcase emerging technologies, a diverse range of products and services, and leading expertise. The largest Canadian energy event of 2013, Gas & Oil Expo hosts over 500 exhibiting companies and attracts 20,000 registered attendees.

Find Out More at http://gasandoilexpo.com

We are pleased to inform you that effective April 1, 2013 the Petroleum Human Resource Council (PHRC) joins Enform Canada.

Under the leadership of Cheryl Knight we look forward to growing the contribution of this new PHRC division of Enform in several important areas which serve the upstream oil and gas industry. 

Read more: http://www.enform.ca/events/NewsDetails.aspx?a=15

The federal government restated its support for TransCanada Corp. Tuesday, after the Calgary-based energy company said it is inviting companies to make 'firm commitments' to ship oil across the country in a proposed pipeline from Western Canada all the way to Saint John, New Brunswick.

“Global energy demand is expected to increase by over 36 per cent from 2010 to 2035 and Canada is well positioned to support that demand,” Oliver told reporters in Ottawa. “But without the infrastructure to move the product to market, our oil will be stranded and our legacy lost.”

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/business/west-east-pipeline-key-to-open-new-markets-for-canadian-oil-oliver-1.1220400#ixzz2Pcek7pj9

Safety Awards banquets aren’t an ongoing tradition merely because CAODC has been throwing these parties every April for a good long time.  There is something critically important in the way CAODC members gather as an industry to recognize employees. 

Published in The Roughneck (“Association’s Corner”)
April 2012

April is the month when land-based drilling rigs and well servicing rigs celebrate the safety successes of the previous year.  CAODC hosts two evening banquets to celebrate the crews who made these achievements possible.

Given the nature of the work environment, completing rig operations in a safe and efficient manner requires significant focus.  Heavy equipment, adverse weather conditions and pressing deadlines all present possible hazards that crews mitigate with strict safety procedures.

Crews that manage incident-free operations undoubtedly deserve recognition from industry.  It is no surprise that field employees are proud of these achievements and attach some importance to their Safety Days, the measure employers use to determine who is recognized at a CAODC Safety Awards banquet.   Drillers and Rig Managers who accrue 200 consecutive days incident-free are eligible for a CAODC Safety Awards scroll.

Safety Awards banquets aren’t an ongoing tradition merely because CAODC has been throwing these parties every April for a good long time.  There is something critically important in the way CAODC members gather as an industry to recognize employees. 

***

In 2005, CAODC received a flood of calls from experienced crew members requesting records of their Safety Days.  The Rig Technician trade had recently been introduced.  To qualify for the new journeyman certificate, senior field employees needed documentation of work experience.  CAODC staff had to redirect these inquiries.  Provincial administrators of the Rig Technician trade don’t accept Safety Days as proof of time in trade but require a formal Confirmation of Work Experience document from employers. 

For anyone in the industry, however, Safety Days were an indisputable way to prove work history.  CAODC had been coordinating Safety Days for three decades.  It was logical for drilling crewmembers to identify their Safety Days as the go-to resource to support an application for the journeyman qualification. 

***

In 2009, when companies scrambled to manage balance sheets in a tough economic environment, CAODC faced difficult decisions organizing that year’s Safety Awards.  Sponsorship and ticket sales – the primary funding vehicles for the banquets – were down.  The budget was tight.  One way CAODC navigated the shortfall was to eliminate the tradition of Safety Awards drinking glasses. 

These drinking glasses – stamped with the CAODC logo and the year of the event – had been a long-time staple of the banquets, but, in 2009, with the economy choked by recession, costs needed trimming.

At that year’s banquets, the outcry over the missing glasses was swift.  Field employees (or, more accurately, the wives of field employees) were confounded that a year would be unaccounted for in their series of CAODC Safety Awards glass collection. 

In at least one rig manager’s house, the 2009 budget decision interrupted a series of Safety Awards glasses that spanned 25 years.  The dismay continued to echo loudly throughout drilling and service rig companies long after the hotel’s function room had emptied.

***

These events resonate because of the unique importance of the evening’s message.

Throughout the year, industry presents all kinds of data points to showcase the economic health of oil and gas production.  Industry stakeholders review the numbers of wells drilled, of wells completed, and of operating days reported. 

Safety Awards, distributed according to Safety Days, are different kinds of numbers, data points that carry thoughtful importance.

These numbers prompt industry to set aside the usual macro view.  Instead, the consideration becomes personal and individual: behind every well drilled and every operating day, a team of employees is putting in a day’s work. 

Safety Awards banquets highlight how drilling and service rig activity rests on individual employees, individuals who bring to their job an attentive professionalism and ensure that rigs are run with managed efficiency.   

Safety Awards banquets are more than good parties. 

They unpack activity statistics and celebrate the achievements of individual crewmembers.  These banquets are, in short, a very important industry tradition.

(CAODC was pleased to have CAODC Safety Awards glasses back on guest tables in 2011.  And yes, 2012 glasses will be available at this year’s banquets!)

7:30 am - 9:00 am

Guest Speaker: Brian Davison, Q.C. of Davis LLP

Registration now open to Associate Members! 

for more info visit: http://www.caodc.ca/eventscalendar/eventscalendar.html