japan

Mitsui Offshore Exploration of Japan, which held a 10% stake in the Macondo well that blew out in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico in April 2010, has paid $90 million to U.S. officials in penalties and environmental restoration fees, making it the first company of those involved in the massive oil spill to settle.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. is investing $2.9 billion to acquire a 40% stake in Encana Corp.’s Cutbank Ridge leasehold in British Columbia, the companies said Friday. The deal is set to close this month.

A unit of Japan’s Marubeni Corp. has struck a deal to acquire a 35% stake in Dallas-based Hunt Oil Co.’s Eagle Ford Shale holdings. Marubeni pledged Friday to grow its stake in shales, in the United States and around the world.

Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. is reportedly looking to add more American shale gas investments to its energy portfolio and is shopping for new opportunities in shale oil, but it might wait to make a move on shale gas until natural gas prices are higher.

SM Energy Co. and a unit of Japan’s Mitsui & Co. Ltd. have struck a drilling carry agreement in the Eagle Ford Shale that is worth $680 million to the Denver-based producer and is part of its sell-down in the South Texas play. Mitsui, which already has a Marcellus Shale stake, recently announced a deal in Poland, where it said it plans to apply shale lessons learned in the United States.

Houston-based JGC Energy Development (USA) Inc. (JEDI), a unit of Yokohama, Japan-based engineering firm JGC Corp. (JGC), has agreed to acquire a stake in Eagle Ford Shale oil assets from TriTech LLC, the company said.

Noble Energy Inc. CEO Chuck Davidson said he was “really pleased” with the company’s growth in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin.

Surrounded by disruptions of the Middle East oil supply and nuclear devastation in Japan, President Obama finally recognized the virtues of home-grown natural gas last week, labeling it “first” among the options available to shore up U.S. energy policy.

Citing public and industry concerns stemming from the disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) on Monday said it will suspend a relicensing effort for its Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant along the central California coast, pending the completion of updated seismic tests.