Petronas

International Swiss trading firm Vitol Group, one of the largest energy traders in the world, has stepped forward as a customer for liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the 25% share in the LNG Canada project owned by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas.

After dropping out for 10 months, Malaysia’s state-owned energy conglomerate on Thursday rejoined the lineup to start liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the Pacific coast of British Columbia by enlisting in the terminal project led by Royal Dutch Shell plc.

Pacific NorthWest LNG canceled plans Tuesday to build a C$11.4 billion ($9 billion) liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, citing unfavorable overseas market conditions.

Schlumberger Ltd.is collaborating with a subsidiary of Malaysia’s state-owned Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) on a deepwater multi-client survey in Mexico’s Campeche Basin in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The agreement would license to Petronas part of a wide-azimuth survey conducted by Schlumberger’s seismic business, WesternGeco. The project, Schlumberger said, follows the Mexican government’s decision to license offshore and onshore areas to private entities (see Daily GPI, Sept. 12). More than 80,000 square kilometers, or close to 31,000 square miles, of data have been acquired in the southern Gulf over the last 12 months, the oilfield services operator said.

The leading contender to build Canada’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal on the Pacific Coast of British Columbia (BC) stepped aside Wednesday, saying “challenging” markets prevent making a big commitment.

Affiliates of China Petrochemical Corp. (Sinopec) are acquiring a 15% interest in Progress Energy Canada Ltd.’s gas reserves in northeast British Columbia (BC) and in the proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG Ltd. (PNW LNG) export terminal on Canada’s West Coast.

Progress Energy Canada Ltd., Pacific NorthWest LNG Ltd. and Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) have closed the previously announced transaction that saw Japex Montney Ltd., the Canadian subsidiary of Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd., acquire a 10% interest in Progress Energy Canada’s natural gas assets in northeast British Columbia (BC), and in the proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG export facility on Canada’s West Coast near Prince Rupert, BC. Japex has agreed to buy a 10% share of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility’s production for a minimum of 20 years for domestic use in Japan (see Daily GPI, March 5). “This Japex investment in upstream natural gas resources in British Columbia and the downstream LNG facility further solidifies the North Montney as a world-class natural gas asset, and it clearly defines British Columbia and Canada as attractive and competitive destinations for global investment,” said Progress Energy Canada CEO Michael Culbert.

Booming shale plays in the United States have proved to be more than transformational domestically, according to Jeff Welch, head of North American Gas for EDF Trading North America — they are having “mind-boggling” implications worldwide.