2018

WNN - The USA has extended production tax credits for advanced nuclear power plants under a budget bill signed into law by President Donald Trump. The nuclear production tax credit is seen as an essential component for the completion of US plants already under construction and for first-of-a-kind small modular reactor (SMR) construction.

BP announced the start of gas production from the Atoll Phase One project, offshore Egypt. The project, in the North Damietta concession in the East Nile Delta, was delivered seven months ahead of schedule and 33% below the initial cost estimate.

WNN - Nigeria's first research reactor - a 30 kW Chinese Miniature Neutron Source Reactor similar to units operating in China, Ghana, Iran and Syria - was commissioned at Ahmadu Bello University in 2004. The reactor has been used for the analysis of materials and training. The IAEA is assisting with the conversion of that reactor to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel and the repatriation of its irradiated high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to China.

EIA - Crude oil production from the major US onshore regions is forecast to increase 110,000 b/d month-over-month in March to 6,756 million b/d, gas production to increase 832 million cubic feet/day to 64,941 million cubic feet/day .

REUTERS - Brent crude futures were at $63.42 per barrel at 0250 GMT, up 63 cents, or 1 percent, from the previous close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $59.83 a barrel. That was up 63 cents, or 1.1 percent, from their last settlement.

REUTERS - “Europe completely miscalculated when they assumed that they won’t need much additional gas and if they need some it can be supplied from outside Russia,” Medvedev, who looks after exports for the world’s top gas producer and exporter, said.

FT - The 25-year deal with China National Petroleum Corporation means Cheniere has pulled ahead in the race to develop a new wave of US LNG export projects to come on stream in the 2020s.

PLATTS - Congress early Friday approved a two-year budget agreement which mandates the sale of 100 million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve within a decade and authorizes sales of another $350 million of government-owned crude this fiscal year.

AOG - A $3.1bn project to introduce crude processing flexibility at the ADNOC-owned Ruwais oil refinery was announced.

REUTERS - A consortium led by India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) (ONGC.NS) has become the first group to win a stake in Abu Dhabi National Oil Co’s (ADNOC) 40-year offshore oil concession, a deal set to help the UAE expand its foothold in Asia.