ExxonMobil has boosted third quarter earnings by 57 percent, buoyed by increased crude oil and natural gas prices compared to the corresponding period a year ago. In its financial report published on Friday, the supermajor said earnings had increased by 57% to US$6.2 billion in the third quarter compared to $3.97 billion in the same period last year. The company’s revenues rose to $76.6 billion from $61.1 billion in the previous corresponding period in 2017. Oil-equivalent production was 3.8 million barrels per day, down 2 percent from the third quarter of 2017.
Company Updates


Chevron doubles 3Q yield with record earnings
Chevron has doubled its third quarter earnings, spurred by higher crude oil prices, to US$4 billion compared to $2 billion in the third quarter of 2017. The U.S. supermajor reported that the current quarter included write-off, an asset impairment and a non-recurring contractual settlement totalling $930 million in the upstream segment. A gain of $350 million was recorded from the sale of southern Africa refining, marketing and lubricant assets. Foreign currency effects decreased earnings in the 2018 third quarter by $51 million, compared with a decrease of $112 million a year earlier.

Bass Oil on track for record monthly output
Bass Oil (ASX: BAS) has announced that during October it achieved sustained high daily oil production levels averaging almost 900 barrels of oil per day (bopd) Joint Venture share, at the Tangai Sukanati KSO. The Melbourne-based company said it was on track to challenge the previous Joint Venture production record for the KSO of ~26,000 bbls. The previous record was set in October 2015. “This compares favourably to September production levels of 17,081 barrels of oil Joint Venture share,” Bass Oil said. Bass has a 55% interest in the Joint Venture.

Pakistan’s Bahria University Benefits from CGG GeoSoftware’s Donation Program Promoting Geoscience Education
Postgraduate students at Pakistan’s Bahria University (Karachi Campus) can now conduct more complex research into quantitative geophysics thanks to the donation by CGG GeoSoftware of a full suite of its advanced geoscience software. Exploration & production companies around the world use this software to better understand the Earth’s subsurface, manage exploration and development risks, and maximize the potential of oil and gas reserves.

Spectrum and TGS announce collaboration on expanded Santos Basin Multi-Client 3D Survey
Spectrum and TGS have joined forces and expanded the Santos 3D seismic program to 15,000 square kilometers over the prospective southern Santos Basin offshore Brazil. TGS and Spectrum will be equal partners with seismic data processing and imaging to be performed by TGS. The survey covers an area south of the high profile discoveries of the Santos Basin and the recent sought after blocks offered in Rounds 2,3,4,5 and 15. Rune Eng, CEO Spectrum, comments, “Spectrum is excited to cooperate with TGS in this survey over such a highly prospective area.

Wood wins new IRPC contract in south east Asia
Wood has been awarded a new contract by IRPC Plc for its Maximum Aromatics (MARS) project, leveraging its operations in the south-east Asian oil and gas market. Wood will provide frontend engineering design (FEED) for the world-scale paraxylene complex to be built at IRPC’s existing integrated petrochemical complex in Rayong Province, Thailand. The one-year contract will be delivered from Wood’s offices in Sriracha, Thailand, and secures around 100 jobs in-country.

High-End Seismic Imaging Solves Shallow Gas Challenges
The latest Q modeling, and Q-compensating imaging techniques bring greater clarity to Northern Viking Graben, CGG has announced. CGG has recently completed seismic depth imaging of its entire Northern Viking Graben multi-client survey, in the Norwegian North Sea. The latest visco-acoustic (“Q”) velocity modeling and seismic imaging technologies have been applied to BroadSeis™ broadband variable-depth streamer field data, acquired between 2014 and 2016. The final output forms a contiguous data volume covering 35,400 km².

Po Valley retains north Italian oil assets after key shareholder in private UK buyer blocks sale
Australia’s Po Valley Energy is to retain full ownership of two onshore oil fields in northern Italy after their sale to a private London-based resources company, Delta Energy Limited, was blocked by one of Delta’s large shareholders. After a year of substantial expenditure, due diligence and rising oil prices, Delta’s management is understood to have fully endorsed the acquisition of the large Cadelbosco di Sopra (Po Valley 85%) oil exploration licence and adjoining smaller Grattasasso (100%) oil exploration licence in northern Italy.

Woodside confirms successful Shwee Yee Htun-2 appraisal well offshore Myanmar
Woodside has announced that the Shwe Yee Htun-2 appraisal well in Block A-6, located offshore Myanmar, has successfully appraised the 2016 Shwe Yee Htun-1 discovery. The Shwe Yee Htun-2 appraisal well was drilled down-dip from the Shwe Yee Htun-1 well and intersected a gross gas column of 168 m (measured depth rotary table (MDRT)) (143 m true vertical thickness). A total of 41 m of net pay (true vertical thickness) has been interpreted within a high quality-reservoir.

Jadestone satisfies conditions for Montara acquisition from PTTEP
Jadestone Energy has satisfied all conditions precedent to its proposed acquisition of the Montara oil project, offshore Australia, from Thailand’s PTTEP. The independent oil and gas producer announced on Friday that the transaction was expected to complete within 10 days. PTTEP announced its decision to divest its 100% stake in the Montara field to align with the company’s business strategy aimed to focus on the operations and projects in strategic locations back in mid-July.
