Ireland awards first phase of 2015 license round in Porcupine basin

Ireland’s Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources has awarded 14 new licensing options in the country’s southern Porcupine basin. The 2015 Atlantic Margin licensing round recently concluded with 43 applications received by the September 2015 deadline, a number of which included seismic acquisition for later this year. Source: News

E&P startup agrees to buy WPX’s Piceance unit for $910 million

Houston-based exploration and production startup Terra Energy Partners LLC has agreed to acquire WPX Energy Rocky Mountain LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of WPX Energy Inc., Tulsa, for $910 million. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter. Source: News

Obama’s oil fee

When the President of the United States proposes to wreck what until recently had been a rare source of economic growth, his reasons should be sound and his prospects for success, solid. Source: News

Looking ahead, not back

It’s mid-February, and thank the petroleum gods and goddesses for that. For the OGJ technology editors, it means the 2016 conference season is about to kick off, and it couldn’t be arriving at a more critical time for this industry. Source: News

Low oil prices push liberalization of GCC project finance

Slumping crude prices are forcing oil-producing countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council to finance projects with funding sources other than national treasuries and bank debt, including capital markets and private investment. Source: News

BHI: US rig count loses 30 in latest drilling dive

The US drilling rig count plunged 30 units to 541 during the week ended Feb. 12, continuing another interval of steep declines amid a drilling slump that stretches back to late 2014. All but two units to go offline this week were oil-directed. Source: News