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As Countries Shun Russian Crude, Canada Plans to Boost Its Oil Exports
04/01/2022
Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's natural resources minister, reports that his country is looking at ways to increase pipeline utilization to boost crude exports as Europe seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian oil.
Enbridge Inc., the operator of the Southern Lights pipeline (part of the Mainline pipeline system), is in talks with the government, looking for ways to ease the current energy crisis. Network capabilities are the main point of discussion, as well as how fully they are utilized. Increasing exports to Europe is a key goal of the Canadian government.
At the moment, oil exports from Canada to the U.S. are approximately 4 million barrels of oil per day, with a small portion reexported to other countries. And this number is poised to rise.
In addition to Enbridge's Mainline pipeline, TC Energy's Keystone pipeline carries another 590,000 barrels/day of crude oil to the United States. However, no comment was provided by TC Energy as of yet.
What is known in the meantime, is that Enbridge's liquids and natural gas pipelines are near or at capacity, but the company has begun examining potential ways to supply more energy to U.S. and European markets. That strategy includes using facilities on the Gulf Coast for crude oil and natural gas export as one of the most feasible options.
This situation unveils following the geopolitical crisis in Eastern Europe. The Canadian government and other nations vowed not to import Russian oil. European leaders agreed to cut their reliance on Russian fossil fuels on March 10.
Ukraine's war has shown all of the European countries that they cannot be dependent on Russian oil and gas for long, which has sped up discussions about transitioning from natural gas to hydrogen. However, this cannot be done overnight.
Together with industry, the Canadian government is also analyzing how pipeline flows can be increased in response to such violence, but the extent of what can be done will not be known for another week.
Despite the fact that Canada is willing to increase pipeline export capacity, many producers have been reluctant to adjust their spending plans, which could significantly increase output.
There are currently no LNG export terminals in Canada, but a consortium led by Shell Plc and Petroliam Nasional Bhd is building a large facility on the west coast that will be open by the middle of the decade.
This will come in handy, as even by the end of 2021 Canadian oil companies exported a record amount of crude from the U.S. Gulf Coast, mostly to big importers India, China, and South Korea.
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To Be or Not To Be: Bakken Assets Could Fetch $5 Billion for Exxon Mobil
Exxon Mobil Corp. is weighing prospects of selling its assets in North Dakota’s Bakken, after gauging interest from potential buyers — 5 billion is the issue price, at least according to rumors. The price point came about after the news that the oilgiant is in the final round of hiring bankers to help launch the sale. Yet Exxon Mobil itself stays tight-lipped regarding the situation.
Major: Ameredev II Oil Producer to be Sold for $4 Billion by EnCap
In light of the conflict in Ukraine, buyout firms are currently scurrying to make cash from the U.S. crudeprices reaching their highest level since 2008. And one of the largest privately-owned US-based oilproducers may be up for sale. EnCap Investments looks to sell its portfolio company Ameredev II for over $4 billion including debt. It’s important to note, however, that both EnCap and Ameredev II alike are staying tight-lipped on the matter.
Kinetik Holdings recently announced a series of transactions in the energy sector. They struck a deal to buy Durango Permian infrastructure for $765 million. At the same time, they're selling their 16% share in the Gulf Coast Express Pipeline to ArcLight Capital Partners for $540 million. The total purchase cost includes $510 million in cash paid immediately and an additional $30 million that will be paid later, depending on whether they decide to expand further.
Recently, the Permian has seen significant acquisitions: Exxon Mobil purchased Pioneer Natural Resources for about $60 billion. Diamondback Energy's $26 billion deal to acquire Endeavor Energy Resources is currently on hold due to requests from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Occidental’s acquisition of CrownRock for $12 billion in the Midland.
EOG Resources is pushing boundaries in Ohio's Utica oil play and now drilling on the Sable pad, also located in Noble County. This site features the 3.7-mile lateral currently under construction. The company's first multi-well pads in the area Timberwolf and Xavier have each produced over 200,000 barrels of oil since their inception—Timberwolf in August and Xavier in October. A third site, the four-well White Rhino pad in Noble County, is also showing promising early results, according to Keith Trasko, EOG’s Senior Vice President of Exploration and Production, who noted the wells are performing as expected in their initial weeks.