NEW YORK: Oil prices rose more than 2% on Thursday on a weaker dollar and expectations that a crude glut would be short-lived due to a steep fall in U.S. fuel stocks and a resumption of operations by Texas refiners. Brent crude oil futures for May settled up $1.73, or 2.6%, to $69.63 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for April ended the session $1.58 or 2.5% higher, at $66.02. "The complex has recovered back to above yesterday's highs with major assistance from a weak dollar/strong equity combo," Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates said. "We feel that the energy complex could remain in a stall well into next week with WTI bounded roughly by parameters of about $63 to $68 before any renewed up-spike." U.S. Treasury yields fell on Thursday as concern about a strong pick-up in inflation eased and focus turned to an auction of 30-year government debt. The dollar fell for a third straight day and was at its lowest level in a week against a basket of currencies.
Fewer than expected Americans filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week as an improving public health environment allows more segments of the economy to reopen. A massive draw on U.S. gasoline stocks has also helped to boost oil prices, said Tamas Varga, senior analyst at PVM Oil Associates. "(It) implies that refiners' crude intake will keep growing, reversing the recent stock builds we have seen in the last three weeks due to Winter Storm Uri." U.S. gasoline stocks fell by 11.9 million barrels in the week to March 5 to 231.6 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said, compared with expectations for a 3.5 million-barrel drop. Crude inventories, however, rose by 13.8 million barrels in the week to March 5 to 498.4 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for an 816,000-barrel rise, as the nation's oil industry continued to feel the effects of a winter storm mid-February that stalled refining and forced production shut-ins in Texas. Still, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a monthly report demand will rise by 5.89 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2021, or 6.5%, up slightly from last month. But the group cut its forecasts for the first half. Globally, stocks also remain ample with crude oil in storage at major land and sea hubs rising last week, according to analysts and ship trackers. As the pace of inoculations picks up, several states such as North Carolina and California have moved to relax COVID-19 restrictions. - Reuters
__________________________________________________ London-listed Cairn has agreed to sell its interests in the UK North Sea Catcher and Kraken fields to Waldorf Production Limited for a cash consideration of US$460 million plus additional contingent consideration dependent mainly on oil prices from 2021 to the end of 2025.
The consideration is subject to adjustments for working capital and other customary interim period adjustments from the economic effective date of January 2020.
Under the deal, Cairn will sell its entire 20 percent interest in the Catcher field and 29.5 percent interest in the Kraken field.
As already mentioned, the firm consideration of US$460 million. Additional uncapped contingent consideration dependent on oil prices and production performance from 2021 to the end of 2025: generating ~US$75 million at US$60 Brent and ~US$125 million at US$65 Brent.
The completion of the deal is completion currently expected in H2 2021
Simon Thomson, Chief Executive of Cairn said: "The divestment of our UK producing assets as they move into decline phase, will further strengthen our ability to pursue Cairn's strategic goals and position the company robustly for the decade ahead."
In a separate statement, Cairn, together with Cheiron announced the proposed acquisition of a portfolio of upstream oil and gas production, development and exploration interests from Shell in the Western Desert, onshore Egypt for a purchase price of US$646 million (US$323 million net to Cairn).
The deal also includes an additional contingent consideration of up to US$280 million (US$140 million net to Cairn) if certain requirements are met.
Capricorn Egypt, a subsidiary of Cairn, will take 50% of the assets, with the remaining 50% acquired by Cheiron.
@Robertwalters, all fields go into natural decline after the first 1 or 2 years. Kraken is heading into natural decline. This is part of the design. It is still expected to generate over 35,000 bopd. Nothing to worry about. This can be confirmed in the production figures, which peaked in 2019 and have been steadily declining since.
Note: The decline is very steady. It's like a plateau more like.
This book is the result of the author's many years of experience and observation throughout his 26 years in the stockbroking industry. It was written for general public to learn to invest based on facts and not on fantasies or hearsay....
strattegist
23,459 posts
Posted by strattegist > 2021-03-11 17:20 | Report Abuse
closed green