London, January 09, 2025 (Oilandgaspress) –-Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today announced the start of oil production from the Whale semi-submersible platform in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Chevron U.S.A. Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, owns 40% working interest in Whale, with Shell Offshore Inc. owning 60% interest as operator. The milestone is Chevron’s latest following a year when it achieved first production from its industry-first high-pressure Anchor project and commenced water injection operations at two projects to boost production at the company’s Jack/St. Malo and Tahiti facilities in the Gulf. “Production from Whale brings Chevron another step closer to reaching 300,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by 2026,” said Bruce Niemeyer, president, Chevron Americas Exploration & Production. “As a leading leaseholder in the Gulf, where we produce some of the lowest carbon intensity oil and natural gas in the world, Chevron is well positioned to continue growing affordable, reliable production in the U.S. while delivering higher returns and cash flow.”
Estimated peak production is 100,000 gross boe/d, with up to 15 wells in the first phase of development. Featuring energy-efficient gas turbines and compression systems, Whale leverages a simplified design model that is expected to deliver lower emissions, lower costs and higher returns.
Whale is approximately 200 miles (320 km) southwest of Houston on Alaminos Canyon Block 773 in more than 8,600 feet (2,620 m) of water. It’s approximately 10 miles from the Shell-operated Perdido spar platform, where Chevron U.S.A. Inc. owns 37.5% interest. Read More
Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell), a subsidiary of Shell plc, announced that production has started at the Shell-operated Whale floating production facility in the Gulf of Mexico. Whale replicates the simplified, cost-efficient host design of the Vito platform, which began production in early 2023. The Whale development is owned by Shell Offshore Inc. (60%, operator) and Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (40%).
“Whale demonstrates our focus on driving more value with less emissions from our Upstream business as we deliver the energy people need today,” said Zoë Yujnovich, Shell’s Integrated Gas and Upstream Director. “It will make a significant contribution to our commitment to bring projects online, with a total peak production of more than 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from 2023 through 2025.”
With an estimated peak production of 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), Whale currently has an estimated recoverable resource volume of 480 million boe. Whale replicates 99% of the hull design and 80% of the topsides from Vito. It also features energy-efficient gas turbines and compression systems, operating with around 30% lower greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity over its life cycle than Vito. This deep-water development enhances our leading Gulf of Mexico portfolio, where our oil production has among the lowest GHG intensity in the world. Read More
(Reuters) – Idemitsu Kosan (5019.T), opens new tab will begin a trial plantation of the non-edible oilseed tree crop Pongamia in Australia from mid-January to assess its potential as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Japan’s No.2 crude oil refiner said on Thursday.
The plantation will be conducted in collaboration with Terviva, a U.S. company with over a decade of research and cultivation expertise in Pongamia, Idemitsu said in a statement. Read More
(Reuters) – Kilang Pertamina Internasional, refinery unit of Indonesia’s state owned energy firm Pertamina, aims to produce its first certified sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the first quarter of this year, the company said on Thursday.
The firm received certification for SAF in December including the International Sustainability Carbon Certification(ISCC) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and ISCC Europe Union (EU) certification. It will produce SAF using the treated distillate hydro treating unit at its Cilacap refinery. Read More
(Reuters) – The U.S. state of Alaska has sued the Biden administration for what it calls violations of a Congressional directive to allow oil and gas development in a portion of the federal Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Monday’s lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Alaska challenges the federal government’s December 2024 decision to offer oil and gas drilling leases in an area known as the coastal plain with restrictions..The lawsuit said curbs on surface use and occupancy make it “impossible or impracticable to develop” 400,000 acres (162,000 hectares) of land the U.S. Interior Department plans to auction this month to oil and gas drillers. Read More
Jaguar sales take a nosedive after fierce backlash to ‘woke’ brand. The company was mauled for ditching the iconic ‘growler’ badge, used for decades on grilles and bonnets, and replacing it with a curved geometric ‘J’ badge.
Other controversial changes included unveiling a bright pink concept car, which was aimed at updating Jaguar’s image for the electric age. New industry registration figures released by parent company, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) revealed the number of cars sold by the Indian-owned firm fell by 12,459 to just 33,320 in 2024. Meanwhile, sales of JLR’s Range Rover SUV have boomed, with the firm championing ‘strong wholesale growth’ for the 12 per cent increase during the quarter compared to a year earlier. Read More
Lamborghini delivered 10,687 cars during 2024, equivalent to an increase of 6% compared to 2023, Automobili Lamborghini scores the best annual result in its history for deliveries to customers. This milestone testifies to the marque’s client loyalty as well as a growing new customer base, and confirms the success of the company’s 360-degree strategy built on brand and product innovation and excellence in the luxury super sports car segment. The EMEA area led the expansion with a 6% increase and 4,227 cars delivered, followed by the Americas up 7% with 3,712 units. The APAC region registered an increase of 3%, reaching a total of 2,748 cars distributed.
Alongside the Revuelto, the Huracán[2] also played a pivotal role in the success of 2024. With production of the last cars still in progress with deliveries scheduled throughout 2025, in its five versions of Sterrato, EVO Spyder, Tecnica, STO and STJ, the Huracán is moving toward the end of its production cycle and will pass the baton to its heir, the Temerario Read More
Bentley Motors announces today the alignment of its business operations in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India into a combined region, now becoming the EMEA region and biggest for the luxury marque. It will comprise 95 retail partners in 41 markets and represents approximately a third of the brand’s sales volume globally.
Leading the new region will be Richard Leopold, Regional Director, who has over 17 years of experience with Bentley Motors and a deep understanding of complex regional markets, having already commanded each market under this new regional structure. He adds: “I am extremely excited to continue to collaborate closely with our retail partners to drive the growth of our business across the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India under this new guise. This journey will not only focus on the launch of new models aligned with our Beyond100+ strategy but also emphasise enhancing our network and elevating the customer experience in our biggest single region in the world.” Read More
Adidas announces a multi-year partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, which unites two icons in one of the world’s fastest growing sports. The collaboration represents a significant moment in adidas’ history as it enters the pinnacle of motorsport: Formula 1®.
Built on a shared commitment to performance and excellence, the partnership leverages adidas’ 75-years of experience working with athletes at the top of their game to support the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team in driving success.
Throughout the 2025 season and beyond, adidas and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team will create a complete range of apparel, footwear and accessories for the entire team and its fanbase. The partnership will break new ground in a sport where milliseconds make the difference. The specially designed team kit will be built for the individual needs of each member’s role and made available to fans as well. The partnership will also include apparel, footwear and accessories created and designed specifically for supporters of the team and its drivers. Several limited-edition drops are also planned throughout the year. Read More
| Oil and Gas Blends | Units | Oil Price | Change |
| Crude Oil (WTI) | USD/bbl | $74.16 | Up |
| Crude Oil (Brent) | USD/bbl | $77.03 | Up |
| Bonny Light 06/01/25 CBN | USD/bbl | $77.17 | — |
| Dubai | USD/bbl | $76.28 | Down |
| Natural Gas | USD/MMBtu | $3.73 | Up |
| Murban Crude | USD/bbl | $77.10 | Up |
| OPEC basket 08/01/25 | USD/bbl | $76.93 | Up |
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OilandGasPress Energy Newsbites and Analysis Roundup | Compiled by: OGP Staff, Segun Cole @oilandgaspress.
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