ExxonMobil

With presidential elections looming and energy reforms at a critical juncture, the two Latin American energy powers awarded a bevy of blocks to a who’s who of international oil companies.

The US supermajor continues to evolve its global strategy by pulling out of once-promising Russian partnerships and adding to its offshore Guyana oil drilling bounty.

Many operators are taking a full-life-cycle approach to preparing for decommissioning—a shift borne of necessity amid cost and regulatory constraints.

In November, ExxonMobil signed a commitment with several companies aimed at reducing methane emissions. That agreement built off earlier efforts the company had announced to enhance voluntary methane reduction.

The Irving, Texas-based supermajor plans to cash in on its expanded foothold in the Permian Basin, aided by a big reduction in the US corporate tax rate.

ExxonMobil will lead the construction and operation of all future natural gas liquefaction and related facilities and assume midstream operations in Mozambique’s Area 4. Eni will continue to lead the Coral floating LNG project and all upstream operations.

Exxon on 11 December said it would publish new details about how climate change could affect its business in a move aimed at appeasing critics and forestalling another proxy fight next year.

ExxonMobil expects a new $1 billion fuel upgrading unit at its Antwerp refinery to be fully operational in the first half of next year, the company said on 28 November.

Advancements in extended-reach drilling continue from the ExxonMobil-operated Sakhalin-1 project. The latest “super complex” horizontal well stretches 15,000 m, which partner Rosneft says is a “world record.”

The Stanford University and Environmental Defense Fund launched a challenge for mobile methane leak monitoring technology. ExxonMobil will serve as a technical adviser.