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Tag: BP

  • BP, Exxon, Total, 13 others bid for Ghana’s oil fields

    Sixteen companies, including five majors, have submitted 60 applications for the five acreages on offer in Ghana’s first licencing round.

    According to Africa Oil+Gas Report, the Ministry of Energy (MoE) described the companies as “high calibre companies with proven track records,” and sees their interest as “a vote of confidence in the Ghanaian economy.”

    The applications opened publicly on December 21, are for prequalification for Expression of Interest (Eol) for competitive bidding for three Blocks (GH_WB_02, GH_WB_03 and GH_WB_04) in the Western Basin and direct negotiations in respect of two blocks (GH_WB_05 and GH_WB_06), all offshore in the Republic of Ghana.

    Two of the applications were invalidated as they were for Block GH_WB_01 which has been reserved for the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

    “In line with this, 58 valid applications will be considered for the next stage of the process”, the Ministry said.

    The applicants include ENI, Cairn, Harmony Oil and Gas Corporation, ExxonMobil, CNOOC, Qatar Petroleum, BP, Vitol, Global Petroleum Group, Aker Energy, First E&P, Kosmos, Sasol and Equinor.

    “Government is determined to use a transparent process as specified by law to shortlist companies that have the capacity and will qualify based on prescribed criteria” said Mohammed Amin Adam, the country’s Deputy Minister of Energy.

    “We will collaborate and partner with them to explore and exploit the resource for our mutual benefit and most importantly the benefit of the Ghanaian people” said Lawrence Apaalse, Chairman of the Licensing Round Committee.

     

  • NNPC, BP seal fuel supply deal

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has signed a six-month Direct Sale-Direct Purchase (DSDP) agreement with the British Petroleum’s (BP) trading arm, BP Oil International Limited.

    The agreement which is for supply of petrol is part of measures by the Corporation to supply petroleum products across the country, especially as the Yuletide period approaches.

    This latest agreement represents 20 per cent of NNPC’s total petrol supply under the DSDP arrangement, which basically allows the corporation to exchange crude oil with international oil traders for imported petroleum products over a period of time.

    Speaking shortly after a brief signing ceremony at the NNPC Towers in Abuja, yesterday, the NNPC Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Baru, said as the nation’s products supplier of last resort, the state-run oil firm was committed to products availability by inviting new and old players to play in the downstream oil sector.

    He said over the years, BP had demonstrated the capacity and robustness to augment the forecasted shortfall by NNPC, especially as the winter period approaches and as the nation’s elections get underway early into the New Year.

    “As a reliable supplier, we think BP is a brand that we can always partner with. We trust the company and we have a good relationship with it. We also believe in the company’s commitment towards the development of local content,” Baru said.

    The NNPC helmsman also commended BP for choosing to partner AYM Shafa, a local oil company, which he said had been expanding its downstream footprints across the nook and cranny of the country.

    Baru said: “BP’s partnership with AYM Shafa towards delivering on its DSDP obligations makes it a perfect fit for our plans to ensure that there is adequate supply of products throughout the coming Yuletide and even beyond the election period. In AYM Shafa, you are talking of a local company with over 150 retail outlets, depots as well as a good network of trucks nationwide.”

    Responding, the Head of Marketing & Origination of BP’s oil trading business, Mr. John Goodridge, said it was a great honour for his company to be trusted by the NNPC as one of its strategic suppliers.

    “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work more closely with the NNPC. Going forward, we hope to grow this mutual relationship to greater things,” Goodridge added.

     

     

     

  • ‘If you are over 40, check your BP’

    For a drastic reduction in deaths associated with High blood pressure, the Nigerian Hypertension Society (NHS) has recommended a comprehensive medical checkup once in a year for persons above the age of 40.

    NHS said it is set to embrace a new guideline for the treatment of the systemic hypertension.

    Already, the NHS has discovered a sharp difference between hypertension in the tropics and those in such continents as America and Britain as a multi-drug therapy or at best “an additional drug” could be needed for an African patient of the disease unlike his American or British colleague, it was gathered.

    President, NHS, Prof Ayodeji Arije told The Nation on the sidelines of this year’s annual conference of the society, adding that the current guidelines for the treatment of the disease was last reviewed some 12 years ago.

    The conference is entitled ‘Management of Systemic Hypertension: From Guidelines to Real World Practice.’

    Besides, Arije said in some cases, doctors have discovered that on the field, some cases of the disease often defy treatment by the guidelines hence the need to do a holistic review of the treatment methodology.

    The NHS has in its team, cardiologists, nephrologists, pathologists, neurologists paediatricians and other specialists in relevant medical fields. They are called “hypertension specialists”.

    He said: “it is true that many people are becoming aware of this dangerous disease. We are happy that some of the measures we supply are working well for the society with good results. But we have gotten to a level now where we don’t want to depend on the American or British guidelines. It is high time for us to have our own guidelines because I is being said now that while some hypertension drugs could work for the Britons or Americans they don’t work for Africans.

    “Between 28 and 30 per cent of Nigerians are hypertensive. These are the ones who surrendered themselves for medical examinations. Countless others don’t even know that there is a need to check their blood pressure status. Some are even using drugs but they are not controlling their Blood Pressure.”

    The President of the association while urging Nigerians to reduce their salt intake and shun sedentary ways of life, said the two conditions are the commonest cause of hypertension in the country.

    Also, he said some diseases especially Diabetes Milletus and hereditary factors could also be causation of the sickness.

    Though, Arije recommended regular exercise for Nigerians across board, he added that before engaging in any rigorous exercise doctors must first give a clean bill of health, to avoid cases of over working the cardiac system.

    In his remarks, the Kwara state’s Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Atolagbe Alege urged the doctors to use the conference to fine-tune modalities that would make rural populace to know the inherent dangers in leaving hypertension untreated, as they form he largest chunk of the nation’s population.

    In his speech, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee Professor Ayo Omotosho a Consultant Cardiologist said the conference especially the theme was intended to showcase advance in blood pressure controls in the rapidly changing sub-Saharan Africa and at the world stage.

     

  • The growing and scary trend of high blood pressure among working professionals in Nigeria

    The predisposing factors you need to know and how to manage your BP.

    Recent statistics emanating from young professionals in Nigeria is indicative of a very disturbing trend. Until recently high blood pressure or hypertension was associated with age and only prevalent in older people. Reports of high blood pressure in people of less than 50, 40 and 30 years calls for concern. More interesting is the fact that most of the patients reporting with high blood pressure within this age bracket are working professionals.

    In a recent study of 1097 professionals across 53 organizations to determine the age gradient of hypertension prevalence and explore the association of workplace psychosocial predictors of hypertension, the results were revealing. The prevalence of hypertension among working professionals was 31% and pre-hypertension was 45.7%. The prevalence of stage-1 hypertension in the age group of 25-35 years was 18% and 23% in 36-45 years group. The prevalence of stage-2 hypertension in the age group of 25-35 years was 8% and 11% in 36-45 years group. The results indicate that dimensions of workplace psychosocial predictors and workplace environment are associated with hypertension.

    Hypertension is sustained elevation of resting systolic BP (≥ 140 mm Hg), diastolic BP (≥ 90 mm Hg), or both.

    Risk factors for developing high blood pressure, also called hypertension:

    • Family history
      Height, hair and eye color runs in families — so can high blood pressure. If your parents or close blood relatives have had HBP, you are more likely to develop it, too. You might also pass that risk factor on to your children. That’s why it’s important for children as well as adults to have regular blood pressure checks. You can’t control heredity, but you can take steps to live a healthy life and lower your other risk factors. Lifestyle choices have allowed many people with a strong family history of HBP to avoid it themselves. Learnpost
    • Gender-related risk patterns
      A higher percentage of men than women have HBP until 45 years of age. From ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64, the percentages of men and women with HBP are similar. After that, a much higher percentage of women have HBP than men.
    • Lack of physical activity
      Physical activity is good for your heart and circulatory system. An inactive lifestyle increases the chance of high blood pressure, heart disease, blood vessel disease and stroke. Inactivity also makes it easier to become overweight or obese. Give yourself the gift of improved health and lower blood pressure with regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

     

    • Poor diet, especially one that includes too much salt
      To care for our bodies, we all need good nutrition from a variety of food sources. A diet that’s high in calories, fats and sugars and low in essential nutrients contributes directly to poor health as well as to obesity. In addition, there are some problems that can happen from eating too much salt. Some people are “salt sensitive,” meaning a high-salt (sodium) diet raises their high blood pressure. Salt keeps excess fluid in the body that can add to the burden on the heart. While too much salt can be dangerous, healthy food choices can actually lower blood pressure.

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    • Overweight and obesity
      Being overweight increases your chances of developing high blood pressure. A body mass index between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. A body mass index over 30 is considered obese. A large population of adults are overweight or obese. Excess weight increases the strain on the heart, raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It can also make diabetes more likely to develop. Losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds can help lower your blood pressure and your heart disease risk. To successfully and healthfully lose weight—and keep it off—most people need to subtract about 500 calories per day from their diet to lose about 1 kg per week. Learn how to manage your weight.

     

    • Drinking too much alcohol
      Heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically. It can also cause heart failure, lead to stroke and produce irregular heartbeats. Too much alcohol can contribute to high triglycerides, cancer and other diseases, obesity, alcoholism, suicide and accidents. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. If you drink, limit your alcohol consumption.

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    Possible contributing factors

    There is some connection between blood pressure and these factors but science has not proven that they actually cause high blood pressure.

      • Stress
        Being in a stressful situation can temporarily increase your blood pressure, but science has not proven that stress causes high blood pressure. Some scientists have noted a relationship between coronary heart disease risk and stress in a person’s life, health behaviors and socioeconomic status. How you deal with stress may affect other, established risk factors for high blood pressure or heart disease. For example, people under stress may overeat or eat a less healthy diet, put off physical activity, drink, smoke or misuse drugs.

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      • Smoking and second-hand smoke
        Smoking temporarily raises blood pressure and increases your risk of damaged arteries. The use of tobacco can be devastating to your health, especially if you’re already at risk for high blood pressure. Secondhand smoke — exposure to other people’s smoke — increases the risk of heart disease for nonsmokers. \
      • Sleep Apnea
        Sleep Apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder in which tissues in the throat collapse and block the airway. The brain forces the sleeper awake enough to cough or gulp air and open the trachea up again. But then, the whole cycle starts all over again. Pauses in breathing can contribute to severe fatigue during the day, increase your safety risks, and make it difficult to perform tasks that require alertness.  Sleep apnea is also a risk factor for such medical problems as high blood pressure, heart failure, diabetes and stroke.
    • Sitting for too long

    When you sit, blood flows slower and muscles burn less fat, which makes it easier for fatty acids to clog your heart. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, for instance, showed that women who sit for 10 or more hours a day may have a significantly greater risk of developing heart disease than those who sit for five hours or less. It can also cause Deep Vein Thrombosis.

    A large number of working professionals sit for too long and it is not unusual to hear of people tripping and falling on the staircase. Most of those who trip have been sitting for too long.  Symptoms

    If you already have high blood pressure or hypertension, the good news is that it can be totally reversed. To learn how to manage your BP or reverse your hypertension click here. It is amazing that if you knew most of these things in the first, you wouldn’t have issues with your BP. There are solutions to HBP and there are preventive measures here. HBP is not peculiar to you. There are millions of other people suffering from HBP.

    As you may well know, if your blood pressure is not managed, it may lead to several cardiovascular diseases. CVDs are the number 1 cause of death globally: more people die annually from CVDs than any other cause.

    An estimated 17.5 million people died from CVD in 2012, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, an estimated 7.4 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.7 million were due to stroke. WHO.

    Get complete access to our HBP solution and live your life devoid of all the complications that come with HBP. Click here

    If your HBP has anything to do with diabetes, we have a tested and tried solution.

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  • BP expects $1b restructuring charge over coming year

    Oil giant BP has said it expects to incur restructuring charges of about $1billion over the coming year.

    The charges will be taken as part of BP efforts to simplify its business activities and corporate functions.

    BP said it would also review its capital expenditure plans for next year in light of the oil price outlook. Oil prices have slumped since June.

    The firm said it aimed to make its business “stronger and more competitive”.

    BP announced the charges as it laid out its long-term plans for its upstream oil and gas business.

    BP Group chief executive Bob Dudley said: “We have already been working very hard over these past 18 months or so to right-size our organisation as a result of completing more than $43billion of divestments.

    “We are clearly a more focused business now and, without diverting our attention from safety and reliability, our goal is to make BP even stronger and more competitive.

    “The simplification work we have already done is serving us well as we face the tougher external environment.

    “We continue to seek opportunities to eliminate duplication and stop unnecessary activity that is not fully aligned with the group’s strategy.

    Oil prices have slumped since the middle of the year as fears of oversupply have mounted. The price of Brent crude fell to $65.29 a barrel on Tuesday, the lowest level since September 2009.

    Earlier this month, BP announced that it would accelerate plans to cut hundreds of back office jobs.

    BP employs almost 84,000 people worldwide, including 15,000 in the UK.

  • BP fails to buy Fortie

    BP Plc failed to buy North Sea Forties blend at a lower price than a previous trade. Eni SpA sold Russian Urals at a smaller premium than the last bid.

    Vitol Group offered four West African grades for loading next month. Caspian Pipeline Consortium will cut daily crude shipments from the Black Sea to an eight-month low in September, a preliminary loading program obtained by Bloomberg News showed.

    North Sea

    BP was unable to buy Forties for Sept. 2 to Sept. 6 loading at $1.15 a barrel more than Dated Brent, according to a Bloomberg survey of traders and brokers monitoring the Platts pricing window. This compares with plus $1.30 for the last trade on August 8.

    Eni didn’t manage to sell Forties for August 23 to August 25 at $1.10 more than Dated Brent, the survey showed.

    No bids or offers were made for Brent, Oseberg or Ekofisk crudes. Reported crude trading typically occurs during the Platts window, which ends at 4:30 p.m. London time.

    Brent for September settlement traded at $108.09 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange at the close of the window,

    compared with $107.36 in the previous session. The October contract was at $106.77, a discount of $1.32 cents to September.

    Ekofisk crude supply was affected by a compressor halt at the Ula platform, Jan Erik Geirmo, a BP press spokesman in Stavanger,

    Norway, said in an e-mailed response.

    “Gas turbine powering a compressor at Ula had a breakdown as of Wednesday evening August 7th 2013,” he said. Ula was unable to handle output from the Tambar, Blane, Oselvar fields, which feed into Ekofisk, according to BP.

    Mediterranean/Urals

    Eni sold 100,000 metric tons of Urals to Statoil ASA at 65 cents a barrel more than Dated Brent for loading Sept. 1 to Sept. 5 on a

    delivered basis to Rotterdam, the survey showed. That is 15 cents less than a bid on Aug. 9.

    CPC will ship 2.35 million tons next month, compared with 2.87 million tons in August, according to the schedule. That’s equal to

    602,268 barrels a day, versus 719,226 barrels this month. That’s the least since January. The September program comprises six

    cargoes of 134,000 to 135,500 tons each and 18 consignments of 80,000 to 90,000 tons. Libya’s biggest oil export terminal, Es

    Sider, shut today after opening yesterday, hampering the nation’s ability to sell its most valuable commodity.

    The brief opening allowed two tankers to berth at the facility and they may be turned away tonight if no crude loadings occur, the port coordinator, Captain Abu Ejela Al Zanati, said today by phone from Es Sider. Another six vessels are anchored outside the port.

    The Kirkuk crude pipeline resumed at 8 p.m. local time yesterday at Turkish port Ceyhan, according to Turkish port agent Boutros Maritime & Transport SA.

    Pumping has stopped due to low production. This is not unusual because flows normally occur during evening, the

    agent said in an e-mailed note. Vessels arrived yesterday are expected to wait for 10 days for loading and about 950,000 barrels

    are available for loading, it said.

    Saudi Arabian Oil Co. will supply full volumes in September to customers in Europe, unchanged from this month, according to two refinery officials with knowledge of the matter.

    West Africa

    Vitol was unable to sell Nigeria’s benchmark Qua Iboe grade at $5.10 a barrel more than Dated Brent for September 10 to September 15 delivery to Rotterdam or Lavera in France and also offered Escravos for September 5 to September 10 delivery at a premium of $5.30, the survey showed. The company failed to sell Nigerian Brass River and Angolan Saxi blends for September 1 to September 5 delivery to Rotterdam or Lavera. Brass River and Saxi were offered at plus $4.70 and $3.20 a barrel to Dated Brent. A decline in demand cut freight rates for very large crude carriers from West Africa to China to the lowest since July 1, according to shipbroker Simpson, Spence & Young Ltd.

    “In West Africa, Asian demand has been weak, particularly for Angolan crude from Chinese buyers,” the shipbroker said in an e-mailed statement. Angola’s crude loading program for October is expected to be released later this week.