Tag: Natural Gas

Release – Alvopetro Announces Initial 183-B1 Test Results, October 2022 Sales Volumes and Q3 2022 Results Webcast

Posted on by aweinsoff@channelchek.com

Research, News, and Market Data on ALVOF

Nov 07, 2022

CALGARY, AB, Nov. 7, 2022 /CNW/ – Alvopetro Energy Ltd. (TSXV: ALV) (OTCQX: ALVOF) announces initial results from the first interval tested in our 183-B1 well on our 100% owned and operated Block 183 and October 2022 sales volumes.

In July 2022, we completed drilling the 183-B1 exploration well to a total measured depth (“MD”) of 2,917 metres. Based on open-hole wireline logs and fluid samples confirming hydrocarbons, the well discovered hydrocarbons in multiple formations with a total of 34.3 metres of potential net hydrocarbon pay, with an average porosity of 10.6% and average water saturation of 29.0% using a 6% porosity cut-off, 50% Vshale cut-off and 50% water saturation cut-off.

Alvopetro has completed the 183-B1 formation test in the Sergi formation, the deepest of three formations with hydrocarbons shows during drilling of the well. We perforated a total of 26.5 metres in the Sergi formation at various intervals between 2,811 metres MD and 2,886 metres MD. We initially swabbed 63 bbls of oil and 7 bbls of completions fluid during the initially clean-up period. After a short shut-in we then initiated the production test. Cumulatively, over the duration of the 72-hour production test, we recovered 59 bbls of 43°API oil, 7 bbls of water identified as completion fluid, and 0.28 MMcf of associated gas. The daily oil rate recovered during swabbing operations averaged 20 bopd.

The 183-B1 well has now been shut-in to measure reservoir pressure and obtain pressure build‑up data to undertake a pressure transient analysis, which will help predict productivity of this first zone. After completing the pressure build-up test, the first interval will be suspended temporarily with a bridge plug and the test will proceed up-hole to test the Agua Grande formation.

October Sales Volumes

October sales volumes averaged 2,720 boepd, including natural gas sales of 15.6 MMcfpd and associated natural gas liquids sales from condensate of 124 bopd, based on field estimates, an increase of 3% over our average daily sales volumes in the third quarter. October sales volumes include initial sales volumes from our 183(1) well on our Murucututu project where we commenced production in mid-October following completion of the commissioning of field production facility. Our team continues to optimize the field production facility at the wellsite. Since coming on production, the well has averaged approximately 0.42 MMcfpd based on field estimates.

Q3 2022 Results Webcast

Alvopetro anticipates announcing Q3 2022 results on November 15, 2022 after markets close and will host a live webcast to discuss the results at 9:00 am Mountain time on November 16, 2022. Details for joining the event are as follows:

Date: November 16, 2022 Time: 9:00 a.m. Mountain/11:00  a.m. EasternLink: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83084021752Dial-in Numbers: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kgefFrJiJWebinar ID: 830 8402 1752

The webcast will include a question-and-answer period. Online participants will be able to ask questions through the Zoom portal. Dial-in participants can email questions directly to socialmedia@alvopetro.com.

Corporate Presentation

Alvopetro’s updated corporate presentation is available on our website at: http://www.alvopetro.com/corporate-presentation. 

SocialMedia

Follow Alvopetro on our social media channels at the following links:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AlvopetroEnergyInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/alvopetro/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/alvopetro-energy-ltdYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgDn_igrQgdlj-maR6fWB0w

Alvopetro Energy Ltd.’s vision is to become a leading independent upstream and midstream operator in Brazil. Our strategy is to unlock the on-shore natural gas potential in the state of Bahia in Brazil, building off the development of our Caburé natural gas field and our strategic midstream infrastructure.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

All amounts contained in this new release are in United States dollars, unless otherwise stated and all tabular amounts are in thousands of United States dollars, except as otherwise noted.

Abbreviations:

API                         =             American Petroleum Institute
°API                         =             an indication of the specific gravity of crude oil measured on the API gravity scale.
bbls                         =             barrels
boepd                     =             barrels of oil equivalent (“boe”) per day
bopd                       =             barrels of oil and/or natural gas liquids (condensate) per day
MMcf                     =             million cubic feet
MMcfpd                 =             million cubic feet per day

BOE Disclosure. The term barrels of oil equivalent (“boe”) may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet per barrel (6Mcf/bbl) of natural gas to barrels of oil equivalence is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. All boe conversions in this news release are derived from converting gas to oil in the ratio mix of six thousand cubic feet of gas to one barrel of oil.

Testing and Well Results. Data obtained from the 183-B1 well identified in this press release, including hydrocarbon shows, open-hole logging, net pay and porosities and initial testing data, should be considered to be preliminary until detailed pressure transient and other analysis and interpretation has been completed. Hydrocarbon shows can be seen during the drilling of a well in numerous circumstances and do not necessarily indicate a commercial discovery or the presence of commercial hydrocarbons in a well. There is no representation by Alvopetro that the data relating to the 183-B1 well contained in this press release is necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery. The reader is cautioned not to unduly rely on such data as such data may not be indicative of future performance of the well or of expected production or operational results for Alvopetro in the future.

Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Language. This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words “will”, “expect”, “intend” and other similar words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information. Forward‐looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to vary significantly from the expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect current assumptions and expectations regarding future events. Accordingly, when relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, Alvopetro cautions readers not to place undue reliance on these statements, as forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties. More particularly and without limitation, this news release contains forward-looking information concerning potential hydrocarbon pay in the 183-B1 well, anticipated production from our Murucututu project, exploration and development prospects of Alvopetro and the expected timing of certain of Alvopetro’s testing and operational activities. The forward‐looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Alvopetro, including but not limited to expectations and assumptions concerning testing results of the 183-B1 well and the 182-C2 well, equipment availability, the timing of regulatory licenses and approvals, the success of future drilling, completion, testing, recompletion and development activities, the outlook for commodity markets and ability to access capital markets, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance of producing wells and reservoirs, well development and operating performance, foreign exchange rates, general economic and business conditions, weather and access to drilling locations, the availability and cost of labour and services, environmental regulation, including regulation relating to hydraulic fracturing and stimulation, the ability to monetize hydrocarbons discovered, expectations regarding Alvopetro’s working interest and the outcome of any redeterminations, the regulatory and legal environment and other risks associated with oil and gas operations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Actual results achieved during the forecast period will vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. Although Alvopetro believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Alvopetro can give no assurance that it will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Additional information on factors that could affect the operations or financial results of Alvopetro are included in our annual information form which may be accessed on Alvopetro’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof and Alvopetro undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

www.alvopetro.com

SOURCE Alvopetro Energy Ltd.

Leadership and Embracing Existing Technology May Get Us to Net-Zero Quicker

Posted on by phoffman@channelchek.com
Image Credit: Mussi Katz (Flickr)

Getting to ‘Net-Zero’ Emissions: How Energy Leaders Envision Countering Climate Change in the Future

What’s behind this view, energy leaders say, is their deep degree of skepticism that renewable energy technologies alone can meet the nation’s future energy demands at a reasonable cost.

With the federal government promising over US$360 billion in clean energy incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, energy companies are already lining up investments. It’s a huge opportunity, and analysts project that it could help slash U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by about 40% within the decade.

But in conversations with energy industry leaders in recent months, we have heard that financial incentives alone aren’t enough to meet the nation’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

In the view of some energy sector leaders, reaching net zero emissions will require more pressure from regulators and investors and accepting technologies that aren’t usually thought of as the best solutions to the climate crisis.

This article was republished with permission from The Conversation, a news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It represents the research-based findings and thoughts of Seth Blumsack, Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and International Affairs, Penn State and Lara B. Fowler Interim Chief Sustainability Officer, Penn State; Interim Director, Penn State Sustainability Institute; Profess of Teaching, Penn State Law, Penn State.

‘Net-Zero,’ With Natural Gas

In spring 2022, we facilitated a series of conversations at Penn State University around energy and climate with leaders at several major energy companies – including Shell USA, and electric utilities American Electric Power and Xcel Energy – as well as with leaders at the Department of Energy and other public-sector agencies.

We asked them about the technologies they see the U.S. leaning on to develop an energy system with zero net greenhouse gases by 2050.

Their answers provide some insight into how energy companies are thinking about a net-zero future that will require extraordinary changes in how the world produces and manages energy.

We heard a lot of agreement among energy leaders that getting to net-zero emissions is not a matter of finding some future magic bullet. They point out that many effective technologies are available to reduce emissions and to capture those emissions that can’t be avoided. What is not an option, in their view, is to leave existing technologies in the rearview mirror.

They expect natural gas in particular to play a large, and possibly growing, role in the U.S. energy sector for many years to come.

What’s behind this view, energy leaders say, is their deep degree of skepticism that renewable energy technologies alone can meet the nation’s future energy demands at a reasonable cost.

Costs for wind and solar power and for energy storage have declined rapidly in recent years. But dependence on these technologies has some grid operators worried that they can’t count on the wind blowing or sun shining at the right time – especially as more electric vehicles and other new users connect to the power grid.

Energy companies are rightly nervous about energy grid failures – no one wants a repeat of the outages in Texas in the winter of 2021. But some energy companies, even those with lofty climate goals, also profit handsomely from traditional energy technologies and have extensive investments in fossil fuels. Some have resisted clean energy mandates.

In the view of many of these energy companies, a net-zero energy transition is not necessarily a renewable energy transition.

Instead, they see a net-zero energy transition requiring massive deployment of other technologies, including advanced nuclear power and carbon capture and sequestration technologies that capture carbon dioxide, either before it’s released or from the air, and then store it in nature or pump it underground. So far, however, attempts to deploy some of these technologies at scale have been plagued with high costs, public opposition and serious questions about their environmental impacts.

Think Globally, Act Regionally

Another key takeaway from our roundtable discussions with energy leaders is that how clean energy is deployed and what net-zero looks like will vary by region.

What sells in Appalachia, with its natural-resource-driven economy and manufacturing base, may not sell or even be effective in other regions. Heavy industries like steel require tremendous heat as well as chemical reactions that electricity just can’t replace. The economic displacement from abandoning coal and natural gas production in these regions raises questions about who bears the burden and who benefits from shifting sources of energy.

Opportunities also vary by region. Waste from Appalachian mines could boost domestic supplies of materials critical to a cleaner energy grid. Some coastal regions, on the other hand, could drive decarbonization efforts with offshore wind power.

At a regional scale, industry leaders said, it can be easier to identify shared goals. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, known as MISO, which manages the power grid in the upper Midwest and parts of the South, is a good example.

Among the major power grid operators, MISO has a broad, varied territory, which also extends into Canada, which can make management decisions more difficult. FERC

When its coverage area was predominantly in the upper Midwest, MISO could bring regional parties together with a shared vision of more opportunities for wind energy development and higher electric reliability. It was able to produce an effective multistate power grid plan to integrate renewables.

However, as utilities from more far-flung (and less windy) states joined MISO, they challenged these initiatives as not bringing benefits to their local grids. The challenges were not successful but have raised questions about how widely costs and benefits can be shared.

Waiting for the Right Kind of Pressure

Energy leaders also said that companies are not enthusiastic about taking on risks that low-carbon energy projects will increase costs or degrade grid reliability without some kind of financial or regulatory pressure.

For example, tax credits for electric vehicles are great, but powering these vehicles could require a lot more zero-carbon electricity, not to mention a major national transmission grid upgrade to move that clean electricity around.

That could be fixed with “smart charging” – technologies that can charge vehicles during times of surplus electricity or even use electric cars to supply some of the grid’s needs on hot days. However, state utility regulators often dissuade companies from investing in power grid upgrades to meet these needs out of fear that customers will wind up footing large bills or technologies will not work as promised.

Energy companies do not yet seem to be feeling major pressure from investors to move away from fossil fuels, either.

For all the talk about environmental, social and governance concerns that industry leaders need to prioritize – known as ESG – we heard during the roundtable that investors are not moving much money out of energy companies whose responses to ESG concerns are not satisfactory. With little pressure from investors, energy companies themselves have few good reasons to take risks on clean energy or to push for changes in regulations.

Leadership Needed

These conversations reinforced the need for more leadership on climate issues from lawmakers, regulators, energy companies and shareholders.

If the energy industry is stuck because of antiquated regulations, then we believe it’s up to the public and forward-looking leaders in business and government and investors to push for change.

Will Europe’s Natural Gas Dilemma Permanently Bring Manufacturing to the U.S.?

Posted on by cpatches
Image Credit: Kateryna Babaieva (Flickr)

Natural Gas Intensive Manufacturing’s Latest Move from Europe to the U.S. is a “No-Brainer”

Is Europe moving manufacturing jobs to the U.S.?

As Russia’s Nord Stream 1 pipeline gas shipments have been curtailed by 89%, and European countries have agreed to sweeping cuts in natural gas consumption, some manufacturing in Europe has had to make difficult decisions. For them to stay in business or to protect profitability, moving to where the supply chain flows more freely may be a choice forced on companies.

The industries most impacted by unpredictable supply and skyrocketing gas prices are those that make steel, fertilizer, chemicals, and other feedstocks. Many of these same industries have been (unintentionally) incentivized to relocate operations to the U.S. by Washington’s growing menu of incentives for manufacturing and green energy. This government support, if their operations comply with certain standards, and the need for stable energy availability has already caused some businesses to cross over to the U.S.

Some economists have suggested that this could bring a new era of deindustrialization to Europe, and industrial jobs to the U.S.

The Decision to Make the Move

This month Ahmed El-Hoshy, chief executive of Amsterdam-based chemical firm OCI NV announced an expansion of an ammonia plant in Texas. “It’s a no-brainer to go and do that in the United States,” El-Hoshy told the Wall Street Journal.

Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal SA, said this month it would cut production at two German plants, then reported better-than-expected performance by an investment earlier this year in a Texas facility. ArcelorMittal makes hot briquetted iron, a raw material for steel production. In their July earnings call, Chief Executive Aditya Mittal attributed the facility’s value in part to being in a “region that offers highly competitive energy and, ultimately, competitive hydrogen.” The facility that Mr. Mittal moved operations to has plenty of room for growth, Mr. Mittal explained to shareholders they own 100% of expansion rights.

Pandora A/S the Danish Jewelry maker, and Volkswagen AG announced U.S. expansions earlier in 2022. Even U.S. headquartered companies are making changes. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported Tesla is pausing its plans to make battery cells in Germany as it reviews qualifying for tax credits under a new act  signed by President Biden in August.

“We are increasing our investments [in the U.S.] also in order to stay with all of our partners who are investing,” said Stefan Borgas, chief executive of RHI Magnesita NV. The company, which makes materials used by factories such as steelmakers that must withstand intense heat, is spending $8 million on its European plants so that certain processes run on alternative fuel, such as coal or oil meet European guidelines. Borgas has said that they are also very positive about steel demand in the U.S., where incentives have helped pave the way for green-energy changes. Manufacturers like RHI Magnesita see hydrogen as the key to replacing fossil fuels and reducing emissions in plants.  Promised spending on projects by Washington is expected to boost the production of hydrogen and eventually lower its price.

Many companies remain cautious about changing their strategies because of the cost, difficulty, and time involved in building projects such as smelters for aluminum production. But they are also realistic about the potential for natural gas to never again flow through the Nord Stream pipeline at levels previously experienced. Those that have decided to relocate are likely not moving operations back, it just wouldn’t be practical. This would lead to a permanent increase in North America for manufacturing requiring energy from natural gas and blue hydrogen produced by natural gas.

Take Away

Industries that rely heavily on natural gas or other products derived from natural gas are having a tough time in Europe. Some have moved operations to North America, and many more are considering the move. Helping to make the decision to locate manufacturing operations in the U.S. comes from the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act, which incentivizes building greener processes. These incentives would hep reduce the cost of building a new plant or factory in the U.S.

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor, Channelchek

Sources:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/high-natural-gas-prices-push-european-manufacturers-to-shift-to-the-u-s-11663707594?mod=hp_lead_pos3

https://www.wsj.com/articles/europe-checks-its-thermostats-as-russia-crimps-natural-gas-supplies-11658827804?mod=series_europeenergyshortage

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/europe-is-facing-an-energy-crisis-as-russia-cuts-gas-heres-why#:~:text=DID%20RUSSIA%20CUT%20OFF%20GAS,a%20pillar%20of%20the%20economy.

https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/climate-solutions/hydrogen#:~:text=What%20is%20blue%20hydrogen%3F,that%20produces%20no%20CO2.