Page 8 - NorthAmOil Week 01 2023
P. 8
NorthAmOil PERFORMANCE NorthAmOil
EIA reports US proven reserve
increases for 2021
US ACCORDING to a new report by the US Energy a drop of 19mn barrels or 1%.
Information Administration (EIA), the country’s The 12-month, first day of the month average
proven reserves of crude oil and lease condensate spot price for West Texas Intermediate (WTI)
increased by 6.2bn barrels, or 16%, from 38.2bn crude oil at Cushing, Oklahoma increased by
barrels to 44.4bn barrels in 2021. 67% from $39.66 per barrel in 2020 to $66.26 per
Proven reserves of US natural gas grew 32% barrel in 2021.
by 152.1 trillion cubic feet (4.3 trillion cubic For the second consecutive year, Alaska saw a
metres), from 473.3 tcf (13.4 tcm) at the end of substantial volume of proven gas reserves added
2020 to 625.4 tcf (17.7 tcm) as of December 2021, in 2021. The annual total of proven gas reserves
establishing a new record for proven gas reserves in Alaska grew in 2021 by 63.3 tcf (1.8 tcm),
in the US. almost tripling the state’s total from 36.5 tcf (1.0
In 2021, US domestic production of oil and tcm) to 99.8 tcf (2.8 tcm) – the largest increase
lease condensate decreased 1%. Texas, where across all US states in 2021.
more proven reserves of oil and lease condensate Texas saw the second-largest increase in
are located than in any other state, saw the largest proven reserves of gas in 2021 at 34.3 tcf (971bn
net increase in proven reserves in 2021 at 12% or cubic metres) or 30% and New Mexico had the
1.9bn barrels. third-largest increase at 10 tcf (283 bcm) or
New Mexico had the second-largest net 38%.
increase of proven reserves of crude and lease The 12-month, first day of the month aver-
condensate at 1.4bn barrels or 39%, and Alaska age spot price for gas at Henry Hub in Louisiana
was behind the third-largest increase, at 700mn increased by 84% from $1.99 per million British
barrels, or 31%. thermal units ($55.04 per 1,000 cubic metres)
The largest net decrease in proven reserves in 2020 to $3.67 per mmBtu ($101.51 per 1,000
of oil and lease condensate in 2021 was cubic metres) in 2021, representing the highest
reported by operators in Oklahoma, which saw annual average price since 2014.
PROJECTS & COMPANIES
US government authorises Sempra to re-
export gas from Mexican LNG terminals
US-MEXICO US-BASED Sempra Energy recently secured able to export the equivalent of 200 bcf (5.7 bcm)
authorisation from the US government to pump per year via Vista Pacífico LNG, where work has
natural gas by pipeline to Mexico, where it will yet to begin.
be processed into LNG for export via terminals The DOE had come under some pressure not
slated for construction on the Pacific coast. to approve Sempra’s plan from environmental
On December 20, the US Department of lobbyists opposed to projects that support fossil
Energy (DOE) approved the permits that will fuel extraction within the US. (The company is
allow Sempra to send gas to the Energía Costa planning to pump gas from its US fields to the
Azul (ECA) site, located near Ensenada in Baja ECA and Vista Pacífico LNG plants.) However,
California State, and to the Vista Pacífico LNG the department concluded during the approval
site in Topolobampo, a port in Sinaloa State. process that carbon emissions could be reduced
With these permits in hand, the company will by 4-8% by authorising re-exports in order to
be able to re-export US-produced gas from Mex- facilitate LNG shipments to Asia via ports on
ican territory. Mexico’s Pacific coast instead of maintaining
Specifically, it will be able to export the equiv- the status quo, in which gas is piped overland to
alent of 475bn cubic feet (13.45bn cubic metres) LNG plants on the US Gulf Coast (USGC) and
per year of gas from ECA, which is being built in then shipped to Asia via the Panama Canal.
multiple phases. (The plant was originally con- The lower emissions intensity of Sempra’s
structed to serve as an LNG import terminal, but projects is “due to the shorter tanker route from
Sempra’s IEnova subsidiary is now converting it [western] Mexico to markets in Asia,” according
into an export facility.) Additionally, it will be to DOE documentation cited by Reuters.
P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 01 05•January•2023