Oil futures erased earlier declines after US forces intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, a move that marks a major escalation of tensions between the two countries. West Texas Intermediate traded higher to settle above $58 after earlier dropping as much as 1%. Brent crude settled above $62. The seizure may make it much more difficult for Venezuela to send its oil overseas, as other shippers are now likely to be more reluctant to load its cargoes. Most Venezuelan oil heads to China, usually through intermediaries, at steep discounts due to sanctions risk. US President Donald Trump has suggested numerous times that the US could strike on land in Venezuela and that the country’s President Nicolas Maduro’s “days are numbered.” “Tensions are continuing to move up the escalation ladder and introduce some short-term supply risk,” said Rebecca Babin, a senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth Group. “That said, given the administration’s clear desire to keep oil and gasoline prices contained, the market is only assigning a small risk premium. Any potential disruption is still being viewed as short-lived.” Still, oversupply concerns continue to weigh on sentiment. The US said domestic crude production would hit a record 13.6 million barrels a day this year, adding to a flood of supply hitting the global market, while several of India’s largest refiners are buying sanctioned Russian oil, easing the worst fears of a supply threat. Ukraine carried out yet another attack on a Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker as it continues to target Moscow’s vital seaborne petroleum trade. Meantime, data from the US Energy Information Administration on Wednesday showed US inventories declined 1.8 million barrels, the first draw on stocks in around three weeks. Inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub rose. Data also showed a surge

South Sudan’s oil exports faced a new threat after rebels in war-torn Sudan seized facilities key to transporting crude to the Red Sea. Workers fled and operations were halted at Heglig, an oil hub in southern Sudan, as the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group approached the area, according to people familiar with the events. The RSF, which has been battling Sudan’s army since April 2023, said on Telegram on Monday it had taken control of the “strategic Heglig” area, and was committed to securing the oil facilities. The development raises the prospect of another halt in exports of South Sudan’s Dar Blend after a disruption in mid-November. While Sudan ships little crude of its own, it’s the sole conduit for oil from landlocked South Sudan. Heglig — which lies near their border — plays a crucial role in the pipeline network.  Sudan exported an average of 165,000 barrels a day of its neighbor’s crude in the past three months, according to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.  The army-backed government in Sudan didn’t respond to requests for comment. Nor did South Sudanese authorities, who rely on oil exports for the vast majority of state revenue. The RSF’s seizure of Heglig caps a string of recent territorial gains in southern Sudan for the group that’s been accused by the US of genocide in a conflict in which hundreds of thousands of people are thought to have died. The World Health Organization on Monday said drone strikes on a kindergarten and a nearby hospital in South Kordofan on Dec. 4 had killed 114 people, including 63 children. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

Kathy Mikells, the first outsider to join Exxon Mobil Corp.’s inner circle of top executives, will retire next year as she battles a serious but non-life threatening health condition.  Mikells, 60, joined Exxon in 2021 when the Texas oil giant was under pressure from shareholders to improve financial performance, diversify its leadership and build a low-carbon business. She will retire on Feb. 1 to focus on her health, Chief Executive Officer Darren Woods said in a presentation to investors Tuesday. She will be replaced by Neil Hansen, a 25-year Exxon veteran who leads the company’s global business solutions division.  “In recent months Kathy has undergone a series of procedures and surgeries to address a debilitating but thankfully non-life threatening health issue,” Woods said. “While her condition has improved, it has become clear to her, and I think the rest of us, that she needs to focus fully on her recovery.” Mikells came to Exxon from beverage titan Diageo Plc and became the first female senior vice president on the company’s management committee, which oversees day-to-day operations and sets strategy. She was also the first executive to hold such a high position at Exxon without a background in oil, natural gas or chemicals. “Things are absolutely getting better, but it has been slow going, and I still have a lot of work to do with my doctors to one day get back to my usual self,” Mikells said. “I know my colleagues on the call today will recognize the sincerity of my disappointment in needing to leave this great company.” Mikells modernized Exxon’s finance function and was the first manager to hold the formal title of chief financial officer. She overhauled investor communications and provided more granular, forward-looking information to analysts and the market in general.  Hansen has been prepared for

Eni announced, in a statement sent to Rigzone recently, a “significant gas discovery” in the Konta-1 exploration well off the coast of East Kalimantan in Indonesia. “Estimates indicate 600 billion cubic feet of gas initially in place (GIIP) with a potential upside beyond one trillion cubic feet,” Eni said in the statement. The Konta-1 discovery is situated in the Muara Bakau PSC, Eni highlighted in the statement, pointing out that this is operated by the company with an 88.334 percent participating interest. Saka Energi holds the remaining 11.666 percent stake. “Konta-1 was drilled to a depth of 4,575 meters [15,009 feet] in 570 meters [1,870 feet] water depth, encountering gas in four separate sandstone reservoirs of Miocene age with good petrophysical properties that have been subject to an extensive data acquisition campaign,” Eni said in the statement. “A well production test (DST) has been successfully performed in one of the reservoirs and it flowed up to 31 million standard cubic feet per day of gas and approximately 700 barrels per day of condensate,” Eni added. “Based on the DST results the well has an estimated potential for a multi-pool gas rate of up to 80 million standard cubic feet per day of gas and about 1,600 barrels per day of condensate,” it continued. Eni noted in the statement that preliminary estimates indicate a discovered volume of 600 billion cubic feet of gas in place in the four reservoirs hit by the well trajectory. “Additional reservoir segments in the Konta Prospect area, not penetrated by the well, but with similar gas signature, may bring the overall volumes beyond one trillion cubic feet GIIP,” it added. Eni highlighted in the statement that the Konta discovery is sitting nearby existing facilities and adjacent to existing discoveries, “providing significant synergies for the development”. The

Varco Energy and Fluence Energy Inc said the first phase of their Sizing John Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the United Kingdom is now in full commercial operation and has entered phase 2. “The 57 MW/137.5 MWh project is located within the Mersey Ring east of Liverpool, a region known for its acute grid constraints”, a joint statement said. Sizing John Phase 1 has “one of the longest durations [2.4 hours] of any operational battery project in the UK”, the companies said. “Its longer duration will help lower overall energy costs by addressing growing congestion in the region and reducing price volatility created by rising renewable generation”. Phase 2, which will continue to involve intelligent energy storage and optimization software provider Fluence, will add 85.5 MW/201 MWh. The partners expect to start up phase 2 next year. “On energization of phase 2, the Sizing John project will rank among the largest battery energy storage systems in the UK”, the companies said. “Phase 2 will incorporate the Fluence-supplied next-generation Gridstack Pro 5000 with advanced grid-forming capabilities, providing critical support to the UK’s grid by actively regulating voltage and frequency, providing essential regional grid stability”, they said. Varco director Richard Whitmore said, “The addition of grid-forming capabilities will set a new standard for regional grid support, especially in the wake of recent Iberian Peninsula blackout”.  Brian Perusse, Fluence managing director for the UK and Ireland, said, “Sizing John is a key step in bringing longer-duration storage and additional grid-forming capabilities to the UK, technologies that play a vital role in improving system resilience, unlocking greater renewable integration and reducing costs to consumers”. Sizing John is the second project by Varco, a BESS asset owner and operator backed by the Adaptogen Capital Battery Storage Fund, to start operation, according to the statement. Native

Kinder Morgan Inc has announced adjusted earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $1.37 for 2026, with the North American pipeline operator encouraged by growth in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power sectors. That is an increase of eight percent versus its adjusted EPS forecast for 2025. For 2026 adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), Kinder Morgan expects $8.7 billion, up four percent compared to its guidance for 2025. The outlook reflects “continued execution on expansion projects in our natural gas pipelines business segment”, chief executive Kim Dang said in an online statement. “We are projecting an annualized dividend of $1.19 for 2026, marking the ninth consecutive year of dividend increases”, Dang added. “Our year-end 2026 net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA ratio is forecast at 3.8 times, remaining at the low end of our 3.5x-4.5x target range and preserving flexibility for opportunistic investments”. The Houston, Texas-based owner of oil and gas pipelines and terminals, which also produces oil and renewable natural gas, plans nearly $3.4 billion in discretionary capital next year, “substantially funded from internally generated cash flow”. Kinder Morgan president Tom Martin said, “We expect to continue benefiting from strong natural gas market fundamentals, supporting growth on our existing transportation and storage assets and creating expansion opportunities”. For the first nine months of 2025, Kinder Morgan recorded $0.91 in EPS adjusted for nonrecurring items. That was up 10 percent from the same period in 2024, according to its third-quarter report October 22. Adjusted EBITDA for January-September 2025 totaled $6.12 billion, up four percent year-on-year. Volumes transported via its gas and liquid pipelines rose year-over-year. Gas transport volumes exceeded 46 trillion British thermal units a day, while it delivered 2.12 million barrels per day of liquids (crude oil, condensate and refined products). Revenue totaled $12.43 billion, up from $11.11 billion for the