Companies in the news

Apache Corp. agreed to acquire producing properties in the Permian basin and south Texas from Collins & Ware, Inc. Proved reserves include 502 Bcfge with probable reserves of 151 Bcfge. Daily production is about 40 MMcfg and 4,000 bbl of liquids. The firm agreed with Occidental Petroleum to acquire a subsidiary with interests on the Outer Continental Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile, Apache and PetroChina Co. Ltd. will proceed with the 49,000-acre Zhao Dong Block development in Bohai Bay, China.

Noble Affiliates, Inc., relocated about 16 of its corporate officers and support personnel from Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Houston.

NKK Corp. and Siderca SAIC of Argentina formed a joint venture named NKKTUBES, which will be owned by Siderca (51%) and NKK (49%) and will become part of the DST alliance between seamless steel pipe manufacturers.

Offshore Data Services and Petrodata merged to form OneOffshore, Inc. The new firm will serve as a central resource for information and services.

Enterprise Oil acquired all of R&B Falcon’s interests in the Gulf of Mexico, including 50% interest in the Boomvang field development, 100% interest in Gyrfalcon field and interests in 19 other deepwater blocks.

Hoerbiger Corp. of America opened a new center in Neuquen, Argentina, southwest of Buenos Aires to provide sales, manufacturing and repair services.

Tullow Oil purchased ARCO’s interests in several gas pipelines, processing facilities and associated fields in the UK southern North Sea from BP.

eSeis, Inc. acquired Calgary-based Ulterra Geoscience, Ltd., GeoScope Exploration Technologies, Inc., and merged with Houston-based Exploration Specialty Processing.

Canada’s Energy North Inc. acquired additional oil and gas production, associated processing facilities and undeveloped land in its Eastern Alberta project area.

Founders Energy acquired a 75% working interest in the Neilburg field in west central Saskatchewan.

Diaz Resources purchased producing properties in southeast Saskatchewan, including interests in two oil wells at Parkman and eight oil wells at Arcola, adding 85 bopd to its current production.

Paradigm Geophysical Ltd. expanded its Moscow-based operations and moved into new facilities.

The government of Syria granted Tanganyika Oil Co. rights to explore a 100,000-acre concession in northeastern Syria. One field currently produces 2,000 bopd and 27 MMcfgd from 17 wells.

Anderson Exploration completed its acquisition of Ulster Petroleums.

Patterson Energy, Inc., merged with High Valley Drilling, Inc.

Mart Resources Inc. acquired Interbasin Resources, including 100% working interest in an offshore oil and gas exploration license in Nigeria in shallow to deep water with extensive 2-D and 3-D seismic coverage. A wildcat is slated for the end of the year.

Samson Investment Co. completed its acquisition of gas producing properties in East Texas from Torch E&P Co. and Bellwether Exploration Co., the latest of four acquisitions in six months for Samson.

Amoil Resources Inc. closed its acquisition of River Valley Contracting Ltd. and River Valley Drilling.

Auburn Energy and Alexis Band Oil & Gas agreed to explore and develop 25 sections of Alexis First Nation land lying about 33 mi northwest of Edmonton.

Pinnacle Oil International, Inc., changed its name to Energy Exploration Technologies.

MainTech Maintenance, Inc., formed a business alliance with ADB Systems to offer complete asset tracking software along with computerized maintenance management services to drilling companies, production companies and more.

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and Union Pacific Resources completed their merger. Reserves of the combined companies at year-end 1999 were equivalent to about 1.94 billion bbl of oil.

McMoRan Exploration agreed to sell its 35% interest in the Brazos Block A-19 field and its 50% interest in the unexplored Brazos Block A-26 to Shell Offshore Inc.

Weatherford International, Inc., agreed to acquire Alpine Oil Services Corp., extending Weatherford’s underbalanced drilling capabilities worldwide and adding new completion technology capabilities to its Completion Systems division.

Core Laboratories completed its acquisition of Production Enhancement Corp.

Krescent Energy Co. acquired EEX Operating L.P. and EEX E&P Co. L.P.’s interest in eight fields located in Louisiana and Texas. Meanwhile, Krescent and Cabot Oil plan a 13,750-ft Hollywood Sand Test by the end of the month in the Kent Bayou field area of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.

Coflexip Stena Offshore acquired Slingsby Engineering Ltd. (SEL) from Flight Refuelling Ltd. SEL will be operated within the robotics division under the name of Perry Slingsby Systems.

Stabil Drill acquired Non-Mag Inc., its seventh acquisition in five years.

Expro Group Australia Pty. Ltd. acquired the assets of Production Testers International (PTI) as well as its stake in the joint venture company Swire Production Testers (SPT). Expro Americas Inc. acquired Houston-based Surface Production Systems Inc., which will be integrated within its Surface and Environmental Services.

Schlumberger Oilfield Services purchased a minority share of Framo Engineering AS.

Paragon Engineering Services President, Ken Arnold purchased Halliburton’s 40% share in Paragon, bringing his ownership to 60%.

Shell’s Garn West will be developed as a satellite field to the Draugen fields. The Rogn South field also forms part of this project, providing the potential for an additional three-well development, connected to Garn West. Kvaerner will provide engineering, procurement and construction services.

Italy’s Eni acquired 30% of Petróleos e Gás de Portugal (GALP).

Toreador Resources Corp. agreed to acquire Texona Petroleum Corp.

Woodside and Shell sold a 10% interest in Australia’s Sunrise, Sunset and Troubadour (Greater Sunrise) and Evans Shoal gas and condensate fields to Osaka Gas.