english issue
Business Group Lobbies for Oil , Gas Hearings in Aberdeen
Tribunal hearings of the Oil and Gas Authority ( OGA ) should be based in Aberdeen , which is home to the majority of Europe ’ s oil and gas operators , according to a letter from the Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce . The group wrote to Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell and said locating the hearings in Aberdeen would demonstrate the government ’ s commitment to the oil and gas industry . “ As the oil and gas capital of Europe , both the private and public sector ( s ) have a role in anchoring the region ’ s worldwide status , and locating the tribunal team in the city would help support these objectives ,” James Bream , the chamber ’ s research and policy director , said in the letter . “ We have been supportive of the creation of the Oil & Gas Authority , and its location in Aberdeen recognizes the city ’ s role at the center of activity in the UK continental shelf .” The UK ’ s newly conservative government established the regulatory agency last year , as part of its pledge to boost the economic recovery of hydrocarbons along the UK continental shelf . The OGA is an independent regulator in the form of a government company charged with asset stewardship and regulation of domestic oil and gas recovery .
Agency
Iran Steps Up Offense in Oil Market War With Price Discount
Iran seeking to regain market share lost due to sanctions Iran ratcheted up its offense in the oil market after breaking a pricing tradition , signaling it ’ s seeking to win market share at a time when rival producers are trying to forge a deal on freezing output . While producers including Saudi Arabia , OPEC ’ s biggest member , and Russia are due to meet in Doha on April 17 to discuss a deal to freeze output in a step toward clearing a global glut , Iran is determined to regain market share lost over the past few years due to sanctions over its nuclear program . “ Unquestionably , since the lifting of sanctions , the Iranians have become a force to be reckoned with in global oil markets ,” said an analyste “ Their mission is to recapture market share , pure and simple .” State-run National Iranian Oil Co . will sell the Forozan Blend crude for May to Asia below the level offered by rival Saudi Aramco for Arab Medium , the third month the Persian Gulf state is giving the discount after setting it at a premium for almost seven years through February 2016 . NIOC will also sell the Iranian Light
56 / OIL & GAS business / NUMÉRO 14 / Avril 2016