http://news.rigzone.comThe latest upstream oil and gas news from around the world.Copyright 2008 Rigzone.com Inc. All rights reserved.http://www.rigzone.com/images/logo_rigz_131x20.gifhttp://www.rigzone.com/news/13120http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66337&rss=trueWeather authorities warn that Hurricane Ike will enter the Gulf of Mexico next week. Currently a Category 3 hurricane, Ike is expected to travel southwest, diverting from its previous path, and enter the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Florida Keys.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66333&rss=trueCompanies are redeploying personnel to rigs and offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as reinstating production. Currently, 90.5% of the oil production is shut-in.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66308&rss=trueNatural gas futures rose as updated storm models showed an increased threat to energy infrastructure from Hurricane Ike. The hurricane is now projected to take a more southerly course, potentially heading into the Gulf of Mexico next week.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66307&rss=trueThe agreement could have an impact beyond the two nations, as they vowed to enable their national oil companies to jointly participate in exploration ventures in other countries as well.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66296&rss=trueSpeaking four days before an OPEC meeting, the OPEC governor also reiterated Iran's view that OPEC members should cut output to their agreed targets so that oversupply in the market was reduced.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66293&rss=trueSlower demand, an economic downturn and cheaper oil could convince OPEC it needs to trim supply unofficially, but the producer group is expected to leave public output targets unchanged when it meets next week.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66292&rss=trueCrude oil prices held relatively stable overnight Friday, gaining 18 cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange to $106.48 per barrel.Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66264&rss=trueKazakhstan won't drop the Caucasus as an export route for its oil despite regional tensions caused by a conflict between Georgia and Russia, chief executive of Kazakh state oil and gas company said Thursday. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66260&rss=trueExports of crude oil from Nigeria's new deepwater Agbami project are expected to be delayed, a trade source said on Thursday. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66246&rss=trueThe IHS Herold/Harrison Lovegrove study found that worldwide revenues increased by $86 billion for the oil and gas industry, implying an average realized price of $47.53 per barrel, a 9 percent increase from 2006. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66240&rss=trueThe price for crude oil produced by OPEC gained $0.29 Wednesday, OPEC said Thursday, after it had dropped by more than six dollars the day before. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66236&rss=trueCrude oil prices edged to more than $110 a barrel Thursday, the bump attributed to supply shutdowns in the Gulf of Mexico due to Hurricane Gustav. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66235&rss=truePetrofac confirms that on September 3rd there was an incident involving a helicopter in the Rashid field approximately 70 kilometers offshore Dubai. Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66214&rss=trueMMS reported that personnel have been evacuated from a total of 599 production platforms, equivalent to 83.5 % of the 717 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. 95.8% of oil production and 91.6% of natural gas production are shut-in at this time. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66207&rss=trueNigerian state oil firm NNPC and Russian gas giant Gazprom have signed a memorandum of understanding on oil and gas exploration in Africa's top crude producer. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66206&rss=trueCrude oil prices slid to $108.32 a barrel Wednesday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, pressured by the strength of the dollar and falling demand. Oil prices dropped nearly $2 a barrel from Tuesday's close Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66205&rss=trueThe government of Kazakhstan has proposed to set mineral extraction tax rates for oil producers at 5-18 percent of crude's market value in 2009, with higher rates applied to larger producers, according to a draft law. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66193&rss=trueAfter operators and service companies' post-hurricane assessments of assets and the safety of offshore personnel on Tuesday, an update has been issued underscoring the affects of Gustav on rigs and vessels located in the Gulf of Mexico. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66186&rss=trueIran has invited Brazil to join the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Latin America News Digest reported Wednesday. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66185&rss=trueIraq is expected to earn around $63 billion from a contract it signed with a Chinese company to develop Al Ahdab oil field in central Iraq, Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani told reporters in Baghdad Tuesday. Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT