Jubilee posts strong production figures for first half 2015

globalCRUDE PRICESnotwithstanding, Ghana’s Jubilee field continued with a strong performance in the first half of 2015, Operators, Tullow Oil have said.

The Trading Statement and Operational Update issued last week said performance has remained strong averaging around 105,000BARRELS OF OIL per day (105,000 bopd) gross over the six-month period.

This has brought Tullow’s own net production to 37,300 bopd during the period under review.

For the corresponding period last year, gross production for the field averaged approximately 103,000 bopd in line with expectations.

The Group had expressed confident then of achieving its full year average Jubilee field gross production target of 100,000 bopd.

“We have taken a number of important steps to ensure that Tullow remains on a firm financial footing. This approach is paying off with good progress across the business in the first half of 2015.

“Our major oil producing assets in West Africa have performed strongly and we have upgraded our 2015 full year production forecast accordingly,” Aiden Heavey, Chief Executive (CEO) of Tullow commented.

The statement said the Tweneboa-Enyenra-Ntomme (TEN) development project as fast progressing within budget and on course to meet the first oil date in the middle of 2016.

“Important milestones on the project achieved during the second quarter included: the running of the first two of ten (10) well completions; the installation of the turret on the bow of the FPSO; and the first in-country fabrication works made ready for the start of the offshore installation campaign in mid-July,” the statement disclosed.

It said specialist subsea manifolds and umbilicals from the USA were also made ready for transport to Ghana.

The statement said: “Following the 25 April ruling from the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on Provisional Measures, discussions are ongoing with the Government of Ghana on their implementation and no impact is expected on project activity to first oil.”

Tullow added that its operations in East Africa, were also making steady progress towards project sanction with good appraisal and test results from its wells in Northern Kenya and strong support from the Governments of Kenya and Uganda.

“Finally, we continue to build our inventory of exploration prospects to provide options when market conditions improve,” it stated.

Source: News Agency

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You could feel Chris Christie's pain.

Here he was Monday morning on Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends, eager to bolster his case for why he should be the Republican Party's presidential standard-bearer in 2016.

And all anyone wanted to talk about was Donald Trump.

"You know, enough. We've answered the questions," the New Jersey governor said, referring to queries about The Donald's controversial, not to say odious, comments about Mexican immigrants. And, he added pointedly, "Seriously, when I'm out there talking to folks, nobody in the real world asks me about this — nobody, But every time I get on a media show, all anybody ever wants to talk about is Donald Trump."

Going in, it was widely known that Trump excels when it comes to focusing the spotlight on himself. But it is truly extraordinary the extent to which he is dominating coverage of and conversation about the GOP presidential contest. It's pretty much a hijacking.

There's no mystery about how he does it. He says outrageous things. Then he says them again. Unlike so many other candidates, Trump doesn't disavow comments he should be ashamed of. He doubles down on them.

And as much as it pains what passes for the Republican establishment, some people respond positively to that. There clearly is an audience that Trump is reaching. Thus his rapid ascension in the polls, never mind that he has no serious policy ideas, no political experience and no chance of becoming president.

A month ago I wrote that there's a part of me that wished the news media could simply ignore Trump's act. But it really can't, not when it has such an impact on the dynamics of the race, not when his nonsense has real-world consequences (e.g., NBC and Macy's cutting ties with him over his immigration remarks).

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Rieder: The Peacock kicks The Donald to The Curb

Nevertheless, there are steps that can be taken. The Washington Post's Erik Wemplehad a very good suggestion last week: Stop asking Trump if he stands by those repugnant immigration comments, because he has made clear that he does, over and over again.

Meanwhile, it's all Trump all the time.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., another member of the exceedingly crowded collection of GOP presidential hopefuls, made news over the weekend when, reaching into hisMiley Cyrus thesaurus, he called Trump a "wrecking ball" for the Republican Party.