Feb 2005

The start-up of ExxonMobil's Kizomba A development in August gave Angola its second multi-field, deep-water production complex and lifted deep-water output to over 0.6m b/d, from six fields. Four more complexes under development are due to raise deep-water production to over 1.5m b/d by 2008 - when total Angolan production should be substantially over 2m b/d

The Russian prime minister, Mikhail Fradkov, has given the green light for construction of a huge crude oil export pipeline across eastern Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, ending months of speculation. Isabel Gorst reports

Sinopec or PetroChina, or both, are on the brink of striking deals to secure a large chunk of Alberta's oil-sands production to help satisfy China's growing obsession with energy security, Canadian industry and government leaders predict. WJ Simpson reports

It was another impressive year for exploration spending in 2004, although not solely because of high commodity prices. Further spending increases are expected this year. Cris Heaton reports

With energy markets experiencing extreme price volatility, the need for hedging has never been greater. Historically, coal was considered unsuitable for financial trades, but the development of an OTC and futures market in the US is providing security for producers and consumers, writes Ellen Lask

India desperately needs a better oil and gas transport network and there is no shortage of proposals for new pipelines. But it remains to be seen how many of them will come to fruition, writes Cris Heaton

Kuwait's attempts to expand production capacity at its northern oilfield development may finally be coming to fruition, writes James Gavin

Gas pipelines are being expanded and constructed across the continent. But because of perceptions of political and economic risk, capital for these expansions is coming from new sources, writes Robert Olson

Politics aside, the development of a unified pipeline network to supply energy to the Mashreq sub-region - comprising a number of eastern Mediterranean states, such as Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and the Palestinian Authority - makes good commercial sense, writes Martin Clark

Saudi Aramco entered the new year with plans to kick-start a number of expansion programmes. With other Middle East producers also looking to boost crude production, James Gavin reports on prospects for near-term increases in Opec output capacity

Newfield Exploration, set up in the late 1980s to focus on oil and gas ventures in the Gulf of Mexico, has grown rapidly since 2000 through a series of bold acquisitions. It is now a $5bn enterprise. Anne Feltus talks to David Trice, co-founder, president, chairman and chief executive

In an industry historically dominated by giant-scale fixed and floating offshore developments, the pipelines that carry hydrocarbons production to shore can be somewhat overshadowed. Darius Snieckus examines recent and soon-to-arrive additions to the world's ever-growing offshore oil and gas transport network

In an article in , in September of 2002, I was quoted as saying that oil prices were likely to climb above $50/b if war broke out in Iraq. This was not speculation, but reflected 20 years' history of oil-price behaviour, writes Phillip Ellis, head of global oil, Boston Consulting Group, London

Oil-thirsty Taiwan hopes to tackle its pollution problems by encouraging a switch to cleaner forms of energy. And greater dependence on renewable sources could also improve energy security, writes Cris Heaton

US consumers may have to fork out hundreds of billions of extra dollars in gas bills over the next 15 years if improvements to the nation's natural gas-supply network are not made soon.

After a decade in the starting blocks, the $0.59bn West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is finally under way, despite immense political and commercial obstacles, writes Martin Clark