Connacher Oil & Gas Ltd., Calgary, which last month disclosed a strategic review following key management changes, has delayed the planned expansion of its Alberta oil sands production project and named an interim chief executive officer (OGJ Online, Jan. 20, 2012).

Statoil has let a contract to Technip for work on what it calls the world’s first subsea natural gas compression facility, to be installed in Asgard area in the Norwegian Sea.

MOEX Offshore LLC agreed to pay $90 million to settle its liability in the Macondo deepwater well incident and spill in 2010, the US Department of Justice, Coast Guard, and Environmental Protection Agency jointly announced on Feb. 17.

An Anadarko Petroleum Corp. group has encountered hydrocarbons at the Jupiter-1 exploratory well on Block SL-07B-11 offshore Sierra Leone.

Chevron Nigeria Ltd. said a contractor started drilling a relief well to seal the Funiwa 1A natural gas well, which caught on fire Jan. 16 about 6 miles offshore Nigeria in 40 ft of water.

Another budget proposal, another presidential thumb in the eye of the oil and gas industry.

Drilling activity should remain strong in the US and Canada in 2012 after substantial year-to-year gains in 2011.