More Movement In The Global Oil And Gas Industry -- December 22, 2015

Yesterday it was announced that BP would buy all of Devon's assets in the San Juan Basin in New Mexico. Today is it being announced the COP is leaving Russia after 25 years. From Seeking Alpha:

• ConocoPhillips is exiting Russia after more than 25 years as foreign investors are hit by Russian political tensions and the tumble in oil prices, Financial Times reports
• COP confirms it sold its 50% stake in its Polar Lights JV with Rosneft, which also sold its stake in a deal that valued the business at $150M-$200M
• Polar Lights, registered in 1992, made COP the largest foreign investor in the Russian energy sector in the early 1990s, but the venture became ensnared in domestic Russian politics, and its tax bill increased sharply; COP first announced it would seek a buyer for its stake last year

Only one reason COP did this, but I will let the readers speculate.

Meanwhile, Gazprom Neft is tweeting: 

Russia to stand by flat crude oil output strategy; 'ready for battle', according to Gazprom Neft CEO.

More and more pressure on President Putin, which takes us to this next article sent in by a reader.

I think I've seen this article before, or another iteration of it, somewhere else, and, in fact, I may have posted it somewhere. From oiljobsnd:

It won’t be long now, until the U.S. Shale Oil Industry will bankrupt Saudi Arabia, and claim victory against OPEC. The war isn’t over yet, but America has already won, it’s just a waiting game now.

On Friday, December 18th 2015, President Barack Obama officially signed off on ending the 40 year ban on the export of crude oil. President Obama basically signed the death certificate of OPEC. By passing this new law, the US Shale Oil Industry will crush OPEC in the long-term.

For years now Saudi Arabia has been a major powerhouse in the oil and gas industry. When you think Saudi Arabia, you think of oil. Most people assume OPEC is the one calling the shots and setting the oil prices, it’s not, it’s Saudi Arabia and it’s been them this whole time. Why do you think the Bush Administration was in bed with them?

For the last few decades Saudi Arabia has printed money faster than they can pump oil, and they pump a tremendous amount of oil. When the markets swung up and down, it was due to the Saudi’s actions. Saudi Arabia has been the muscle in the oil industry for the longest time, until US operators cracked the shale oil code.

Much, much more at the link.