(Bloomberg) – A South African oil and gas industry lobby is pushing for the finalization of new legislation that will provide greater certainty for operators and producers, as activists step up pressure to curtail the use of fossil fuels.

The Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill, which provides for hydrocarbons to be regulated separately from mining, has been in the works for years and was finally approved by the National Assembly on Thursday. It will now be sent to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence, before being signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“There’s a window of opportunity at the moment to encourage investment,” Adrian Strydom, executive director of the South African Oil & Gas Alliance, said by phone. “We need to make sure this legislation works for us and really speed up implementation so we can get started.”

The legislation will ensure the orderly and sustainable development of petroleum resources, the increased participation of Black South Africans in the industry and integrated production and exploration rights, according to its preamble.

Environmental groups have blocked exploration for hydrocarbons in South African waters by Shell Plc and other companies through legal action. TotalEnergies SE is planning to look for resources off the west coast, after making earlier discoveries.

South Africa currently has virtually no commercial oil production and relies on imports and synthetic products to meet its fuel needs.

(Bloomberg) – The Biden administration is at least temporarily barred from selling new offshore oil leases in the Gulf of Mexico amid concerns about the risks to an endangered whale, under a ruling Thursday by a Louisiana-based federal circuit court.

The ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is a blow to the oil industry, including the American Petroleum Institute as well as units of Chevron Corp. and Shell Plc, which had pushed for the auction, set to be the last of its kind until 2025.

The Fifth Circuit stayed an earlier injunction that had required the Interior Department to hold the lease sale by Nov. 8, including some 6 million acres it had previously pulled off the auction block. The agency also would have been forced to scrap planned vessel traffic limitations. The sale and those requirements are now effectively on hold until the Fifth Circuit can consider the merits of the issue.

API Senior Vice President Ryan Meyers argued the earlier injunction “that halted the Biden administration’s unlawful restrictions on the continued access and development of reliable, lower-carbon energy in the Gulf of Mexico was fully justified.” The group will keep pressing “to provide greater certainty for American energy workers, the Gulf Coast economy and a stronger future for U.S. energy security,” he said.

Representatives of the Interior Department did not comment on the ruling. Oral arguments in the case are set for Nov. 13.

WASHINGTON, October 26, 2023 – The American Petroleum Institute (API) and Ukrnafta, Ukraine’s leading national oil company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the adoption of API natural gas and oil standards in Ukraine. The agreement affirms both parties’ commitment to enhancing Ukraine’s energy independence and its transition away from Russian standards, equipment and operations.

After the signature of the MOU between API and Ukraine’s national standards body, the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Scientific Center for Standardization, Certification and Quality Problems,” which focused on an information exchange and the promotion of API standards, this agreement with Ukrnafta goes further, supporting Ukraine’s shift away from Russian standards and toward API’s globally recognized international energy standards and best practices.

“As the world’s premier standards-setting organization for the natural gas and oil industry, API is honored to embark on this new cooperative relationship with Ukrnafta,” said Anchal Liddar, API Senior Vice President for Global Industry Services. “This alliance solidifies our shared vision of strengthening Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and independence based on our world-class standards.”

“The memorandum of understanding with API will allow us to significantly increase our efficiency and attract the best examples of world technologies to the development of the Ukrainian oil industry,” said Serhiy Koretsky, director of Ukrnafta PJSC. “This is one of the key transformation projects of the company in the coming years, which will ultimately allow Ukraine to achieve the desired energy independence. We are honored to work together with such a respected and influential organization as API.”

The MOU establishes a framework between API and Ukrnafta for the following:

• Promoting the adoption and harmonization of API standards across Ukraine’s oil and gas industry
• Involving Ukrainian experts on API standards committees
• Providing guidance, promoting awareness and facilitating information exchange on the usage and implementation of API standards and safety programs, such as API Energy Excellence®
• Collaborating on events and the joint organization of standards-related training programs and seminars

The framework outlined in the MOU supports Ukraine’s intent to reduce its reliance on Russian energy and supply chain and helps create a robust, resilient energy industry that is aligned with international best practices.