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Crude oil remains the world's leading energy source. The value of the total annual production of the global oil industry in 2018 was around 2 trillion US dollars. A flourishing black market is not surprising. Fossil fuels worth around 133 billion US dollars are stolen every year [1]. At peak prices, a cartel could earn 90,000 dollars by tapping into a Mexican product pipeline in just seven minutes. An estimated 660,000 cars in Morocco and Tunisia drive all year round on fuel smuggled from Algeria [2].

A Saudi oil pipeline was attacked by drones, causing “limited damage,” the Saudi energy minister said on Tuesday, only one day after Saudi Arabia said two of its oil tankers had been sabotaged. This latest development is ratcheting up tensions in the already troubled region.

Two oil pumping stations for the East-West pipeline had been hit by explosive-laden drones.

McDermott International and Baker Hughes, a GE company have announced today that they have been awarded subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF) and subsea production system (SPS) equipment contracts by BP for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim natural gas project, located offshore Mauritania and Senegal. BP, BHGE and McDermott are working together to realize efficiencies, synergies and enhanced delivery times.

Noble Energy is looking to unload pipeline operator Noble Midstream Partners to focus on core operations and maximize profits, according to people familiar with the issue.

Both Noble Energy and Noble Midstream Partners did not respond to request for comment.

Noble Midstream Partners has a market value of $1.6 billion.

Noble Midstream provides crude oil, natural gas, and water-related midstream services in the DJ Basin in Colorado and the Delaware Basin in Texas.

Suspected militants have forced a second shutdown in as many months of the Nembe Creek Trunkline carrying oil from the eastern Niger Delta to the Bonny Export Terminal, located at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The shutdown has led to a force majeure, exempting the Nigerian Pipeline operator, Aiteo Oil Exploration and Production Company, from fulfilling its obligations under its contract until the pipeline is repaired.

All six of the saboteurs were killed. The fire also caused Nigeria's oil production to fall 8 percent per day.

Europe's leading pipeline conference and exhibition, the Pipeline Technology Conference (ptc) has been held successfully from 18 to 21 March 2019 in Berlin, Germany.

LIN SCAN successfully completed the cleaning and inspection of three strategic crude oil loading lines in the UAE that had been deemed unpiggable.

Within 120 days, thanks to excellent planning and innovation, LIN SCAN carried out the geometric and metal loss inspection survey using its high-resolution Magnetic Flux Leakage tool and submitted digital intelligent inspection reports for the integrity assessment of these lines.

Saudi-led Arkad-ABB as well as an international consortium comprising Bonatti, Max Streicher and TNK are vying for final selection in Bulgartransgaz's 474-km natural gas pipeline project which would link Bulgaria to Turkey on its southern border and with Serbia on its western border. A third group led by MOL in Hungary did not meet the project requirements and will no longer be considered.

To provide legal clarity for operators and competitive gas supply for all Europeans, the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) approved new gas market rules to bring incoming pipelines under EU law. MEPs adopted an overhaul of EU gas market rules on Thursday with 465 votes to 95, and 68 abstentions to extend EU rules (including EU competition rules) to all pipelines entering the EU from non-EU countries.

President Trump has issued a presidential edict to “construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at the international border” at Phillips County, Montana, “for the import of oil from Canada to the United States.” The edict thus provides TransCanada, the Canadian pipeline company, a significant boost as it considers its final investment decision on the $8 billion project.

Europe's leading pipeline event, the Pipeline Technology Conference (ptc), has been held successfully from 18 to 21 March 2019 in Berlin, Germany. The organizer announced that 750 participants from 54 different nations, delegations from almost 80 different pipeline operators as well as 78 exhibitors have joined and contributed to the event. This makes the ptc 2019 the biggest and most successful event so far.

Israel wants to strengthen its alliance with Cyprus and Greece with a natural gas project in the Mediterranean. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiadis, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening.

The countries plan to supply gas to Europe from 2025 via a 2,100-kilometer pipeline. The project is expected to cost six billion euros. Israel's axis with Cyprus and Greece had developed in recent years after Israel's relations with Turkey had deteriorated.