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To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:12:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
FIELD ACTIVITIES / Elk Resources, (operator), Stanford Oil & Gas
Westminster Resources, Richland Petroleum, Hilton Petroleum,
Kookaburra Resources, Paramount Resources and Berkley Petroleum --
Update #3 - Bellevue #1 Well - Well Control Operations

CALGARY, ALBERTA--During the afternoon of Tuesday December 8,
1998, the fire which had been burning from the Bellevue #1 well
extinguished itself. Well control operations are still necessary
and well control specialists, Boots & Coots IWC, are continuing
with procedures to install a diverter valve assembly to direct the
flow to two burn pits. The well control team expect to divert the
flow by Friday, December 11, 1998. Subsequent to diversion, the
liquid hydrocarbons will be recovered in a surface containment
facility and gas volumes will be flared.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:15:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
ENERGY TRUSTS / Viking Energy Royalty Trust Oil Property Acquisition

VIKING ENERGY ROYALTY TRUST ANNOUNCES MAJOR OIL PROPERTY ACQUISITION

CALGARY, AB--

Viking Energy Royalty Trust is pleased to announce it has entered
into a Purchase and Sale Agreement to acquire oil properties in
a new core area located in Central Alberta. The acquisition is
from a major oil company and is being completed with an industry
partner. Both Viking and the partner will be purchasing 50%, with
the partner becoming the operator upon closing. The purchase
price will be $25.3 million before adjustments, with an effective
date of July 1, 1998. The transaction is expected to close on
December 16, 1998 and will be funded through bank financing.

Viking's incremental net production from the properties will be
in excess of 2,600 BOE/day, 80% of which comes from one
established unit. This will increase Viking's 1999 forecast
production by over 54%, and amounts to an average cost of $9,711
per daily flowing barrel. The acquisition will add approximately
6.0 million BOEs to Viking's established reserves, an increase of
over 27% (as determined by an independent engineer) at a cost of
$4.20 per BOE. This results in 1998 production being replaced by
over 280%.

As a result, Viking's overall Reserve Life Index will decline
modestly. Viking believes the properties have significant
development opportunities and operational efficiencies which can
be realized. The properties have been extensively evaluated with
3-D seismic and numerous in-fill wells have been identified.
Year-end reserve reports will significantly redefine the Trust's
asset base.

The Trust continues to hedge to protect forecast distributions
when opportunities arise. Viking has a hedge in place for 500
barrels of oil production per day from July 1, 1998 to June 30,
1999 at an effective price of $23.62 Cdn. The Trust has also
entered into two contracts for 1999, hedging an additional total
of 1,000 barrels of oil production per day from January 1, 1999
to December 31, 1999 at an effective price of $24.53 Cdn.

Viking Energy Royalty Trust is an open-end investment Trust that
generates income from long-life oil and natural gas producing
properties in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The beneficiaries of
Viking are the holders of the Trust Units who receive monthly
distributions of the cash flow from the income. The Units are
listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) under the symbol
"VKR.UN". Viking is managed by Viking Management Ltd., a Calgary
based company.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:17:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
FINANCING / Big Horn Resources receives shareholder approval for private
placement

CALGARY, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - Big Horn Resources Ltd. (''Big Horn'') announces
that it has received approval of its shareholders to a previously announced
private placement of 10,000,000 common shares at a price of $0.65 per share.
In excess of 99% of the votes cast at the special meeting of the shareholders
of Big Horn held on December 8, 1998 were voted in favour of the private
placement. Big Horn intends to use the proceeds of the private placement to
pay down a substantial portion of the debt it incurred in its recent
successful acquisition for Ironwood Petroleum Ltd. It is expected that the
private placement will close following receipt of the final approval of The
Toronto Stock Exchange.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:21:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
JCP - MAJOR TRANSACTION / AltaCanada Energy Corp. Acquisition

CALGARY, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - AltaCanada Energy Corp. (''AltaCanada''), a
junior capital pool corporation listed on The Alberta Stock Exchange under the
trading symbol ''ANG'', is pleased to announce that it has received approval
from its shareholders with respect to its Major Transaction at a meeting held
on November 30, 1998. The Major Transaction constitutes two parts: (1) the
asset acquisition of an interest in selected oil and natural gas properties in
East-Central Alberta for a maximum consideration of $1,752,000; and (2) the
corporate acquisition of all of the outstanding securities of 774781 Alberta
Ltd. (''Drillco'') consisting of the acquisition of A Shares, Debentures and
Warrants of Drillco in exchange for common shares, flow through shares and
warrants of AltaCanada.

AltaCanada is also pleased to announce that on December 1, 1998 it closed
the East Central Alberta asset acquisition which had an effective date of
January 1, 1998, with a combination of the deposit previously advanced by
AltaCanada, bank indebtedness, closing adjustments and an advance of funds
from the capital placed in escrow on the private placement of Drillco.

Drillco is seeking to raise up to $900,000 under a private placement by
an Offering Memorandum dated November 11, 1998 prior to the acquisition of the
securities of Drillco by AltaCanada. Subscribers for Drillco Units will
thereby receive AltaCanada Units for an effective consideration of $1.00 each,
consisting of three AltaCanada Common Shares, one Alta-Canada Flow Through
Common Share and two AltaCanada Warrants, each Warrant entitling the holder to
one AltaCanada Common Share at a price of $0.35 for one year. The private
placement will be completed in mid December 1998.

The Alberta Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the
information contained herein.



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:26:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
MERGERS - ACQUISITIONS / Gentry Resources Announces Agreement with
Stratic Energy Corp

Newly-managed company to have enhanced access to capital to
exploit significant growth opportunities

CALGARY, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - Gentry Resources Ltd. (''Gentry'') and Stratic
Energy Corporation (''Stratic'') are pleased to announce that they have signed
a Letter of Intent that, when concluded, will have a significant impact on the
size and future growth of both companies.

The Letter of Intent, which is subject to due diligence regulatory
approval and the execution of definitive agreements, provides that Gentry sell
to Stratic all of the issued and outstanding shares of Gentry International
(Côte d'Ivoire) Inc. and Gentry International (Gabon) Inc., which are
presently engaged in the business of international oil and gas exploration in
offshore Côte d'Ivoire and onshore Gabon in West Africa respectively.

The compensation to be paid to Gentry is the issuance by Stratic of
3,466,667 common shares and the transfer of 300,000 share purchase warrants,
which will make Gentry the second largest shareholder of Stratic, holding 27%
of its common shares, with Croesus Capital Management holding 35% of its
common shares.

The new head office of Stratic, upon the closing of the transaction,
shall be at the current offices of Gentry, and the new management will consist
of the following individuals:

Hugh G. Ross, President and CEO
Ketan Panchmatia, Vice-President and CFO
R. Gordon McKay, Vice-President, Exploration and Operations

The new Board of Directors of Stratic will be comprised of two directors
from Gentry and three directors from Stratic, for a total of 5 directors. The
new directors would be Hugh G. Ross, President and CEO of Gentry, A. Bruce
Macdonald, Director of Gentry, Michael Beck, Managing Director of N.M.
Rothschilds and Sons LLC (Washington), John D. C. Taylor, Principal and
Managing Director of Croesus Capital Management (New York), and Colin Orr-
Ewing, International Portfolio Manager at Blakeney Management Ltd. (London).
Mr. Beck, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Orr-Ewing all enjoy considerable fund management
and international financial experience, which will serve to greatly enhance
the fund raising capabilities of Stratic and Gentry.

Stratic currently holds three significantly large concessions
encompassing an area of 503,038 square kilometres in the Republic of Mali.
Stratic is debt-free and has approximately $1,400,000 in cash. Current issued
and outstanding shares stand at 9,185,122 common shares before this
transaction. Upon the closing of the transaction, Gentry, Croesus, Blakeney,
the new Board of Directors and new management will collectively exercise
control or direction over approximately 85% of the common shares in Stratic.

Gentry International (Côte d'Ivoire) Inc. assets to be vended to Stratic
consist of an 11% working interest in its Côte d'Ivoire Block CI-102, which
encompasses 793,000 km(2). Gentry, along with the operator, Ranger Oil (UK)
Limited, have identified three advanced leads with hydrocarbon potential in
Albian and Cenomanian closures. These leads were identified from the 1,015 km
2D seismic program shot late in the first quarter of this year. Gentry and
its partners are currently reviewing the technical aspects of their
interpretations.

The Gabon assets to be vended to Stratic, are held by Gentry
International (Gabon) Inc. Gentry, along with the operator Energy Africa,
have recently conducted an in-depth economic analysis on several drilling
scenarios for the 325 km(2) Ofoubou exploration block. Work to date has
focussed on the existing data recovered from the Connoco/Oxy OFMA No.1 well
drilled in 1992, as well as delineating the Gamba sandstone, which is the main
reservoir in the area. To date, a number of significant leads have been
identified.

In keeping with Gentry's prior international strategy, Stratic, upon the
closing of the transaction, will focus on geographically diverse, high reward
exploration and development opportunities in West and North Africa.

Stratic will focus on identifying specific exploration prospects:
negotiating the rights to these concessions and attracting quality industry
participants bringing significant international expertise and capital to its
projects. Stratic will be able to manage its participation and partner
involvement so that opportunity and risks will be appropriately leveraged.

Hugh G. Ross, President and CEO of Gentry is quoted as saying ''The
addition of Gentry's assets will add tremendous value to the Stratic
shareholder base through cost efficiencies and expanded opportunity inventory,
both in exploration and exploitation. Gentry's demonstrated ability to
develop significant exploration opportunities and Stratic's fund raising
abilities make this a very compelling transaction''.

''We have long admired what Gentry management have accomplished,
particularly with respect to Africa. We are delighted that Gentry will now
own a significant share position in the Company. We also believe that
Stratic, soon to be under the management of Gentry, now has every chance of
achieving its original mandate: namely that of becoming a pan African oil
company which makes the transaction from a junior explorer to a medium-sized
company with production and cash flow,'' adds John Taylor, Principal of
Croesus Capital Management.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:29:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
SERVICE SECTOR / Hartland Pipeline Services Ltd. Announces
International Agreements

CALGARY, ALBERTA--

Brian J. Murray, President and CEO of Hartland Pipeline Services
Ltd. is pleased to announce the company has signed a Joint Venture
Agreement ("JV") and Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with
Bhagheeratha Engineering Limited ("BEL") of Cochin, Kerala, India.

BEL is one of the largest engineering firms in India and has
experience in the construction of dams, bridges, railways,
tunnels, roads, facilities and pipelines. BEL has operated in
Iran, Iraq and Kuwait. BEL has received awards for technical
expertise and is regarded as one of India's top exporters of
engineering services.

The MOU includes pipeline construction in the countries of India,
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait,
Bahrain and Qatar.

The JV between the two companies allows Hartland to take advantage
of its technical expertise while relying on BEL for its social,
political, economic experience and connections. These initiatives
enable the two companies to be in a position to provide low cost
pipeline installations in Asia and the Middle East.

The MOU and JV agreement is consistent with Hartland's business
plan to have an international presence in the first quarter of the
new millennium.

Hartland serves a broad client base of senior Canadian oil and
natural gas producers and large pipeline companies. Hartland's
vertically integrated operations provide construction services to
the small and large diameter markets, including pipeline
installation, facility construction, trenchless technologies
(river crossings & plowing), pipeline repair and maintenance,
trucking and reclamation services. Hartland's strategic objective
is to become a full service provider of pipeline construction
solutions to the North American gathering and pipeline
construction markets.


hartlandpipe.com



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:31:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
CORP ANNOUNCEMENT / Ultra Petroleum Searching For New CEO

ULTRA PETROLEUM INITIATES SEARCH FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER

DENVER, COLORADO--

Ultra Petroleum will establish a position of Chief Executive
Officer within its senior management team. This decision,
announced today by Ultra Petroleum's Board of Directors, reflects
one of the key recommendations put forward in a recent management
analysis prepared by Schulte Associates, a Minneapolis-based
executive management consulting firm that specializes in energy
industry management.

"We recognize that when a company expands as fast as Ultra, a key
challenge is to manage that growth while retaining the
entrepreneurial drive and spirit that got us this far," says Marc
Bruner, Chairman of the Board. "So our objective is to augment
and improve the existing management team."

Other recommendations that received unanimous approval at the
December 4th board meeting include: creating the position of
Controller, adopting stronger financial controls and performance
measures and strengthening the Board's membership and industry
representation. These corporate changes are designed to increase
the company's management strength as it moves to its next stage
of growth as a natural gas production company.

Ultra Petroleum will retain Schulte Associates to coordinate the
management improvements, draft the new CEO job description and
initiate the executive search that will consider both internal
and external candidates for the position.

Ultra Petroleum Corp (TSE: UP), a Denver-based natural gas
exploration and production company, is currently involved in a
drilling and development program on its large acreage position in
Wyoming's Green River Basin. The Company derives 90 per cent of
its revenues from the production and sale of natural gas and the
remainder from the production and sale of natural gas liquids.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:34:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
MERGERS - ACQUISITIONS / Stratic Energy Corporation Announces Agreement
with Gentry Resources Ltd.

Newly-managed company to exploit significant growth opportunities

CDN: SECO

TORONTO, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - Stratic Energy Corporation (''Stratic'') and
Gentry Resources Ltd. (''Gentry'') are pleased to announce that they have
signed a Letter of Intent that, when concluded, will have a significant impact
on the size and future growth of both companies.

The Letter of Intent, which is subject to due diligence, regulatory
approval and the execution of definitive agreements, provides that Gentry sell
to Stratic all of the issued and outstanding shares of Gentry International
(Côte d'Ivoire) Inc. and Gentry International (Gabon) Inc., which are
presently engaged in the business of international oil and gas exploration in
offshore Côte d'Ivoire and onshore Gabon in West Africa respectively.

The compensation to be paid to Gentry is the issuance by Stratic of
3,466,667 common shares and the transfer of 300,000 share purchase warrants,
which will make Gentry the second largest shareholder of Stratic, holding 27%
of its common shares, with Croesus Capital Management holding 35% of its
common shares.

The new head office of Stratic, upon the closing of the transaction,
shall be at the current offices of Gentry located at 2500, 101 - 6th Avenue
SW, Calgary, Alberta and the new management will consist of the following
individuals:

Hugh G. Ross, President and CEO
Ketan Panchmatia, Vice-President and CFO
R. Gordon McKay, Vice-President, Exploration and Operations

The new Board of Directors of Stratic will be comprised of two directors
from Gentry and three directors from Stratic, for a total of 5 directors. The
new directors would be Hugh G. Ross, President & CEO of Gentry, A. Bruce
Macdonald, Director of Gentry, Michael Beck, Managing Director of N.M.
Rothschilds and Sons LLC (Washington), John D.C. Taylor, Principal and
Managing Director of Croesus Capital Management (New York), and Colin
Orr-Ewing, International Portfolio Manager at Blakeney Management Ltd.
(London).

Mr. Beck, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Orr-Ewing all enjoy considerable fund
management and international financial experience, which will serve to greatly
enhance the fund raising capabilities of Stratic and Gentry.

Stratic currently holds three significantly large concessions
encompassing an area of 503,038 square kilometres in the Republic of Mali.
Stratic is debt-free and has approximately $1,400,000 in cash. Current issued
and outstanding shares stand at 9,185,122 common shares before this
transaction. Upon the closing of the transaction, Gentry, Croesus, Blakeney,
the new Board of Directors and new management will collectively exercise
control or direction over approximately 85% of the common shares in Stratic.

Gentry International (Côte d'Ivoire) Inc. assets to be vended to Stratic
consist of an 11% working interest in its Côte d'Ivoire Block CI-102, which
encompasses 793,000 km(2). Gentry, along with the operator, Ranger Oil (UK)
Limited, have identified three advanced leads with hydrocarbon potential in
Albian and Cenomanian closures. These leads were identified from the 1,015 km
2D seismic program shot late in the first quarter of this year. Gentry and its
partners are currently reviewing the technical aspects of their
interpretations.

The Gabon assets to be vended to Stratic, are held by Gentry
International (Gabon) Inc. Gentry, along with the operator Energy Africa, have
recently conducted an in-depth economic analysis on several drilling scenarios
for the 325 km(2) Ofoubou exploration block. Work to date has focussed on the
existing data recovered from the Connoco/Oxy OFMA No. 1 well drilled in 1992,
as well as delineating the Gamba sandstone, which is the main reservoir in the
area. To date, a number of significant leads have been identified.

In keeping with Gentry's prior international strategy, Stratic, upon the
closing of the transaction, will focus on geographically diverse, high reward
exploration and development opportunities in West and North Africa.

Stratic will focus on identifying specific exploration prospects:
negotiating the rights to these concessions and attracting quality industry
participants bringing significant international expertise and capital to its
projects. Stratic will be able to manage its participation and partner
involvement so that opportunity and risks will be appropriately leveraged.

Hugh G. Ross, President and CEO of Gentry is quoted as saying ''The
addition of Gentry's assets will add tremendous value to the Stratic
shareholder base through cost efficiencies and expanded opportunity inventory,
both in exploration and exploitation. Gentry's demonstrated ability to develop
significant exploration opportunities and Stratic's fund raising abilities
make this a very compelling transaction''.

''We have long admired what Gentry management have accomplished,
particularly with respect to Africa. We are delighted that Gentry will now own
a significant share position in the Company. We also believe that Stratic,
soon to be under the management of Gentry, now has every chance of achieving
its original mandate: namely that of becoming a pan African oil company which
makes the transition from a junior explorer to a medium-sized company with
production and cash flow,'' adds John Taylor, Principal of Croesus Capital
Management.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:37:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
FINANCING / Range Petroleum Corp. amends private placement

VANCOUVER, Dec. 9 /CNW/
- Range Petroleum Corporation
VSE: 'RAN'

Range Petroleum Corporation has amended the Brokered Private Placement
with Haywood Securities Inc.

The revised offering comprises up to 3,750,000 securities priced at $0.80
per share/unit. Investors will be entitled to purchase either:

1. A unit consisting of one common share and one-half of one
non-transferable share purchase warrant. Each non-transferable share
purchase warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common
share at the offering price for a period of one year from closing;

OR

2. One flow-through common share.

A commission of 6% of the gross proceeds from the offering is payable in
cash or, at the election of the Agent, in shares upon closing.

This issue will be cleared for sale in British Columbia, Alberta and
Ontario. Proceeds from this offering will be applied towards the development
of the Company's properties in the Western Canadian Sedimentary and Michigan
Basins.

The Vancouver Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the
contents herein.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:40:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
JCP - MAJOR TRANSACTION / *CORRECTION* TELFORD RESOURCES LTD.
ANNOUNCEMENT

CALGARY, ALBERTA--
Telford (ASE - "TLF") reports that it has completed the
acquisition of certain of the shares of five private companies
constituting its "Major Transaction" on November 20, 1998.
Telford has completed a $105,000 private placement and intends to
proceed with three "subsequent transactions".

The common shares of Telford have been suspended since April 29,
1998 for failure to complete a major transaction within the
specified time period. Telford's shares will recommence trading
on The Alberta Stock Exchange on Tuesday, December 8, 1998.

The acquisitions constituting Telford's Major Transaction were
completed by the issuance of common shares and warrants by
Telford, as more fully described below:

Major Transaction

Alta Flights (Charters) Inc.

In a non arm's-length transaction, Telford has acquired 65% of
the outstanding Class A voting shares of Alta Flights and 100% of
the Class B shares of Alta Flights for a total consideration of
$4,535,290 which was paid for by the issuance of 9,070,560 common
shares of Telford at deemed price of $0.50 per share, plus
4,535,290 Telford warrants.

Each Telford warrant enables the holder to acquire one additional
share of Telford at a price of $0.75 until November 20, 1999 (the
"Telford Warrants"). All of the Telford Warrants detailed
elsewhere in this press release have identical terms. Of this
$4,535,290 consideration, $4,000,000 was paid to the original
founders of Alta Flights (for the Class A voting shares) by the
issuance of 8,000,000 common shares of Telford and 4,000,000
Telford Warrants. The remaining $535,290 was paid to the holders
of Class B shares of Alta Flights which were issued to
subscribers to an Alta Flights private placement at $0.50 per
share which was closed on January 31, 1998. One founder of Alta
Flights (also an owner of Class A shares) subscribed for $205,000
of this private placement, and paid for these shares in cash.

Alta Flights is a aircraft charter and leasing company based
principally in Edmonton and Calgary, and operates the only FBO at
the Edmonton International Airport, that being the Shell
Aerocentre. Alta Flights operates a fleet of 14 aircraft
consisting of Metroliner, King Air, Cessna Caravan, and Cessna
400 series aircraft.

Dominion Rathole Drilling Ltd. & Dominion Rathole Drilling Inc.

In a non arm's-length transaction, Telford has acquired 65% of
the common shares of Dominion Rathole Drilling Ltd. ("Dominion
Ltd") and Dominion Rathole Drilling Inc. ("Dominion Inc"), each
of which are foundation, conductor and rathole drilling companies
based in Western Canada. Dominion Ltd. operates from a base in
Fort St. John and serves N.E. British Columbia and N.W. Alberta.
Dominion Inc. operates from bases in Grande Prairie and Sylvan
Lake, serving all of Alberta.

Consideration for these purchases consisted of the payment by
Telford of $1.00 (each) for 65% of the common shares of each of
Dominion Ltd. and Dominion Inc. to Flotan Corporation, one of the
founders of Dominion Ltd. and Dominion Inc. Additionally,
Telford issued 100,000 common shares and 50,000 Telford Warrants
for 100% of the outstanding class A preference shares of Dominion
Ltd. to another of the founders of Dominion Ltd. and finally,
Telford issued 200,000 common shares and 100,000 Telford Warrants
for 100% of the outstanding Class B shares of Dominion Inc. of
which one half were issued to each of two other founders of
Dominion Inc.

Weir Construction Ltd.

In an arm's-length transaction, Telford has acquired 65% of the
outstanding common shares of Weir Construction Ltd. for total
consideration of $511,875, which was paid for by the issuance of
1,023,750 common shares of Telford at a deemed price of $0.50 per
share plus the issuance of 511,875 Telford Warrants.

Weir is engaged in the business of providing construction and
environmental services to the oil and gas industry. This
includes overall lease management, lease reclamation services as
well as general oilfield and non-oilfield construction services,
throughout southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. Weir's
activities have recently been expanded to include pipeline
construction.

Sermax Capital Inc.

In a non arm's-length transaction, Telford has acquired 100% of
the common shares of Sermax Capital Inc. for a total
consideration of $1,000,000, paid for by the issuance of
2,000,000 common shares of Telford and 1,000,000 Telford
Warrants.

Sermax is engaged in the business of acquiring equipment for
lease to oil and gas service companies. The equipment it owns
was purchased over the past year for a total price of $1,981,000
and is utilized in the sectors in which Telford's subsidiaries
are engaged in, principally rathole/conductor drilling and
pipeline construction.

Private Placement

In addition to the private placement funds raised by the Alta
Flights, Telford has also closed (subject to regulatory approval)
a private placement of 210,000 units for gross proceeds of
$105,000 for which Telford issued 210,000 common shares and
105,000 Telford Warrants.

Subsequent Transactions

Subject to regulatory approval, Telford intends to close three
additional private company acquisitions within the next 60 days,
those being the acquisition of certain of the shares of Dy-Drill
Inc., T.T.S. Industries (1993) Ltd. and T.T.S. Environmental
Inc., each of which were described as "Subsequent Transactions"
in Telford's Information Circular dated September 10, 1998. The
terms of these acquisitions will have been amended to reflect the
terms more favorable to Telford in light of current market
conditions as follows:

Dy-Drill Inc.

In an arm's-length transaction, Telford intends to acquire 100%
of the outstanding common shares of Dy-Drill for total
consideration of $200,000, which will be paid for by the issuance
of 400,000 common shares of Telford at a deemed value of $0.50
per share and 200,000 Telford Warrants.

Dy-Drill is an oilfield service company involved in coring, that
being the recovery of intact formation rock from a wellbore while
drilling so as to aid in the reservoir evaluation process.

T.T.S. Industries (1993) Ltd.

In an arm's-length transaction, Telford intends to purchase 65%
of the issued and outstanding common shares of T.T.S. Industries
(1993) Ltd. for a purchase price of $900,000, to be paid for by
the issuance of 1,800,000 common shares of Telford with a deemed
value of $0.50 per common share, together with 900,000 Telford
Warrants.

T.T.S. Industries Ltd. provides general construction services
including lease and right of way clearing and preparation, road
building, lease construction and remediation, facilities, battery
and compressor station construction, which has also been expanded
to encompass small and medium bore pipeline construction.

T.T.S. Environmental Inc.

In an arm's-length transaction, Telford intends to purchase 65%
of the issued and outstanding common shares of T.T.S.
Environmental for a total price of $400,000 to be paid by the
issuance for 800,000 common shares of Telford and 400,000 Telford
Warrants.

T.T.S. Environmental provides environmental services including
preparing environmental field reports for the Alberta Government,
completing environmental pre and post-site assessments, supplying
personnel and equipment for sumpless drilling or land spreading,
sump sampling, remediation and cleanup of contaminated sites or
leases with outstanding cleanup requirements, and handling and
disposal of oil-based drilling fluids and cuttings during and
after drilling operations are completed. The services of T.T.S.
Environmental are complimentary to those of both T.T.S.
Industries and Weir Construction.

General

Telford is pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Robert (Bob)
Weir, Cameron J.E. (Cam) Hamilton, Lloyd A. Douglas, and Jerry
A. Prange to the board of directors of Telford, joining previous
members David M. Robertson & Al J. Kroontje. Each of the new
members represents one of the private companies acquired
by Telford in the aforementioned Major Transaction.

Telford will not proceed with its proposed name change until
after concluding certain of the other subsequent transactions,
which will not be finalized until sometime in early 1999. Telford
is also evaluating whether to proceed with the proposed private
placement of convertible debentures for total proceeds of up to
$7,000,000 as described in its September 10, 1998 information
circular. Any decision in this regard will be made in the new
year as well.

Management of Telford views this Major Transaction and the
subsequent transactions as the first step of its growth strategy.
Members of management currently are in discussions with various
other companies with the view to implementing its second phase of
growth, that being implementing of a consolidation strategy in
four targeted areas - conductor/rathole and surface hole
drilling, pipeline construction, lease and road construction,
cleanup, and environmental services, and finally, aircraft
charter and leasing.



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:43:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
FINANCING / Barrington Petroleum Ltd. Natural Gas Linked Subordinated
Noteholders Authorized Amendment

CALGARY, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - BARRINGTON PETROLEUM LTD. (''Barrington'')
reports that the holders of its outstanding $50,000,000 principal amount of
natural gas linked subordinated notes due July 30th, 2003 (the ''Notes'') have
authorized the amendments to the Notes considered at a meeting held on
December 4, 1998. The amendments, which were approved by over 97% of the
votes cast, would address questions that Noteholders have raised with
Barrington as a result of Sunoma Energy Corp.'s recent takeover of Barrington.
The amendments have not yet been effected and will only become effective on
the execution by Barrington of a supplemental indenture.

Barrington is a subsidiary of Sunoma Energy Corp., a private company
engaged in natural gas and oil exploration and development primarily in the
Western Canadian sedimentary basin.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:45:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
EARNINGS / PanOil Resources Ltd. Announces Third Quarter 1998
Financial and Operating Results

CALGARY, ALBERTA--PanOil Resources Ltd., is pleased to announce
its third quarter 1998 financial and operating results.

The company reported net earnings of $88,510. for the nine months
ended September 30, 1998. This compares to a loss of $21,021. for
the same period in 1997. Gas prices realized were higher on
average than 1997, with the average for the three quarters of 1998
being $1.80 vs. $1.77 for 1997, and the average for the third
quarter being $1.78 vs. $1.66 for 1997. PanOil has a TransCanada
Gas Service gas contract for Stirling Production based on the net
back pool price. These prices are a blend of NYMEX and AECO spot
and are projected to average $2.39 for the last quarter of 1998.

During this quarter PanOil achieved operating and administrative
efficiencies that provide a solid base to grow the company. With
positive earnings and no debt the company is in strong financial
position.

At Orion the company is conducting further technical analysis of
the large Devonian gas play and is considering further drilling or
a possible farmout. On December 1, 1998, partners announced plans
to drill a new underbalanced Jean Marie test well on one of the
Orion properties.

PanOil cased three gas wells at Stirling during the quarter and is
production testing two additional wells. A pipeline route to
tie-in one or more new wells is in the planning process. Of the
eleven existing wells, seven are now producing. Currently a large
independent has drilled and cased five wells, which have potential
to tap gas reserves from the same reservoirs mapped by PanOil. If
these wells are successful, PanOil's gas reserves in the Stirling
area could increase substantially. PanOil now holds an interest
in 58 contiguous sections of land at Stirling.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:46:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
FIELD ACTIVITIES / Volterra Resources Announces Exploratory Success at Gift

CALGARY, Dec. 9 /CNW/ - VOLTERRA RESOURCES INC. (TSE:VOL) is pleased to
announce that the Volterra et al Gift 2-5-78-11W5M well is a new pool oil
discovery. The well has been cased and completed and is expected to commence
production shortly. Completion operations indicate an initial production
capability of approximately 100 BOPD net to Volterra.

Volterra has a 66 percent working interest and is operator of this
exploratory well.

There are up to four follow-up locations defined by 3D seismic in this
prospect. Volterra has a 100 percent working interest in these locations and
will be spudding the first follow-up well later this week.

VOLTERRA RESOURCES INC. is a full cycle exploration and development oil
and gas company located in Calgary. Its operations extend throughout the
Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:49:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
PROPERTY ACQUISITION / Petrolex Energy Corporation announces purchase
of Rubiales NPI held by Pecten

VANCOUVER, Dec. 9 /CNW/
Petrolex Energy Corporation
Trading Symbol: PXV - TV

Petrolex Energy Corporation (the ''Company'') is pleased to announce that
it has purchased the effective 2.5% Net Profits Interest (''NPI'') on the
Rubiales Field held by Pecten Brazil Exploration Company for consideration of
US$50,000 and the issuance of 1 million common shares of the Company.



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/9/1998 7:51:00 PM
From: Kerm Yerman  Read Replies (8) | Respond to of 15196
 
FIELD ACTIVITIES / PetroQuest Energy, Inc. Announces CL&F #12
Begins Production

LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA--PetroQuest Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:PQUE; TSE:
PQU) announced that it has completed the flow line and hook up of
the CL&F #12 in the Turtle Bayou Field. The well is producing at
a rate of 3,000 MCF of gas and 30 barrels of condensate per day.
It was originally drilled to a total measured depth of 8027 feet
and encountered 40 net feet of natural gas/condensate pay over a
gross interval from 6620 feet to 7290 feet. PetroQuest Energy is
the operator of the well and owns a 40 percent working interest.

In addition, the Company expects its exploratory test at its
Snapper Prospect Offshore Texas OCS to begin drilling on or about
December 20, 1998.

PetroQuest Energy is an independent oil and gas company
headquartered in Lafayette, and is engaged in the exploration,
development, acquisition and operation of oil and gas properties
in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. It is the result of the
merger of Optima Petroleum Corporation and American Explorer,
L.L.C. which was closed September 1, 1998.



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/10/1998 4:29:00 AM
From: Kerm Yerman  Read Replies (5) | Respond to of 15196
 
IN THE NEWS / Another Mega-Merger??? Shell Takeover of Chevron Rumored

By KIM CURTIS
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CHV - news)'s stock rose nearly 5 percent Wednesday on rumors that the company would be acquired by Royal Dutch-Shell, but analysts downplayed the possibility of a deal.

Speculation about a merger first appeared Monday in a report by a little-known Dutch stock-tracking Web site, which was later circulated among Chevron workers at their San Francisco headquarters.

The Dutch Stock Page, which charges $100 a month for its tip service, said Royal Dutch-Shell plans to acquire Chevron for $65 billion.

Speculation about a possible deal led Chevron's stock higher on the New York Stock Exchange, where the company's shares gained $3.75, or 4.5 percent, to end at $86.18 3/4.

Chevron spokeswoman Nancy Malinowski said the company does not comment on ''speculation or rumors about business matters that may or may not be under consideration.'' Shell has the same policy, according to spokesman Eric Nickson.

If the proposed deal is approved, Shell, one of the world's leading oil companies with 1997 sales of $129 billion, would pay about $100 per share to buy Chevron, the world's seventh-largest oil company with $35 billion in sales last year, the service reported.

Brian Eisenbarth, a stock analyst with Collins & Co. in San Francisco, noted that the oil industry is already undergoing consolidation, most notably with Exxon Corp. (NYSE:XON)'s announcement last week that it would buy Mobil Corp. (NYSE:MOB) for $78 billion.

The Web site reported that the Chevron deal was to be unveiled at a Dec. 14 analyst meeting in London. But Eisenbarth said he's never heard of a merger announced at a meeting of analysts. He questioned the credibility of the report's source and speculated whether it was a publicity stunt to boost readership at the Web site.

''If it's announced, then everyone will be blown away, but I'm kind of leaning the other way,'' he said.

Such a deal would be complicated to put together because Royal Dutch-Shell is a holding company owned 60 percent by Netherlands based Royal Dutch and 40 percent by London-based Shell. In a stock swap, Chevron shareholders would have to accept some Royal Dutch shares and some Shell shares.

A cash transaction would be simpler, but Shell might not want to borrow the $65 billion it would need, Eisenbarth said.

A marriage with another big oil company would likely result in thousands of layoffs as the combined business tried to eliminate overlapping operations and increase profits.

Chevron employs 34,000 people worldwide and 8,300 in the San Francisco Bay area.



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/10/1998 4:38:00 AM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
IN THE NEWS / WSC-Canadian Energy Weather

As of 07:35 GMT, 10 DEC 1998

SUMMARY- Temperatures 3-6F (2-3C) above normal.

IMPACT- Temperatures of slightly above normal mean slightly below
normal heating demand during the next 5 days.

FORECAST-

48 HOUR...Temperatures 2-6F (1-3C) above normal today-Friday.

3 TO 5 DAY...Little change is expected Saturday-Monday.

6 TO 10 DAY...Temperatures near normal.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/10/1998 4:49:00 AM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
IN THE NEWS / Natural Gas Commentary (1)

NYMEX natural gas ends down, ACCESS loses after AGAs

NEW YORK, Dec 9 - NYMEX Hub natgas futures, pressured by a soft cash
and fairly mild weather forecasts, ended down Wednesday in moderate trade, then lost more ground on ACCESS after a bearish weekly inventory report.

In the day session, January slipped 6.6 cents to close at $1.847 per million British thermal units after trading between $1.83 and $1.91. Then on ACCESS, the spot contract slipped to $1.821 shortly after the weekly AGA report.

Earlier, February settled 4.2 cents lower at $1.918. Other months ended flat to down 3.5 cents.

''We're still building stocks and it's December. That's not what you want to see going into winter,'' said one East Coast trader, noting the year-on-year storage surplus jumped sharply with this report.

AGA said Wednesday U.S. gas stocks rose 27 bcf last week to 96 percent of capacity, well above Reuter poll estimates for a flat to 10 bcf build. Overall stocks climbed to 567 bcf, or 22 percent, above last year.

Eastern inventories rose 14 bcf and climbed to 12 percent above last year. Consuming region west storage, which fell one bcf for the week, was up 31 percent from 1997 levels. Stocks in the producing region gained 14 bcf and stood 43 percent over year-ago.

With the year-on-year storage surplus likely to grow further in the next two weeks and no Arctic cold predicted, few expected much upside in physical or paper prices near-term.

WSC expects temperatures in the Northeast to remain several degrees F above-normal through Sunday, with the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast averaging one to six degrees below normal. Midwest readings should range from one to 10 degrees above normal, with the cooler levels expected by the weekend.

In Texas, the mercury will average three to 12 degrees below normal through Sunday. The Southwest will dip to four to 12 degrees below normal Wednesday and Thursday, then moderate to one to five degrees below normal by Sunday.

The NWS six- to 10-day forecast released late Wednesday calls for normal to above normal temperatures for most of the nation, except at the Gulf Coast, where readings are expected to dip to below normal.

In the cash Wednesday, Henry Hub swing quotes on average slipped 15 cents to the mid-$1.60s, 50 cents below the Dec index. Midcon pipes tumbled more than 20 cents to the high-$1.60s, off more than 30 cents from Dec 1 levels. In the West, El Paso Permian was pegged more than 20 cents lower in the low-$1.70s.

Gas at the Chicago city gate was talked down 25 cents at about $1.75, while New York was five to 10 cents lower at about $2.05.

The NYMEX 12-month Henry Hub strip slipped 2.4 cents to $2.017. NYMEX said an estimated 67,673 Hub contracts traded today, down from Tuesday's revised tally of 72,300.

US spot natural gas retreats on milder weather forecast

NEW YORK, Dec 9 - U.S. spot natural gas prices backed away from Tuesday's highs amid no severe weather forecasts and an expected increase in storage over year-ago tallies, industry sources said Wednesday.

Estimates for today's weekly AGA storage report range from a draw of 17 bcf to a build of 15 bcf, with most seen at flat to plus 10 bcf. For the same week last year, stocks fell 69 bcf.

Cash prices at Henry Hub were quoted in a narrower range today at $1.54-1.68 per mmBtu, with most business seen done in the mid-$1.60s, indicating a loss of about 14 cents from Tuesday.

Today's action follows a 70-cent uptick on Monday and Tuesday.

The Midcontinent market also traded lower today to the high-$1.60s, with Chicago city-gate prices talked mostly in the mid-$1.70s and Northern at Demarcation seen done at $1.67-1.73.

In west Texas, swing Permian Basin prices were quoted widely at $1.70-1.81, while the southern California border market fell to about $2.05-2.12.

In the New York area, city-gate prices were quoted at $1.90-2.15, with most business seen done around $2.05-2.08.

Most traders agreed the spot market would likely soften again on Thursday.

''It should be even uglier for the weekend,'' one Midwest trader said, referring to the mild forecast for next week and the bulging storage supplies.

Close to seasonal temperatures are expected to continue in the upper Midwest and Northeast this week, while the southern plains and Texas is forecast to remain below normal through this weekend, Weather Services Corp. said.

Canada gas prices up in Alberta, down at exports

CALGARY, Dec 9 - Canadian spot natural gas prices posted mixed results on Wednesday as Alberta prices rose on low supply while warmer weather and high storage levels in the U.S. drove export pricing down, industry sources said.

Day business at Alberta's AECO storage hub rose to C$2.18/2.20 per gigajoule, up about 13 cents over yesterday.

The January contract was quoted at C$2.31 per GJ.

Prices at Westcoast Energy's Station 2 compressor in British Columbia were off about five cents from Tuesday trade at C$2.40/2.45 per GJ, about a 20-cent premium to AECO pricing.

Nervousness over selling Alberta gas west into neighboring British Columbia, instead of south or east, is keeping prices at Station 2 unnaturally high, a Calgary-based marketer said.

Station 2 normally tracks AECO pricing, he said.

At the Sumas/Huntingdon export point, prices were discussed at US$1.98/2.03 per million British thermal units, about two cents lower than Tuesday.

To the east, prices fell harder, prompted by volatility in NYMEX pricing this week, which surged on Monday and Tuesday amid colder weather, but sagged as milder temperatures returned today, marketers said.

High storage levels also continue to pressure pricing, they said.

Prices at the Niagara export point dropped 14 cents to $US1.75 per mmBtu on the day.




To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/10/1998 4:57:00 AM
From: Kerm Yerman  Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 15196
 
IN THE NEWS / Natural Gas Commentary (2)

U.S. spot natural gas prices - December 9th

DECEMBER ($/mmBtu) 12/9 12/8

U.S. GULF OFFSHORE 1.54/1.59 1.68/1.73
TEXAS COAST 1.59/1.64 1.73/1.78
WESTERN TEXAS 1.70/1.75 1.92/1.97
LOUISIANA COAST 1.58/1.63 1.73/1.78
NORTHERN LOUISIANA 1.60/1.65 1.75/1.80
OKLAHOMA 1.66/1.71 1.87/1.92
APPALACHIA 1.75/1.80 1.90/1.95
SO. CALIFORNIA BORDER 2.04/2.09 2.17/2.22
HENRY HUB 1.62/1.66 1.78/1.80
WAHA HUB 1.72/1.77 1.93/1.98
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Canadian spot natural gas domestic prices - December 9th

DOMESTIC (DEC SWING) $CDN/GJ $US/MMBTU

ALBERTA PLANT-GATE 2.05/2.10 1.43/1.46
ALBERTA BORDER - EMPRESS 2.20/2.25 1.53/1.57
STATION 2, B.C. 2.40/2.45 1.67/1.71
SASK. PLANT-GATE 2.05/2.10 1.43/1.46
TORONTO CITY-GATE 2.41/2.48 1.68/1.73
1-YR PCKGS - EMPRESS 2.60/2.65 1.82/1.85
AECO 2.17/2.22 1.51/1.55

N=notional. One yr package beginning Nov. 1, 1999.
Canada/U.S. dollar conversion based on Bank of Canada noon rate.
One year packages converted to U.S. dollars at a 12-month forward
rate.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Canadian spot natural gas export prices - December 9th

EXPORT (DEC SWING) $CDN/GJ $US/MMBTU

HUNTINGDON B.C. 2.84/2.91 1.98/2.03
KINGSGATE B.C. (TO PNW) 2.40/2.47 1.67/1.72
MONCHY SASK 1.84/1.91 N 1.28/1.33 N
EMERSON MAN 2.25/2.32 1.57/1.62
NIAGARA ONT 2.48/2.55 1.73/1.78

Canada/U.S. dollar conversion based on Bank of Canada rate.







To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/10/1998 8:10:00 AM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
IN THE NEWS / Crude Oil Markets (2)

Column Contents Index

12/09 21:57 Mexico avg oil price nears new low at $7.34/bbl
12/10 01:06 U.S. Product Outlook-Cool temps eyed to raise heat
12/10 03:17 Asia crude oil prices inch up but rises capped
12/10 07:22 World Oil market gets familiar with $9 crude

12/09 21:57 Mexico avg oil price nears new low at $7.34/bbl

MEXICO CITY, Dec 9 - Mexico's crude oil price dipped near 25-year lows in real terms on Wednesday at $7.34 per barrel, an energy ministry source said.

The average price of Mexico's three grades of oil fell to $7.34 per barrel, the source said, mirroring a slide in world benchmark oil prices. January futures for benchmark Brent on Wednesday dipped to single digits for session lows before closing at $10.01 a barrel.

Income from oil exports, along with domestic fuel sales, accounts for a third of Mexican public sector income.

Mexican legislators said on Thursday they were considering a $9.25 per barrel reference price for the 1999 budget. A year ago in December, Mexico's oil sold for $13.43 per barrel on average.

Mexico's oil prices depend on formulas by oil monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) and official figures are not made public daily.

12/10 01:06 U.S. Product Outlook-Cool temps eyed to raise heat

NEW YORK, Dec 7 - All eyes in the U.S. oil products cash market will be on the weather this week, as temperatures are forecast to head back to seasonal lows, and come to the rescue of low heating oil prices, traders said.

"There is no weather...any weather will be a relief," a Gulf Coast market source said.

Heating oil, which is supposed to drive the market during the winter, started with a handicap of record high inventories at the beginning of October.

Although nationwide distillate inventories were 4.0 million barrels away from the peak in the last week of November, they have been on the rise in November to 148.7 million barrels, or 14.2 million higher than a year ago, according to the American Petroleum Institute.

And the industry expected the build to continue, extending the squeeze on storage as the Northeast region -- the winter heating oil consumer hub-- was faced with above normal temperatures.

"If we can finally get some cold weather, we can get demand going," a trader said.

The Weather Services Corp. forecast that this week, "temperatures will be much cooler than in recent days over the Plains, Midwest, and Northeast, averaging near to somewhat below normal overall". High temperatures made heating oil the bear of the barrel last week, melting outright prices in both New York Harbor as well as the country's refining hub on the Gulf Coast, by 1.00 to 1.50 cent per gallon to 28.22 and 30.22 cents respectively. The heating oil cracks on the New York Mercantile Exchange also dipped while refining margins on the Gulf Coast slipped to back below $1.00 in the negative at the close of trade on Friday.

"The NYMEX has bounced back from its lows last week, and will try to trade sideways to higher but it will take substantial rallies to break downtrend," a Gulf Coast trader said.

Crude oil futures in New York and London plunged to 12-year lows last week after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) failed to take supportive steps to shore up depressed oil prices at its winter meeting in Vienna in late November.

"The heating oil and kero markets are the pits - the problem is still much more where to put it than where to find it. This fact is key to the current market for U.S. products," said one analyst.

Gasoline in comparison was slightly supported as some traders sought its barrels for contango storage but was generally dragged down by its own growing surplus of 206 million barrels.

"The market is trying to move higher on the board but there is just plenty of supply," a source said.

12/10 03:17 Asia crude oil prices inch up but rises capped

TOKYO, Dec 10 - Crude oil prices crawled up in Asia on Thursday, regaining some ground lost overnight, but the upswing was weak because of continuing oversupply worries and bearish news.

The January futures contract for West Texas Intermediate crude on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) was quoted bid at $11.21 per barrel on the after-hours ACCESS trading system at 0700 GMT. It was offered at $11.23.

The level was a notch higher than the $11.16 at which the contract settled in New York, where it fell 14 cents.

Venezuelan President-elect Hugo Chavez stated recently that he did not expect a further production cut, although his country would stick to the current agreement on output reduction.

Sentiment was dampened further late in the day by remarks by Iraqi Oil Minister Amir Mohammed Rasheed, who said Baghdad hoped to raise oil production next year to three million barrels-per-day (bpd), with exports of about 2.3 million bpd, provided the country received oil industry spare parts.

The comments were just more bit of bearish news to add to this week's reports of brimming global supplies.

This included widely watched weekly U.S. petroleum data issued late on Tuesday which showed another buildup in refined products.

A U.S. warning to Baghdad after Iraq stopped U.N. arms inspectors from entering a headquarters of the ruling Baath Party provided some support to crude prices in London on Wednesday.

The January contract of the international benchmark Brent crude settled 13 cents lower at $9.98 on London's International Petroleum Exchange (IPE).

It was the second time this week that London oil futures had fallen below the $10 mark.

January SIMEX Brent was untraded at 0710 GMT, and was offered at $10.13 with no bids available.

12/10 07:22 FOCUS-Oil market gets familiar with $9 crude

LONDON, Dec 10 - Depressed oil prices hit new lows on Thursday and were threatening to cave in even further after major producers this week failed to show any appetite for fresh measures to ease the world's towering oil stockpile.

London January futures for Brent slipped to $9.88 a barrel in early trade, a fresh trough for one of the worst price crashes in history. On average so far this year at $13.50, oil has not been cheaper since 1976.

"The selling pressure is so consistent that I can't see much room for a recovery at all," said Cambridge oil analyst Elli Gifford. She said prices might quickly test $9.50. "It is difficult to put a floor under this market at the moment," she said.

The ailing market took another pounding this week from the very producers who want to ignite a recovery.

Hugo Chavez, President-elect of OPEC's second biggest exporter Venezuela, said he did not expect a further round of supply curbs beyond those already agreed this year.

Venezuelan policy is key because without agreement from Caracas its rivals for the huge United States market, non-OPEC Mexico and leading OPEC supplier Saudi Arabia, are unlikely to make bigger supply cuts.

Saudi Arabia and other big Gulf producers this week agreed to extend the duration of standing supply limits but said they wanted to see full compliance with those curbs from other producers before they even considered doing more.

That leaves the market wide open to further falls before the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meets again in March.

Meanwhile the group's producers are suffering the double blow of lower prices and smaller income, knocking more than $50 billion from oil export revenues this year.

OPEC agreed earlier this year to cut back production by 2.6 million barrels per day, 10 percent of its output, but the reduction has proved too little to stem a price decline hit by swollen inventories and dwindling demand.

Oil markets are also facing the prospect of larger exports next year from Iraq.

Iraqi Oil Minister Amir Mohammed Rasheed said on Wednesday that Baghdad hoped to raise its production within the United Nations' oil-for-food exchange, provided the country received oil industry spare parts.

"Next year we hope to increase production to three million barrels per day, allowing us to export 2.3 million barrels per day," the minister said.

Exports meanwhile would continue at recent high levels of 1.8 million bpd, Rasheed added.



To: Kerm Yerman who wrote (14150)12/10/1998 8:13:00 AM
From: Kerm Yerman  Respond to of 15196
 
IN THE NEWS / Shell - No Comment On Chevron Rumours As Stocks Rise

LONDON, Dec 9 - Royal Dutch/Shell Group <RD.AS> <SHEL.L> on Wednesday declined comment on rumours that it was in talks with U.S. Chevron Corp <CHV.N>.

Share dealers in London said vague talk of a link-up had helped fuel a rise in the value of the companies' stocks on Wednesday.

"We're not commenting on what is market speculation," said a spokesman for Shell in London.

Shell Trading by 1640 GMT in London was up 12 pence at 362p and Chevron in New York was $5 higher at $87 cents.

"Big is beautiful at the moment," said one London dealer. "Shell has been predicted with someone different every day although having said that Chevron is an obvious choice."

Merger speculation has enveloped the oil industry in the wake of Exxon's recent purchase of Mobil and British Petroleum's takeover of Amoco Corp.