Robert Pattinson Sells Los Feliz Home for $6.37 Million

Robert Pattinson has sold his Los Feliz gated estate for $6.375 million, reports real estate blog Trulia.

The actor purchased the 1922 home, designed by Stiles O. Clements (of the El Capitan Theatre) in September 2011 for $6.275 million. The three-bedroom, three-bath home melds plenty of original details with state-of-the-art technology updates.

STORY: Oprah Winfrey Lists Condo for $7.75 Million 

Sitting on a stunningly landscaped 1.5-acre lot, the estate comes with a long line of entertainment industry owners, including Tim Curry, Noah Wyle and cinematographer Robert Richardson.

The Twilight and Water for Elephants actor lived in the home with Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart until her affair with Snow White and the Hunstman director Rupert Sanders was revealed. Stewart then moved out of the house, followed by Pattinson, who rented in Beverly Hills.

The actor first listed the home for $6.75 million in October 2013, and early this year actor Jim Parsons (CBS’s The Big Bang Theory) and his partner, art director Todd Spiewak, purchased the estate. Property records show that the deal closed on Monday.

David Gray of Partners Trust Beverly Hills represented Pattinson in the sale and Ronald Shore of Keller Williams Coastal Properties was Parsons' agent.

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Senators ask EIA to study crude exports’ gasoline price effect

US Sens. Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ronald L. Wyden (D-Ore.) asked the US Energy Information Administration for more information on possible domestic gasoline price impacts from allowing more US crude oil to be exported.

“We would like to understand how allowing unlimited export of American crude oil might affect US oil production and consumption, nationally and regionally; domestic supplies and prices, nationally and regionally, for both crude oil (paid by refiners) and refined products (paid by consumers); and exports of refined products,” they said in a Feb. 3 letter to Adam Sieminski.

Cantwell, who is a senior Energy and Natural Resources Committee member, and Wyden, who chairs the committee, said they also would like EIA to identify transit modes and routes that exported crude might be expected to travel.

Contact Nick Snow at nicks@pennwell.com.

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Oprah Winfrey Lists Chicago Condo for $7.75 Million

Oprah Winfrey wants $7.75 million for her longtime Water Tower Place condo.

VIDEO: Oprah in Tears During Emotional Speech: Live Life to 'Elevate' Others

Winfrey expanded upon the spread after originally buying a 57th-floor unit in 1985. She later paid $1.06 for the unit directly below and $1.5 for an adjoining 56th-floor condo. The final unit, which she bought for $1 million, is also on that floor.

The full 9,600-square foot condo features four bedrooms and five bathrooms. Pamela Sage of Baird & Warner has the listing.

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Baytex to acquire Aurora for $2.6 billion

Baytex Energy Corp., Calgary, has agreed to acquire Aurora Oil & Gas Ltd., Subiaco, Western Australia, for $2.6 billion, providing Baytex with 22,200 net contiguous acres in the Sugarkane field in the Eagle Ford shale of South Texas.

Aurora’s fourth-quarter 2013 gross production was 24,678 boe/d (82% liquids) of predominantly light, high-quality crude oil. The company forecasted this year’s average gross production at 29,000-32,000 boe/d, about a 43% increase from 2013.

Baytex said Sugarkane field has been largely delineated with infrastructure in place, facilitating low-risk future annual production growth. The company added that the assets have future reserves upside potential from well downspacing, improving completion techniques, and new development targets in additional zones.

Following the purchase, Baytex’s 2014 production is expected to reach 85,000 boe/d, comprised of 53% heavy oil, 34% light oil and liquids, and 13% natural gas.

The deal gives Baytex additional proved reserves of 106.7 million boe and proved plus probable reserves of 166.6 million boe.

Baytex in 2012 purchased 100% working interest in 46 sections of undeveloped oil sands leases in the Cold Lake region of northeastern Alberta for $120 million (OGJ Online, Oct. 4, 2012). Provincial authorities had conditionally approved the company’s 1,200 steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) pilot and a 10,000-b/d development that was expected to launch in 2013.

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Noble to farm out part of Leviathan interest

Noble Energy Inc. has signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding regarding the sale of 9.66% interest in the Leviathan licenses offshore Israel to Woodside Petroleum Ltd.

Leviathan’s current partners—Noble Energy, Delek Drilling, Avner Oil Exploration, and Ratio Oil Exploration—are each participating as sellers of 25% interest in the licenses to Woodside.

Noble will continue as upstream operator with 30% working interest. Following completion of the transaction, Woodside will become the operator of any LNG development of the field.

The Leviathan project is on the Rachel and Amit licenses offshore Israel in 5,550 ft of water. It is thought to contain 19 tcf of discovered natural gas resources.

Total compensation to Noble is expected to include $525 million in cash payments, including $390 million payable at this year’s closing of the transaction, plus $502 million in shared future revenues.

Noble started drilling at Leviathan in 2010 (OGJ Online, Oct. 19, 2010), later estimating production of as much as 750 MMcfd for Israel via a northern entry point in 2016 (OGJ Online, Dec. 7, 2012).

Working interests in the Leviathan project after the transaction is complete will be Noble 30%, Woodside 25%, Delek Drilling 16.94%, Avner Oil Exploration 16.94%, and Ratio Oil Exploration 11.12%.

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Woodside closes in on entry to deepwater Leviathan gas project offshore Israel

Offshore staff

PERTH, Australia – Woodside has moved a step close to taking an interest in the giant Leviathan gas field offshore Israel.

The company has agreed to a non-binding memorandum of understanding with operator Noble Energy Mediterranean and partners Delek Drilling, Avner Oil Exploration, and Ratio Oil Exploration (1992).

This could lead to Woodside acquiring 25% of the petroleum licenses containing Leviathan, 349/Rachel, and 350/Amit. Negotiations are expected to be completed by March 27.

Noble estimates the field’s 2C contingent resource at 18.9 tcf (535 bcm) of natural gas and 34.1 MMbbl of condensate. Water depth is around 5,500 ft (1,676 m).

Woodside would operate any LNG development of the field, while Noble Energy would remain upstream operator.

The MoU contemplates supplying gas for Israel’s domestic needs, LNG exports, and supply to neighboring countries. It could involve the following conditional payments:

$850 million upon completion of the transaction under a fully termed agreement$350 million on a final investment decision for an LNG development or payments of up to $350 million on predetermined export project milestones5.75% of Woodside’s wellhead export gas revenue, taking effect after at least 2 tcf (56 bcm) have been exported from the Leviathan field, and capped at $1.3 billionA royalty payment of 2.5% on commercial oil production from the deep prospect in the Mesozoic, following payback of development costs.

These transactions remain subject to execution of a fully termed agreement and regulatory approvals from the Israeli government.

Charles D. Davidson, Noble Energy’s chairman and CEO, said “Woodside…brings extensive global expertise in LNG operations and marketing to the partnership. Their addition to the project will result in substantial added value while also bringing us much closer to when we will be able to sanction Leviathan for development.”

02/07/2014

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