<a href=ogj.pennnet.com>By OGJ editors

HOUSTON, Apr. 2 -- The Paraguana Refining Complex (CRP) in northwestern Venezuela was expected to restart its exports from the Amuay refinery with a shipment of 360,000 bbl of unleaded gasoline destined for the US, OPEC News Agency reported.

Quoting state news agency Venpres, OPECNA said CRP General Manager Ivan Hernandez said the tanker Nico Cuarto was in the process of loading and was scheduled to depart Wednesday.

He said this was the first export shipment from Amuay since the reactivation of production operations that were disrupted as a result of Venezuela's general labor strike that started in December.

It was anticipated that two more export shipments would be made in coming days via a shipment of 250,000 bbl and another of 300,000 bbl, he said.

"The production destined for export from the Amuay center was in the order of three tankers a month. However, sometimes two shipments departed a month. We cannot determine that amount because it depends on national consumption, but it was somewhere around 600,000 bbl of gasoline that was sent to the foreign market," Hernandez said.

<a ref=new.stockwatch.com>Story 2003-03-27 09:58 ET - News Release

LOS ANGELES, Mar 27, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sonoran Energy, Inc. (OTCBB:SNRN) Management is pleased to announce its new "Strategic Initiatives" and the launch of Sonoran's new web site. The new site reflects the company's new focus on oil and gas operations.

According to the CEO John Punzo, "management's primary objective is to identify, acquire and develop working interest percentages in smaller, underdeveloped oil and gas projects that do not meet the minimum requirements of major oil and gas corporations. Our goal for Sonoran is to be recognized as a leading junior oil and gas producer."

Sonoran has launched its new web site at www.sonoranenergy.com in conjunction with management's new focus on enhancing shareholder value through oil and gas operations and new strategic initiatives.

Sonoran Energy looks for opportunities with the following criteria: low cost, undervalued, and a high rate of return. These projects must include close access to commercial distribution and modern application of oil and gas engineering technology. Management is targeting projects that represent substantial growth with minimum exposure and a low-cost entry.

Sonoran Energy, Inc. announced recently that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 15 percent Working Interest in a Southern Californian oilfield, producing over 1400 barrels per day through its operating partner. Sonoran is positioned to significantly benefit from rising demand for U.S. domestic oil production in light of the brewing International oil production crisis due to war, strikes, and terrorist threats.

The Nigerian subsidiaries of Royal Dutch/Shell Group (NYSE:RD) (NYSE:SC), ChevronTexaco Corp. (NYSE:CVX) and TotalFinaElf have halted production totaling 817,500 barrels a day, or about 40% of Nigeria's output of some 2 million b/d amid violence between rival ethnic groups, the Ijaws and Itsekiri, leading up to April 19 parliamentary and presidential elections. Militant Ijaws reportedly threatened to blow up multinational oil installations they said they had captured in retaliation for government military raids.

Venezuela's oil industry collapsed in December, when employees at state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela walked off the job, angry about changes in the company under the administration of President Hugo Chavez. By the height of the strike, 16,000 employees had walked out, and production shrank to 200,000 barrels a day, costing Venezuela $6 billion. The country had to import fuel to keep vehicles moving, and drivers waited days at gas stations. The strike, which failed to oust Chavez or call early elections, was strongest in the oil sector, though businesses around the country shut down.

Oil-well firefighters from Houston-based Boots & Coots International Well Control (AMEX:WEL) are traveling to southern Iraq to assess damage in the country's key Rumaila oil fields. The firefighting teams are looking at a timetable of 30 to 45 days to extinguish the fires and cap the wells. But one source said the timing will depend on "what's all there." The Pentagon has contacted a number of major oil industry service companies -- among them Halliburton Co. (NYSE:HAL), once run by Vice President Dick Cheney -- to repair any of Iraq's wells that are damaged and assess everything from wells to pipelines and pumping stations.

Sonoran Energy, Inc. (OTCBB:SNRN) announced recently that the Company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 15 percent Working Interest in a Southern Californian oilfield, producing over 1400 barrels per day through its operating partner.

Sonoran Energy will receive a 5 percent Working Interest outright in exchange for securing a portion of the financing on the project. The Company will also have the sole option to acquire an additional 10 percent Working Interest after analyzing field performance of the project. The cumulative production from the target field is over 150 million barrels of oil. The Company believes there is an additional probable reserve of eight million barrels of oil by fully developing this shallow depth, mature field. Life expectancy of the field under the current decline rate is 25 years.

A 15 percent Working Interest would give Sonoran Energy approximately 180 net barrels of oil per day from the field. The Company anticipates closing the agreement by mid-April 2003 following completion of due diligence on the property. Disclaimer: Paradigm Communications, Inc. has received cash compensation for featuring SNRN in the amount of $1500.

CONTACT: Paradigm Communications, Inc. Spencer Edwards (916) 548-0532

      Sonoran Energy
      John Punzo 
      (866) 599-7676
      info@sonoranenergy.com

URL 11:08 AM CST Tuesday 

Houston-based energy company ConocoPhillips has restored its oil ventures in Venezuela to full production after disruption from an oil workers' strike, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

"We're back at full capacity at Petrozuata and Hamaca," ConocoPhillips CEO Jim Mulva old reporters on the sidelines of the annual National Petrochemical and Refiners Association conference.

ConocoPhillips' Hamaca project, which had been producing about 50,000 barrels per day of extra heavy oil, halted operations during a two-month strike which started in early December.

The Petrozuata joint venture between ConocoPhillips and state Venezuelan oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela, which normally processes 120,000 barrels per day of Orinoco crude into 102,000 bpd of synthetic oil, also halted production.

The two projects restarted late last month and have since then steadily increased production.

"We see no permanent problems operating in Venezuela," Mulva said.

Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said on Monday that Venezuela was producing 3.2 million bpd, above the official pre-strike level of 3.1 million bpd.

According to Reuters, opposition oil strikers in Venezuela, more than 16,000 of whom have since been fired by the government, question the accuracy of the government's figures and peg current production at 2.45 million bpd.

Venezuela at one point saw its oil output plummet to below 150,000 bpd during the strike.

Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday March 25, 6:48 AM

RIO DE JANEIRO (Dow Jones)--Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR), or Petrobras, will be able to find alternatives for the oil it currently imports from Nigeria if ethnic violence in that country escalates to critical levels and further disrupts supply.

Analysts say the federal oil group can redirect imports from Latin American countries such as Argentina and Venezuela to make up for supply problems with Nigerian imports.

"Perez Companc (PC), for example, exports about 90,000 barrels a day which is not coming to Brazil," said Rony Stefano, an analyst at BBV Securities in Sao Paulo, referring to Argentine energy conglomerate, in which Petrobras last year acquired a controlling stake. "They can redirect that production to the Brazilian market," he added.

Nigeria supplies about 33% of the Brazilian giant's imports: Out of an average 338,000 barrels a day Petrobras imported last year, about 107,000 barrels came from Nigeria.

Petrobras declined several requests for comment on the situation in Nigeria and its possible effects on the Brazilian company's operations.

The African nation's worst ethnic violence in years sent shock waves through global oil markets Monday as three major players suspended production at their facilities in the Niger Delta and withdrew staff due to safety fears.

The Nigerian subsidiaries of Royal Dutch/Shell Group (RD), ChevronTexaco Corp. (CVX) and TotalFinaElf (TOT) have halted production totaling 817,500 barrels a day, or about 40% of Nigeria's output of some 2 million b/d amid violence between rival ethnic groups, the Ijaws and Itsekiri, leading up to April 19 parliamentary and presidential elections.

Militant Ijaws reportedly threatened to blow up multinational oil installations they said they had captured in retaliation for government military raids.

Analysts said it is still too early to assess the impact of prolonged conflict in the region for Petrobras. But oil markets reacted quickly, leading crude oil futures on a rally, owing to fresh uncertainties about oil supply disruption. At the New York Mercantile Exchange, the nearby May crude oil futures contract rose $1.75 to $28.66 a barrel.

The rally halted a seven-session streak of losses, which had pushed down U.S. oil prices by nearly 30%.

-By Adriana Brasileiro, Dow Jones Newswires; (5521) 3288-5004, adriana.brasileiro@dowjones.com

www.forbes.com Reuters, 03.19.03, 8:07 PM ET By Pablo Bachelet

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - Amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, Venezuela is quietly launching a campaign to rebuild its shattered prestige as a reliable supplier of oil to the United States.

The effort will be spearheaded by an energy task force that will operate from the Venezuelan embassy in Washington. Its mission is to maintain regular contact with top Bush administration energy officials and key members of Congress and the oil industry.

"We have put forth a plan of action over the next two or three months," Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez told Reuters in an interview late on Tuesday. "And we are going to contact all levels of American society.

"We have seen the need to deepen the strategic relationship between the United States and Venezuela."

The effort reflects a new approach to bilateral relations by Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's controversial president and a fiery populist who in the past has repeatedly clashed with Washington on issues that range from free trade to Cuba.

Traditionally, energy ties between the two countries have been tight.

Venezuela supplied more than 13 percent of U.S. oil imports until a two-month strike at state-run oil giant PDVSA ground shipments to a halt in December and January. Venezuela is also a key supplier of refined products as tough U.S. environmental laws discourage building new plants.

Many think Chavez' energy overtures will be well received in the Bush administration, given U.S. preparations for war against Iraq and the potential for disruptions in oil shipments from the Middle East.

"Clearly Venezuelan oil is very important to the United States and clearly an effort by Chavez to satisfy the U.S. on this front is a positive sign and will be taken that way," said Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank.

OIL TASK FORCE

Senior officials from both PDVSA and Citgo, PDVSA's U.S. gasoline retailer, will be permanently based in Washington to staff the new task force, as will specialists from Venezuela's ministry of energy and mines, Alvarez said.

"Three institutions are taking part, and the embassy here will coordinate everything," he said.

A similar task force existed until 2001, but it broke up as relations between the two nations deteriorated.

But as PDVSA gets its crude production back up to pre-strike levels, the task force will face the crucial task of convincing the United States that Venezuela means business.

Venezuela is also dispatching PDVSA's production and refining chiefs to Washington to explain Chavez' plans for the company.

The government earlier this year sacked 16,000 workers who took part in the strike and wants to downsize the company to make it more efficient. The opposition accuses Chavez of carrying out a witch hunt against opponents in the oil firm.

The task force will also tout what Ambassador Alvarez calls "the need for a more profound strategic alliance between Venezuela and the United States."

Venezuela wants U.S. firms to invest more to expand refining capacity in Venezuela to make up for an expected five million barrel-per-day refining shortfall in the United States in five years, the diplomat said. Likewise, the United States will need 38 trillion cubic feet of natural gas by 2015, up from 23 trillion now, and Venezuela has enough reserves to fill the gap, provided U.S. firms are willing to develop in natural gas fields there.

OIL AS STATE POLICY

Venezuelan officials will fan out in roadshows to carry the message to New York, Dallas, Houston and other energy centers in the United States.

Above all, they will try to convince U.S. officials that oil is a matter of "state policy" and not "an instrument to be used by the right or the left," Alvarez said.