Journal articles on the topic 'Southern yellowtail'

As with all Sebastes species, yellowtail rockfish ( S. flavidus ) produce larvae with an extended pelagic juvenile phase that can be advected in coastal currents. While dispersal potential is high, previous research on population genetic characteristics of Sebastes species indicates that apparent realized dispersal can be much lower and can exhibit complex patterns of genetic structure. We assayed 812 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and six microsatellite loci in ∼1000 yellowtail rockfish collected from 21 sites that span the species range from southern California to southeastern Alaska. An abrupt genetic cline near Cape Mendocino, California, splits the range into a northern and southern stock, and is highly concordant between our mitochondrial (FCT = 0.32, p ≪ 0.001) and microsatellite (FCT = 0.02, p ≪ 0.001) datasets. We show that this pattern may be due to a combination of physical (oceanographic or other barriers to larval dispersal), biological (habitat differences), and historical events. This study, and both intra- and inter-specific evidence from other marine species suggests Cape Mendocino demarcates two regions experiencing divergent evolutionary trajectories, and should be considered in management strategies.

Abstract We evaluated the influence of environmental factors on recruits per spawner (RS) anomalies of 12 New England groundfish stocks. Nonparametric methods were used to analyse time-series of RS anomalies derived from stock-recruitment data in recent assessments. The 12 stocks occur in three geographic regions: the Gulf of Maine (cod Gadus morhua, redfish Sebastes fasciatus, winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus, American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides, witch flounder Glyptocephalus cynoglossus, and yellowtail flounder Limanda ferruginea), Georges Bank (cod, haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, and yellowtail flounder), and Southern New England (summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus, yellowtail flounder, and winter flounder). Randomization tests were applied to detect years when RS anomalies were unusually high or low for comparison with oceanographic conditions such as the 1998 intrusion of Labrador Subarctic Slope water into the Gulf of Maine region. Randomization methods were also used to evaluate the central tendency and dispersion of all RS anomalies across stocks. Average RS anomalies were significantly positive in 1987 across stocks and regions, indicating that environmental forcing was coherent and exceptional in that year. Responses of RS values of individual stocks to lagged and contemporaneous environmental variables such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, water temperature, windstress, and shelf water volume anomalies were evaluated using generalized additive models. Overall, the NAO forward-lagged by 2 years had the largest impact on RS anomalies. This apparent effect is notable because it could provide a leading indicator of RS anomalies for some commercially exploited stocks. In particular, the three primary groundfish stocks on Georges Bank (cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder) all exhibited positive RS anomalies when the NAO2 variable was positive.

Dietary remains recovered from Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) digestive tracts and regurgitate samples from Seal Bay (Kangaroo Island, South Australia) were used to identify prey species consumed. Four of eight digestive tracts collected (50%) contained prey items located only in the stomach. On the basis of biomass reconstruction of cephalopod prey remains, octopus contributed 40% of the biomass in the samples, giant cuttlefish (Sepia apama) contributed 30% and ommastrephid squids contributed 14% biomass. The remains of several fish species were found in the samples: leatherjacket (Monocanthidae), flathead (Platycephalus sp.), swallowtail (Centroberyx lineatus), common bullseye (Pempheris multiradiata), southern school whiting (Sillago flindersi) and yellowtail mackerel (Trachurus novaezelandiae). Southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) and swimming crab (Ovalipes australiensis) carapace fragments, little penguin (Eudyptula minor) feathers and bones and shark egg cases (oviparous species and Scyliorhinidae sp.) were also identified.

Ichthyoplankton and hydrographic surveys of the southern Grand Bank in September of 1986, 1987, and 1988 revealed substantial correspondence between the areal distributions of larvae of three flatfish species and temperature below the thermocline. Depth-averaged densities of American plaice (Hippoglossoides platessoides) were negatively correlated with temperature whereas yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) and witch flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoghssus) densities were positively correlated with temperature. In spite of large interannual differences in abundance, the larval distributions showed similar structure from year to year. Using estimates of larval age inferred from length frequency distributions and literature values for growth rate, in conjunction with moored current measurements, estimates of spawning times and locations were obtained for each species. These estimates were compared with historical information on the distribution of prespawning fish for each species to examine the hypothesis of passive larval drift. The results indicate that in most, but not all cases, the larval distributions and currents are consistent with passive larval drift for particular growth rates and vertical distributions. However, the observations are not adequate to rule out alternative mechanisms involving behaviour.

The state-space model framework provides a natural, probabilistic approach to stock assessment by modeling the stochastic nature of population survival and recruitment separately from sampling uncertainty inherent in observations on the population. We propose a state-space assessment model that is expanded to simultaneously treat environmental covariates as stochastic processes and estimate their effects on recruitment. We apply the model to southern New England yellowtail flounder (Limanda ferruginea) using data from the most recent benchmark assessment to evaluate evidence for effects of the mid-Atlantic cold pool and spawning stock biomass on recruitment. Based on Akaike’s information criterion, both the cold pool and spawning stock biomass were important predictors of recruitment and led to annual variation in estimated biomass reference points and associated yield. We also demonstrate the effect of the stochasticity of the mid-Atlantic cold pool on short-term forecasts of the stock size, biomass reference point, and stock status.

Paradeontacylix godfreyi n. sp. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) is described from the heart of wild yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi Valenciennes, 1833, collected near Port Augusta, northern Spencer Gulf, South Australia. One specimen of P. godfreyi was also collected from the heart of a single wild specimen of S. lalandi captured near Killarney, Victoria. Paradeontacylix godfreyi is distinguished from other species in the genus by a combination of morphological characters including the shape and number of posterior tegumental spines, the number of rows of tegumental spines along the ventral body margin, the maximum number of marginal tegumental spines per row, the number of testes and the extent of the testicular field. Comparisons are made with a Paradeontacylix sp. collected from the heart of wild Samson fish, S. hippos Günther, 1876 from Greenly Island, South Australia and from the heart of wild S. lalandi from Killarney, Victoria. We also document a new host record for P. sanguinicoloides McIntosh, 1934 from the heart of wild S. hippos from Greenly Island, South Australia. The importance of determining potential intermediate hosts for Paradeontacylix species in relation to South Australian S. lalandi aquaculture is discussed.

Abstract Biomass of the yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata, an important fishery resource in Japan, has increased about threefold over the past 20 years to ∼300 thousand metric tons. We examined the interannual variations in distribution and abundance of S. quinqueradiata larvae [4.2–7.9 mm body length (BL), ∼7 to 18 days after hatching], based on sampling surveys over a broad area of the shelf-break region of the East China Sea (ECS) in April, the main spawning period, over 15 years (2001–2015). High abundances of larvae were found in the northern ECS off the southwestern coast of Kyushu Island throughout the survey period. After 2010, the larvae began to occur abundantly also in the southern ECS south of 29°30′N, indicating a southward expansion of the spawning ground. There has been a significant positive trend of larval abundance over the whole ECS during the 15 years, which was mainly due to the sharp increase in larval abundance in the southern ECS after 2010. Although interannual variation in larval abundance was not related to environmental conditions (temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll a concentration), it was closely correlated with the spawning stock biomass. This indicates that the increasing trend of larvae was related to the increase in egg production in the ECS. Also, the larval abundance showed a weak positive correlation with recruitment, suggesting that the increased larval abundance has, in part, contributed to high recruitment.

Germ cell transplantation is an innovative technology for the production of interspecies surrogates, capable of facilitating easier and more economical management of large-bodied broodstock, such as the bluefin tuna. The present study explored the suitability of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) as a surrogate host for transplanted southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) spermatogonial cells to produce tuna donor-derived gametes upon sexual maturity. Germ cell populations in testes of donor T. maccoyii males were described using basic histology and the molecular markers vasa and dead-end genes. The peripheral area of the testis was found to contain the highest proportions of dead-end-expressing transplantable Type A spermatogonia. T. maccoyii Type A spermatogonia-enriched preparations were transplanted into the coelomic cavity of 6–10-day-old post-hatch S. lalandi larvae. Fluorescence microscopy and polymerase chain reaction analysis detected the presence of tuna cells in the gonads of the transplanted kingfish fingerlings at 18, 28, 39 and 75 days after transplantation, indicating that the transplanted cells migrated to the genital ridge and had colonised the developing gonad. T. maccoyii germ cell-derived DNA or RNA was not detected at later stages, suggesting that the donor cells were not maintained in the hosts’ gonads.

Abstract von der Heyden, S., Barendse, J., Seebregts, A. J., and Matthee, C. A. 2010. Misleading the masses: detection of mislabelled and substituted frozen fish products in South Africa. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 176–185. Mislabelling poses a threat to the sustainability of seafood supply chains and, when frequent, can significantly affect conservation efforts. Here we identify the most popular fish in the South African market through consumer and retailer surveys and data gathered by a sustainable seafood campaign. Of these species, we tested a number of widely available and generally high-market priced fish, utilizing mtDNA 16S rRNA sequencing. Tests of 178 samples revealed that about half of all fillets are mislabelled. Most problematic was kob, Argyrosomus spp., for which some 84% of fillets provided belonged to other species, including mackerel, croaker, and warehou. Phylogenetic analyses provided strong support that the fillets sold as barracuda and wahoo were probably king mackerel and that red snapper fillets included fillets of river snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, which is a species prohibited for sale in South Africa. We also discovered substitution of yellowtail for dorado. From preliminary population genetic comparisons, some 30% of kingklip samples probably had their origin in New Zealand, rather than southern Africa. The research revealed a market conducive to mislabelling through poor consumer and retailer awareness, and highlighted the value of sustainable seafood campaigns to draw attention to this.

Eni Starts Area 1 Production off Mexico via MODEC FPSO MODEC said first oil has flowed through FPSO MIAMTE MV34 operating in the Offshore Area 1 block in the Bay of Campeche off Mexico. The contractor was appointed by Eni Mexico for the supply, charter, and operation of the FPSO in the Eni-operated Offshore Area 1 block in 2018. The charter contract will run for an initial 15 years, with options for extension every year thereafter up to 5 additional years. Moored in a water depth of approximately 32 m some 10 km off Mexico’s coast, the FPSO is capable of handling 90,000 B/D of oil, 75 MMcf/D of gas, and 120,000 B/D of water injection with a storage capacity of 700,000 bbl of oil. The FPSO boasts a disconnectable tower yoke mooring system, a first-of-its-kind design in the industry. The system was developed to moor the FPSO in shallow water, while also allowing the unit to disconnect its mooring and depart the area to avoid winter storms and hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. The mooring system was developed by MODEC subsidiary SOFEC Inc. The mooring jacket was fabricated in Altamira, Mexico. Eni Starts Production from Ndungu EP Development Italy’s Eni has started production from the Ndungu Early Production (EP) development in Block 15/06 of the Angolan deep offshore, via the Ngoma FPSO. With an expected production rate in the range of 20,000 B/D, the project will sustain the plateau of the Ngoma, a 100,000-B/D, zero-discharge, and zero-process-flaring FPSO, upgraded in 2021 to minimize emissions. A further exploration and delineation campaign will be performed in Q2 2022 to assess the full potential of the overall assets of Ndungu. Ndungu EP is the third startup achieved by Eni Angola in Block 15/06 in the past 7 months, after Cuica Early Production and the Cabaca North Development Project. Block 15/06 is operated by Eni Angola with a 36.84% share. Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção (36.84%) and SSI Fifteen Ltd. (26.32%) comprise the rest of the joint venture. Aramco Discovers Natural Gas in Four Regions Saudi Aramco has discovered natural gas fields in four regions of the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman. The fields were found in the Empty Quarter desert located in the central area of the kingdom, near its northern border and in the eastern region, he said, according to SPA. Saudi Arabia wants to increase gas production and boost the share of natural gas in its energy mix to meet growing electricity consumption and to make more crude available for export. The minister said an unspecified number of fields were discovered and he mentioned five by name: Shadoon, in the central region; Shehab and Shurfa, in the Empty Quarter in the southeastern region; Umm Khansar, near the northern border with Iraq; and Samna in the eastern region. Two of the gas fields, Samna and Umm Khansar, were said to be “nonconventional” and possibly shale finds. Lukoil Completes Area 4 Deal in Mexico Russian producer Lukoil has completed a deal to become a lead stakeholder in an Area 4 shallow-water asset adjacent to Tabasco and Campeche in Mexico. Under the deal, Lukoil has acquired a 50% stake in the asset from US independent Fieldwood Energy, which filed for US bankruptcy protection in August 2020, for $685 million. The original deal was priced at $435 million; the additional $250 million is related to expenditures Fieldwood incurred since 1 January 2021. Fieldwood committed to invest $477 million to increase oil production from the Ichalkil and Pokoch fields from the current level of 25,000 B/D to a plateau level of 115,000 B/D. Situated in water depths between 35 and 45 m, the fields’ recoverable hydrocarbon reserves amount to 564 million BOE, more than 80% of which is crude oil. Production started in Q4 2021; current average oil production has exceeded 25,000 B/D. The approved work program includes drilling three development wells (two on Ichalkil and one on Pokoch), upgrading three production platforms, and performing seismic reprocessing and petrophysical studies. The remaining 50% stake in Area 4 is held by operator PetroBal, a subsidiary of Mexico’s GrupoBal. Petrobras Sells Polo Norte Capixaba Field Cluster In line with its strategy to concentrate resources on deepwater and ultradeepwater assets, Brazil’s Petrobras has sold 100% of its interest in Norte Capixaba cluster to Seacrest Exploração e Produção de Petróleo Ltda for $544 million, including a $66-million contingent payment. The cluster comprises four producing fields—Cancã, Fazenda Alegre, Fazenda São Rafael, and Fazenda Santa Luzia—and produced 6,470 BOE/D in 2021. The deal also includes the Norte Capixaba Terminal (TNC) and all production facilities. NewMed Targets Morocco Market Entry Israel-based NewMed Energy, formerly Delek Drilling, has identified Morocco as “a country with enormous geological and commercial potential,” in particular the Moroccan coastal areas in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. The announcement comes a day after the Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, and his Israeli counterpart, Orna Barbivai, signed an MOU aimed at promoting investments and exchanges between the two countries in the digital design, food, automotive, aviation, textile, water technologies and renewable energies, medical equipment, and the pharmaceutical industries. In September 2021, the Israeli oil and gas exploration company obtained from the Moroccan ministry the exploration and study rights of the Dakhla Atlantic Block, which has an area of about 109000 km2. ExxonMobil Sells Nigerian Assets to Seplat ExxonMobil has agreed to sell its shallow-water assets in Nigeria to Seplat Energy for $1.28 billion plus a contingent consideration of $300 million. Seplat said it is acquiring a 40% operating stake in four oil leases to nearly triple its annual net production to 146,000 BOE/D. The deal also includes the Qua Iboe export terminal and a 51% interest in the Bonny River Terminal and natural gas liquids recovery plants at EAP and Oso. It does not include any of ExxonMobil’s deepwater fields in Nigeria. TotalEnergies Discovers Large Oil Field off Namibia TotalEnergies has made a significant discovery of light oil with associated gas on the Venus prospect, located in block 2913B in the Orange Basin, offshore southern Namibia. The Venus 1-X well encountered approximately 84 m of net oil pay in a good-quality Lower Cretaceous reservoir. The find’s potential reserves are estimated at 2 billion bbl of oil. “This discovery offshore Namibia and the very promising initial results prove the potential of this play in the Orange Basin, on which TotalEnergies owns an important position both in Namibia and South Africa,” said Kevin McLachlan, senior vice president exploration at TotalEnergies. “A comprehensive coring and logging program has been completed. This will enable the preparation of appraisal operations designed to assess the commerciality of this discovery.” Block 2913B covers approximately 8215 km2 in deep offshore Namibia. TotalEnergies is the operator with a 40% working interest, alongside QatarEnergy (30%), Impact Oil and Gas (20%), and NAMCOR (10%). CNPC Scoops Ishpingo Drilling Contract The first drilling contract at the Ishpingo oil field near Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park has been awarded to China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), Energy Minister Juan Carlos Bermeo told Reuters. Following the approval of a new hydrocarbon law and legislation, Ecuador plans to move forward with auctions and competitive processes for securing foreign and domestic capital for oil and gas exploration, production, transportation, and refining projects. The first drilling campaign to start after an environmental license was granted for the sensitive area will involve 40 wells over the next 18 months. It will focus on the field’s allowed zone without touching an area protected by a court ruling that has prevented extending drilling. Ishpingo is the latest part of the ITT-43 oil field in Ecuador’s Amazonia region to start drilling after Tambococha and Tiputini. It is expected to produce heavy oil to be added to the nation’s output of flagship Napo crude, Bermeo said. BP Brings Hershel Expansion Project On Line in US GOM BP has successfully started production from the Herschel Expansion project in the Gulf of Mexico—the first of four major projects scheduled to be delivered globally in 2022. Phase 1 comprises development of a new subsea production system and the first of up to three wells tied to the Na Kika platform in the Mississippi Canyon area. At its peak, this first well is expected to increase platform annual gross production by an estimated 10,600 BOE/D. The BP-operated well was drilled to a depth of approximately 19,000 ft and is located southeast of the Na Kika platform, approximately 140 miles off the coast of New Orleans. The project provides infrastructure for future well tie-in opportunities. BP and Shell each hold a 50% working interest in the development. Petrobras Kicks off Gulf of Mexico Asset Sales Petrobras has begun an asset sale program in the Gulf of Mexico, in line with the company’s strategy of debt reduction and pivot toward Brazilian deepwater production. The package for sale includes the company’s 20% stake in MP Gulf of Mexico (MPGoM) which holds ownership stakes in 15 fields in partnership with Murphy Oil. In addition to partnership-operated fields, MPGoM owns nonoperated interests in Occidental’s Lucius, Kosmos’ Kodiak, Shell’s Habanero, and Chevron’s St. Malo fields. During the first half of 2021, Petrobras’ share of production was 11,300 BOE/D. ExxonMobil Liza Phase 2 Underway off Guyana ExxonMobil started production of Liza Phase 2, Guyana’s second offshore oil development on the Stabroek Block; total production capacity is now more than 340,000 B/D in the 7 years since the country’s first discovery. Production at the Liza Unity FPSO is expected to reach its target of 220,000 bbl of oil later this year. The Stabroek Block’s recoverable resource base is estimated at more than 10 billion BOE. The current resource has the potential to support up to 10 projects. ExxonMobil anticipates that four FPSOs with a capacity of more than 800,000 B/D will be in operation on the block by year-end 2025. Payara, the third project in the block, is expected to produce approximately 220,000 BOPD using the Prosperity FPSO vessel, currently under construction. The field development plan and application for environmental authorization for the Yellowtail project, the fourth project in the block, have been submitted for government and regulatory approvals. The Liza Unity arrived in Guyana in October 2021. It is moored in water depth of about 1650 m and will store around 2 million bbl of crude. ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. is the operator and holds 45% interest. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30% interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Ltd. holds 25%. Dragon Finds Oil in Gulf of Suez UAE’s Dragon Oil has discovered oil in the Gulf of Suez, according to a statement from the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. The field contains potential reserves of around 100 million bbl inside the northeastern region of Ramadan. That estimate makes it one of the largest oil finds in the region over the past 2 decades. Development plans were not reported but reserve numbers could expand, the ministry said. The oil field is the first discovery by Dragon Oil since it acquired 100% of BP’s Gulf of Suez Petroleum assets in 2019. Dragon Oil, wholly owned by Emirates National Oil Co., holds 100% interest in East Zeit Bay off the southern Gulf of Suez region. The 93-km2 block lies in shallow waters of 10 to 40 m.

Sonadrill Lands Contract for Drillship Seadrill confirmed a new contract has been secured by Sonadrill Holding, Seadrill’s 50:50 joint venture with an affiliate of Sonangol for the drillship West Gemini. Sonadrill has secured a 10‑well contract with options for up to eight additional wells in Angola for an unknown operator. Total contract value for the firm portion of the deal is expected to be around $161 million, with further revenue potential from a performance bonus. The rig is expected to begin the work in the fourth quarter of this year with a firm term of about 18 months, in direct continuation of the West Gemini’s existing contract. The West Gemini is the third drillship to be bareboat chartered into Sonadrill, along with two Sonangol‑owned units, the Sonangol Quenguela and Sonangol Libongos. Seadrill will manage and operate the units on behalf of Sonadrill. Together, the three units position the Seadrill joint venture as an active rig operator in Angola, furthering the goal of building an ultradeepwater franchise in the Golden Triangle and driving efficiencies from rig clustering in the region. Petrobras Receives TotalEnergies, Shell Payments for Atapu TotalEnergies and Shell have formalized payments to Petrobras for separate, minority stakes in the pre‑salt Atapu field in the Santos Basin. TotalEnergies paid $4.7 billion reais ($940 million) while Shell paid closer to $1.1 billion. The Atapu block was acquired by the consortium comprising Petrobras (52.5%), Shell (25%), and TotalEnergies (22.5%) in the Second Bidding Round for the Transfer of Rights auction held 17 December 2021. The payments are compensation for monies spent thus far by Petrobras, which was granted contractual rights to produce 550 million BOE from Atapu in 2010. The partners will now work together to produce additional volumes from the field. Production at Atapu started in June 2020 via the P-70 FPSO. The unit is in about 2000 m of water and has the capacity to produce 150,000 BOED. CNOOC Brings New Bohai Sea Discoveries On Stream CNOOC Limited has kicked off production from its Luda 5‑2 oil field North Phase I project and Kenli 6‑1 oil field 4‑1 Block development project. Luda 5‑2 is in the Liaodong Bay of Bohai Sea, with average water depth of about 32 m and utilizes a thermal recovery wellhead platform and production platform tied into the Suizhong 36‑1 oil field. A total of 28 development wells are planned, including 26 production wells and two water‑source wells. The project is expected to reach its peak production of 8,200 B/D of oil in 2024. Kenli 6‑1 is in the south of Bohai Sea, with average water depth of about 17 m. The resource is being developed by a wellhead platform in addition to fully utilizing the existing processing facilities of the Bozhong 34‑9 oil field. A total of 12 development wells are planned, including seven production wells and five water‑injection wells. The field is expected to reach its peak production of 4,000 B/D of oil later this year. CNOOC Limited is operator and sole owner of the Luda 5‑2 oil field North and the Kenli 6‑1 oil field 4‑1 Block. Stabroek Block Bounty Off Guyana Gets Bigger The partners in the prolific Stabroek Block have again increased the gross discovered recoverable resource estimate for the area offshore Guyana. The owners now believe they have discovered reserves of at least 11 billion BOE, up from the previous estimate of more than 10 billion BOE. The updated resource estimate includes three new discoveries on the block at Barreleye, Lukanani, and Patwa in addition to the Fangtooth and Lau Lau discoveries announced earlier this year. The Barreleye‑1 well encountered approximately 70 m of hydrocarbon‑bearing sandstone reservoirs of which 16 m is high‑quality oil‑bearing. The well was drilled in 1170 m of water and is located 32 km southeast of the Liza field. The Lukanani‑1 well encountered 35 m of hydrocarbon‑bearing sandstone reservoirs of which approximately 23 m is high‑quality oil‑ bearing. The well was drilled in water depth of 1240 m and is in the southeastern part of the block, approximately 3 km west of the Pluma discovery. The Patwa‑1 well encountered 33 m of hydrocarbon‑bearing sandstone reservoirs. The well was drilled in 1925 m of water and is located approximately 5 km northwest of the Cataback‑1 discovery. “These new discoveries further demonstrate the extraordinary resource density of the Stabroek Block and will underpin our queue of future development opportunities,” said John Hess, chief executive of Hess and a partner in Stabroek. The co‑venturers have sanctioned four developments to date on Stabroek with both Liza and Liza Phase 2 on stream. The third planned development at Payara is ahead of schedule and is now expected to come on line in late 2023; it will utilize the Prosperity FPSO with a production capacity of 220,000 BOPD. The fourth development, Yellowtail, is expected to come on line in 2025, utilizing the ONE GUYANA FPSO with a production capacity of 250,000 BOPD of oil. At least six FPSOs with a production capacity of more than 1 million gross BOPD are expected to be on line on the Stabroek Block in 2027, with the potential for up to ten FPSOs to develop gross discovered recoverable resources. The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres. ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is operator and holds 45% interest; Hess Guyana Exploration holds 30% interest; and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25%. ConocoPhillips Gets Ekofisk License Extension Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE) has extended production licenses in the Greater Ekofisk Area from 2028 to 2048 with ConocoPhillips as operator. The company said the license extension provides long‑term operations and resource management aligned with the company’s long‑term perspective on the Norwegian continental shelf. Fields on the shelf are required to operate with a valid production license where the operator and licensees enter into an agreement with the authorities, including relevant field activities. The authorities may require commitments, leading to increased oil recovery. The existing production licenses 018, 018 B, and 275 in the Greater Ekofisk Area were set to expire on 31 December 2028; however, the MPE approved an extension through 2048. The new terms provide a potential for extending Ekofisk’s lifetime to nearly 80 years. The license partners are ConocoPhillips (operator, 35.11%), TotalEnergies EP Norge (39.896%), Vår Energi (12.388%), Equinor (7.604%), and Petoro (5%). BHP’s Wasabi Disappoints in US GOM Australian operator BHP encountered noncommercial hydrocarbons with its Wasabi‑2 well in the US Gulf of Mexico. BHP said the well in Green Canyon Block 124 was plugged and abandoned following the disappointing results. “This completes the Wasabi exploration program, with results under evaluation to determine next steps,” the company said. The well was targeting oil in an early Miocene reservoir. Transocean drillship Deepwater Invictus spudded the well in 764 m of water in November 2021. The previous Wasabi‑1 well had a mechanical problem and was plugged and abandoned 4 days earlier, prior to reaching its prospective targets. BHP operates Wasabi with a 75% interest. Lukoil Says Titonskaya Holds 150 Million BOE Russia’s Lukoil believes it has discovered around 150 million BOE following analysis of the two wells it drilled at the Titonskaya structure on the Caspian Sea shelf. Work is now underway to refine the seismic models of productive deposits and study deep samples of formation fluids. The results of the assessment will be submitted to the State Reserves Commission of the Russian Federation. The structure is in the central part of the Caspian Sea, not far from the Khazri field. Lukoil drilled the first well at the Titonskaya structure in 2020 and announced the new discovery in April 2021. According to that assessment, the probable geological resources of the Titonskaya are 130.4 million tons. In 2021, drilling of the second prospecting and appraisal well began to identify oil and gas deposits in the terrigenous‑carbonate deposits of the Jurassic‑ Cretaceous age. The well was drilled using the Neptune jackup drilling rig. The new find at Titonskaya will likely be tied into Khazri infrastructure. Petrobras’ Roncador IOR Project Comes On Line Petrobras has successfully started production from the first two wells of the improved oil recovery (IOR) project at the Roncador field in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil. The two wells are the first of a series of IOR wells to reach production. Startup is almost 5 months ahead of schedule and at half of the planned cost, according to partner Equinor. The wells will add a combined 20,000 BOED to Roncador, bringing daily production to around 150,000 bbl and reducing the carbon intensity (emissions per barrel produced) of the field. Through this first IOR project, the partnership will drill 18 wells that are expected to provide additional recoverable resources of 160 million bbl. Improvements in well design and the partners’ combined technological experience are the main drivers behind the 50% cost reduction across the first six wells, including the two in production. Roncador is Brazil’s fifth‑largest producing asset and has been in production since 1999. Petrobras operates the field and holds a 75% stake. In 2018, Equinor entered the project as a strategic partner with the remaining 25% interest. In addition to the planned 18 IOR wells, the partnership believes it can further improve recovery and aims to increase recoverable resources by a total of 1 billion BOE. The field has more than 10 billion BOE in place under a license lasting until 2052. The strategic alliance agreement also includes an energy‑efficiency and CO2‑emissions‑reduction program for Roncador. Gazania-1 To Spud Off South Africa Africa Energy will move ahead with its planned Gazania‑1 wildcat well offshore South Africa after securing partner Eco Atlantic’s $20 million in capital requirements for its portion of the probe. The well will be drilled in Block 2B. Island Drilling semisubmersible Island Innovator has been contracted for the work and is expected to mobilize from its current location in the North Sea for the 45‑day trip to South Africa. The Block 2B joint venture plans to spud the well by October with drilling expected to last 30 days, including a full set of logs if the well is successful. The block has significant contingent and prospective resources in relatively shallow water and contains the A‑J1 discovery that flowed light sweet crude oil to surface. Gazania‑1 will target two large prospects 7 km updip from A‑J1 in the same region as the recent Venus and Graff discoveries. Block 2B is located offshore South Africa in the Orange Basin where both TotalEnergies and Shell recently announced significant oil and gas discoveries offshore Namibia. The block covers 3062 km2 approximately 25 km off the west coast of South Africa near the border with Namibia in water depths ranging from 50 m to 200 m. The Southern Oil Exploration Corp. (Soekor) discovered and tested oil on Block 2B in 1988 with the A‑J1 borehole, which intersected thick reservoir sandstones between 2985 m and 3350 m. The well flowed 191 B/D of 36 °API oil from a 10‑m sandstone interval at around 3250 m. Africa Energy has a 27.5% interest in Block 2B offshore South Africa. The block is operated by a subsidiary of Eco Atlantic which holds a 50% interest. A subsidiary of Panoro Energy holds a 12.5% stake, and Crown Energy AB indirectly holds the remaining 10%. Brazil Grants New Exploration Blocks Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP) has granted 59 exploratory blocks of oil and natural gas to 13 companies, including Shell, TotalEnergies, and 3R Petroleum. The awards were part of a permanent bid offer round held in Rio de Janiero in April. The auction totaled 422.4 million reais in signature bonuses with leases granted in six Brazilian states: Rio Grande do Norte, Alagoas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Santa Catarina, and Paraná. The awards will result in investments of 406.3 million reais in the exploratory phase of the contracts. Shell Brazil (70%) was granted six blocks in the Santos Basin in a consortium with the Colombian Ecopetrol (30%). The blocks leases were SM‑1599, SM‑1601, SM‑1713, SM‑1817, SM‑1908, and SM‑1910. TotalEnergies won two areas in the same basin while Brazilian company 3R Petroleum received six areas in the Potiguar Basin. Petro‑Victory was also awarded 19 new blocks in Potiguar, increasing its holdings in Brazil to 38 blocks (37 in Potiguar). The new blocks are nearby Petro‑Victory infrastructure at the Andorinha, Alto Alegre, and Trapia oil fields. Eni Finds More Oil in Egypt’s Western Desert Eni struck new oil and gas reserves with a trio of discoveries in the Meleiha concessions of Egypt’s Western Desert. The finds have already been tied into existing infrastructure in the region and have added around 8,500 BOED to overall production from the area. The operator drilled the Nada E Deep 1X well, which encountered 60 m of net hydrocarbon pay in the Cretaceous‑Jurassic Alam El Bueib and Khatatba formations Meleiha SE Deep 1X well, which found 30 m of net hydrocarbon pay in the Cretaceous‑Jurassic sands of the Matruh Khatatba formations, and the Emry Deep 21 well, which encountered 35 m of net hydrocarbon pay in the massive cretaceous sandstones of Alam El Bueib. The results, added to the discoveries of 2021 for a total of eight exploration wells, give Eni a 75% success rate in the region. The company added that additional exploration activities in the concession are ongoing with “promising indications.” With these discoveries, Eni, through AGIBA, a joint venture between Eni and EGPC, continues to pursue its near‑field strategy in the mature basin of the Western Desert, aimed at maximizing production by containing development costs and minimizing time to market. Eni is planning a new high‑resolution 3D seismic survey in the Meleiha concession this year to investigate the gas potential of the area. Eni is currently the leading producer in Egypt with an equity production of around 360,000 BOED.

AbstractPhenotypic plasticity in life-history traits in response to heterogeneous environments has been observed in a number of fishes. Conversely, genetic structure has recently been detected in even the most wide ranging pelagic teleost fish and shark species with massive dispersal potential, putting into question previous expectations of panmixia. Shallow oceanic seamounts are known aggregation sites for pelagic species, but their role in genetic structuring of widely distributed species remains poorly understood. The yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi), a commercially valuable, circumglobal, epipelagic fish species occurs in two genetically distinct Southern Hemisphere populations (South Pacific and southern Africa) with low levels of gene-flow between the regions. Two shallow oceanic seamounts exist in the ocean basins around southern Africa; Vema and Walters Shoal in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, respectively. We analysed rare samples from these remote locations and from the South African continental shelf to assess genetic structure and population connectivity inS. lalandiand investigated life-history traits by comparing diet, age, growth and maturation among the three sites. The results suggest that yellowtail from South Africa and the two seamounts are genetically and phenotypically distinct. Rather than mere feeding oases, we postulate that these seamounts represent islands of breeding populations with site-specific adaptations.

Abstract The productivity of many fish populations is influenced by the environment, but developing environment-linked stock assessments remain challenging and current management of most commercial species assumes that stock productivity is time-invariant. In the Northeast United States, previous studies suggest that the recruitment of Southern New England-Mid Atlantic yellowtail flounder is closely related to the strength of the Cold Pool, a seasonally formed cold water mass on the continental shelf. Here, we developed three new indices that enhance the characterization of Cold Pool interannual variations using bottom temperature from a regional hindcast ocean model and a global ocean data assimilated hindcast. We associated these new indices to yellowtail flounder recruitment in a state–space, age-structured stock assessment framework using the Woods Hole Assessment Model. We demonstrate that incorporating Cold Pool effects on yellowtail flounder recruitment reduces the retrospective patterns and may improve the predictive skill of recruitment and, to a lesser extent, spawning stock biomass. We also show that the performance of the assessment models that incorporated ocean model-based indices is improved compared to the model using only the observation-based index. Instead of relying on limited subsurface observations, using validated ocean model products as environmental covariates in stock assessments may both improve predictions and facilitate operationalization.