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Category Archives: Life Extension

Staying Alive: Extending The Life Of A DCO – Energy and Natural Resources – UK – Mondaq News Alerts

Posted: November 9, 2021 at 2:22 pm

09 November 2021

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP

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The regime for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects(NSIPs) allows for Development Consent Orders (DCOs) to be grantedfor a set period of time (often 5 years), but only recently has itbecome clear that time limits can be extended to keep DCOsalive.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy(BEIS) recently (16 September 2021) granted a non-material change to extend thetimescale for implementation of a DCO for a period of 5 years for aproposed gas-fired power station. This is the first time such asignificant extension has been granted and in this blog we explorehow it was pursued.

The applicant, C.GEN, secured a DCO in 2014 for a gas-firedpower station in North Killingholme, which had an original lifespanof 7 years. Due to a variety of commercial factors in theintervening years, implementation of the consent was ultimately notpossible within the original 7 year time frame. However, there wasa keenness to preserve the consent and deliver the project giventhe role of gas-fired power stations in the future national energygeneration mix (as recognised in the 2020 Energy White Paper), to complement themove to renewables and support the targets for net zero and 40GWoffshore wind capacity by 2030.

As a result, an application for a non-material change wassubmitted to BEIS in August 2020 to extend the time forimplementation of this DCO, with BCLP advising C.Gen since2018.

There are two types of change that may be made to a DCO - theseare non-material or material. Separate procedures are prescribed inlegislation1 and in non-statutory Government Guidance for handling each type ofapplication.

The C.GEN application was for a non-material change and requiredconsideration of the interplay between the proposed changes and theEnvironmental Statement, the Habitats Regulations Assessments,compulsory acquisition powers, and the effects on businesses andresidents. The Guidance also sets out the various steps which needto be taken and procedure to be followed and is a useful startingpoint for applicants considering post-grant changes.

The alternative mechanism, where material changes are sought,involves a more costly and detailed process (potentially includingan 'examination' akin to a public inquiry). Thereis no legal definition of a material and non-material change socareful consideration is necessary as to which approach isappropriate in each case, and an awareness of the risk and costprofiles which vary depending on which route is pursued.

In both cases an application must be prepared setting out thechanges, and even the non-material process can require anenvironmental report, as well as high quality consultation andcomprehensive engagement. In either case, the application must besupported by a draft Statutory Instrument, compliant with thesalient rules and regulations, as it is creating 'newlaw'.

In light of the time since the original DCO grant in this case,the applicant wanted to ensure that the scheme complies with thelatest position on carbon capture, and this was reflected in theapplication. The decision by BEIS to extend the DCO also includedprovisions to incorporate current carbon capture technologies thatenable either the pre-combustion removal of carbon dioxide (IGCCmode), or post-combustion capture (CCGT mode) within theproject

Applications to change DCOs can take some time both tocorral the necessary information for the application, carry outengagement, and also to allow time for the decision-making process(where, in the case of non-material change applications, there isno statutory timescale). In this case the application was made inAugust 2020 and a decision was made in September 2021.

The only other DCO extension we are aware of was for a 12 monthextension and was granted in July 2020, during the height of theCovid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. That application wasmade at a time when planning rules were temporarily relaxed toallow extensions to conventional TCPA consents (which are usuallyprohibited) but DCO projects had to follow the pre-existing routepursuant to Schedule 6 of the 2008 Planning Act, and seek anon-material or material change in order to secure a similarextension. That application for a 12-month extension was basedfirmly and solely on the extraordinary circumstances produced bythe pandemic in 2020, and hence was for a relatively shortperiod.

The C.GEN North Killingholme project DCO extension is the firsttime that an extension has been sought for a substantial period oftime in this case 5 years which is of coursereflective of the standard timescale for an entirely new DCO.

Footnote

1 Planning Act 2008, Schedule 6 and theInfrastructure Planning (Changes to, and Revocation of, DevelopmentConsent Orders) Regulations 2011

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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Climate goals require "radical action" from the food and beverage businesses Food Tank – Food Tank

Posted: November 7, 2021 at 11:56 am

The global food system is responsible for about one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with most of those emissions attributed to agriculture and land use. But food can also be an incredibly powerful solution. Because of their immense power, food and beverage companies can help support governments and civil society to achieve major climate goalsor, they can do the opposite.

Were not going to solve this by waiting for government, COP, the UN, or anyone to solve it. This is something that requires individual action, and to be frank, it requires radical action,Patrick Brown, CEO of Impossible Foods, says at a Global Landscapes Forum panel hosted by Oatly and moderated by Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg at COP26 on November 6.

Many of these solutions lie in the animal agriculture industry. According to Brown, talking about the food system as a climate problem is like calling out liquids as a problem instead of the oil industry. The most destructive technology in human history is the use of animals to make food, he says.

Policymakers, businesses, and civil society can create new business models that support farmers, eaters, and businesses alike. Much of this action can be driven by learning whats already working. For example, while Indigenous peoples account for five percent of the global population and hold less than a quarter of the worlds land, they maintain 80 percent of the remaining biodiversity.

When we think about what we should be doing differently, its learning from many of these Indigenous practices, says Tania Eulalia Martinez Cruz, Indigenous Activist and Researcher. Policies should be designed with this context in mind, she says, accounting for the rich tradition within Indigenous food systems.

If we got rid of animal agriculture today and continued to grow plant-based products in the same way that theyre grown today, and not paying attention to [these lessons], wed still have a broken system, Ashley Allen, CSO at Oatly, adds.

Theres no doubt that consumers are demanding healthier solutions and want more information about supply chains, and meanwhile, farmers are suffering in the current food system model. Businesses have a critical role to play in driving the shift towards a more sustainable food system that leaves no one behind.

Oatly is working to bring food products carbon foodprints to the forefront of labels and conversations surrounding sustainability. Meanwhile, Apeel Foods is empowering consumers to prevent the low-hanging fruit of food waste, says Jessica Vieira, Apeels Senior Director of Sustainability.

But modernization is not the only way forward. For Louise Mabulo, Founder of the Cacao Project in the Philippines, localized solutions are more practical and economical. Food businesses can sustainably scale by finding where this local knowledge meets more modern technologies.

It doesnt mean we have to go back to pulling tractors by horses, says Allen.

Eventually, all businesses and production models will have to be sustainable: The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that the planet has fewer than 60 harvests left. If businesses dont invest in more sustainable practices now, they wont make any business down the line, says Mabulo.

Financial institutions are beginning to see a solid business case for investing in sustainability. Vieira speaks about a recent shift from viewing food wastea US$2.6 trillion problemnot as a tax on the system but as an untapped savings account.

But food technology solutions can only be scaled if they are appropriately adapted to each region. A food systems transition would look very different in the global north versus the global south, says Mabulo. Democratizing the distribution of these solutions means investing in Indigenous communities while ensuring theyre the ones leading the research, certifications, and education within their own communities.

If we move fast enough, is there potential for us to not just address food loss and waste, increase income opportunities by creating market access, but maybe even leapfrog the cold chain in some instances, says Vieira.

But this requires partnerships to understand producers on-the-ground needs. For example, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Apeel are partnering in emerging markets to increase market opportunities for fruit and vegetable producers with Apeels plant-based shelf-life extension technology. Oatly is helping dairy farmers transition to crops such as oats and cashews that can be used to make plant milk, butter, cheese, and yogurt.

By forging unconventional partnerships as well as working with and building upon Indigenous knowledge systems, transformation is not only possible, its necessary, says Nierenberg.

We dont have 11 years, we have tomorrow to make these changes. Now more than ever, we cant sit back and have all talk and no action.

Click here for Food Tanks full list of events at COP26register now and tune in FREE!

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When it comes to coffee grounds in compost, how much is too much? Ask an expert – OregonLive

Posted: at 11:56 am

Gardening season is winding down, but you may still have some questions. For answers, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State Universitys Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the OSU Extension website, type it in and include the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. Whats yours?

Q (1 of 2): I was wondering if one could have too many coffee grounds in a compost pile?

I have a three-bin system and take in so many leaves from my neighbors yard each autumn (about 30 yard bags). This year, to help make sure I have a better balance, Im getting a 5-gallon bucket of coffee grounds from a local coffee shop each week and am adding it to each bin on a rotating basis so that every third week each section will get the grounds in addition to my kitchen waste.

I was wondering if my overall compost pH will be relatively balanced if Im mixing the grounds with this huge abundance of leaves or should I dial back on the grounds? Multnomah County

A: Interestingly, when a compost pile is composed of primarily plant matter (leaves, food waste, coffee grounds), it begins at a low pH and rises to about neutral. Low pH because the decomposition of plant materials results in the release of organic acids - initially.

When a compost pile is composed primarily of animal carcasses, manures, blood meal, it begins at a high pH and falls to about neutral. High pH because readily released nitrogen may be in the form of ammonia initially.

So the coffee idea is OK, but coffee is pretty low in nitrogen content, maybe 2-3% at best. In your situation, Id consider going to the feed store and getting a 40-pound sack of alfalfa pellets. Id sprinkle the pellets every 3-5 inches of depth in the pile of leaves. The breakdown of the alfalfa will contribute nitrogen and really get the bacteria in the piles working. Even better, if you could find a handful of red wiggler worms for each of the bins. One spring I found that I had 50 gallons of worm castings! Linda Brewer, OSU Extension soil specialist

Q: (2 of 2) I dont think I know what the range of nitrogen content is for leaves. Do you have that information readily available? 🙂

Also, my bins are full of worms, they are small and red, but I dont know if they are the official red wrigglers. Do you think they are serving a similar service and could substitute for the alfalfa pellets? Or are the worms and pellets offering two different things to the compost process?

A: To answer your questions:

Deciduous trees harvest a lot of resources from those leaves before they drop them. So, the nitrogen content of autumn leaves is essentially zero. Autumn leaves provide complex structural carbohydrates (youd say fiber if it was a human diet). Cardboard and paper are examples of structural carbohydrates. And those carbohydrates have the ability to hang on to moisture and absorb the juicier parts of kitchen scraps.

Alfalfa is valued in animal diets (and in composting) because of the nitrogen it provides. Nitrogen is an essential building block of proteins. The animals doing the work in a compost pile are bacteria think of them as little water-filled balloons made of protein. The heat in an active compost pile is the result of the metabolism of all of these bacteria, collectively. A simple definition of metabolism could be if you eat you give off heat.

If there was not enough nitrogen to support bacterial life, the work would be done by fungi. They prefer dryer conditions, and have the ability to reach out beyond their central structures and collect scarce resources like water and nitrogen. But they are far slower at the job than bacteria.

I can assure you that that you have a great supply of official red wigglers. Red wigglers are large enough to have mouths, guts, etc. They are eating and (frankly) pooping. All organisms that eat with a mouth and have a gut digest food to extract the nutrients necessary for their life functions. They extract energy by breaking carbon to carbon molecular bonds. What they dont require for their life functions, they pass through as excreta. As a result, all fecal matter contains concentrated nutrients which is why manures have been the traditional valued fertilizer source for agriculture.

Worms arent doing what the alfalfa pellets do. Worms are nutrient concentrators; alfalfa pellets are a source of nitrogen. You can do either or both. I suspect that if you can afford to do both, you will have a richer compost in a shorter period of time.

Linda Brewer, OSU Extension soil specialist

Q: What are some good resources for preparing vegetable gardens for winter? Jackson County

A: Page 5 of this publication gives a good summary of activities to do in vegetable gardens in the fall.

In addition, this website from the University of Minnesota gives some great ideas for fall vegetable garden activities.

If youre interested in growing vegetables in the fall and winter, this guide is a great resource. Danielle Knueppel, assistant professor of practice, OSU Department of Horticulture

Drained garden hoses can be stored outdoors. Oregonian file photo.

Q: Is it OK to store my drained garden hoses on my covered porch or open-sided shed? I have many due to our watering system. They take up too much space in our shop/garage. Douglas County

A: Storing hoses that have been drained on a porch or shed that is open to the outdoor temperature is fine. They will not be damaged by a freeze. After draining you can attach the ends to each other if you roll them up to make sure no insects or dirt get in them. Steve Renquist, OSU Extension horticulturist

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AstraZeneca Canada Files for Health Canada Authorization of AZD7442 for Prevention Of COVID-19 – Canada NewsWire

Posted: at 11:56 am

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 3, 2021 /CNW/ -AstraZeneca Canada has initiated a rolling review New Drug Submission with Health Canada for authorization of AZD7442, its long-acting antibody (LAAB) combination, for prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

If granted, AZD7442 would be the first LAAB to receive Health Canada authorization for COVID-19 prevention.

"AZD7442 is the first LAAB with Phase III data demonstrating a statistically significant reduction in the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 compared to placebo. This is an important option, especially for vulnerable populations like those who are immune-compromised and often aren't able to mount a protective response following vaccination," said Dr. Alex Romanovschi, Vice President, Scientific Affairs, AstraZeneca Canada. "With this Health Canada filing, we are one step closer to providing an additional long-lasting option to help protect against COVID-19 alongside vaccines."

In August 2021, AstraZeneca announced high-level results from the PROVENT pre-exposure prophylaxis trial, which showed AZD7442 reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by 77% (95% confidence interval (CI): 46, 90), compared to placebo. Importantly, the trial population included people with co-morbidities and who may be in need of additional protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Greaterthan 75% of participants in PROVENT presented with co-morbidities associated with an increased risk of severe disease or a reduced immune response to vaccination. The trial accrued 25 cases of symptomatic COVID-19 at the primary analysis.AZD7442was well-tolerated.

AZD7442 was optimized using AstraZeneca's proprietary YTE half-life extension technology which more than triples the durability of its action compared to conventional antibodies.1-4

Preliminary 'in vitro' findings demonstrate that AZD7442 demonstrates broad anti-COVID activity, and in particular neutralizes recent emergent SARS-CoV-2 viral variants, including the Delta and Mu variants.5,6

About AZD7442AZD7442 is a combination of two LAABs tixagevimab (AZD8895) and cilgavimab (AZD1061) derived from B-cells donated by convalescent patients after SARS-CoV-2 virus. Discovered by Vanderbilt University Medical Center andlicensed to AstraZeneca in June 2020, the human monoclonal antibodies bind to distinct sites on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein7 and were optimized by AstraZeneca with half-life extension and reduced Fc receptor and complement C1q binding. The half-life extension more than triples the durability of its action compared to conventional antibodies and could afford up to 12 months of protection from COVID-19 following a single administration;1-4 data from the Phase I trial show high neutralizing antibody titres for at least nine months.8 The reduced Fc receptor binding aims to minimize the risk of antibody-dependent enhancement of disease a phenomenon in which virus-specific antibodies promote, rather than inhibit, infection and/or disease.9

AZD7442 is being studied in a comprehensive clinical trial program for both prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in over 9,000 participants. In the Phase III PROVENT trial, AZD7442 reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 by 77%, compared to placebo. The trial included 5,197 participants in a 2:1 randomization AZD7442 to placebo. The primary analysis was based on 5,172 participants who did not have SARS-CoV-2 infection at baseline. The LAAB was well tolerated, and preliminary analyses show adverse events were balanced between the placebo and AZD7442 groups.

InTACKLE,10 a Phase III mild-to-moderate COVID-19 outpatient treatment trial, AZD7442met its primary endpointdemonstrating a 50% reduction in the risk of developing severe COVID-19 or death compared to placebo in outpatients who had been symptomatic for seven days or less.

Other ongoing trials includecollaborator treatment trials in outpatient and hospitalized settings.

Data published in Naturein July 2020 showed that in preclinical experiments, the LAABs were able to block the binding of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to host cells and protect against infection in cell and animal models of disease.11

About AstraZeneca CanadaAstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of primary and specialty care medicines that transform lives. Our primary focus is on four important areas of healthcare: Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolic disease; Oncology; Respiratory & Immunology; and Rare Diseases. AstraZeneca operates in more than 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. In Canada, we employ roughly 1,090 employees across the country and our headquarters are located in Mississauga, Ontario. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.astrazeneca.ca.

References

1.

Robbie GJ, et al. A novel investigational Fc-modified humanized monoclonal antibody, motavizumab-YTE, has an extended half-life in healthy adults. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2013; 57 (12): 6147-53.

2.

Griffin MP, et al. Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of MEDI8897, the respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F-targeting monoclonal antibody with an extended half-life, in healthy adults. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2017; 61(3): e01714-16.

3.

Yu XQ, et al. Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of MEDI4893, an investigational, extended-half-life, anti-staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin human monoclonal antibody, in healthy adults. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 2016; 61 (1): e01020-16.

4.

Domachowske JB, et al. Safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of MEDI8897, an extended half-life single-dose respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F-targeting monoclonal antibody administered as a single dose to healthy preterm infants. ThePediatric Infectious Disease Journal.2018; 37(9): 886-892.

5.

Wang L et al. Ultrapotent antibodies against diverse and highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants. Science. 2021 Jul 1. doi: 10.1126/science.abh1766.

6.

ACTIV. National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences OpenData Portal. SARS-CoV-2 Variants & Therapeutics, All Variants Reported in vitro Therapeutic Activity. Available at: https://opendata.ncats.nih.gov/variant/activity [Last accessed: September 2021].

7.

Dong J, et al. Genetic and structural basis for recognition of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by a two-antibody cocktail. bioRxiv. 2021; doi: 10.1101/2021.01.27.428529.

8.

Loo Y-M, et al. AZD7442 demonstrates prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy in non-human primates and extended half-life in humans. medRxiv. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 2021 [preprint] Available from: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.30.21262666v1.

9.

van Erp EA, et al. Fc-mediated antibody effector functions during respiratory syncytial virus infection and disease. Front Immunol. 2019; 10: 548.

10.

Clinicaltrials.gov. Phase III study of AZD7442 for treatment of COVID-19 in outpatient adults (TACKLE). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show//NCT04723394. [Last accessed: 30 June 2021].

11.

Zost SJ, et al.Potently neutralizing and protective human antibodies against SARS-CoV 2.Nature. 2020; 584: 443449.

SOURCE AstraZeneca Canada Inc.

For further information: Mary-Anne Cedrone, AstraZeneca Canada, E-mail: [emailprotected]

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Save yourself time and money by leaving the leaves: Ask an expert – OregonLive

Posted: at 11:56 am

Gardening season is winding down, but you may still have some questions. For answers, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State Universitys Extension Service. OSU Extension faculty and Master Gardeners reply to queries within two business days, usually less. To ask a question, simply go to the OSU Extension website , type it in and include the county where you live. Here are some questions asked by other gardeners. Whats yours?

Q: Its common practice to rake up all the leaves and recycle them by placing them in the yard waste bin or blowing them into the street for pickup on trash day.

Are there any cases in which leaving leaves where they fall is a good idea? I grind up leaves (maple, not oak) and place on my garden. I leave leaves from my rhododendrons and photinia bushes on the ground as mulch.

Im trying to convince my neighbors to leave more leaves in place because most will simply disappear by spring.

What say you? Which leaf species are leavable and which are not? Benton County

A: Absolutely they are good to leave on the ground. They are the best organic mulch you dont have to buy. You are right, many leaves break down and feed the micro-organisms in the soil forming nutrients for the plants. They also suppress weeds and as a mulch hold moisture in the ground and keep the roots warmer during the winter and cooler during the summer.

Did you know that moisture in the ground during a freeze is best for your plants?

Micro-organisms are the soil life and they need nutrients all the time.The more leaves left as a mulch or broken down by your lawn mower the better.

More and more people are finding organic compost is the only thing they need for a fertilizer.That would include both greens (grass, lettuce, veggies, etc.) and browns (leaves, twigs, paper, etc.). If nothing else, have them give the leaves to you.Put them in a pile, add some greens and maybe some composted manure and make your soil for next spring. Turning the pile and keeping it moist (not hard to do now) will help it breakdown faster.

Too much moisture and the nutrients wash away so use a tarp and weight it down so it wont blow away.

Your neighbors will be able to see how well your plants do and how little money you spend. Using leaves from your property also gives you the knowledge ofwhat has been done with them in the past.Unsprayed leaves are the best.

By the way, oak leaves are OK to use around oaks and mowing them will make them breakdown faster.

The leaves also provide shelter for insects and are habitats for butterflies, moths and for frogs and toads.In a balanced eco-system, all of their needs can be met.Many of the predator insects need this shelter in order to survive the winter and come out in the spring to eat the pests that prey on your plants.

If your grass or leaves have been sprayed with chemicals, do not use them in your compost piles or spread them around any vegetable or fruit plants you may have.

That said, leaving thick piles of leaves on the lawns will kill the lawn.However, mowing the leaves and leaving a light layer is an excellent way to feed the lawn, just as mowing and leaving the grass clippings also helps feed the grass.

I hope some of these suggestions or reasons for keeping the leaves is helpful to you and I also hope you can persuade your neighbors to keep their un-developed fertilizer (the leaves). Sheryl Casteen, OSU Extension Master Gardener

ServiceberryOSU Extension Service

Q: I planted my serviceberry at the end of August, and it was doing OK for a while, but Ive noticed the leaves are turning yellow and brown, and it feels like way too many leaves and too much brown to be an issue getting established. I was wondering if there might be any obvious signs of something that Im missing here. Multnomah County

A: Congratulations on keeping your new tree alive during a very hot and dry summer. August can be a difficult time to successfully plant trees. But it is November now and all deciduous trees, such as serviceberry, begin the process of going dormant. The green chlorophyll breaks down, leaves turn yellow and the tree absorbs what it can before the leaves fall off. It is a normal part of growth for these types of trees.

In the spring, new leaves will form from the buds that survive the winter. Spring is also when you can expect white flowers to develop for a wonderful spring show. Jay Pscheidt, OSU Extension plant pathologist

Some fall color along the McKenzie River Trail in the Willamette National Forest. Oregonian file photo. Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Q: We live in Forest Grove. This fall the trees seem to me to be much more colorful than most years. Is there any truth to this? If so, is there a plausible explanation? Washington County

A: I am in Lebanon. Last year was a great year for color and for this area, so is this year.As you may know the trees stop making chlorophyll in the fall when the temperatures dropand the days shorten.They are no longer staying green.The sugars in the trees turn the colors to yellow, orange and red and many shades in between.

However, you may have had more cold weather this year in Forest Grove changing the color of the leaves earlier and if you have not had any wind the leaves have stayed on the trees longer.Many of the maples turn to red, yellow and orange earlier than other trees.The other trees follow and most of themturn yellow or brown.

Up until this last week, we have had little or no wind. The leaves have stayed on the trees and all the trees had turned to their fall colors in our area. What a beautiful sight it was.

The recent wind/rainstorm cleaned many of the trees completely but we still have the later yellows and browns around. There are still some beautifully colored trees around, I hope you enjoy them. Sheryl Casteen, OSU Extension Master Gardener

Arborvitae hedgeOSU Extension Service

Q: We were thinking of planting a willow oak in our backyard for a shade tree. However, I am worried about the tree leaning. There is a very large arborvitae hedge on the property line (easily 35-40 feet tall. taller than our house) that can shade certain areas in the afternoon. I know willow oaks can get quite large and dont want it to grow all lopsided or lean away from the arborvitae because I dont think its realistic for the arborvitae hedge to live as long as the oak. We are trying to work with the neighboring apartment complex to have the arborvitae hedge trimmed (hasnt been done in years). Another ice storm is likely to see some damage to the plants we have planted underneath.

The arborist had estimated they maybe could take 10 feet off the trees. Do you think leaning will occur regardless? If the oak leans away from the arborvitae will it straighten up when older? The tree is going to be planted on the southwest part of our yard and would still get mostly full sun (and be easily 25-plus feet away from the arborvitae) but it would be shaded earlier in the day than the other trees more on the southeast side of our property. The arborvitae is also sort of downhill from the potential oak (since we live in a tiered neighborhood), so root competition with arborvitae Im not as concerned about. Multnomah County

A: I would not recommend topping the arborvitae hedge. It just wont look as good moving forward.They regrow slowly. Damaged branches should be cut back to the base.

Your newly planted oak tree might lean a bit toward the sun if the hedge is to the south of where you plant it. Use tree stakes in the first year to make sure it grows straight. After that, use pruning methods to select a central leader that points a touch away from the hedge (north side of the tree). Prune the tree to look like figure 5 in this publication. Weston Miller, OSU Extension horticulturist

Q: How do I keep the neighborhood mask bandit from enjoying all my grapes? Multnomah County

A: The first thing to make sure of is that you are not attracting the raccoons to other food sources like trash, compost or pet food. Raccoons prefer grapes so it may be a challengeto keep them totally blocked off once they become habituated. There are a few things you can do to keep them from reaping the whole harvest though. Grapes generally need most protection when they are almost ripe. Before they are ripe, the tannins keep most critters from eating them, so this doesnt need to be a year-round effort, unless you have deer hanging around.

Motion-activated lights, noise devices or sprinklers can help scare them away, andeven scents like coyote urine can keep them from being habituated. Take care not to have the sprinkler directly spraying the plants, as this can create amildew or botrytis(fungus)problem.As a last resort, you could set up a temporaryelectric fence around the vines, which is generally effective against most critters, so long as they cant climb around it. Thomas Stokely, OSU Extension forestry and wildlife specialist

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Would you want to live beyond 150?, Opinion News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Posted: at 11:56 am

(FINANCIAL TIMES) - The three teenagers called it the Gilgamesh project, after the epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia in which the eponymous king searches for the secret of eternal life. Nearly 40 years ago, growing up in Germany, Dr Steve Horvath and his twin brother Markus and their friend Jrg Zimmerman pledged to dedicate their careers to extending human lifespans. "I've always felt that human life is too short," says Steve, now 54 and a geneticist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Markus became a psychiatrist and Jrg a researcher into artificial intelligence. Steve stayed truest to the cause, developing a technique to measure the biological age of cells. The Horvath clock, a widely used biomarker of ageing, is one of a series of discoveries over the past two decades that are invigorating the science of life extension.

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Capstone’s Pinto Valley Mine Receives New US Forest Service Mine Plan of Operations to Fully Permit Mine Life to 2039 – Business Wire

Posted: November 5, 2021 at 9:54 pm

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Capstone Mining Corp. (Capstone or the Company) (TSX:CS) today announced that it has received final approvals from the US Forest Service for a new mine plan of operations (the Plan) for the Pinto Valley Mine (Pinto Valley). The Plan, approved by the Tonto National Forest (TNF), extends Pinto Valleys life of mine to the year 2039. The mine life extension is expected to produce 2.5 billion pounds of copper and will preserve approximately 700 jobs in Arizonas Gila County, contributing to the areas economic activities over the next two decades.

TNFs approval process included a detailed evaluation of technical data provided by Pinto Valley Mining Corp. and a stakeholder consultation process. The plan allows for Pinto Valleys continued operation and includes additional environmental controls, as well as monitoring and mitigation measures to address potential environmental impacts from the mines operations.

Darren Pylot, Capstones President & CEO commented, I would like to congratulate our Pinto Valley team on this significant permitting achievement which will translate into continued benefits for the community of Globe-Miami for decades to come. We recently completed a $31 million optimization project which has increased productivity, decreased costs, and built a more resilient operation.

This is truly a historic day for Capstone Mining and our flagship Pinto Valley Mine, said Brad Mercer, SVP & COO. Mr. Mercer added, This approval took more than 5 years to obtain and we thank the US Forest Service employees who helped keep this project on track.

ABOUT CAPSTONE MINING CORP.

Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our two producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US and the Cozamin copper-silver mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico. In addition, Capstone owns 100% of Santo Domingo, a large scale, fully permitted, copper-iron-gold project in Region III, Chile, as well as a portfolio of exploration properties. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol CS.

Further information is available at http://www.capstonemining.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This document may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, forward-looking statements). These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this document and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect our expectations or beliefs regarding future events and the impacts of the ongoing and evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to statements with respect to expected production at Pinto Valley from extension and the preservation of jobs in Arizonas Gila County, the estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, the expected timing, operations and success of the underground paste backfill system study and tailings filtration project at Cozamin, the outcome and timing of the PV4 study, the timing and success of our use of the Jetti Technology, the successful execution of a port services agreement with Puerto Ventanas and/or rail agreement with Sigdo Koppers rail business, the success of our strategic process for the Santo Domingo project, the expected reduction in capital requirements for the Santo Domingo project, the timing and success of the Cobalt Study for Santo Domingo, the success of the PV3 Optimization project, the realization of Mineral Reserve estimates, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production and capital expenditures and reclamation, the success of our mining operations, the success of mineral exploration, the estimations for potential quantities and grade of inferred resources and exploration targets, Capstones ability to fund future exploration activities, Capstones ability to finance the Santo Domingo project, Capstone's ability to find a strategic partner, environmental risks, unanticipated reclamation expenses and title disputes. The potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations are unknown at this time, including Capstones ability to manage challenges and restrictions arising from COVID-19 in the communities in which Capstone operates and our ability to continue to safely operate and to safely return our business to normal operations. The impact of COVID-19 to Capstone is dependent on a number of factors outside of our control and knowledge, including the effectiveness of the measures taken by public health and governmental authorities to combat the spread of the disease, global economic uncertainties and outlook due to the disease, and the evolving restrictions relating to mining activities and to travel in certain jurisdictions in which we operate.

In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as anticipates, approximately, believes, budget, estimates, expects, forecasts, guidance, intends, plans, scheduled, target, or variations of such words and phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results be achieved, could, may, might, occur, should, will be taken or would or the negative of these terms or comparable terminology. In this document certain forward-looking statements are identified by words including anticipated, expected, guidance and plan. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, amongst others, risks related to inherent hazards associated with mining operations and closure of mining projects, future prices of copper and other metals, compliance with financial covenants, surety bonding, our ability to raise capital, Capstones ability to acquire properties for growth, counterparty risks associated with sales of our metals, use of financial derivative instruments and associated counterparty risks, foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, market access restrictions or tariffs, changes in general economic conditions, availability of water, accuracy of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates, operating in foreign jurisdictions with risk of changes to governmental regulation, compliance with governmental regulations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, reliance on approvals, licenses and permits from governmental authorities and potential legal challenges to permit applications, contractual risks including but not limited to, our ability to meet the completion test requirements under the Cozamin Silver Stream Agreement with Wheaton Precious Metals, our ability to meet certain closing conditions under the Santo Domingo Gold Stream Agreement with Wheaton Precious Metals, acting as Indemnitor for Minto Exploration Ltd.s surety bond obligations post divestiture, impact of climate change and changes to climatic conditions at our Pinto Valley and Cozamin operations and Santo Domingo project, changes in regulatory requirements and policy related to climate change and greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions, land reclamation and mine closure obligations, risks relating to widespread epidemics or pandemic outbreak including the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of COVID-19 on our workforce, suppliers and other essential resources and what effect those impacts, if they occur, would have on our business, including our ability to access goods and supplies, the ability to transport our products and impacts on employee productivity, the risks in connection with the operations, cash flow and results of Capstone relating to the unknown duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainties and risks related to the potential development of the Santo Domingo project, increased operating and capital costs, increased cost of reclamation, challenges to title to our mineral properties, increased taxes in jurisdictions the Company operates or is subject to tax, changes in tax regimes we are subject to and any changes in law or interpretation of law may be difficult to react to in an efficient manner, maintaining ongoing social license to operate, dependence on key management personnel, potential conflicts of interest involving our directors and officers, corruption and bribery, limitations inherent in our insurance coverage, labour relations, increasing energy prices, competition in the mining industry including but not limited to competition for skilled labour, risks associated with joint venture partners, our ability to integrate new acquisitions and new technology into our operations, cybersecurity threats, legal proceedings, the volatility of the price of the Common Shares, the uncertainty of maintaining a liquid trading market for the Common Shares, risks related to dilution to existing shareholders if stock options or other convertible securities are exercised, the history of Capstone with respect to not paying dividends and anticipation of not paying dividends in the foreseeable future, and sales of Common Shares by existing shareholders can reduce trading prices, and other risks of the mining industry as well as those factors detailed from time to time in the Companys interim and annual financial statements and MD&A of those statements and Annual Information Form, all of which are filed and available for review under the Companys profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in our forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause our results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that our forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.

CAUTIONARY NOTE TO UNITED STATES INVESTORS REGARDING PRESENTATION OF MINERAL RESERVE AND MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATES

As a British Columbia corporation and a reporting issuer under Canadian securities laws, we are required to provide disclosure regarding our mineral properties in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. In accordance with NI 43-101, we use the terms mineral reserves and resources as they are defined in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards on mineral reserves and resources (the CIM Definition Standards) adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. In particular, the terms mineral reserve, proven mineral reserve, probable mineral reserve, mineral resource, measured mineral resource, indicated mineral resource and inferred mineral resource used in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein and therein, are Canadian mining terms defined in accordance with CIM Definition Standards. These definitions differ from the definitions in the disclosure requirements promulgated by the SEC. Accordingly, information contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies reporting pursuant to SEC disclosure requirements.

United States investors are also cautioned that while the SEC will now recognize measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources, investors should not assume that any part or all of the mineralization in these categories will ever be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, investors are cautioned not to assume that any measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources, or inferred mineral resources that we report are or will be economically or legally mineable. Further, inferred resources have a greater amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of the inferred resources exist. In accordance with Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101.

NATIONAL INSTRUMENT 43-101 COMPLIANCE

Unless otherwise indicated, Capstone has prepared the technical information in this news release (Technical Information) based on information contained in the technical reports, Annual Information Form and news releases (collectively the Disclosure Documents) available under Capstone Mining Corp.s company profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com. Each Disclosure Document was prepared by or under the supervision of a qualified person (a Qualified Person) as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators (NI 43-101). Readers are encouraged to review the full text of the Disclosure Documents which qualifies the Technical Information. Readers are advised that Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. The Disclosure Documents are each intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. The Technical Information is subject to the assumptions and qualifications contained in the Disclosure Documents.

Disclosure Documents include the National Instrument 43-101 compliant technical reports titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Cozamin Mine, Zacatecas, Mexico" effective October 23, 2020, Pinto Valley Mine Life Extension Phase 3 (PV3) Pre-Feasibility Study effective January 1, 2016 and Santo Domingo Project, Region III, Chile, NI 43-101 Technical Report effective February 19, 2020.

The disclosure of Scientific and Technical Information in this news release was reviewed and approved by Brad Mercer, P. Geol., Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (technical information related to mineral exploration activities and to Mineral Resources at Cozamin), Clay Craig, P.Eng, Manager, Mining & Evaluations (technical information related to Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources at Pinto Valley), Tucker Jensen, Superintendent Mine Operations, P.Eng (technical information related to Mineral Reserves at Cozamin) and Albert Garcia III, PE, Vice President, Projects (technical information related to project updates at Santo Domingo) all Qualified Persons under NI 43-101.

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Capstone's Pinto Valley Mine Receives New US Forest Service Mine Plan of Operations to Fully Permit Mine Life to 2039 - Business Wire

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Alphabet’s Isomorphic Labs Says It Will Use AI to Discover New Drugs – Gizmodo

Posted: at 9:54 pm

Photo: John Moore (Getty Images)

Alphabet has spun off a new company called Isomorphic Labs which seeks to use artificial intelligence to discover new pharmaceutical drugs. The commercial venture will reportedly build off of advancements made by Alphabets DeepMind, which used a model called AlphaFold2 to predict the shape of proteins in the human body with near-perfect accuracy, something viewed as a key breakthrough in the scientific and medical communities.

In a blog post announcing the new company, founder and CEO Demis Hassabis laid out ambitious goals, claiming the project could reimagine the entire drug discovery process from first principles with an AI-first approach and, ultimately, to model and understand some of the fundamental mechanisms of life.

Hassabis is also the CEO of DeepMind but the two companies will be separate, according to a spokesperson who spoke to The Verge. The new company will add to Alphabets growing portfolio of healthcare business, which includes Verily, a biotech firm, and moonshot life-extension company Calico.

If successful, Isomorphic Labs claims it will accelerate the drug discovery process, and build powerful predictive and generative models of complex biological phenomena. In a more practical sense though, any time AI can save in drug discovery could have a significant impact on a system currently facing a logjam. According to a report released by trade group the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, an average of new drugs takes at least ten years to journey from discovery into the marketplace with an estimated cost of about $2.6 billion.

Isomorphic Labs will by no means be the first company to try and apply AI to medical discovery. Pfizer, for example, has spent years working with IBMs Watson in the hunt for immuno-oncology drugs while global pharmaceutical firm UBC recently partnered with Microsoft to use its cloud computing and artificial intelligence to support drug discovery and development. Nvidia meanwhile has partnered with AstraZeneca, Schrdinger, and the University of Florida to improve research into AI aided drug discovery. Theres also a deep grab bag of other smaller firms looking to use AI to accelerate drug discovery as well.

G/O Media may get a commission

Anyone fearing Alphabets sudden overnight takeover of the medical industry can probably rest easy for now. Big Techs disruption of healthcare has been long predicted, but aside from some still developing projects at Amazon and Apple, that vision has yet to fully materialize.

In the companys blog post though, Hassabis described the venture as a type of watershed moment for artificial intelligence as a technology.

For years, the greatest advancements in AI have been documented through accolades in games like AlphaGo or incremental advancements. Now, with Isomorphic Labs, the company believes the technology has matured enough to start solvingreal-world problems.

We are at an exciting moment in history now where these techniques and methods are becoming powerful and sophisticated enough to be applied to real-world problems including scientific discovery itself, Hassabis wrote. To that, well see.

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Alphabet's Isomorphic Labs Says It Will Use AI to Discover New Drugs - Gizmodo

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Staying Alive: Extending the Life of a DCO – JD Supra

Posted: at 9:54 pm

Summary

The regime for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) allows for Development Consent Orders (DCOs) to be granted for a set period of time (often 5 years), but only recently has it become clear that time limits can be extended to keep DCOs alive.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) recently (16 September 2021) granted a non-material change to extend the timescale for implementation of a DCO for a period of 5 years for a proposed gas-fired power station. This is the first time such a significant extension has been granted and in this blog we explore how it was pursued.

The applicant, C.GEN, secured a DCO in 2014 for a gas-fired power station in North Killingholme, which had an original lifespan of 7 years. Due to a variety of commercial factors in the intervening years, implementation of the consent was ultimately not possible within the original 7 year time frame. However, there was a keenness to preserve the consent and deliver the project given the role of gas-fired power stations in the future national energy generation mix (as recognised in the 2020 Energy White Paper), to complement the move to renewables and support the targets for net zero and 40GW offshore wind capacity by 2030.

As a result, an application for a non-material change was submitted to BEIS in August 2020 to extend the time for implementation of this DCO, with BCLP advising C.Gen since 2018.

There are two types of change that may be made to a DCO - these are non-material or material. Separate procedures are prescribed in legislation[1] and in non-statutory Government Guidance for handling each type of application.

The C.GEN application was for a non-material change and required consideration of the interplay between the proposed changes and the Environmental Statement, the Habitats Regulations Assessments, compulsory acquisition powers, and the effects on businesses and residents. The Guidance also sets out the various steps which need to be taken and procedure to be followed and is a useful starting point for applicants considering post-grant changes.

The alternative mechanism, where material changes are sought, involves a more costly and detailed process (potentially including an examination akin to a public inquiry). There is no legal definition of a material and non-material change so careful consideration is necessary as to which approach is appropriate in each case, and an awareness of the risk and cost profiles which vary depending on which route is pursued.

In both cases an application must be prepared setting out the changes, and even the non-material process can require an environmental report, as well as high quality consultation and comprehensive engagement. In either case, the application must be supported by a draft Statutory Instrument, compliant with the salient rules and regulations, as it is creating new law.

In light of the time since the original DCO grant in this case, the applicant wanted to ensure that the scheme complies with the latest position on carbon capture, and this was reflected in the application. The decision by BEIS to extend the DCO also included provisions to incorporate current carbon capture technologies that enable either the pre-combustion removal of carbon dioxide (IGCC mode), or post-combustion capture (CCGT mode) within the project

Applications to change DCOs can take some time both to corral the necessary information for the application, carry out engagement, and also to allow time for the decision-making process (where, in the case of non-material change applications, there is no statutory timescale). In this case the application was made in August 2020 and a decision was made in September 2021.

The only other DCO extension we are aware of was for a 12 month extension and was granted in July 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. That application was made at a time when planning rules were temporarily relaxed to allow extensions to conventional TCPA consents (which are usually prohibited) but DCO projects had to follow the pre-existing route pursuant to Schedule 6 of the 2008 Planning Act, and seek a non-material or material change in order to secure a similar extension. That application for a 12-month extension was based firmly and solely on the extraordinary circumstances produced by the pandemic in 2020, and hence was for a relatively short period.

The C.GEN North Killingholme project DCO extension is the first time that an extension has been sought for a substantial period of time in this case 5 years which is of course reflective of the standard timescale for an entirely new DCO.

[1]Planning Act 2008, Schedule 6 and the Infrastructure Planning (Changes to, and Revocation of, Development Consent Orders) Regulations 2011

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Staying Alive: Extending the Life of a DCO - JD Supra

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Murphy Oil Corporation Announces Third Quarter 2021 Results and Full Year 2021 Update – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 9:54 pm

Achieves 2021 Long-Term Debt Reduction Goal of $300 Million Following Recent Bond Notice of Redemption, Lowers 2021 CAPEX Midpoint $20 Million to $680 Million

HOUSTON, November 04, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Murphy Oil Corporation (NYSE: MUR) today announced its financial and operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021, including net income attributable to Murphy of $108 million, or $0.70 net income per diluted share. Adjusted net income, which excludes discontinued operations and other one-off items, was $37 million, or $0.24 net income per diluted share.

Unless otherwise noted, the financial and operating highlights and metrics discussed in this commentary exclude noncontrolling interest.1

Highlights for the third quarter include:

Generated adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and exploration expenses of $312 million, or $21.95 per barrel of oil equivalent

Advanced debt reduction goal with redemption of $150 million of 6.875 percent senior notes due 2024

Finalized Terra Nova asset life extension project agreement with partners and government, increasing Murphys working interest to 18 percent from 10.475 percent

Maintained schedule of major projects in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of first oil in the first half of 2022 with drilling Khaleesi #3 and spudding Samurai #4, with no timing impacts from Hurricane Ida

Transported the Kings Quay floating production system successfully, safely and on schedule to the Texas coast from South Korea

Subsequent to the third quarter:

Reduced 2021 capital expenditures guidance midpoint by $20 million down to $680 million, with a range of $675 to $685 million

Continued delevering by announcing the redemption of $150 million of 6.875 percent senior notes due 2024 to occur on December 2, thereby achieving $300 million long-term debt reduction goal and 17 percent total debt reduction for 2021

"Our team continues to successfully execute our major Gulf of Mexico projects as planned, while maintaining consistent onshore production volumes, enabling us to capitalize on rising oil prices and generate excess cash to achieve our goal of reducing long-term debt by $300 million in the second half of this year," said Roger W. Jenkins, President and Chief Executive Officer. "By strengthening our balance sheet through significant debt reduction, the company will close out the year well-positioned to navigate all commodity price cycles as we continue our exploration program with spudding the non-operated Cutthroat well in Brazil in fourth quarter 2021."

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"Prior to Hurricane Ida at the end of August, our Gulf of Mexico assets were performing above guidance. Our offshore facilities did not experience significant damage, and due to our preparations, five days after evacuation we were able to redeploy personnel safely with no incidents and, shortly thereafter, resumed drilling. This enabled our team to complete planned maintenance while awaiting downstream functionality, thereby reducing our operated planned downtime for fourth quarter 2021," said Jenkins. "Today, all hurricane-related production issues have been resolved with the exception of one field, which produces about 1 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day."

THIRD QUARTER 2021 RESULTS

The company recorded net income, attributable to Murphy, of $108 million, or $0.70 net income per diluted share, for the third quarter 2021. This includes a realized after-tax loss of $91 million and an unrealized after-tax gain on crude oil derivative contracts of $44 million. Adjusted net income, which excludes both the results of discontinued operations and certain other items that affect comparability of results between periods, was $37 million, or $0.24 net income per diluted share for the same period. The adjusted net income from continuing operations adjusts for the following after-tax items: a $54 million gain on asset retirement obligations due to the multi-year deferral of expected abandonment expenditures at Terra Nova in offshore Canada, the previously mentioned $44 million non-cash mark-to-market gain on derivative instruments and a $22 million non-cash mark-to-market loss on contingent consideration. Details for third quarter results can be found in the attached schedules.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) from continuing operations attributable to Murphy was $288 million, or $20 per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) sold. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and exploration expenses (EBITDAX) from continuing operations attributable to Murphy was $312 million, or $22 per BOE sold. Details for third quarter EBITDA and EBITDAX reconciliations can be found in the attached schedules.

Third quarter production averaged 155 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBOEPD) with 52 percent oil and 59 percent liquids. Approximately 12.8 MBOEPD of Gulf of Mexico production was shut-in due to Hurricane Ida during the quarter. Production downtime following the significant storm was extended as a result of damage and power loss at third-party downstream facilities, including oil terminals, natural gas processing plants and refineries, causing them to remain offline for several weeks. Gulf of Mexico production volumes steadily ramped up as third-party facilities returned to operations with approximately 1 MBOEPD expected to remain offline for repairs through first quarter 2022.

Details for third quarter results can be found in the attached schedules.

FINANCIAL POSITION

Murphy had approximately $2.1 billion of liquidity as of September 30, 2021, comprised of the $1.6 billion senior unsecured credit facility and approximately $505 million of cash and cash equivalents.

On August 16, 2021, Murphy redeemed $150 million of its 6.875 percent senior notes due 2024 for a redemption price of 101.719 percent. Total debt of $2.6 billion as of the end of third quarter 2021 consists of long-term, fixed-rate notes with a weighted average maturity of 7.5 years and a weighted average coupon of 6.3 percent.

Subsequent to quarter end, the company announced it will redeem an additional $150 million of its 6.875 percent senior notes due 2024. Following this redemption, Murphy will have achieved its long-term debt reduction goal of $300 million for the second half of 2021, as well as reduced total debt by $530 million, or 17 percent, since year-end 2020, after achieving $230 million total debt reduction in first quarter 2021.

OPERATIONS SUMMARY

Onshore

The onshore business produced approximately 95 MBOEPD with 40 percent liquids volumes in the third quarter. No wells were brought online across Murphys onshore assets during the quarter.

Eagle Ford Shale Third quarter production averaged 37 MBOEPD with 70 percent oil volumes.

Tupper Montney In the third quarter, natural gas production averaged 292 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD).

Kaybob Duvernay Production averaged 7 MBOEPD with 71 percent liquids volumes during the third quarter.

Offshore

Excluding noncontrolling interest, the offshore business produced 60 MBOEPD for the third quarter, comprised of 82 percent oil, which was negatively impacted by 12.8 MBOEPD of shut-in production as a result of Hurricane Ida.

Gulf of Mexico During the quarter, production averaged 56 MBOEPD, consisting of 81 percent oil. Murphy brought Calliope #1 (Mississippi Canyon 609) online in August prior to the hurricane.

Murphys major projects continue to advance on schedule, with the Khaleesi, Mormont, Samurai project expected to achieve first oil in the first half of 2022 through the Kings Quay floating production system, and the non-operated St. Malo waterflood project scheduled to complete in 2023. Murphy drilled Khaleesi #3 and spud Samurai #4 in the third quarter, while the Kings Quay floating production system safely reached shoreside in Texas after sailing from South Korea. Additionally, the final producer well of the non-operated St. Malo waterflood campaign was brought online in August prior to the hurricane.

Canada Production averaged 4 MBOEPD in the third quarter, comprised of 100 percent oil.

Operations at the Terra Nova field have remained offline since December 2019. During the third quarter, the partner group finalized an agreement to advance the Terra Nova asset life extension project, which is expected to extend production life by approximately 10 years. As part of this agreement, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will provide royalty and financial support up to $164 million (C$205 million) total to the partner group, which will contribute on a matching basis. Murphys working interest has increased to 18 percent from 10.475 percent, while Suncor as operator now holds 48 percent and Cenovus owns the remaining 34 percent. Work began on the floating production storage and offloading vessel in the third quarter 2021 and it will remain offline throughout 2022 with an anticipated return to operations in fourth quarter 2022. Murphys future net investment in the project is approximately $60 million, after adjusting for government funding and exiting partners.

EXPLORATION

Gulf of Mexico Chevron U.S.A. Inc. drilled an exploration well at Silverback (Mississippi Canyon 35) and reached a measured depth of 23,240 feet. The operator plugged and abandoned the well and is evaluating the results. Murphy has fully expensed the well.

COMMODITY HEDGES

Murphy employs commodity derivative instruments to manage certain risks associated with commodity price volatility and underpin capital returns associated with certain assets.

During and subsequent to the third quarter, Murphy added hedges to protect cash flow with the execution of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) costless collars, resulting in a total 23 thousand barrels of oil per day (MBOPD) hedged for full year 2022 with a weighted average put price of $62.65 per barrel and average call price of $74.77 per barrel.

For the remainder of 2021, the company has 45 MBOPD hedged with WTI fixed price swaps at an average price of $42.77 per barrel, while 20 MBOPD of full-year 2022 production is hedged at an average price of $44.88 per barrel.

Murphy continues to maintain its natural gas price risk protection with fixed price forward sales contracts for physical delivery at the AECO hub in Canada for calendar years 2021 through 2024. Details for the current hedge positions can be found in the attached schedules.

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND PRODUCTION GUIDANCE

Production for fourth quarter 2021 is estimated to be in the range of 145.5 to 153.5 MBOEPD. This includes 4.5 MBOEPD of Gulf of Mexico facility downtime that occurred in October and 2.2 MBOEPD of net planned non-operated Gulf of Mexico downtime to occur later in the quarter. Murphy is reducing its 2021 capital expenditures (CAPEX) guidance midpoint by $20 million down to $680 million, with a range of $675 to $685 million. Due to production impacts from the hurricane, full year 2021 production guidance has been revised to a range of 156.5 to 158.5 MBOEPD, with the low end of original guidance now set as the midpoint. Full year production is forecast to be comprised of approximately 55 percent oil and 62 percent total liquids volumes. Both production and CAPEX guidance ranges exclude Gulf of Mexico noncontrolling interest (NCI).

Revised CAPEX by Quarter ($ MMs)

1Q 2021A*

2Q 2021A

3Q 2021A

4Q 2021E

FY 2021E

$230

$198

$103

$149

$680

Accrual CAPEX, based on midpoint of guidance range and excluding NCI* Excludes Kings Quay CAPEX of $17 million, includes $20 million Lucius working interest acquisition

"This years focus on delevering the balance sheet could only have been achieved with continuous capital discipline," said Jenkins. "I am especially proud to maintain the low end of our original production guidance, exceed our original oil production volumes, and achieve our debt reduction goals all accomplished with less capital, including our Lucius working interest acquisition in the first quarter, and despite experiencing a major hurricane that struck the most significant Gulf Coast location in the oil and natural gas industry."

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Murphy will host a conference call to discuss third quarter 2021 financial and operating results on Thursday, November 4, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The call can be accessed either via the Internet through the Investor Relations section of Murphy Oils website at http://ir.murphyoilcorp.com or via the telephone by dialing toll free 1-888-886-7786, reservation number 88455077.

FINANCIAL DATA

Summary financial data and operating statistics for third quarter 2021, with comparisons to the same period from the previous year, are contained in the following schedules. Additionally, a schedule indicating the impacts of items affecting comparability of results between periods, a reconciliation of EBITDA and EBITDAX between periods, as well as guidance for the fourth quarter and full year 2021, are also included.

1In accordance with GAAP, Murphy reports the 100 percent interest, including a 20 percent noncontrolling interest (NCI), in its subsidiary, MP Gulf of Mexico, LLC (MP GOM). The GAAP financials include the NCI portion of revenue, costs, assets and liabilities and cash flows. Unless otherwise noted, the financial and operating highlights and metrics discussed in this news release, but not the accompanying schedules, exclude the NCI, thereby representing only the amounts attributable to Murphy.

ABOUT MURPHY OIL CORPORATION

As an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, Murphy Oil Corporation believes in providing energy that empowers people by doing right always, staying with it and thinking beyond possible. Murphy challenges the norm, taps into its strong legacy and uses its foresight and financial discipline to deliver inspired energy solutions. The company sees a future where it is an industry leader who is positively impacting lives for the next 100 years and beyond. Additional information can be found on the companys website at http://www.murphyoilcorp.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identified through the inclusion of words such as "aim", "anticipate", "believe", "drive", "estimate", "expect", "expressed confidence", "forecast", "future", "goal", "guidance", "intend", "may", "objective", "outlook", "plan", "position", "potential", "project", "seek", "should", "strategy", "target", "will" or variations of such words and other similar expressions. These statements, which express managements current views concerning future events or results, are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause one or more of these future events or results not to occur as implied by any forward-looking statement include, but are not limited to: macro conditions in the oil and gas industry, including supply/demand levels, actions taken by major oil exporters and the resulting impacts on commodity prices; increased volatility or deterioration in the success rate of our exploration programs or in our ability to maintain production rates and replace reserves; reduced customer demand for our products due to environmental, regulatory, technological or other reasons; adverse foreign exchange movements; political and regulatory instability in the markets where we do business; the impact on our operations or market of health pandemics such as COVID-19 and related government responses; other natural hazards impacting our operations or markets; any other deterioration in our business, markets or prospects; any failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals; any inability to service or refinance our outstanding debt or to access debt markets at acceptable prices; or adverse developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets or economies in general. For further discussion of factors that could cause one or more of these future events or results not to occur as implied by any forward-looking statement, see "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and any subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q or Current Report on Form 8-K that we file, available from the SECs website and from Murphy Oil Corporations website at http://ir.murphyoilcorp.com. Murphy Oil Corporation undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This news release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures that management believes are useful tools for internal use and the investment community in evaluating Murphy Oil Corporations overall financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are broadly used to value and compare companies in the crude oil and natural gas industry. Not all companies define these measures in the same way. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are not a substitute for financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and should therefore be considered only as supplemental to such GAAP financial measures. Please see the attached schedules for reconciliations of the differences between the non-GAAP financial measures used in this news release and the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

MURPHY OIL CORPORATION

SUMMARIZED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

(Thousands of dollars, except per share amounts)

2021

2020

2021

2020

Revenues and other income

Revenue from sales to customers

$

687,549

425,324

$

2,038,905

1,311,627

(Loss) gain on derivative instruments

(59,164

)

(5,290

)

(499,794

)

319,502

Gain on sale of assets and other income

2,315

1,831

21,217

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Murphy Oil Corporation Announces Third Quarter 2021 Results and Full Year 2021 Update - Yahoo Finance

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