Air Products announces timeline for CEO departure, Neuberger supports dissident slate
Air Products and Chemicals gave a specific date for the departure of its CEO, while investors began voting for directors in an intensely contested boardroom fight. The company announced that it would announce a new CEO by the end March. This person will replace Seifi Hasemi within three months after joining. Air Products announced that it would split the roles between chairman and CEO and announce Ghasemi's retirement from the board.
Air Products splits CEO and chair roles in response to activist pressure
Air Products and Chemicals has separated the roles of chair and CEO as an activist investor is pressing the company to create a succession plan. It said that the company would name a new President no later than 31 March and expected the transition of the new CEO within three months after the person joins the company. Seifi Ghasemi is currently the CEO as well as the president of the company. He has held these positions for over a decade.
Beware of Egypt's smokestack reshoring as Cement Exports Soar: Maguire
North Africa's second largest natural gas producer and its largest economy have increased the production and exports of several energy-intensive commodities in an effort to boost the growth of their industrial sector. Egypt's exports of chemicals, fertilizers, and cement doubled from 2022 to 2024. They have also grown by 350% in the last year thanks to government initiatives aimed at promoting rapid industrial growth.
Beware of Egypt's smokestack reshoring as Cement Exports Soar: Maguire
North Africa's second largest natural gas producer and its largest economy have increased the production and exports of several energy-intensive commodities in an effort to boost the growth of their industrial sector. Egypt's exports of chemicals, fertilizers, and cement doubled from 2022 to 2024. They have also grown by 350% in the last year thanks to government initiatives aimed at promoting rapid industrial growth.
Corn prices surge, triggering a wave of sales by US farmers
Iowa farmer Caleb Hamer picked up his phone this week and called a local buyer of corn, eager to get his grain sold as the prices rose to their highest levels in over a year. Grain dealers in Iowa Illinois Indiana and Nebraska reported that farmers across the Midwest increased crop sales after corn and soybean futures spiked on Friday when the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut its harvest estimate for 2024.
Arcius Energy, a joint venture between BP and ADNOC’s XRG, will supply Egypt's gas.
BP and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s international investment arm XRG announced on Monday that they had closed a deal to create a natural gas joint-venture in Egypt. ADNOC is expanding its efforts abroad. Arcius Energy is a joint venture owned by BP (51%), and XRG (49%). The joint venture will initially operate in Egypt. Naser Saif Al Yafei is a former ADNOC executive who was appointed as Arcius CEO.
China's CNOOC sold US assets to Britain’s INEOS
CNOOC Ltd, a Chinese company, has sold its U.S. subsidiaries, along with its upstream oil assets and gas assets, in the Gulf of Mexico to British chemicals group INEOS. This was announced by CNOOC on Saturday. CNOOC Energy Holdings U.S.A., a subsidiary of INEOS, has entered into a sale agreement with a subsidiary of CNOOC relating to CNOOC’s upstream oil-and-gas assets in the U.S. portion of the Gulf of Mexico.
Report: Oilfield services consolidation will increase under Trump
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Oil and Gas Industry Outlook report, the oilfield services sector will consolidate in 2025. Donald Trump is expected to loosen regulations for the U.S. industry. This increase in services deals follows a wave mega-mergers between oil producers such as Exxon Mobil, Pioneer Natural Resources, and ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil. Deloitte is the largest consultancy in the world.
ADNOC, the state oil company of UAE, has established an international investment arm XRG
ADNOC, the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates, announced on Wednesday that it had launched XRG. This investment firm focuses on low-carbon energy sources and chemicals. It is valued at over $80 billion. When it starts operating in 2025's first quarter, the company will focus initially on "transformational global investments". This is according to a statement from its parent Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
Researchers say that China is off track in its emissions targets as the energy demand offsets the renewables push.
Researchers said that despite rapid advances in renewable energy and electric vehicles, China's carbon dioxide emissions are expected to increase slightly this year. This puts a 2025 climate goal further out of reach. In its annual report, the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA, stated that China aims to reduce the amount of CO2 produced per unit of economic development by 18% between 2021 and 2025.
Germany Preps for More FSRU Vessels
Germany is expanding its natural gas import options to replace Russian supply. Following are updates on key facilities and terminals being developed to host floating storage regasification units (FSRUs) to receive seaborne liquefied natural gas (LNG). Plans also include shore-based regasification terminals and facilities to import and produce ammonia and…
German chemical lobby VCI reduces its 2024 forecast amid political turmoil
The German chemicals industry association VCI lowered their annual forecasts on Wednesday, citing the economic stagnation in Germany and political turmoil. The association, which represents 1,900 companies within Germany's third largest industrial sector, is expecting production volumes, including pharmaceuticals, to increase by just 2% in this year. This is a significant drop from the 3,5% growth it predicted for nearly six months.
Occidental Petroleum exceeds profit expectations for the third quarter on higher production
Occidental Petroleum, a U.S. oil-and-gas firm, beat Wall Street expectations for the third quarter profit on Tuesday. However, overall earnings dropped 14% due to losses on asset sales and a decline in chemical results. The third quarter results of oil companies were lower than the previous year due to lower prices for oil and gas. Occidental's quarter profit includes one-time losses on asset sales…
Three Industrial Projects for Le Havre Announced
The French government has selected winning proposals for a hydrogen import terminal, a renewable fuels facility and a lithium production factory to be built at the state-run port of Le Havre as part of an effort to attract industrial investment, the finance ministry said on Thursday.The land around the port was labelled a turnkey investment site under the 30 billion euro "France 2030" plan…
SABIC, a petrochemicals company, makes a profit in the third quarter but fails to meet market expectations
Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (SABIC), a major petrochemicals company in the world, reported a net profit of $1.5 million for the third-quarter, compared to a loss the previous year. This was due to higher revenues and core profits. In a press release, the company reported that its net profit for three months ended September 30 was 1 billion riyals (266.27 millions dollars), compared to a loss last year of 2.87 billions riyals.
Chevron exceeds expectations for quarterly profits on the back of higher oil production
Chevron Corp. beat Wall Street expectations for the third quarter profit on Friday. However, its earnings dropped from a previous year. Chevron Corp, which has had its proposed $53 billion takeover of Hess delayed by Exxon Mobil Ltd and CNOOC Ltd due to their challenge, reported a profit adjusted of $4.53 billion. This compares to $5.72 million a year earlier. The shares rose by 2.6% ahead of normal trading hours.
Shell sales increase in Q3 vs TotalEnergies due to higher Asian LNG prices
LONDON, October 31 - Analysts and traders say that higher production and sales of liquefied gas in Asia helped Shell to outperform TotalEnergies in the third quarter. However, group profits for both companies were affected by a drop in oil refining. Shell's quarterly profit of $6 billion beat forecasts by 12 percent, while TotalEnergies reported a profit of $4.1 billion that was slightly below expectations.
Phillips 66, the refiner, reports a Q3 profit increase on the strength of midstream and chemicals
Phillips 66 surpassed quarterly profit expectations on Tuesday, as its chemical and midstream segments were able to more than compensate for a decline in refinery margins due to a lackluster fuel demand. This year, the company has increased its market share for natural gas liquids by expanding its pipelines. It owns more than 72,000 miles in U.S. The super…
Sinopec's Q3 profits fall by 52.1% due to lower oil prices and refining margins
Sinopec, a Chinese refiner, reported a 52.1% drop in its net profit year-on-year to $8.54 billion yuan (US$1.2 billion) during the third quarter due to lower oil prices. Sinopec, the world's biggest refiner based on capacity, reported 790.4 billion Yuan in revenue for its third quarter, a 9.8% drop from the year before, according to a filing made by the company.
Oil prices rise, recovering some of the 7% drop from last week
The oil prices increased on Monday as the Middle East conflict continued and markets were worried about the supply of crude from the region. Brent crude futures rose 58 cents or 0.79% to $73.63 per barrel at 11:02 am ET. ET (15:02 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures were up 67 cents or almost 1% at $69.89 per barrel. Brent closed the week more than 7% down, while WTI fell around 8%.