Russia, Pakistan Mull Energy Exploration JV
Russia and Pakistan discussed cooperation on oil and gas offshore exploration and refining at intergovernmental meetings this week in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Russia's deputy energy minister.Talks also covered the prospect of Russia supplying Pakistan with crude oil and grains, according to the report."Yesterday we received a rather interesting proposal from Pakistan in the area of offshore oil and gas exploration, increasing oil recovery at mature fields…
Canada's benchmark TSX index edges up on oil gains and local acquisitions
Canada's benchmark stock index edged up slightly on Monday, as calm returned to the market after a turbulent week. However, rising tensions in Middle East and the upcoming U.S. data this week kept investors on the edge. The S&P/TSX Composite Index closed at 22,406.31, up 95.01, or 0.43%. Two major acquisitions in Canada also contributed to the increase. On Monday, oil prices surged to $80.06 per barrel amid fears that tensions in the Middle East may escalate and lead to a wider conflict. This could also impede crude oil supply globally. The energy stocks index rose by roughly 3%.
Dangote Refinery: Nigeria must enforce crude oil supply to local refiners
The Dangote Oil Refinery called on Nigeria's regulator of upstream oil to enforce a law which stipulates that producers supply local refineries. It said that the lack of enforcement increased its operating costs. The 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity refinery, built by Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote on the outskirts of Lagos for $20 billion, has struggled to get sufficient supplies from Nigeria, where vandalism and low investment impede oil production. In a Friday statement…
Trafigura-Entara Consortium to Buy French Refinery
Rhone Energies, a consortium of commodity trader Trafigura and Entara LLC, has agreed with ExxonMobil's ESSO SAF to buy the Fos-sur-Mer refinery and Toulouse and Villette-de-Vienne terminals in France."Discussions with the relevant authorities are ongoing and the necessary authorizations are expected by the end of October," Trafigura said in a press release on Thursday.The parties signed the sale agreement having completed an information and consultation procedure with employee representatives…
China Crude Processing Spikes to All-time High
Chinese refinery crude oil throughput has reached its highest level ever, with total processed volumes up 12% in the first five months of this year compared to 2020, and up 10.9% from the same period in 2019. In total 292.7m tonnes have been processed so far this year according to the National Bureau of Statistics China.Despite the 12.0% growth in crude oil processing, Chinese crude oil supply, which includes imports and domestic production, has only grown by 2.3% in the first five months of this year.
U.S. Crude Oil Exports: When 'Less is More'
Longer sailing distances cushion fall in US crude oil exportsTon mile demand generated by US crude oil exports has fallen by 9.7% in the first two months of 2021 compared with the start of 2020. The fall could however have been much worse; In volume terms, seaborne crude oil exports have fallen by 18.8%, to 20.9m tonnes, a 4.8m tonnes decline compared with last year, according to data from the US Census Bureau.While seaborne crude oil exports to all regions have fallen, those to Asia are among the least affected, down just 1.0%, or equivalent to one Aframax load (101,088 tonnes).
Vietnam Inks Crude Oil Supply Deal with SOCAR
Vietnam's state-run Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Co (BSR) has inked an agreement with Azeri state energy company SOCAR to buy five million barrels of crude in 2020, BSR said late on Friday.SOCAR Trading will provide five million barrels of Azeri Light crude to BSR's Dung Quat refinery during the first half of 2020, BSR said in a statement on its web site.The company said Azeri crude would also become one of its strategic crude oil products from 2020, following Vietnam's abolishment of an import tax on crude oil which took effect from November.Earlier this week, BSR said it would import
Frontline Sees Opportunity in Tanker Market
So far in 2019, 41 VLCCs have been added to the global fleet compared to three vessel demolitions, said the world's largest oil tanker shipping company Frontline Ltd.An additional 33 VLCCs are scheduled to be delivered in 2019 with 43 more to follow in 2020 before the order-book declines sharply.It is important to note that both the VLCC and Suezmax tanker order book as a percentage of the total fleet are at the lowest levels seen in over 20 years.The order book has been the biggest challenge for the tanker markets over the last 24 months.
US Oil Production Up, Needs More Pipelines
The rising domestic crude oil production in the United States has created a need for more pipeline capacity, revealed the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).EIA recently launched a new liquids pipeline projects database that tracks more than 200 crude oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL), and petroleum products pipeline projects."Rising domestic crude oil production has led to several changes in Gulf Coast crude oil supply and demand patterns, creating a need for more pipeline capacity…
NOC Declares Force Majeure on Biggest Oilfield
Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) on Monday declared force majeure on exports from the El Sharara oilfield, which was seized at the weekend by a local militia group.NOC said the shutdown would result in a production loss of 315,000 barrels per day (bpd) at its biggest oilfield, and an additional loss of 73,000 bpd at the El Feel oilfield.Production at the Zawiya refinery was also at risk due to its dependence on crude oil supply from Sharara, NOC said in a statement, adding that it was "reviewing" evacuation plans.Chairman Mustafa Sanalla NOC would not negotiate with the militia group.
Sinochem raises 2019 term oil supply from Saudi Aramco, Kuwait
China's Sinochem Group agreed to annual crude oil supply deals for 2019 with Saudi Aramco and Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) with volumes from both suppliers more than 20 percent higher than in 2018, a senior Sinochem executive said on Friday.The Saudi volumes will be processed at Sinochem's wholly-owned Quanzhou refinery in southeast China's Fujian province, as well as at the Hongrun refinery in Shandong province and the West Pacific Petrochemical Corp (WEPEC) plant in Dalian, the executive said, declining to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Saudi Aramco to Invest in China
Saudi Aramco recently signed an MoU with Chinese Zhejiang provincial government during the 2nd International Petroleum and Natural Gas Enterprises Conference (IPEC), to acquire a share of Zhejiang Petrochemical’s new refinery project.Abdulaziz Al Judaimi, Sr. VP Downstream, said: "We are exploring opportunities for new refining and petrochemicals facilities, making further investments in China. Saudi Aramco has recently signed a crude oil supply agreement with Zhejiang Petrochemical (Rongsheng). This increase in customer base is due to our continuous focus and attention to the Chinese market.
Yanbu South Terminal Boost Export Capacity
The oil giant Saudi Aramco has competed the rehabilitation and upgrade project of the Yanbu South Terminal (YST), which adds an extra three million barrels per day of crude oil to its West Coast export capacity.Yanbu South Terminal, which is located south of Yanbu City on the West Coast of Saudi Arabia, consists of a tank farm and offshore facilities to receive, store and load Arab Light (AL) and Arab Super Light (ASL) crude oil.The facility’s integration with the existing crude oil supply network adds 3 million barrels per day to Saudi Aramco’s export capacity through the West Coast…
U.S. Crude Hits $75 as Oil Supply Risks Mount
U.S. crude oil prices rose above $75 a barrel for the first time since 2014 on Tuesday after Iran appeared to threaten to disrupt oil shipments from the Middle East Gulf if Washington pressed ahead with sanctions."The Americans have claimed they want to completely stop Iran's oil exports," the website, president.ir, quoted Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as saying. "They don't understand the meaning of this statement, because it has no meaning for Iranian oil not to be exported…
What Saudi Arabia Does Now is Key for Global Crude Markets: Russell
If it were possible to boil the crude oil market down to just one determining factor for the coming months, it would be this: What will Saudi Arabia actually do? The Saudis appear to have emerged as the winners from last week's meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the subsequent talks between OPEC and its allies in the deal to restrict output. The outcome of the meetings would seem to indicate that crude oil supply should rise by as much as 1 million barrels per day (bpd).
Indian Oil Corp Mulls PDVSA Crude Buys
Crude orders could help Venezuela settle unpaid bills; but doubts remain as to whether PDVSA can supply more crude. Indian Oil Corp is considering buying Venezuelan crude for the first time in at least six years, in a move that could help the crisis-struck South American nation settle unpaid bills with another state-owned Indian energy firm. The OPEC-member's economy has collapsed since crude prices plummeted in 2014, forcing it to delay payments for oil services and fuel supplies. Venezuela depends on oil for more than 90 percent of its export revenues.
Gunvor Hires BP's Former Top US Trader
Gunvor has hired a senior veteran oil trader, David Garza, previously with BP and most recently U.S. oil refiner Tesoro, to run its U.S. operations as the Swiss trading house further expands in North American energy markets. Gunvor began building its U.S trading operations last year, expanding outside its core markets in Europe, Asia and Africa. The company initially focusing on refined products and natural gas but this year has hired several traders to launch a crude oil desk in Houston, Texas, and beefed up its Canadian trading desk.
For North Korea, Cutting Off Oil Supplies Would Be Devastating
Isolated North Korea doesn't consume much oil, but curbing or cutting off its supplies in retaliation for further nuclear or long-range missile tests would be painful and potentially destabilising to the regime of Kim Jong Un. U.S. Separately, the Global Times, an influential Chinese tabloid whose stance does not necessarily reflect official policy, said in an editorial on Wednesday that "Chinese society" would approve of "severe restrictive measures that have never been seen before, such as restricting oil imports to the North," if Pyongyang engages in further provocative activity.
Cuts, What Cuts? Asia Gets More OPEC Crude
If you were looking for evidence of reduced crude oil supply from OPEC and its main ally in cutting output to boost prices, Russia, then stay away from Asia's top importers. January import data from China, India and Japan do little to show the impact of reduced crude supply, but do suggest that prices have risen in response to move by the producer group and its allies to remove some 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) from global oil markets. Top importer China's January data provides a case in point.
OPEC Cuts Boost Light Crude's Appeal
One of the consequences of the cuts to crude oil supply by OPEC and its allies has been the sharp narrowing of the premium that light crude commands over heavier grades. In theory, this should result in increased flows of light crude to Asia, with refiners substituting gasoline-rich grades for the heavier crudes typically more popular in the region. But there are as yet few signs that this is happening, most likely because many Atlantic basin producers of light crude are unable to pump more…
