The cold weather in the US boosts diesel prices, but masks economic challenges
Since the beginning of the year, the cold temperatures in the Northeast U.S. have led to an increase in demand for heating oil. This has helped to offset the slowdown in recent years due to reduced industrial activity. The Energy Information Administration (EIA), according to its data, reported that the U.S. inventory of distillate fuels - including diesel and heating oil - fell this month to its lowest seasonal level in 2014. The sharp increase in heating oil consumption is reflected by the decline.
Indonesia is expected to complete the full implementation of B40 Biodiesel by March
Eniya Listeiani Dewi, an official with the energy ministry, said that Indonesia is expecting its B40 Biodiesel Programme, which aims to reduce its dependence on diesel fuel imported from abroad, to be fully implemented next month, after initial delays. She stated that distribution of palm oil-based Biodiesel in this year had reached approximately 1.2 million Kilolitres by Friday. Indonesia planned to introduce the mandatory B40 blend, which contains 40% palm oil fuel, on January 1, but regulatory issues caused some delays. Fuel distributors received until the end February to transition.
Neste Finland to cut 600 jobs due to quarterly profits slumping
Neste, a Finnish biofuel and oil refiner, announced on Thursday that it would cut 600 jobs after its core profit for the fourth quarter fell below expectations. Heikki malinen, CEO of Heikki Group, said that "our current financial performance is not sustainable". The Finnish group has cut its forecast for the margin of sales from renewable fuels three times by 2024 due to the falling prices, which are a result of weak demand and an oversupply. In a poll conducted by the company, analysts estimated that EBITDA for the company in its fourth quarter would be 308 million euro.
Russians warned not to panic about a 'gas cloud" in a city near a plant that was struck by Ukraine
The Governor of Russia's Astrakhan Region told its residents to not panic after the main city was covered in a natural gas cloud on Wednesday. Its main city is located near a large gas chemical complex which was attacked this week by Ukrainian drones. The gas smelled by the public was caused by the restart of production at a plant in the south of the city of Astrakhan. Astrakhan has about 475,000 residents. "Dear Citizens, this morning, the city was covered with a cloud that smelled like natural gas. It is produced after processing, and it has a distinct smell," he wrote in Telegram.
Sasol, Anglo American, and De Beers pilot renewable diesel in South Africa
The South African petrochemicals firm Sasol, the mining group Anglo American, and its diamond division De Beers have entered into a joint agreement to develop a pilot production of renewable diesel using vegetable oil. Reporters were told that under the terms of the agreement signed at the African Mining Indaba, which takes place annually in Cape Town each year, the partners would assess the technical viability and commercial viability for feedstock production. Alison Atkinson…
Mexico's crude and condensate production in December drops by 12% compared to the previous year
The Mexican state-owned oil company Pemex announced on Tuesday that its liquid hydrocarbons production in December fell 12% compared to a year ago, its lowest level of the year. It also missed its government target for the third consecutive month. In December, crude and condensate output averaged 1,62 million barrels per days (bpd), down from its previous record high of 1.65 million bpd. The government has set a target of 1.8m bpd. Crude oil production fell 13% to 1.35 million barrels per day in December, the lowest in over 40 years.
EIA: US crude and distillate stocks fall; gasoline increases last week
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Thursday that crude oil and distillate stocks in the United States fell last week while gasoline inventories rose. The EIA reported that crude inventories dropped by 1 million barges in the week ended Jan. 17, to 411.7 million bars, marking the 9th consecutive weekly decrease. A poll of analysts had predicted a draw of 1.6 million barrels. The EIA reported that crude stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma's delivery hub, fell by 148,000 bbls. Crude futures extended their losses after the data showed the smaller-than-expected drawdown.
European gasoline glut affects global margins
As a result, gasoline stocks in Europe reached a record-high as exports fell due to increased refinery runs in Nigeria and the United States. This led to the profit margins for European and U.S. refineries to fall to a 15 month low in January. Gasoline profit margins usually fall in the winter due to lower seasonal demand. However, the magnitude of the drop is a major blow for refiners who are now facing low margins on petrochemicals. Diesel provides some relief to overall margins.
The US sanctions against Russia have caused a spike in global diesel prices
Analysts and LSEG data indicate that global diesel prices and refinery margins increased following the latest round U.S. sanctions against Russia's oil market on the expectation of tightening supplies. On Jan. 10, the United States imposed their toughest sanctions yet against Russian producers and tanks to reduce the revenue of the No. 2 oil exporter in world. The United States used the revenue of Russia's No. 2 oil exporter to fund its war in Ukraine. Many of the newly targeted vessels, which are part of a shadow fleet, were used to transport oil to India and China.
After EU ruling, Indonesia expects EU to change its stance on palm oil biofuels
Indonesia has welcomed the World Trade Organization's ruling in the case of the European Union involving palm oil-based Biodiesel. The bloc is expected to amend its regulations to conform to the ruling. Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil producer, brought the case before the WTO dispute panel in 2019. The EU had decided that palm-oil-based diesel was not to be considered as a biofuel because of its connection to deforestation. Its use in transportation fuel would also be phased out from 2023 to 2030.
China's 2024 refining output is expected to decline by a rare amount due to weak demand
China's oil refining throughput in the year 2024 will be the lowest in over two decades, barring 2022 when the world was hit by the pandemic. Plants have reduced production in response to stagnant demand for fuel and low margins. National Bureau of Statistics data showed that the world's second largest refining industry, after the U.S., processed 1.6% less crude last year. Calculations showed that the figure is about 14.13 millions barrels per day. This was down from a record of 14.7 million bpd in 2023. Last year, refiners were under pressure to limit or reduce processing rates.
TotalEnergies reports a slight improvement in the fourth-quarter refining profit margins
TotalEnergies said that it expects the fourth quarter 2024 results downstream to benefit from a slight improvement in refining profit margins. The French oil major made this announcement in its trading update. The European refining mark-up was $25.90 per ton of metric weight in the fourth quarter last year. This is up from $15.40 the previous quarter. It noted that the fall of $5 per barrel in oil prices is expected to have a negative impact on Exploration and Production in the fourth quarter.
Are price movements a result of structural shifts? China's commodity imports are bifurcated: Russell
China's imports in 2024 of major commodities were a mixed bag. Iron ore, coal, and natural gas volumes reached record levels, while crude oil was weak. Raw data from the largest buyer of natural resource in the world suggests that some parts of the economy perform well, while others are struggling or are undergoing structural changes. The main challenge when analysing China's imports of commodities is to separate temporary factors from those that are part a longer-term trend. Crude oil may be the best example.
WTO panel backs EU in palm case against Indonesia
The World Trade Organization panel ruled in favor of the European Union in the case filed by Indonesia on Friday against the bloc's ban on biofuels based on palm oil. Indonesia, the largest palm oil producer in the world, took the case before the WTO after the EU concluded palm oil cultivation leads to excessive deforestation, and shouldn't count towards its renewable energy target. Palm oil-based diesel was not considered a biofuel, and its use as a transport fuel was effectively phased out from 2023 to 2030.
EIA: Cushing Crude Stocks fall to Decade-low levels
U.S. crude stocks fell last week, driving the Cushing, Oklahoma hub to a 10-year low, while fuel inventories surged, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.Crude inventories fell by 959,000 barrels to 414.6 million barrels in the week ended Jan. 3, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 184,000-barrel draw.Brent and U.S. crude futures extended losses following the report. "A ramp-up in refinery maintenance in the coming weeks should usher in a return to crude inventory builds…
Indonesia restricts the export of palm residue and used cooking oil to domestic users
Indonesia has tightened its export restrictions on used cooking oil, palm oil residues and palm oil waste to supply the domestic cooking oil industry and biodiesel. The government announced this in a new regulatory on Wednesday. It said that the move by the top palm oil producer and exporter in the world aims to achieve a new mandate, starting this year, which calls for mixing 40 percent of palm-oil-based fuels with diesel fuel (called B40), up from 35 percent previously. The Indonesian authorities are looking at ways to restrict UCO exports.
US Storm, Weaker Dollar Push Oil to 12-week High
Oil prices edged up to a 12-week high on Monday as a winter storm boosted demand for energy to heat U.S. homes and businesses, and on support from a weaker U.S. dollar and expectations of tighter sanctions on Iranian and Russian oil exports.Brent futures rose 27 cents, or 0.4%, to $76.78 a barrel by 11:33 a.m. EST (1633 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 27 cents, or 0.4%, to $74.23.Both crude benchmarks gained for a sixth-straight day with Brent on track for its highest close since Oct. 14 and WTI on track for its highest close since Oct.
Data shows that US biofuel production increased in October as profitability improved.
According to AEGIS Hedging, the margins on biofuels helped U.S. producers of renewable diesel and biodiesel to increase their operations to multi-month levels in October. The data shows that renewable diesel producers used 77% of their total operating capacity in October, which is the highest level since July 2024. The data showed that biodiesel plants were used at 89% of their total capacity in October, the highest level since July 2024. The biofuels industry is relieved to see that utilization rates are improving and margins are increasing after a difficult start in 2024…
Year Ender: Big Oil retreats from renewables as climate agenda falters
In 2024, major European energy companies increased their focus on oil and natural gas to maximize profits in the short-term. They also slowed down and sometimes reversed climate commitments. This is a trend that will likely continue in 2025. Oil majors have retreated after governments worldwide slowed down the rollout and set back targets for clean energy as energy prices soared in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The share performance of the big European energy companies, who had heavily invested in clean energy, was behind that of their American rivals Exxon & Chevron.
EIA data show that US oil production reached a record high in October.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Tuesday that U.S. crude oil production increased by 260,000 barrels a day (bpd), month over month, to a new record of 13.46 million bpd during October. Demand surged to its highest level since the pandemic. U.S. crude oil production has increased rapidly this year despite concerns about oversupply, which have led to a drop in prices, particularly for China, the world's largest oil importer. Calculations show that U.S. oil output rose by 2.3% year-over-year in October…
