Sources: Petrobras is in discussions with Raizen, BP, and Inpasa about a joint venture for ethanol
Two sources familiar with the matter said that Brazilian state-run Petrobras was in discussions with Raizen, BP, and Inpasa about a potential joint venture for ethanol. Earlier that day, Petrobras' director of energy transformation, Mauricio tolmasquim, told reporters that the company was investigating a joint venture for ethanol. He did not name the companies with which it might partner. Petrobras Raizen BP Inpasa and BP did not respond immediately to comments. Tolmasquim said that Petrobras plans to invest $2.2 billion over the next five-year period in ethanol distilleries. Petrobras is still deciding whether to focus on corn-ethanol or sugarcane-ethanol, said the official.
US drillers reduce oil and gas rigs in the US for the second week running - Baker Hughes
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. firms have cut back on the number of natural gas and oil rigs for the second week running for the first since early October. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by one in the week ending November 22 to 583, the lowest level since early September. This brings the total number of rigs down by 39 or 6% from this time last. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 479, while gas-rigs decreased by two to 98. Oil and gas rig counts dropped by about 20% in the year 2023, after increasing by 33% and 67% respectively in 2022, 2021 and 2022.
BP and its partners invest $7 billion into a carbon capture project in Indonesian Papua
BP and its partners announced that they will invest $7 billion into a carbon-capture project and the development of gas fields in Indonesia's easternmost Papua Region, which could unlock an additional 3 trillion cubic feet in gas resources. The British oil producer announced its investment in London on Thursday during a meeting between President Prabowo Subito, who was visiting London. The company said that production at Ubadari is expected to begin in 2028. Gas from the field will be processed in the Tangguh liquefied gas plant in West Papua. BP said…
Indonesian regulator confirms Tangguh LNG disruption
Indonesia's upstream gas and oil regulator SKK Migas confirmed that there was an outage on the third train at BP's Tangguh liquefied gas (LNG), facility in West Papua. It said operations would begin to resume from Saturday. Hudi Suryodipuro, spokesperson for SKK Migas, said on Thursday that an accident occurred on Train 3 Tangguh LNG in November 16 due to instrumentation problems at an onshore reception facility. This caused an emergency shut-off valve to be closed. Hudi said that after repairs were carried out by the BP team, and the startup process was completed, a leak in the actuator was discovered. This required parts to be repaired and replaced.
US Judge Proposes CITGO Auction Solution
The U.S. judge overseeing an auction of shares in a Citgo Petroleum parent to pay Venezuela-linked creditors on Wednesday proposed major procedural changes to advance a case stalled by wide opposition and lawsuits by creditors in other courts.Judge Leonard Stark recommended a series of changes to encourage higher bids in a seven-year-long court case brought by companies pursuing up to $21.3 billion in claims for debt defaults and expropriations in Venezuela.An up to $7.3 billion bid by an affiliate of activist investor Elliott Investment Management could soon be challenged by the court's recommendation to choose a "starting point bidder" to move forward with the auction.
EIA: US Crude, Gasoline Inventories Rise
U.S. crude oil and gasoline inventories last week rose more than forecast, while distillate stockpiles posted a larger-than-expected draw, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.Crude inventories rose by 545,000 barrels to 430.3 million barrels in the week ended Nov. 15, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 138,000-barrel rise.Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub fell by 140,000 barrels in the week, the EIA said. Net U.S. crude imports rose last week by 237,000 barrels per day to 3.3 million bpd…
Rystad reports that oil majors have over 40 biofuel projects planned by 2030.
Rystad, a consultancy, said that major oil and gas companies are investing more in biofuels, betting on sustainable aircraft fuel (SAF). By 2030, 43 projects should be completed, the report stated. Energy research firm says that industry giants like ExxonMobil and Shell could increase production by 286,000 barrels a day. SAF is produced by using wastes and residues like organic crops or used cooking oils. It emits the exact same amount of CO2 as kerosene. It is considered to be less polluting because it is made from plants or leftovers, rather than new oil that releases more greenhouse gases. Nearly 2% of the global carbon dioxide emissions are attributed to the aviation industry.
Sources say that Whiting refinery, a BP facility in Indiana, is delaying its return to service.
Industry sources say that the return to service for BP Whiting Indiana refinery is delayed. BP began the planned turnaround activity for its refinery that produces 435,000 barrels per day in late September. In early November, the refinery restarted units that were involved in the turnaround. Sources claim that at least two units are experiencing startup delays. Sources said that the refinery's 250,000 barrels per calendar day (bcd), sour crude distillation unit, and its 102,000 bcd coker had issues with the restart. These units should be online by this week. Whiting, the largest refinery in the Midwest of the United States, produces liquid fuels.
Chris Wright, CEO of the oil industry, is appointed Energy Secretary by Trump
Donald Trump, the President-elect, announced on Saturday that Chris Wright, an oil and gas executive who is a staunch supporter of fossil fuels, will be his choice to lead the Department of Energy. Wright is the founder of Liberty Energy in Denver, a firm that provides oilfield services. He will likely support Trump's plans to increase oil and gas production and seek ways to increase electricity generation, which is on the rise for the first decade. He will also probably share Trump's opposition against global cooperation in fighting climate change. Wright…
Baker Hughes: US drillers reduce oil and gas rigs in the US for the first time in 4 weeks.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. oil and gas companies have cut back on the number of oil rigs for the first time since four weeks. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by one in the week ending Nov. 15 to 584, the lowest level since early September. This is a reduction of 34 rigs, or 6% from the same time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs dropped by one this week to 478. This is their lowest level since the week of July 19. Gas rigs were also down by one, to 101.
TotalEnergies and BP, Equinor, and Shell each commit $500 mln for energy access
TotalEnergies BP Shell Equinor, oil and gas giants BP and Equinor, pledged to invest $500m on Friday in order to increase the availability of affordable energy, primarily for sub-Saharan Africa and south and southeast Asia. The announcement was made at the United Nations COP29 Climate Summit in Azerbaijan where discussions have focused on raising $1 Trillion in climate finance to assist developing countries from richer nations. TotalEnergies has declined to reveal the name of the global private equity firm that will manage the fund, but says the $500 million will be distributed over several years through tenders for energy-related projects.
US crude stockpiles jump, fuel posts surprise drawdown, EIA says
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), which released its report on Thursday, said that U.S. crude stockpiles increased more than expected, while gasoline and distillate inventories showed unexpected declines. The EIA reported that crude inventories increased by 2.1m barrels, to 429.7m barrels during the week ending Nov. 8. This was compared to analysts' expectations based on a poll of 750,000 barrels. The Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub for U.S. Crude Futures saw a drop of 688,000 barrels. Exports increased by 590,000. Brent and U.S. Crude futures edged up after the data revealed the surprise withdrawal in fuel stockpiles.
Devon Energy expects US crude oil to be priced between $60 and $80 per barrel in the near future
The benchmark U.S. WestTex Intermediate (WTI), crude oil, will be $60-$80 a barrel for the foreseeable future. This was what Devon Energy's Chief Executive Officer told attendees of an energy conference held in Dallas on Tuesday. This price forecast falls within the range of U.S. crude oil prices that have been traded throughout the majority of this year. On Wednesday, it settled at $68.43 per barrel. Richard Muncrief, CEO of Devon in Oklahoma City, said that crude demand will grow modestly by 2025, compared with 2024. He was speaking at a conference organized by the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas & Kansas City.
Report: Senior aide of Argentina's Milei claims Shell is eyeing LNG investment
According to the newspaper La Nacion, the cabinet chief of Argentine president Javier Milei cited Shell as a possible investor in a future liquefied gas (LNG), project that will be managed by YPF, Argentina's state-owned oil company. La Nacion reported that Guillermo Francos, the Cabinet Chief, said during an event the major energy company had shown "strong interest" for a possible LNG investment in the nation. Cynthia Babski, Shell's spokesperson in an email, said: "We are constantly exploring opportunities to enhance our portfolio." The company refused to provide any further details on its agreements and activities.
Report: Senior aide of Argentina's Milei claims Shell is eyeing LNG investment
According to the newspaper La Nacion, the cabinet chief of Argentine president Javier Milei cited Shell as a possible investor in a future liquefied gas (LNG), project that will be managed by YPF, Argentina's state-owned oil company. La Nacion reported that Guillermo Francos, the Cabinet Chief, said during an event the major energy company had shown "strong interest" for a possible LNG investment in the nation. Cynthia Babski, Shell's spokesperson in an email, said: "We are constantly exploring opportunities to enhance our portfolio." The company refused to provide any further details on its agreements and activities.
EIA increases US and global oil production estimates by a small amount
The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced on Wednesday that both U.S. oil production and global oil output are expected to reach record highs in this year, slightly higher than previous forecasts. Oil prices have fallen to their lowest level since 2021 despite the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) and its allies cutting production. The EIA reported that the U.S. oil production is expected to reach an average of 13.23 million barrels a day (bpd), which is about 300,000 more than last year's 12.93 million bpd record. The EIA had earlier predicted that U.S. crude oil production would average 13,22 million barrels per day (bpd) this year.
Analyst says US onshore wind industry is struggling despite government push to clean energy
Geoffrey Hebertson told attendees of an energy conference organized by the Federal Reserve Banks of Dallas & Kansas City that the Onshore Wind Industry is still struggling to attract investment despite the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. Hebertson stated that despite the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which allowed production tax credits and investments tax credits for 10 years, onshore wind is still struggling to maintain its investment levels. He added, "We expect 2024 will be a historically-low year for wind. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the installed wind power capacity in the U.S. currently stands at 152 gigawatts.
US oil industry calls on Trump to abandon Biden's climate policies
The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry on Tuesday called for President-elect Donald Trump's revocation of many policies implemented by President Joe Biden to combat climate change. They said the measures threatened jobs, consumer choices and energy security. The American Petroleum Institute, the nation's largest oil and gas trade association, has urged the incoming Trump administration to remove vehicle emission standards designed to encourage the auto industry to make more electric vehicles. It also urged Trump to lift the pause on liquefied gas export permits and work with Congress on repealing a fee for methane emissions during drilling operations.
US oil industry calls on Trump to abandon Biden's climate policies
The U.S. Oil and Gas Industry on Tuesday called for President-elect Donald Trump's revocation of many policies proposed by President Joe Biden to combat climate change. They said the measures threatened jobs, consumer choices and energy security. The American Petroleum Institute, the nation's largest oil and gas trade association, has urged the incoming Trump administration to remove vehicle emission standards designed to encourage the auto industry to make more electric vehicles. It also urged Trump to lift the pause on export licenses for liquefied gas facilities, and to work with Congress to eliminate a fee on drilling methane emissions.
BP's efforts to reduce renewables will not affect the JV with EnBW
The joint venture between BP and EnBW, which is a partnership in offshore wind energy, will not be affected by BP's current efforts to reduce its renewables activities, said the finance chief of the German utility on Tuesday. In 2021, the two companies entered into a partnership of 50:50 to develop offshore wind farms in Britain. They have agreements in place for the lease of two 60-year leases on the Irish Sea and an option agreement to lease another lease in North Sea. The three projects, Morven, Morgan and Mona cover a potential generation capacity that is 5.9 gigawatts. This would be enough to power approximately 6 million UK homes.
