OPEC is optimistic about global oil demand and does not see a peak in sight
Haitham Al Ghais, secretary general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Abu Dhabi, said that oil demand is expected to be very high in the near and medium term. He said that while there are challenges, the overall picture is not as bad as it sounds. The so-called "peak demand" will not occur as long as the global economy grows. Ghais stated that the oil producing group was optimistic about the global economy. He noted growth in the U.S. as well as in China. He reiterated that he does not expect the demand to peak anytime soon. "It makes me think of the discussions about peak supply that took place many years ago.
Exxon and Chevron are expected to top Q3 profits as US oil production hits a record high
Exxon Mobil, a U.S.-based oil producer, and Chevron, a U.S.-based fuel company, posted higher-than-expected profits for the third quarter on Friday. This was due to soaring U.S. crude oil production, which cushioned soaring fuel prices. Both companies focused on increasing oil and gas production, while rivals BP & Shell invested heavily in wind, solar & renewables. These investments have not yet paid off. The two U.S. firms have both benefited from the acquisition of smaller oil companies. Despite their surging production, they could face a challenge in the near future from an uncertain demand…
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. The oil industry has seen profits fall this year as a result of lower crude prices and a weaker growth in fuel demand. Oil futures for the quarter ending Sept. 30, averaged 17% less than the previous quarter.
US crude, fuel inventories fall last week, EIA says
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), which released its report on Wednesday, said that the U.S. crude, gasoline, and distillate inventory fell last week. The EIA reported that crude inventories dropped by 515,000 barrels, to 425.5 millions barrels for the week ending October 25. This was in contrast with the analysts' polled expectations of a rise of 2.3 million barrels. Crude oil stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma's delivery hub, rose by 681,000 bbls. Exports increased by 149,000 barrels per day, to 4,26 million bpd. The futures for U.S. Crude and Brent crude were not significantly affected by the report.
UK increases windfall taxes on North Sea Oil and Gas Producers
Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said on Wednesday that the British government would increase its windfall tax for North Sea oil-and-gas producers from 35% to 38% and extend it by one year. Reeves, who presented the first budget of the new Labour Government, said that the increase in the windfall tax - also known as the Energy Profits Levy - will come into effect on November 1. The headline tax rate for oil and gas activity is now 78%. This is among the highest rates in the world. The duration of the law will be extended an additional year, until March 2030. The Labour Government, which was elected in July, is looking to use oil and gas revenues to fund renewable energy projects.
Aker BP Q3 profits fall short of forecasts, but output guidance is raised
Aker BP, a Norwegian oil company owned in part by BP, reported a larger-than-expected drop in operating profit for the third quarter. It also said that full-year production would be at or above its guidance. A poll of analysts conducted by the company showed that an average of $1.89 billion was expected. The company reported a third-quarter output of 414.700 boed, down from the 449.800 boed it had a year ago, due to maintenance planned at several fields. Aker BP expects the production to increase in the fourth quarter. The company increased its guidance for full-year production to 430,000-440,000 barrels equivalent to oil (boe) a day, up from its previous plan between 420,000-440,000.
China's CNOOC signs contract for oil development in Iraq's Block 7
CNOOC Ltd, a Chinese company, announced Wednesday that it had signed an Exploration, Development & Production Contract with Iraq's State-run Midland Oil Company for the exploration of oil and gas in the Block 7 Field. CNOOC Africa Holding Ltd, the state oil and gas company's fully owned unit, will hold 100% interests and act as the operator for the 6,300-square-kilometer Block 7, located in central Iraq's Diwaniyah province. CNOOC won the bid to explore the block as part of Iraq's licensing round, which was a recent policy shift in which Baghdad began offering profit sharing with partners, instead of technical service contracts.
Deep sea oil drilling drillers are now subject to new safety regulations in the US
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE, released new rules on Tuesday for U.S. off-shore drillers. This is because breakthrough technology allows them to operate in extreme subsea conditions and unlock untapped oil reserves worth billions of dollars. BSEE final rule was issued after Chevron, in August, started production on its Anchor asset. It is owned by TotalEnergies and it was the first project ever to operate with 20,000 pounds per sq inch (PSI) pressure. The reservoir depths reached 34,000 feet (10.363 m). Analysts have stated that the new technology may unlock 5 billion barrels previously unaccessible crude worldwide…
Mexico's Pemex reports a larger third-quarter Loss of $8.2 billion
According to a filing at the Mexican stock exchange on Tuesday, the state-owned Mexican oil company Pemex posted a larger 161.3 billion peso (approximately $8.2 billion) net loss for the third quarter, compared with losses of approximately $4.5 billion during the same period last year. The country's largest company generated revenues of 426.1 billion pesos between July and September. The company reported that its debts for the last three months totaled $97.3 Billion. Claudia Sheinbaum, the new president, took office at beginning of this month. She has pledged to continue supporting Pemex as her predecessor did.
BP's third quarter profits slump to $2.3 bln due to a decline in oil demand
BP reported higher than expected third quarter profits, $2.3 billion. This is their lowest profit in nearly four years. The drop in refinery profits and the weakening of oil trading were to blame. The drop of 30% in profits compared to a year ago is due to a slowdown on the global economy and in oil demand in particular in China. This puts pressure on CEO Murray Auchincloss, who has pledged that BP will improve its performance in response investor concerns about its energy transformation strategy. BP's underlying net profit (defined as the replacement cost profit by the company) reached $2.27billion in the third-quarter…
Baker Hughes will supply pipe systems for Brazil's Petrobras
Baker Hughes, a provider of oilfield services, announced on Monday that it had signed an agreement with Petrobras to provide 77 kilometers (47.85miles) of flexible pipe system for Brazil's Santos Basin pre-salt field. Santos Basin, an offshore oil and gas-rich region off Brazil's southeast Atlantic coast. The basin is the largest in the country and has attracted major investment from oil and gas producers around the world including Shell, CNOOC, and TotalEnergies. Baker Hughes' agreement with Petrobras to provide flexible pipes systems and oilfield services, signed in April, is the latest Baker Hughes contract this year.
Norway's wealth funds falls short of climate ambitions according to NGO
A non-governmental organization said that the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund has failed to meet its own climate goals by not voting in favor of shareholder resolutions this year during AGM season. The fund, which has a value of $1.8 trillion, pools revenues from the Nordic states' oil and gas production. It aims to have the 9,000 companies that it invests in reach zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Norges Bank Investment Management, the fund management company, has set expectations for corporate boards and voting at the annual general meeting on climate change as part of their strategy.
Baker Hughes reports that the US oil/gas rig counts are stable this week. Pennsylvania has fallen to a 17-year low.
Baker Hughes, a closely watched energy services company, said that the U.S. firms maintained the same number of oil and gas rigs this week. The count fell to a low not seen in Pennsylvania for 17 years, according to its report. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, was 585 during the week ending October 25. Baker Hughes reported that the total number of workers was down by 40 or 6% compared to this time last. This week, oil rigs dropped by two - to 480 - while gas rigs grew by two – to 101. Drillers in Pennsylvania, which produces mainly gas, have cut down one drill rig. The state's total has dropped to 12 rigs, the lowest level since July 2007.
Petrobras wants to increase the output of Tupi oilfield to 1 million barrels per day by 2027
Petrobras, the state-owned firm in Brazil, plans to increase oil production from its Tupi oilfield to 1,000,000 barrels per day (bbls) by 2027. It plans new investments to be made into this asset. Tupi, located in deep water offshore, is Brazil's biggest oil field by production (832,600 bpd), although its output has declined over the last few years. Director Sylvia dos Anjos told in an interview that Petrobras wants to return Tupi production to 1,000,000 bpd. She added that Petrobras plans to increase production at the field by drilling more wells. Even if all goes according to plan…
Equinor Q3 profit drops 13%, lagging forecast
Equinor reported a sharper-than-expected 13% decline in third-quarter profit on Thursday, hit by weaker oil prices and lower production, and cut its full-year outlook for capital expenditure and renewable energy production growth. Equinor's poll of 25 analysts found that the adjusted earnings for the period July-September fell from $7.93 to $6.89. This is below the $7.08 billion estimated by Equinor. The organic capital expenditure for 2024 has been revised down to between $12 billion and 13 billion dollars, from the previous forecast of 13.5 billion. The company stated that the oil and gas production would remain unchanged from last year in 2024.
Bloomberg News: Transocean and Seadrill in merger talks
Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that offshore drilling provider Transocean was in merger talks with Seadrill Ltd. The report came from people who were familiar with the situation. It said that the companies are currently discussing the possible structure of a merger. Bloomberg reported that a final decision had not yet been made, and the companies may choose to remain independently. Seadrill or Transocean didn't immediately respond to comments. Transocean shares listed in the U.S. rose by 4.1% following the bell, while Seadrill grew by 10.3%. Seadrill's market capitalization was $2.42 billion on Wednesday. Transocean had a value of $3.60 billion.
EIA: US crude and gasoline inventories increase, while distillates are drawn down.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), which is responsible for the U.S. Energy industry, announced on Wednesday that crude oil and gasoline stocks in the United States increased while distillate stockpiles fell. The EIA reported that crude inventories increased by 5.5 millions barrels, to 426,000,000 barrels for the week ending October 18. This was compared to analysts' expectations based on a poll of 270,000 barrels. The EIA reported that crude stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma's delivery hub, fell by 346,000 barrels. U.S. Crude and Brent Futures extended losses following the data. The EIA reported that refinery crude production increased by 329,000 barrels a day during the past week.
US fuelmakers report lower profits in Q3 due to weaker margins and fuel demand
Energy analysts predict that the third quarter profits of U.S. refiners will be lower than last year due to a decline in margins, as fuel demand has slowed and more refining capacity is coming online. After the pandemic, and Russia's invasion in Ukraine, which boosted margins at record levels, refiners are now reversing their favorable pricing and high demand. The difference between the product price and the crude oil price for U.S. gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel declined in the third quarter. Margins also fell to seasonal lows that have been in place for several years due to the lackluster summer fuel consumption. The U.S. crack in gasoline spread during the first quarter.
Baker Hughes: US drillers have cut oil and gas rigs four times in the last five 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 fourth consecutive week. In the week ending October 18, the oil and gas rig counts, which is an early indicator of future production, dropped by one to 585. Baker Hughes reported that the total number of rigs is down by 39, or 6% from this time last. Baker Hughes' website did not have any additional data about the breakdown of the oil and gas rigs. Baker Hughes officials were not available to comment immediately. 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.
Sources say RPT-BP is considering selling a minority stake in the offshore wind business.
Four sources familiar with the matter have confirmed that BP may sell a minority stake of its offshore wind division. This is the latest move by CEO Murray Auchincloss in his efforts to reduce the company's focus towards renewables. Shareholders have been putting pressure on the company to abandon its 2020 energy transition strategy as profits from renewables are decreasing and margins for oil and gas are increasing. Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the process was private, said that the London-listed oil firm has lined up Bank of America in order to find partners for its business. Two sources claim that BP is looking to cut its share of these large investments.
