The European stock rally is stalled as traders evaluate the economic impact of Venezuela
After a string of record closings, European stocks were down?on Wednesday as investors took a break to digest the latest U.S. - Venezuela developments and awaited new economic data. The?STOXX?600 index was slightly lower at 0920 GMT a day after it reached a new closing high. Investors were cautious following the announcement by U.S. president Donald Trump that the United States has reached an agreement to import $2 billion of Venezuelan crude oil, which is expected to increase supply. In response to Trump's remarks, oil prices dropped. Shares of UK energy giants Shell and BP fell 2.4% and 3.1% respectively. The European energy index also dropped 1.7%.
The European stock rally is stalling as traders evaluate the economic impact of Venezuela
After a string of record-breaking?closes?, European stocks were subdued Wednesday as investors took time to digest recent U.S.?developments? between Venezuela and the United States. They also awaited new economic data. STOXX 600 was slightly lower at 0920 GMT a day after it had reached a new closing record. Investors were cautious when U.S. president Donald Trump announced that the United States has reached an agreement to import $2 billion of Venezuelan oil, which is expected to increase supply. In response to Trump's remarks, oil prices dropped. Shell and BP, UK's two largest energy companies, fell 2.4% and 3.1% respectively. The European?energy index also dropped 1.7%.
Shell purchases stakes in offshore blocks in Angola from Chevron
Shell announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Chevron to purchase a stake in two offshore blocks in ultra-deep water offshore Angola. European oil companies have announced that they will invest billions of dollars in Angola. Angola is the second-largest crude producer in Sub-Saharan Africa after Nigeria. Angola has implemented major regulatory reforms in order to 'attract investments into its energy sector. It aims to keep production at or above 1,000,000 barrels per day. "We have signed a farm-in contract with Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Chevron to acquire a 35% stake in Block 49 and 50 off the coast of Angola.
Bousso: Trump offers US oil companies in Venezuela a poisoned cup
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, is offering U.S. companies an opportunity to revitalize Venezuela's vast and derelict petroleum industry. This is an offer that they might not want to accept. U.S. Representatives of the Trump administration will meet with oil executives this week to discuss increasing Venezuelan oil production. Monday is a holiday. Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips may find it attractive to tap Venezuela's vast reserves of oil - the largest in the world at over 300 billion barrels or about one-fifth the global stock. Venezuela's oil production has a huge potential for?increase?. After years of mismanagement, and U.S.
Bousso: Trump offers US oil companies in Venezuela a poisoned cup
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, is offering U.S. companies an opportunity to revitalize Venezuela's vast and derelict petroleum industry. This is an offer that they might not want to accept. U.S. Representatives of the Trump Administration plan to meet with oil executives this week in order to discuss increasing Venezuelan oil production. Monday is a holiday. Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips may find it attractive to tap Venezuela's vast reserves of oil - the largest in the world at 300 billion barrels or roughly one-fifth the global stock. Venezuela has a huge potential to increase its oil production. After years of mismanagement and U.S.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers added oil and gas rigs in the US for the second consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, an energy services company, said that U.S. firms added oil and natural gas rigs this week for the second consecutive week. The oil and gas rig counts, an early indicator of future output, increased by one in the week ending December 30 to reach 546, its highest level since December 12. Baker Hughes released its rig count report early because of the New Year's Day holidays. Baker Hughes reported that despite a?this week rig increase?, the total number of rigs was still 7.3% lower than this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs rose by three this week to 412…
London's FTSE 100 ends lower in a shortened Christmas Eve Session
Investors trimmed positions in pharma giants AstraZeneca & GSK in a shortened Christmas Eve session. The UK's blue chip FTSE 100 'closed down' 0.2% and moved sideways after hitting a 5-week high last 'week, following the Bank of England rate cut of 25 basis points. AstraZeneca dropped by about 0.5% and GSK fell by about 0.5%. The FTSE 250 midcap index, which is primarily focused on domestic companies, was down 0.07% but still managed to notch up its second consecutive weekly gain. As many markets were closed or operating with reduced hours on Christmas Eve, trading volumes were low.
FTSE 100 ticks down in shortened Christmas Eve Session
The FTSE 100 dipped on Wednesday as gains in homebuilders were offset by losses in healthcare during a shortened Christmas Eve session. The UK blue-chip FTSE 100 fell?0.1% to 0936 GMT. It has been trading in a sideways fashion since hitting a five-week-high?last Thursday following the Bank of England’s 25 basis-point rate cut. The midcap FTSE 250 index, which is focused on domestic companies, was up 0.07% for its second straight week of gains. As many markets will be closed or working with reduced hours on Christmas Eve, trading volumes are expected to remain low. The London Stock Exchange will close at 1230 GMT, on Wednesday.
WSJ reports that BP is close to selling its majority Castrol stakes to Stonepeak
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that BP was close to selling a majority of Castrol's shares to Stonepeak, an investment firm. This deal values BP's lubricants division at $10 billion including debt. The report cited people familiar with this matter as saying that London-listed BP will sell a 65% share in its Castrol division to Stonepeak for approximately $6 billion. Financial Times reported on the matter, citing sources. It also stated that BP would retain a minor stake in a joint-venture, valuing its century-old lubricants 'and engine oil business at around $10 billion. BP and Stonepeak didn't immediately respond to our requests for comment.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have added oil and gas rigs to their fleet for the first time in 3 weeks.
Energy services firm Baker Hughes said that U.S. firms added oil and gas rigs this week for the first time in 3 weeks. The number of oil and gas rigs, a good indicator of future production, increased by three in the week ending December 23. Baker Hughes has released its rig count report several days earlier than usual due to the Christmas Day holidays. Baker Hughes reported that despite this week's increase in rigs, the total count is still down by 44 rigs since?this time last. This represents a 7.5% decline. Baker Hughes reported that the number of oil drilling rigs rose by three this week to 409, while gas drilling rigs remained unchanged at 127.
Bousso: The geopolitical premium of oil in the ROI vanished by 2025 and is unlikely to return.
In 2025, the global oil markets were faced with multiple black swans events - such as the Israel-Iran War and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refiners. Yet they were barely affected. In an era when energy is abundant, this calm could be the new norm. The year 2025, by any measure, was chaotic in geopolitics, with President Donald Trump's return to his White House and his flurry of trade, diplomatic and policy initiatives dominating the year. On June 12, Israel attacked military, government, and nuclear sites in Iran. This was a pivotal moment for the?energy?markets. On June 22, the U.S.
Bousso: The geopolitical premium of oil in the ROI vanished by 2025 and is unlikely to return.
In 2025, the global oil markets were faced with multiple black swans events - such as the Israel-Iran War and Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries - but they were not fazed. In an age of abundant energy, this calm could be the new norm. The year 2025 will be remembered as a geopolitical chaos, due to President Donald Trump's return in January, and his frenzy of trade, policy and diplomatic initiatives. On June 12, Israel bombed Iranian military, government, and nuclear sites. This was a pivotal moment in the energy market. On June 22, the U.S. also joined in with "Operation Midnight Hammer," which targeted Iran's heavily fortified nuclear installations.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have cut their oil and gas rigs a second time in a week.
Baker Hughes, an energy services company, said that the U.S. firms have cut back on the number of oil and gas rigs for a second consecutive week for the first time since August. The number of oil and gas rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by six in the week ending December 19. This is the lowest since September. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs dropped by eight this week to 406; their lowest level since September 2021. Gas rigs remained at 127, and miscellaneous?rigs increased by two to 9. Oil and gas rig counts are expected to decline by 5% in 2024, and by 20% in 2023. This is because lower U.S.
Woodside's new CEO must navigate LNG projects with high costs through glut risk
Woodside Energy is facing a leadership shake up after Meg O'Neill's unexpected departure for the top position at?BP. This comes at a time when the Australian company is trying to deliver on key projects in a?braced?for a glut of supply. Analysts say that the oil and gas company will continue to pursue its global growth strategy. This requires continued investment in new assets as well as continuity in mature fields. After project delays and rising costs, it will be important to advance the Louisiana LNG project. The Louisiana LNG project, valued at $17.5 billion, will be Woodside's key project. Joshua Runciman is an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
Meg O'Neill, BP's new CEO, will be the first woman ever to lead an oil company.
Energy industry veteran Meg O'Neill was tapped by BP as the leader of a shake-up within the London-based 'oil major'. She made an immediate impression when she took over at Australia's Woodside Energy and secured a deal which doubled the company's production portfolio. Woodside's acquisition of BHP petroleum assets, in a merger of then-$28billions, in '2021' boosted the Perth-based firm with an international presence during a period of industry consolidation. It made it a global top-10 energy independent company and a powerhouse of gas. Despite O’Neill's long history of investments and acquisitions for the company…
Woodside's new CEO must navigate LNG projects with high costs through glut risk
Woodside Energy is facing a leadership shake up after BP's?chief executive Meg O'Neill's unexpected departure for the top position at BP. This comes as the Australian 'firm' is trying to deliver key projects on a market that's braced for an oversupply. Analysts say that the oil and gas "producer" is expected to continue with its global strategy of growth, which requires sustained investment in both new assets and continuity within mature fields. After project delays and rising costs, it will be important to advance the Louisiana LNG project. The Louisiana LNG project, valued at $17.5 billion, will be Woodside's key project.
Why US producers are paying attention to Canada's most popular shale play
Executives, analysts, and advisors say that U.S. producers of oil and gas are seeking new drilling territories in Western Canada's Montney Basin, an enormous shale play in a remote area. The basin is already a hub of M&A and may see even more deals in the near future. The United States has become the largest oil producer in the world as a result of extensive drilling on shale deposits over the past 15 years. After a period of rapid expansion, oil producers are less interested in drilling prospects within the Permian oilfield, which extends across Texas and New Mexico. This is because the remaining area with high-production potential has shrunk.
The new BP CEO has a long-lasting legacy at Australia's Woodside
Energy industry veteran Meg O'Neill was tapped by BP as the leader of a shake-up within the London-based oil giant. She made an immediate impression when she took over at Australia's 'Woodside Energy', securing a deal which doubled the production portfolio. Woodside's acquisition of BHP’s petroleum assets by 2021 in a merger of then-$28 billion?bulked-up the Perth-based firm with an international presence during a time of industry consolidation. It made it a top-10 global energy independent company and a powerhouse of gas. Woodside shares have, however, underperformed their larger rivals over the past five years.
The new BP CEO has a long-lasting legacy at Australia's Woodside
Energy industry veteran Meg O'Neill was tapped by BP as the leader of a shake-up within the venerable London based major. She made an immediate impact when she took over at Australia's Woodside Energy and secured a deal which doubled the production portfolio. Woodside's acquisition of BHP petroleum assets by 2021 in a merger of then-$28 billion boosted the Perth-based firm with an international presence?during an industry consolidation period, making it one of the top-10 independent global energy producers and a gas giant. O'Neill is a '55-year old 'American' from Boulder…
Wall Street Journal, December 18,
These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These?stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. Elliott Investment Management, an activist investor group, has built up a stake in Lululemon Athletica of more than $1 billion. It is now bringing a possible CEO candidate to the struggling athletic apparel retailer that it hopes to turn around. BP announced that Chief Executive Murray Auchincloss resigned after less than 2 years as the helm of the oil giant and appointed a outsider Meg O'Neill who is resigning her position leading Woodside Energy to be his successor.