Cornwall Insight: Britain to see a 5% increase in energy prices by April
Analysts at Cornwall Insight predicted that Britain's energy price cap would rise by almost 5% this April. Cold weather and low levels of gas storage in Europe are keeping wholesale prices high. This would be the third consecutive quarter of increases, and would be a major blow to the government, who has set a goal of reducing energy costs. Craig Lowrey is a principal consultant with Cornwall Insight. He said that the market was more volatile than in recent memory, and households were bearing the brunt due to cold weather, low gas storage, and other factors. Ed Miliband, Britain's energy minister, wrote a letter on Tuesday to the regulator Ofgem.
Woodside, Santos face earnings dip; growth projects in focus
Investors are seeking greater clarity regarding dividend payouts due to the lingering risks associated with key growth projects. John Lockton is the head of Sandstone Insights' investment strategy. He believes that lower energy prices will be the primary cause for a decline in annual profits. Visible Alpha's consensus estimates predict that Woodside will report a underlying net loss of $2.96billion for fiscal 2024. This is down from $3.32billion last year. Woodside's line-item projection, released on Monday by the company…
In the shadow of tariffs, Europe's markets can benefit from a ceasefire in Ukraine
The markets have bet that a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine will ease the pressure on energy and euro prices, and also reduce the impact of increased U.S. tensions. Meanwhile, expectations about defence spending has already sent stocks in this sector soaring. Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, arrived in Saudi Arabia Monday to discuss with Russian officials. President Donald Trump ordered U.S. officials last week to start talks about ending the war. The talks are not expected to include either Ukraine or European nations. On Monday, European leaders will hold an emergency summit. The U.S.
Sources: Validus Energy will buy natural gas producer, 89 Energy III, for $850 Million.
Sources familiar with the deal said that Validus Energy, a privately owned U.S. gas and oil producer, has agreed to purchase 89 Energy III, a rival company, for $850 million including debt. According to sources, the deal will add more than 25,000 barrels equivalent to oil per day to Validus’s growing footprint in Oklahoma's Anadarko Shale Basin, making it one of the biggest private players in U.S. Mid-Continent region oil. According to its website, 89 Energy III produces 70% gas. Kayne Anderson announced the formation of this company in May 2021, after a merger between three Mid-Continent oil and gas producers.
European energy industry urges EU to not cap gas prices
The European Union's gas and trading industries are urging it not to cap the gas price, while Brussels is looking for ways to protect businesses and consumers from rising energy prices. The European Commission has been preparing a set of measures that will be presented on 26 February to help improve the competitiveness of industries and lower energy prices. The cold weather and the depletion of gas storage tanks boosted this week's benchmark European gas price to a 2-year high of €58 per megawatt-hour (MWh). This has increased concerns over the higher energy costs European firms pay compared to their competitors in the U.S. or China.
European energy industry urges EU to not cap gas prices
The European Union's gas and trading industries are urging it not to cap the gas price, while Brussels is looking for ways to protect businesses and consumers from rising energy prices. The European Commission has been preparing a set of measures that will be presented on 26 February to help improve the competitiveness of industries and lower energy prices. The cold weather and the depletion of gas storage tanks boosted this week's benchmark European gas price to a 2-year high of €58 per megawatt-hour (MWh). This has increased concerns over the higher energy costs European firms pay compared to their competitors in the U.S. or China.
European energy industry urges EU to not cap gas prices
The European Union's gas and trading industries are urging it not to cap the gas price, while Brussels is looking for ways to protect businesses and consumers from rising energy prices. The European Commission has been preparing a set of measures that will be presented on 26 February to help improve the competitiveness of industries and lower energy prices. The cold weather and the depletion of gas storage tanks boosted this week's benchmark European gas price to a two year high of 58 euro per megawatt-hour (MWh). This has increased concerns over the higher energy costs European firms are facing, in comparison with their competitors in the U.S.
BP promises fundamental reset as Q4 profit hit four-year low
BP announced a quarterly profit of $1.1 billion on Tuesday. This was lower than expected, and the lowest since 2004. The company also promised to reset its strategic direction after it became known that Elliott Management, an investor, had acquired a stake. BP has experienced a decline of earnings for the entire year 2024. This follows two years of record earnings, when energy prices stabilized and global oil demand weakened. But BP is underperforming its peers, and CEO Murray Auchincloss has been put under pressure to bring about change. The share price of 467.90 pence was up 0.6%, or about flat.
EU rules could overheat a gas market already on fire: Bousso
European policymakers who are worried about rising energy prices have already shot themselves in two feet. Two rules designed to manage the gas market of the region run the risk instead of overheating the market during the summer months, when stocks should be refilled. In response to the disruption of gas supplies caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, European Union set binding targets for the storage of gas in November. The rules include intermediate goals for February, April, July, and September. The need to ensure supplies before winter is obvious, but the target actually puts buyers at a disadvantage as it informs sellers of their needs.
Palm oil rises as Chicago soyoil and crude oil strengthen
Malaysian palm futures rose Monday for the fifth session in a row, boosted by a stronger Chicago soyoil price and higher crude oil prices. By midday, the benchmark contract for palm oil delivery in April on the Bursa Derivatives exchange had gained 63 Ringgit (1.47%) to 4,352 Ringgit ($969.91). In the last four sessions, it gained 2.36%. Anilkumar bagani, commodity researcher at Mumbai's Sunvin Group, said that the futures for crude palm oil (CPO), which are based on Chicago soyoil, have been moving higher since last Friday. He said that U.S. President Trump’s import tariffs against Mexico, Canada, and China have pushed up U.S. prices for soyoil.
US Democratic lawmakers ask Trump about his blockage of federal grants for clean energy
U.S. Democratic legislators Friday sent letters asking two federal agencies to explain why federal funds were frozen on clean energy investments and federal funds that would lower energy costs for American customers. The agencies had violated federal law, the lawmakers said. Senate Democrats asked the newly confirmed Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin on Friday to explain why his organization froze federal funding that was already obligated for grantees. They claimed that this agency had violated federal law.
Oil prices fall as Trump reiterates his call for OPEC price cuts
Oil prices fell on Monday, after U.S. president Trump asked OPEC for a reduction in prices in response to his announcement that he would take a wide range of measures to increase U.S. oil production and gas output during his first week as president. Brent crude futures fell 53 cents or 0.68% to $77.97 per barrel at 0430 GMT, after closing up 21 cents Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was $74.16 per barrel, down by 50 cents or 0.67%. Trump reiterated on Friday his call to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reduce oil prices in order to harm oil-rich Russia and bring an end the war in Ukraine.
Trump calls for OPEC price reductions
The oil prices dropped more than 1% Monday, after U.S. president Trump asked OPEC for a price reduction following his announcement of sweeping measures to increase U.S. gas and oil production in his first weeks in office. Brent crude futures fell 87 cents or 1.11% to $77.63 per barrel at 0043 GMT, after closing up 21 cents Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was $73.77 per barrel, down by 89 cents or 1.19%. Trump reiterated on Friday his call to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to reduce oil prices in order to harm oil-rich Russia and bring an end the war in Ukraine.
Handelsblatt reports that Scholz, Germany's Scholz, welcomes the U.S. energy policy turnaround
The German newspaper Handelsblatt reported that German chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed U.S. president Donald Trump's plans to increase oil and gas exports. He said it was good for Europe and Germany. Scholz stated in an interview that the move will help with the transition towards climate neutrality. This phase would last until the middle of this century. The chancellor stated that "more supply on the market will mean lower energy prices". Scholz praised Trump's desire to build new terminals of liquefied gas (LNG), which his predecessor Joe Biden had not done.
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. The adjusted net income of Total has fallen for five consecutive quarters and reached a three-year-low at the end of September…
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.
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. These two had focused on oil & gas.
MPOC expects palm prices to remain above 4,800 Ringgit
The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), an agency of the Malaysian government, said Tuesday that palm oil prices will remain above 4,800 Ringgit ($1,075.03) by December due to the recovery in soybean oil prices. MPOC stated that the price rise would be dependent on the supply conditions in Malaysia, Indonesia and especially if monsoons continue to be severe throughout December. This would disrupt production. The agency also said that the low energy prices would be a factor limiting the price rise. It added that palm oil…
Nuclear roadblock to EU's new renewable energy target
On Monday, pro-nuclear countries expressed their opposition to the European Union's plans for a renewable energy goal. They said they would not support a goal which excluded atomic energy. Nuclear power is a controversial energy source that has caused political disagreements among the 27 EU member states. These disputes have delayed recent EU initiatives to reduce energy prices and to drive Europe's shift to low-carbon sources of energy. Nuclear power plants do not emit CO2, but they produce toxic waste, which some campaigners claim means that atomic energy shouldn't be classified as green.
EU solar growth slows, raising concerns for energy transition
Industry data revealed on Tuesday that the growth in solar power installations in Europe has slowed to 4% after years of double digit increases. This is raising concerns over the continent's transition to clean energy. The findings are a blow to the European Union’s plans to expand rapidly its use of renewable energies – a key pillar in the bloc’s efforts to combat climate change and to end its dependence on Russian fossil fuels. SolarPower Europe, an industry association, said that the amount of solar power installed in Europe had increased by over 40% in 2021 and 2022 and by 50% in 2023. This year 65.5 gigawatts of solar were installed.
