BHP and Rio Tinto discuss energy transition; bet on minimal Trump impact: Russell
BHP Group, Rio Tinto and other mining giants have delivered similar results and outlooks this week for commodities. They chose to focus on the benefits of the energy transformation and minimise short-term risk. BHP, world's largest mining company, announced on Tuesday that its underlying profit attributable for the six-month period ending December 2024 had dropped by 23% to $5.08 billion.
UK announces plans to reform subsidy schemes in order to accelerate green energy projects
The British Government on Friday announced plans to reform its flagship Contracts for Difference scheme (CfD), which will remove planning obstacles and accelerate green energy projects in particular offshore wind farms. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, (DESNZ), has announced that it will relax eligibility criteria for planning consent for offshore fixed-bottom wind and extend the CfD contract beyond its current 15 year term.
Minister: Hungarian gas company will supply Transdniestria
Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian foreign minister, said that a Hungarian trading company would provide natural gas to Transdniestria in Moldova after a request by Russia's energy ministry. Transdniestria residents, a tiny sliver run by pro Russian separatists on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, faced an energy crisis after the expiration of a transit agreement that allowed Russian natural gas to be shipped via Ukraine.
After the Russian attacks, Ukraine plans to import 800 million cubic meters of gas by April.
Ukraine will import 800 million cubic meters (mcms) of gas in February and march to compensate for the sometimes 40% decrease in production following Russian missile attacks on the sector. A senior industry source said on Friday. Since its invasion in 2022, Russia has launched many missiles and drones at Ukraine's electric sector. However, it has intensified attacks on gasfields over the past few weeks.
Tokyo Gas sells US shale-gas stake to Shizuoka Gas at $130 million
Tokyo Gas, Japan’s largest city gas supplier, has announced that it will sell Shizuoka Gas its 25% stake in the Eagle Ford shale project in South Texas for $130m as part of an asset portfolio review in order to improve efficiency. Tokyo Gas, in a press release, said that the move would allow it to concentrate on its U.S. division, TG Natural Resources. This unit has assets in north Louisiana and east Texas.
EUROPE GAS - Prices stable amid ample supply and milder weather
The European and British gas contract prices were mostly unchanged on Friday, despite the milder weather forecast. Supplies from Norway and LNG are also steady. There is still uncertainty about future Russian gas supplies in the event of a peace agreement with Ukraine. LSEG data shows that the benchmark front-month contract for the Dutch TTF hub fell 0.09 euros to 47.51 Euro per Megawatt Hour (MWh), which is $14.59/mmBtu at 0904 GMT.
South Korea plans to build two large nuclear reactors and increase the use of renewable energy in its energy mix
The South Korean industry ministry announced that the country finalised a new plan for its energy mix on Friday. It envisages building two large nuclear power plants as well as one small reactor, by the year 2038. In a statement, the ministry stated that it also aims to ensure renewable energy of an average 7 gigawatts per year. South Korea's nuclear power production is expected to increase from 180.5 Terawatt-hours (TWh), in 2023, to 248.3 in 2038.
EU wants more US gas and renewable energy to replace Russian supplies
The EU energy commissioner said that the EU will look to other countries, including the U.S., to supply more gas to replace Russian supplies and to expand renewable energy to reduce its reliance on fuel. In response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU has committed to stop using Russian fossil fuels before 2027. Despite a decline in Russian pipeline gas supplies, the EU increased imports of Russian natural gas liquefied last year.
Nine Entertainment is the top gainer among Australian shares.
Australian shares rose Friday on the back of gains in energy and mining stocks, as well as strong commodity prices. Nine Entertainment was the biggest gainer, after Domain Holdings Australia, which owns 60%, received a purchase offer. As of 0026 GMT, the S&P/ASX 200 was up by 0.1% to 8,333.1. The benchmark index has lost 2.6% in the first week. Iron ore prices rose overnight, causing miners to gain as much as 1.5 percent.
ADNOC, the UAE's gas company, has completed a $2.84 billion share sale.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), the energy giant of United Arab Emirates, announced early Friday that it had completed a 2.84 billion dollar market offering for its ADNOC Gas division. ADNOC said in a press release that the offering price was 3.40 dirhams for each share. The sale is the largest share offering in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) since the $12…
Ecopetrol, Colombia records the largest increase in oil and gas reserves proven in three years
Ecopetrol, the company owned by Colombia's majority government, reported that its proven oil and natural gas reserves increased to 1,89 billion barrels equivalent in 2024. In recent years, the country's oil reserves and gas reserves has become a hot topic in politics as fears about energy independence have grown due to dwindling supplies of gas. Chief Executive Ricardo…
Diamondback Energy CFO Van't Hoof to succeed Stice as CEO
Diamondback Energy announced on Thursday that CEO Travis Stice will step down after 13 years in the role during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting 2025. He will be replaced by Kaes van't Hof, the finance director. Stice, who has led Diamondback since January 2012, joined the board of directors in November 2012 after the initial public offering. Before becoming CEO…
Guyana will soon sign a oil deal with TotalEnergies led group
Energy Minister Vickram Bharrat said that Guyana is expecting to sign a production-sharing agreement soon with a French consortium led by TotalEnergies, which will allow the country to explore an off-shore area. Guyana, the fastest-growing oil producing country in the world, is on track to produce 940,000 barrels of crude oil per day this coming year. This is nearly 1% more than last year's output.
FERC wants more guidance on colocated data centers
The U.S. Energy regulators directed the largest grid operator in the country to clarify how it deals with co-location. This arrangement is becoming increasingly popular for AI data centers, allowing them to be connected directly to power plants. Co-location is a faster way to get large amounts of energy, rather than spending years waiting in line to connect to the grid.
Cenovus' quarterly profit drops due to weak oil prices
Cenovus, a Canadian oil and natural gas company, reported a decline in profit for the fourth quarter on Thursday. Lower commodity prices and lower refining margins were offset by higher production. In mid-morning trade, the company's stock was down by 4.5%. The average Brent crude futures fell 3% in 2024 as the economy of the major consumer, China, remained weak. The…
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.
Stock prices of US natgas producers soar as gas futures soar
Gas futures prices have risen by 27% in the last seven days, reaching a two-year high. The extreme cold of recent days has pushed U.S. Gas Futures up to $4.42 per million British Thermal Units (mmBtu) at midday on Wednesday. This puts the front-month just a few cents away from the closing high of $2.258, which was reached on January 16 of this year. The increase in gas futures has helped Devon Energy's stock…
Siemens expects to earn around 1.2 billion Euros from the sale of Siemens Healthineers shares
Siemens, a German engineering company, announced on Wednesday that it would sell a 2% share in its healthcare subsidiary Siemens Healthineers. The sale will raise approximately 1.2 billion euro ($1.25 billion), which could be used to pay for the acquisition of U.S.-based software firm Altair Engineering. Siemens will be able to reduce its stake in the medical device maker…
Vopak's profits are unlikely to change much by 2025 as one-offs have a negative impact on the 4th quarter results
Dutch tank storage company Vopak said that it expects to see little difference in its earnings by 2025, despite the fact that strong demand for energy-storage infrastructure is boosting its results. Analysts cited a missed quarterly core profit and a cautious outlook as the reason for the 7% drop in shares of this company that operates terminals and stores fuels and chemicals around world.
Exxon to build large-scale gas projects in Guyana, a country dominated by oil
Exxon Mobil, the U.S. oil giant, announced a massive project on Wednesday to increase natural-gas production and supply in Guyana. This follows the government's request for more gas as fuel to power onshore projects and petrochemical ones. Alistair Routledge of Exxon Guyana, the head of Exxon in Guyana, outlined a "Wales Gas Vision" that will provide gas to produce fertilizers via a pipeline worth $1 billion completed last year.
