Monday, December 23, 2024

Energy Use News

Vermilion's Westbrick deal worth $745 million strengthens Canada’s Deep Basin position

Vermilion Energy, a Canadian company, announced on Monday that it would acquire Westbrick Energy, a privately-held oil and gas company. The deal will be for C$1.075 Billion ($746.53 M), mostly in cash. This acquisition will strengthen Vermilion Energy's position in Alberta's Deep Basin. In premarket trading, U.S. listed shares rose 1.8% to $9.03 per share. This acquisition will likely add 50…

Qatar will stop EU gas exports if fined for due diligence, reports FT

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, Energy Minister Saad Al-Kaabi said that Qatar would stop shipping gas into the EU if the member states enforced a new law aimed at cracking down against forced labour and environmental damages. Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence, approved in this year, is a directive that requires large companies operating within the European Union…

Holiday schedule for US Energy Data

Some major energy data will be delayed due to the federal holidays of Christmas and New Year's Day on December 25 and January 1, 2025. The schedule below shows the U.S. Petroleum, Oil and Natural Gas Supply and Inventory for these weeks. WEEK OF DEC. As per usual, API will release its weekly report on petroleum stocks on Tuesday, December 24 at 4:30 pm EST (2130 GMT).

SOCAR sources: Russia and Ukraine cannot agree on gas deal mediated by Azerbaijan

Azeri SOCAR, a leading energy company in Azerbaijan, said on Friday that Moscow and Kyiv failed to reach an agreement on the deal brokered by Azerbaijan for Russian gas to be exported to Europe via Ukraine. Azerbaijan was asked by the European Union and Ukraine to facilitate talks with Russia regarding a gas-transit deal due to expire this year. On Thursday, Russian…

DOE-backed report: U.S. data centers' power consumption could triple by 2028

According to a Department of Energy report, the U.S. power consumption for data centers could triple within three years and account for 12% of all electricity consumed in the United States. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's report is due to be released this Friday. It comes as the U.S. government and power industry are trying to figure out how the sudden increase in data center demand by Big Tech will impact electrical grids…

The copper giant Peru predicts another plateau in production by 2025

According to analysts and the top mining association in Peru, copper production will remain flat for the third consecutive year in 2025, due to declining ore grades. The South American nation is a global powerhouse in the copper industry, ranking third behind Chile and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2023, the Congo will overtake Peru as the second-largest producer.

Pharos Energy announces that licences for 2 Vietnam oil and gas fields have been extended until 2031/32

Pharos Energy, a UK-based oil & gas exploration company, announced on Friday that its two joint ventures operating in Vietnam had received approval from the local government to extend their licenses for five years until early 2030. Pharos announced in a press release that the Te Giac Trang field operated by Hoang Long Joint Operating Company will be permitted to operate until December 7, 2031.

Germany waives gas storage fees outside of the country starting Jan. 1, 2025

The German lower house of Parliament passed on Friday a change in energy law that will waive the domestic market storage fee at border points and virtual trading centers, effective Jan. 1, 2025. This will free foreign consumers from a costly element of price. Parliament approved the law change based on its incompatibility with European energy solidarité and to help south-western neighbors diversify their gas supply away from Russian gas.

The copper giant Peru predicts another plateau in production by 2025

According to analysts and the top mining association in Peru, copper production will remain flat for the third consecutive year in 2025, due to declining ore grades. The South American nation is a global powerhouse in the copper industry, ranking third behind Chile and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2023, the Congo will overtake Peru as the second-largest producer.

Japan Gas Lobby urges stronger diplomatic efforts to drop LNG Destination Clauses

The head of Japan Gas Association urged on Friday the government to intensify diplomatic efforts in order to eliminate destination clauses from long-term contracts for liquefied gas. This would allow the government more flexibility in reselling LNG in response to changing demand. The Japan's Industry Ministry unveiled on Tuesday a draft version of its revised basic policy for energy…

MUFG Americas CEO: AI data centres will boost renewable energy demand, even under Trump

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, the largest Japanese banking group, has said that the U.S.'s shift to renewable energy will continue under Donald Trump. Kevin Cronin, chief executive officer of MUFG Americas, said in an interview that the anti-renewables rhetoric of President-elect Trump has not led to a change in MUFG Americas' strategy. Cronin stated that the new administration…

California sets clear course to close Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Facility

California's utilities regulatory agency on Thursday set out a clear path to potentially close SoCalGas Aliso Canyon's gas storage facility. The regulator prioritized energy reliability and affordability, as the state moves towards cleaner energy. In a press release, the California Public Utilities Commission said that it has set an annual peak natural gas demand of 4,121,000,000 cubic feet.

Sources say that Tesla's former China plant head will join renewable energy company Envision

Two sources with knowledge of the situation said that Tesla's former China Plant Manager is expected to join Chinese renewable energy company Envision. One source said that Song Gang, who announced Wednesday his departure from Tesla, will be taking on supply chain management duties for Envision. Envision and Song didn't immediately respond to separate comments. Tesla did not reply to a question about Song's departure.

US pressures EU to align LNG methane regulations

A letter obtained by showed that U.S. officials redoubled their efforts to convince EU counterparts that shipments of liquefied gas meeting current U.S. regulations on methane would automatically meet the new European standards for gas imports. On December 17, the administration of President Joe Biden sent a second email to Ditte J. Jorgensen (EU Director-General for…

Peru's No. Adolfo Heeren is named new CEO of Antamina, Peru's No.

Antamina is the second largest copper mine in Peru. It announced on Thursday that Adolfo Héren was appointed as its new CEO and General Manager. Heeren will take over the role of CEO for Anglo American Peru on February 1, 2025. Victor Gobitz Colchado is leaving his position due to personal reasons. Heeren, who is controlled by Glencore BHP Teck and Mitsubishi, will oversee the optimization process of Antamina's mine…

Galp, a Portuguese company, plans to produce biofuels by 2026

Galp Energia, a Portuguese oil refiner and producer, announced on Thursday that it expects to produce biojet fuel and biodiesel from waste at an industrial scale unit being built in its Sines refinery by 2026. Galp and Mitsui, a Japanese company, entered into a joint venture last year to invest 400 millions euros ($415million) in a plant that will produce 270,000 tons of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO).

Hungary: US exemption of gas payments from Russia Gazprombank sanctioned

In a video on social media, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto stated that the United States had granted exemptions for gas payments from the sanctions they imposed against Russia's Gazprombank. The U.S. implemented sanctions against Gazprombank in November, creating a barrier for European gas buyers. Gazprombank was used by buyers to pay for their purchases.

Germany's Wilhelmshaven Terminal offers May LNG Capacity

A Wilhelmshaven LNG Terminal (c) HansPeter Adobestock

Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET) said on Thursday that Germany's Wilhelmshaven liquefied natural gas terminal intends to market capacity for ships to discharge LNG in May 2025, adding that there would be limited slots available in the first quarter there and at another location.DET has been commissioned by Berlin since the height of Europe's energy crisis in 2022 to market regasification of gas volumes arriving on LNG tankers…

Israel strikes port, energy targets in Yemen

(c) VanderWolf Images / Adobestock

Israel launched strikes against ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-held parts of Yemen on Thursday and threatened more attacks against the Iran-aligned militant group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year.As Israeli jets were in the air, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile headed towards central Israel which destroyed…

Putin is clear: there will be no Ukraine Gas Transit Deal

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, said that it is now clear that no new gas transit agreement will be signed with Kyiv for Russian gas to be sent through Ukraine to Europe. However, Russia will survive. As the EU attempts to reduce its dependency on Moscow, Russia has lost nearly all its European clients. Before the Ukraine War, Russia was Europe's largest single natural gas supplier.