Friday, November 22, 2024

Gas Markets News

After cutting debt, Vallourec pays first dividend after 10 years

French steel tube maker Vallourec announced on Friday that it will pay its first dividend for 10 years, after further reducing its debt and completing its financial restructuring plan. However, the group's shares fell 3% at 0805 GMT after it reported a decline in its third quarter earnings. The group's net debt was 240 million euros (253.42 millions) on Sept. 30. This is down from 1.49 billion euro two years earlier. It confirmed that it would reach zero net by 2025. He said that this will be a regular return for investors.

Flexible LNG supply is needed to meet the variable demand for electricity.

Industry executives stated on Tuesday that Japan and other major LNG buyers want more flexibility to adjust to changing power demands. Qatar and other LNG suppliers prefer long-term agreements with buyers, which can last for decades. This is to secure funding for multi-billion-dollar projects. In recent years, with more producers entering into the global market, buyers have sought shorter-term contracts that allow them to resell their cargoes if demand is low.

Flexible LNG supply is needed to meet the variable demand for electricity.

Industry executives stated on Tuesday that Japan and other major LNG buyers want more flexibility to adjust to changing power demands. Qatar and other LNG suppliers prefer long-term agreements with buyers, which can last for decades. This is to secure funding for multi-billion-dollar projects. In recent years, with more producers entering into the global market, buyers have sought shorter-term contracts that allow them to resell their cargoes if demand is low.

B.Grimm Power, Thailand's B.Grimm Power, seeks LNG supply for short- and long-term periods

A company executive revealed at the Asia Gas Markets Conference on Tuesday that B.Grimm Power, Thailand's largest power firm, is looking to purchase five to seven cargoes of liquefied gas for delivery between 2025 and 2026. Andrew Kirk, B.Grimm Power's head of LNG, has said that the company is looking to secure a long-term LNG deal of up to one million tons after these initial short term cargoes. He said that the company's gas fired power plants would be able to supply its own needs by 2028.

Prices for gas in Europe are lower due to a revised forecast but concerns about supply persist.

The Dutch and British wholesale gas prices fell slightly on Tuesday morning due to small changes in weather forecasts. They had risen more than 2% on Monday, mainly because of colder forecasts. LSEG data shows that the benchmark front-month contract for the Dutch TTF hub fell by 0.09 euros to 39.90 Euro per megawatt hour at 0756 GMT. The Dutch day-ahead contracts was down by 0.21 euros at 39.67 Euro/MWh. The day-ahead contract in the British market was down by 0.10 pence…

Spot prices rise due to a projected drop in wind energy supply

The European spot power price continued to rise on Tuesday. Wind power is expected to continue to decrease in the region on Wednesday. LSEG data show that German baseload power for the day ahead rose by 39.8%, to 97.50 Euros ($108.23), per megawatt-hour (MWh), at 0818 GMT. The French contract, which is equivalent to the English contract, added 42.9% or 85 euros/MWh. According to LSEG analyst Naser Hachemi, an increase in Germany's residual load, mainly due to lower wind power production, makes Germany a daytime net importer.

US LNG Export Dominance Tested as Europe's Demand Wilts

The United States has remained the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) so far in 2024, but a steep drop in selling prices and a sharp swing in export volumes to key markets is likely testing exporter appetite to stay on top.The United States shipped a record 56.9 million metric tons of LNG during the first eight months of 2024, according to Kpler.That surpassed the 54.3 million tons from Australia and 53.7 million tons from Qatar during that period, and marks only the second straight year that U.S.

UK energy prices rise 10% due to extreme weather and geopolitics

The British energy regulator Ofgem raised the price cap for household energy bills on Friday by 10%, from October 1, to a level of 2,250.64 pounds per year. This increase was blamed on extreme weather conditions and conflicts like the war in Ukraine. Brearley stated that the increase in price cap will be difficult for many families. The 10% increase for a dual-fuel household on Friday was slightly higher than analysts' expectations.

Germany's spot prices are up due to lower wind supplies

On Thursday, European power prices fluctuated amid fears of a decline in German wind energy supply. Analysts at Energi Danmark said that the German power market experienced a decline by the close of the market in response to Tuesday's late price drop on the carbon and gas markets. The temperatures in Germany may not be as high as they are in August but geopolitical worries should keep the market from experiencing a major downturn.

Wave of New LNG Export Plants Threatens to Knock Gas Prices

© NPershaj / Adobe Stock

A flood of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects due online worldwide in mid-decade will vie against lower-cost renewable energy and a revived nuclear power sector, which could rock gas prices and hurt some proposed projects, analysts say.Proposed and approved new LNG plants would boost LNG supply by 67% increase to 636 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030 from 2021 levels, potentially saturating the gas market."There's over a trillion dollars of natural gas infrastructure being built in the world today.

Wasted Gas: As Global Supplies Tighten, Here’s 210 bcm of Natural Gas for the Taking – IEA Report

Copyright Paul/AdobeStock

A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that if there was a concerted, global effort to eliminate unnecessary flaring and control leaks across the supply chain, nearly 210 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas could be made available to gas markets.Russia’s war with Ukraine has sent energy prices soaring as a broad swath of sanctions has effectively re-routed Russian oil and gas exports. The recent…

Demand Grows for OSVs in the Offshore Floating Production and Storage Energy Sector

Copyright Igor Kardasov/AdobeStock

Over the last year we have seen an upswing in floating production and storage systems ordering after many years of low activity. According to our colleagues at World Energy Reports, “The global oil and natural gas markets are contending with rebounding energy demand on top of supply disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, activity and business sentiment in the floating production sector has seldom been stronger.”…

Europe Remains Top Destination for US LNG

© nikkytok / Adobe Stock

Europe last month remained the top destination for shipments of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to Refinitiv data, outpacing exports to Asia for the second month in a row.About two-thirds of U.S. LNG volumes went to Europe last month, compared to around 61% in December when sky-high European prices and demand drove U.S. LNG exports to a record, Refinitiv data showed.In both months, a lack of supply drove demand and led to cargoes being re-routed from other destinations.

Inside the Red-Hot Offshore Wind Energy Market

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs owned SOV Wind of Change. Photo courtesy Cemre Shipyard

As the traditional offshore oil and gas markets continue to struggle, the renewable offshore wind market is hot and getting hotter.As the cumulative maritime, offshore, port and logistics marketplace gears up for offshore wind energy on a huge scale, World Energy Reports (WER), in its report “2021 The Year When Offshore Wind Takes Off in the United States,” shows the anticipated growth trajectory. Service Operations Vessels (SOVs)…

Rolling the Dice in Chaos: The Prospects of Investment in the Gas Industry

Historical growth and prospects of gas investment for short-, medium- and long-term ($ billion). Source: GECF Secretariat, based on data from the GECF GGM

As stated in the Declaration of Malabo at the 5th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the GECF Member Countries, in order to sustain the security of demand and supply of natural gas, it is necessary to ensure sufficient investments through the entire gas value chain among all gas market stakeholders [1].Since the start of 2020, every aspect of the global economy, including investment projects in natural gas industry, have been strongly hit by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Baker Hughes Plots Low Carbon Future

Snam and Baker Hughes recently tested the world’s first hydrogen blend turbine for gas networks (Photo: Baker Hughes)

Baker Hughes is pivoting to customers preparing for the transition to a low-carbon future, bolstering its footprint beyond oil and gas oilfield services, its chief executive said on Tuesday.The company will continue to downsize its oilfield services and equipment portfolio, CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said at the Barclays CEO Energy-Power conference, putting more emphasis on the energy transition and technology needed for renewables.

Sempra LNG, Aramco Sign Deal

North American energy infrastructure company Sempra Energy and Saudi Aramco's Aramco Services Company, signed an Interim Project Participation Agreement for the Port Arthur LNG export project under development in Jefferson County, Texas.According to a press release, the IPPA represents another milestone for both companies after having signed a heads of agreement in May last year for the purchase of 5 million tonnes per annum…

US Nearing Energy Independence

In just a few months, the U.S. will be fully energy independent and by 2030, the country's total primary energy production will outpace primary energy demand by 30 percent.According to the Norwegian market research consultancy Rystad Energy, this milestone follows a strong period of growth in both hydrocarbon and renewable resources."We forecast that the US will have primary energy surplus – and not a deficit – by February or March 2020…

AG&P Invests in Kanfer Shipping, Eyes LNG

Global downstream gas and LNG logistics company Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P) has made a strategic equity investment in Norway-based Kanfer Shipping.Kanfer is a developer of small-scale LNG sea transportation, maritime break-bulk solutions, floating storage facilities as well as LNG bunkering. Together, Kanfer and AG&P will make LNG more accessible and commercially viable for downstream customers in new and growing natural gas…

Hammerfest LNG Ships 1000th LNG Cargo

Norwegian energy company Equinor reached a milestone at its Hammerfest LNG facility on Melkøya Island, “the Snøhvit plant”,  by loading the 1000th cargo of the chilled fuel.The cargo consists of 140 500 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Total sales value of all the LNG cargos since the field came on stream is in the range of NOK 130-150 billion. In addition, we have the value of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and condensate.Arctic…