Russian Oil Stored in Tankers Awaits Sales
Traders are increasingly using tankers to store Russia's Urals crude as demand weakens and customers weigh growing sanctions risks, Reuters calculations based on LSEG and trade data show.Major importers India and Turkey have cut purchases since the end of the last year amid tougher Western sanctions, including recent U.S. measures on Rosneft and Lukoil and a European Union ban on fuel produced from Russian crude. Prices for Russian oil have sunk to record lows.The growing number of tankers waiting to discharge cargoes has tightened vessel availability for shipping Russian oil…
Houston, the US oil capital, is buzzing as industry prepares for Venezuelan oil rush
Matthew Goitia explains his idea in a bar downtown Houston. He wants to build and refurbish marine terminals for Venezuela that will allow crude oil to be blended and exported, and chemical products shipped. Matthew Goitia, a director at Pelorus Terminals, explains his ambitious plan to refurbish and build marine terminals that can blend and export crude and ship chemical products in Venezuela. He also plans to add storage tanks, renovate the docks, and ensure that power is available. This could all take three to ten years. It's still unclear how to obtain permission from the U.S. Government to carry out any of these activities.
Kazakhstan's Tengiz Oil Field to Remain Shut for Another 7-10 Days
Oil production at Kazakhstan's vast Tengiz oil field, one of the world's largest, could be halted for another 7-10 days after shutting down on Sunday, cutting crude exports via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, three industry sources told Reuters.The field's operator Tengizchevroil (TCO) said on Monday that due to power supply problems, production at the Tengiz and Korolevskoye field had been stopped.A day earlier, on January 18, a fire broke out at two turbine transformers at the field's GTES-4 power station, according to Kazakhstan's state-owned national oil and gas company KazMunayGas."TCO's output is down until the end of the week…
Petrobras' drilling in Foz do Amazonas is put on hold by Brazil's oil regulator
The Brazilian oil regulator ANP told Petrobras on Thursday that the company could not resume offshore drilling until it provided information about a 'leak' of synthetic fluid in this environmentally sensitive area. Documents signed on Wednesday by ANP and seen by others earlier recorded the decision. ANP stated in a press release that Petrobras was required to report the cause of the "leak" and mitigation measures. Foz do Amazonas, the large delta formed where the Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of north Brazil is the largest delta in the world.
Oil Prices Rise 2% Amidst Venezuela Conflict, Supply Concerns
Oil prices rose about 2% on Thursday after two days of declines as investors assessed developments in Venezuela and on worries about supplies from Russia, Iraq and Iran.Brent futures rose $1.21, or 2%, to $61.17 per barrel at 11:17 a.m. EST (1617 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $1.02, or 1.8%, to $57.01.The U.S. seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, one sailing under Russia's flag, as part of U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive push to dictate oil flows in the…
Equinor has announced that it will comply with the stop-work order issued by the US Department of Energy for offshore wind projects
OSLO, December 22 - Norwegian Energy Group Equinor announced?on Sunday that it was complying?with a?stopwork order issued by the U.S. regarding its Empire Wind 1 off shore wind project and engaging authorities. On Monday, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it had suspended leases for five large-scale offshore projects due to national security concerns. Equinor stated that Empire 'Wind' is adhering to the notice ordering the cessation of ongoing activities and engaging with relevant authorities in order to better understand the issue. The company said that the?project? off the coast New York has a?capacity of 810 megawatts.
Glencore purchases majority stake in Dutch fuel firm FincoEnergies
LONDON, December 22 - Global commodities traders and miners Glencore have?agreed? to purchase a majority stake of Dutch fuel supplier FincoEnergies, for an undisclosed amount, the Dutch company announced on Monday. Industry sources claim that Glencore will expand its presence in the fuel markets of Northwest Europe with this deal. Finco is one of the major players in the Dutch wholesale fuel market, as well as in the biofuels and low carbon fuel sectors in the region. Glencore, a global trading house, is looking to acquire strategic assets across the oil supply chain in order to increase trading opportunities.
The LNG tanker Kunpeng loads cargo at a Russian plant in violation of sanctions
Ship-tracking data showed that a liquefied gas tanker loaded a cargo at Russia's Portovaya?LNG plant, which is under Western sanctions due to Moscow's conflict in Ukraine. According to data provided by analytics firm Kpler, the Kunpeng arrived in Portovaya's LNG terminal on December 18, was unloaded on that day and left with a cargo of natural gas on December 21. LSEG data shows that the tanker arrived and left the terminal at the same dates. It is the first time that a vessel, Kunpeng, not subject to sanctions, has picked up LNG from a designated LNG project.
Gascade Converts Pipelines for Alternative Marine Fuels
German gas grid operator Gascade on Thursday said it has converted a 400 km (249 miles) high-pressure pipeline to transport low-carbon hydrogen southwards from the Baltic Sea as part of a European core network to ship alternatives to fossil fuel.New hydrogen pipelines, or conversions of existing ones, will serve to help meet European Union goals of net zero emissions by 2050, with the Ukraine war also sharpening the focus on energy security in the bloc and replacing Russian gas.The pipeline can transport locally produced hydrogen from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state via Brandenburg to Saxony-Anhalt initially…
Kazakhstan to Directly Supply Kashagan Oil to China Due to CPC Damage
Kazakhstan plans to supply 50,000 metric tons of crude to China directly from the vast Kashagan field in December for the first time after a Ukrainian drone damaged the Black Sea terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), two sources told Reuters.The CPC, which accounts for 1% of global crude supply and includes Russian, Kazakh and U.S. shareholders, has had to reduce exports because a key part of its loading infrastructure - a single-point mooring (SPM) - was damaged in the attack.Currently, CPC is using just one of three SPMs…
UK court rejects challenge to the issuing of oil exploration licenses
The High Court of London ruled that Britain's decision on Friday to grant more than 20 oil and gas exploration licenses was legal. This ruling dismissed a challenge from campaigners who claimed the government had failed to take into account the effects on climate change. Oceana UK, a marine conservation organization in the UK, brought a case against 28 licences issued by the previous British government on May 20, 2024. It also claimed that the licenses did not assess the risks to marine life. The British energy department, which had not defended similar cases following a Supreme Court ruling in 2024, opposed the case.
Brann Named Business Manager at MiM
Marketing in Maritime (MiM), the specialist networking and development community for marketing and communications professionals in the marine and energy sectors, appointed Kae-Ley Brann to a new role of Business Manager.Brann joins at a pivotal time in the Marketing in Maritime journey, as it prepares to embark on an ambitious new chapter as a community-led professional development platform. As Business Manager, she will steer the evolution of Marketing in Maritime’s new ‘MiMbership’ program, online resource hub and an expanded calendar of live and online events.Brann joins after a successful tenure as Marketing Manager of Heads Resourcing Group…
Lukoil to Sell International Assets
Russia's Lukoil is selling its international assets after the U.S. imposed sanctions on the company.Washington refused to approve the sale of assets to Swiss commodity trader Gunvor, throwing Lukoil's operations in disarray and leading to a scramble of potential buyers.The U.S. Treasury cleared potential buyers to talk to Lukoil until December 13. They will need separate approval for specific deals. U.S. oil major Chevron is studying options to buy some global assets of Lukoil, sources have said. U.S. private equity firm Carlyle is also exploring options.Below are details about Lukoil's international assets:ESTIMATED VALUELukoil's international assets…
US sanctions threaten to disrupt Lukoil's international assets
The sale of Lukoil's overseas assets to Swiss commodity traders Gunvor has been blocked by Washington, which is a result of U.S. sanctions. Lukoil has a global footprint that includes upstream oil and natural gas projects, refineries, and fuel distribution networks in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. The company produces a half-million barrels of crude oil per day, 0.5% of the global oil production, outside of Russia in countries like Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Here are some details on its international assets.
Shell and Total raise concerns about the timing of a new global LNG supply
Shell and TotalEnergies are the two world's largest LNG traders. They said that the timing of the new LNG projects around the globe is still in flux. This could lead to uncertainty regarding long-term supplies. The construction costs of new LNG projects have increased due to rising tariffs. U.S. LNG suppliers are attempting to renegotiate contracts to cover these costs. Some large LNG projects, such as those in Mozambique, are also being delayed because of security concerns. "Supply Growth on the Horizon and these Timings are Uncertain" Shell CFO Sinead Gorman said on a press call that she had seen these moves quite a number of times in the past.
Energy Traders Steer Shipping Toward Greener Horizons
The maritime industry is charting a new course toward decarbonization, yet this time round it is not only traditional shipowners at the helm. Major energy and commodity traders, whose shipping operations often carry large carbon footprints, are now investing in cleaner and more efficient shipping. With the International Maritime Organization (IMO) calling for a 40% reduction in shipping’s carbon intensity by 2030 from 2008 levels, these players are now deploying new methods to cut emissions at sea. Retrofitting old vessels or even order state-of-the-art tankers with clean fuel capacity…
EU rules to ban 'backdoor' Russian oil
A document published Thursday reveals that the European Union requires fuel importers to prove that their fuels were not made with Russian crude. The document gives guidance on the EU’s forthcoming ban on fuels refined from Russian oil, as part of its 18th package of sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine. The ban will take effect on January 21, 2019. WHAT IS THE EU ADVISE TO IMPORTERS? Operators are expected to give EU Customs "appropriate proof" of where the crude oil that was used to refine the fuel came from. However, there are some important exceptions.
Republic of Congo will soon pass a new gas code as it tries to attract investment
The oil minister of the Republic of Congo said that the new gas code is expected to be passed by the parliament this month. This will help the country attract more investments in the sector, which is at the core of its national agenda for development. The code establishes a legal framework to guide gas exploration, production, and development for the Central African nation, which hopes to double its oil production by 2020 to 500,000 barrels equivalent to oil. Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua's speech at the African Energy Conference in Cape Town was viewed by many. He said: "We are guided a strong conviction that the future of Congo can not rely only on oil.
Industry official: Japan will start planning floating wind testing centre next year
A senior industry official announced that Japan will begin planning for a floating national wind test centre in 2019. The official vowed to continue on the path of wind energy growth despite recent setbacks, such as Mitsubishi quitting three projects. Last month, Mitsubishi-led consortiums dropped plans to build three offshore windmills that won Japan's first large state auction in 2021. This was a blow for the sector which is seen as crucial to reducing dependence on imported fuels. In a Tuesday interview, he said that the association would discuss functions and equipment. He also stressed the need for such a center to the government.
US Sanctions Shipping Network for Transporting Disguised Iranian oil
The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned a network of shipping companies and vessels led by an Iraqi-Kittitian businessman for smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil.The administration of President Donald Trump is keeping pressure on Iran while nuclear talks have stalled. A sixth round of negotiations was suspended after the start of a 12-day war in June.A senior Iranian official said on Tuesday that the path to nuclear negotiations is not closed but U.S. demands for curbs on Iranian missiles are obstructing prospects for talks.The Treasury said the network, run by a businessman who is a citizen of Iraq and St.