Egypt plans to restore gas production at its gas fields to normal by the summer of 2025
Mostafa Madbouly, the Prime Minister, said that Egypt hopes to resume normal production in its natural gas fields before next summer. He also indicated that the government was moving to settle arrears it owes to production companies. Madbouly said at a press conference that the government's arrears had caused a drop in production, but he did not specify how much it owed or when the money might be paid back. In March, sources said that the government set aside $1.5 billion to pay foreign oil and gas companies in the country.
Grid operators predict a 20% drop in French gas consumption by 2030
French grid operators announced on Thursday that the consumption of gas in France will drop by nearly 20% by 2030, as a result of changes made to meet climate targets and to reduce costs. France is Europe's biggest energy consumer and its gas consumption has a significant impact on the region's trade and price flows. GRDF GRTgaz Terega conducted a study that forecasts 2030 consumption of 321 terawatt hours (TWh), 78 TWh less than in 2023. Recent efficiency gains and cost saving initiatives have led to fewer demand reductions.
QatarEnergy doubles annual urea production
QatarEnergy, a state-owned company, will increase its urea production to over 12,4 million tons per year from the current 6 million tons, according to its CEO, who spoke at a Sunday press conference without mentioning a specific timeframe. Saad al-Kaabi, who is also Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs, stated that the construction of four urea production lines, an important ingredient in fertilisers would increase output by 106%. He stated that the first line of production would start before 2030.
Namibia plans to complete its sovereign wealth fund by 2025
Namibia's Finance Minister said on Tuesday that the government expects to approve its first offshore oil project in 2025 and complete the creation of its sovereign fund. Namibia, which is yet to produce oil or gas, became a hotspot for exploration after TotalEnergies, Shell and offshore discoveries. Shiimi, Namibia's Minister of Finance, said that Namibia does not expect to see income from the fund until oil production begins, which may take four to six years.
Shareholders accuse Thyssenkrupp of labor reps complicating steel sales
Two days before the supervisory board was due to meet and discuss the progress, the shareholder representatives of Thyssenkrupp accused their union counterparts of complicating plans to sell the steel unit of the group. Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe's sale, which is tied closely to Germany's industrial history, has been fraught by difficulties. This is mainly because the unit requires billions of euro to invest to regain its competitiveness. In a statement issued jointly…
South African private energy producers seek fair deal on output curbs
Industry executives claim that South African private energy producers want compensation for revenue lost due to Eskom's request to limit the electricity supplied to the national grid. Eskom has sent a proposal to South Africa's energy regulator for the introduction of a compensation mechanism to compensate Independent Power Producers (IPPs), who have lost revenue due to curtailment rates up to 10%. Eskom has been asked to curtail power due to a lack of high-voltage power lines and pylons, which have created choke points in its transmission system.
Fire at Russian oil refinery Omsk injures seven people, but production continues
The local governor reported that seven people, including one person in serious condition, were hospitalized after an fire broke out at the Russian oil refinery in Omsk. However, the plant claimed to be operating normally and its production plans will not be affected. The fire at the Omsk Refinery has been brought under control. The automatic safety system of the plant detected a fire within technological equipment. The refinery, Russia's biggest, said that it was operating normally.
Qatar signs another LNG supply contract with Kuwait for 15 years
Qatar has agreed to supply Kuwait for 15 years with 3 million tonnes per annum of liquefied gas (LNG). This is the second LNG deal signed since 2020, as Kuwait imports this fuel to meet the rising demand for electricity generation. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and QatarEnergy, a state-owned company, signed a long-term agreement to sell and buy LNG. KPC CEO Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah announced that deliveries will begin in January 2025. Last week, it was reported that QatarEnergy & KPC were in negotiations for a deal.
EU Probes Chinese Subsidies and Imports
The European Commission proposed on Tuesday final duties up to 36.3% for imported electric vehicles manufactured in China. This is part of the most high-profile EU investigation into alleged Chinese subsidies, which has provoked threats from Beijing. The EU has also begun investigations to determine whether Chinese clean-tech producers are dumping subventioned goods onto EU markets, and whether Chinese owned companies receive unfair subsidies when operating within the European Union.
Britain to Receive Rare LNG Cargo from Australia
Britain is set to receive a rare shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Australia later this month, as countries across Europe strive to secure enough supplies ahead of winter.European nations are seeking to diversify energy supplies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a sharp drop in Russian gas flows to the continent.LNG tanker Attalos, with a capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, is set to arrive at Britain's Isle of Grain terminal on Aug.
BP Beefs Up Hydrogen Team in Bet on Fuel's Future
BP is beefing up its hydrogen management team as the energy company prepares to accelerate investments in the low-carbon fuel which it believes will play a key role in the world's shift away from fossil fuels.The revamp of the hydrogen team is the first clear sign of changes Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, a former head of RWE Renewables, has made since becoming BP's head of natural gas and renewables in March.It also comes as BP announces it has agreed…
ADNOC, AG&P Agree FSU Lease for Philippines First LNG Terminal Launch in July
The logistics arm of state oil firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) will supply a floating storage unit to LNG logistics company AG&P to launch the Philippines' first LNG import terminal in July, the companies said on Wednesday.Singapore-based Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific International Holdings (AG&P) signed an 11-year charter agreement, extendable by four years, to convert ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier…
Repsol Increases Low-carbon Targets to Accelerate Energy Transition
Spain's Repsol has hiked its 2030 capacity target for renewable energy generation by 60% and made a new pledge on cutting emissions from its oil and gas business, in the latest attempt by an energy group to limit its role in climate change.Facing pressure from investors, banks and governments to cut carbon emissions in line with the 2015 Paris accords, European oil and gas companies have set various targets to build more renewable capacity and increase energy efficiency.Repsol said it now plans to have installed wind…
Oil Headed for Big Weekly Loss on Demand Worries
Oil prices tumbled on Friday, closing out a week of losses on worries that travel restrictions to curb the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 will derail global economic gains.Daily new COVID-19 cases in the United States have climbed to a six-month high and Japan and China are re-imposing restrictions to halt the spread of the virus.Brent crude oil futures fell 69 cents to $70.60 a barrel at 11:38 a.m. EDT (1538 GMT), en route to a 6% drop for the week, which would be the largest losses in four months.U.S.
Siemens Energy CEO Buch Calls Wind Division Problems 'Extremely Annoying'
Siemens Energy cranked up the pressure on wind turbine division Siemens Gamesa on Wednesday, saying it was "extremely annoying" that it was having to reduce its profit outlook as a result of the Spanish-listed unit.The comments from CEO Christian Bruch highlight the problems around the arm's length relationship he inherited after Siemens Energy's spin-off from Siemens AG last year that gave him a majority in a business he effectively cannot control.
Chinese Firms Seek LNG Cargoes, Demand is Strong
Two Chinese firms are seeking liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes for delivery over August to November as summer demand in the southern region remains strong and as companies prepare to meet winter demand, industry sources said.China's Shenzhen Energy is seeking two cargoes for delivery into Yuedong over Aug. 19 to 27 and Oct. 30 to 31, in a tender that closes on Aug. 5, the sources said.Beijing Gas is also seeking cargoes for delivery over September, October and November in a separate tender that closes on Aug.
8 Rivers Capital, Sembcorp Energy to Build Net-Zero Emissions Plant in UK
U.S. clean technology firm 8 Rivers Capital and Sembcorp Energy UK, a subsidiary of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries, plan to build a net-zero emissions power plant in Teesside in northeast England, the firms said on Tuesday.The 300-megawatt project, called Whitetail Clean Energy, would use a process to produce energy which combusts natural gas with oxygen, rather than air, and uses supercritical carbon dioxide, a fluid, to drive the turbine instead of steam.The carbon dioxide produced would be captured and stored offshore.
Offshore Wind: Orsted Earnings, Shares Dented by Lower Wind Speeds, Cable Problems
Lower wind speeds and cable problems hit first-quarter earnings at Denmark's Orsted , sending shares in the world's biggest offshore wind farm developer lower on Thursday.Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) came in at 4.9 billion Danish crowns ($799 million), missing analysts' consensus forecast of 5.2 billion crowns.However, Chief Executive Mads Nipper said the company's operational performance "was good during Q1 2021 and slightly exceeded our expectations".Nipper took the helm in January.
Rosneft Buys Huge Arctic Oilfield
Russia's Rosneft said on Monday it had bought the rights to a huge oilfield in the Taymyr peninsula in the Arctic, as it presses ahead with plans to use the Northern Sea Route to ship oil and products.In a regulatory disclosure, Rosneft said it had bought Taymyrneftegaz, the company controlled by Rosneft's ex-chief Eduard Khudainatov which owns the huge Payakha oilfield, for an undisclosed sum.It declined to comment further.The potential deal was first reported by daily newspaper Kommersant earlier this month.
Total Keeps Dividend But Cuts Investment Target
Total trimmed its 2020 investment target on Friday after a sharp drop in third-quarter net profit, though the French oil and gas producer maintained its dividend.The company cut its investment target to $13 billion from $14 billion and said it was keeping a lid on operating costs too, even as it strives to grow in renewable energy and electricity markets.Energy companies were hit hard by COVID-19 lockdowns and the related collapse in fuel demand.The price of Brent crude has largely stayed above $40 a barrel since June…
