Brazilian prosecutors investigate the illegal use of native timber in corn ethanol manufacturing
Ana Luiza Peterlini, a prosecutor in Mato Grosso, Brazil, said that the state is investigating if corn ethanol plants burn wood from illegal deforestation for the production of biofuel. This would be against the decarbonization goals set by the sector. Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest soybean producer, accounts for 2/3 of the nation's corn-ethanol production. This has increased dramatically in recent years. Peterlini stated that the investigation by state…
J-Power to Shut Two Coal-Fired Power Plants
Japan's Electric Power Development (J-Power) said on Friday it will decommission two coal-fired power plants by March 2029 as part of efforts to meet its 2030 goal of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 46% from 2013 levels.President Hitoshi Kanno also reaffirmed the company's commitment to completing the Oga-Katagami-Akita offshore wind project in northern Akita prefecture under Japan's second-round public auction framework.J-Power, a wholesale electricity supplier…
Report: Oil and gas projects will be delayed by 2026 due to rising tariffs.
A Deloitte report released on Wednesday showed that the U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs will raise operating costs in 2026. They will also disrupt supply chains, and reduce investment momentum. Energy industry operations are heavily dependent on international supply chains. Materials such as drilling equipment, valves, compressors, and specialized steel, which can be sourced internationally, are essential to their operation. The report stated that U.S.
Trump reverses Biden's rules on copper smelters
The U.S. president Donald Trump reversed on Friday a Biden-era rule on air pollution that had set stricter limits for emissions from copper smelters. Under updated federal air standards, the copper rule finalized in 2024 required smelters reduce pollutants such as lead, mercury, arsenic and dioxins. The White House says that Trump's proclamation will help to promote American mineral security, by reducing the regulatory burden on domestic copper producers. The U.S. has two copper smelters currently, one in Arizona and another in Utah.
Datagro estimates that Brazil's sugar production will increase to 41,42 million metric tons in 2025/26.
Plinio Natari, President of Agribusiness Consultancy Datagro, stated on Tuesday that Brazil's sugar output in the center-south region is expected to increase 3.1% over the previous season, to 41.42 millions metric tons. The expected increase in production is despite a slight decline in sugarcane processed because the cane will be used to produce sugar rather than ethanol, which is expected to reach 52.1%. This is up from 48.1% the previous season. Datagro…
Russell: The US-Australian critical minerals deal highlights the gap with China
It is not the game changer needed to reduce Western dependence on China. But it is a first important step. U.S. president Donald Trump and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese signed a deal in Washington on Monday that could see up to $8 billion invested in projects for the development and refinement of metals essential to industries such as defence, advanced manufacturing, and energy transition. You can dismiss this as political hyperbole and spin, given China's dominance in the majority of global supply chains for critical minerals.
Sources say that Unipec was involved in the arbitration award announced by Venture Global on Oct 9.
Two sources familiar with the matter say that Venture Global announced on 9 October the settlement of an arbitral case involving Unipec. Unipec is a trading division of Sinopec - a Chinese state-owned oil company. Venture Global announced the resolution first on Thursday, without disclosing who the other parties involved were. Venture Global added that the agreement will have no material impact to its business. According to a March regulatory filing…
BP wins arbitration against Venture Global regarding LNG cargoes
Venture Global announced on Thursday that BP had won the arbitration case it brought against Venture Global for failing to deliver liquefied gas to Venture Global under a contract with BP, which was supposed to begin in late 2022. Venture Global announced to the market that the International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration had found Venture Global in breach of its obligations to timely declare commercial operations at the Calcasieu Pass Plant and to act as "reasonable, prudent operators".
Nigeria's daily crude oil production plunged by 16% after a brief Dangote refinery strikes
According to an impact study, Nigeria's daily production of oil and gas dropped during the short nationwide strike called by the oil workers' union PENGASSAN on Wednesday. The talks between Dangote Refinery and government mediators were called off after. The strike began on 28 September after Dangote, Africa's biggest refinery with a crude-processing capacity of 650,000 barrels a day, fired more than 800 unionised employees. According to a report from the state oil company NNPC Ltd…
Andy Home: Depleted LME Zinc Stocks may Need a Chinese Booster
The market for zinc has only just realized that the London Metal Exchange's inventory is so low it could cover less than one day of global consumption. The LME spreads have become volatile, and the cash premium on the three-month price has increased. Last week, the price of a metric ton reached $60. This was a level that had not been exceeded since 2022. All signs point to a market in severe supply deficit. The International Lead and Zinc Study Group, however, estimates that there was a global surplus in the first seven month of this year of 72,000 tonnes.
Australia Gas Market Interventions Fail, Regulator Finds
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said that the government's recent efforts to increase gas supplies and lower prices in Australia have largely been unsuccessful and could even be increasing the risk of shortage, according to the regulator. In a recent report, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said that several market interventions undertaken in response to a global energy crisis in 2022 had "not led to a material improvement of market outcomes".
Andy Home: Grasberg disaster shows fragility in copper supply chain
Copper markets are used to sudden supply disruptions, but the events that occurred at Freeport-McMoRan’s Grasberg Mine in Indonesia were unprecedented in their scale and impact. Grasberg, after Escondida mine in Chile, is the second largest copper mine in the world. The 815,000 tons of copper produced last year represented 4% of the global output. The events that took place in Block Cave on the evening of September 8 were the stuff of nightmares. A massive 800,000-ton rush of mud erupted in the mine and spread rapidly, blocking all access routes.
JX Advanced Metals, a Japanese company, will increase the processing capacity of recycled material
JX Advanced Metals, a Japanese company that specializes in metals and recycling, announced on Friday its intention to invest $7 million to improve pre-treatment capabilities. The goal is to increase the amount of raw materials recycled for processing. The company, which is experiencing a decline in profitability from copper concentrate smelting operations, is looking at scaling down options and promoting 'green hybrid smelting'. This reduces the reliance on copper concentrats while increasing the use of recycled feedstock.
Shanghai copper reaches six-month high following Freeport's Indonesian force majeure
Shanghai copper reached a six-month-high on Thursday, after Freeport McMoran declared force majore at its Indonesia Grasberg Mine. Traders priced in further shortages of raw materials. Freeport announced on Wednesday that a phased restart could occur in the first six months of 2026 and that the output of the Grasberg mine, which is one of the largest copper and gold mines in the world, may be 35% less than the previous estimates. Grasberg's operations…
Congo replaces cobalt export ban by quotas starting Oct 16
The Democratic Republic of Congo's strategic minerals regulator announced on Sunday that the country will lift its export ban on cobalt from October 16, and manage global supplies by imposing export quotas. The Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances' Markets announced that miners would be permitted to ship up 18,125 tonnes of cobalt for the remainder of 2025. This will increase to 96,600 tons per year in 2026 and 2027.
Congo replaces cobalt export ban by quotas starting Oct 16
The Democratic Republic of Congo's strategic minerals regulator announced on Sunday that the country will lift its export ban on cobalt from October 16, and manage global supplies by imposing export quotas. The Authority for the Regulation and Control of Strategic Mineral Substances' Markets announced that miners would be permitted to ship up 18,125 tonnes of cobalt for the remainder of 2025. This will increase to 96,600 tons per year in 2026 and 97,600 tonnes annually in 2026 and 207.
US EPA proposes to end mandatory greenhouse gas reporting
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule on Friday to end the mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by 8,000 facilities. This program, the EPA said, was burdensome for businesses but left the public in the dark about the environmental impact. The rule is a response to an executive order that was issued on the first day of President Donald Trump's presidency. It aims to remove barriers to unleashing U.S. Energy, especially fossil fuels. This is just the latest in a long line of regulatory rollbacks that have undone previous U.S.
VCI: German chemical industry runs at its lowest capacity for more than 30 Years
The German Chemical Industry Association said Wednesday that its capacity utilization in the second quarter was at its lowest level for more than 30 year as sales and prices fell due to uncertainty surrounding U.S. Tariffs. VCI reported that the German chemical industry only operated at 72% of full capacity in the period April-June, which is the lowest level seen since 1991 and far below the level needed to break even. VCI said that pull-forward effects on business with the United States decreased throughout the period of April-June…
German chemical lobby VCI reports quarterly sales and production decline amid tariff uncertainty
The German chemical industry association reported on Wednesday that the second-quarter production, sales and prices had declined, citing uncertainty regarding U.S. tariff policies. VCI said that pull-forward effects on business with the United States decreased throughout the period of April-June, because exports were brought forward to prepare for tariffs on European goods. The overall production of the chemicals sector, including pharmaceuticals, fell by 3.8% from quarter to quarter.
Orsted Shares Drop as US Halts Offshore Rhode Island Wind Farm
Shares in Orsted plunged 17% on Monday after the U.S. halted the Danish company's Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island amid President Donald Trump's pushback on renewable energy investments.Orsted, the world's biggest offshore wind farm developer, has already faced mounting challenges, including rising costs, higher interest rates, and supply chain disruptions, leading to delays and cancellations in the U.S. and other markets. The company's market value has plummeted 87% since its January 2021 peak.The U.S.