Axpo, a Swiss company, is looking at opportunities in Japan's power and LNG trading
Axpo, a Swiss power producer and trader, is looking at opportunities in Japan's electricity and liquefied gas (LNG), as the changes in Japan's power sector have created a demand for spot LNG and hedging. Japan has set an ambitious target of renewables accounting for 36%-38% of its total electricity mix by 2030. In 2016, the power market was liberalised, leading to a more liquid futures exchange for electricity. Marco Saalfrank is a member of Axpo’s management board. He said that Japan has nine different price zones.
Colombia's Ecopetrol claims that operations have been affected by roadblockades and pipeline attacks
Ecopetrol, Colombia's state oil company, said that its operations were affected by the attacks on Cano Limon - Covenas and Bicentenario and a nationwide strike of truckers which has caused transport to be snarled. The company said in a press release that the production of hydrocarbons may be affected in the next few days, and this could affect fuel supply. The protests by truckers, who began Monday, in opposition to government plans to raise diesel prices, threaten to bring Colombia to a standstill, with long traffic jams on the motorways.
Tech File: Wärtsilä Delivers Last of 15 LPG Fuel Supply Systems
Wärtsilä said it completed delivery of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel supply system (LFSS) to 15 very large gas carrier (VLGC) vessels owned and operated by BW LPG, which has the world’s largest fleet of VLGC vessels.BW LPG ordered the first four of these 15 systems in 2018, immediately following Wärtsilä’s full-scale testing of a full-sized two-stroke marine engine operating with LPG fuel. This was the world’s first such testing protocol, and the performance attained was seen as exceeding expectations.
NYK to Build Two LPG Dual-Fuel Very Large LPG / NH3 Gas Carriers
NYK ordered its first two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) dual-fuel very large LPG / ammonia (NH3) gas carriers (VLGCs) from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., both to be built at the KHI Sakaide Works shipyard and are set delivery in 2024.Both ships will be equipped with separate cargo tanks designed to carry LPG and ammonia at the same time to flexibly respond to various trade patterns. Ammonia is attracting attention not only as a raw material for chemicals and fertilizers but also as a future zero-emission fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2) when burned.In addition to the LPG dual-fuel engine…
US Okays LPG Exports to Venezuela
The U.S. government on Monday authorized shipments to Venezuela of liquefied petroleum gas, mainly used in the OPEC nation as cooking fuel and currently in short supply, causing people to burn large amounts of wood.The U.S. Treasury Department authorized through July 8, 2022, some exports and re-exports of the gas, known as LPG, to Venezuela that had not been permitted by executive orders in 2018 and 2019 during the Trump administration.The Office of Foreign Assets Control, part of the Treasury Department…
India's June Fuel Demand Recovers as Lockdowns Ease
India's fuel demand recovered last month after slumping to a nine-month low in May, as restrictions to curb the spread of the pandemic were eased and mobility picked up.Fuel consumption, a proxy for oil demand, rose 8% from May to 16.34 million tonnes, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas showed on Friday.A second COVID-19 wave, which stalled mobility and dulled economic activity, dragged fuel consumption to its lowest since August in May.Pandemic infections have…
Ship Power: MAN Energy Solutions Unveils New LNG Dual-fuel Engine
In a live-stream presentation from its Copenhagen Research Center, MAN Energy Solutions has demonstrated advanced dual-fuel engine technology for low-cost, fuel-efficient operation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and other vessels where low capital outlay is a priority. Tom Mulligan, science &and technology correspondent, reports.MAN Energy Solutions has demonstrated its latest low-speed, dual-fuel engine, the MAN B&W ME-GA type, an Otto-cycle variant of the company’s successful ME-GI engine, at a ceremony live-streamed from its Copenhagen Research Center.
LNG Shipping Rates from US Surge to Record Highs
The cost of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States to Asia hit a record high on Tuesday as appetite for the fuel from buyers there and delays through the Panama Canal reduced the amount of ships for hire.Freezing temperatures across Asia and Europe have pushed up LNG prices and lifted wider gas prices as buyers grapple with shrinking inventories and the shortage of tankers.Shipping sources said an apparent ban on Australian coal imports into China, which has been reported by Chinese media…
Market in Focus: Gas Ships
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping hasn’t been able to avoid the negative impact of COVID-19 as gas demand fell during the first quarter of 2020.The residential sector recorded the largest drop in consumption this year compared to 2019 which wasn’t helped by the mild winter seen in the US. The shut-downs of major economies and more specifically shut-ins of cargoes due to the historically low gas prices means we have basically witnessed demand destruction.LNG rates have fallen since the beginning of the year with the one-year time charter dropping by 80%.
Gunvor Returns to Profit in 2019
Energy trader Gunvor Group returned to profit in 2019 after its first net loss a year earlier, helped by record earnings in its U.S. division, and said business so far in 2020 remained strong.The Geneva-based firm, which reported a 2019 net profit of $381 million after a loss of $330 million in 2018, said on Tuesday it was also helped last year by earnings from gas trading and its European refining business.But the group, one of the world's top five oil traders, said revenue dipped to $75 billion in 2019 from $87 billion in 2018.Gunvor, which launched its U.S.
Siemens Equipment for Pertamina's Balikpapan Refinery
Siemens Gas and Power will supply a range of compression and power generation equipment for the Petramina's Balikpapan Refinery located on Borneo Island in East Kalimantan, Indonesia.The equipment will be installed as part of Pertamina’s Refinery Development Master Plan (RDMP). The RDMP involves the construction of a residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) unit with a design capacity of 90,000 barrels per stream per day (bpsd); a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sulfur removal unit; a propylene recovery unit…
Country-by-Country Look at Dropping Fuel Demand
It's hardly news that the COVID-19 pandemic has sent most every market into tumult, most notably the oil and gas market as political power plays flood the world with oil precisely when demand has plummeted. Here we provide some recent insights on just how steep falls in fuel demand has been as lockdowns to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus limit the movement of more than 4 billion people.UNITED STATESU.S. fuel demand has dropped 28% in the last four weeks, the Energy Information Administration said on April 29.Overall finished motor gasoline demand is still down 44% over the past four weeks from the year-ago period…
Chinese Buyers Snap Up U.S. Oil Purchases at Widest Discounts Ever
China has increased U.S. crude purchases with some buyers snapping up cargoes at the widest discounts ever as sellers seek to offload excess supplies in Asia, six trade sources said on Wednesday.China started processing in March applications from its companies to waive import tariffs on U.S. energy goods as part of the Sino-U.S. Phase 1 trade deal and they have since bought liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the United States.The world's largest crude importer is boosting U.S.
Nakilat Posts Record Net Profit of $270M
Doha-listed LNG and LPG carrier owner Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd (Nakilat) reported a consolidated net profit of QR1,003m (USD $270 million) in 2019, an increase of 12.4 percent, as compared to QR892m posted for the same period in 2018.The 2019 net profit is Nakilat’s highest profit recorded since its inception, said the Qatari shipping and maritime company.Nakilat's robust financial performance is primarily attributed to operational excellence in the management of its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessels…
What Does US-China Trade Deal Mean for Oil Markets?
After over a year of trade tensions, the US and China signed a “phase one” trade deal on 16 January. As part of the deal, China has agreed to increase the value of energy imports by $52.4 billion above 2017 levels over the next two years. What could it mean for the oil market?Ann-Louise Hittle, vice president, macro oils at Wood Mackenzie said, “This trade deal is beneficial to the broader global economy, but will have limited impact on the global oil market and the Asian regional refining market.“Larger purchases of US crude oil exports will be the primary method for China to comply with this agreement…
Chevron Seeks to Shrink Nigerian Presence
Chevron is seeking to sell several Nigerian oilfields as part of a global drive to reshape its portfolio as it focuses on growing its U.S.
Angola Hopes Reforms Will Aid Oil Assets Sales
Angola is hoping sweeping economic reforms will smooth an ambitious plan to sell key state assets, including stakes in oil company Sonangol, a share of Puma Energy and more than 100 other enterprises.Africa's second biggest oil exporter is in a rush for cash as it struggles to cope with moribund crude prices, slumping output and years of mismanagement that left Sonangol bloated and inefficient.In August, the government published an extensive list of assets that will be offered to investors via public offerings…
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 Discoverer is the name of the tanker that will carry cargo number 1000 from the Hammerfest LNG plant.
"Green" Ammonia's Future as a Marine Fuel
Ammonia, the same pungent solution used in fertilizers and cleaning agents, may one day be the key to transporting renewable energy around the world. There are currently a number of government and corporate projects assessing the feasibility of converting excess renewable energy from sources like wind, solar, tidal and nuclear into ammonia and then back into usable energy.In its purist form, ammonia or NH3 is composed of one nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms making it an ideal candidate to chemically bind excess renewable energy.
Inpex Eyes Australia Expansion
Inpex Corp, Japan's top oil and gas company, wants to expand in Australia at its Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant and through potential acquisitions, as part of a plan to become a major regional gas company, its Australian boss said."In Australia our focus is on fully utilizing our Ichthys LNG facilities while creating a solid base for future expansion," Inpex's president director for Australia, Hitoshi Okawa, told Reuters in an interview on Friday.Inpex completed construction last year on its first LNG project…
