Canada's renewable fuel projects are hit by a surge in US imports
Canadian renewable fuel producers will see lower returns from new facilities as a result of a slump in British Columbia’s low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS). This trend is expected to continue amid an influx of US exports. The weakness in British Columbia's LCFS Credit Market reflects the growing pains of the international biofuels sector, where many regulators are clamping down on imports in order to protect their nascent national markets from an oversupply.
Voters in British Columbia's provincial election are focused on affordability and healthcare.
British Columbia, Canada's most western province, is preparing to elect its provincial government on October 19. Polls indicate that the incumbent New Democratic Party holds a narrow lead over the main rival Conservative Party. The provincial elections will be closely watched for clues as to how Canadians might vote at the federal election that is due to occur within the next 12 months…
China Approves $20B Mega Petchem Complex
China's state planner has given initial approval for a $20 billion refinery and petrochemical project to be built in Shandong province, the country's hub for independent oil refineries, said two persons with knowledge of the matter.China's National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) gave a green light on Monday for the Shandong provincial government to start planning a 400,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery and 3 million tonne-per-year ethylene plant in Yantai…
Canadian Energy Sector to Boost Spending
Capital spending by Canada's oil and gas industry will rise by 6%, or C$1.9 billion, in 2020 from the previous year, halting a six-year decline due to improving economics, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) forecast on Thursday.CAPP said a corporate tax cut by Alberta's provincial government last year and its easing of oil production limits will lead to higher spending.Congested…
PetroChina Sets Changqing Production Goals
China's top oil and gas producer, PetroChina, aims to produce 25 million tonnes of crude oil per annum and 42 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas at its Changqing field by 2020, the Gansu provincial government backed media reported on Monday, citing a company spokesman.The spokesman said that the Changqing field also set a target of churning out 28 million tonnes per annum of crude and 45 bcm of gas by 2025.Changqing, in the Ordos basin in Inner Mongolia, is China's biggest
China Issues More Crude Oil Import Quotas
China has lifted its crude oil import quotas to allow mostly private refiners to bring in a further 12.9 million tonnes this year, a document seen by Reuters showed on Tuesday, feeding a new generation of huge refineries.The third batch of quotas was allocated to 19 companies, including private refiner Zhejiang Petroleum & Chemical Co (ZPC), which was awarded 3.5 million tonnes, the document showed.Prior to this…
Canadian Natural Resources eyes Rail Contracts
Canadian Natural Resources, the country's biggest oil and gas producer, is looking at taking on the Alberta provincial government's contracts to move crude by rail, a senior company executive said on Thursday.Shipping more crude by rail is seen as critical for Canadian oil producers due to congested pipelines that forced Alberta to order mandatory oil curtailments this year.Alberta's United…
Suncor Posts Higher Upstream Production
Suncor Energy Inc, Canada's second-largest oil and gas producer, on Wednesday reported a 5% rise in second-quarter operating profit and higher upstream production.Suncor's total production rose to 803,900 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) in the quarter, which was a record. Last year, the company produced 661,770 (boepd).Operating profit rose to C$1.25 billion ($951.44 million) or 80 Canadian cents per share…
Exxon to Proceed with Argentina Development
US based ExxonMobil said on Tuesday it is proceeding with a long-term oil development in Argentina’s Bajo del Choique-La Invernada block.The project is expected to produce up to 55,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day within five years and will include 90 wells, a central production facility and export infrastructure connected to the Oldeval pipeline and refineries.“We are encouraged by the…
Part of Keystone Pipeline Still Shut After Missouri Leak -TransCanada
TransCanada Corp said on Monday a part of its Keystone crude pipeline from Steele City, Nebraska, to Patoka, Illinois, remained shut after a leak was discovered in the St. Louis, Missouri, area last week.The cause and source of the spill have not been determined and there is no estimated timeline for a restart, TransCanada spokesman Terry Cunha said in an email.The 590,000 barrels-per-day…
US Judge Halts Keystone XL Oil Pipeline
A U.S. judge in Montana has halted construction of the Keystone XL pipeline designed to carry heavy crude oil from Canada to the United States, drawing a sharp rebuke on Friday from President Donald Trump.The ruling of a U.S. Court in Montana late on Thursday dealt a major setback to TransCanada Corp, whose stock dropped 2 percent in Toronto. Shares of companies that would ship oil on the…
Saudi Aramco to Invest in China
Saudi Aramco recently signed an MoU with Chinese Zhejiang provincial government during the 2nd International Petroleum and Natural Gas Enterprises Conference (IPEC), to acquire a share of Zhejiang Petrochemical’s new refinery project.Abdulaziz Al Judaimi, Sr. VP Downstream, said: "We are exploring opportunities for new refining and petrochemicals facilities, making further investments in China.
Sinopec, Zhejiang to Build LNG Terminal in China
China's Sinopec Corp has teamed with Zhejiang Energy Group Co Ltd on a 3 million tonne-per-year liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in east China, with the first phase set for operation at end-2021, the state oil giant said on Wednesday.The project, to be built in Wenzhou of Zhejiang province, includes four tanks each able to store 200,000 cubic meters of LNG, a berth to dock tankers of 30…
Canada Govt Ready to Indemnify Kinder Morgan Pipeline Project
The Canadian government is prepared to financially shield Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion against unnecessary delays that are politically motivated, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Wednesday.Morneau also told a news conference that if Kinder Morgan decided to walk away from the project, which the provincial government of British Columbia opposes…
Investors Back Kinder Morgan Canada's Trans Mountain Move
Kinder Morgan Canada shareholders on Tuesday backed the pipeline operator's decision to pause most work on its Trans Mountain expansion as a way to force the Canadian government to give final approval for the project.The company said on Sunday it would scrap plans to nearly triple the capacity of its existing Trans Mountain pipeline, which extends from Alberta to British Columbia's coast…
Canada Cabinet to Discuss Troubled Kinder Morgan Pipeline
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will meet on Tuesday with his cabinet ministers to discuss Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd's threat to walk away from a troubled pipeline expansion as various levels of government signal interest in spending public funds to ensure the project proceeds. The company, losing patience with moves by politicians and activists to block plans to almost triple the capacity of its Trans Mountain pipeline…
CNOOC Ends Feasibility Study for Western Canadian LNG Terminal
China's CNOOC Ltd said on Thursday it will end the feasibility study for its (LNG) export terminal on British Columbia's coast due to low global commodity prices, in the latest setback for Canada's energy industry. Nexen Energy, a unit of CNOOC, said in a statement the current macro-economic environment does not currently support developing a large LNG business. The project, a joint venture with Japan's Inpex Corp…
China Moves to Ease State Oil Majors' Grip on Storage
Beijing on Wednesday issued a draft of new regulations for China's growing oil and fuel storage industry, helping loosen the state-owned oil majors' grip on the sector as the nation pushes to reform its vast energy markets. The government is looking to update storage policies issued in 2006, consolidating regulations for crude oil and rules for oil products under a single framework. The…
Pakistan orders Shell Subsidiary to Pay for Tanker Blast
Pakistan's oil and gas regulator on Friday ordered a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell to pay about 257 million rupees ($2.4 million) in damages and compensation for a tanker explosion that killed more than 200 people. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has held Shell Pakistan Ltd (SPL) responsible for the blast in Punjab province on June 25 after the tanker carrying gasoline for the company rolled over, and villagers rushed to collect leaking fuel.
Alberta Committed to Seeing Trans Mountain Pipeline to Completion
Alberta's provincial government said on Tuesday that it remained "steadfastly committed" to seeing the Trans Mountain crude oil pipeline through to completion. British Columbia's minority Green Party on Monday struck a deal with the left-leaning New Democrats to govern Canada's western-most province, casting doubt on the future of the project. "It's important to note that provinces do not…
