IWAI, IOC Pact on Fuel Needs for Waterways
Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on fuel needs for national waterways and to develop infrastructure for fuels for Waterways.The MoU will provide for an understanding over general modalities of mutual co-operation leading to addressing futuristic demand of any form of energy for Inland Waterways and associated services.A press release said that both will jointly develop infrastructure for meeting fuel…
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 main change proposed is to remove the requirement for distributors and storage companies to have secure and steady supplies of refined products…
Vitol Bets on Retail Model as it Hopes to Grow
Vitol invests in gas stations from Turkey to Pakistan; increases presence in growing consumer markets. From Pakistan to Turkey, the world's largest independent oil trader Vitol is betting on a spike in gasoline and diesel demand in young and growing nations by snapping up filling stations that disappointed oil companies are prepared to sell. With the sharp drop in global oil prices, major integrated oil companies have been shedding assets, including the marginally profitable retail outlets, to cut costs.
Essar Oil Hits Record Profits
Essar Oil Limited today announced to its shareholders that it had recorded its highest ever EBITDA, PAT and GRMs in FY 2015-16 at the 26th Annual General Meeting in Vadinar, Gujarat. In FY2015-16, the company achieved its highest ever EBIDTA of Rs 7,773 crore, which was 35% higher than the previous year. The Profit after Tax was also at a new high of Rs 2,162 crore--a rise of 42% from FY2014-15. The total throughput of the refinery stood at 19.1 MMT in FY 2015-16, compared to 20.49 MMT in the previous year.
Petronet bets on LNG as a fuel to Drive Demand
India's top gas importer Petronet LNG is betting on liquefied natural gas-powered ships and vehicles to drive up demand for the cleaner fuel, its managing director said, helping the world's third most polluting nation to improve air quality. Prabhat Singh told reporters he expected a shift to LNG-driven vehicles to create "reasonable demand" for the fuel in a country where many industries are not yet linked to the pipe grid. India currently lags Asian rival China, where thousands of trucks and buses already run on LNG.
Rosneft, Trafigura Consortium to Acquire 98% Essar Oil
Essar Energy Holdings Limited and Oil Bidco (Mauritius) Limited—companies incorporated and managed under the laws of Mauritius—the controlling shareholders of Essar Oil Limited (EOL) have entered into separate definitive agreements for the sale of 98% of EOL. The first sale and purchase agreement envisages the sale of 49% to Petrol Complex Pte. Ltd (a subsidiary of PJSC Rosneft Oil Company); the second envisages the sale of the remaining 49% to Kesani Enterprises…
Refiners on Track to Spend Record on US Clean Fuel Standards
Major refiners like Valero Energy Corp are on track to pay record amounts this year for credits to comply with U.S. renewable fuel rules, corporate filings show, a trend that hurts profits and has some looking to export more to avoid the cost. Refiners and fuel importers are required to meet a U.S. biofuel quota of roughly 10 percent through blending products like ethanol into gasoline and diesel. If they fall short, they can buy credits generated by companies in compliance. But the cost of the credits, known as Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs), has jumped.
Sasol Mulling Bid for Chevron's South African Assets
Petrochemicals firm Sasol said on Friday it was considering buying a majority stake in Chevron's South African assets, including a 110,000 barrels-per-day oil refinery and retail stations. Chevron, which has had a presence in South Africa for more than a century, said in January it would sell its 75 percent stake in its business in the country after making similar sales in Nigeria due to weak oil prices. "Sasol is working with Chevron and its advisers in this regard," spokesman Alex Anderson said in an email to Reuters.
Indian Oil Shifts Focus to Expanding Natural Gas Business
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) , the country's biggest refiner, is expanding its natural gas business as the south Asian nation, the world's third-largest carbon emitter, aims to cut its dependence on coal and oil. Thirteen of the world's 20 dirtiest cities are in India, with New Delhi taking top spot, a report by the World Health Organisation said last year. As part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Clean India Mission", the country last year launched an air quality index to help citizens understand complex pollution data and its implications for their health.
UGI Corp Hold Talks for TOTALGAZ Takeover
Total today announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with UGI Corporation*, the parent company of Antargaz, after having received a firm offer from the U.S. company to acquire all outstanding shares of Totalgaz, the Group’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distributor in France. The transaction under consideration is aligned with Total’s strategy of assertively managing its asset portfolio. “Within the specific context of the European LPG distribution market…
Marathon Traders Gain E.Coast foothold with Hess Deal
Marathon Petroleum Corp is poised to expand its growing Midwest and Gulf Coast fuel trading operation to the East Coast with Thursday's deal to buy Hess Corp's retail network and transport contracts. The purchase will give Marathon control of Hess's gasoline stations and access to pipelines, including the capacity to ship approximately 40,000 barrels per day on the sought-after Colonial Pipeline from the Gulf Coast to the East Coast, according to the companies. The $2.9 billion deal is expected to close late in the third quarter.
Marathon Petroleum to Buy Hess's Retail Business for $2.87 bln
Refiner Marathon Petroleum Corp said it would buy oil and natural gas company Hess Corp's retail and transport business for $2.87 billion, expanding its network of gas stations and convenience stores along the U.S. East Coast. While Hess has been shedding downstream assets to focus on more profitable shale drilling, the deal offers Marathon a buffer against the volatile refining business by boosting exposure to more stable cash flows from retail. It also provides a guaranteed market for the company's fuel…
