Palm extends its losses as concerns about demand weigh
Malaysian palm futures continued to fall on Friday. They hit a new low of three weeks, as the sluggish market outweighed worries about supplies of sunflower oil from the Black Sea region, which is the largest producer, and gains in soft oils. The benchmark contract for palm oil delivery in November on Bursa Derivatives exchange was down 21 Ringgit (0.55%) at $3,831 Ringgit ($888.45). The contract is down 1.7% this week. A Mumbai-based trader said that palm oil has been struggling to recover, despite the gains made by soyoil. Sunoil supply is also a concern. The demand for palm oil is not encouraging a recovery.
Ministry: Romania will launch CfD-based support scheme for green energies in mid-November
Romania will launch its first auction of onshore renewable energy projects by mid-November through a contract-for-difference (CfD) support scheme funded by the European Union, the energy ministry said on Monday. It said that the scheme would set a strike-price of 78 Euros per Megawatt Hour for solar projects, and 82 Euros for wind. The long-awaited low carbon energy support scheme will fix the price of electric for providers to an agreed level for a period of 15 years. After the Ministry reduced the scope of the initial 2 GW auction, the first auction will offer 1,5 gigawatts worth of onshore solar and wind energy projects.
Energy Minister: Romania could connect 1373 MW of new power by 2024
Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy, said that Romania will be able to connect 1,373MW of new electricity to the national grid before year's end, with most of this coming from solar parks. The European Union state wants to reduce its carbon emissions in order to meet the emissions reduction targets of the bloc and to also ensure supply security, which is a growing concern since Russia invaded Ukraine. The country's electricity is generated using a mixture of gas, coal and renewable energy sources. It has also committed to phase out brown coal under the EU-funded recovery aid package. However, at present, the energy ministry wants an extension.
Four states join forces to build an interconnector for Azeri windfarms
Azerbaijan formed a joint-venture company with Georgia, Romania, and Hungary on Tuesday. The aim is to build an interconnector undersea across the Black Sea to connect planned Azeri Windfarms with Europe. Green Energy Corridor Power Company, based in Bucharest, Romanian capital will oversee the construction of a 1,000 megawatt cable that runs 1,100 km (685 miles) from Azerbaijan into Romania. This is part of the wider European Union effort to diversify its energy resources and away from Russia during the Ukraine War. The Romanian Minister of Energy…
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. The EU executive states that its goal is to prevent unfair market competition and distortion.
Hunter Biden contacted US ambassador in 2016 over Burisma deal, NYT reports
Hunter Biden contacted the U.S. Ambassador to Italy in 2016 while his father Joe Biden was Vice President, to discuss a geothermal energy project with the Ukrainian company Burisma where Hunter Biden served as a board member, according to an article by the New York Times, which cited records obtained by the newspaper. The newspaper reported that Hunter Biden sent at least one letter to the ambassador of the U.S. Embassy at Rome in Rome's name on behalf Burisma Energy Company. Abbe Lowell told his attorney on Wednesday that Hunter Biden…
OMV Petrom Makes Largest Crude Oil Discovery in Decades
Romanian oil and gas group OMV Petrom, majority-controlled by Austria's OMV, said on Tuesday it discovered new crude oil and natural gas deposits equal to about three quarters of its overall 2022 production.The deposits are the largest crude oil discovery OMV Petrom has made in decades, it said, and were found in southern Romania holding over 30 million barrerls of oil equivalent (boe) of recoverable resources."The new discoveries will contribute to reducing the decline of our production and to the continuity of the supply of essential products for the economy…
EU Approves $21.27B Just Transition Fund
European Union countries on Monday approved the bloc's flagship fund to wean them off fossil fuels and protect communities most affected, paving the way for members to start receiving the cash.The 17.5 billion euro ($21.27 billion) Just Transition Fund (JTF) combines money from the EU's budget and its COVID-19 recovery fund.It is designed to support communities most affected by plans to shut down coal, peat and oil shale sectors or other emissions-intensive industries. It will back projects including managing closures of coal mines and…
Tech Files: Offshore Power Products
Insights on innovative power products upgrades that could be used to keep offshore operations moving along effectively, efficiently.Maersk Supply Service/Orsted power buoysDanish offshore vessel firm Maersk Supply Service and its compatriot offshore wind developer Ørsted, are testing an innovative charging buoy that can bring green electricity to offshore wind farm service vessels and potentially to a wide range of maritime vessels.The buoy could be used to charge the smaller battery- or hybrid-electrical vessels and to supply power to larger vessels, enabling them to turn off their engines when laying idle.
New Offshore Acreage Licensing to Drop 60% in 2020, Rystad says
Newly licensed offshore oil and gas exploration acreage is likely to fall by about 60% and onshore acreage by 30% compared with 2019 levels, Rystad Energy has said, as the Norwegian energy market analytics company expects more than half of the world’s planned licensing rounds to be canceled this year due to the combined effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the low oil prices."This year was slated to be another remarkable year for exploration with about 45 countries launching at least 52 lease rounds, about 60% of them in offshore areas.
Saipem Tallies $1.7 Bln Drilling Contracts
Italian oilfield services firm Saipem announced Friday it has secured approximately $1.7 billion in new and extended drilling contracts for its offshore and onshore divisions.The offshore drilling contracts relate to activities to be executed in Norway and in Angola, Saipem said in a press release.The onshore contracts encompass 19 land-rigs located in Middle East, with power between 1,500 and 2,000 horsepower, and their duration range from three up to 10 years. In addition, new contracts and extensions on other existing contracts have been assigned for new works that will be executed in Bolivia, Perú and Romania, the company said.
Second ASV Delivered to Bibby
The second of Damen’s Accommodation Support Vessel (ASV) 9020 has been delivered to Bibby Marine Services at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania. On her arrival in the North Sea, the Bibby WaveMaster Horizon will begin maintenance work off the coast of Germany on two EnBW and Enbridge-owned windfarms– Hohe See and Albatros – for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and EnBW.The 90-meter ASV 9020 was developed by Damen to meet the specific needs of the offshore renewable energy industry, combining walk-to-work capabilities with an innovative interior and DP2.The build of what was to be the Bibby WaveMaster Horizon began in 2014 alongside that of its sistership…
Natural Gas Flaring Hits Record High
As spot prices in the region have remained near or below zero, natural gas flaring and venting in the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico reached a new all-time high in the first quarter of 2019, averaging as much as 661 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd).According to research conducted by Rystad Energy, this widespread waste of a valuable commodity is the result of persistent infrastructure challenges, a lack of sufficient takeaway capacity and an unexpected outage on a key pipeline in the area.“We anticipate that basin-wide flaring will stay above 650 MMcfd before the Gulf Coast Express pipeline comes online in the second half of 2019…
BSOG Gets Approval in Offshore Romania
Romanian-based Black Sea Oil & Gas (BSOG), controlled by private equity firm Carlyle Group, said that it received approval from the Romanian government for the field development plan (FDP) for the Ana and Doina gas fields.The Ana and Doina gas fields make up the Midia Gas Development (MGD) Project, offshore Black Sea.The MGD Project, which is the 1st new offshore gas development project in the Romanian Black Sea to be built after 1989, consists of 5 offshore production wells (1 subsea well at Doina field and 4 platform wells at Ana field)…
Black Sea MGD Project Gets Government Nod
Black Sea Oil & Gas (BSOG), controlled by private equity firm Carlyle Group LP, announced it has received Romanian government approval from the Romanian Government through the National Agency for Mineral Resources (NAMR) for its plan to develop the offshore Ana and Doina natural gas fields which make up the Midia Gas Development Project (MGD Project), in the Black Sea.Gigi Dragomir, NAMR President, said, “The development of the Ana and Doina gas fields offshore Romania is a top priority for NAMR, which supports the implementation of the…
MOL, Total Make Refueling Europe Easier
Japanese logistics giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and French multinational integrated oil and gas company Total S.A. signed an agreement which will make travelling across Europe easier for their corporate customers.The agreement provides for acceptance of MOL Group Cards by Total in its network of stations in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands and Germany. At the same time, the Total fuel cards will be accepted in the MOL’s and Slovnaft’s network of stations in Hungary, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia.As a first step, starting from February 2019, Total fuel cards are accepted in MOL’s network in Hungary and Romania.
BSOG to Go Ahead with Midia Offshore Project
Romanian-based Black Sea Oil & Gas, controlled by private equity firm Carlyle Group LP, said on Thursday it has decided to go ahead with its $400 million offshore gas project in Romania, the first such project to be developed in 30 years.The Midia Gas Development Project will extract an estimated 10 billion cubic meters of gas some 120 kilometers offshore in the Black Sea.Black Sea Oil & Gas (BSOG) will extract the gas in a joint venture with Italian producer Gas Plus International B.V. and investment group Petro Ventures Resources, which hold 15 and 20 percent of the project…
New Managing Director at Magma Products
Oil and gas commissioning and start-up specialist Magma Products announced Tuesday it has appointed Philip Tweedy as managing director.Tweedy, previously commissioning manager at Magma, will be responsible for day-to-day operations at the company’s Aberdeen, Great Yarmouth and Bucharest offices.Previous managing director Paul Rushton will assume the role of chairman to focus on strategy, growth and business development with a number of industry projects due to come on stream in late 2019 and 2020.“The appointment of Phil as managing director ensures a smooth transition for the team, our clients and current projects,” Rushton said.
Engie to Buy Gas from Romania's Black Sea Oil & Gas
Romanian based independent oil and gas company Black Sea Oil & Gas together with its co-venture partners, Petro Ventures Resources and Gas Plus International, announced the signing of the Gas Sales Agreement with ENGIE through its subsidiary Engie Energy Management Romania for natural gas supply from the Midia Gas Development (MGD)Project .Under this agreement, which is subject to Final Investment Decision, ENGIE will purchase gas from the Ana and Doina gas reservoirs over a minimum period of 10 years in compliance with Romanian law.Expected contractual volumes at project completion represent 0,5 bcm per year.
Most of Nord Stream 2 Project to be Paid for by 2019 - OMV CEO
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project connecting Russia to Germany will be 70 percent paid for by next year, the chief executive of Austrian oil and gas company OMV said on Friday.The project partners will likely make another cash transfer by the end of 2018, OMV CEO Rainer Seele told Reuters in an interview."We will move into 2019 with more or less 70 percent of the project financed already," Seele said, adding that OMV has so far invested 531 million euros in the project.Nord Stream 2 AG, which will double the existing Nord Stream 1 capacity from its current 55 billion cubic metres of gas a year, is owned by Gazprom, which is taking on half of the planned costs of
