Drone crashes into oil depot in Russia’s Stavropol Region
Vladimir Vladimirov, the local governor of Stavropol in southern Russia, said that a drone had crashed on an oil storage depot. This was the second suspected Ukrainian strike in a row on Russian energy and fuel targets. It followed a period of seven weeks after a fuel station in Tula, Russia was attacked on September 10. Vladimirov, on Telegram, said that there were no injuries in the incident at Svetlograd Oil Depot. Baza Telegram, a channel close to Russia's Security Services, has posted a CCTV footage purportingly showing the attack at the oil depot.
Svendborg Brakes' Yaw Brake Solution Transforms Wind Turbine Maintenance
When damaged yaw brake discs were preventing numerous wind turbines from operating in optimum conditions, their operator was looking for an economical maintenance service that would ensure the turbines’ availability. Svendborg Brakes, a Regal Rexnord Brand, developed a new solution to quickly restore operations - cutting disc resurfacing activities and exchange pads to only 3 days, while requiring only a day and a half of true downtime. As the Wind Industry navigates short-term challenges and sustained growth potential…
China's CNOOC signs contract for oil development in Iraq's Block 7
CNOOC Ltd, a Chinese company, announced Wednesday that it had signed an Exploration, Development & Production Contract with Iraq's State-run Midland Oil Company for the exploration of oil and gas in the Block 7 Field. CNOOC Africa Holding Ltd, the state oil and gas company's fully owned unit, will hold 100% interests and act as the operator for the 6,300-square-kilometer Block 7, located in central Iraq's Diwaniyah province. CNOOC won the bid to explore the block as part of Iraq's licensing round…
US Governors push back against PJM following record-high prices for power plants
Five governors urged PJM Interconnection on Tuesday to change its process for determining the price of power plants, after the auction that saw record prices. Prices in the most recent PJM auction were almost 10 times higher than last year. This was largely due to a shrinking supply of electricity and an increasing demand for electricity. Prices were set at levels that raised concern about the cost of electricity for homes and businesses on PJM territory. Environmental groups filed a complaint to PJM over its pricing process.
ONEOK's Q3 profit rises on the back of strong demand and a narrower annual forecast
Pipeline operator ONEOK announced a 52.6% increase in its third-quarter profits on Tuesday. This was largely due to higher demand for natural gas in the Rocky Mountain Region, as well as higher volumes of natural gases and natural gas liquids. The company reported that raw feed volumes of natural gas liquids in the Rocky Mountain Region (NGLs) increased by 7%, and natural gas volumes in the Rocky Mountain Region processed by 5%. The petrochemical industry uses NGLs like ethane or propane as feedstock.
Low Carbon, a UK investment company, sells 6 GW of Dutch battery storage.
Low Carbon, a UK-based renewables energy investor, has announced that it sold a portfolio of 6 gigawatts of battery storage project in the Netherlands to S4 Energy. S4 Energy is owned by global commodities trader Castleton Commodities International. According to Low Carbon, the battery storage portfolio in the Netherlands is among the largest in development. It should help balance the supply and demand of energy on the grid, as the Netherlands aims to reach 39% renewables by 2030.
Petronas Indonesia plans major expansion, says country head
Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned energy company, plans to expand "aggressively" in Indonesia. It will create a hub in East Java for its operations and invest in exploration of Indonesia's remote eastern regions. The new government of Indonesian President Prabowo Subito, which came into office in this month, pledged to boost energy development and reverse a decade-long decline by the former OPEC country. Yuzaini Md Yusof is the head of Petronas Indonesia. She said that recent regulatory changes have made it easier for companies to develop energy projects.
Gas and Carbon Forward Contracts are on the Rise
The European power contracts for the year ahead rose on Friday as did gas and carbon contracts. LSEG data show that the German 2025 baseload price rose by 1.1% at 1041 GMT to 91.45 Euros ($98.99) for a megawatt-hour. Earlier, the price had been.05 euros short of the highest recorded in a month and a quarter on Thursday. The equivalent French position increased 0.2% to 75.35 Euro/MWh. The European CO2 allowances expiring in December 2024 rose by 0.1%, to 66.65 Euros per metric ton.
Sustech, a Japanese startup, has seen its valuation soar to over $800 million in the latest funding round
Sustech, a Japanese energy technology startup, is expected to raise $50m from investors. This will value the company at over $800m, according to people familiar with the matter. The Tokyo-based company wants to tap into the fast-growing global demand for cleaner energy. Sources said that the valuation of Sustech, which is 124 billion Japanese yen (816 million dollars), in its fourth fund-raising round, represents a 3.5 times increase from 35 billion yen last year. This brings it closer to the group of Japanese unicorns valued at over $1 billion.
French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch
Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France and Benelux or even individual stocks. French IT company, struggling to survive, reported on Thursday a 4.4% drop in organic revenue for the third quarter. It blamed softer market conditions but also said that it saw an improvement in order entry. Bic, a French pencil maker, has raised its outlook for margins in light of Q3 results. In light of Q3 results, the company upgraded its outlook for organic revenue growth in full-year.
Document shows that Mexico's Pemex plans to increase its gas and oil reserves under Sheinbaum's presidency.
According to a document that was seen by us on Wednesday, the Mexican state oil company Pemex wants to increase its hydrocarbon reserve and make sure it is repaid during the tenure of newly-elected President Claudia Sheinbaum. The document also shows that Pemex will intensify its deepwater exploration as well as develop new business models in order to attract investors. Pemex, under the administration of Sheinbaum’s predecessor Andres Manuel López Obrador for six years…
Italy's Lombardy will award two hydroelectric plant contracts by 2025
The local administration announced on Wednesday that the northern Italian region of Lombardy would award concessions to two small hydroelectric plants within its territory before the end of the next year. According to the region, the auction has attracted mostly Italian bidders. This could allow newcomers access to the capital-intensive industry. Five Italian bidders including ACEA Produzione, Ascopiave Group and the Italian subsidiary BkW Hydro, submitted bids to purchase a 4 Megawatt (MW), currently operated by A2A.
Prices for gas in Europe remain stable as the market balances cold weather risks and supply.
Dutch and British wholesale price were slightly higher but mostly stable on Wednesday morning, as forecasts suggested colder temperatures in November. Outages in Norway and geopolitical risks continue to cause supply concerns. LSEG data shows that the benchmark front-month contract for the Dutch TTF hub rose 0.30 euros to 41.35 euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh) at 0849 GMT. The day-ahead contract in the British market was up 0.40 pence, at 101.75 p/therm. Meanwhile, the front-month contract gained 0.50 pence, to 102.15 pence/therm.
Equinor is preparing to assess Sleipner B damages
Equinor, a Norwegian company, said it would survey the damage to its Sleipner B platform in the North Sea on Wednesday. The platform was closed late Monday night after a smoke alarm was raised in an electrical installation. Equinor, according to a spokesperson for the company, continued to meet its gas supply obligations to Europe on Wednesday by pumping additional gas from other fields. The spokesperson said that two emergency vessels doused Sleipner in seawater Tuesday, pumping from afar to cool the platform.
Falling temperatures are expected to increase demand
As temperatures drop in the entire region, Tuesday is likely to see an increase in electricity demand. By 8:10 GMT on Tuesday, the German baseload electricity price was 98 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh), down 12.9% compared to Friday's price for Monday delivery. LSEG data shows that the equivalent French contract is now at 82.50 Euro/MWh, an increase of 42.2%. Marcus Eriksson, LSEG analyst, predicts that temperatures will drop in Europe, causing consumption to increase. In Germany, wind power is also expected to fall.
PJM wants a delay in the auction of capacity after an environmentalist's complaint
PJM Interconnection will delay its next annual auction of capacity by six months, while the largest U.S. Grid Operator addresses a complaint made by environmental groups. The biggest U.S. Grid Operator said this in a letter sent on Thursday. PJM’s latest auction, which resulted to payments to power plants within its system that were 833% more than the previous years, raised concerns about a spike in power bills. The Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and other environmental groups filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last month…
Iberdrola, a Spanish company, doubles its British investment plan from $11 billion to $21 billion
Iberdrola, the largest Spanish power company, has increased its investment plan in its British subsidiary Scottish Power from 24 billion pounds ($31.37billion) to 2024-2028. This was announced ahead of an international investment summit held in London. The investment comes at a time when Britain's Labour government is trying to attract billions of pounds worth of foreign investment as it celebrates its 100th day in office, and hosts global business leaders in the Oct. 14 Summit.
Iberdrola, a Spanish company, invests $15.7 billion into Scottish Power's division
Iberdrola - Spain's largest energy company - will invest up 12 billion pounds ($15.7billion) in Scottish Power, its British division, over the next four year, doubling their commitment to the UK in advance of a global summit on investment in London. The investment comes at a time when Britain's Labour government is trying to attract billions of pounds worth of foreign investment as it celebrates its 100th day in office, and hosts global business leaders in the Oct. 14 Summit.
Sources say that a top Kazakh oilfield has reached a record production amid tensions between OPEC+ and the country.
Sources say that Tengiz, Kazakhstan's largest oil field, operated by U.S. giant Chevron, increased output to a new record in October. This could complicate the future efforts of Kazakhstan to meet its OPEC+ quota. OPEC+ named Kazakhstan, Iraq, and Russia among the top 10 oil producers in the world as having repeatedly failed to meet its commitments to reduce oil production for this year. Two industry sources said that Tengiz increased its daily production from 687,000 to 699,000 BPD in early October.
Arbitration awards Kosmos Energy Senegal LNG project to BP, as the sole purchaser
Kosmos Energy announced on Tuesday that a Paris arbitrator ruled in favor of BP, preventing Kosmos to sell liquefied gas from the Greater Tortue project off Senegal and Mauritania. LNG is a key part of BP's energy transition strategy. Energy major BP has established a significant LNG pipeline across the globe, including Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria, Angola Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea are already shipping significant volumes. The International Chamber of Commerce was asked to arbitrate a dispute between Kosmos Energy (a U.S.
