Euro Oil Giants Rethink Renewable Balance
Almost five years ago, BP embarked on an ambitious attempt to transform itself from an oil company into a business focused on low-carbon power. The British company is now trying to return to its roots as a big oil and gas player with a growth story to match rivals, revive its share price and allay investor concerns over future profits.Rivals Shell and Norway's state-controlled Equinor are also scaling back energy transition plans set out earlier this decade. Their change of direction…
Lagos, Nigeria seeks investors to build a 4,000-MW gas-fired electricity plant
Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, invited bids on Thursday for the construction of gas-fired power stations of up to 4,050 megawatts (MW) to fill a shortfall in the national grid. The city is hoping to put an end to years of blackouts which have affected businesses and homes. According to the World Bank, four out of ten Nigerians, Africa's largest nation, lack access to electricity. This is often cited by investors as a major obstacle to investing in Nigeria. Lagos State Government, an expanding metropolis with more than 20…
Who would be the best person to run Trump's energy policy?
Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, has pledged to overhaul U.S. Energy Policy. He aims to maximize oil and gas production in this country which is already at record levels by rolling back regulations and accelerating permits. Who will he select to lead the departments and agencies that are critical to completing this task? These are some names that have been considered. Two sources with knowledge of the matter say that Trump's second Energy secretary Dan Brouillette, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, are both candidates to lead the U.S.
Chinese solar firms are ever-nimble and go to places where US tariffs do not reach
The U.S. tariffs on Vietnam and three other Southeast Asian nations have prompted some of the largest Chinese-owned factories to cut production and lay off workers. In the meantime, a number of Chinese-owned solar power plants are being built in Indonesia and Laos. These are outside of Washington's protections on trade. Reports show that their planned capacity would be enough to provide about half of the solar panels installed in the U.S. Chinese solar firms have shrunk their output in existing hubs, while building new factories elsewhere. This has allowed them to avoid tariffs and to dominate the U.S.
Sources say that Brazil is aiming to attract foreign investment through a green development platform.
Brazil will launch a new platform on Wednesday to attract more foreign investment into sustainable development. The platform will highlight $8 billion worth of promising private sector projects, and look to triple this portfolio within a year. Four Brazilian officials who spoke anonymously about the program before a Washington launch event, held on the sidelines the meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, said it was a concrete example for Brazil's agenda in its role as G20 Chair this year and host country of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (2025).
Saudi Aramco CEO calls on a reset in energy policies for developing countries
The head of Saudi Aramco, who called for a reset to policies in developing countries, said that progress in Asia's energy transition is slower, less equitable, and more complex than many had expected. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said that even with the transition as economies expand and standards of living rise, the Global South will likely see significant growth in the oil demand for a very long time. While this growth will eventually stop, it is likely that a plateau is to follow. In a speech delivered at the Singapore International Energy Week…
After Nevada lithium deal GM looks for other sources of minerals to supply EVs
General Motors plans to increase its North American investment in lithium and other minerals that are used in the production of electric vehicles, after increasing its investment to almost $1 billion in a Nevada mining operation earlier this week. The U.S. carmaker announced on Wednesday that it will form a joint-venture with Lithium Americas in order to develop the largest lithium mine in North America, the Thacker pass lithium mine. The investment by GM in the project has been increased to $950 millions from its initial investment of $325 million announced last year.
Two Republicans ask Pentagon to add Chinese Battery Maker CATL to restricted List
Two Republican senators on Wednesday requested that the U.S. Defense Department add Chinese battery manufacturer CATL to a list of restricted companies suspected to be working with Beijing's army. Experts say that companies added to this list are not eligible for U.S. government contracts, and they also face significant reputational risk. Senator Marco Rubio and Representative John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on China asked Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, to place CATL, formally known China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co, on the list. They said "it would send a strong signal to U.S.
Vietnam will select an investor for the $2.5 billion Nghi Son LNG Power Plant by October
A provincial official in Vietnam's Thanh Hoa Province said that authorities plan to select a developer for a $2.5billion LNG-fired energy plant by October through a competitive bidding process. The Nghi Son LNG Power Plant, located in the Nghi Son Economic zone of the province, would have a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts. It would begin commercial operations in 2030. Nguyen Tuan, the deputy director for the zone, said that the bids would be opened on 30 September and the investor's name would be announced in mid-October or at the end of October.
Ten Things to Consider When Choosing Your Digital Twin Provider
Kongsberg Digital’s Brian Sidle identifies the top ten things to consider when choosing a provider for cloud-based digital twins in the energy sector.The energy sector’s heavy asset operators stand to benefit greatly from a cloud-based digital twin, but successful digital transformation initiatives can be elusive – especially when it comes to sustaining long-term performance improvements. Whether the digital twin journey is driven by the CTO, CFO, or others within an organization, the…
Crowley Commits to Net-zero GHG Emissions by 2050
As the maritime industry collectively struggles to chart the course toward decarbonization, Crowley today committed to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes by 2050, pursuing a path aligned with the latest climate science to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.What this means is an overall reduction of 4.2 million metric tons of greenhouse gases per year for the maritime and logistics giant.“Crowley is on a mission to become the most sustainable and innovative maritime and logistics company in the Americas,” said Tom Crowley, chairman and CEO.
Asian Countries Looking to Release Oil Reserves after U.S. Request
The world's biggest economies said on Thursday they were looking into releasing oil from their strategic reserves, following a rare request from the United States for a coordinated move to cool global energy prices.The U.S. move reflects frustration with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies such as Russia who have rebuffed Washington's requests to speed up oil production as the world economy rebounds from the pandemic.It also comes as U.S. President…
15 Bids in To Market Guyana Governent Crude
Guyana received bids from 15 different companies aiming to market the government's share of the crude produced off the South American country's coast, according to Guyana's National Procurement and Tender Board Administration website on Wednesday.The government re-launched the search last month after a previous tender was discarded. Bids were due on Aug. 3, and companies were asked to indicate the commission they would charge per barrel of crude exported. The board did not indicate when…
Exxon Committed to Singapore Refinery Expansion
Exxon Mobil Corp said on Thursday it remained committed to expanding its refining-petrochemical complex in Singapore amid an ongoing review of its projects globally.Along with other oil producers, Exxon has been slashing costs due to a collapse in oil demand and ill-timed bets on new projects. The top U.S. oil company earlier outlined more than $10 billion in budget cuts this year.Exxon made a final investment decision in 2019 on the multi-billion dollar expansion of its integrated manufacturing complex in Singapore…
Offshore Equipment Hydraulic Maintenance Tip-of-the-Day: Tribology
Tip #1: Tribology - Assume All Hydraulic Components are Designed EquallyBelieve it or not, maintenance begins during the design phase. Moving parts create friction, and friction can lead to wear, ending in premature failure, especially when tribology is ignored. In order to have a long-lasting hydraulic system, it is critical to specify operating conditions and environment during the project start. When all conditions are considered, it is possible to select the right component with the…
OPINION: Drowning in Oil, Regulatory Measures to Keep Prices Afloat
These days history seems to be in the making on a daily basis. On April 20, 2020, the price of the NYMEX West Texas Intermediate Sweet Crude Oil (WTI) futures contract for May delivery plunged into the negative, forcing sellers to actually pay customers for taking the crude oil off the sellers’ hands. The historic drop came a little over a month after Russia and Saudi Arabia initiated crude oil price war, and it has left many wondering if certain regulatory measures are needed to help boost oil prices in the United States.
UK Readies Carbon Storage Road-map
Heriot-Watt University researchers are to map out the UK’s best sites for carbon capture by studying the geology of depleted gas fields in the North Sea.The team led by Professor John Underhill will use data from industry regulator the Oil and Gas Authority's (OGA) National Data Repository (NDR), which was opened up to access for the first time in 2019.Professor John Underhill said: “The Southern North Sea faces three of some of the UK’s largest carbon emission areas: the industrial hubs of Teesside…
Offshore Wind: Decisions Needed Sooner, not Later
On September 26, the State University of New York Maritime College hosted a conference on the emerging east coast offshore wind industry. “Offshore Wind Power, Planning for America’s Ocean Energy” focused on four fundamental topics:• East Coast Wind Farm Overview – Status of the Industry.• Jobs and Supply Chain Technical Working Group.• Wind Farm Port Development.• Offshore Wind Maritime Operations.In some ways, actually clocking in for a day’s work on an offshore wind turbine is tantalizingly close. Ditto for power flowing from an offshore substation to a mainland interconnection.
Majors Press Mexico to Resume Oil Auctions
Big oil companies operating in Mexico have launched a drive to convince leftist President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to resume auctions of oil and gas contracts he has branded a failure in reviving the industry.Chevron Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, among other firms in Mexico's Association of Hydrocarbon Companies (Amexhi), say they have met output targets and investment pledges worth hundreds of millions of dollars in the initial phases of their contracts."We've been complying (with contractual obligations)…
LNG Suited for Select VLCC Routes
SEA\LNG has released the results of its third investment study, which underlines liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a compelling investment solution for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) on the Arabian Gulf to China trade route.Conducted by Opsiana, the study demonstrates benefits of LNG as a marine fuel for a newbuild 300K DWT VLCC on the Arabian Gulf to China trade route, in comparison with other alternatives currently available and scalable to the shipping industry across three fuel pricing…
