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. Alstom, a French train manufacturer, announced on Tuesday that it had received 2.4 million euro ($1.08m) in public funding as part of the France 2030 plan to speed up the development of an intelligent train safety platform. It also announced a 125-million-euro order to supply 10 more regio2n train sets to the Auvergne/Rhone Alpes region. ARGAN: French firm Argan announced on Tuesday a rental income of 52.9 million euro in the first quarter. It also confirmed its outlook for 2025.
Data shows that Russia's LNG imports fell by 1.2% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2018.
LSEG's preliminary data on Tuesday showed that Russia's LNG exports in the first quarter of this year fell by 1.2% compared to a year ago, reaching 8.1 million metric tonnes. Due to U.S. sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been unable to increase its LNG exports. The new Arctic LNG 2 facility has effectively been frozen due to the Western sanctions. According to two sources, Arctic LNG 2 resumed processing in the last month. According to LSEG, Russia's exports of LNG rose 3.7% in March, from 2.7 millions tons a year earlier. In March…
The price of gas in Europe is rising due to forecasts for cooler temperatures and Norwegian maintenance
Dutch and British gas rates rose on Tuesday, as forecasts called for cooler temperatures over the weekend. They also cited maintenance scheduled at certain Norwegian infrastructure this week. LSEG data shows that the Dutch front-month contract increased by 0.34 euros to 40.69 Euro per megawatt hour or 12.88/mmBtu at 0818 GMT. The Dutch June contract increased by 0.37 euros to 41.24 Euro/MWh. The British day-ahead contracts was up 1.25p at 98.25p/therm. The weekend temperatures are expected to be below normal, which could increase gas demand and slow gas injection into storage.
Gas giants claim that Australia's opposition plan to reserve supplies may worsen the shortage
Gas giants around the world said that a proposal made by Australia's coalition of opposition to force producers to divert more gas from exports into the domestic market in an attempt to win votes would discourage investment and not solve the looming gas shortages. The conservative Liberal-National Coalition has pledged to lower power bills by implementing a gas reservations scheme. The center-left Labor government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has introduced a cap on wholesale gas prices for 2022 and implemented other regulatory measures and policies to reduce emissions and meet domestic energy requirements.
Tokyo Gas, Japan expands its US shale-gas business with Chevron
TG Natural Resources LLC, co-owned by Tokyo Gas, Castleton Commodities International and Castleton Commodities, announced on Tuesday that it had purchased a 70% stake of east Texas gas assets for $525m from Chevron, in order to expand its U.S. Gas business. TGNR, which is the fourth largest producer in the Haynesville shale region, will be able to benefit from synergies worth over $170m during the development of the asset, according to Craig Jarchow. Haynesville, located in the Gulf Coast region of Texas and Louisiana, is a great location for LNG exports. Investors are paying attention to this as President Donald Trump wants to increase gas exports.
Shell warns that Australia's gas reservations plan could worsen shortages
Shell warned Tuesday that Australia's proposal to force more gas from export onto the domestic market would end up discouraging investment and worsening shortages. Energy has become a major issue in the campaign ahead of Australia's general election on May 3. The conservative Liberal-National Coalition pledged to lower power bills and avoid a shortage on the East Coast through a reservation scheme. Shell Australia Chair Cecile wake said that export controls are not the best solution. She also questioned if they would have a material impact on consumer prices. This does not increase the supply, but simply redistributes what is already there.
US oil production dropped to an 11-month low, according to data.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported on Monday that U.S. crude production dropped by 305,000 barrels a day in January to 13,15 million bpd, its lowest level since Feb. 2024. The data revealed that this was the largest monthly decline in U.S. crude oil production since January 2024. The EIA lowered their estimate of U.S. record oil production for December by about 40,000 barrels per day to 13.45million bpd. The oil output in Texas, which is the largest U.S. state for oil production, dropped by 105,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 5,58 million bpd. This was the lowest level of the last three years.
The LAPFF in Britain recommends voting against BP Chairman, annual report
The Local Authority Pension Fund Forum in Britain (LAPFF), recommended to shareholders on Monday, that they vote against the reelection of BP Chairman Helge Lund and BP's Annual Report, remuneration reports, as well as abstaining on whether BP Chief Executive Murray Auchincloss is reelected. Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS) as well as Glass Lewis, two influential proxy advisors, have advised that shareholders vote for the reelection of BP’s board of directors, management team and annual report during the annual general meeting on April 17.
India increases gas prices starting April
India's government website revealed on Monday that the price for its locally produced oil field gas has increased by almost 4%, to $6.75/million metric British Thermal Units (mmBtu), compared to $6.50/mmBtu the previous month. This is the first price revision for gas produced in old fields in two years. India set a price cap of $6.50 for two years in 2023. The third year will see a 25-cent increase per annum. The website of the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, part of the Ministry of Oil, showed that India had also set a ceiling price of $10.04 per million Btu of gas produced from difficult areas for the months of April to September…
Sempra sells Mexico energy assets and stake in infrastructure unit
Sempra, a utility firm, said it would sell energy infrastructure assets and a minority interest in Sempra Infrastructure in Mexico to fund its $56 billion five-year capital expenditure plan. In February, the company forecasted a five-year plan for capital expenditures of approximately $56 billion. This was a 16% rise from its previous plan. Over 90% of capital expenditures were projected to be spent on investments in regulated utilities in Texas and California. The CEO Jeffrey Martin said that the actions were taken to help the company simplify its business and reduce the reliance on future common equity issuances to fund the five-year capital program.
UK shares drop after Trump announces tariff escalation
UK shares fell Monday, after U.S. president Donald Trump said that his tariffs will cover all countries. This intensified a global trade conflict. The blue-chip FTSE 100 fell 1% as of 1011 GMT; the midcap FTSE 250 index dropped 1.9% to a more-than-eleven-month low. Trump told reporters that the tariffs will affect essentially all countries. He will announce reciprocal tariffs Wednesday and auto levies Thursday. Specifics are still unclear. According to Downing Street, during a phone call on Sunday, British Prime Minister Keir starmer and Trump discussed the "productive negotiation" towards a UK-U.S. Economic Prosperity Deal.
Prices for EUROPE GAS remain stable as the storage needs continue to support them
Dutch and British wholesale prices for gas were slightly higher on Monday morning, but are expected to be more volatile this week due to the milder weather being offset by the necessity to replenish storages as peace in Ukraine is still elusive. LSEG data shows that the Dutch front-month contract rose 0.60 euros to 41.00 euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh), which is $13.01/mmBtu by 0850 GMT. The contract for the month of May, which is now the front-month was increased by 0.81 euros at 41.40 euro/MWh. The day-ahead contract in the British market rose by 2.00 pence, to 99.00 pence per therm. Meanwhile, the within-day contract increased by 2 pence, at 98.00 pence per therm.
Slovak SPP: Gazprom will increase gas supply through TurkStream in April
The CEO of Slovak importer SPP Vojtech Ferencz, who spoke to reporters on Monday, said that Russia's Gazprom would substantially increase its gas supplies to Slovakia via the TurkStream pipe from April. SPP reported last month that Gazprom started supplying gas again to Slovakia at the start of February using volumes donated by Hungary for the TurkStream pipeline. SPP said last month that volumes were expected to double in April but did not specify amounts. Ferencz announced on Monday that the TurkStream capacity had been released, allowing the company to increase the shipment by several times what it was in the previous two months.
Wood Group UK flags problems within its Projects Unit, Shares Slump
Wood Group, a British engineering and oilfield services company, said that it has identified "material failures and weaknesses" in its financial cultures within its Projects Business Unit following an independent Deloitte review. Early trade saw shares of the company fall about 25%. They have fallen about 68% since November's announcement. In November of last year, the company, which is a target for Sidara in Dubai, announced that it would be conducting an independent review after the unusual charges noted at its interim results. The London-listed company said that these failures included inappropriate management pressure and override of previously reported positions…
Xinhua reports that China's CNOOC has discovered a 100 million-ton oilfield on the South China Sea.
Xinhua reported Monday that the China National Offshore Oil Corporation has discovered an oilfield with reserves of more than 100 million tonnes in the South China Sea. Huizhou's 19-6 oilfield, recently discovered, is not located in an area of the South China Sea that has been contested. It lies within China’s Exclusive Economic Zone which extends for 200 nautical mile or 370 kilometers from its coast. The report stated that the oilfield is located approximately 170 km (106 mi) off the coast Shenzhen at an average depth of 100 meters. Test drilling has produced 413 barrels per day of crude oil, and 68,000 cubic metre of natural gas.
Texas oil and gas upstream jobs increase in February, says industry group
The Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association, or TIPRO, announced on Friday that upstream oil companies increased hiring in February. This is the second consecutive month of growth. Hiring in upstream, which includes drilling and producing oil activities, can be an indicator of how the oil and gas sector is doing. More drilling could be expected if companies hire more staff. TIPRO represents more than 3,000 independent producers in Texas. The Permian Basin is home to some of the most prolific crude oil production in the United States, which, according to Energy Information Administration, accounts for less than half the total U.S. crude oil production.
Gas turbines from GE Vernova will be used in a new Missouri power station
GE Vernova announced on Friday that it has received an order for its aeroderivative GE Vernova gas turbines to be used in Springfield City Utilities (CU)'s new power generating plant in Missouri. The McCartney Generating Station, a 100 Megawatt (MW), is expected to begin operations in 2027. GE Vernova has not disclosed the value of the deal or the anticipated delivery date for the turbines. Gas turbines for large-scale power production will be in demand as data centers, which require a lot of energy to run, are used to develop artificial intelligence.
Sources say India is considering scrapping the import tax on US LNG to boost purchases.
Four government and industry sources have said that India is considering scrapping the import tax on U.S. LNG to increase purchases and reduce the trade surplus, which is a major irritation for President Donald Trump. Both sides want to increase volumes in order to meet the energy needs of India's fast-growing economy. Qatar is India's top LNG supplier. India and the United States agreed that they would increase their energy purchases in the U.S. by $10 to $25 billion over the next few years. Both leaders also agreed to reach $500 billion of bilateral trade by 2030.
Alaska Governor briefs Trump on Asia Gas Push as Tariffs Bite
Alaska's Governor said that he would brief U.S. president Donald Trump's Administration after returning from Japan in the next week about progress made to secure Asian support for a project to develop natural gas, which has been part of a larger discussion on tariffs and trade. Governor Mike Dunleavy and the leaders of the state-run Alaska Gasline Development Corporation and Glenfarne Group visited Taiwan, Thailand and Japan to seek investors and long-term purchasers for a Trump-inspired project. The visit of the Alaskan delegation coincided with a renewed pressure on trade from Washington.
Prices for EUROPE GAS remain stable despite the latest Sudzha gas stations attack
The Dutch and British wholesale prices of gas were mostly unchanged on Friday, as the recent attacks on a Russian supply point were offset by an improved outlook for supply-demand as winter comes to an end. LSEG data shows that the Dutch front-month contract rose 0.17 euro to 41.17 euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh), which is $12.99/mmBtu by 1104 GMT. The Dutch day-ahead contracts was down by 0.10 euros at 40.90 Euro/MWh. The British day-ahead contracts rose 0.52 pence, to 98.50 pence/therm. Meanwhile, the weekend contract increased 0.65 pence and now stands at 97.45 pence/therm.
