Oil drops as US storm threat subsides, China's stimulus disappoints
The oil prices continued to fall on Monday, as investors disappointed by China's stimulus program and the threat of disruptions in supply from a storm in the United States. Oil prices continued to fall on Monday as the threat of a supply disruption from a U.S. storm eased and after China's stimulus plan disappointed investors seeking fuel demand growth in the world's No. Brent crude futures fell 31 cents or 0.4% to $73.56 a bar by 0340 GMT, while U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures were down 38 cents or 0.5% at $70 a bar. Last Friday, both benchmarks dropped more than 2%.
After a 7% drop in a week, oil prices are on the rise again
The oil prices rose in Asian trading Monday after a drop of more than 7% last week due to concerns over demand in China, which is the world's largest oil importer. Also, there were fewer worries about possible supply disruptions in Middle East. Brent crude futures were up 27 cents or 0.37% to $73.33 per barrel at 0625 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures rose 31 cents or 0.45%, to $69.53 per barrel. The gains were less than 5% the dollar value of both contracts last week. Brent settled more than 7% below last week's price, while WTI fell around 8%.
Oil prices stable after 7% drop in a week
Early trading on Monday saw oil prices stabilize after a drop of more than 7% last week due to concerns over demand in China, which is the world's largest oil importer. Also, there were fewer worries about possible supply disruptions in Middle East. Brent crude futures were up 8 cents or 0.11% to $73.14 per barrel at 0120 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures rose 10 cents or 0.14%, to $69.32 per barrel. Brent settled more than 7% lower in the last week while WTI dropped around 8%. The contracts saw their biggest weekly drop since September 2, due to a slowing of the Chinese economy and a fall in risk premiums.
China's refinery output in September fell for the sixth consecutive month
China's refinery production fell 5.4% in January compared to a year ago, according to official data released on Friday. This is the sixth consecutive month of declines, despite the opening of a brand new plant, as low fuel consumption and thin refining margins slowed processing. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), according to its data, showed that refiners processed 58.73 millions metric tons of crude last month. This is equivalent to 14,29 million barrels of oil per day. As some refineries began to operate again after planned maintenance and a new refinery was opened in Shandong…
Japan's LNG stocks are above the 5-year average and buyers want more cargoes
The data showed that the liquefied gas stocks held by Japan's major electric utilities increased 14% from the previous week to 2,09 million tons on Sept. 8. This is above the average five-year figure for this time of year. Rystad Energy's analyst stated that buyers wanted to buy more cargoes in September due to the forecast of temperatures above average until early October, especially for Japan and South Korea. Japan, second largest LNG buyer in the world after China, relies mainly on long-term LNG contracts but also uses the spot market to meet peak demand for LNG during cold and hot weather.
Australian regulator: No decision on Woodside Browse Gas Project yet
Western Australia's environmental regulator announced on Monday that it will release recommendations in 2025 on Woodside Energy’s Browse gas project. A newspaper had reported earlier this week that the large project could be rejected. This $20.5 billion gas project off the coast of Western Australia, the largest in the country but still untapped resource has been on the drawing boards for years. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Monday that the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) sent preliminary comments to the company, in February, calling the proposed terms "unacceptable".
Wave of New LNG Export Plants Threatens to Knock Gas Prices
A flood of liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects due online worldwide in mid-decade will vie against lower-cost renewable energy and a revived nuclear power sector, which could rock gas prices and hurt some proposed projects, analysts say.Proposed and approved new LNG plants would boost LNG supply by 67% increase to 636 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030 from 2021 levels, potentially saturating the gas market."There's over a trillion dollars of natural gas infrastructure being built in the world today.
South Korea's POSCO Launches Takeover Bid for Australia's Senex Energy
Australian coal seam gas producer Senex Energy Ltd said it had received a $605 million takeover proposal from POSCO International Corp and was opening up its books to the South Korean trader with the aim of gaining a sweeter offer.The A$815 million or A$4.40 per share offer from POSCO International, the trading arm of steel giant POSCO, has already been twice-improved, Senex said."The Senex Board believes it is in the best interests of its shareholders to continue to engage with POSCO International and will assess any proposal received on its merits…
Oil Edges Higher on US, Europe Demand Hopes
Oil prices rose on Friday on hopes of a fuel demand recovery in the United States and Europe as economic growth picks up and lockdowns ease, but worries about India's raging second wave of COVID-19 cases kept a lid on gains.Brent crude futures rose 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $65.61 a barrel at 0137 GMT, after climbing 8 cents on Thursday.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures jumped 29 cents, or 0.5%, to $61.72 a barrel, also after an 8 cent gain on Thursday."The market shrugged off last week's (U.S. oil) inventory build, instead comforted by the continued improvement in gasoline demand," ANZ analysts said in a note.U.S.
Oil Surges After OPEC+ Extends Cuts
Oil prices jumped about 3% on Friday, hitting their highest levels in over a year, following a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report and decision by OPEC and its allies not to increase supply in April.Brent futures rose $2.10, or 3.2%, to $68.84 a barrel by 11:25 a.m. EST (1625 GMT). Earlier in the session, the global benchmark hit its highest since January 2020.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.87, or 2.9%, to $65.70 per barrel, after earlier scaling its highest since April 2019.For the week, Brent was up almost 4%…
Coronavirus, Consolidation Taking Toll On Energy Jobs
Oil and gas companies worldwide are taking an axe to their employment rolls, shedding workers to survive what is expected to be a prolonged stretch of weak demand.Exxon Mobil Corp said it will cut its workforce by 15%, or about 14,000 people, along with oil majors Chevron Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.All told, more than 400,000 oil and gas sector jobs have been cut this year, according to Rystad Energy, with about half of those in the United States, where several big exploration companies and most large oil service companies are headquartered.Coronavirus has devastated swathes of the global economy…
Woodside Says It's on the Lookout for Acquisitions
Australia's Woodside Petroleum is looking for acquisitions, ideally close to its existing assets or offering it control over assets that are already producing or close to producing, its boss said on Thursday."We're clearly scanning the landscape very closely looking for opportunities," Chief Executive Peter Coleman told analysts on a conference call.He said the company does not want to acquire assets that would require heavy capital spending as it already has undeveloped world-class assets.Coleman said the company has another week and a half to decide whether to match a $400 million offer by Russia's Lukoil for Cairn Energy's 40% stake i
Woodside's Revenue Slumps More than Expected
Australia's Woodside Petroleum Ltd reported a worse-than-feared 29% drop in quarterly revenue, hit by weak spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices, but said it still expected to book a net profit in the first half.The hit came due to the double whammy of a global gas glut and a slump in demand with the coronavirus pandemic, and sent the company's shares down more than 2% while its peers were all trading higher."It's been a very difficult time for our industry and some external challenges are just simply beyond our control…
New Zealand Refiner to Shrink. May Turn into Fuel Import Terminal
Refining NZ said on Thursday it is considering shutting New Zealand's only oil refinery and turning it into a fuel import terminal in the long run, but first will reduce its operations to cut costs and breakeven into 2021.Refining NZ's Marsden Point refinery has been under pressure due to competition from mega refineries in Asia and rising power and gas costs in New Zealand. Its woes worsened this year as COVD-19 lockdowns hammered fuel demand for planes and ships.In an update on a strategic review on the plant's future…
Brent Crude Rises to Above $42 a Barrel
Oil rose to above $42 a barrel on Friday, adding to gains in the previous session, after OPEC producers and allies promised to meet supply cuts and signs of demand, hit by the coronavirus crisis, recovering.Iraq and Kazakhstan, during a meeting of an OPEC+ panel on Thursday, pledged to comply better with oil cuts, sources said. This means the curbs by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, could deepen in July.Brent crude rose $1.09, or 2.6%, to $42.60 by 0829 GMT, the highest since June 8. U.S.
Shell Weighs Sale of $2B-plus Share in Queensland LNG
Royal Dutch Shell is considering raising more than $2 billion from the sale of a stake in the common facilities at its Queensland Curtis LNG plant in Australia, according to a sale flyer reviewed by Reuters."Royal Dutch Shell plc is considering a sale of a 26.25% interest in the Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) Common Facilities - a multibillion-dollar investment opportunity," the sale flyer said.The sale process is being run by Rothschild & Co and is due to be completed in 2020, the document showed.Shell declined to comment on what it called market speculation.
Oil Prices Rise Ahead of OPEC+ Meeting on Further Output Cuts
Oil prices rose on Tuesday, with traders waiting to see whether major producers agree to extend their huge output cuts to shore up prices at a virtual meeting expected later this week.Brent crude futures rose 0.91%, or 35 cents, to $38.67 a barrel as of 0427 GMT.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 0.56%, or 20 cents, to $35.64 a barrel.Brent has doubled over the past six weeks, thanks to supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, including Russia, a grouping dubbed OPEC+.Both Brent and WTI prices…
Oil Prices Up as Faith in Supply Cuts Grows
Oil prices rose on Tuesday, supported by growing confidence that producers are following through on commitments to cut supplies and as fuel demand picks up as coronavirus lockdowns ease.Brent crude futures were up 1.4%, or 48 cents, at $36.01 a barrel by 1210 GMT.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 2.3%, or 75 cents, to $34. There was no WTI settlement on Monday because of the U.S. Memorial Day holiday."The current recovery in oil prices has primarily been driven by supply considerations. The world’s swing producers…
Virus Lockdowns Pummel Global Gas Demand, Force LNG Output Cuts
Lockdowns to slow the coronavirus pandemic are pummelling gas demand in the world's biggest buyers of liquefied natural gas (LNG), pushing Asia's spot prices to record lows and forcing some suppliers to start cutting output. Economies worldwide have ground to a halt as virus containment measures have taken their toll, slashing gas demand for power generation, heating, cooking, vehicles and chemical manufacture. The world's biggest LNG markets - Japan, China, South Korea, and India - are all seeing a drop in demand.
Oil Prices Extend Gains on Demand Hopes as Lockdowns ease
Oil prices jumped again on Tuesday on hopes for a recovery in vehicle traffic and fuel demand as some European and Asian countries along with several U.S. states began to ease coronavirus lockdown measures.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were 7.75%, or $1.58, higher at $21.97 per barrel by 0820 GMT. The U.S. benchmark has closed higher for the last four sessions.Brent crude futures were up 5.5%, or $1.49, at $28.69.Italy, Spain, Nigeria, and India, together with Ohio and other U.S. states, began allowing some people to go back to work and opened up construction sites…
