Saturday, July 12, 2025

The Plant News

Australia declares World Heritage Listing to Protect Indigenous Carvings

The government announced on Saturday that securing World Heritage status for Australia’s Murujuga Rock art will help to protect the ancient Indigenous carvings located in an industry hub. The art is thought to be at least 50,000 years old and lies on a peninsula with gas and explosives factories, which highlights the delicate relationship between the nation’s Indigenous culture, and its vital resource industries. UNESCO awarded World Heritage status on Friday to the site located in the Burrup Peninsula after a "tireless nominating process" that began in 2023. Environment Minister Murray Watt said.

Canada's New LNG Exports Have Yet to Lift Gas Prices

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Last month's start-up of LNG Canada, the country's first large-scale liquefied natural gas export facility, has failed to lift Western Canadian natural gas prices as quickly as some market participants and observers expected, due to a persistent supply glut and the gradual pace of the facility's ramp-up.Shell-led Canada shipped its first cargo of 70,000 metric tons from the country's Pacific coast on June 30, to South Korea.The export facility, located in northern British Columbia, is anticipated to bring 2.1 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) of new gas demand to Western Canada…

SEFE signs 3-year contract with ADNOC for LNG supply

SEFE, a German company, has signed a deal with ADNOC of the United Arab Emirates for liquefied gas. Deliveries are expected to start in 2025. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, SEFE (Securing Energy for Europe), a state-owned company, seeks long-term supply agreements after losing most its Russian pipeline gas supplies in 2022. The agreement, valued at $400 million, is based on the Das Island liquefaction plant of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Both companies said that they wanted to strengthen their long-term relationship with energy partners.

Russell: Trump's tariffs on copper won't boost US production, but will increase costs

The proposed 50% tariff on imported copper may be the most embarrassing own goal in the ongoing trade war between the United States and the rest of world. Trump announced Wednesday that the tariff would take effect on August 1. Trump's statement was quite definitive, but there are still many questions. For example, what products would be included in the definition? And, is there a possibility of exemptions or reduced rates for major US suppliers, like Chile and Canada? Even if concessions are made prior to the implementation…

Russell: Trump's tariffs on copper won't boost US production, but will increase costs

The proposed 50% tariff on imported copper may be the most embarrassing own goal in the ongoing trade war between the United States and the rest of world. Trump announced Wednesday that the tariff would take effect on August 1. Trump's statement was quite definitive, but there are still many questions. For example, what products would be included in a definition of copper? And, is there any scope for exemptions, or for lower rates, for major US suppliers like Chile and Canada? Even if concessions are made prior…

Saudi Aramco Discusses LNG Purchase to Support Commonwealth LNG's Market Growth

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Oil giant Saudi Aramco is in talks with Commonwealth LNG to buy liquefied natural gas from the U.S. company's proposed facility in Cameron, Louisiana, as it seeks to strengthen its position in the market for the superchilled fuel, four people told Reuters on Wednesday.The talks are for 2 million tons per annum (mtpa), two of the people said.Aramco and Commonwealth LNG did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.If a deal is struck, it will bring Commonwealth LNG closer to the 8 mtpa it plans to sell out of the plant's capacity of 9.5 mtpa.

Sources: Saudi Aramco and Commonwealth LNG in negotiations for an offtake agreement

Four people said that Saudi Aramco, the oil giant, is in discussions with Commonwealth LNG about buying liquefied gas from its proposed Cameron, Louisiana facility. The company wants to improve its market position for super-cooled fuel. Two people confirmed that the talks concern 2 million tonnes per annum. Aramco and Commonwealth LNG didn't immediately respond to comments. If a deal can be reached, Commonwealth LNG will get closer to its goal of selling 8 mtpa of the 9.5 mtpa capacity of the plant. The company currently has four mtpa of signed agreements for sales and purchases, as well as one non-binding heads agreement for 1 mtpa.

Ghana warns about power cuts as Eni, the Italian gas company, works to increase gas supply

The West African nation said that the Italian energy group Eni would temporarily suspend operations on Sunday at a Ghana gas plant to implement an increase in supply, which could result in power outages. Ghana, which is the second largest cocoa producer in the world, has tried to boost oil and gas production, both to increase revenue and to prevent fossil fuels becoming stranded. The energy ministry announced on X that it had reached an agreement with Eni for a 30 million standard cubic foot per day increase in natural gas supplies to 270 millions.

SEC filing reveals that Venture Global is making money on LNG exports from Plaquemines plant

Venture Global has exported more LNG cargoes out of its Plaquemines facility in Louisiana, and it earned twice as much in fees as its other U.S. location. According to the SEC filing, the LNG company exported 51 cargoes of LNG from Plaquemines for a liquefaction charge of $7.09 million British thermal units per quarter (mmBtu). During the same time period, the company exported 38 LNG cargoes at an average of $2.66/mmBtu. Venture Global began selling LNG on Calcasieu Pass under long-term agreements, instead of the spot market. This resulted in lower liquefaction charges for the second quarter.

Shell reduces LNG production outlook and flags weaker trade

Shell has lowered its outlook for the second quarter for both its integrated gas division and liquefied gas production. It also guided for weaker results in trading, according to a quarterly report published on Monday before full results. Shell's integrated gas division gave a production range of 900,000.0-940.000 barrels of oil-equivalent per day (boed), as opposed to the 890,000.0-950.000 boed given in its first quarter results. The second quarter's LNG production will be between 6.4 and 6.8 million tons, up from a range of 6.3 to 6.9 millions tons.

Venture Global signs 20-year LNG contract with Petronas

Venture Global Inc, a U.S. LNG exporter, announced Thursday that Petronas had agreed to purchase 1 million metric tonnes of LNG from the CP2 Project. This is its first new CP2 client in two years. Venture Global, a startup just three years ago has grown to be the second largest LNG producer in the United States and played a major role in keeping this country stable. According to a person who has knowledge of this matter, Petronas's 20-year deal would supply oil from the first phase of the project. The CP2 plant, if constructed in Louisiana, will be the U.S.'s second largest LNG facility with a combined production capacity of 28 MTPA.

Andy Home: Metal smelting will be the next major mineral crisis for the West.

The impact of China’s export controls on rare earths has already caused global supply chains to reel, but a greater threat from critical minerals is imminent. Western metal smelters face a crisis. China's rapid expansion in processing capacity is reducing margins for all metals. Recently, copper smelters located in Namibia and Philippines were placed under care and maintenance because their processing fees had fallen. There are more people at risk. Glencore warned that the Mount Isa Copper Smelter in Australia was no longer financially viable after mining activities ceased this month.

Exxon-QatarEnergy JV requests permission from US regulators to reexport LNG starting October 1.

Golden Pass LNG, owned by Exxon Mobil, QatarEnergy and others, has requested permission from U.S. regulators to re-export Liquefied Natural Gas as of October 1. This is because the export facility, after delays, is nearing production. The company wants to reexport LNG cargos that it intends to import in order to cool down the export plant, still under construction, in Texas. The cooling down of the plant is usually the last step before LNG production. Golden Pass plans to export LNG by the end of this year after building a 18 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa), LNG export facility at Sabine Pass in Texas.

TotalEnergies UK Assets to Be Bought by Prax Remain Unsold

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The TotalEnergies West of Shetland offshore assets it agreed to sell to Prax Group last year remain under the French oil major's ownership, it said on Wednesday, so will not be subject to disposals resulting from liquidation proceedings affecting the British company."The transaction to sell our West of Shetland asset to Prax has not yet completed and as such we remain the operator of the Shetland Gas Plant and related fields," TotalEnergies EP UK said in its statement.TotalEnergies had agreed to sell Prax a portfolio of mature offshore fields producing about 7…

Russian LNG exports dropped 4.4% year-on-year in January to June, according to data

LSEG's preliminary data on Wednesday showed that Russia's liquefied gas exports in the first six months of this year fell by 4.4% compared to a year ago, reaching 15.2 million metric tonnes. This was despite international sanctions over Ukraine. The United States, in particular, has imposed sanctions against companies and vessels connected to Russia's Arctic LNG 2 plant due to the conflict in Ukraine. This effectively freezes the project as Moscow is unable find buyers. U.S. president Donald Trump said that he wanted the European Union (EU) to buy more U.S. LNG, and he would make it more available.

US LNG Exports Fall in June Amidst Maintenance

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U.S. liquefied natural gas exports fell to their second lowest monthly level for the year in June, as maintenance work at some of the country's largest export facilities hurt output, according to preliminary data from financial firm LSEG.The United States, the world's top exporter of LNG, sold 8.4 million metric tons of the superchilled gas during the month, down from 8.9 MT in May and well below April's record of 9.3 MT, LSEG data showed.The reduction in LNG exports was primarily due to seasonal maintenance, including…

Users of rare earth magnets are compelled to pay premium prices for ex China supply

Rahim Suleman has been reaching out to automakers, and other potential customers, for years to sell the rare earth magnets produced by the factory his company is building in Estonia. It's one of only a few outside the dominant producer China. Suleman's sales pitch was retired after Beijing placed new restrictions on super-strong magnets in wind turbines and electric vehicles, effective April 4. He no longer needed it. Since China's export controls have tightened up some rare earth exports in the middle of a trade dispute with the U.S.

German wind power boosts spot prices

German and French baseload electricity prices dropped by about 10% on Tuesday, as the wind power was expected to increase in Germany. However, price remained high due to a heatwave that has affected Europe. As temperatures have risen, authorities in several European nations have issued health warnings. Wildfires in Turkey & France have forced more than 50,000 to evacuate. On Monday, benchmark European electricity prices exceeded 100 Euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh) for the first since April due to cooling system requirements and low wind output.

Canada exports first LNG cargo from Pacific Coast

A spokesperson for Shell-led LNG Canada confirmed on Monday that Canada's first LNG export cargo was shipped from its Pacific Coast to Asia. The cargo was loaded on the tanker Gaslog Glasgow at LNG Canada's Kitimat site, British Columbia. This happened just over a weeks after the facility had confirmed its first production. It became the first large commercial LNG operation of the country. LNG Canada is North America's first major LNG plant with direct access to Pacific Coast. The project comes at a moment when tensions over trade with the United States are increasing Canada's desire for diversification of its export markets.

Guyana Searches For Company to Build NGL Facility

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Guyana is looking for a company willing to build a natural gas liquids (NGL) facility as part of efforts to monetize its offshore gas reserves, according to a notice published by the South American government on Sunday.The storage and offloading facility would receive about 4,200 barrels per day (bpd) of liquids from a separation plant that is currently under construction. Once operational, that plant will strip the liquids from natural gas piped to shore from offshore fields operated by a consortium led by Exxon Mobil.The new NGL facility project will include a pipeline and be scalable to receive another 5…

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