Andy Home, recycling pioneers racing to close rare earths scrap gaps
This question is more urgent now than ever after China restricted its exports in the first half of this year. The move sent shockwaves throughout Western manufacturing chains. The race to create domestic mine-to magnet supply chains is accelerating, especially in the United States. Here, the Department of Defense has taken a direct stake, MP Materials, the operator of the only rare earths mining facility in the country, and guaranteed a minimum price for the products. Old laptops, powertools and smartphones are all part of the solution.
Taiwan's offshore projects will move into deeper waters and require more state support
Industry officials and analysts say that Taiwan's attempt to boost its offshore wind market will require a huge amount of government support to help prospective suppliers achieve their capacity goals, as projects are moved to deeper, more technically challenging waters. The island's densely-populated population, which was long dependent on coal power, has quadrupled the wind power capacity from 1 gigawatt to 4 GW, up from less than 1 before the COVID-19 epidemic. It aims to have 60% of its power derived from renewable sources by 2050.
Strathcona Energy, Canada, sweetens MEG Energy's bid to top Cenovus
Strathcona Resources, a Canadian oil and natural gas company, increased its bid for MEG Energy Monday in an attempt to surpass Cenovus Energy. MEG's Christina Lake project is one of Canada's most prized assets in the energy sector. Its long reserve life, its low operating costs, and the significant growth potential it offers make it one the last large-scale oil patch expansion opportunities. MEG's Board has approved Cenovus offer to combine Christina Lake with Cenovus adjacent assets.
Investors await growth data; consumer and energy sectors drag Australian share prices lower
The Australian share market ended Tuesday with a lower closing price, due to thin trading. This was mainly caused by the consumer and energy sector, where heavyweight constituents were traded ex-dividend. Local traders also remained on the sidelines, waiting for economic growth figures that are expected later this week. The S&P/ASX 200 index fell 0.3% to 8,900.6, its third consecutive session in red. The 0.5% drop on Monday followed a strong August. Woolworths, the supermarket chain, fell 3.1%. Consumer stocks dropped 1.7%.
US and Russian officials discussed the latest Ukraine peace talks alongside energy deals
Five sources familiar with these talks claim that U.S. officials and Russian government officials discussed energy deals in parallel to negotiations to achieve peace in Ukraine this month. They said that these deals were presented as incentives for Washington to relax sanctions against Russia and to encourage the Kremlin into peace in Ukraine. Due to sanctions imposed after the Ukraine invasion in February 2022, Russia is no longer able to attract international investment into its energy sector or make major deals.
Suriname's Staatsolie will launch an offer for offshore oil fields in November
Suriname's state-owned oil company Staatsolie announced on Tuesday that it will offer an "open door" in November for the exploration and evaluation of offshore areas. The small South American country is seeking partners and funding for an oil and natural gas boom, which they hope to achieve. The country is expecting to start offshore oil and natural gas production by 2028, following a successful investment decision for the flagship 12 billion dollar Gran Morgu project, between TotalEnergies, APA Corp, and Staatsolie.
US and Russian officials discussed the latest Ukraine peace talks alongside energy deals
Five sources familiar with these talks claim that U.S. officials and Russian government officials discussed energy deals in parallel to negotiations to achieve peace in Ukraine this month. They said that these deals were presented as incentives for the Kremlin, to encourage it to accept peace in Ukraine and Washington to ease sanctions against Russia. Due to sanctions imposed after the Ukraine invasion in February 2022, Russia is no longer able to attract major international investments in its energy sector or sign large deals.
Norway's DNO restarts oil production from Kurdistan after drone attacks
DNO, a Norwegian company, has resumed oil production in its Tawke, and Peshkabir, fields, in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdistan region. Production was halted in this area last month because of drone attacks. Last month, officials from the energy sector said that repeated drone attacks on oilfields around the region reduced crude production, including other companies', by between 140,000 and 150,000 barrels a day. DNO reported that no one was injured but surface processing equipment and an oil tank at Tawke, were damaged.
Maguire: US gas-heavy pipeline to fuel tensions with LNG exporters
U.S. energy firms are building the largest gas-fired generation capacity in the world, cementing the position of the United States as the world's biggest natural gas consumer and the gas-fired producer. The growing dependence on natural gas in the domestic power sector will also exacerbate tensions between the rapidly expanding LNG export sector and the domestic power industry, as the latter is relying on cheap natural gas and abundant supplies to expand. The increasing competition between power companies and LNG exporters for U.S.
Maguire: US gas-heavy pipeline to fuel tensions with LNG exporters
U.S. energy firms are building the largest gas-fired generation capacity in the world, cementing the position of the United States as the world's biggest natural gas consumer and the gas-fired producer. The growing dependence on natural gas in the domestic power sector will also exacerbate tensions between the rapidly expanding LNG export sector and the domestic power industry, as the latter is relying on cheap natural gas and abundant supplies to expand. The increasing competition between power companies and LNG exporters for U.S.
FTSE 100 closes at record high as financial and defence stocks surge
The FTSE 100 closed at a record high in Britain on Thursday. Gains in the financial and defence sectors fueled this, as investors assessed important economic data. The blue-chip index rose for the fourth day in a row, gaining 0.1%. The midcap index fell 0.2%. Investors have responded positively to UK GDP second-quarter figures. These showed that the growth rate slowed down less than expected, despite U.S. tariffs on trade and a weaker job market. The UK benchmark was resilient despite Wall Street's retreat following unexpectedly high U.S.
Maguire: US clean energy capacity grows slower, but wider by 2025
This year, the pace of adding new solar, wind, and battery capacity in the U.S. has slowed down nationally and in some key states, which is hurting sentiment for clean energy. Climate trackers should take heart in the fact that growth has continued outside of Texas and California. According to data collected by the energy data platform Cleanview by mid-2025, combined installations of solar and wind power systems, as well as battery storage, are expected to increase by 7% by 2025 compared to the previous year.
Gulf Keystone oilfield in Iraqi Kurdistan resumes production following drone attack
Gulf Keystone Petroleum said that it has resumed oil production at the Shaikan field in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdistan Region, which had been halted by drone attacks last month. Last month, officials from the energy sector said that repeated drone attacks on oilfields across the region reduced crude production, and the output of other companies, by between 140,000 and 150,000 barrels a day. Gulf Keystone signed a production-sharing contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, which gives it an 80% interest in Shaikan.
Colombia's Ecopetrol reports a 46% drop in profit as oil prices fall
Ecopetrol, Colombia's state-owned oil company, reported a 46% drop in its net profits for the second quarter 2025. This was due to lower oil prices globally, which impacted sales. Production also decreased. The company reported a net profit of 1.81 trillion pesos ($450 million) for the three-month period ending June, compared with 3.38 trillion pesos a year ago. Total sales were 29.67 trillion, down 9% compared to 2024's same quarter. Ecopetrol's shares, which are owned by the Colombian Government to the tune of 88.5%, have seen lower prices on all its products.
German solar industry warns of ending subsidies after Minister proposes reductions
The German solar industry warned against the proposed end of subsidies for rooftop photovoltaics systems. They argued that withdrawing support from small installations could jeopardize the country's climate targets. Feed-in subsidies have been in place for 25 years to help expand the solar energy sector. They guarantee a price for producers of renewable energy who sell their power on the grid. The German government has made progress in its goal to cover 80% of the country's electricity needs by renewable sources by 2030.
Russia Strikes Ukrainian Gas Interconnector
Russia has struck a gas pumping station in Ukraine's southern Odesa region used in a scheme to import LNG from the U.S. and Azerbaijan, undermining preparations for winter, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday.President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the gas infrastructure had been attacked in the village of Novosilske on the border with Romania, where the Orlovka interconnector, through which Ukraine receives gas via the Transbalkan route, is located."This was a deliberate blow to our preparations for the heating season…
Exxon exceeds profit expectations with higher production despite low oil prices
Exxon Mobil - the United States’ largest oil producer - beat Wall Street expectations for the second quarter profit on Friday, as increased oil and gas production and low production costs compensated for the lower crude oil prices. Exxon Mobil reported that oil and gas production reached its highest level in any second quarter ever since Exxon Mobil was formed by the merger of Exxon Mobil and Exxon more than 25 year ago. LSEG data showed that adjusted earnings for the second quarter totaled $7.1 billion or $1.64 a share.
Vessel Owners Seek to End Contracts With Russian-Backed Nayara Energy
The owners of three vessels chartered by India's Nayara Energy have asked to end their contracts with company, six sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, under pressure from EU sanctions imposed on the Russian-owned refiner.Nayara, majority-owned by Russian entities including oil major Rosneft, runs India's third-biggest refinery and exports refined products and also supplies them domestically.Fresh European Union sanctions unveiled on July 18 that target Russia and its energy sector over Moscow's war in Ukraine, have been increasingly disruptive to Nayara.
India's Waaree Energies claims that the US anti-dumping investigation won't hinder solar ambitions
Waaree Energies, a manufacturer of Indian solar panels, said Tuesday it was "confident" in its exports to America and that it would be prepared to respond to any anti-dumping investigation. This came after a group of solar manufacturers accused the company of undercutting their prices. The U.S. Commerce Department has reviewed a petition submitted on 17 July by a group domestic U.S. Solar companies seeking tariffs against imports from India. Indonesia, and Laos. Waaree is named in the petition as one of several firms accused of dumping cheap panels at the expense U.S.
Russian Urals Oil Prices For Indian Port Delivery Firm
Prices for Russia's flagship Urals crude oil for delivery to Indian ports in late August/early September firmed further, while discounts to Brent were the narrowest since 2022 amid firm demand in India and Turkey and low supply of the grade, three sources said.Spot discounts for Urals crude narrowed to between $1.50 and $1.60 per barrel to dated Brent on a delivery ex-ship (DES) basis on average for cargoes arriving in India in late August/early September, from between $1.70 and $2 per barrel to dated Brent on a DES basis about a month ago, the traders said.That is the narrowest