Russell: China imports most energy but has the best position on Iran
China is the largest energy importer in the world and would appear to be vulnerable to the rise in crude oil and gas prices caused by the conflict between Israel, the United States and Iran. China's huge crude oil stockpile is a buffer against price spikes. This means that any energy-driven inflation in other parts of the world won't hit China. By increasing the exports of refined goods, China's refiners may also be able to reap a windfall profit in 'the?event?of a prolonged disruption of crude oil supplies from the Middle East.
Russell: China imports most energy but has the best position on Iran
China, the world's biggest energy importer, is vulnerable to the rise in prices of crude oil and natural gas caused by the conflict between Israel and United States against Iran. China's huge crude oil stockpile is likely to be a buffer against any price spikes in the world, so that any energy-driven inflation will not affect China. In the event that crude oil supplies from the Middle East are disrupted for a long time, it is possible that China’s refiners could make a windfall profit by increasing exports of refined goods.
Mercuria profits fall as the company expands into metals and LNG
Mercuria's?chief finance officer? told a reporter on Friday that the trading house had posted a 6% drop in profit for 2025, despite expanding its metals and physical LNG businesses, as well as its shipping business, from Latin America into Central Asia. Trading?houses' profits fell from the record highs in 2022-2023 when energy prices rose due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Merchants reinvested profits in business expansion, equity and dividends while paying record amounts.
Lukoil to Sell International Assets
Russia's Lukoil is selling its international assets after the U.S. imposed sanctions on the company.Washington refused to approve the sale of assets to Swiss commodity trader Gunvor, throwing Lukoil's operations in disarray and leading to a scramble of potential buyers.The U.S. Treasury cleared potential buyers to talk to Lukoil until December 13. They will need separate approval for specific deals. U.S. oil major Chevron is studying options to buy some global assets of Lukoil, sources have said. U.S.
US sanctions threaten to disrupt Lukoil's international assets
The sale of Lukoil's overseas assets to Swiss commodity traders Gunvor has been blocked by Washington, which is a result of U.S. sanctions. Lukoil has a global footprint that includes upstream oil and natural gas projects, refineries, and fuel distribution networks in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. The company produces a half-million barrels of crude oil per day, 0.5% of the global oil production, outside of Russia in countries like Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Here are some details on its international assets.
Lukoil, a Russian oil company, says it will sell its international assets in response to Western sanctions
Lukoil - Russia's second largest oil producer - announced on Monday that it will sell its international assets in response to sanctions imposed by the United States last week over Ukraine. The sale of assets will be the biggest action taken by a Russian firm in response to Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine that began in February 2022. The sale of assets is being conducted under an OFAC wind-down license. Lukoil stated that if necessary, the company will apply for an extension of the license in order to continue uninterrupted operations of international assets.
EBRD may lend up to $1,5 billion for Central Asia Hydro Plant
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) could lend up $1.5 billion for an Central Asian hydropower station, according to its president. He also noted that the demand for renewable energy is increasing despite some resistance to funding green energies. Kambar-Ata 1 is one of Central Asia's largest renewable energy projects, with a combined 1,860 megawatts. Megawatts of power is expected to boost agricultural output in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and provide electricity.
EU Chief: EU to counter new US tariffs
The European Commission's Ursula von der Leyen said that Donald Trump's tariffs on all goods and services were a serious blow to the global economy. She also stated that the European Union would be prepared to take countermeasures in the event of a failure to reach an agreement with Washington. Von der Leyen stated that the EU had already finalised a first set of tariffs for mid-April on goods worth up to 28.4 billion dollars ($26 billion) from the United States in response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum which took effect March 12.
Kazakhstan wants better terms for oil production sharing agreements
Kazakh President Kassym Jomart Tokayev ordered the government on Tuesday to intensify talks with international oil giants about an extension existing Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) at "better conditions". Central Asia is one of the top 10 oil producing countries in the world. It has a chequered past when it comes to international oil companies. They have been sued for billions of dollars. The government, according to foreign companies, is only seeking to increase the share of its oil and gas projects. This "resource nationalism" they call it.
TWMA Appoints Aslaksen as New CEO
Specialist drilling waste management company, TWMA, has announced the appointment of Halle Aslaksen as its new CEO.Aslaksen joins the Aberdeen-headquartered company from the Norwegian hydropower operator Småkraft, where he served as CEO. He was previously CEO at TCO and president of ALTUS Intervention in Scandinavia.With more than 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, Aslaksen has built a career across several disciplines and has worked across various roles for Smith International…
GasLog Sees Tighter LNG Shipping Market
GasLog, an international owner, operator and manager of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, is predicting a tighter LNG shipping market, as increasing United States LNG output combines with a seasonal uptick in demand for gas, resulting in rising demand for shipping and higher utilization of the global fleet.These underlying trends in the LNG commodity and shipping markets point towards a structurally tighter market through 2020 and into 2021.As of October 28…
China Becomes Top Natural Gas Importer
China has overtaken Japan to become the world's top importer of natural gas, as Beijing's crackdown on pollution boosts its demand for the more environmentally friendly fuel, while the restart of nuclear reactors in Japan reduces its LNG imports.China's total natural gas imports over January to October this year via pipeline and as liquefied natural gas (LNG) were at 72.06 million tonnes, up a third from the same period last year, according to Reuters calculations based on General Administration of Customs data.Japan…
Cryptocurrency May Light Up Renewable Energy in Moldova
Moldova, a small, landlocked country in eastern Europe, imports three-quarters of its energy and has seen its energy prices rise by more than half in the past five years.But that could soon change, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which this year will launch an innovative effort to power a Moldovan university with cryptocurrency-funded solar energy.The initiative with Sun Exchange, a South African solar power marketplace, will allow people to buy solar cells using SolarCoin…
Two Risks Threaten Commodities: Russell
It's not quite time to run up the red flags, but some recent developments in commodity markets suggest it may be time to start looking for them in the locker. The are two main factors that appear to be emerging that may threaten an end to the current quite rosy picture surrounding demand for commodities such as iron ore, steel and the metals most exposed to the battery boom, cobalt, lithium and nickel. On the supply side, there is a renewed rush of optimism that…
China's Energy Giants Return to Asian LNG Market as Sellers
Falling industrial demand and mild weather have turned China's energy giants into sellers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia for the first time since last year's massive import spree. Chinese players were on the receiving end of last year's doubling of LNG prices, largely driven by their rapid shift to gas to combat coal smog as well as elevated regional demand for the fuel. Although a CNOOC executive last week warned producers not to expect a similar payday in 2018…
India's Oil Imports Surged in 2017
India's oil imports rose by about 1.8 percent in 2017 to a record 4.37 million barrels per day (bpd) as the country boosted purchases to feed its expanded refining capacity, ship-tracking data obtained from sources and data compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research & Forecasts showed. To meet its growing fuel demand India, the world's third-biggest oil consumer, raised its refining capacity in the second half of 2017. India's capacity expansion to about 5 million bpd was aided by Reliance Industries…
China to top Japan as World's Biggest LNG Importer
Pollution fight drives surge in pipeline, LNG imports but Japan remains world's biggest importer of LNG. Beijing's crackdown on pollution has put China on track to overtake Japan this year as the world's biggest importer of natural gas, used to replace dirtier coal. China - already the biggest importer of oil and coal - is the world's third biggest user of natural gas behind the United States and Russia, but has to import around 40 percent of its total needs as domestic production can't keep up with demand.
China Rises to World's No.2 LNG Importer
China's 2017 LNG imports to top South Korea's for first time; becomes key driver of spot LNG prices. China will become the world's second-biggest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this year as it overtakes South Korea, shipping data in Thomson Reuters Eikon showed. This is a huge boost to Asia's emerging spot market as Chinese buyers rely much more on short-term purchases to meet their needs than their counterparts in Japan and South Korea. Shipping data…
China Still the Main Game for Commodity Demand: Russell
China strode like a colossus over major commodity markets in 2017, as the world's biggest buyer of natural resources made its presence felt on demand for coal, iron ore, crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). China's influence on major commodities is likely to remain the single most important factor driving supply and demand in 2018, but that's not to say next year will simply be a repeat of what happened this year. Still, some trends established in 2017 will continue, or even accelerate, with LNG potentially the best example.
UK Fraud Office Charges Two More in Unaoil Investigation
British prosecutors have charged two more people in an investigation into alleged bribery and corruption at privately-held Unaoil, a Monaco-based oil and gas services company. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said on Thursday it had charged Paul Bond, 65, and Stephen Whiteley, 62, with conspiracy to make corrupt payments to secure Iraqi contracts for an Unaoil client, SBM Offshore, between June 2005 and August 2011. Scotland-based Whiteley was a former vice president with SBM and Unaoil's general territories manager for Iraq, Kazakhstan and Angola.