PetroChina will phase out 19 old chemical and refining units to reduce sector glut
Analysts say that PetroChina, a state-owned company, plans to permanently close 19 aging refining and chemicals units in order to reduce overcapacity. This is part of Beijing’s campaign to boost profitability and curb the country’s overcapacity. Due to the rapid electrification, fuel demand in this country's transportation fleet is expected to increase faster than anticipated.
PetroChina's net profit for the third quarter is down 3.9% on an annual basis
PetroChina Co Ltd, Asia's biggest oil and gas producer, reported on Thursday that its third quarter net profit fell 3.9% from the previous year due to lower crude oil prices. However, it continued to maintain steady crude production while expanding natural gas output. In a filing to the stock exchange, the company reported that its net profit had fallen to 42.29 billion Yuan ($5.94billion)…
Sinopec's profit for Jan-Sept is down by a third due to lower oil prices and weaker fuel sales
Sinopec, a Chinese oil company, reported a 32% drop in its net income year-on-year for the first three months of this year due to lower crude prices and weaker sales. Sinopec, the world's biggest refiner by volume, reported a net profit of 8.5 billion yuan (1.19 billion dollars) in its third quarter, which was almost flat compared to a year ago, according to Chinese accounting standards.
BPCL and Oil India plan to expand refinerys worth $11 billion.
Bharat Petrol Corp, the state-run oil company in India, signed three agreements on Tuesday at an industry conference. One of them was with Oil India for a greenfield refinery complex and petrochemical plant worth 1 trillion rupees ($11.38billion) to be built in Andhra Pradesh. BPCL has also partnered up with Numaligarh Refinery, Oil India and Fertilisers & Chemicals Travancore for a 35 billion rupee pipeline across the country.
Singapore allocates more land to green energy and data centre park
Singapore has allocated more land to its manufacturing hub Jurong Island for renewable energy and data centres, according to a statement released by the Singapore Economic Development Board (SEDB) and JTC Corporation on Monday. The agencies have announced that about 300 hectares (741.32 acre) of land, or roughly 10% of Jurong Island, will be reserved for renewable energy projects and low carbon fuel production.
Singapore allocates more land to green energy and data centre park
Singapore has allocated more land to its manufacturing hub Jurong Island for renewable energy and data centres, according to a statement released by the Singapore Economic Development Board (SEDB) and JTC Corporation on Monday. The agencies have announced that about 300 hectares (741.32 acre) of land, or roughly 10% of Jurong Island, will be reserved for renewable energy projects and low carbon fuel production.
Chandra Asri buys Exxon Singapore's retail fuel stations
Chandra Asri Pacific announced on Friday that it would acquire Exxon Mobil’s retail petrol stations with the Esso brand in Singapore, as the U.S. giant streamlines its downstream operation. In a press release, the Indonesian conglomerate stated that the deal should be finalized by the end this year. The value of this deal, which includes almost 60 stations and related supply agreements, has not been disclosed.
FT reports that EU is considering a ban on ethanol in hand sanitisers due to cancer concerns
Financial Times reported that the EU was considering classifying ethanol as a harmful substance, which increases cancer risk. The FT reported that an internal recommendation made on 10 October by one of the ECHA working groups flagged ethanol, a substance toxic, as a substance which increases the risk of pregnancy complications and cancer. It was recommended to replace ethanol in cleaning products and other products.
After a drone attack in Ukraine, a giant Russian gas plant has suspended its intake of Kazakh gas
Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said that a drone attack in Ukraine forced the Orenburg gas processing facility, the largest of its kind anywhere, to stop receiving gas from Kazakhstan. Yevgeny Solntsev, the regional governor of Orenburg, had stated earlier in the day that the drone attack had partially damaged the plant and caused a fire at an atelier at the plant.
Germany Sets New LNG Import Terminals into Operation
Germany is putting natural gas import terminals into operation as part of the country's efforts to replace piped Russian gas following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.It is deploying floating storage regasification units (FSRUs) to receive seaborne LNG, which official data shows has captured an 11% share of all German gas imports over the first three quarters of 2025.Long-term…
Saudi Aramco CEO: Saudi Aramco's maximum oil production capacity can be sustained for an entire year at 12 million barrels per day.
Saudi Aramco's Chief Executive Amin Nasser said that the company can maintain crude oil production of 12 million barrels a day (bpd), for an entire year, without incurring any additional costs. Saudi Arabia has a large share of the world’s spare oil supply – idle oil that can be quickly brought to market. Nasser, speaking at the Energy Intelligence Forum held in London…
Shell to suffer a $600m loss due to Rotterdam Biofuels Project Cancellation
Shell said Tuesday that it expects to take a $600-million hit from the abandonment of its Rotterdam biofuels project. However, it also noted higher production of liquefied gas and improved gas trading results. Shell approved the development of an 820,000 metric ton per year biofuels facility in 2021. However, construction was halted last year. It was then scrapped completely last month due to its lack of competitiveness.
Germany launches a 6 billion euro industrial decarbonisation programme, including CCS technology
Katherina Reiche, German Economy Minister, announced a funding initiative of 6 billion euros ($7 billion), aimed at decarbonising industrial processes. This is the first time that CCS technology has been incorporated into climate protection contracts in the country. The program targets sectors that are energy-intensive, such as steel, glass, chemicals, and cement…
OMV reduces investment targets and cuts back on spending for renewables until 2030
Austria's OMV announced on Monday that it would cut sustainable investments, and reduce its target for organic capital expenditures yearly by 1 billion euro ($1.2 billion). This was also to reflect Borealis' deconsolidation following a merger. The group has set a new organic capital spending goal of 2.8 billion euro per year. This is down from its previous projections of 3.8 billion euro.
Wall Street Journal, October 3,
These are the most popular stories from the Wall Street Journal. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch their accuracy. - A multibillion-dollar deal to send Nvidia's artificial-intelligence chips to the United Arab Emirates is stuck in neutral nearly five months after it was signed, frustrating CEO Jensen Huang and some senior administration officials.
Occidental CEO: Chemical divestiture to improve core oil and gas business
CEO Vicki Hollub said in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday that Occidental Petroleum would be better positioned to invest in the core oil and natural gas business following the divestiture of a chemical unit. The company will also be able replace the cash flow lost from the division within two and a quarter years. Occidental shares fell more…
Occidental reduces debt by selling Berkshire's chemicals unit for $9.7 billion
Occidental Petroleum announced on Thursday that it will sell OxyChem, its chemicals division, to Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, for $9.7 Billion. This is the largest divestment to date to reduce debt following years of expensive acquisitions. The deal would be Berkshire's largest since the $11.6 billion acquisition of Alleghany Corporation by Berkshire in 2022. It would also expand the chemical portfolio of Berkshire beyond Lubrizol.
Russell: The Big Three Asian thermal coal producers look healthy while others are pale
Asia dominates global thermal coal markets, but the future looks increasingly divided between the robust domestic markets of the three heavyweights China, India and Indonesia as well as a slowly fading seaborne industry. In recent years, the three countries have increased their coal production rapidly to meet the rising demand for energy. Outside of these three nations…
Russell: The Big Three Asian thermal coal producers look healthy while others are pale
Asia dominates global thermal coal markets, but the future looks increasingly divided between the robust domestic markets of the three heavyweights China, India and Indonesia as well as a slowly fading seaborne industry. In recent years, the three countries have increased their coal production rapidly to meet the rising demand for energy. Outside of these three nations…
China uses solar panels to fight desert sands
In the arid north of China, workers trim goji berry plants that are spread out under the protection of thousands of solar panel. The solar panel facility of 1 gigawatt in Ningxia, a region in northwest China, is part of an extensive network that uses the shade and bulk of the panels to reverse desertification. Vice-chairperson Liu Yuanguan of Ningxia Baofeng said that the company…