Oil Prices Reach 2019 Highs
Oil prices rose to new 2019 highs on Tuesday, supported by OPEC supply cuts and falling output from Iran and Venezuela because of U.S. sanctions.Brent crude oil futures were up 16 cents at $67.70 a barrel at 1415 GMT, having earlier risen to a 2019 peak of $68.20, their highest since November 2018.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were at $59.17, up 8 cents from their last settlement.
Petronas Raises April Crude Price Factor
Malaysian state oil firm Petronas has set the price factor for Malaysian Crude Oil (MCO) for April at $5.50 per barrel, up 10 cents from the previous month, the company said on TuesdayThe monthly price factor is added to the average of Platts' dated Brent prices published in the month to derive the Malaysian crude official selling price (OSP)Petronas changed its OSP mechanism effective January 2017, basing its benchmark price on a basket of four Malaysian crude grades: Labuan
Oil Edges Above $67
Oil edged further above $67 a barrel on Monday, supported by the prospect of prolonged OPEC-led oil supply curbs though concern that an economic downturn may dent fuel consumption curbed gains.OPEC and non-OPEC ministers who met in Azerbaijan to monitor their oil supply-cut accord said they planned to exceed their commitments. Saudi Arabia signaled OPEC may need to extend the curbs until the end of the year.Brent crude…
US Rig Count Lowest Since April 2018
U.S. energy firms this week reduced the number of oil rigs operating for a fourth week in a row with drilling slowing to its lowest in nearly a year, prompting the government to cut crude output growth forecasts.Drillers cut one oil rig in the week to March 15, bringing the total count down to 833, the lowest since April 2018, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm…
U.S. Natural Gas Production Sets New Record
According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), US natural gas production registered an increase by 10.0 billion cubic feet per day in 2018, noting an 11% rise in comparison to 2017.The development reported was the largest annual increase in production on record, establishing a record high for a second year in a row, it said in a press release.U.S. natural gas production measured as gross withdrawals averaged 101.3 Bcf/d in 2018…
Newbuild VLCC's Lift Gasoil, Head Westward
Ship builders in Asia are sending a record number of supertankers west carrying middle distillate oil products, such as diesel, data intelligence firm Vortexa said on Thursday, adding more volumes might follow.Very large crude carriers (VLCC) often carry refined, or clean, oil products on their maiden journey before switching to crude oil."New build VLCCs are loading clean gasoil for maiden voyages at record levels in 2019…
Intertek: Independent Hydrocarbon Lab in Iraq
Intertek launched the first independent crude oil, fuel testing and petroleum products laboratory in Iraq. The new hydrocarbon laboratory, located in the port of Khor Al Zubair, will support the increased demand for quality assurance solutions in the petroleum industry across Iraq and will soon be offering octane engine fuel testing of gasoline for the first time in the country.The launch of the 1,300 sq. ft.
Oil Drops 3 pct, U.S. Supply Surges
Oil prices fell about 3 percent on Friday and were set for a second straight week of declines after disappointing U.S. job growth revived concerns about a slowing global economy and weaker demand for oil.With surging U.S. oil supply also unsettling markets, Brent crude futures fell $1.85, or 2.8 percent, to $64.45 a barrel by 10:42 a.m. EST (1542 GMT). The international benchmark was on track to fall about 1 percent for the week.U.S.
Petronas Q4 Profit Skids 21%
Malaysian state oil firm Petronas said on Friday its fourth-quarter profit slid 21 percent as costs piled up, and warned it will have to chart a way through a volatile, challenging 2019 citing market uncertainties and geopolitical risks.Petronas, Malaysia's only Fortune 500 company, said October-December profit slipped to 14.3 billion Malaysian ringgit ($3.50 billion) from 18.2 billion ringgit in the same period a year earlier…
US to Overtake Saudi in Oil Exports
United States will soon export more oil and liquids than Saudi Arabia, thanks to the continued rise in oil production from US shale plays and the increased oil export capacity from the Gulf Coast.According to Rystad Energy, energy research and business intelligence company, it is a a pivotal geopolitical shift. The US has for decades relied on large-scale imports to satisfy its thirst for oil…
Mossel Bay Port Ready to Serve Total
South Africa’s smallest commercial port, the Port of Mossel Bay is well equipped to provide value following global energy giant Total’s significant gas condensate discovery on the Brulpadda prospects, located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin, 175 kilometres off the southern coast of South Africa, announced Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).The authority has dispelled criticism…
Oil Edges Up
Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, supported by OPEC-led supply cuts and U.S. sanctions against exporters Venezuela and Iran, but gains were capped by falling stock markets and renewed concerns over demand growth.Brent crude futures gained 26 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $66.25 a barrel by 11:43 a.m. EST (1643 GMT).U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 45 cents, or 0.8 percent…
Ineos to Upgrade Forties Pipeline
Billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's petrochemicals company Ineos said on Wednesday it would spend 1 billion pounds ($1.33 billion) on UK energy assets, including the Forties pipeline, which carries almost half of Britain's oil and gas from the North Sea.Ineos said it would invest 500 million pounds on overhauling its ageing Forties pipeline, which has been in service since 1975 and can carry up to 600…
Oil Steady, Supported by OPEC Cuts
Record U.S. output, exports offset some of OPEC's cuts.Oil prices were broadly steady on Friday as surging U.S. supply and concerns of a global economic slowdown were offset by falling OPEC output.International Brent crude futures were at $66.39 per barrel at 1231 GMT, up 8 cents from Thursday's settlement.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were at $57.38 per barrel…
China Imports First U.S. Crude since November
An oil tanker carrying U.S. crude oil is offloading its cargo at a Chinese port on Friday, marking China's first import from the United States since late November, according to trade sources and Refinitiv data.Trade tensions between the United States and China cut U.S. oil exports to Asia to a trickle in the second half of last year. No U.S. crude volumes were recording going into China October…
LNG Only Fills Niches in Europe
Although LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) provides a solid supplement to European gas supplies, the EU is and will remain a pipeline market – for good reasons, said Wintershall's new position paper.The report from Germany's largest crude oil and natural gas producer on the importance of liquid gas for Europe said that the liquefaction is highly energy-intensive – the energy consumption corresponds to about 13% of the gas transported.With an energy loss of less than five percent…
DOE Chief Perry: OPEC Bill Could Spike Oil Prices
The United States needs to be cautious about pending legislation that would allow the Justice Department to sue OPEC and other oil producers over supply cuts because it could result in higher prices in the long term, U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on Thursday."We need to be really careful before we pass legislation that may have an impact that goes way past its intended consequences…
US Offers Oil from Emergency Reserve
The U.S. Energy Department said on Thursday it is offering up to five million barrels of sweet crude oil from the national emergency reserve in a sale mandated by previous laws to raise funds to modernize the facility.Laws passed by Congress in previous years require the department to hold sales to pay for improvements to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve which is held in caverns on the…
Pemex Shrugs off Losses; Eyes New Oilfields
Mexico's national oil company Pemex narrowed its multibillion-dollar losses last year, executives said on Wednesday, as it seeks to fast-track the development of 20 new fields this year in a bid to bring new streams of crude online.Long a source of Mexican pride and a potent political symbol, the state-owned company faces an increasingly uncertain future as oil output slides, leaving it with a $7.6 billion loss in 2018."In 2019…
Citgo Loans Price in Potential Regime Change
The bank debt of oil refiner Citgo Petroleum Corp, US subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), has been volatile in recent days as Venezuela’s political crisis deepens and the market prices in a potential regime change in the South American nation.The company’s US$650m term loan B jumped in secondary trading this week, according to a trader monitoring the debt, after the Houston…
