US Energy Secretary: There are many opportunities for mutually beneficial energy trade with China
Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy secretary, said that there are many opportunities for a "win/win" energy trade between China & the United States. Donald Trump, the U.S. president and Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, reached a fragile truce on trade in South Korea Thursday. The agreements were on China's purchases of soybeans and exports of rare earths. There is room for a great deal of energy trade between China & the United States. China is the world's largest natural gas importer. The United States is the world's largest natural gas exporter.
Fluxys declares Force Majeure at Dunkirk LNG Hub due to Strike by French Workers
Fluxys, the operator of the Dunkirk LNG Terminal, declared force majeure on the site Wednesday until the early morning hours of October 3. The strike by French national unions is expected to affect delivery capacity for at least two days. Dunkirk's LNG terminal is Europe's second-largest and only directly connected to Belgium and France. It supplies about 20% of the annual gas requirements for both countries. In a bulletin, the operator announced that the Dunkirk terminal's delivery capacity will be cut to 44 gigawatt-hours on October 1, and 48 GWh by October 2. Force majeure is in effect until 0359 GMT, October 3.
French LNG Supply Still Disrupted by Strike
Workers at French LNG terminals will continue to block ships from discharging until their salary demands are met, two representatives with the CGT union said on Friday.The blockade at three out of four of the country's terminals has reduced gas outflows from one of Europe's top gas buyers and lifted prices this week.LNG terminal operator Elengy has invoked force majeure at its three sites in France because of the month-long strikes and said no ships can discharge until October 2.Reduced deliveries from French LNG terminals contributed to a 1.3% rise in the price of the Dutch TTF front-month benchmark European gas contract on Thursday…
Sources say that the German Economy Ministry is open to the idea of a SEFE-Uniper tie-up.
According to two sources familiar with the situation, the German economy ministry, which is responsible for the ownership of former SEFE Gazprom, would be open to combining the company with a bailed-out Uniper. Deliberations about a partial merger are taking place as the German government, which owns both companies after saving them for a total of 19.8 billion euro ($23.4 billion), during Europe's Energy Crisis, is considering exit options. One person said that while the German economy ministry was in favor of a tie up scenario, the finance ministry in Germany, which holds 99.12% of Uniper, is more sceptical.
EU envoys are expecting to resolve the blockage of new Russia sanctions by this week
Diplomats from the European Union said that they expected to reach an agreement during a summit of the EU this week regarding an 18th package against Russia. Slovakia and Hungary use it as a bargaining tool for concessions about Russian energy. The European Commission proposed the package to encourage Russia to negotiate with Ukraine a ceasefire after EU leaders demanded "massive sanction" in May. The package targets Russia's energy revenue by naming banks and hitting the shadow tanker fleet. Hungary and Slovakia announced…
Sources say Egypt is in talks with suppliers to purchase 40-60 LNG cargoes during this year due to the energy crisis.
Three sources familiar with the matter said that Egypt is in discussions with international energy companies and trading houses about buying 40-60 cargoes (LNG) of liquefied gas to ensure emergency fuel imports ahead of summer peak demand amid an worsening energy crisis. According to the latest available data from the Joint Organisations Data Initiative, Egypt's gas production fell by 39% in February to its lowest level in 9 years. It was 3.3 billion cubic meters. The most populous Arab nation has been a net gas importer since early 2024.
Sources: Turkey and Slovakia receive US waiver extensions for gas payments to Russia
Sources told reporters on Thursday that the United States has extended waivers to Turkey and Slovakia for gas payments made to Russia. The extensions will be valid until the end of May. Washington imposed sanctions on Russia's Gazprombank in November over the Ukraine conflict. Gazprombank is one of Russia's largest banks and receives payments from Gazprom customers in Europe for natural gas. The United States granted a waiver to Turkey, Hungary, and Slovakia in December. This removed a major obstacle for them to pay for the Russian gas they receive via the TurkStream pipeline. The energy ministry of Turkey declined to comment.
Egypt, Cyprus sign gas export deals, boosting Eastern Mediterranean energy cooperation
Egypt and Cyprus signed an agreement on Monday that allows the export of natural gas from Cyprus offshore fields to Egypt, for liquefaction, and then re-export into Europe. Both countries are seeking to strengthen the role of the Eastern Mediterranean as an energy hub. The 2025 Egypt Energy Show deals formalise the long-anticipated plan of linking Cypriot reserves with Egypt's LNG facilities. This move leverages Egypt’s existing infrastructure for processing and shipping natural gas to European market. The Monday agreements include gas extracted from a Cypriot site called Cronos Block 6…
Axpo, a Swiss company, is looking at opportunities in Japan's power and LNG trading
Axpo, a Swiss power producer and trader, is looking at opportunities in Japan's electricity and liquefied gas (LNG), as the changes in Japan's power sector have created a demand for spot LNG and hedging. Japan has set an ambitious target of renewables accounting for 36%-38% of its total electricity mix by 2030. In 2016, the power market was liberalised, leading to a more liquid futures exchange for electricity. Marco Saalfrank is a member of Axpo’s management board. He said that Japan has nine different price zones. As in Europe, Japan is also expected to see a decline in gas demand as its share of renewables, nuclear and other power sources grows.
Egypt to bid for LNG cargoes up to 20 to meet Q1 2025 Demand
Three trading sources said on Monday that Egypt will issue an tender to procure up to 20 LNG cargoes to meet the demand in the first quarter 2025. The largest Arab country, which has the most people in it, is now a net gas importer. It has bought more than 50 cargoes this year. Plans to be a reliable gas supplier to Europe have been abandoned. Sources said that the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation is expected to announce the tender for the purchase of between 15 and twenty cargoes LNG. Sources said that the tender will also be on a deferred payment basis of six months, without providing any further details.
Sources confirm that Egypt has awarded the tender for 20 LNG winter cargoes to Egypt.
Four trading sources said on Friday that Egypt's recent bid for 20 cargoes (cartons) of liquefied gas to cover winter demand following a sharp decline in domestic production has been fully allocated. It is the first time Egypt issued an tender to cover the winter demand since 2018. This year, the most populous Arab nation has become a net gas importer. It has purchased more than 50 cargos and abandoned plans to be a reliable European supplier. The tender was issued on September 12 by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation and covered the demand for the 4th quarter of 2024. It was awarded with a deferred-payment basis lasting six months.
Germany Nationalises Gas Group Uniper in Scramble to Secure Supply
Germany confirmed the nationalization of struggling gas importer Uniper at a cost of 8 billion euros ($7.9 billion) on Wednesday as it scrambles to secure power for Europe's largest economy after Russia cut back supplies.Nationalizing Germany's largest importer of Russian gas is the second move in a week by the government in Berlin to take control of an energy business as it confronts a winter crisis.Uniper, whose shares were around 18.97% lower at 3.38 euros at 0710 GMT, burned through its cash buying alternative supplies after Moscow cut gas flows to Germany, triggering a 15 billion euro state rescue package in July.
India to End Federal Control of Gas prices, Lift LNG transport Use
India will gradually end federal controls on gas pricing as it seeks to attract foreign investment and technology to lift local output, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday.India, which is a large emitter of greenhouse gases and has multiple gas pricing regimes, aims to raise the share of gas in its energy mix to 15% by 2030, from 6.2%."This is an incentive we are giving to investors to come to India and take advantage of pricing and marketing freedom and produce more and invest more," Pradhan said at the BNEF summit.To boost gas usage…
Fully Laden LNG Tankers Sit Idle Off Indian Ports after Force Majeure
At least five fully-laden liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers are idling offshore India, as yet unable to discharge their cargoes, after importers there declared force majeure earlier this week, according to an analyst and shipping sources.Gas demand is falling globally amid the fast-spreading coronavirus which has capped industrial output, forcing LNG tankers in several regions to remain at sea fully laden with no immediate destination, the sources said.At least three major buyers in India, the world's fourth largest LNG importing country…
Oil Falls, OPEC Backs Deeper Supply Cuts
Oil fell on Thursday as the coronavirus epidemic showed no signs of slowing, with deaths mounting globally, and while major producers agreed on deeper output cuts to bolster prices, they could not immediately secure Russian support for the decision.Brent crude fell by 33 cents, or 0.6%, to $50.80 a barrel by 1338 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down 20 cents, or 0.4%, at $46.58.OPEC agreed to cut oil output by an extra 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter of 2020 to support prices that have been hit by the coronavirus outbreak but made its action conditional on Russia and others joining in.Russia…
Energean Seeks to Pipe Karish Gas to Cyprus
Energean Oil & Gas said on Tuesday its Energean International unit submitted an application to import and supply natural gas to Cyprus starting in 2021.In its application to Cypriot authorities, it said it sought to supply gas through a pipeline from the Karish block offshore Israel to Vassiliko, Cyprus.The pipeline would be 215 kilometers long and transport natural gas from the Karish North field, which contains 25 billion cubic meters of discovered recoverable resources.Total investment, Energean said, will be about $350 million and will be funded by Energean.
Novatek Signs MoU with Petronet LNG
Russia’s largest independent natural gas producer Novatek signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation with India’s largest liquefied natural gas importer Petronet LNG.The MoU envisages delivering LNG supplies from Novatek's portfolio to the Indian market, including natural gas supplies for power generation, as well as investment by Petronet LNG in Novatek's future LNG projects and the joint marketing of LNG as motor fuel in India, including joint investment in developing a network of filling stations and a fleet of LNG-fueled trucks.“India’s rapid economic growth requires increasing demand for all sources of energy and…
Natural Gas Consumption Up 10% in China
According to the preliminary estimate, the consumption of natural gas in China exceeded 27 million cubic meters in 2018, registering a YOY increase of more than 10%, said a report.The growing Chinese economy and stricter environmental protection policies drive the growth of natural gas consumption in China. In 2018, the Chinese government introduced several environmental protection policies to further prevent and control atmospheric pollution and replace coal with natural gas in key areas, which pushed up natural gas consumption in China.The market survey by ResearchAndMarkets shows that in 2018…
Gazprom to Start Gas Supply to China
Russian gas giant Gazprom will start supplying Russian natural gas to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline almost one month early than previously planned.Alexey Miller, Chairman of Gazprom Management Committee, said after the negotiations with representatives of Chinese partner CNPC in Beijing, “Construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is going ahead of schedule, and Gazprom will start delivering gas to China well in advance, as early as December 1, 2019.”Alexey Miller and Wang Yilin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of CNPC reviewed a wide range of issues related to cooperation between the companies…
Anadarko Sells LNG to CNOOC
U.S. oil giant Anadarko Petroleum said it has signed a deal with one of China’s biggest importers to supply 1.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) a year from Mozambique for a period of 13 years.The contract, signed by Anadarko and China’s GNOOC Gas and Power Singapore Trading & Marketing, gives China’s biggest liquefied natural gas importer access to world-class gas resources from Mozambique LNG, Mitch Ingram, executive vice president of Anadarko’s International, Deepwater and Exploration division, said."Mozambique LNG is extremely pleased to have CNOOC onboard as one of our foundation customers," added Ingram.