South African court cancels Eskom's permission to build new gas-powered plant
A top court in South Africa on Wednesday revoked a government permit that allowed state utility Eskom build a large natural gas-burning power plant, claiming there was not a proper consultation with the public. The government is planning to build a 3,000-megawatt plant on the east coast in the port city of Richards Bay as part of its plans to boost the country's power generation capacity following years of blackouts, and move away from coal. The Supreme Court of Appeal's judgment stated that "the effect of this order was to nullify the authorisation".
Australia approves the North West Shelf Gas Plant to operate until 2070
Australia approved Woodside's application to operate Australia's second largest and oldest liquefied gas plant, the LibNaGa Plant, until 2070. The new emission rules were imposed to reduce its environmental impact. North West Shelf, a plant in Western Australia, is expected to emit up to 4.3 million metric tons carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Critics say this will endanger nearby ancient rock art as well as set back climate change efforts. Murray Watt, the Environment Minister, told a Friday press conference that Woodside had accepted a number of conditions to protect Indigenous art.
Aramco signs an $11 billion Jafurah agreement with BlackRock-led consortium
Saudi Aramco announced on Thursday that it had signed a $11 billion lease-and-leaseback agreement with Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock. The consortium was led by Global Infrastructure Partners. The Saudi company said in a press release that under the agreement, Jafurah Midstream Gas Company, a newly-formed subsidiary, will lease the development and usage rights of the Jafurah Field Gas Plant, and the Riyas NGL Fractionation Facility for 20 years and then lease them back Aramco. This latest financial arrangement…
ExPro analyst says that Ukrainian gas reserves are at their lowest level in 12 years.
ExPro, an analysis firm, said that Ukraine's reserves of gas are the lowest they have been in 12 years. Storage facilities are currently less than one-third full. This estimate comes after Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Moscow earlier of deliberately undermining Ukraine's winter preparations following a Russian attack on a gas plant in the southern Odesa Region. ExPro reported on Wednesday that Ukraine had 10 billion cubic meters of gas stored underground as of August 5. One bcm was pumped into storage over the past 19 day. ExPro said that Ukraine needs to store around 13 billion cubic metres of gas for winter.
Pipeline operator ONEOK greenlights new Delaware Basin gas plant
Midstream company ONEOK announced on Tuesday that it had made a final decision to invest in a new natural-gas processing plant in Delaware Basin. This will expand its footprint in America's top shale gas field, as gas volumes continue to surge. The company has increased its presence in Permian Basin, which includes the Delaware Basin, through strategic moves, such as acquiring NGP XI Midstream Holdings stake in their Delaware Basin Joint Venture, buying a Gulf Coast NGL Pipeline System and taking over Medallion Midstream, EnLink Midstream, and Medallion Midstream.
Sources say Shell-led LNG Canada is facing problems when it ramps up its production.
Shell-led LNG Canada has been experiencing technical difficulties as it ramps production up at its liquefied gas plant in Kitimat. One LNG tanker was diverted away from the facility recently without superchilled fuel, according to data provided by LSEG and four sources. The facility is the first major LNG-export facility on the West Coast of North America and Canada, and provides direct access to Asia, which is the largest LNG market in the world. When fully operational, the facility will convert approximately 2 billion cubic feet per day of gas (bcfd).
UN calls on Australia to increase climate action
The UN climate chief called on Australia set an ambitious emissions target for 2035 and to accelerate its clean energy transformation, warning that failure to act could undermine living standards and regional stabilty. Simon Stiell said that Australia should "go big" and do what is smart. "Don't settle with what is easy. "Bog standard is beneath you", he said, at an event organized by the Smart Energy Council in Sydney. Australia is under fire for supporting new fossil fuel projects, while also attempting to co-host UN COP31 Climate Summit with the Pacific next Year.
Ghana warns about power cuts as Eni, the Italian gas company, works to increase gas supply
The West African nation said that the Italian energy group Eni would temporarily suspend operations on Sunday at a Ghana gas plant to implement an increase in supply, which could result in power outages. Ghana, which is the second largest cocoa producer in the world, has tried to boost oil and gas production, both to increase revenue and to prevent fossil fuels becoming stranded. The energy ministry announced on X that it had reached an agreement with Eni for a 30 million standard cubic foot per day increase in natural gas supplies to 270 millions.
TotalEnergies UK Assets to Be Bought by Prax Remain Unsold
The TotalEnergies West of Shetland offshore assets it agreed to sell to Prax Group last year remain under the French oil major's ownership, it said on Wednesday, so will not be subject to disposals resulting from liquidation proceedings affecting the British company."The transaction to sell our West of Shetland asset to Prax has not yet completed and as such we remain the operator of the Shetland Gas Plant and related fields," TotalEnergies EP UK said in its statement.TotalEnergies had agreed to sell Prax a portfolio of mature offshore fields producing about 7…
ADNOC, the UAE's oil company, boosts US investment and says AI is a once in a lifetime opportunity to invest.
ADNOC Chief Sultan al-Jaber stated on Tuesday that the state oil company in the United Arab Emirates aims to increase its U.S. investments by six-fold, to $440 billion over the next ten years. Jaber, speaking at an event in Washington, told the audience that AI was a rare investment opportunity. Jaber cited the UAE's recent anchor investments in the largest liquefied gas plant in Texas and in petrochemicals across the U.S., as well as a planned addition 5.5 gigawatts in renewable energy and storage from coast to coast.
Australia approves Woodside's North West Shelf LNG Plant to operate until 2070
Australia approved Woodside Energy’s request on Wednesday to extend the lifespan of its North West Shelf Gas Plant until 2070. This follows a six-year process that was plagued by delays, complaints and criticism from environmental groups. North West Shelf, located in Western Australia on the Burrup Peninsula, is Australia's largest and oldest liquefied gas plant. It also serves as a major supplier of LNG to Asian markets. In a press release, Environment Minister Murray Watt stated that the decision to approve an extension of the project was subject to strict conditions.
US regulators approve construction of Venture Global CP2 liquefied natural gas plant in Louisiana
A document published by the FERC on Friday showed that US regulators had given Venture Global permission for construction to begin at its CP2 Liquefied Natural Gas plant in Louisiana. If built, CP2 would be the largest LNG export facility to the U.S. It will also help the U.S. remain the largest exporter in the world of supercooled gas. Venture Global could become the largest U.S. company for LNG. A final environmental report concluded that the plant, which produces 28 million metric tonnes per year, is in the public's interest. Venture Global was approved to build the plant.
Upgrades to the EU's power grid are needed at a cost of trillions of dollars in order to avoid blackouts similar to those that occurred in Spain
To cope with the increasing demand for electricity, and the growing green energy production in Europe, and to prevent blackouts, trillions of dollars will be needed to invest. Spain and Portugal experienced their worst power outages in a week. Analysts and industry representatives believe that infrastructure investment will be essential, regardless of the results. Authorities are currently investigating the cause. The blackout served as a warning. The blackout showed the urgent need to upgrade and strengthen Europe's electrical grid. Half of the power lines in the European Union are older than 40 years.
Upgrades to the EU's power grid are needed at a cost of trillions of dollars in order to avoid blackouts similar to those that occurred in Spain
To cope with the increasing demand for electricity, and the growing green energy production in Europe, and to prevent blackouts, trillions of dollars will be needed to invest. Spain and Portugal experienced their worst power outages in a week. Analysts and industry representatives believe that infrastructure investment will be essential, regardless of the results. Authorities are currently investigating the cause. The blackout served as a warning. The blackout showed the urgent need to upgrade and strengthen Europe's electrical grid. Half of the power lines in the European Union are older than 40 years.
The policies of Australia's major political parties in a single glance
Australians will cast their votes on Saturday, in a tight-run national vote marked by concerns about the cost of housing and living as well as the trade tensions caused by U.S. president Donald Trump's tariffs. Compare the key policies of the Liberal-National Coalition led by Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party, a centre-left party. The government has promised to spend A$10 Billion ($6.40 Billion) on building up to 100,000 homes. First-time homebuyers would be able to use up to $50,000 of their mandatory retirement savings to make down payments. Tax deductions for mortgage interest payments will be available.
Venture Global raises $3 Billion for CP2 Louisiana LNG Plant
Venture Global announced on Thursday that it had raised $3 billion to finance the construction of the CP2 LNG Plant in Louisiana. This would be the biggest liquefied gas plant in America. Venture Global, the U.S. second largest LNG exporter, has played an important role in making this country the largest exporter worldwide of super-cooled gas. Venture Global stated that the money raised would be used to pay for construction of the CP2 LNG facility. This facility will have a capacity of 28 million tonnes per year.
LNG Canada begins cooling down of the plant as a final step to producing LNG
Two people have confirmed that LNG Canada is cooling down its Kitimat liquefied gas plant, British Columbia. This is a last step before the company begins producing super-cooled gas. LNG Canada will be the first LNG export facility in Canada. It is expected to export 14 million metric tons per year (MTPA). People said that the company began using refrigerants on Tuesday as part of its cooling process. Tomorrow, it is expected to add natural gas to the plant. The cooling of an LNG plant prior to its production…
Sources say India is considering scrapping the import tax on US LNG to boost purchases.
Four government and industry sources have said that India is considering scrapping the import tax on U.S. LNG to increase purchases and reduce the trade surplus, which is a major irritation for President Donald Trump. Both sides want to increase volumes in order to meet the energy needs of India's fast-growing economy. Qatar is India's top LNG supplier. India and the United States agreed that they would increase their energy purchases in the U.S. by $10 to $25 billion over the next few years. Both leaders also agreed to reach $500 billion of bilateral trade by 2030.
Texas LNG plans to announce its final investment decision in December
Brian Duval, CEO of Glenfarne Energy Transition, said that the company expects to reach a final decision about its Texas LNG project in December. Glenfarne Energy has developed a 4 million metric tons per year (MTPA) liquefied gas plant (LNG) in Brownsville, South Texas. He said that the company had already signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), contract with Kiewit for the construction of the plant. He added that the company has enough long-term customers to proceed with the construction of the plant when it receives all legal approvals. A U.S.
Data shows that Russia's LNG exports between January and February fell 7.3%.
LSEG released preliminary data on Friday showing that Russia's LNG exports in the first half of this year were down 7.3% compared to a year ago, at 5.1 million metric tonnes. This was due to sanctions and the Sakhalin-2 supply cut. Due to U.S. sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has been unable to increase LNG exports. The new Arctic LNG 2 facility has effectively been frozen due to the Western sanctions. According to LSEG, Russia's exports of LNG fell by 8% in February, from 2,57 million to 2,36 million tonnages a year earlier.