Sunday, November 16, 2025

Middle East News

How much will the price of ROI-LNG drop by 2026? Russell

The market for liquefied gas is bracing itself for an increase in supply, mostly from the top exporter, the United States. However, it is not clear how low the spot price will need to fall to clear these additional volumes. According to commodity analysts Kpler, the global supply of super-chilled gasoline is forecast to reach 475 million metric tonnes in 2026. This represents a 10.2% increase over the 431 millions tons predicted for 2025.

UBS: Data centres will drive the energy storage boom cycle in the next five years

UBS Securities predicts that the growth of AI-driven data centres in the U.S. will drive a "boom" cycle for energy storage over the next five year as it is necessary to balance out the fluctuations in wind and solar power generation. Yan Yishu, an analyst at UBS Securities in Hong Kong, told the media on Wednesday that global energy storage demand is expected to increase by 40% year-on-year globally in 2026. The demand for AI data centers in the U.S. has been very strong, but the main bottleneck is electricity.

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.

METI: Sakhalin-1 vital for Japan's energy security as US sanctions Russian shareholders

Japan's Industry Ministry said on Friday that the country's energy safety is dependent on foreign projects including Russia's Sakhalin-1. This comes after new U.S. Sanctions against Rosneft, a major shareholder along with Japanese partners. Washington sanctioned Rosneft, a Russian oil company, and Lukoil last month as the latest step to get the Kremlin's attention to the Ukraine war. The U.S. has agreed to allow the two companies' operations to end until November 21, 2018.

INTERVIEW-Iraq's prime minister: Iraq can only disarm its factions when the US leaves.

Iraq has promised to put all weapons under state control, but this will not happen as long as a U.S. led coalition is in the country, which some Iraqi factions see as an occupier force, said the prime minister on Monday. The Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated that a plan is still in place for the multinational anti-Islamic State Coalition to leave Iraq by September 2026, as it was one of Iran’s closest Arab Allies. This was because the threat posed by islamist militant groups has diminished significantly.

INTERVIEW-Iraq's prime minister: Iraq can only disarm its factions when the US leaves.

Iraq has promised to put all weapons under state control, but this will not happen as long as a U.S. led coalition is in the country, which some Iraqi factions see as an occupier force, said the prime minister on Monday. The Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani stated that a plan is still in place for the multinational anti-Islamic State Coalition to leave Iraq by September 2026, as it was one of Iran’s closest Arab Allies. This is because the threat posed by islamist militant groups has diminished significantly.

ExxonMobil warns EU laws could lead to Exodus from Europe

ExxonMobil, the U.S. energy company, will be unable to do business in Europe if the EU does not loosen a law on sustainability that penalises companies with fines up to 5% of their global revenue. Woods has joined a chorus of energy producers outraged by the EU's law that requires businesses doing business within the EU to fix any human rights or environmental problems in their supply chain. Woods said on the sidelines the ADIPEC…

Nikkei reports that Japan's PM has rejected the US request to ban Russian imports of energy

The Nikkei daily, citing Japanese officials, reported that the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had told U.S. president Donald Trump during their meeting on Wednesday in Tokyo that it would be difficult to ban Russian LNG imports. Sakhalin-2 is a project in which Japanese companies Mitsui & Mitsubishi have stakes. Before Trump's Asia visit this week, the U.S. encouraged buyers of Russian oil, including Japan to stop imports and put sanctions on Moscow’s two largest oil exporters…

Indian refiners pause new Russian oil orders, await clarity, sources say

Sources told Reuters on Tuesday that Indian refiners had not placed any new orders to purchase Russian oil since the sanctions were implemented, because they awaited clarification from both the government and their suppliers. Sources who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak with the media said that some refiners use the spot market to meet their crude needs. Sources claim that Indian Oil, a state-run company, has published a tender to purchase oil.

IEA predicts record LNG demand to lower prices and spur demand

The International Energy Agency announced on Monday that a record amount of liquefied gas production capacity will be coming online by 2030. This is expected to change the dynamics of the gas market, strengthening global supply and easing pressures. In its "Gas 2025", medium-term outlook, the IEA stated that by 2030, 300 billion cubic meters per year of LNG will be exported. This capacity is mainly in the United States and Qatar.

China Suspends Russian Oil Purchases Due to Sanctions

© Adobe Stock/Yaroslav

Chinese state oil majors have suspended purchases of seaborne Russian oil after the United States imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, Moscow's two biggest oil companies, multiple trade sources said on Thursday.The move comes as refiners in India, the largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil, are set to sharply cut their crude imports from Moscow, to comply with the U.S.

Halliburton's profits beat expectations on the back of steady drilling demand in North America

Halliburton's third-quarter profits surpassed Wall Street expectations on Tuesday thanks to the steady demand for oilfield equipment and service in North America. The North America segment's quarterly revenue was $2.4 billion. This is the same as a year ago, but it's above analysts’ average estimates of $2.17billion. Halliburton stated that the results were supported in part by the increased stimulation activity on U.S. soil…

Zelenskiy believes that peace in the Middle East can lead to peace in Russia

On Thursday, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, said that the momentum of the Middle East Peace Process would help to end the more than three-and-a-half-year-old conflict between his country and Russia. Zelenskiy posted on Telegram that "we have a meeting with President Trump planned tomorrow. Zelenskiy didn't refer to Trump's promise, during a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin on Thursday, that he would hold new discussions.

Oil Prices Drop Amidst Gaza Ceasefire Plan As Risk Premium Fades

© Adobe Stock/hamara

Oil prices declined to multi-month lows on Friday as the market's risk premium faded after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a plan to end the war in Gaza.Brent crude futures were down $1.73, or 2.7%, at $63.49 a barrel at 1316 GMT. Earlier, they fell to $63.27, the lowest since early June.U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down $1.71, or 2.8%, to $59.80. The contract had dropped to $59.57 a barrel, the lowest…

US Imposes Sanctions on Oil Refineries and Purchases

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The U.S. imposed sanctions on about 100 individuals, entities and vessels, including a Chinese independent refinery and terminal, that helped Iran's oil and petrochemicals trade, the administration of President Donald Trump said on Thursday.The Treasury Department sanctioned the Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, which it said is an independent teapot refinery in Shandong Province that has purchased millions of barrels of Iranian oil since 2023.It also sanctioned China-based Rizhao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal…

Palm oil closes strong in Indonesian biodiesel plans and Dalian oils

Malaysian palm futures closed at their highest level in seven months on Thursday. This was due to the strength of rival Dalian oil and Indonesia's plans for biodiesel. Profit-taking ahead of Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB's) monthly data is expected. The benchmark palm-oil contract for December delivery at the Bursa Derivatives exchange in Malaysia rose 49 ringgit or 1.08% to 4,594 Ringgit ($1,090.18) per metric tonne - its highest close since the 7th of March. For the third session in a row, the contract recorded gains.

Palm oil gains from Indonesia's biodiesel plan, and strong Dalian oils

Malaysian palm futures rose for the third session in a row on Thursday. This was due to strength in Dalian oils, a rival oil company, and Indonesia's plans to produce biodiesel. However, traders are expected take profits before the Malaysia Palm Oil Board releases its monthly data. By midday, the benchmark palm oil contract on Bursa Derivatives Exchange for December delivery had gained 26 ringgit or 0.57% to 4,571 Ringgit ($1,085.23) per metric ton.

IEA reduces renewables forecast as US policy changes and China auction reforms weigh

The International Energy Agency cut its forecast of renewable power growth in 2030 by 900 Gigawatts compared to last year, citing weaker prospects for the United States and China. Solar power, however, continues to lead record additions. The data shows that the global renewable power capacity will now rise by 4,600GW by 2030, down from the forecast of 5,500GW in 2024. Solar accounts for about 80%. The IEA's U.S. Growth Expectations have been lowered by almost half…

Solar power is a ray hope for the Middle East's most electrified nation

Yemen's largest solar plant helps to relieve electricity shortages, especially in Aden. Residents and businesses who suffer from the heat of summer are also benefitted. The Aden Solar Power Plant, funded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and operating since July 2024 marks a major shift in the Middle East towards renewable energy. According to the International Energy Agency, Aden is the least electrified country. Yemen has suffered from an electricity crisis for almost 30 years due to fuel shortages…

BP and Total Deepen Commitments to US with Major Projects

BP and TotalEnergies, two European oil and natural gas companies, deepened their commitments towards the United States on Monday. BP approved a $5 billion offshore field for oil production and TotalEnergies bought into a gas field onshore. The goal of U.S. president Donald Trump to capitalize on hydrocarbon resources in the United States is aligned with increased investment in U.S. production of oil and gas. BP is increasingly reliant upon the United States for its oil and natural gas business…