China's INE Considers Singapore for Marine Fuel Futures Delivery
The Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) is considering using oil storage sites in Singapore owned by PetroChina Co as a delivery point for its low-sulphur fuel oil futures contract, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.The INE’s move would be the first time a Chinese futures contract would be deliverable outside of China and could boost liquidity for the contract…
Coronavirus, Consolidation Taking Toll On Energy Jobs
Oil and gas companies worldwide are taking an axe to their employment rolls, shedding workers to survive what is expected to be a prolonged stretch of weak demand.Exxon Mobil Corp said it will cut its workforce by 15%, or about 14,000 people, along with oil majors Chevron Corp and Royal Dutch Shell Plc.All told, more than 400,000 oil and gas sector jobs have been cut this year…
Japan's Eneos Shuts Osaka Refinery CDU
Japan's biggest refiner, Eneos Corp, permanently shut the 115,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) crude distillation unit at its Osaka refinery on September 30 as planned, a company spokeswoman said on FridayThe refiner, which was formerly known as JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corp and is now under Eneos Holdings Inc, is shifting its joint venture…
China Ramps up US Oil Purchases Ahead of Trade Deal Review
U.S. crude oil shipments to China will rise sharply in coming weeks, U.S. traders and shipbrokers and Chinese importers said, as the world’s top economies gear up to review a January deal after a prolonged trade war.Chinese state-owned oil firms have tentatively booked tankers to carry at least 20 million barrels of U.S. crude for August and September, the people said, moves that may ease U.S.
PDVSA Changes Oil Deals to Include Shipping as Sanctions Bite
Venezuelan state-run oil firm PDVSA has begun offering to ship its own oil, figuring in the costs in crude supply deals to help customers who have struggled to hire vessels to carry the country’s oil due to U.S. sanctions, according to company documents seen by Reuters.The United States has blacklisted vessel owners, shipping operators…
China Starts Construction of Southern Part of China-Russia East Gas Pipeline
Construction has started on the southern portion of the China-Russia East natural gas pipeline, which carries supplies from the Power of Siberia system in Russia, China Oil & Gas Piping Network Corp (PipeChina) in a statement on Tuesday.This portion starts at Yongqing in China's northern province of Hebei and ends at Shanghai in eastern China.
PipeChina to Buy $56B Worth of Pipelines
China took a major step in the reform of its national oil and gas pipeline network, with newly formed PipeChina agreeing to buy pipelines and storage facilities valued at 391.4 billion yuan ($55.9 billion).Under the deal, PipeChina, known formally as China Oil and Gas Pipeline Network, will take over oil and gas pipelines and storage facilities from state-owned energy giants PetroChina and Sinopec…
Japan's Refiners Facing Stagnant Market May Cut Capacity
Japanese refineries may be forced to shut down capacity once again unless they see a strong recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. They've been hit by declining use for fuel at home, competition from newer refineries in China and South Korea dominating in other markets, as well. Idemitsu Kosan on Tuesday reported an annual loss, like its competitors have done in recent days.
China Issues Second Batch Fuel Export Quotas
China has issued 28 million tonnes of refined fuel export quotas in the second allotment for this year, little changed from the first batch of 27.99 million tonnes issued last December, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.The quotas were released last week to five state oil companies, PetroChina, Sinopec, China National Offshore Oil Corp…
China's Daily Crude Oil Imports Rebound in April
China's crude oil imports rebounded in April from a month earlier on daily basis as refiners ramped up output amid a recovery in fuel demand with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak easing while crude prices crashed on slumping consumption elsewhere.Crude oil arrivals were 40.43 million tonnes last month according to a full data table released by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday…
Sembcorp Begins Proceedings Against Hin Leong Affiliate
Sembcorp Industries on Monday said its Sembcorp Cogen unit had begun legal proceedings to assert ownership over some gasoil reserves stored in tanks at Singapore's Universal Terminal, partly owned by oil trader Hin Leong Trading Pte Ltd.Just last week, Sembcorp Cogen terminated its gasoil supply and storage agreement with Hin Leong Trading…
30+ Companies Compete for Guyana Crude Trading Deal
More than 30 companies, including commodities traders like Gunvor and Vitol as well as units of oil majors like Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, submitted expressions of interest for a contract to market the Guyanese government's share of the country's crude, the government said on Tuesday.The National Procurement and Tender Board administration unveiled the bids after their Tuesday morning deadline.
Coronavirus Paralyzes Oil, Gas Sales into China
Short-term sales of crude oil and liquefied natural gas into China almost ground to a halt this week as the coronavirus slows economic activity and cuts demand and buyers ponder legal action to avoid having to honor purchase agreements, trade sources said.Typically, trade would have revived after the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of January…
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…
Chinese Buyers Snap Up U.S. Oil Purchases at Widest Discounts Ever
China has increased U.S. crude purchases with some buyers snapping up cargoes at the widest discounts ever as sellers seek to offload excess supplies in Asia, six trade sources said on Wednesday.China started processing in March applications from its companies to waive import tariffs on U.S. energy goods as part of the Sino-U.S. Phase…
PetroChina's oil and gas trade turnover up 5% in 2019
PetroChina Co Ltd, China's leading energy firm, expanded its oil and gas trade in 2019, recording a rise of nearly 5% from prior year to exceed 500 million tonnes oil equivalent, according to a statement posted on the website of parent firm China National Petroleum Co on Thursday.PetroChina International, better known as Chinaoil, the trading arm under the state-run PetroChina, achieved "significant" growth in p
Coronavirus Spurs Oil Majors to Cancel IP Week Events
The list of parties at London's International Petroleum Week, one of the world's biggest oil industry gatherings, continues to shrink as hosts such as ExxonMobil and Azerbaijan's SOCAR cancel events due to the coronavirus, trading sources said. IP Week is a key oil traders' gathering that takes place every year in February. This year, it is scheduled for Feb. 24-27.
PetroChina Resumes Guangdong Refinery Construction
Asia'a largest oil and gas firm PetroChina resumed construction of its oil refinery and petrochemical project in southern Chinese province of Guangdong, as the number of new coronavirus cases fell for a second straight day.In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, China had extended Lunar New Year holidays and asked companies to put workers returning from their hometown into a 14-day quarantine.With workers
Dalian Refinery Plans 45-day Overhaul
PetroChina's subsidiary refinery, Dalian Petrochemical Corp, plans to have a major turnaround in April-May of 2020, four industry sources told Reuters.The maintenance is scheduled to start from late March or early April and will last for around one and a half months, the sources said.The 410,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) plant in the northeast Chinese port city of Dalian, PetroChina's biggest refinery, is linked to
China to Launch State Pipeline Group
China plans to launch its long-awaited national oil and gas pipeline company on Monday, part of a sector-wide reform aimed at providing fair market access to infrastructure and boost investment in oil and gas production.Most of the country's pipeline infrastructure is controlled by energy giant PetroChina, CNPC's listed arm, and small, non state-owned oil and gas producers and distributors often don't have acces
