Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have cut back on oil and gas rigs a second time in the last three weeks.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that U.S. firms cut back on the number of natural gas and oil rigs for a second consecutive week in its closely watched report published Friday. The oil and natural gas rig count fell to 548, the lowest level since November 26, a good indicator of future production. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 414, the highest since November 21. Gas rigs dropped by two to 127. Oil and gas rig counts?declined about 5% by 2024, and 20% by 2023. This is because lower U.S.
Nigeria grants permits for gas-flaring projects, aiming at $2 billion investment and a 3 GW potential
Nigeria has granted permits to 28 companies as part of a program that aims at ending routine gas flaring in order to reduce carbon emissions and to use some gas to generate electricity. Officials of the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialisation Programme said that it was a significant step towards reducing gas waste and monetizing it. Gas flaring is controlled combustion of natural gas released during oil extraction. A document from the NGFCP reveals that these projects have the potential to capture up to 300 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, reduce CO2 emissions by 6 million tonnes annually and unleash nearly 3 gigawatts in power generation.
EUROPE GAS-European gas prices increase in the afternoon on cooler weather forecast
The Dutch and British gas price rose on Friday after-noon on the expectation of higher demand. Data compiled by LSEG revealed that the benchmark Dutch front-month contract at the TTF Hub was up 0.73 'euro 'at 27,65 euros per megawatt (MWh), which is $9.51/mmBtu by 1627 GMT. The Dutch day-ahead contracts was up 0.58 Euro at 27.58 EUR/MWh. The British front-month contract gas price?was up 2.66 pence to 73.31 p/therm while the day-ahead was up 2.56 pence to 71.31p/therm. Saku 'Jussila, a LSEG analyst, said that the demand for local distribution?zones (LDZ), which is largely reflected in heating demand, will increase on Monday as temperatures return to seasonal norms.
Russia's monthly oil revenue is set to reach its lowest level since August 2020
Calculations showed that the Russian state's oil and gas revenues in December are likely to drop by almost half from a year ago, reaching 410 billion Russian roubles (5.17 billion dollars), due to lower crude prices and stronger roubles. Calculations showed that oil and gas revenues are the Kremlin's main source of income. They account for a quarter the federal budget, which has been depleted by heavy defence and security expenditures since Russia started its military campaign against Ukraine in February 2022. Calculations based on official statistics…
Russia's oil & gas revenues are expected to drop by half in December, reaching their lowest level since August 2020
Calculations showed that the Russian state's oil and gas revenue is likely to drop by almost half in December, compared to a year earlier. This will be due to lower crude prices as well as a stronger rouble. The Finance Ministry had forecast 8.65 trillion roubles for the year. Calculations based on official statistics and data from industry sources suggest that the total revenue will fall by nearly a quarter, to 8.44 trillion. In August 2020, the month when oil prices plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia reported its lowest monthly oil revenues. The Kremlin's main source of income is oil and gas revenues, which account for a quarter the total federal budget.
EUROPE GAS - European prices are flat, but cooler temperatures support them
The Dutch and British gas price were not much different on Friday. This was due to the expectation of increased demand as the recent warmer temperatures are expected to be replaced by more normal seasonal temperatures. Data compiled by LSEG revealed that the benchmark Dutch front-month contracts?at the TTF hub? were up 0.10 euros at 27.02 Euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh) or $9.26/mmBtu by 0828 GMT. The Dutch day-ahead contracts was flat at 27,00 euros/MWh. The British weekend gas price was up 1?pence to 69.00 pence/therm. However, the day-ahead contracts remained unchanged at 68.75?p/therm.
Harbour Energy acquires North Sea assets worth $170 million; shares increase 6%
Harbour Energy announced on Friday that it had agreed to purchase all of the subsidiaries of Waldorf Energy Partners and Waldorf Production, which are currently under administration in the UK North Sea, for $170 millions, sending its share price up by nearly 6%. The deal will see Harbour increase its interest in 'its operated Catcher oil field to 90%, and add a non-operated '29.5% interest in the Kraken field. Capricorn Energy, a British oil and gas producer, said it had signed a lock-up contract backing the deal. It will settle its unsecured Waldorf claims for between $4 and $5 million. In the morning trading, shares of Harbour rose 5.8% while Capricorn rose 1.6%.
Fridson: Wall Street's 'beats'are more show and less science
Investors are preoccupied by the question of whether or not companies beat their "Street Estimates" each quarter. But perhaps the whole concept of "beats", should be debated. Consider a recent example. The Fly, a financial news publication, reported on November 5 that USA Compression (an oilfield equipment and services company) had met the consensus expectations of earnings per share for the third quarter, which was 26 cents. Benzinga?Newswire, however, reported the same day that USA Compression actually beat consensus third quarter EPS estimates of 22 cents. Two questions arise. Did USA Compression's EPS meet or not meet the expectations of the market?
Carnelian, a buyout firm, raises eyebrows by trying to sell multiple assets in the energy sector.
Carnelian Energy Capital is selling six of its North American oil-and-gas production investments. This comes at a time when private equity firms are under increasing pressure to return more cash to investors and increase their exits. The move, which represents most of Carnelian's oil and gas producing companies, and approximately 40% of its total investments, has raised eyebrows in the industry because traditionally, buyout firms space out their sale efforts so as to avoid exhausting the buyer demand. Sources said that Carnelian was either actively marketing the assets or preparing for auctions in the next few weeks. Sources said that the U.S.
Senegal retracts minister's comments on nationalisation of gas fields as the end of licence nears
The Senegal energy ministry retracted its previous statement on Thursday that it intended to nationalise Yakaar Teranga, a U.S.-owned gas field. Both parties indicated the licence would be handed back to the state in July next year. Birame Souleye Diop, Senegal’s Energy Minister, said Tuesday that the government wants to nationalize Yakaar Teranga. State-run Petrosen owns the remaining 10%. Both companies are looking for a third partner to enter the project and progress a plan of development. However, no breakthrough has yet been made. Kosmos will take over the Yakaar Teranga field from BP in 2023, after BP decides to leave.
OPEC data show that Russian oil production increased in November.
OPEC data on Thursday showed that Russian oil production increased in November by 10,000 barrels per day, up from October. This was after the OPEC+ group agreed to a moderate increase in output quotas. OPEC+ (which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia, and some smaller producers) has increased their?oil production targets by over 2.7 million bpd in this?year. This is equivalent to around 2.5% of the global demand. After years of reductions, the shift in policy is intended to gain market share from rivals like U.S. shale oil producers.
Bousso: ROI-Permian will retain US oil crown after peaking even though it has reached its peak
The Permian Basin is set to reach its peak oil production in December. This will be a turning point for the U.S. Shale Boom that has reshaped the global energy markets over the last 15 years. But drilling innovations will ensure that the output of America's most prolific patch of oil will remain stable for many years. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that the Permian Basin, which spans West Texas, and Southeast New Mexico, will produce a record 6.76 million barrels of oil per day in December. This is only slightly more than November's production. The U.S.
State researcher: China's oil demand will plateau in 2030.
A research group affiliated with the state 'oil'major CNPC announced on Thursday that China's oil consumption will?plateau? between 2025 and 2030 as electric vehicles reduce the demand for gasoline and Diesel. Haibo Wang is the director of oil?market?research for CNPC Economics & Technology Research Institute. She said that most of China's additional demand for oil came from jet -fuel and petrochemicals. He added that the apparent consumption of oil is expected to rise to 760 million tonnes in 2025. This represents a 0.9% increase over 'the previous year. However, demand will stabilise next year and remain above 700 millions tons until 2030.
Russia expects oil refining in 2025 to be flat with 2024
The Russian energy ministry announced on Thursday that the country's oil refinery, coal and gas?production?will remain largely unchanged in 2025, compared with 2024, despite repeated Ukrainian drone attacks against energy facilities. Russia is the third largest oil producer in the world, after Saudi Arabia and the United States. It also holds the largest known reserves of natural gas. Since August, Ukraine has resumed drone strikes deep within Russia. Ukrainian drones have struck at least 17 refineries, forcing Russia to reduce fuel exports and order additional drone defences.
Bousso: ROI-Permian will retain US oil crown after peaking even though it has reached its peak
The Permian Basin is set to reach its peak oil production in December. This will be a turning point for the U.S. Shale Boom that has reshaped the global energy markets over the last 15 years. But drilling innovations mean that output in America's largest oil patch will remain stable for many years. In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that the Permian Basin, which spans West Texas and southeastern New Mexico will produce an unprecedented 6.76 million barrels of oil per day in December. This is only a little higher than November's total. The U.S.
BP and Chevron top the list of bidders in Trump's first Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas auction
BP, Chevron, and Shell were the top bidders at the first U.S. Government sale of oil and natural gas drilling rights for the Gulf of Mexico since 2023. The auction ended with a total of $279.4 millions in "high" bids. It was the first out of 30 required by President Donald Trump's tax cuts and spending bill that he signed in July. His administration's plans on offshore leasing represent a major departure from those of his predecessor President Joe Biden. Biden had planned a historically low number of oil and?gas?auctions in an effort to shift away from fossil fuels while addressing climate change.
EUROPE GAS-European prices extend decline as milder weather softens demand
The benchmark contract for Dutch and British gas fell a further 19 months on Wednesday afternoon as the?updated temperature?forecasts indicated milder weather. LSEG data showed that the benchmark Dutch front-month contract was at its lowest intraday rate since April 2024, at 26.76 euros/MWh, or $9.12/mmBtu. The Dutch day-ahead contract eased by 0.69 euros, to 26.66 Euro/MWh. The British front-month gasoline price was down 0.60 pence to 68.90 cents. She said that the latest weather forecasting shows milder temperatures for this time of year than usual from 17 December. The strong gas supply also contributed to the negative sentiment.
VCI Germany expects the chemical industry to stagnate by 2026
VCI, the German chemicals lobby group, expects sales and orders to stagnate in 2019. This is due to high regulatory uncertainty, uncompetitive manufacturing costs and a long approval process. The ?association, which represents around 2,300 companies, said revenues in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry fell 1% to 220 billion euros ($256.26 billion) in 2025. "I don't believe that certain measures will have a significant effect in the?short term but if we don't start today, we'll be right back here at the end of?2026 and asking in 2027 if there would be any impact," Markus Steilemann, VCI president and CEO of Covestro, said on a call with journalists.
US auctions first Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas since 2023
On Wednesday, the Trump administration will conduct the first government sale of oil-and-gas drilling rights in Gulf of Mexico?since 2023. This is a test of the industry's appetite?for offshore acres at a moment when the United States?is trying to increase domestic fossil fuel production. The auction is one of the 30 required by President Donald Trump's tax-cut and spending bill that he signed in July. His administration's plans are a major departure from those of his predecessor President Joe Biden. He had planned a historically?limited number of oil-and-gas auctions in an effort to shift away?from?fossil fuels and tackle climate change. The U.S.
Kyiv reports that Russia has hit the gas transport system of Ukraine's Odesa Region.
A senior Ukrainian official reported on Wednesday that Russian drones had 'hit the gas transport system' in Ukraine’s southern Odesa Region. This area contains several pipelines bringing U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas to Ukraine from Greece. Mykola Kolysnyk, the deputy minister of energy, refused to say what had happened. The Ukrainian gas transit operator reported that planned volumes for the Transbalkan route, also known as the Transbalkan Gas Transit Route, were mostly unchanged. In recent months, Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian energy and gas infrastructure. This includes both gas production and transmission systems.