US LNG exports record highest ever in August
LSEG's preliminary data shows that U.S. LNG exports reached a record high in August, as plants completed planned maintenance and Venture Global’s Plaquemines plant continued to increase production. According to LSEG, August exports totaled 9,33 million metric tonnes, surpassing the previous monthly record of 9.25 millions tons set in April and exceeding the 9.1million tons exported in July. Plaquemines, the second largest LNG plant in the U.S., has a capacity to produce 27.2 million tonnes per year (MTPA). Its production has been increasing every month since its start-up in December 2024. This helps the U.S. remain the world's leading LNG exporter.
Guyana elects a leader amid controversy over oil wealth
Guyanese voters head to the polls Monday to elect members of parliament and the president who will decide how the hydrocarbon boom in the South American nation will be spent. Since ExxonMobil began pumping offshore oil late in 2019, Guyana has seen its economy grow at a rate of 7.5 billion dollars. Irfaan Ali is running for reelection as the leader of the People's Progressive Party. He has been in office since 2020. His government has used oil revenue to build roads, hospitals and schools. It also made studying at the state-run university free.
Egypt signs $340 million oil and gas exploration deal with global firms
The Petroleum Ministry announced on Saturday that Egypt had signed four agreements worth $340 million with international companies to explore for oil and gas along the Mediterranean and Nile Delta. The state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, or EGAS, has signed a deal that will see 10 wells drilled as part of efforts by the Ministry to increase exploration and production. Egypt, a once-prominent regional exporter, is increasingly importing to meet the rising demand at home, as production from old fields declines and investment in new ones lags.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have cut their oil and gas rigs a second time in a week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. firms have cut back on oil and gas rigs for the second consecutive week. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by two in the week ending August 29 to 536, the lowest level since August 2021. Baker Hughes reported that the total number of rigs is down 47 or 8.1% from the same time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 412, while gas-rigs decreased by three to 119. Oil and gas rig counts are expected to decline by 5% and 20% respectively in 2024, as the lower U.S.
Ali, the Guyanan president, seeks a second term amid a oil boom
Guyanese will vote in general elections on Monday. They'll decide if President Irfaan Ali's People's Progressive Party, which controls the country's government, can keep its parliamentary majority. It's also a chance to determine if they want to continue leading one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. ExxonMobil's offshore discoveries have helped the South American nation, which is home to 800,000 people and has experienced double-digit growth in its economy for five straight years. Five parties that are challenging…
Trump's options for easing Russia sanctions are limited in comparison to Europe
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, could lift some sanctions against Russia quickly as a way to reward Moscow for successful peace talks with Ukraine. However only Europe can make the larger steps necessary to ease Russia's cash crisis. Trump has threatened to impose additional sanctions and tariffs against Russia and its oil buyers if there are no signs of progress in the three-and-a-half-year long war in Ukraine. If the talks are successful, Trump could start to ease some of his punitive measures. Trump has a number of options, including releasing Russian assets, reopening U.S. loans to Russian corporations and banks, and allowing U.S.
Mitsubishi abandons offshore wind farms in Japan
A senior official in the industry ministry said that Japan wants to re-auction as many offshore wind sites as possible as soon as they can, subject to local community consent. The trading house Mitsubishi Corp announced on Wednesday that it would no longer build wind farms in the prefectures of Akita and Chiba due to rising costs. In 2021, the first state-wide auctions were held to award the rights to construct and operate these farms. The farms have a total planned capacity of 1,76 gigawatts and were scheduled to begin between 2028 and 3030. Japan has already held three major auctions to increase its offshore wind power capacity.
CNOOC's first-half profits fall 13% due to lower oil prices
CNOOC, the Chinese offshore oil-and-gas major, reported a 13% drop in its interim net income as lower oil prices countered the impact of record oil and natural gas production. According to a Hong Kong Stock Exchange filing, the net profit attributable equity shareholders fell to 69.5 billion Yuan ($9.7billion) following a record-breaking interim profit in 2024. Sinopec, a domestic competitor, reported a 40% drop in earnings at $2.99 billion. PetroChina's net profit fell by 5.4% to $11.7 billion. CNOOC’s net production of gas and oil increased by 6%, reaching a record of 384.6 million barrels equivalent of oil during the period.
Mitsubishi is considering abandoning offshore wind energy projects in Japan
Mitsubishi Corp announced on Wednesday that it is considering withdrawing from 3 Japanese offshore wind projects. Three wind farms are owned by Mitsubishi-led consortiums in Japan's Chiba Prefecture and Akita Prefecture. The trading house announced in February it was reevaluating how to proceed given the "significantly altered" business climate. Mitsubishi recorded a charge for the projects of 52.2 billion Japanese yen (354 millions dollars) earlier this year. Mitsubishi released a statement saying that they were currently evaluating all options, including the possibility of withdrawing from the project. They added that no decisions had been taken.
Suriname's Staatsolie will launch an offer for offshore oil fields in November
Suriname's state-owned oil company Staatsolie announced on Tuesday that it will offer an "open door" in November for the exploration and evaluation of offshore areas. The small South American country is seeking partners and funding for an oil and natural gas boom, which they hope to achieve. The country is expecting to start offshore oil and natural gas production by 2028, following a successful investment decision for the flagship 12 billion dollar Gran Morgu project, between TotalEnergies, APA Corp, and Staatsolie. Suriname, unlike its neighbor Guyana where the Exxon Mobil consortium controls all production, wants to diversify its energy sector.
Suriname's Staatsolie will launch an offer for offshore oil fields in November
Suriname's state-owned oil company Staatsolie announced on Tuesday that it will offer an "open door" in November for the exploration and evaluation of offshore areas. The small South American country is seeking partners and funding for an oil and natural gas boom, which they hope to achieve. The country is expecting to start offshore oil and natural gas production by 2028, following a successful investment decision for the flagship 12 billion dollar Gran Morgu project, between TotalEnergies, APA Corp, and Staatsolie. Suriname, unlike its neighbor Guyana where the Exxon Mobil consortium controls all production, wants to diversify its energy sector.
Kazakhstan continues to fine Kashagan consortium $4.4 billion
A source and an official document indicate that Kazakhstan's regional environmental department has imposed a fine of $4.4 billion on an international consortium working to develop the giant Kashagan oilfield. This is despite a long-running legal battle. The NCOC consortium which includes Eni Shell TotalEnergies ExxonMobil said that its shareholders strongly disagreed with any fine and would continue to pursue every avenue of recourse available against the decision. Kazakhstan's Government originally fined NCOC $5.4 billion…
RPT-Private Chinese firm producing oil in Venezuela under rare 20-year pact, source says
China Concord Resources Corp. has started developing two Venezuelan oilfields. The company plans to invest over $1 billion in an investment project that will produce 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day by the end of 2026. An executive involved directly in the project confirmed this. This is a rare private Chinese investment in an OPEC nation that has been struggling to attract foreign capital because of international sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro. This is the first time that the investment amount and production plan have been reported. Beijing is a close ally of Maduro, and of his predecessor, late President Hugo Chavez.
Baker Hughes: US drillers have cut oil and gas rigs four times in the last five weeks.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. oil and gas companies have cut back on the number of rigs for the fourth consecutive week. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a leading indicator of future production, dropped by one in the week ending August 22 to 538, the lowest level since mid-July. Baker Hughes reported that the number of rigs has dropped by 47 this week. Below this time last Year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs dropped by one this week to 411, while gas-rigs remained at 122. The number of rigs in the largest oil and gas producing state of the country,, fell by two, to 240.
Baker Hughes: US drillers have cut oil and gas rigs four times in the last five weeks.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. firms cut back on the number of natural gas and oil rigs for the fourth consecutive week in its widely read report. The number of oil and natural gas rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by one in the week ending August 22. This is the lowest level since mid-July. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs dropped by one this week to 411, while gas-rigs remained at 122. Oil and gas rig counts declined by around 5% in 2020 and 20% in 2023, as lower U.S.
BP's Whiting refinery, Indiana, continues to flare up days after a severe thunderstorm
BP's Whiting refinery, which produces 440,000 barrels per day, has continued to flare up after flooding disrupted operations earlier this week. In a post on social media, the company stated that the facility continues to burn materials to maintain safe operation. They also added that floating barriers have been placed in Lake Michigan to act as a precaution due to the wind and wave conditions. The company stated that "there are no known impacts beyond the refinery" at this time. The Whiting refinery was affected by flooding earlier this week caused by a severe storm overnight. BP tried to restart the plant on Wednesday.
Indiana's BP Refinery restarts following severe flooding
IIR, a monitor of the industry, said that BP's Whiting refinery, which produces 440,000 barrels per day, is in the process to restart after flooding disrupted operations earlier in the week. The units will take several days for them to ramp up, IIR added. IIR stated that the facility will be running at full capacity by early next week. The refinery reported that it was experiencing flaring as a result of flooding from a severe storm. BP posted on social media on Wednesday that materials will be burnt in flares to maintain safety operations. The company added that teams from the response and operations have been at the site since Monday night.
BP confirms Whiting refinery operations have been affected by flooding
BP said on Tuesday operations at its 440,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Whiting, Indiana, were affected due to flooding caused by a severe thunderstorm overnight. BP has not said which units of the refinery were affected and if production was affected. A source cited by industry monitor IIR said that multiple units at Whiting refinery had been shut down on Monday night due to flooding. Source: The affected units include the primary crude processing units as well as the heavy distillate catalytic Cracker and Hydrotreater and middle distillate Hydrotreater. BP reported that response and operations crews are on site to manage the impacts of the storms.
Sources say that Raisa Energy is selling US oil and gas assets worth $1.5 billion, according to sources.
People familiar with the matter say that Raisa Energy, a private investment firm, is selling an oil and gas package across several U.S. Shale basins. The package could fetch up to $1.5 billion. These sources, who asked not to be identified because the process was confidential, said that the sale is still in its early stages and that the final price may fluctuate depending on the market conditions and other variables. TPH, a boutique advisory firm Perella Weinberg Partners' energy-focused investment bank, advises Raisa in this effort, according to the statement. Raisa declined to comment on a request for a statement.
Baker Hughes reports that the US oil and gas rig counts are stable this week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. energy companies this week kept the number of oil rigs and natural gas rigs at a constant level. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, which is a good indicator of future production, was 539 during the week ending August 15. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 412 while gas rigs decreased by one to 122. Texas, which is the largest oil and gas producing state, saw its rig count drop by one, to 242, marking the lowest level since September 2021. In Wyoming, rig counts fell to 13 from 1, the lowest level since August 2024.
Baker Hughes reports that the US oil and gas rig counts are stable this week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. firms held steady this week on the number of natural gas and oil rigs. The oil and natural gas rig count - an early indicator of future production - remained at 539 during the week ending August 15. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 412, while gas-rigs decreased by one to 122. Oil and gas rig counts declined by around 5% in 2020 and 20% in 2023, as lower U.S. gas and oil prices in the last couple of years led energy firms to place more emphasis on increasing shareholder returns and paying off debt than increasing production. The U.S.
Angola aims to increase gas production as oil output stagnates despite OPEC's exit
Azule Energy, a company optimistic about Angola's gas potential and having had success with its first gas drilling campaign last month, is now considering another exploration. Angola is expecting gas production to increase by more than 20 percent in the next five year as the country targets increased exports to Europe, Asia and domestic demand. Its oil output will stagnate despite leaving OPEC. Angola, Sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest oil producer after Nigeria is turning to natural gas as a way to drive its industrialisation program based on favorable investment terms.
Sources say that China's Zhenhua Oil has doubled its crude oil purchases from the UAE as part of a new agreement.
Three Chinese sources claim that China's Zhenhua Oil will double its oil purchases from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, to 200,000 barrels a day. This is after the company took on a new leadership role in developing one of Abu Dhabi's most important oilfields. Sources said that in January, China's smallest state oil company replaced TotalEnergies, a French major, after a bid process for the asset leadership of Bu Hasa, United Arab Emirates' largest onshore oilfield. Sources said that Zhenhua, with its new role as the company responsible for the development of Bu Hasa and for meeting production and cost goals…
EIA expects Brent oil to fall below $60/bbl by Q4
The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast Brent crude oil spot price will average less that $60 per barrel during the fourth quarter. This would be the lowest average price since 2020. In its August Short Term Energy Outlook, it stated that it expects Brent to be around $50 per barrel by 2026. The global benchmark closed Tuesday at just over $66. The U.S. Department of Energy's statistical arm forecasted a significant drop in oil prices, as the growth of global oil supply vastly exceeds the growth of demand for petroleum-based products. There's a great deal of uncertainty on the petroleum market.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have cut their oil and gas rigs in the US for a third consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. firms have cut back on oil and gas rigs for a third consecutive week. The number of oil and gas rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by one in the week ending August 8 to 539. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 411, gas rigs decreased by one, to 123 and miscellaneous drilling rigs dropped by one, to five. The number of rigs in Texas, which is the largest oil and gas producing state, fell by two, to 243. This is the lowest level since October 2021.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have cut their oil and gas rigs in the US for a third consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company in the United States, said that U.S. firms have cut back on oil and gas rigs for a third consecutive week. The number of oil and natural gas rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by one in the week ending August 8th. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs increased by one this week to 411, gas rigs decreased by one, to 123 and miscellaneous drilling rigs dropped by one, to five. Oil and gas rig counts declined by around 5% in 2020 and 20% in 2023, as lower U.S. gas…
Sources say that the CO2 levels are crucial to BP-Petrobras' partnership in Bumerangue Block.
Three sources from the Brazilian state oil company told us that a possible partnership between BP, Petrobras and the British firm to develop BP's oil-and-gas find in Brazil's Pre-salt Layer would depend on the carbon dioxide levels of the reservoir. BP's chief executive Murray Auchincloss announced on Tuesday that BP would be looking for a partner to develop its Bumerangue Block discovery, which is considered by BP as its largest global find in 25 years. Brazil has become one of the largest oil producers in the world thanks to discoveries made nearly 20 years ago.
EIA: US crude inventories drop as exports increase
NEW YORK - U.S. crude stockpiles declined last week, as exports increased, and gasoline and distillate stocks also decreased, according to the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday. The EIA reported that crude inventories dropped by 3 million barrels, to 423.7 million in the week ending August 1. This was higher than the analysts' polled expectation of a draw of 591,000 barrels. The EIA reported that crude exports increased by 620,000 barrels a day (bpd), to 3.3 millions bpd. Stockpiles fell. The net U.S. imports of crude oil fell by 794,000 barrels per day. Bob Yawger is director of energy futures for Mizuho.
Equinor's auction prospects are boosted by BP's large Brazil oil and gas discovery
The announcement by BP on Monday that it had made its largest oil and gas find in 25 years off the coast of Brazil in Santos Basin bodes well both for Equinor and for their nearby interests. It also shows a strong appetite to auction oil blocks in October in this region. Brazil became one of the largest oil producers in the world after discoveries were made nearly 20 years ago. The region is characterized by vast deepwater reservoirs under a layer of salt beneath the ocean's surface. If BP's Bumerangue Block proves to be viable…
Government sources confirm that Trinidad and ExxonMobil have agreed to terms on deepwater blocks.
Two senior government officials confirmed that Trinidad and Tobago has awarded ExxonMobil, the U.S. oil giant, acreage to explore for oil and natural gas in an ultra-deep area. Negotiations began earlier this year between the parties for the area off the coast of the Caribbean nation that ExxonMobil abandoned more than 20-years ago. The blocks are northwest of ExxonMobil’s Stabroek Block in Guyana where its consortium has confirmed that more than 11 billion bbls of recoverable resource can be recovered. According to people familiar with the negotiations who are not authorized to speak in public…
Castrol India's profit for the second quarter rises due to higher demand
Castrol India announced a 5.1% increase in its second-quarter profits on Tuesday. This was fueled by the steady demand for their automotive and industrial lubricants. The company, which is majority owned by BP and produces engine oil and industrial lubricants, reported a profit of $27.8 million after taxes for the quarter ending June 30. This was up from $23.2 billion rupees a few months ago. Total expenses increased 6.6% due to a 3.2% rise in raw materials costs. India's retail car sales increased nearly 5% on an annual basis during the third quarter.
BP will review assets and costs after profit exceeds expectations
BP said it will review its assets and look at further cost reductions as part of a push to improve shareholder value. The oil major announced this on Tuesday after reporting a second quarter profit that was well above expectations. Murray Auchincloss, the CEO of Murray Auchincloss announced earlier this year that he would reduce costs, buy back shares, and sell assets worth $20 billion by 2027. This was in response to pressure from Elliott, an activist investor, to improve profitability. He did not give any details, but he hinted that he might take further action on Tuesday.
BP discovers major oil and natural gas reserves in Brazil's Santos basin
BP announced on Monday that it had made an oil-and-gas discovery in Brazil's Santos Basin, a pre-salt zone in deep waters offshore believed to contain a large amount of oil and natural gas. BP plans to increase its global upstream oil production from 2.3 million to 2.5 million barrels equivalent per day by 2030. It said this was the largest discovery it had made in 25 years. The discovery coincides with BP's major reversal of strategy in an effort to improve a poor share performance. Pre-Sal Petroleo SA, a Brazilian state-owned company, is the manager of the production-sharing contract.
Baker Hughes reports that US drillers have cut back on oil and gas rigs in the US for a second consecutive week.
Baker Hughes, a leading energy services company, said that the U.S. firms have cut back on oil and gas rigs for the second consecutive week. The number of oil and gas drilling rigs, a good indicator of future production, dropped by two in the week ending August 1. This is the lowest level since October 2021. Baker Hughes reported that the number of rigs is down 46, or 7.8% from this time last year. Baker Hughes reported that oil rigs dropped by five this week to 410, their lowest level since September 2021. Gas rigs, however, rose by two, to 124, the highest level since August 2023.
China certifies 147,000,000 barrels of oil in Sinopec's shale fields
Sinopec Corp., a Chinese company, announced on Thursday that the Chinese government had certified geological reserves of 20.1 millions metric tons (147 million barrels) in a new shale-play the company operates in Southwest China. Sinopec announced that the Ministry of Natural Resources has also certified 12,35 billion cubic meters of geological reserves at Fuxing Field, located in Chongqing's municipality. Fuxing, located on the southern rim of Sichuan Basin and with its first successful exploration well being drilled in 2021, marked a major breakthrough in shale exploration in an area traditionally rich in gas.
US crude, distillate inventories rise, gasoline draw down, EIA says
Updates include the price reaction and background data on refineries. The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday that U.S. crude oils and distillates inventories increased last week while gasoline stocks fell. The EIA reported that crude inventories increased by 7.7 millions barrels, to 426.7million barrels for the week ending on July 25. This was compared to analysts' expectations based on a poll of a 1.3million-barrel draw. The EIA reported that crude stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma's delivery hub, rose by 690 000 barrels. Crude futures dipped after the large and unexpected buildup, but recovered.
