Greek Quest to Save on Energy Bills Spurs Island-owned Renewables
Even with his 35-room beach-front hotel on the Greek island of Tilos close to fully booked, owner Michalis Kipraios worries his business might not "survive" sky-rocketing electricity bills, as the war in Ukraine drives up energy prices around the world.Tilos, 360 km (224 miles) southeast of Athens, is affected even though in 2019 it became one of the Mediterranean’s first islands to generate enough wind and solar power to meet most of its needs…
UK Gov't Advised to Harness Pandemic to Speed Zero-carbon Aims
From creating jobs in home insulation to hiking dirty fuel taxes and expanding electric-vehicle charging, Britain's government should harness the COVID-19 pandemic to accelerate cuts in planet-heating emissions, an advisory panel said on Thursday.With public support for low-carbon shifts growing and the state spending billions to boost its flagging economy, now is "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to ramp up the transition…
Cambodia to Boost Clean Energy Use
Cambodia will push ahead with plans to use hydropower and coal to electrify the entire country by 2020, but solar energy will play some role, especially in remote areas, an energy ministry official said on Wednesday.The Southeast Asian nation has electrified rapidly since 2000, when only 16 percent of the population had access to power, according to the World Bank.Today, 87 percent of villages and 73 percent of households are connected to the grid…
New U.S. LNG Projects, Enough to Double Exports, on Verge of Launch
New U.S. liquefied natural gas terminals with enough capacity to double U.S. exports have either begun commissioning their facilities or are waiting for approval from the energy regulator, a review of their documents showed this week.Although long planned, the actual commissioning of plants has been a moving target in the past.Yet the process not only kicks off a new era for the global industry as the United States turns into a significant exporter.
China LNG Tariff Casts Shadow Over New US Export Terminals
China set a 10 percent tariff on U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, extending a trade dispute into energy and casting a shadow over U.S. export terminals that would propel the United States into the world's second-largest LNG seller.Beijing on Tuesday said it would tax U.S. products worth $60 billion effective Sept. 24 in retaliation for tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump in an escalating trade war.The rate was smaller than the 25 percent tariff China had touted earlier…
Weatherford CEO's Rebound Plan Relies on Getting Smaller
Four years ago, oilfield company Weatherford International Plc pledged to sell non-core businesses and make paying down debt its top priority after years of borrowing and over spending.It almost worked. Asset sales provided some $1.8 billion to pare debt, and Weatherford's stock nearly doubled that year. But when oil prices plummeted in mid-2014 and customer spending on new wells followed, Weatherford failed to cut costs fast enough and payments on its debt jumped…
Iran Floats Surplus Oil as Demand Falls Ahead of US Sanctions
Two tankers carrying Iranian condensate, a type of ultra-light oil, have been floating off the United Arab Emirates for about a month as demand for the oil fell ahead of U.S. sanctions.The tankers, carrying about 2.4 million barrels of South Pars condensate combined, have been floating off the UAE since August after South Korea halted imports from Iran while China's demand dropped during summer, according…
PDVSA to Reopen Damaged Port Dock by Month's End
PDVSA expects to reopen the south dock of Venezuela's main oil port Jose by the end of September, easing strains on crude exports delayed due to a tanker collision last month, according to internal trade documents from the state-run oil firm seen by Reuters.Last week, PDVSA began diverting tankers to Puerto la Cruz for loading, but the South American country's crude exports have remained slow in recent weeks as few customers have accepted the 500…
Mexican Wave Energy Project Moving Forward
Energy from the ocean breakers that pound Mexico’s Pacific Coast could soon be turned into electricity as an Israeli joint venture finalizes permits and financing for the country’s first wave energy plant.Wave power development has long lagged renewable rivals such as solar, but Eco Wave Power says it could prove an effective way to deliver power to coastal communities in countries such as Ghana or Kenya…
China Will Buy More LNG, but Wants it Smoother, Less Lumpy: Russell
China appears set to once again boost its purchases of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the northern winter, but unlike last year's rush, this time the process is likely to be more organised and stable.In recent weeks there have been several indicators that China is planning on increasing the use of natural gas in winter heating, replacing boilers that use more polluting coal.Curbing winter air pollution has been a major aim of the authorities in Beijing, but they were stung by criticism last year tha
PDVSA to Divert Tankers to Nearby Port after Collision
Venezuela's state-run PDVSA is organizing a contingency plan to address its latest oil-export problem following a minor accident last week at the country's main crude terminal, two sources from the firm told Reuters on Friday.A tanker collision that damaged Jose port's South dock and forced its closure has added to delays in loading crude for export, especially to customers such as Russia's Rosneft and…
Yamal LNG Exports Accelerate in Time for Winter
Liquefied natural gas exports from Novatek's Yamal terminal in the Arctic have come on stream faster than expected over the summer and exceeded volumes from Russia's only other LNG facility, Sakhalin, for the first time in August.The pace of commissioning the multi-billion dollar project has surprised a market used to chronic delays. Additional volumes from the start of another facility should now come in time for the northern hemisphere winter…
Oil Hits Multi-Week Highs on U.S. Inventories, Falling Iran Exports
Oil prices rose more than 1 percent on Wednesday, with Brent at its highest in seven weeks and U.S. crude touching a three-week peak, supported by a drawdown in U.S. crude and gasoline stocks and reduced Iranian crude shipments as U.S. sanctions deter buyers.Brent crude jumped $1.19, or 1.6 percent, to settle at $77.14, after touching $77.41, its highest since July 11.U.S. oil settled 98 cents, or 1.4 percent higher at $69.51 a barrel, after touching $69.75, its highest since Aug. 7.U.S.
Oil Higher on Lower Iran Exports, Rising U.S. Supply
Oil prices rose on Wednesday, supported by news of a fall in Iranian crude supplies as U.S. sanctions deter buyers, but gains were limited by evidence of a rise in U.S. inventories.Benchmark Brent crude oil was up 45 cents at $76.40 a barrel by 1225 GMT. U.S. light crude was 50 cents higher at $69.03 a barrel.Iran's crude oil and condensate exports in August are set to drop below 70 million barrels for the first time since April 2017, well ahead of the Nov. 4 start date for a second round of U.S.
China's Falling U.S. Crude Imports More to do with Money than Politics
One of the side effects of President Donald Trump's escalating trade dispute with China is that U.S. exports of crude oil to the world's biggest importer are now viewed through the prism of politics.However, this ignores that buyers and sellers of crude are generally more motivated by profit margins and getting the right grades of oil to maximise the productivity of their plants.While it's true they can't disregard politics…
U.S. Imports of Nigerian Crude Fall to 3-year Low
U.S. crude oil imports from Nigeria in July plunged to the lowest level in three years and are continuing to slip as Asian and European buyers increase purchases, trade flow data from Thomson Reuters and market intelligence firms Genscape and Kpler show.A narrowing spread between benchmark Brent and Oman crude futures <DUB-EFS-1M>, trading at less than $2 a barrel compared with more than $4 in May, has made Nigerian crude more attractive to Asian buyers than U.S. refiners.
China Shifts to Iranian Tankers to Keep Oil Flowing Amid US Sanctions
Chinese buyers of Iranian oil are starting to shift their cargoes to vessels owned by National Iranian Tanker Co (NITC) for nearly all of their imports to keep supply flowing amid the re-imposition of economic sanctions by the United States.The shift demonstrates that China, Iran's biggest oil customer, wants to keep buying Iranian crude despite the sanctions, which were put back after the United States…
Oil Falls on Weaker Economic Outlook, U.S. Stocks Rise
A weaker global economic growth outlook and a report of rising U.S. crude inventories weighed on oil prices on Wednesday, even as U.S. sanctions threatened to curb Iranian crude supplies.Benchmark Brent crude oil was down 60 cents a barrel at $71.86 by 1325 GMT. U.S. light crude fell $1.02 a barrel to a low of $66.02, before recovering slightly to around $66.30, down 74 cents."Oil bears are taking their turn in the driving seat…
Venezuela's Crude Sales to U.S. Fall in July
Venezuela's crude exports to the United States declined to 494,400 barrels per day (bpd) in July after rising the prior three months, showing the impact of asset seizures against state-run oil firm PDVSA, according to Thomson Reuters data.July was the first month crude exports fell below 500,000 bpd since the months of January through March.U.S. oil producer ConocoPhillips in May began seizing PDVSA's overseas assets in an attempt to collect on a $2 billion arbitration award.
Venezuela Dodges Oil Asset Seizures with Export Transfers at Sea
Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has limited the damage from an unprecedented slump in crude exports by transferring oil between tankers at sea and loading vessels in neighboring Cuba to avoid asset seizures.But the OPEC member nation is still fulfilling less than 60 percent of its obligations under supply deals with customers.Venezuela has been pumping oil this year at the lowest rate in three decades after years of underinvestment and a mass exodus of workers.
