Iran's Oil Storage Almost Full as Sanctions and Pandemic Weigh
Iran has slashed crude oil production to its lowest level in four decades as storage tanks and vessels are almost completely full due to a fall in exports and refinery run cuts caused by the coronavirus pandemic, industry data showed.Total onshore crude stocks surged to 54 million barrels in April from 15 million barrels in January, and swelled further to 63 million barrels in June, according to FGE Energy.Market intelligence…
US Approves LNG Exports from Oregon
The U.S. Energy Department on Monday approved the export of up to 1 billion cubic feet per day of liquefied natural gas from a proposed terminal in Oregon, a move it said would ease U.S. sales of the fuel to Asian markets.The approval advances efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to increase U.S. fossil fuel shipments around the globe at a time big projects are increasingly under strain from environmental protests and lawsuits.“Today’s export authorization for Jordan Cove…
China's Saudi Oil Imports Surge to All-time High
China's crude oil imports from Saudi Arabia nearly doubled in May from a year earlier to all-time high as refineries snapped up cheap fuel, while the kingdom retained its position as the top supplier to the world's biggest oil buyer.Arrivals from Saudi last month reached 9.165 million tonnes, or 2.16 million barrels per day (bpd), up about 95% from 1.11 million bpd in May 2019 and up 71% from 1.26 million bpd in April, data…
Asian LNG Prices Steady on Ample Supply despite U.S. Cargo Cancellations
Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices remained steady this week on a continued stream of spot supply even though traders continued to cancel cargoes loading from the United States due to poor economics. The average LNG price for August delivery into northeast Asia was estimated to be about $2.20 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), slightly lower than the previous week, trade sources said. Buyers of LNG are…
The Emerging U.S. Offshore Wind Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World
Join a webinar on June 17, 2020 for the global release of a major new market study on the depth, breadth and growth prospects of the Offshore Wind Market -- https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UR5uY1boTOKdAAcAXDbR4gJust when it was looking like the offshore wind industry was finally about to take off in the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced one more significant layer of uncertainty upon an already very complicated playing field.
Oil Extends Slump as Prospect of Second Viral Wave in U.S. Ends Rally
Oil prices fell on Friday, extending heavy overnight losses as a surge in U.S. coronavirus cases this week raised the prospect of a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak hitting demand in the world's biggest consumer of crude and fuel.West Texas Intermediate was down 65 cents, or nearly 2%, at $35.69 a barrel by 0358 GMT, after slumping more than 8% on Thursday. Brent crude was down 58 cents, or 1.5%, at $37.97 a barrel, having…
Saudi Oil Price Hike Throws Asian Lifeline to U.S. Shale
Saudi Arabia's decision to jack up the price of its July exports to Asia may have opened the door for U.S. crude oil producers to boost sales to the region that consumes more oil than anywhere else in the world.State-controlled producer Saudi Aramco hoisted its official selling prices (OSPs) to all regions for July-loading cargoes, but the biggest hikes were for the key Asian region, which takes the bulk of the kingdom's exports.Benchmark Arab Light crude was boosted to a premium of 20 U.S.
OPEC, Russia Extend Record Oil Cuts
OPEC, Russia, and allies agreed on Saturday to extend record oil production cuts until the end of July, prolonging a deal that has helped crude prices double in the past two months by withdrawing almost 10% of global supplies from the market.The group, known as OPEC+, also demanded countries such as Nigeria and Iraq, which exceeded production quotas in May and June, compensate with extra cuts in July to September.OPEC+ had…
Oil Gains, with Brent above $40
Oil rose on Wednesday, with Brent above $40 for the first time since March, as optimism mounted that major producers will extend output cuts and a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic will spur fuel demand.Brent crude futures for August were up 78 cents, or 2%, at $40.35 a barrel, by 0636 GMT. The contract climbed to as high as $40.53, the highest since March 6, after gaining 3.3% on Tuesday.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.06, or 2.9%, at $37.87 a barrel.
Oil Prices Rise Ahead of OPEC+ Meeting on Further Output Cuts
Oil prices rose on Tuesday, with traders waiting to see whether major producers agree to extend their huge output cuts to shore up prices at a virtual meeting expected later this week.Brent crude futures rose 0.91%, or 35 cents, to $38.67 a barrel as of 0427 GMT.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 0.56%, or 20 cents, to $35.64 a barrel.Brent has doubled over the past six weeks, thanks to supply cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies…
Northern Offshore Services, SEA O.G Form CTV JV for U.S. Offshore Wind Space
Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S) and SEA O.G have entered into an agreement to provide marine services and CTV operations to the offshore wind industry in the United States.The partnership will combine the forces of N-O-S, the crew transfer vessel operator in Europe, and the offshore services provider, SEA O.G. Offshore.Northern Offshore Group, based in Sweden operates about 65 vessels in which most are crew transfer vessels.“SEA…
Third Iranian Fuel Cargo Approaches Venezuela
The third cargo of an Iranian tanker flotilla carrying fuel for gasoline-thirsty Venezuela on Tuesday reached the nation's exclusive economic zone as the previous two were discharging at state run PDVSA's ports, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.The Iran-flagged tanker Petunia crossed the Caribbean Sea earlier on Tuesday, following the route taken in recent days by vessels Fortune and Forest.The Fortune was welcomed on Monday at PDVSA's El Palito refinery by Venezuela's oil minister…
US LNG Exports Drop More Than a Third
U.S. liquefied natural gas exports are down by more than a third since governments started imposing lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus.Worldwide gas prices have plunged as lockdowns squeezed energy demand even as strong renewables output boosted supply. Gas prices are more expensive now in the United States than in Europe for the first time in a decade.Buyers in Asia and Europe have already canceled over 20 U.S. LNG cargoes for June and July, and more cancellations are anticipated.Gas flows to U.S.
Oil Steadies as Demand Uncertainty Tempers Supply Cuts
Oil prices, which have been driven higher for the past four weeks, were steady on Monday, with holidays in Singapore, London and New York dampening trade, as rising concerns over demand recovery offset supply cuts.Brent had eased by 5 cents, or 0.14% to $35.08 a barrel by 1014 GMT, while U.S. oil gained 14 cents, or 0.42% to $33.39 a barrel. Both are down around 45% so far this year."Uncertainty around the current travel patterns in the U.S.
Ukraine's Odessa Gets First WTI Oil Cargo from US
Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odessa is set to receive on Wednesday its first ever West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil cargo from the United States, according to industry sources and shipping data, just a month after the front-month futures for the blend turned negative.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) May crude futures sank to minus $38 per barrel on April 20, just days before their expiration, in a quirky trading pattern never seen before…
U.S. Tops List of Most Attractive Countries for Renewables Investments. Overtakes China
The United States has overtaken China as the most attractive country in the world for renewables investment and the global clean energy sector is expected to bounce back quickly despite the coronavirus pandemic, research showed on Tuesday.In an annual ranking of the top 40 renewable energy markets worldwide by consultancy EY, the United States was ranked first for the first time since 2016, followed by China.U.S. growth was…
EXIM Bank Amends Mozambique LNG Loan. Earmarks $1.8B for Offshore Work
The U.S. EXIM Bank has amended its previously approved September 2019 direct loan supporting U.S. exports for the development and construction of the Total-operated LNG project located on the Afungi Peninsula in northern Mozambique.The original scope of the $4.7 billion loan for the project has been amended from exclusively the onshore portion of the LNG plant and related facilities to also allocate an estimated $1.8 billion to support the project’s offshore production.
Belarus Buys 80,000 Tonnes of U.S. Oil
Belarusian state energy company Belneftekhim said on Friday it had bought 80,000 tonnes of oil from the United States that would be delivered by tanker to the Lithuanian port of Klaipėda at the beginning of June.Belarus has said it wants to diversify its oil supplies after a dispute with Russia over oil prices earlier this year. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Jason Neely)
Japan Spot LNG Import Prices Hit Record Low
Prices for spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargoes imported into Japan, the world's biggest buyer of the fuel, fell in April to their lowest since the country's trade ministry started compiling data in 2014. The latest low for LNG cargoes into Japan - reflecting actual prices paid rather than those derived from surveys or indices - highlights the evisceration of demand for gas, along with other commodities, brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak has turned markets on their heads, with U.S.
IEA: Early Signs of Recovery Visible, But Oil Demand Still Set For Record Fall
Oil demand is still set for a record fall in 2020, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday, but it trimmed its forecast for the drop citing easing lockdown measures.Demand is expected to fall by 8.6 million barrels per day (bpd), the IEA said in its monthly report, raising its estimate by 690,000 bpd compared to last month.Around 2.8 billion people will be living under confinement measures aimed at containing the novel coronavirus at the end of May…
