Business & Markets

Iran Seizes Oil Tanker Involved in U.S.-Iran Dispute in Gulf of Oman

Iran seized a tanker with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey on Thursday in retaliation for the confiscation last year of the same vessel and its oil by the U.S., Iranian state media reported, a move likely to stoke regional tensions.

Tokyo Gas Anticipates Completion of Australian LNG Asset Sale in Late February

Japan's biggest city gas provider, Tokyo Gas, said on Thursday it expects to close the planned sale of its stakes in a portfolio of four Australian liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects at the end of February.

TotalEnergies Denies Plans to Sell NextDecade Shares Amid Market Speculation

TotalEnergies has no plans to sell its shares in U.S. LNG company NextDecade, the French energy group said on Thursday after market speculation over a potential sale.

Venture Global LNG Explains to FERC Its Failure to Sell Commercial Cargoes

Venture Global LNG has told a U.S. regulator that it cannot meet contracts to provide LNG cargoes to several major customers because its export plant is not yet ready to meet three criteria in the contracts, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Pipeline Giant Enbridge Targets Expanding Offshore Wind Investments in France, Steers Clear of Troubled U.S. Market

Canadian pipeline company Enbridge is keen on further offshore wind investments in France, but will avoid the United States, where cost and supply chain problems have contributed to offshore projects collapsing, a senior executive said.

Chesapeake Energy, Southwestern Energy Merge in $7.4 Billion Deal, Forming Top U.S. Natural Gas Producer

Chesapeake Energy agreed to buy smaller rival Southwestern Energy in an all-stock transaction valued at $7.4 billion, a deal that will make it the largest independent U.S. natural gas producer.

Surging Freight Rates Close the Door on U.S. Crude Oil Shipments to Asia

The economic incentive to import oil from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Asia has closed as the cost of booking supertankers on the route has surged amid a jump in bookings for the vessels, traders said this week.

Spotlight on Supply Chain: How Companies Can Avoid Uncertainty

Supply-chain uncertainty is a major headache for many sectors across the world. Minimizing supply-chain risks could help oil and gas firms better secure their labor and materials while cutting costs by up to 15%.

Oil, Gas Lobby Group Warns Against U.S. Slowing Down LNG Approvals

The head of the leading U.S. oil and gas lobby group, the American Petroleum Institute, said that if U.S. regulators slow down or stop approving liquefied natural gas exports, they will put allies at risk.

Saudi Arabia Commits to Diversified Energy Portfolio Beyond Oil Focus

Saudi Arabia is taking climate change issues seriously and has shifted its focus to all kinds of energy, not just oil. The country maintains that fossil fuel use can continue, provided it is coupled with measures to capture emissions.

Vopak Consortium Selected to Operate New LNG Terminal in South Africa

South Africa has selected a Vopak consortium as the preferred bidder to develop and operate an LNG terminal at the Port of Richards Bay for 25 years, state-owned Transnet National Ports Authority said on Wednesday.

Finland's Gasum Procures LNG Cargo for Inkoo Terminal from SEFE

Finnish energy firm Gasum said on Wednesday it is delivering a U.S. cargo of LNG it procured from Germany's SEFE LNG to the Inkoo floating storage regasification unit (FSRU).

Galp to Join BP and Shell in Formal Complaint Against LNG Exporter Venture Global

Portugal oil and gas firm Galp has asked U.S. regulators to allow it to join BP and Shell's formal complaints against U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter Venture Global LNG, a filing showed on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia Tries to Thread the Needle Between Crude Output, Prices

Saudi Aramco's decision to cut the price of its crude for Asian customers shows just how difficult it is for the world's largest oil exporter to walk the line between maintaining market share and restraining output enough to bolster prices.

Exxon Faces Hurdles in $2.5 Billion Exit from California Offshore

Exxon Mobil's write-down of about $2.5 billion of troubled California properties aims to end five decades of offshore oil production in the state, but a full exit from those assets could take some time.

EIA: U.S. Energy-Related CO2 Emissions to Remain Unchanged in 2024

U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are expected to remain unchanged in 2024, as increased natural gas and petroleum emissions offset decreased coal emissions, the Energy Information Administration said in a monthly report on Tuesday.

Trans Mountain Oil Pipeline Modification Request Heads to Friday Regulatory Hearing

The Canada Energy Regulator (CER) will conduct a hearing on Friday about Trans Mountain Corp.'s request for a change in construction to complete expansion of its oil pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia, according to a filing on Monday.

Kyushu Electric Considers Investment in U.S. Lake Charles LNG Project for Future Procurement Plans

Kyushu Electric Power is considering investing in the U.S. Lake Charles liquefied natural gas (LNG) project of Energy Transfer, among other projects, to secure a stable supply of the fuel, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Texas Explosion Likely Caused by Gas Leak Injures 21

At least 21 people were injured Monday in an apparent gas leak explosion at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, the city's fire department said.

German Gas Storage Operators Warn of Overblown Plans for Hydrogen Grids

Germany's future hydrogen demand could fall well short of the baseline the country is assuming in its plans to extend its gas network to carry the fuel, a study commissioned by a storage operators' group showed on Thursday.

Iran's Oil Trade with China Stalls as Tehran Demands Higher Prices

China's oil trade with Iran has stalled as Tehran withholds shipments and demands higher prices from its top client, tightening cheap supply for the world's biggest crude importer, refinery and trade sources said.

Nigeria's Dangote Refinery Set for Test Runs After Getting More Crude

Nigeria's Dangote oil refinery could begin test runs as early as this week after receiving a sixth crude cargo on Monday, company officials said, finally bringing the 650,000 barrels per day plant to life after years of construction delays.

Swiss Fossil Fuel Group Closes First Sale of Paris Agreement Carbon Offsets

A Thai electric bus operator said on Monday it had sold the first carbon offsets under a new system created by the Paris Agreement to a Swiss fossil fuel group, a major landmark for putting into action the eight-year-old United Nations climate accord.

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Exxon's Bid to Move Minnesota Climate Lawsuit to Federal Court

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by major fossil fuel companies and an industry trade group to move a lawsuit filed by Minnesota accusing them of worsening climate change out of state court and into federal court, the energy industry's favored venue.

Constellation's Everett LNG Plant Receives Trinidad Delivery Despite Declining U.S. Gas Imports

U.S. energy group Constellation Energy's Everett LNG import plant in Massachusetts took delivery of LNG from Trinidad over the weekend.

Shell Signs 20-Year LNG Deal with Ksi Lisims LNG in Canada

Energy major Shell has entered into a deal to buy 2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year from the Ksi Lisims LNG, partners in the Canadian project said on Monday.

Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Nears 95% Completion, Set to Triple Crude Oil Capacity

Work on Canada’s Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project is reportedly over 95% complete. When it comes onstream, the expansion will nearly triple the pipeline’s current 300,000 barrels per day (b/d) capacity.

Southwestern, Chesapeake Energy Near $17 Billion Merger, Poised to Form U.S. Natural Gas Powerhouse

U.S. natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy and peer Southwestern Energy are nearing a merger that would create a nearly $17 billion company. The deal could come together as soon as next week, provided the talks do not fall apart.

Motiva Enterprises Initiates 45-Day Overhaul, Temporarily Shuts CDU, Coker at Largest U.S. Refinery

Motiva Enterprises is scheduled to shut the large crude distillation unit (CDU) and large coker at its 626,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery by Monday, people familiar with the company’s plans said on Friday.

Cedar LNG Taps Samsung, Black & Veatch for EPC Contract

The Haisla Nation and Pembina Pipeline Corp. have selected Samsung Heavy Industries and Black & Veatch to provide engineering, procurement and construction for the design, fabrication and delivery of the project's floating LNG production unit.