Business & Markets

$720 Billion in Pipeline Projects Defies Global Energy Transition Momentum for More Gassy Future

The investment - which has been committed to projects that are underway or are planned for the near future - reveals the powerful momentum that remains in traditional fossil fuel industries even as clean energy supplies are deployed at an accelerating rate.

Marie Tecnimont, Newcleo Team Up to Produce Carbon-Neutral Hydrogen

Newcleo has signed an agreement with Maire Tecnimont's units NextChem Tech and Tecnimont to use its nuclear reactors to decarbonize the chemical industry, including hydrogen production, the two companies said on Wednesday.

TotalEnergies Texas Refinery Faces Shutdown as Crude and Distillation Units Halt Operations

Both crude distillation units (CDUs) and two vacuum distillation units (VDUs) shut down on Thursday at TotalEnergies 238,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas refinery, sources familiar with plant operations said.

Bulgaria Replacing Russian Crude with Oil from Kazakhstan, Iraq, Tunisia

Bulgaria is replacing Russian oil imports with crude from Kazakhstan, Iraq and Tunisia in January, according to traders and LSEG data.

Commonwealth LNG Urges Biden to Support Pending LNG Export Application

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Commonwealth LNG on Thursday called on President Joe Biden to support its long-pending LNG export application.

China's 2023 Crude Oil Imports Hit Record as Fuel Demand Recovers

China's annual crude oil imports hit an all-time high in 2023, customs data showed on Friday, as fuel demand recovered from a pandemic-induced slump despite economic headwinds.

BlackRock Strikes $12.5 Billion Deal for Global Infrastructure Partners

Once the deal closes, the firm will hold approximately $150 billion in infrastructure assets across a portfolio, including the U.S. liquefied natural gas export market.

Glenfarne's Texas LNG and EQT Sign 15-Year Agreement

Texas LNG Brownsville LLC, a subsidiary of Glenfarne Energy Transition LLC, is set to build a four million tonnes per annum LNG export terminal in the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The company has inked an agreement with EQT Corp. for natural gas liquefaction services.

New Alternatives for Noise Reduction in Gas Pipelines

Natural gas pipeline pressure reduction applications pose significant design challenges for engineers. Since flow varies considerably through these stations, control valves are required to throttle over a wide range, with large pressure drops at times, which create the potential for high noise.

PJM Asks Talen Energy to Delay Maryland Fossil Fuel Plant Retirements for Reliability

Talen Energy in October notified the grid operator of its intent to shut three oil-fired units and a natural gas combustion turbine unit at its H.A. Wagner facilities by June 2025.

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.