Business & Markets

Japan Approves JERA Plan to Keep Surplus LNG in Winter

Japan's industry ministry has approved a plan by the country's top power generator JERA to hold a surplus of LNG in the winter as a strategic reserve in case of supply disruptions, its minister said on Friday.

Court of Appeals Affirms Dismissal of Lawsuit by Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters

A recent ruling by a three-judge panel from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the decision made by a federal judge in 2021 to dismiss a legal action brought forth by demonstrators opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Canadian Oil, Gas Producers Plan to Drill 8% More Wells in 2024, Riding Pipeline Expansion Wave

Canadian oil and gas producers will drill 8% more wells in 2024 to take advantage of greater access to pipelines, with the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion due to open, an industry group said in an annual forecast on Friday.

BASF Shares Rise on Report of ADNOC Exploring Wintershall Dea Deal

Shares in chemicals giant BASF rose on Friday after a report that Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) is exploring an acquisition of the German group's energy business Wintershall Dea.

Indian Oil Plans to Double Ennore LNG Terminal's Capacity

Indian Oil Corp., the country's top refiner, aims to double the capacity of its LNG import terminal at Ennore in southern India, Sandeep Jain, the company's executive director for gas business, said on Friday.

Indonesia Launches First Carbon Storage Project in West Papua

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo on Friday launched construction of a carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) project in West Papua province operated by BP Plc, the country's first carbon storage project.

Brent Climbs Ahead of OPEC+ Oil Production Decision

Brent crude futures rose in early Asian trade on Friday, reversing losses in the previous session as traders speculated on whether OPEC+ would come to an agreement on further production cuts.

INGAA Releases Key Initiatives Product to Boost Safety with Voluntary Efforts

(P&GJ) — The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) and its member companies have released their “Integrity Management – Continuous Improvement (IMCI) 2.0” program work products. The IMCI program is a series of voluntary initiatives to bolster the industry’s safety efforts.

Santos Forecasts Lower 2024 Output as Bayu-Undan Gas Field Nears End of Life

Australia's Santos forecast a fall in 2024 output on Wednesday, as its Bayu-Undan gas field's life comes to an end and production from the West Australian offshore field declines.

Motiva Postpones Port Arthur CDU Overhaul to January; Smaller Unit Reopens This Week

Motiva Enterprises moved the start of a planned overhaul on the large crude distillation unit (CDU) and coker to January from March at its 626,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, refinery, the nation’s largest, people familiar with plant operations said on Wednesday.

Eni to Invest $10 Billion in Ivory Coast's Baleine Field for Oil and Gas Development

The Baleine field, where certified reserves are estimated at 2.5 billion barrels of oil and 3.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, was discovered in 2021 by the Italian energy group off the east coast of the West African country.

CEZ Books 2 Bcm Capacity at German LNG Terminal

Czech majority state-owned utility CEZ has agreed to book 2 billion cubic meters (Bcm) of annual capacity at the Stade LNG terminal in Germany from 2027, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday.

Venezuela Producing 850,000 bpd of Oil, Hopes to Recover Market Share in U.S.

Venezuela is currently producing some 850,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and hopes to soon reach 1 million bpd, the country's deputy oil minister, Erick Perez, said on Wednesday, following the temporary lifting of U.S. sanctions on the nation.

FERC Approves Full Operations Restart for Freeport LNG in Texas

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Freeport LNG received approval to return part of its export plant in Texas to full operation, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said on Wednesday.

Full Production Restored at Chevron's Gorgon LNG Facility After Electrical Incident

Full production has returned to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) train at Chevron's Gorgon facility in Western Australia, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Canada Initiates Financing for Carbon Capture Advancements

Canada will finance investment tax credits for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and for net-zero energy technologies, following through on previously announced subsidies meant to attract more green investment, its Fall Economic Statement (FES) said on Tuesday.

Balticconnector Gas Pipeline to Expand Transmission Capacity Post-Repair

The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, which was damaged last month, will get a bigger northbound transmission capacity next year following repairs, Finnish operator Gasgrid said in a statement on Wednesday.

Geopolitical Realities Dim the Prospects for an Oil Embargo on Israel Amidst Middle East Tensions

The conflict has led many analysts, oil market watchers and politicians to draw parallels with the 1973 OPEC embargo, when Arab oil producers cut off oil exports to several allies of Israel, including the United States and Britain, following the Israeli-Arab war that year.

Ecopetrol Considers Gas Imports from Venezuela's PDVSA for December 2024

Colombia's majority state-owned oil company Ecopetrol is exploring an offer from Venezuela's PDVSA to supply the Andean country with gas from December 2024, it said on Tuesday.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Affects Seven Producers, Investigation Underway

U.S. officials said on Tuesday seven energy companies have been impacted by an oil discharge near Main Pass Oil Gathering Co.'s (MPOG) pipeline system in the Gulf of Mexico that is estimated to have released more than a million gallons of crude oil.

Nigeria, Germany Sign Gas Export Agreement

A gas export partnership deal was reached between Riverside LNG of Nigeria and Germany's Johannes Schuetze Energy Import AG. Under the agreement, Nigeria will annually supply 850,000 tons of natural gas to Germany, with expectations for this to rise to 1.2 million. The initial deliveries are scheduled for 2026.

Turkey Extends LNG Deal with Algeria for Three Years

Turkish state energy company Botas has signed a deal with Algerian state oil and gas company Sonatrach to extend their existing gas supply contract for three years, Turkey's energy minister said on Tuesday.

US Paves the Way for a New Era in Hydrogen: Federal Funding Boosts Clean Hydrogen Initiatives

The Biden administration strengthened its support for clean hydrogen back in October by funding a range of proposed development hubs spread across the United States.

Wolf Carbon Solutions Initiates Withdrawal of Carbon Pipeline Application in Illinois

Wolf Carbon Solutions has moved to withdraw its permit application in Illinois to build a carbon capture pipeline that would transport as much as 12 million tons of carbon dioxide annually to a storage site in the state, according to a company filing in the state regulatory commission docket.

Capital Power Acquires Two Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants in US for $1.1 Billion

Canadian energy company Capital Power said on Monday it was acquiring two U.S.-based natural gas-fired generation facilities in California and Arizona for a net cost of $1.1 billion.

US Coast Guard Investigates Source of 1.1 Million Gallons Oil Leak in Gulf of Mexico from Underwater Pipeline

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday said it was still looking for the source of a leak from an underwater pipeline off the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico that it estimated had released more than a million gallons of crude oil.

EACOP Unveils 897-Mile Heated Oil Pipeline with Advanced Environmental Safety Technology

Due to pump its first crude oil in 2025, the EACOP integrates a sophisticated fiber-optic network for continuous online connectivity, ensuring real-time monitoring via satellite along its entire length.

TC Energy Receives FERC Approval for Virginia Reliability Project

Columbia Gas Transmission’s Virginia Reliability Project (VRP) is an expansion project that would replace two existing segments of the pipeline system to continue reliable and abundant natural gas supply.

Tankers Newly Sanctioned by US Supplied Russian Oil to India

Three oil tankers, newly sanctioned by Washington, regularly shipped Sokol crude from Russia's Far East to Indian Oil Corp., the country's top refiner, in recent months, according to ship tracking data from LSEG, Kpler and trade sources.

Japanese Firms, Petronas to Launch CO2 Storage Project by Late 2028

Japanese companies have agreed to develop a carbon capture and storage (CCS) project with Malaysian energy firm Petronas which should start holding its first carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from end-2028, Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. said on Monday.