Saudi Arabia is expected to extend a voluntary oil output cut of 1 million barrels per day for another month to include September, five analysts said, to provide additional support for the oil market. In June, OPEC+ agreed on a broad deal to limit oil supply into 2024 and Saudi …
Read More »U.S. Shale Slowdown Weighs on Oilfield Services
The first signs of a slowdown in activity in the U.S. shale patch emerged earlier this year as declining oil prices prompted drillers to reduce the number of active rigs. Then data suggested that well yields were also dropping—a sign of potential natural depletion that would make drillers think twice …
Read More »China Leans on Coal as Hydropower Slumps
China is investing record amounts of money into renewable energy sources, but it continues to rely heavily on coal to cope with rising power demand. During the first half of this year, coal production, coal imports, and coal-fired electricity generation jumped and offset a significant decline in power output at …
Read More »Slowdown in US Shale Patch Spreads to Oil Services Industry
Oilfield services groups are feeling the squeeze from a slowdown in activity in the US shale patch as companies scale back on oil and gas drilling. The world’s biggest oilfield services providers, responsible for the industry’s grunt work from drilling wells to building roads, reported a hit to North American …
Read More »UAE Says Current OPEC+ Actions Sufficient for Now
Current actions by OPEC+ to support the oil market are sufficient for now, UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei said on Friday, and the group is “only a phone call away” if any further steps are needed. OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by …
Read More »China Swallows Record Flows of Russian Oil and Coal as War Drags
China’s imports of key energy commodities from Russia surged to all-time highs last month, highlighting the growing interdependence of the two nations as the war in Ukraine drags on well into its second year. Imports of thermal and coking coal from Russia swelled to 10.6 million tons in June, above …
Read More »Wood Mackenzie: US$500 Billion Investment in Global Oil and Gas Enough to Meet Peak Demand in 2030s
Despite concerns about underinvestment in upstream, peak oil and gas demand can be met in the 2030s without a substantial increase to current annual investment levels of US$500 billion, according to a new Horizons report from Wood Mackenzie. Current upstream spending is a little more than half of the US$914 …
Read More »Libya’s Sharara Oil Field Resumes Production as Protests Cease
Libya’s Sharara oil field is gradually resuming production after protesters that shut the facility earlier last week left, a person familiar with the matter said. The protesters ended their demonstration after officials released a man who’s vying to become the nation’s next central bank governor. The nearby — but smaller …
Read More »Japan and Saudi Arabia Push forward on Decarbonization Tech Tie-up
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed on Sunday to cooperate in sharing technology to aid in the decarbonization and economic diversification of the Middle Eastern nation, while ensuring Japan’s ongoing access to its oil. The two agreed to launch a “strategic dialogue” at …
Read More »Volkswagen EV Sales Growing 50% in 2023
Volkswagen Group’s electric transition is continuing at a good pace. Its pure electric (BEV) sales were up nearly 50% in the first six months of 2023 compared to the first six months of 2022. They grew from 217,200 to 321,600. Furthermore, there are another 200,000 or so BEV orders on …
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