International

OPEC’s second-largest producer, Iraq, is committed to its voluntary cut in the OPEC+ agreement and will produce no more than 4 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said on Monday. Iraq, which pumped 4.292 million bpd in December, per OPEC’s secondary sources, is …

The last thing Senegal needed in its long-drawn-out effort to capitalize on large oil and gas finds off its coast was political turmoil. Africa’s newest natural gas superstar had bubbled with optimism when BP Plc, Woodside Energy Group Ltd. and Kosmos Energy Ltd. agreed to develop the fields off the …

Total gold demand hit an all-time high in 2023, according to a recent report released by the World Gold Council. Last week, the World Gold Council (WGC) released its Gold Demand Trends report, which tracks developments in the demand for and use of gold around the world. Excluding over-the-counter (OTC) …

The International Monetary Fund said on Sunday Middle East economies were lagging below growth projections due to oil production cuts and the Israel-Gaza conflict, even as the global economic outlook remained resilient. Despite uncertainties, “the global economy has been surprisingly resilient,” IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva told the Arab Fiscal …

Brazil’s natural gas imports fell to a 20-year low last year, according to data from the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). Brazil’s nat gas imports fell to 6.5 billion cubic meters, or 228 billion cubic feet, according to ANP, as the country boosts its hydroelectric capabilities …

Venezuela is sending troops to its border with Guyana in an escalation of tensions over Guyana’s recent oil boom, according to reports citing satellite images and videos posted by Venezuela’s military. Venezuela is attempting to annex an area known as Essequibo, in which Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in December said …

Security threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea are not abating, they are escalating instead, and disruptions to maritime trade are expected to last up to a year, according to some of the biggest shipping companies in the world. Many container and tanker operators have been avoiding the Red …

The world’s biggest manufacturer of shipping containers sees a surge in revenues from its hydrogen business, in a sign the clean fuel is starting to gain commercial traction. China International Marine Containers Group Co. makes electrolyzers that can produce hydrogen, as well as storage containers for the gas. It generated …

Oil supermajors returned more cash to shareholders than ever before last year as management teams reined in spending on new projects to free up cash for dividends and buybacks. There may be more to come. Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, TotalEnergies and BP spent $113.8 billion on 2023 dividends and share …

South Korea’s electric vehicle (EV) sales fell by 0.1% last year for the first annual decline since 2017, as drivers cite fears of batteries catching fire and insufficient number of chargers as key obstacles alongside higher interest rates and high prices. South Korean drivers are concerned that their future EVs …