China imported a record-high volume of crude oil last year, beating the previous annual record from 2020, as fuel demand rebounded after the Covid restrictions were abandoned in early 2023. Chinese crude oil imports jumped by 11% year-on-year to 11.28 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023, according to data …
Read More »UK Plans to Build Third New 3.2 GW Nuclear Plant
The United Kingdom government said it is considering a third new-generation nuclear plant with the same power capacity as the under-construction Hinkley C and the approved Sizewell C. The third plant is part of the Civil Nuclear Roadmap announced by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) Thursday, …
Read More »Kazakhstan Quadruples Grain Exports to China
The easing of the COVID-related sanitary regime at Chinese customs crossings enabled Kazakhstan to quadruple the amount of agricultural goods it exported to the country in 2023 as compared to a year earlier. The 2.2 million tons, which comprised wheat, barley, soybeans, flax and sunflower seeds, that was sent to …
Read More »TotalEnergies Expands Stake in Namibian Oil Discovery
Optimizing its position in the global energy sector, the French energy giant TotalEnergies has recently announced an expansion of its holdings in a notable oil discovery located in Namibia, marking a strategic initiative within the industry. The company has recently inked a deal with Impact Oil and Gas Namibia (Pty) …
Read More »More Drilling Slowdowns for U.S. Oil, Gas Industry
The total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States fell again this week, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday. The total rig count fell by 2 to 619 this week, compared to 775 rigs this same time last year. The …
Read More »World’s Largest Uranium Miner will Miss Production Targets
The world’s largest uranium miner issued a dire warning on Friday concerning its production outlook for 2024, sparking fears that nuclear fuel supply could be at risk. London-based Kazatomprom—the largest uranium miner in the world—said on Friday that sulfuric acid shortages and construction delays at newly discovered deposits could lead …
Read More »China’s Shale Exploration Yields Promising Results
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec, has found oil and gas at a shale exploration well in the Sichuan province in the southwest, estimating that the initial flows could lead to the discovery of around 100 million metric tons of hydrocarbons. The Xingye-9 exploration well in the Chongqing municipality …
Read More »EIA Sees U.S. Setting New Oil Production Record in 2025
The EIA’s first outlook for 2025 shows forecasted U.S. crude oil production reading 13.4 million barrels per day—a new record for the country. The Energy Information Administration’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook report published on Tuesday represents the first peek into predictions for 2025. Those predictions include the United States hitting …
Read More »Norway Approves Deep-Sea Mining for Critical Minerals
Environmentalists received a blow this week as Norway’s parliament agreed to allow Arctic seabed exploration to mine for critical minerals as it attempted to shift away from its reliance on oil and gas. The decision could make Norway the first country in the world to commercialize deep-sea mining to harvest …
Read More »Russia’s Oil Drilling Boom Proves Moscow’s Resilience to Western Sanctions
Russia was on pace for a second year of record oil drilling in 2023, further evidence of the nation’s resilience to Western sanctions. The boom in activity came alongside a recovery in the both volume and value of Russia’s oil exports, a stark illustration of how the country’s fossil fuel …
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