France, one of Europe’s leading electricity exporters, has taken 28 of its 56 atomic reactors offline due to defects or maintenance. The step comes amid a months-long energy crunch, one of the worst in European history. The 1,300-megawatt Golfech-2 reactor run by Electricite de France (EDF) in the south of …
Read More »European Refiners are Racing to Capitalize on Record-High Diesel Margins
Refiners in Europe are processing crude at capacity—or very close to capacity—bolstered by the highest diesel margins in at least three decades, traders told Argus on Friday. Every refinery in Western Europe not undergoing planned spring maintenance has ramped up throughput as refining margins for most fuels, especially diesel, are …
Read More »Europe to Phase out Russian Fossil Fuels; Look for Sustainable Options
Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the uncertainty caused in the energy market due to it has prompted the European Union (EU) to focus its attention on reducing its dependency on Russian energy and look for more sustainable options. The bloc looks to phase out its dependence on fossil fuels from …
Read More »German Gov’t Said to be Fast-Tracking Approval for LNG Terminal
The German government is said to be planning a law to speed up the construction of import terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG), as Berlin seeks to find alternative sources of energy to lessen its dependence on Russian imports. The draft law to accelerate LNG projects in northern Germany was …
Read More »Tankers of Russian oil a Prime Target for Western Sanctions
Earlier this month Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, grabbed headlines by travelling to Kyiv to demonstrate his solidarity with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president. It was eye-catching, tub-thumping stuff. But if Johnson wants to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, he should make a symbolic visit somewhere closer to home …
Read More »Poland Threatens to Seize Russian Pipelines
As Poland desperately attempts to restore the flow of Russian gas to the country, its government has ordered Russian Novatek to hand over pipeline infrastructure or face legal action amounting to infrastructure expropriation. On Friday, a Polish government spokesman told the Associated Press that Russian Novatek Green Energy had been …
Read More »Oil Giants Exxon, Chevron Increase Spending amid Ukraine Crisis
ExxonMobil and Chevron have reported soaring profits despite lower oil and natural gas volumes as the petroleum giants return billions of dollars to shareholders in the wake of lofty crude prices and refining margins. Both US oil giants scored huge profit increases propelled by crude prices that rose after the …
Read More »Drilling Rig Prices are Spiking in the U.S. Shale Patch
After driving up prices for everything from steel pipes to frack sand to labor, inflation has finally ensnared the centerpiece of oilfield equipment: the drilling rig. Rig prices are spiking in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world, promising profits at multiyear high for oilfield contractors. Three of …
Read More »U.S. Senate Panel Expected to Vote on Bill Allowing Lawsuits against OPEC
A U.S. Senate panel will consider as soon as next week a bill to open the OPEC oil production group and countries working with it to lawsuits for collusion on boosting petroleum prices, Senator Chuck Grassley’s office said on Thursday. The bill, sponsored by Grassley, a Republican, Senator Amy Klobuchar, …
Read More »Russia has nearly Doubled Fossil Fuel Revenues since the Start of the War
Despite sanctions, Russia has almost doubled its revenues coming from fossil fuel exports since the 24th of February which marked the start of a grim new chapter in history, the war in Ukraine. That’s according to research by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) which suggests …
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