Ten more European buyers of Russian gas have opened accounts at Russia’s Gazprombank, designated by Vladimir Putin to process the ruble-for-gas payments that he demands from now on, a source close to Russia’s gas giant Gazprom told Bloomberg on Thursday. So far, 20 companies from Europe have already opened accounts …
Read More »China is Spoilt for Choice of Oil as many Avoid Russian Barrels
Chinese oil buyers are spoilt for choice right now even as lockdowns hurt demand as they can opt for everything from discounted Russian crude and sanctioned Iranian oil to regularly-taken Middle Eastern barrels. While a wave of sweeping anti-virus curbs has put a dent in current consumption, China has an …
Read More »China’s LNG Buyers See Virus Curbs Cutting Demand through Summer
Liquefied natural gas buyers in Northern China are concerned virus-linked curbs on travel and industry will persist through summer, further limiting demand. Respondents to a government survey expect LNG imports in Northern China, which accounts for about a third of the nation’s deliveries, to drop by at least 20% for …
Read More »EU Plan to Cut Russian Gas may Come with $214 Billion Price Tag
The European Union is “massively” underestimating the cost of weaning itself off Russian natural gas by billions of euros unless it can speed up its shift to renewable energy. Europe is so reliant on gas that even cutting Russian supplies still means governments could be on the hook for about …
Read More »Oil Extends Decline as Europe Softens some Russian Sanctions
Oil extended its biggest drop in more than five weeks as the European Union softened some of its proposed sanctions on Russian oil exports. West Texas Intermediate futures fell below $103 a barrel in early Asian trading after sliding around 6% on Monday. The bloc will scrap a proposed ban …
Read More »EU Revises Russia Oil Sanctions Plan to Give Hungary more Time
The European Union has proposed a revision to its Russia oil sanctions ban that would give Hungary and Slovakia an extra year, until the end of 2024, to comply, according to people familiar with the matter. The Czech Republic would also be granted an exemption until June 2024, the people …
Read More »OPEC Fails to Increase Oil Output as Capacity Troubles Persist
The OPEC cartel — which has struggled for many months to revive oil supplies halted during the pandemic — effectively failed to increase output at all last month, as members remained plagued by capacity constraints. While Iraq made a substantial boost, countries such as Libya and Nigeria saw their production …
Read More »U.S. LNG Deals Surge as Europe Turns away from Russian Energy
About 30% of planned U.S. LNG export capacity has been booked since war disrupted European energy supplies, a dramatic reversal of fortune for as many as 10 new projects, some of them long stalled. Among the latest deals are French utility Engie SA locking in nearly 2 million tons of …
Read More »Gazprom’s Gas Exports Drop as Buyers Turn to Spot Volumes
Gazprom PJSC’s daily natural-gas sales to key foreign markets slipped to the lowest in three months in April as customers turned to cheaper supplies on the spot market amid mild weather and a wave of LNG. Europe has been importing record amounts of discounted liquefied natural gas on the back …
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 …
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