Oil prices rose further on Wednesday after data indicated that U.S. crude inventories shrank substantially in the past week, although the introduction of new anti-COVID curbs in major Chinese cities put a lid on gains. Data from the American Petroleum Institute showed that U.S. crude stockpiles fell a bigger-than-expected 4.8 …
Read More »Russia, China Switch to National Currencies in Payments for Gas
Russia said on Friday that it and China had switched to national currencies in their trade for natural gas, implementing a deal they signed in early September. Noting that Beijing already paid for Russian gas on the basis of the ruble-yuan parity, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in a …
Read More »Oil Falls as Geopolitical Tensions Ease, China COVID-19 Concerns Return
Oil prices fell for a second day in early Asian trade on Thursday (Nov 17) as concerns over geopolitical tensions eased and rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in China added to demand worries in the world’s largest crude importer. Brent crude futures dropped by 62 cents, or 0.7 per cent, …
Read More »China Embraces Increased Coal Use for Energy Security
China is adding coal plants to tackle energy security concerns, but this doesn’t mean it is backing away from its previously stated emissions curbs, Chinese delegates said at the COP27 summit this week. China may be adding new coal plants to prevent a repeat poor performance from recent years that …
Read More »Iraq’s New Prime Minister Doubles Down on Oil & Gas Deals with China and Russia
It is possible that U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, believed for a moment that his call to the new Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, saying that Washington “is eager to work with the government and people of Iraq to improve respect for human rights, increase economic opportunities, advance …
Read More »Asia Shares Mixed on China COVID Outlook
Asian share markets were mixed on Tuesday and oil was weaker as investors sought to digest the economic implications of China’s COVID policy adjustments and a rescue package for the country’s struggling property sector. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) was up 0.1%, following mild losses for …
Read More »China’s Covid Concerns Continue to Weigh on Oil Prices
Crude oil began trade today with a gain on the resurgence of hopes that Chinese demand is about to enter recovery mode. The hopes followed announcements from China that some pandemic restrictions will be relaxed. The gains, albeit modest, reflect a reversal in market sentiment, which just last week led …
Read More »Oil Extends Rangebound Run as Traders Eye China, Dollar Outlooks
Oil switched between gains and losses, as the market remains caught between the outlook for global growth and China’s easing of COVID restrictions. West Texas Intermediate futures traded near US$89 a barrel and have been in a range of just over US$10 for the last month. The dollar rose for …
Read More »China Urges Japan to Safely Dispose of Nuclear-Contaminated Water
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Friday once again urged Japan to respond to the legitimate concerns of all relevant parties and dispose of nuclear-contaminated water in a scientific, open, transparent, and safe way. According to reports, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced Wednesday that its technical task force would …
Read More »China Replaces Alaskan Expensive Crude with Russian Oil
China’s passion for Alaskan oil appears to be over as the country turns to Russia. Surging Chinese energy demand amid Covid lockdowns on the US West Coast prompted Alaskan oil exporters to ship more crude than any time in two-decades, and nearly all of it went to the East Asian …
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