State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. and Sinopec are expected to invest in Qatar’s $29 billion North Field East project, said a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified discussing a private matter. The companies are looking to procure LNG under long-term contracts, two other people familiar …
Read More »CNOOC Denies Plans for $3 Billion UK North Sea Exit
CNOOC has brushed aside recent media reports that the firm is considering withdrawing from oilfield investments in the UK North Sea, the US and Canada. The Nikkei Asia financial publication said the Chinese national oil firm is not, contrary to reports, seeking to diminish its vulnerability to Western-led sanctions targeting …
Read More »Gazprom 2021 Annual Earnings Hit Record on Gas Price Rally
Russia’s gas giant Gazprom PJSC reported its highest-ever annual income for 2021, when natural gas prices soared during Europe’s worst energy crunch in decades. The producer benefited from a surge in gas prices as Europe, its largest export market, faced a severe energy deficit due to post-Covid recovery allied to …
Read More »China LNG Demand to Peak in 2022
After reaching around 124 billion cubic metres (bcm) this year, Fitch forecasts LNG import volumes to fall year-on-year up until 2025, hitting an annual low of 114 bcm that year, before growth flips back into positive territory. “Several factors are at play. On the one hand, demand growth – while …
Read More »Covid-Zero Policies and Pollution Curbs Stunt China’s Oil Demand
China, the world’s biggest buyer of crude, is set to start 2022 with a subdued appetite for oil. For that, you can blame — or thank — Beijing’s increasingly tough line on the virus, pollution, and rule-breakers. The winter months are usually the time when refiners buy crude to replenish …
Read More »Russia’s Novatek Eyes Foothold in Vietnam LNG Market Following Pact
Russian LNG exporter Novatek has signed a cooperation agreement with Vietnam’s PetroVietnam on developing potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power projects in the southeast Asian country. The agreement was struck during Vietnamese president Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to Moscow, where he held a meeting with Novatek chairman Leonid Mikhelson …
Read More »Oil Steadies as Global Release of Strategic Reserves Underwhelms
Oil was steady after the biggest gain in two weeks following an announcement by the US of a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) with other countries that fell short of expectations. Futures in New York traded above $78 a barrel after climbing 2.3% on Tuesday. The US will …
Read More »Gazprom Ships First LNG to India via Northern Sea Route
Russia’s Gazprom said its Marshal Vasilevskiy vessel passed through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) with a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first time ever. The Russian LNG cargo was delivered under long-term contract to Indian company GAIL. On September 23, Marshal Vasilevskiy collected an LNG cargo at …
Read More »China Raises Coal and Gas Imports to Counter Energy Crisis
China’s energy crunch pulled in more coal and gas imports in September, as buyers scrambled to ensure adequate supplies to counter a deepening power shortage ahead of peak winter demand. Coal purchases rose 17% on the month to 32.9 million tons, the highest total this year, according to the customs …
Read More »Asia Needs $3 Trillion of Energy Investment
Asia remains a leading energy demand centre and will increasingly drive global energy trends. Energy demand in Southeast Asia has grown by 80% since 2000, at a rate far exceeding the global average. This rapid expansion has maintained pace during the pandemic and is poised to accelerate in 2021, according …
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