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Environment
Six people are confirmed missing following a landslide on a New Zealand campsite
Authorities confirmed on Friday that six people were missing after a landslide ripped through a campground in New Zealand's North Island. Emergency crews continue to search the rubble. The landslide was caused by heavy rains on Mount Maunganui, on the east coast of the island. It happened at 9:30 am (2030 GMT Wednesday) and brought soil and rubble to the campsite where families were spending their summer holidays in Tauranga. Tim Anderson, the Police District Commander for Tim Anderson's district, said at a press conference that authorities are working to locate three additional people to add to the six who
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Crude Oil
Oil drops 2% after Trump toned down his threats towards Greenland and Iran
The oil price dropped by about 2% on Thursday, reaching a new low. This was after U.S. president Donald?Trump backed down on his threats against Greenland and Iran and on positive developments that could help end Russia's war in Ukraine. Brent futures dropped $1.18 or 1.8% to settle at $64.06 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), however, fell $1.26 or 2.1% to settle at $59.36, which is a new one-week low. Trump claimed that he had secured permanent U.S. access in Greenland through a deal with NATO. The head of the alliance said allies must increase their commitment
Natural Gas
Natural Gas
EUROPE GAS - Prices rise on colder weather and weaker winds
Dutch and British wholesale gasoline prices rose Friday morning due to colder weather forecasts, and a weaker wind output. The benchmark 'Dutch front month contract at TTF hub increased by 1.16 euros to 34.97 Euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh) as of 0925 GMST, according to LSEG data. LSEG data shows that the contract reached a high intraday of 35.17 during earlier trading, its highest level since August 1, last year. The Dutch March price was 0.69 euros higher, at 33.42 Euros/MWh. The UK price for February was 3.67 pence more expensive? at 91.17 pennies per therm. This week, prices have...
Energy Markets
Prices for EUROPE GAS rise and reverse earlier losses
Dutch wholesale gas prices increased on Wednesday. They reversed earlier losses due to concerns about liquefied gas (LNG) supply if tensions escalate in Iran. LSEG data shows that the benchmark Dutch front-month 'contract' at TTF hub is up?1.42 Euros?at 32.55 Euros per megawatt hour by 1213 GMT. This is the highest level recorded since October 7, last year. The Dutch March rate was 31.66 Euros/MWh, an increase of 1.28 euros. The British day-ahead contract was down 0.40 pennies at 82.80 pence/therm. Iran warned its neighbours that it could strike U.S. military bases if Washington interferes with protests, despite the fact...
Natural Gas
Edison CEO: Group accelerates green investments; EDF eyes minority stake sale
Edison's green investment will increase the Italian utility’s borrowings, said its CEO. EDF, the parent company, plans to sell a majority stake in the unit, to avoid an increase in its debt. The Italian utility announced earlier on Thursday that it will begin working on renewable projects in Italy with a combined power of more than 500 megawatts. Edison CEO Nicola Monti said in an interview that "EDF had many investments to be made in France, particularly in the nuclear sector. The intention to open (our) capital – only for a minor stake – is to allow Edison implement its...
Fossil Fuels
Turkey extends Russia gas contracts for an additional year in order to attract U.S. investment
Turkey has finalised an extension of one year to its gas import contracts that expire with Russia, totalling 22 bcm. It is also considering investing in U.S. production, according to the energy minister. Both import contracts with Gazprom expire by the end of the year. Turkey's share of Russian gas has steadily decreased, and is now below 40%. Turkey, Russia's final major gas market in Europe has signed deals to buy long-duration LNG, a large part of which is from the U.S. This takes advantage of the expected global abundance of LNG over the next couple of years. Bayraktar, the...
Oil & Gas Equipment
As part of an organisational review, UK-based Harbour Energy is expecting to cut 100 jobs offshore
Harbour Energy, an offshore producer with a focus on the North Sea, announced Monday that it would be cutting 100 jobs in its UK operations as part of a review of their UK organisation. Low commodity prices and a tax regime that is not competitive have put pressure on the UK oil-and-gas sector. This has led to Harbour's offshore restructuring, according to Scott Barr, Harbour's UK managing director. After a consultation phase, which is expected to end in the first quarter 2026, job cuts are planned. By 2023, 600 new jobs will be created. On top of this, the job...
Energy Markets
How much will the price of ROI-LNG drop by 2026? Russell
The market for liquefied gas is preparing itself for an increase in supply, mostly from the top exporter, the United States. However, it is not clear how low the spot price will need to fall to clear these additional volumes. According to commodity analysts Kpler, the global supply of super-chilled gasoline is forecast to reach 475 million metric tonnes in 2026. This represents a 10.2% increase over the 431 millions tons predicted for 2025. This figure is comparable to South Korea's total annual demand, which is the third largest LNG importer in the world behind China and Japan. Go Katayama,...
Oil & Gas Refining
Lukoil attracts buyers for its foreign assets
The foreign assets of Russian oil giant Lukoil, which are located in Egypt and Kazakhstan, are attracting bidders. Time is running out for the deals to be completed before U.S. sanctions can be enforced. As part of their efforts to get the Kremlin into peace talks on Ukraine, the U.S. has imposed sanctions on Lukoil. They have already blocked Lukoil’s attempts to sell foreign assets before the deadline of November 21, sanctions. Lukoil has also been affected by the sanctions in Iraq, Finland at pump stations and Bulgaria in a refinery. Governments and partners want to buy its foreign assets...
Natural Gas
Kimmeridge says the 2021 merger is a failure and calls for a complete overhaul of Coterra
Kimmeridge, an activist investor, called on Tuesday for a change in leadership and strategy within Coterra Energy. He said that the merger of Cabot Energy & Oil and Cimarex Energy into the new company by 2021 has failed to provide value and the stock is trading at a lower price than its peers. The private investment firm, in an open letter to the board, urged it to appoint a non-executive, independent chair, and to refocus its operations on the oil-rich Delaware Basin, claiming that the current mix of oil properties and gas properties had created inefficiency and reduced returns. In...
Natural Gas
Greece selects Chevron and Helleniq Energy as preferred bidders for offshore gas exploration
The Greek energy ministry announced on Friday that a consortium consisting of U.S. major oil company Chevron, and Helleniq Energy - the largest oil refiner in the country - was the preferred bidder to explore gas offshore in the southern blocks. The move follows a joint bid Chevron/Helleniq made in an Greek tender last year for the exploration of gas in four deep sea blocks near the Peloponnese Peninsula and Crete. Greece, which has very little oil production and relies heavily on gas imports to power its domestic consumption and generate electricity, is keen to explore and enhance its role...
Carbon Emissions
Indonesia resumes international carbon trading after four years
According to a copy seen on Wednesday, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has issued a decree to resume international carbon trading after a hiatus of four years. In 2021, the Southeast Asian country published carbon market regulations that focused more on compliance than voluntary markets. The regulation effectively ended all trading of carbon credits across borders, even those generated by large projects such as the Katingan Mentaya Conservation Project. Indonesia claimed that the moratorium allows the country to prioritise meeting its own greenhouse-gas reduction targets instead of selling the reductions abroad. The suspension was also a result of concerns that carbon...
Fossil Fuels
Venture Global shares slide after BP wins arbitration case over LNG cargoes
Venture Global's shares fell 17% on Friday in premarket trade after BP won an arbitration case against it over its failure in delivering liquefied gas as part of a long-term contract that was supposed to begin in late 2022. Venture Global reported on Thursday that the International Chamber of Commerce International Court of Arbitration had found it in breach of its obligations to declare that commercial operations at the Calcasieu Pass Plant had started promptly and to act as "a reasonable and prudent operator." BP, Shell Edison and Galp filed arbitration claims accusing U.S. firm of profiteering, by selling LNG...
Energy Markets
Serbia will sign a gas import agreement with Russia in October
The head of Serbia's state gas company, RTS, told the public broadcaster on Tuesday that Serbia will sign a deal for a three-year supply of gas with Russia. Dusan Bajatovic, Srbijagas, said that Serbia already has daily gas supplies of 2.5 millions cubic metres from Azerbaijan. It also receives 9.5 million cubic meters daily from Russia. Bajatovic said that Serbia has a single gas storage facility which holds 780 millions cubic metres of gas. If needed, an additional 200,000,000 cubic metres can be obtained from a storage in Hungary. Serbia is one of the few European countries that still buys...
Environment
General Fusion goes public in the US with a $1 billion SPAC deal
General Fusion, a nuclear energy startup in the U.S., announced on Thursday that it would go public with a deal worth about $1 billion. The company will be partnering with blank-check firm?Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. III. This is due to a growing demand for?cleaner electricity. General Fusion reported that the deal included $105 million in private equity investment oversubscribed by SVAC III and approximately $230 million in cash held in trust for SVAC III. General Fusion expects to complete the merger?by the middle of 2026 and list the stock on Nasdaq with the ticker GFUZ. The Canadian company is developing...
The top cases in the US Supreme Court docket
The U.S. Supreme Court has a number of important cases on its docket during the current term. These include issues like presidential powers, tariffs and birthright citizenship. Other topics are race, transgender sportspeople, campaign finance laws, voting rights, LGBT “conversion therapy”, religious rights and capital penalty. The term began in October, and will run through June. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases in several cases that challenge President Donald Trump's policy. TRUMP'S FIRE OF FED OFFICIAL Justices expressed skepticism about Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, a move that could threaten the independence of...
As frustrations over the state's response mount, communities in Chile that have been ravaged by fires pull together.
The fires that raged near Concepcion, a city in southern Chile, were putting out by Wednesday morning. Cloudy skies and humid air brought cooler temperatures to coastal areas after extreme heat for days. The smoke plumes lingered and it was expected that the death toll would rise, as the police and state coroner continued to search for bodies inside apartment blocks damaged by fire. Residents began to clear debris and rebuild with the help of neighbors and volunteers. Carlos Lopez, city councillor of nearby Cobquecura gathered money, nails and wood as well as cement and other construction materials. With the...
Pollution
Mineral Resources
BHP denied permission to appeal UK judgement over 2015 Brazil dam failure
BHP has been denied permission to appeal a ruling that found it liable for a 2015 dam collapse in the southeast of Brazil. The London lawsuit could be worth tens or hundreds of millions of pounds. The London High Court ruled in November that BHP is legally responsible for collapse of Fundao Dam, located in Mariana (southeastern Brazil), which was owned by BHP's joint venture with Vale, Samarco. BHP's request for a?permission of appeal this ruling? was denied by High Court. BHP has said it will directly apply to the Court of Appeal. BHP's spokesperson stated in a press release...
Pollution
US Supreme Court will hear Bayer's request to limit Roundup cases
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Bayer’s request to limit lawsuits claiming the Roundup weedkiller caused cancer. This could potentially save billions of dollars and prevent millions of dollars in damages. The justices heard Bayer's appeal of a lower-court ruling in a case filed by a man who claimed he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma following years of exposure Roundup. The Missouri Court of Appeals has rejected the German pharmaceutical &?biotechnology firm's argument that federal law governing insecticides prohibits lawsuits relating to pesticides brought under state laws. Bayer faces similar claims in state and federal courts in...
Pollution
eBay announces its first climate plan that targets net zero by 2045
eBay, the e-commerce giant, unveiled on Wednesday its first climate change plan and said it would increase efforts to decarbonize?its operations?and supply chain?as part of a plan?to reach?net-zero emission levels by 2045. The plan was validated by Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a standard-setting organization. It builds on achieving an earlier goal to power all of its facilities with 100% renewable electricity by 2020, which had been achieved in 2024. Renee Morin, Chief Sustainability Officer at eBay, said the company aims to align with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the pre-industrial level. This...
Pollution
Nestle CEO apologizes for instant formula recall
Nestle CEO Philipp Navratil apologized?over the recall of certain batches of 'the?firms infant nutrition products in dozens of -countries. This was a new blow for the Swiss consumer goods company after a difficult 2025. "Before I go into more detail about the situation, I want to sincerely apologize for any worry or disruption this may have caused our customers, our caregivers, and parents," Navratil stated in a video released by the 'company. Navratil announced that all recalls had been made. According to the CEO, there are no confirmed illnesses linked to products. The recall has increased the 'pressure' on KitKat...
Pollution
The top cases in the US Supreme Court docket
During its current term, the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a number of important cases involving such issues as presidential powers and tariffs, gun rights, race, transgender sportspeople, campaign finance laws, voting rights, LGBT “conversion therapy”, religious rights, capital punishment, and more. The term began in October, and will run through June. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases in several cases that challenge President Donald Trump's policy. TRUMP TARIFFS During arguments on the 5th of November, the justices raised questions about the legality and impact of Trump’s sweeping tariffs. This case has implications for the global economic system....
Pollution
Trump to limit state's ability to block energy project in water rule
The Trump administration proposed on Tuesday a rule that would revise the 'Biden-era protections against pollution for waterways. This move, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), would speed up permitting of energy infrastructure and artificial intelligence. The 'proposed' rule would revise a rule from the administration of former President Joe Biden in 2023 on Section 401, which gave tribes and states authority to protect waters during their review of federally-permitted projects such as pipelines and power stations. Biden's rule replaced one from the first administration of President Donald Trump that limited the power?of tribes and states to force changes...
Carbon Emissions
Report: Power and building sectors are responsible for the rise in US greenhouse gases emissions
The U.S. greenhouse gases emissions increased for the first two years at a faster rate than the U.S. economy. They rose by 2.4% by 2025. This was largely due to the increase in power sector demand and the use of fuel for heating buildings. According to the research firm, the increase in emissions was primarily due to increased emissions from direct fuel used to heat buildings. These emissions rose 6.8% from 2025 to the previous year. The power sector also saw a 3.8% increase in emissions as a result of coal-fired generators being added to meet the demand for?data centres...
Coal
US EPA rejects Colorado haze plans to retire coal plants earlier
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rejected Colorado's plan on Friday to comply with regional haze regulations by closing its coal plants. It said the state "needs" the plants to continue running to maintain reliable power. The agency stated that Colorado's plan to reduce pollution from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxidation, which causes haze and smog in national parks and wilderness regions, violated the Clean Air Act since the state failed to?get the consent of one of the coal plant targeted for an early retirement. Why it's important The Trump administration is extending the life of coal-fired plants in order to...
Energy Markets
Legal questions arise from Trump's withdrawal of the UN Climate Treaty
Some legal experts believe that the Trump administration's decision, made by the Trump Administration, to withdraw from the U.N. Climate Treaty, which was unanimously adopted in the U.S. Senate more than 30 year ago, could be illegal. They say Congress would have to approve the withdrawal. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from dozens international and U.N. organizations. This includes the U.N. The Framework Convention on Climate Change and the scientific Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are both "opposed to U.S. National Interests" by focusing on oil, gas, and mining development. Trump, who is...
Pollution
Nestle recalls infant formula in Africa, Americas and Asia
Nestle has expanded its recall of certain batches of infant nutrition products beyond Europe. It now includes Africa, Americas, and Asia. Nestle recalled batches of SMA formula, BEBA formula, NAN formula, and Alfamino formulation because they may have been contaminated with cereulide. This toxin can cause nausea and vomiting. Health warnings have been issued in 37 countries including the majority of European states, Australia, Brazil and China. The recall puts more pressure on KitKat, Nescafe and its new CEO Philipp Navratil who is trying to restore growth with a portfolio review following management changes. Nestle shares are down 5.7% this...
Pollution
Nestle recalls infant formula in China and Brazil
Nestle has expanded its recall of certain batches of infant nutritional products beyond Europe, to include the Americas, Asia, China, and Brazil. This is according to statements from the company and the national health ministries. Nestle has recalled batches of SMA formula, BEBA formula, NAN formula, and Alfamino due to possible contamination by cereulide. This toxin can cause nausea and vomiting. At least 37 countries have issued health warnings about the possibility of contamination in infant formulas. This includes?most European States, Australia, Brazil and China. Nestle and its new CEO Philipp Navratil are under more pressure after the recall. Nestle...
Carbon Emissions
Weather service: UK to record hottest year and most sunny ever in 2025
The National Weather Service announced on Friday that Britain had its sunniest and hottest year ever in 2025. This was a record-breaking high, exceeding the previous one set in '2022. The?Met Office reported that the average annual temperature in 2018 was 10.09 degrees Celsius. This is higher than the previous average of 10.03 C. It's only the second time since 1884, when detailed records were first kept, that the annual average temperature has exceeded 10 C. Met Office first announced the possibility of setting a new record last month. The reading placed four of the five most recent years among...
Wind Farms
New York files suit against the Trump administration for a halt on two offshore wind project
New York's Attorney General sued the Trump Administration on Friday over the suspension of construction on two offshore?wind farms that it says are needed to power a million homes and reduce the state's reliance on fossil-fuels. Letitia J., New York's Attorney General, has filed two separate lawsuits asking the federal court in Washington not to allow President Donald Trump's freeze of federal offshore leases owned by Equinor from Norway and Orsted from Denmark on December 22, 2018. The Interior Department said that it had halted the project due to complaints from?the Pentagon, that wind turbines can cause radar interference which...
Japan’s KEPCO Buys Majority Stake in Ireland’s Simply Blue Energy
Japan’s Kansai Electric Power Co. (KEPCO) has signed a share subscription agreement with Ireland’s Simply Blue Group’s offshore wind development arm, Simply Blue Energy OSW (SBE OSW).The strategic investment marks KEPCO’s first investment involving management participation in an offshore wind developer.KEPCO will acquire a majority stake in SBE OSW through its wholly owned subsidiary, KPIC Netherlands BV.Simply Blue Energy OSW is actively engaged in multiple offshore wind projects across Europe and elsewhere and possesses extensive experience and expertise in offshore wind development from the early stages of project formation.With KEPCO’s investment, SBE OSW aims to accelerate the expansion of its...
L&T Joins Hitachi Energy to Support TenneT’s 2GW Offshore Wind Grid Scheme
India’s EPC contractor Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been hired to deliver High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) converters in support of the Dutch-German transmission system operator (TSO) TenneT’s 2GW offshore wind grid program in the North Sea.Collaborating with Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader in electrification, L&T has been nominated by TenneT to deliver HVDC converter stations, as part of the initiative that aims to accelerate the integration of large-scale renewable energy into the European power grid, particularly across the German and Dutch sectors of the North Sea.The collaboration brings together complementary strengths in advanced technology, engineering excellence, and end-to-end...