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Oil & Gas
New Greenland agreement likely to see US troops stationed at a desolate Arctic outpost
A small Danish military detachment has quietly watched over a wind-swept 'gravel airstrip' in eastern Greenland for decades. Under a new US defense agreement signed this week, Mestersvig may soon be a major American military base in the Arctic. Mestersvig is 240 km (149 miles), or a distance of 149 miles, from the nearest settlement with a population of 330 people. It lies at the edge if a national park that is larger than Germany combined. The area is completely dark during the winter with temperatures around minus 10 degrees Celsius. It is the most remote, coldest, and extreme place
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Environment
Hurricane Polo is expected to land on Sunday night and bring heavy rains to Mexico.
The US National Hurricane Center said that on Thursday, Hurricane Polo was crawling northwest off the mainland as it is "extremely strong". Polo, with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles an hour (250 km/h), has been classified as the last Category 4 storm. This is a step down from the previous highest level, Saffir-Simpson, that it previously achieved. The NHC is constantly adjusting the storm's strength and said that it may see some near-term improvement. It also expects the storm to remain as a major hurricane over the next few days. AccuWeather is a private forecaster that predicted Polo would
Natural Gas
Natural Gas
Minister says Canada is interested in a partnership with France LNG
Anita Anand, Canadian Foreign Ministry, said on Monday that Canada and France could form an energy partnership involving liquefied natural gas produced along its Pacific Coast. This comes a day after the leaders of both countries met to discuss energy cooperation. Anand stated that it was "quite possible" for Canada to?execute a partnership in energy with a European nation using LNG imported from Canada's West Coast. In an interview conducted on the sidelines the annual gathering of leaders of the world at the United Nations, she stated that "that goes for France." Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has called for...
Crude Oil
China's oil throughput in August is up for the second consecutive month amid Iran war
China's oil throughput in August?rose for a second consecutive month but was still?6.9% lower than a year ago, according to?data released on Tuesday by the National Bureau of Statistics. In August, the world's largest oil buyer processed 59.07 metric tons crude oil, or 13,91 million barrels per day. This is an increase of 11.2% compared to July. Oil throughput in the first eight months was 456.12 millions metric tons or 13.7 million bpd. This is down 6.6% compared to a year earlier. According to data, China's domestic crude oil production in August rose by 0.8% on the year to a...
Energy Markets
Polish President refers windfall tax decision to Constitutional Court
The Polish president has said that he will refer a bill which would impose a windfall tax?on the profits of oil and gas companies to the country's Constitutional Court, citing?concerns about its'retroactive' nature and 'potential impact' on consumers. The Polish Parliament has approved a bill that will tax windfall profits made by oil and gas firms who have enjoyed soaring margins in the face of supply shocks caused by the Middle East conflict. The bill assumes that in 2026, fuel sales exceeding the average of the previous year by 20% will be taxed 60%. This would generate 4 billion zlotys...
Power Markets
Gas plant in France at risk of failure due to high temperatures
The Mediterranean Sea's high temperatures, which have limited the availability of cooling water for gas plants in southern France, could lead to a gas plant going offline on Thursday evening. This would add further pressure to an energy system that is already under stress due to reduced nuclear output. Early summer heatwaves have caused temperatures to rise to unheard of levels in Europe, leading water shortages, fires and even deaths. The French utility EDF has issued a?restriction? notice for its 930 megawatt Martigues power plant. This is the first time in this summer that an electricity plant powered by gas...
Natural Gas Utilities
AfD leader vows restore German-Russian relations as she seeks chancellery
Alice Weidel of the far right Alternative for Germany said that Germany should stop a boycott against Russian oil and gas to boost its flagging economy. She was describing the party's ambitions to form a national coalition. Weidel claimed that the AfD could win two important federal state elections within the next few months. He described them as a milestone towards securing the position of German chancellor at the next national election due in 2029. The success of Made in Germany was due to the cheap energy that Russia provided. Weidel stated that we need to get it back. "The...
Crude Oil
Cambodians are now more motivated than ever to tap into $300 billion of energy resources, due to the global fuel crisis
Cambodia's energy minister stated on Wednesday that the oil shock caused by the conflict in Iran has prompted Cambodia to resolve its maritime dispute with Thailand and unlock underwater energy resources worth $300 Billion. The grip of Iran on the Strait of?Hormuz - the conduit for a fifth of global oil supplies - has made the conflict in the region the worst ever global energy crisis. In an interview, the Minister of Mines and Energy Keorottanak said that Cambodia relies on renewable energy, including hydropower and solar power, to help it weather this current crisis. However, its hopes for industrialisation...
Power Markets
EIA: US power consumption will surpass previous records in 2026 and '27, as AI usage surges.
The Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook released on Tuesday predicted that U.S. electricity consumption would continue to rise in 2026 & 2027. The EIA projects that the power demand in 2027 will increase from 4,195 billion Kilowatt-hours in 2025, to 4,248 in 2026, and 4,379 in 2027. The demand for electricity is increasing as more homes and businesses are using less fossil fuels to heat and transport their vehicles and use more electricity. The agency stated that the increase in electricity demand is being led by the commercial sector. This is expected to surpass residential demand for the first...
Natural Gas
Venture Global signs new LNG Supply Deals with TotalEnergies and Vitol
Venture Global announced on Tuesday that it had signed new LNG supply contracts with TotalEnergies, and trading house Vitol for combined sales of over 1 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa), over the next five-year period. Mike Sabel, the CEO of Venture Global, said on a Tuesday earnings call that the company charges customers more than twice the price of long-term LNG for the five-year contracts. This reduces the risk profile. Sabel said, "It gives us the opportunity to blend out...the risks with much higher prices than 20-year contracts. We can double our long-term contracts." These deals bring the total...
Coal
The US coal industry is given a reprieve by the US government, but this will not last long: Jenarthan & Jain
Coal has been given an unlikely reprieve by the combination of U.S. support and the Iran War. Don't call this a comeback. In the first weeks of Tehran’s war against the U.S., and Israel, the global seaborne thermal prices of coal rose by over 25%. Prices rose to the highest level since late-2024, adding new momentum to a 'unexpected' rebound. This price rise reflects short-term market conditions, not a structural improvement in the?coal economy, as is evident by the fact that prices are only 15% higher than pre-war levels. These recent steps come after coal achieved several positive milestones in...
Natural Gas
Taiwan has received assurances from a'major country' about LNG supplies
Taiwan's economy minister announced on Saturday that the energy minister of a "major country" producing liquefied gas had given Taiwan assurances about supply. He was speaking in relation to the?impact of the Iran War on Middle East energy imports. Taiwan, which is a major producer of semiconductors, relied on Qatar to supply around a third its LNG prior to the conflict. It has now said that it has secured alternative supplies from countries such as Australia and the United States for the months ahead. Kung Ming Hsin, Taiwan's Economy Minister, told reporters in Taipei that Taiwan enjoys good relations with...
Natural Gas
Data centers forced to become more flexible by the US grid
In times of high demand for electricity, the U.S. tech industry is being pressured to reduce its power consumption. This comes amid growing public concerns that Big Tech's massive energy needs in expanding data centers will'max out' the country's electrical grid. When utilities and grid operators ask for it, the power industry and its regulators are increasingly pushing tech companies to make a concession that was previously unthinkable - they're asking them to?scale?back their energy consumption in giant server farms called data centers. The majority of the attempts to make data centres more flexible are in pilot mode. Data centers...
Power Markets
JERA's exec claims that there is no immediate shortage of LNG in Japan, but they are currently in negotiations for additional supply.
JERA, Japan’s largest power generator, is not facing a shortage of liquefied gas, despite the U.S. and Israel’s war against?Iran. However, JERA is in talks with long-term suppliers about possible additional supplies, according to a senior executive on Saturday. Global CEO Yukio KANI said that Japan's biggest LNG buyer, Global, handles around 35 million metric tonnes of super-chilled gas annually. Around 27 million tons of this fuel are used in Japan, with about 5% passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has disrupted the shipping in the'strait', which is a conduit for 80% of the world's fossil fuel?supplies. Kani, speaking...
Environment
UK pledges PS331 Million to Address Climate-Linked Security Risks
The UK announced on Wednesday that it would provide PS331,000,000 ($438.24,000,000) to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and instability. It warned that environmental shocks were increasingly becoming a threat to national security. The funding will go to the Global Environment Facility, which supports food and water security as well as protecting ecosystems in the Amazon Basin and Congo Basin. This announcement comes after UK Foreign Minister Ed Miliband, on the sidelines the UN General Assembly, called for world leaders to consider climate change when assessing their national security risks. He said that climate change, ecological collapse, and intelligence networks should...
Women volunteers in Borneo are fighting the worst wildfires since 11
Indonesia's Borneo Island is orange-colored and thick with smoke due to the worst wildfires that have occurred in over a decade. They have blackened large areas of forest, causing respiratory problems for many residents. The birds are also silent due to the choking smoke and fires, as observed by farmer Juniarni. The birds are a common sight in Sungai Awan Kiri, a village in West Kalimantan, where she lives. Their chirping is a constant reminder that they're there. She says that now there is silence. This is another sign of how the fires have affected the environment. They haven't done...
Mexico Beach towns prepare for storms when Polo hits the coast
Residents of Mexico's Pacific coast beach towns prepared for heavy rains and dangerous surf as Hurricane Polo, an intense Category 4 storm, moved northwestward offshore. The hurricane threatened flooding and mudslides on the southwest coast. US National Hurricane Center: Polo will continue to move slowly along the coast, between fishing town Zihuatanejo (and port hub Manzanillo), with maximum sustained wind speeds of 145mph (230kph). This is at 3 pm local time. It was predicted that the center of the storm would track along the edge southwestern Mexico until Thursday morning, before turning out to sea. The outer rainbands of the...
Pollution
Climate Change
Research shows that countries are still far behind in meeting UN biodiversity targets
Research published on Wednesday shows that governments are likely to fall far short of achieving a UN?target of protecting and conserving biodiversity in at least 30% of the land and oceans of the planet by 2030. Nearly 200 countries have signed up to the "30-by-30" goal as part of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which was agreed on in late 2022. They pledged to mobilize at least $100 billion per year to reverse decades worth of biodiversity loss. According to research conducted by several environmental groups, including the US-based Campaign for Nature, despite the fact that another 1.3m sq...
Refined Products
France asks EU to delay methane reporting due to tight energy supply
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, wrote to the European Commission to urge it to delay new rules on methane reporting for oil and 'gas importers. He argued that they could create legal risks if energy supplies are tightening. Les Echos, a French newspaper, first reported on Macron's September 18 letter to Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The new regulations, which will come into force on 'January 1', will require monitoring and verifying methane emission for fuel deliveries in the?Block. They aim to reduce leaks of this powerful greenhouse gas, and to impose a?fine if companies violate the regulation. Macron...
Power Markets
Victoria proposes that new data centres must source their own green energy
As part of its sustainable data centre development plan, the state of Victoria in Australia has proposed that all new data centers in this?region must secure their own renewable power supply. Victoria Premier Ben?Carroll announced the proposal Tuesday and called it the "strongest and clearest data center rules in the nation". Data centres would be required to provide their own renewable energy and storage and pay for the costs of connection and network upgrades. William Taylor, ETFshares COO, stated that the new mandate would require data centre developers to become power project developers. This would add capital and lead time....
Power Markets
Victoria, Australia proposes that new data centers must secure their renewable energy supply
As part of its plan for sustainable data center development, Victoria, Australia, has proposed that all new data centers in the region will be required to have their own renewable energy supply. The new proposed?rules would also 'ban' data centres from residential areas and require that they use non-drinking?water for cooling. This comes as the demand for energy in Victoria is growing rapidly, and communities all over Australia are pushing back against this sector’s increasing strain on land and water resources. Anthropic, an AI company, signed its first lease agreement for a data center in Brisbane, Queensland, earlier this month....
Pollution
Indonesia President calls for tougher penalties against those responsible for forest fires
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has called for tougher rules and sanctions against those who use slash-and-burn?methods of clearing land. The country is struggling to contain "wildfires" that have been raging in the country for weeks. Indonesia is currently battling the most intense wildfires it has seen in 11 years. "Super El Nino" conditions have drenched the country's fields and forests. The worst affected islands are Borneo, Sumatra and the surrounding areas. This is due to the dangerous haze that has caused respiratory illness. The air quality in Malaysia and Singapore, which are neighbouring countries, is also affected by transboundary pollution....
Pollution
UN chief raises alarm over AI threat after Trump plays down
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned leaders of the world on Wednesday that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence poses serious risks that can't be ignored. This puts him at odds against President Donald Trump, who argues that "existing safeguards" are adequate. Guterres, speaking?ahead? of the U.N. General?Assembly meeting in New York next week, told reporters that the need for stronger supervision would be the major focus of his discussions with global leaders who are coming to the city. Guterres said: "We cannot ignore the concerns raised by those who are on the frontlines of AI development, in particular." "It...
Carbon Emissions
US court rejects Trump administration's bid to keep Michigan coal plants open
On?Friday, a federal appeals court threw out a President Donald Trump administration order that had?forced a Michigan coal-fired plant to stay open past its planned retirement date. According to court documents, a unanimous?ruling?by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals 'for 'the District of Columbia Circuit determined that the Department of Energy had exceeded its authority in a rarely invoked emergency provision of federal legislation. Michigan challenged the DOE order after DOE instructed J.H. Campbell plant to stay online in 2025, shortly before the planned closure. The decision is a blow to the administration's efforts to maintain coal-fired...
Energy Markets
Brazil targets COP31 agreement to target China as buyer of Carbon Credits
Brazil will use a 'high-level visit' to China next Monday to 'assess if Beijing could become a purchaser of Brazilian carbon credits, and to advance the talks towards a bilateral market agreement that officials hope they can announce at the COP31 climate summit in Turkey this November. Discussions between top climate officials and carbon-market representatives from both countries will be held in conjunction with meetings at Wuhan, China from September 14 to 18 where a coalition of Brazil-China and EU carbon market jurisdictions that covers roughly 42% global emissions are set to approve a?plan of work aimed at gradually integrating...
Pollution
Data shows that Indonesian wildfires are the world's most destructive.
Data released on Wednesday showed that Indonesia has the highest carbon dioxide levels in the world due to wildfires burning across parched forest and peatland in Borneo, Sumatra and other islands. Fire Emissions Watch is a portal created by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Monitoring Service. It shows that Indonesian fire emissions between September 1 and September 7 reached?19.7 millions metric tons. This week, Indonesia overtook Russia, making up a third or more of the total global. Indonesia has one of the most dangerous fire seasons in the world. But as "super El Nino" weather conditions cause temperatures to rise...
Climate Change
UN weather agency: Heat waves and wildfires threaten air quality
The United Nations weather agency warned on Monday that pollution from heat waves and wildfires could undermine global efforts to improve the air quality and protect human health. The World Meteorological Organization, in its annual report on climate and air quality, said that air pollution and climate changes are closely related and should be addressed through coordinated policies rather than isolated ones. The World Meteorological Organization warned that it would be more difficult to meet the World Health Organization air quality guidelines in the future because of the increased likelihood of extreme wildfires. WMO's?report? stated that wildfires have become a...
Pollution
Zagreb waste cleanup delays prompt tens of thousands to protest
On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters gathered on the central square of Zagreb to demonstrate against the failure of the government to begin cleaning up the more than 30,000 tonnes of waste that have accumulated in central Croatia. Environmentalists claim this is polluting drinking water in the area. The protest was one of the largest in Croatia for several years. It was called "Walk for Lika", named after the mountainous area where the wastes are stored. Last year, authorities discovered between 34,000 to 37,000 tons at a site in the Lika region of Croatia, near the town of?Gospic. Much...
Pollution
Wildfires near Indonesia's capital prompt calls for action
Officials said that wildfires are spreading near Indonesia's new capital city, which is currently under construction. Project authorities have urged the disaster mitigation agency to conduct cloud-seeding, water-bombing, and other operations. Indonesia has intensified its efforts to control haze, particularly in six provinces that have been hardest hit by the forest and landfires on Borneo and Sumatra Islands, which total 73,311 ha. Wildfires are raging on Borneo Island in several spots, but in the eastern portion, which is home to the new capital Nusantara (Nusantara), the situation has been relatively calm in recent weeks, since the fires started to worsen...
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...