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Fossil Fuels

Oil & Gas

ADNOC seeks EU okay under foreign subsidies rules for Covestro deal

ADNOC, the state-owned oil company of Abu Dhabi, requested approval from the EU on Thursday under the rules on foreign subsidies for its $16.4 billion acquisition of German chemicals firm Covestro. The request was made on the website of the European Commission. ADNOC's largest acquisition ever, for which it received the green light last week under EU merger regulations, demonstrates the Middle East countries diversification of investments in order to reduce their dependence upon oil. The EU's Foreign Subsidies Regulations (FSR) target unfair foreign aid to companies in order to reduce the competition from non EU companies that are subsidised...

Fossil Fuels

Black Sea CPC blend daily oil exports will rise in June, according to sources

Five trading sources who are familiar with the loadings for June have estimated that Black Sea CPC blend crude oil exports will be between 1.6 and 1.7 million barrels a day (bpd). The exports in May will be approximately 1.5 million bpd higher at that level. According to sources in the trade, around 90% of CPC Blend is exported from Kazakhstan. The remainder comes from Russian production. Kazakhstan's oil production has been a major point of contention within the OPEC+ Group, since it has consistently exceeded its production quotas over the past year. Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry said this month, despite...

Fossil Fuels

Turkey expects Syrian Kurdish Militia to fulfill Damascus Deal

Hakan Fidan, Turkey's Foreign Minister, said that the YPG Syrian Kurdish militia must fulfill a deal it made with the Syrian Government. The group is expected to be integrated into Syria’s armed forces. The YPG is seen by Turkey as an affiliate group of the Kurdistan Workers Party, a militant group that has fought against the Turkish state since the 1970s and announced Monday its decision to disarm. We see that the YPG has not taken any action so far. Fidan said at a press briefing during an informal NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey. He added...

Fossil Fuels

Gulf markets dull as global stock rally loses momentum

The majority of Gulf stocks were flat on Thursday morning, with oil prices falling and Asian stock markets declining after the initial excitement from eased trade tensions started to fade. Investors waited for more signals. Brent crude futures fell more than 2% and U.S. Crude also dropped. The global stock market had earlier in the week rejoiced over the truce between the U.S. and China trade war. However, the rally was lost as investors took a pause to assess the situation and its impact on the economy. Dubai's main stock index was the sole market in the region to choose...

Oil & Gas

Pirelli: Talks over dispute with major shareholder ended without agreement

The Italian tyremaker Pirelli announced on Wednesday that the talks to repair relations with Sinochem, its largest shareholder in China, ended without any breakthrough. Pirelli, and its second-largest shareholder, Italy's Camfin have claimed that Sinochem's stake in the company is hindering Pirelli's ambitions for expansion in the United States. Some lawmakers there are against projects backed by Chinese firms. Pirelli stated in April that Sinochem no longer controls the company because of the Italian government's decision to "golden power" the company by 2023. Sinochem, however, denied this claim. Pirelli announced on Wednesday that "the proposals extended to Sinochem by Pirelli...

Oil & Gas Refining

Pirelli: Talks over dispute with major shareholder ended without agreement

The Italian tyremaker Pirelli announced on Wednesday that the talks to repair relations with Sinochem, its largest shareholder in China, ended without any breakthrough. Pirelli, and its second-largest shareholder, Italy's Camfin have claimed that Sinochem's stake in the company is hindering Pirelli's ambitions for expansion in the United States. Some lawmakers there are against projects backed by Chinese firms. Pirelli stated in April that Sinochem no longer controls the company because of the Italian government's decision to "golden power" the company by 2023. Sinochem, however, denied this claim. Pirelli announced on Wednesday that "the proposals extended to Sinochem by Pirelli...

Oil & Gas Refining

Sources say that Indian billionaire Ambani will meet Trump and Qatar's emir at Doha

Mukesh ambani, the Indian billionaire, will meet with Donald Trump, President of the United States, and Qatar's emir in Doha, according to two sources. His company, Reliance Industries, is looking to strengthen ties between authorities in both countries. Qatar's sovereign fund, QIA has invested in Reliance over the years. Ambani is Asia's wealthiest man and has many business relationships with U.S. technology giants like Google and Meta. Ambani is attending a state dinner in Doha for Trump, but he does not intend to have any business or investment discussions. This was confirmed by the first source who has direct knowledge...

Fossil Fuels

Indonesia increases CPO export levy by 10% as of May 17,

A regulation signed Wednesday shows that Indonesia will increase its crude palm oil export levy from 7.5% to 10% starting May 17, in order to fund the country's increased mandate for biodiesel blends. Export levies on refined products will range from 4.75% to 9.5% of CPO reference prices, an increase of between 3% and 6 % of current rates. The levies collected are used to finance palm oil programs such as the biodiesel program and a smallholder replanting subvention. Indonesia increased its palm oil-based Biodiesel mix from 35% to 40% this past year. It is now studying moving to 50%...

Fossil Fuels

Gulf stocks fall as excess oil worries weigh

On Wednesday, most Gulf stocks were down slightly as a drop in oil prices due to fears of increased supplies hurt sentiment. Investors also paused for thought about the economic implications of the U.S. China tariff truce. The price of oil, a major factor in the Gulf financial markets, fell on Wednesday as traders awaited a possible increase in U.S. crude stocks. Prices remained near their two-week highs, however, as traders waited for a possible increase in U.S. crude inventories. The U.S.-China Trade War may have stopped, but the financial markets are still uneasy. Israel warned Wednesday that three ports...

Fossil Fuels

Trump praises Saudi Crown Prince, signals renewed alliance

Four years ago, Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was unable to meet with the then-President Joe Biden. Biden said that he wanted the Gulf nation to be a pariah because its leader had allegedly ordered the killing of a Washington journalist. Donald Trump praised Saudi Arabia's de-facto ruler in a gushing manner on Tuesday. He called him "an incredible guy" and "a great guy", and did not mention the human rights situation within the country. "I like him very much." "I like him too much," Trump exclaimed as the cameras flashed, and the crowd applauded. The summit was held...

Fossil Fuels

Copec warns that the China pulp market may be challenged by US tariffs

Empresas Copec, a Chilean conglomerate of industrial companies, said that the Chinese market could be more difficult for its forestry product if paper manufacturers struggle to increase sales due to uncertainty about U.S. Tariff policies. In a recent presentation, Cristian Infante, the head of Copec’s forestry division Arauco, said that most of the customers who export to the U.S. don’t really know the price at which their goods will be sold. "They're trying as hard as they can to buy as little." Arauco sells wood panels and pulp worldwide and contributes to the majority of Copec’s earnings. However, its core...

Fossil Fuels

Salt is dropped from the ODIs against West Indies. Cricket-Dawson will return to England's T20 Squad.

The England & Wales Cricket Board has not selected Phil Salt for the upcoming home white-ball series against West Indies. Will Jacks, a batting all-rounder, has been recalled to the England squads that will face West Indies in three ODIs (over 20-overs) and three T20s between May 29 and July 10. Harry Brook, the white-ball captain, is leading both teams. Luke Wood and Tom Hartley have both returned to England's T20 and ODI teams, respectively, after not playing white-ball cricket since September 2023. Jacks was playing in the Indian Premier League along with Jos buttler, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton,...

Crude Oil

Refined Products

Lotte Chemical will start operating Indonesia cracker by H2 2025

An executive from Lotte Chemical's Malaysian affiliate told reporters on Friday that Lotte Chemical intends to begin operations at its new cracker plant in Indonesia by the second half 2025. The cracker, which can produce 1,000,000 metric tons of ethylene per year, is part of the $3.95 billion Cilegon project in Indonesia's Banten Province. The facility will be operational at a moment when global petrochemical firms are experiencing lower margins due to an oversupply of ethylene from China. Philip Kong, Executive Vice President, Corporate Planning at Lotte Chemical titan (LCT), said that Lotte Chemical had reduced its stake from 49%...

Jet Fuel

Russell: Asia's refined oil imports fall, but margins are still strong

In April, Asia's imports for key refined fuels like gasoline and diesel dropped to their lowest level in four years. This was due to refinery maintenance as well as a weaker demand from the region that is the largest importer. According to commodity analysts Kpler, the total imports of light distillates and middle distillates in April were 166.37 millions barrels, down from March's 195.54 and the lowest since April 2020. The sharp fall in imports for April was due to a decline in shipments by key exporters of refined goods. Kpler reports that India, which is the top fuel exporter...

Crude Oil

As markets wait for US data, stocks ease and the dollar trembles.

The dollar fell as traders looked to U.S. economic data for more catalysts. Brent crude futures fell more than 2% and U.S. Crude also dropped. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield reached a new high, partly due to concerns over the budget plan of President Donald Trump that will add trillions to U.S. debt. The week began with a slew of positive news for investors, from a truce in the U.S.-China Trade War to a slew of investment deals that made headlines from the Middle East on Trump's Gulf Tour. These moves breathed new energy into battered international stocks. The optimism...

Mining

Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources

Gold has its worst week for six months due to trade calm

Gold prices fell on Friday, and were set to experience their biggest weekly drop in six months as a stronger US dollar and diminishing trade war fears dampened its appeal. As of 0222 GMT, spot gold was down 0.5% at $3,223.06 per ounce. Bullion is down about 3% this week, and it's on track to have its worst performance weekly since November 2024. U.S. Gold Futures fell 0.1% to $3.224.90. Gold priced in greenbacks is now more expensive to overseas buyers due to the dollar's 0.3% gain for the past week. Ilya Spirak, global macro head at Tastylive, said that...

Mineral Resources

Indonesian military: 18 separatists were killed in Papua, according to the country's military

An official confirmed that Indonesian military killed 18 Papuan Separatists in an operation conducted in the easternmost region Papua on Thursday. Three civilians were also killed. In a statement, Kristomei Santuri, the military spokesperson, said that during Wednesday's raid, the military seized dozens munitions including an assault weapon, bows andarrows, and an unspecified home-made weapon. The Indonesian military suffered no casualties. Sebby Samboom, a spokesperson for the Papua Separatists, said that three of its members were dead. A prominent church group in Papua, citing reports from local churches, said that three civilians died during the shootout. Nearly 1,000 people were...

Mineral Resources

Data shows that there is no rush to export in advance.

India's merchandise deficit in April was the largest in five months, according to data released by the government on Thursday. Imports of petroleum products increased, which limited the impact of a rise in exports to America. India's trade deficit in April was $26.42 billion, higher than the $20 million economists had predicted in a survey. It also increased from the $21.54 billion of the previous month. In April, exports totaled $38.49billion, while imports reached $64.91billion. This compares to $41.97billion of exports and 63.51billion of imports in march. India's oil imports increased to $20.72 Billion in April from $19 Billion in...

Mineral Resources

Fading optimism over US-China tariff pause drives copper down

Copper and other base materials fell on Thursday, as the optimism over a 90 day pause on most retaliatory duties agreed between Beijing and Washington began to fade. By 0949 GMT, the benchmark copper price on London Metal Exchange (LME), fell by 1.1% to $9.502.50 per metric ton. On Wednesday, the metal used in construction and power had grown five times before, and reached $9,664, which was its highest price since April 2. Ole Hansen is the head of commodity strategy for Saxo Bank. He said that industrial metals are now aware of the damage done to both the U.S....

Mineral Resources

London metals fall on cautious over US-China truce

Prices for most base metals fell in London on Thursday, as the temporary truce between U.S. and China tariffs prompted caution. There were also concerns over a possible global recession that could affect metals demand. The benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell by 0.8% at 0416 GMT to $9,532 per metric ton. The Commerce Ministry said that China has halted non-tariff actions taken against 17 U.S. entities on its list of unreliable entities and 28 U.S. companies on its Export Control List. Both countries agreed to lower the tit for tat tariffs, and to implement a 90...

Mineral Resources

Metals fall as metals are cautious over the US-China truce on tariffs

The price of most base metals fell in London on Thursday as the U.S. - China tariff truce sparked uncertainty about various trade deals. The benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell by 0.6% at 0146 GMT to $9,533 per metric ton. The Commerce Ministry said that China has halted non-tariff actions taken against 17 U.S. entities on its list of unreliable entities and 28 U.S. companies on its Export Control List. Both countries agreed to lower the tit for tat tariffs, and to implement a 90 day pause in action. Washington also said that it would reduce...

Mineral Resources

Peak Rare Earths, owned by Australia's Peak Rare Earths, will be purchased by China's Shenghe Resources for approximately $97 million

Peak Rare Earths announced on Thursday that Shenghe Resources, a Chinese rare earths producer, will purchase the Australian company for A$150.5m ($96.62m), plus the A$7.5m entitlement offer. If the entitlement offer is fully raised, Ganzhou Chenguang's Rare Earths New Materials, a unit of the Chinese miner, will purchase Peak for A$0.359 in cash per share. The offer represents a 19% premium over Peak's previous closing price. This sent the shares 150% higher to A$0.3 at early trading. Shenghe Singapore owns 19.8% of Peak Ngualla Project, an Australian-listed rare earths company. She has the right to purchase all the rare earths...

Mineral Resources

MP Materials and Ma'aden will jointly develop rare Earths supply chain in Saudi

MP Materials, a U.S. rare-earths miner, announced on Wednesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Arabia's Ma'aden mining company to jointly develop a supply chain for rare earths in the Middle Eastern nation. Why it's important The agreement was signed at the U.S. - Saudi Investment Forum where President Donald Trump obtained a $600 Billion investment from Saudi Arabia in the sectors of energy, defense, and mining. Saudi Arabia is pushing to be a global hub for critical minerals at a moment when processing minerals has become an essential for tech-focused countries looking to create their...

Mineral Resources

Iron ore reaches a 5-week high due to Sino-US Trade truce optimism

The iron ore futures rose to their highest level in over five weeks on March 13, driven by the United States' and China's decision to reduce tariffs after a trade deal, which boosted hopes for a long-lasting resolution of the trade dispute. The September contract for iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange closed the daytime trading 2.43% higher, at 737 Yuan ($102.16), its highest closing since April 7. As of 0702 GMT the benchmark June iron ore traded on the Singapore Exchange had risen 2.3% to $100.80 a ton, its highest level since April 3. China announced on Tuesday...

Mineral Resources

London metals are mixed amid investor caution over the US-China trade truce

Investor caution continued despite a temporary pause to the U.S. China trade dispute, which has weighed heavily on the global economic and financial markets. As of 0157 GMT, the benchmark copper price on London Metal Exchange (LME), was $9,598 per metric ton. U.S. president Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would be willing to deal directly with Chinese president Xi Jinping in order to finalize details of a U.S. China trade agreement. Washington announced that it would cut the "de minimis tariff" for low-value shipments coming from China down to 30%. This will further de-escalate a potential damaging trade war....

Mineral Resources

Gold falls as demand for safe-havens weakens due to easing US-China trade tensions

The gold price fell on Wednesday, as the de-escalation of U.S. China trade tensions dampened safe-haven demand. Meanwhile, markets waited for another set inflation data in order to gauge the Federal Reserve’s policy direction. As of 0231 GMT, spot gold was down 0.4% at $3,234.32. U.S. Gold Futures fell 0.3% to $3237.00. Kyle Rodda, Capital.com financial analyst and expert on the gold market, said that positive developments in US trade policies are reducing the appeal of the metal in the short term. "I believe that if there is continued progress made in the trade negotiations and agreements between the US,...

Mineral Resources

Early 2030s will see the global cobalt market swing from surplus to deficit.

The Cobalt Institute published a study on Wednesday that showed demand for cobalt would rise faster than the supply. This will allow the market to decrease the surplus of 2024 in the coming years, and then swing to a deficiency in the early 30s. The future of cobalt in the short-term depends on the decision that the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world's largest producer of the mineral, which is used to manufacture the lithium-ion battery packs that power electric cars, makes after the four-month ban on exports, which was imposed late February. The ban was imposed by the central...