Austria

Two sources with knowledge of the matter claim that Bernd Bergmair (former majority owner of adult entertainment group Pornhub) has approached the U.S. Treasury to buy international assets from sanctioned Russian oil giant Lukoil. As part of its efforts to press Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, the U.S. imposed Sanctions on Lukoil - Russia's largest private oil producer. Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and other oil giants have approached U.S. authorities to get permission to speak to Lukoil. Bergmair, through his lawyer, declined to say which assets he is interested in. He also refused to confirm whether he has already...

Bloomberg News, citing the CEO of ADNOC, reported that the trading division at the Abu Dhabi state oil company plans to double its volume in the next few year as part its international expansion. ADNOC has increased its global expansion over the last few years in order to find new revenue sources for the Gulf State, including by building trading operations. Ahmed Bin Thalith is the chief executive officer of ADNOC Global Trading. He told Bloomberg that the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company views trading as a means to maximize the value of fuels sold in the emirate or...

Lukoil announced on Thursday that it accepted an offer by global commodity trader Gunvor for its foreign assets. Russia's second largest oil company has been seeking to sell these assets after Washington imposed sanctions last week. The planned asset sales are the most significant action taken by a Russian firm in response to the Western sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine. This war began when Russia invaded its neighbor on a full scale back in 2022. Lukoil announced in a press release that it had accepted Gunvor's offer to sell Lukoil International GmbH which controls foreign assets of the oil...

OMV, Austria's oil, gas, and chemicals group, beat expectations for the third quarter profit on Wednesday. It benefited from higher contributions by its fuels, chemicals, and segment. According to the company, analysts had expected 1,17 billion euros. Clean operating results are based on current costs of supply and exclude one-off items, short-term gains or losses and energy inventory holdings. OMV's chemical division is considered its growth engine, as it transitions from polluting fuels to cleaner alternatives. It produces chemicals that are used in car parts, gas and water pipes and medical syringes. The division achieved a third-quarter operating profit of...

The Austrian oil-and-gas group OMV has amended its dividend policy in order to include payouts resulting from its stakes in the merged chemicals company Borouge, which is expected to be formed by next year. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and OMV announced in March that they would merge their polyolefin business to form Borouge Group, an international chemicals giant with a $60 billion enterprise value. The first dividend will be paid in 2027 under the new formula. The company announced that it will distribute 50% of BGI Dividends attributable OMV, plus 20-30% Operating Cash Flow, excluding BGI Dividends attributable...

The Austrian Oil, Gas and Chemicals Group OMV fired a senior executive after allegations that he was spying for Russia. A Russian diplomat was summoned by the Foreign Ministry to Vienna in response to this affair, according the news magazine Profil. The OMV employee, according to Profil magazine, allegedly attracted the attention of Western intelligence services through his meetings with a Russian diplomatic suspect of being a Russian domestic intelligence service FSB agent. The magazine reported that Austria's Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSSI) had monitored the OMV executive who was not named for several months. OMV informed the...

The Kurier reported that the Austrian oil and gas group OMV will cut 2,000 jobs from its worldwide workforce of 23,000. In a Friday statement, the company stated that "competitiveness" of the group may require adjustments. It did not exclude what they called personnel measures. OMV said that details of its plans will be announced once internal consultations are completed. In a report that was published Thursday evening, the newspaper cited staff unions to say that the Romanian subsidiary Petrom of the company would be particularly affected. Cuts were also planned for its refinery in Germany's south and Slovakia's. Borealis...

According to LSEG data and market sources, Russia's seaborne gasoil and diesel exports dropped 5% from the previous month to 3.26 million metric tonnes due to lower production during refinery maintenance as well as strong domestic demand. In July, diesel loadings through the Russian Baltic port Primorsk - the country's largest outlet for ultra-low sulphur (ULSD) exports – totaled 1,26 million tonnes, down 11.3% daily from June. Shipping data shows that last month, the two main importers of Russian gasoil and diesel were Turkey and Brazil. The export of diesel and gasoil from Russian ports to Turkey decreased by 14%...

The second quarter results of Austrian oil company OMV were in line with expectations, thanks to higher results from the chemicals division. Lower contributions from its fuels and energy divisions were offset by lower results for the energy division. Vienna-based company posted a clean operational result of 1,03 billion euros ($1.18billion) for the second quarterly, which was in line with expectations. The consensus provided by the firm had expected 1.02billion euros. Clean operating results are based on current costs of supply and exclude one-off items, short-term gains or losses and energy inventory holdings. The Borealis Group's contribution to the company's...

The Austrian energy company OMV said that the Borouge-Borealis merge will have a positive impact of 120 million euro ($140.8) on its operating result for the second quarter before special effects. This was part of an update to trading on Tuesday. After almost two years of negotiation, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and OMV decided in March to combine their polyolefin business to create Borouge Group, a chemicals powerhouse with a $60 Billion enterprise value. OMV said that it also expected to take a 400-million-euro hit on its operating cash flow adjusted from Romania and Norway, compared with the first...

According to LSEG data and market sources, the volume of Russian seaborne gasoil and diesel exports dropped by 6% in June on a month-to-month basis. This was due to refinery maintenance. Shipping data shows that last month, the two main importers of Russian gasoil and diesel were Turkey and Brazil. Exports of diesel and gasoil from Russian ports to Turkey increased in June by 15%, a month-on-month increase, while those to Brazil dropped by 33% from May, to just 0.47 million tonnes, after a previous influx. Shipping data revealed that Russia's diesel and gasoil sales to African countries in June...

Clariant was one of four companies that received a claim for damages of approximately 1 billion euros ($1.14billion) from Austrian Energy Company OMV, the company said on Tuesday. The claim is related to alleged violations of competition law on the market of ethylene purchases. The Swiss chemicals company clariant said: "Clariant rejects this allegation firmly and will vigorously defend its case in any proceedings." OMV confirmed that it filed a lawsuit against Clariant, but stated it couldn't comment on the ongoing legal proceedings. Clariant didn't name any of the other companies. OMV also did not name them. Clariant stated that...

Rafael Grossi, the U.N.'s chief nuclear inspector, said that his priority was to get his inspectors to Iran to assess the effects of U.S. military strikes on Iran and to verify its stock of enriched Uranium. Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told a press conference during an Austrian cabinet meeting on security that "this is our number one priority." He wants his inspectors to return to Iranian sites, including the three facilities where it enriches uranium before Israel's strikes on June 13th. When asked if Iran informed him about the status of its stocks, especially...

Since Israel's military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities on 13 June, the U.N. nuclear watchdog that polices the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been unable to conduct inspections in Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency has a number of inspection powers. IS THE IAEA UNIVERSAL IN JURISDICTION? No. The IAEA has separate agreements with other countries and is only responsible for the 191 signatories of the NPT. Iran is a signatory to the NPT, and is therefore subject to IAEA supervision. This includes inspections to ensure that nuclear material like uranium does not get "diverted", for example to be used...

U.S. strikes on the Isfahan complex, which houses Iran's vast uranium-enriched stockpile, caused damage to the tunnels that store a portion of the uranium. The U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed this Sunday. The International Atomic Energy Agency issued a statement saying that "we have established that the entrances to the underground tunnels on the site were affected." Isfahan is the site where officials have said that a large amount of Iran's highly enriched uranium is stored. Rafael Grossi, chief of IAEA, confirmed in a statement made to the U.N. Security Council shortly after the IAEA's statement that the tunnels were part...

The U.N. nuclear watchdog revised its initial assessment on Tuesday after initially reporting that it was only indirectly hit. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has provided updates since Israel launched a wide-ranging attack on Iran last Friday. However, it hasn't been able conduct inspections. IAEA previously stated that an above-ground enrichment pilot plant in Natanz had been destroyed, but the larger underground facility was not directly affected. However, IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi claimed on Monday that its centrifuges were very likely badly damaged due to a strike against the plant's electricity supply. On Tuesday, it was reported on X...

Diplomats confirmed that the Board of Governors of the U.N. Nuclear Watchdog will hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday in order to discuss Israel's attacks on Iran. At least one country requested it at the regular quarterly session of this body held on Friday. A meeting can be called by any country that is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) board. Diplomats reported that Iran, a member of the board but not a member, had requested a meeting. It was backed by Russia, China, and Venezuela. Diplomats differed on which board member made the initial request. Before...

Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that any deal between Iran and America which would impose new nuclear restrictions on Iran must include "very rigorous" inspections from the U.N. watchdog. Both countries are currently holding talks to curb Iranian nuclear activities, which have accelerated rapidly since Donald Trump pulled Washington from a 2015 agreement between Iran and major power that limited these activities. Iran increased its enrichment of uranium purity as the deal unraveled. Up to 60% The deal has increased the amount of nuclear weapons-grade material to approximately 90%, up from the 3.67%...

Rafael Grossi, the U.N. chief nuclear watchdog, defended his decision on Monday to send staff across Russian territory in order to relieve their colleagues at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine as an "extraordinary" exception. Since September 2022 - roughly six months after Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine - the International Atomic Energy Agency has had a small presence there. Since then, the IAEA has replaced or rotated its staff 26 times. Ukraine's Energy Minister sent Grossi a note saying that the latest rotation which, for the first time, passed through Russian territory was "in violation" of Ukraine's...

The U.N. nuclear monitors arrived in Ukraine on Saturday for the first ever time via Russian territory at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which is owned by Russia. The IAEA's rotation was delayed for weeks by military activity on the site. Each side blamed the other, claiming that the rules were not followed to ensure the safety of the team. In a video posted on Telegram, Yuri Chernichuk said that it was important for the route to pass through Russian territory. He added that the arrival of three inspectors was guaranteed by Russia's Defence Ministry and National Guard and came...

Rafael Grossi, the head of International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA), announced late Monday that he would be visiting Kyiv to inspect a substation critical to Ukraine's nuclear safety. Grossi wrote, "On my eleventh visit to Ukraine," since the beginning of the war. "I am heading to Kyivska Substation, which is critical to the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power to assess damage and prevent a nuclear incident." The IAEA announced in a press release last week that Grossi will visit Kyiv to attend "high-level meetings" in order to ensure the safety of nuclear weapons in the war Russia began in February 2022....

Russia on Wednesday implicated the Ukrainian militaries of attacking an automobile utilized to transport specialists from the International Atomic Energy Company (IAEA) on Dec. 10, stating someone could have been killed. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated on the day of the occurrence that a drone had actually hit and significantly harmed an official automobile of the agency on the roadway to Ukraine's. Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor on Tuesday,. but that there had been no casualties. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said at the time. that the strike was a purposeful Russian attack that revealed. Moscow had total disregard for worldwide...

Iran is drastically. accelerating its enrichment of uranium to as much as 60% pureness,. near the roughly 90% level that is weapons grade, U.N. nuclear guard dog chief Rafael Grossi informed Reuters on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Firm later validated in a. private report to member states that Iran was accelerating. uranium enrichment, a process that refines the raw material so. that it can be utilized as fuel in civil nuclear power generation. or, potentially, nuclear weapons. The IAEA findings will deepen alarm in Western nations. that say there is no reason for enhancing uranium to such. a high...

Iran is significantly. increasing the quantity of uranium enriched to up to 60% pureness,. near the approximately 90% of weapons grade, that it has the ability to. produce, the watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi told Reuters in an. interview. The move is particular to trigger even greater alarm in Western. capitals currently arguing that there is no civil justification. for Iran's enrichment to that level as no other country has actually done. so without producing a-bombs, which Iran rejects pursuing. Iran currently has enough material enriched to up to 60%, its best enriched stock, for. four nuclear weapons in principle if...