Canada

Ecopetrol, the state-run energy company in Colombia, announced on Friday that it had signed a new contract with Parex Resources to explore and produce hydrocarbons in the Piedemonte Llanero area. Ecopetrol said in a press release that operations will be conducted in areas covered by existing contracts within the departments of Boyaca e Casanare. DEAL DETAILS * This new agreement is in addition to the five other agreements Ecopetrol and Parex signed in December of 2024 for hydrocarbon exploration in two major Colombian basins. * The agreement includes drilling of the Florena-Huron well which is expected increase the domestic gas...

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...

The companies and government of Andhra Pradesh announced on Wednesday that a joint venture between Reliance Industries and the state will invest $11 billion in five years for the development of 1 gigawatt AI data capacity. Digital Connexion is a joint venture between the Canadian multinational Brookfield Corporation, and the U.S. real estate investment trust Digital Realty. The project will establish a campus of AI-native data centres on 400 acres in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Google announced in October that it would build AI data centres in Visakhapatnam, India, over a five-year period. This will be the largest AI hub the...

Investors said that BHP should focus on its own growth strategy and move away from Anglo American, following the Australian firm's last minute appeal to the London listed company, which is close to a $60 billion deal with Canada's Teck Resources. In recent days, the world's biggest miner contacted Anglo's board to determine if there was any interest in a merger. This was reported by Sunday. BHP announced on Monday that it would not pursue the bid, but instead focus its efforts on growth. The decision to leave comes before the votes of Teck and Anglo shares - scheduled for...

BHP Group, the mining company, has renewed its takeover bid for rival Anglo American, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. This comes just months after BHP and Teck Resources, the Canadian miner, agreed to merge to form a global heavyweight in the copper industry. Anglo American refused to comment. BHP didn't immediately respond to an outside normal business hours request for a comment. Bloomberg News, citing sources familiar with the situation, reported that BHP made overtures to Anglo American recently. The report added that discussions are still ongoing and a deal is not certain. Anglo American has...

A report released by OPEC on Wednesday showed that the world oil supply will match demand in 2020, reflecting the production increase of OPEC+. This is a shift from earlier predictions of a 2026 supply deficit. OPEC+ - which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia, and other allies - has increased its production targets by approximately 2.9 million barrels a day - or about 2.7% of the global supply – since April. The company plans to stop production increases in the first quarter 2026, amid predictions that there will be an oversupply. In a report released...

Gold Reserve, a Toronto-listed company, filed a lawsuit in Delaware against Rusoro Mining on Monday for alleged breach in contractual obligations. The consortium agreement required Rusoro to bid in an auction for Citgo Petroleum's parent company in the United States. In August, Elliott Investment Management's affiliate was recommended to be the winner of the auction. This bid beat Gold Reserve's bid of $7.9billion. The auction of Venezuela's PDV Holding is intended to compensate up 15 creditors for debt defaults and expropriations in Venezuela. As part of both bids, Rusoro agreed to allow the use of its $1.5 billion claim relating...

Canada's benchmark stock index rose on Wednesday. It recovered from the previous days' sell-off, thanks to the strength of commodity-linked stocks, and investors also digested an unexpectedly positive U.S. payrolls report. At 10:07 am. The S&P/TSX Composite Index in Toronto was up 0.84% at 30,027.94. Gold sub-index was the sector's leader with a 2.6% increase, following gold prices as investors shifted away from risky investments to metals that are considered safe havens. Gold has played a major role in the TSX's movements. When gold moves higher, the market tends to move up with it, said Allan Small. Senior investment advisor...

Wall Street's major indexes closed at record highs on Monday for the second consecutive day as investors were optimistic about the prospects of a U.S. China trade deal. They also looked forward to an exciting week that will include high-profile earnings from the technology sector and the widely anticipated U.S. rate cut. U.S. president Donald Trump and his Chinese equivalent Xi Jinping will meet on Thursday in order to decide on a plan that could pause the tougher U.S. duties and China's export restrictions on rare earths. This would ease market jitters about a possible trade war, and send Wall...

Mark Carney, Canada's prime minister, will make his first official trip to Asia this Friday. He is hoping to strengthen trade and security links at a moment when North America struggles to reduce its dependence on the U.S. Canadian officials have said that Carney's trip could include a meeting between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping in an effort to restore a relationship previously strained by a trade war. Donald Trump, President of the United States Termination of trade talks Canada responded to a political ad in Ontario that featured Ronald Reagan, the Republican icon who said tariffs caused economic...

Rhino Resources, a South African oil and gas firm, plans to drill a well for appraisal on a Namibian prospect in 2019 and conduct a flow-test on another to beat TotalEnergies as the first oil producer in this southern African nation. The appraisal well is scheduled for Capricornus, where a flow rate up to 11,000 barrels per day was tested. Meanwhile, the drill stem is scheduled for Volans, which is its latest find of high-yield liquid gas condensate. The new data can help the company to accelerate its discoveries off Namibia where TotalEnergies is expected to make a final investment...

After several days of fuel station closures, and amid fears of a fuel shortage following an al-Qaeda-linked blockade of fuel imports in Mali’s capital Bamako last month, motorists waited in long lines outside the stations on Wednesday. Since last week, many stations have been forced to shut down or only supply diesel. Analysts say this is a tactic used by militant groups to put pressure on the military-led Mali government. They want to cut of its economic oxygen. In a video announcing a blockade, a militant from Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin announced that "we are telling all traders" who import...

Anglo American shareholders and Teck Resources shareholders approved a merger announced earlier on Tuesday, according to the companies. This paved the way for the creation of a new copper giant, with regulatory approvals remaining the last hurdle. Anglo released a statement saying that more than 99.17% votes were cast in favor by Anglo's London-listed shareholders. For the motion to be passed, a simple majority was needed. Teck shareholders have also passed their approval threshold of two thirds. The new company 'Anglo-Teck' will have its headquarters in Vancouver and its primary listing in London. Teck and Anglo-American announced in September their...

Smackover Lithium, the joint venture between Standard Lithium and Equinor announced on Tuesday that it had attracted more than $1 billion of financing interest for its southwest Arkansas Lithium project. Three export credit agencies including EXIM, Export Finance Norway and Export Finance Sweden have expressed interest in providing debt financing to the project. Standard Lithium's U.S. listed shares rose 5% during premarket trading. The joint venture seeks up to $1.1billion in senior secured debt for the majority of the $1.45billion cost of constructing the first phase of the project. Export credit agencies would provide loans and guarantees, while commercial banks...

Toronto's main stock index rose to a fresh peak on Friday, and was on track for weekly gains, after stronger-than-expected domestic jobs data fueled optimism about the economy. The S&P/TSX composite index increased by 0.2%, reaching a new high of 31533.40 points. The index was last seen at 31,531.84 point. Data showed that Canada's unemployment rate defied expectations in November and dropped to a 16 month low as part-time employment grew for the third consecutive time. Analysts polled predicted a loss of 5,000 positions. Angelo Kourkafas is an investment strategist with Edward Jones Investments. He said, "The jobs data confirms...

Ivanhoe Mines said that its recovery plan is progressing and it expects the copper production at its Kamoa/Kakula complex to reach between 380,000-420,000 tons of copper in 2026, and 500,000-540,000 tonnes in 2027. It will update its life-of-mine plans towards the end the first quarter next year. In its report on production guidance, Ivanhoe said that copper sales are expected to exceed output in 2026 as it clears 20,000 tons concentrate stock once its new smelter, Africa's biggest, starts up in December and shifts production to copper anodes. Robert Friedland, Ivanhoe's co-chairman, said that the company was "on the brink...

Barrick Mining announced on Monday that it is exploring the possibility of an initial public offering for a subsidiary which would hold its North American assets in gold amid a record rise in gold prices. The U.S. listed shares of the Canadian mining company rose by nearly 4% during premarket trading. Barrick would be reversing its 2019 merger with Randgold Resources. Investors are also pressing the miner to take advantage of the historic rise in gold prices in order to boost profits, while selling off riskier assets such as those in Africa, Papa New Guinea, and Pakistan's Reko Diq. The...

Bitcoin dropped below $90,000. This was the steepest monthly drop since 2021's crypto crash. Investors were once again avoiding risk, and they pulled out of stocks, digital assets, and other digital assets. At one point, the world's biggest cryptocurrency dropped by up to 6.1%. By 0942 GMT it had fallen nearly 5% to $86,754, its largest one-day drop in a year and was hovering around last month's 8-month low of $71,553. Bitcoin lost more than $18,000 during November. This is its biggest dollar loss since the collapse of several cryptocurrencies in May 2021. RISK INDICATOR Bitcoin's relatively short life span...

The spot platinum price rose on Thursday, as the opening of futures trading at the Guangzhou Stock Exchange in China helped to increase the overall liquidity. These contracts represent the first domestic price-hedging mechanisms for platinum and palladium, which are used in automakers and other industries including jewellery and investment goods. On their first trading day, Guangzhou's June platinum futures jumped 6% while palladium rose 1.5%. After hitting a one-month high of $1,641, spot platinum prices in London rose 1.0% to $1,604 per troy inch by 1226 GMT. Palladium spot prices were unchanged at $1,423. China is the largest consumer...

Melanie Joly, Minister of Industry for Canada, announced on Wednesday that the merger between Anglo American Resources and Teck Resources would be subject to a review by Canada's national security agency. Joly said Ottawa will also make a final decision within the next few months. She told reporters via a teleconference that "the national security review of any transaction is always a part of the procedure... we are following the process." Teck shares were up 1% at midday in Toronto. Anglo American's shares closed Wednesday with a 2.4% gain at the London Stock Exchange. A proposed deal worth $53 billion,...

Barrick Mining, a Canadian mining company, has signed an agreement with the Mali government to settle all disputes relating to the Loulo-Gounkoto Gold Mining Complex until 2023. The dispute centered on the implementation of the new Mali mining codes that increases taxes and gives a larger share of gold mines to the government. The miner - formerly known as Barrick Gold - said that it would drop its arbitration case with Mali before the World Bank dispute tribunal. Mali, in return, will drop all charges and release employees against Barrick, its affiliates and the Canadian miner. The following is a...

Barrick Mining announced on Monday that it had reached a settlement with the Mali government regarding all their disputes regarding the Loulo-Gounkoto Gold Mining Complex. Shares of the Toronto-listed firm rose by nearly 3%. The Friday report stated that Barrick had agreed in principle to settle the dispute with Mali. In a press release, the Canadian miner announced that it would drop its arbitration case against Mali before the World Bank dispute tribunal. Mali, in turn, will drop all charges and free four employees who are currently in jail and will return operational control to Barrick. Mali's miner ministry didn't...

BHP Group announced on Monday that it has decided to abandon its pursuit of a possible merger with Anglo American following preliminary discussions with Anglo American's board. The company stated that it believes a tie up would have created value for its stakeholders and offered "strong strategic benefits". However, it added that the strength of their own organic growth strategy remains strong. BHP tried to take over Anglo for $49 billion last year. However, the target refused multiple offers and BHP withdrew. BHP should assess the possibility of selling such assets. It does seem a bit messy on the BHP's...

Bitcoin and ether fell to multi-month-lows on Friday. cryptocurrencies were swept up as part of a wider flight from riskier investments, as investors became worried about high tech valuations. They also lost bets that the U.S. would soon cut interest rates. Bitcoin, the largest cryptocurrency in the world, dropped 5.5% to $81,668, its lowest level in seven months. Ether fell more than 6%, to $2,661.37. This is its lowest level in four months. Both tokens have fallen by about 12% this week. Cryptocurrencies can be a good indicator of the risk appetite in the market. Their recent slide shows how...