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Iron ore slides on strong supply potential customers, weak steel demand outlook
Iron ore futures costs dropped on Wednesday, as Chinese traders returned after the nation's MidAutumn Celebration holiday to a bleak market outlook for the key steelmaking active ingredient, weighed down by potential customers of firm supply and soft steel need. The most-traded January iron ore agreement on China's Dalian Product Exchange (DCE) ended morning trade 4.33%. lower at 673.5 yuan ($ 94.91) a metric lot. The benchmark October iron ore on the Singapore. Exchange was 2.18% lower at $90.2 a heap, as of 0331 GMT. Goldman Sachs on Monday cut its iron ore cost projection for. the 4th quarter of 2024, pointing out market oversupply although. need from China is stabilising. We keep in mind potential rate assistance from pre-Golden Week. holiday restocking over the next 2 weeks, however a continuing. build in overall iron ore stocks is setting the scene for another. rate drop in October, analysts at the bank said in a note,. describing China's annual week-long holiday next month. Throughout August, Chinese iron ore port stocks surged to a. fresh 29-month high while steel inventories at major mills grew. to a seasonal two-year high, Westpac experts said. At the same time, steel mill success dropped to a. multi-decade low in late August, they added. China's unrefined steel output in August decreased for the third. straight month, posting a 6.1% month-on-month loss and a 10.4%. fall from a year before, as steelmakers come to grips with losses. from a decline in steel prices. The Biden administration on Friday locked in steep tariff. walkings on Chinese imports, consisting of a 25% responsibility on steel, which. takes effect on Sept. 27. Other steelmaking components on the DCE published losses, with. coking coal and coke down 2.31% and 1.55%,. respectively. Steel standards on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were. weaker. Hot-rolled coil dropped 1.35%, rebar. lost about 1.2%, wire rod shed 0.77%, and stainless. steel ticked 0.34% lower.
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ABS Greenlights Toray’s Innovative Technique for In-Situ FSO, FPSO Repairs
Japan-based Toray Industries has secured type approval from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VaRTM) process for in-situ ship repairs, developed jointly with MODEC.The technique entails applying carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) to corroded areas with reduced thicknesses of floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) and floating storage and offloading (FSO) systems.ABS is one of the world’s leading classification societies, accounting for around half of FPSO and FSO certifications. This approval enables these certified vessels to employ the proprietary VaRTM process, reducing the time needed for engineering reviews and verifications for ship repairs.FPSO and FSO maintenance is normally offshore using steel materials. The welding, or hot work, halts oil and gas production.Toray and MODEC jointly developed the VaRTM repair process in 2020. It entails applying Toray’s TORAYCA carbon fiber woven fabric, which offers excellent strength and elasticity, to the surfaces of existing steel structures. The next step is to cover the fabric with a film, vacuum-seal, and inject epoxy resin that then cures to complete repairs by bonding the CFRP to the steel structures.In-situ VaRTM process diagram (Credit: Toray Industries)Another advantage of this in-situ VaRTM process is that it is easier than with regular steel-based techniques to transport materials and equipment to locations and perform repairs faster and with fewer people and time. The procedure does not involve hot work, minimizing impacts on oil and gas production, according to the Japanese company.Toray said it continue to work on its in-situ VaRTM process for a range of industrial applications while developing repair and reinforcement technologies for FPSOs and FSOs to promptly address market needs.MODEC and Toray Develop New FPSO Repair Technique
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DeepOcean Hires CRP Subsea to Protect Cables at German Offshore Wind Cluster
CRP Subsea, an AIS company, has secured a multi-million-dollar contract from ocean services supplier DeepOcean for the supply of cable protection systems for RWE’s Nordseecluster A offshore wind project in the German North Sea.Under the agreement, CRP Subsea will deliver 96 NjordGuard cable protection systems (CPS) to protect the inter array cables on the project’s wind turbines, protecting them from over-bending, abrasion and fatigue during installation and their subsequent service life.The NjordGuard CPS will be engineered to meet the specific installation requirements for both monopile and J-tube interfaces.The CPS systems will be manufactured at CRP Subsea’s purpose-built manufacturing facility in the North West of England.Project engineering works will begin immediately, with delivery scheduled for 2026, CRP Subsea said.To remind, DeepOcean was hired by RWE for trenching, transport and installation of all inter-array cables with adjacent services for the offshore wind turbines of Nordseecluster A project back in July 2024.DeepOcean to Wire RWE’s Nordseecluster A Offshore Wind Farm“This contract reinforces our commitment to advancing the renewable energy sector and highlights our role in supporting the development of sustainable energy infrastructure. It also strengthens our ongoing partnership with DeepOcean and complements our involvement in other key projects across Germany,” said Andy Smith, Head of Sales at CRP Subsea.The Nordseecluster offshore wind project will be constructed in two phases. The first, Nordseecluster A, has a capacity of 660 MW and is scheduled to begin construction at sea in 2025, with all turbines expected to be grid-connected by early 2027.The second phase, Nordseecluster B, will add 900 MW, with commercial operation anticipated in early 2029.Germany Greenlights First Phase of RWE’s 1.6GW Offshore Wind FarmRWE Sanctions Buildout of 1.6 GW North Sea Offshore Wind Farms
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Gold flat as investors concentrate on Fed
Gold costs were flat on Wednesday as investors weighed possibilities of an outsized rate of interest cut by the Federal Reserve later on in the day. Spot gold was bit altered at $2,571.28 per ounce, since 0224 GMT. Bullion increased to a record high of $2,589.59 on Monday. U.S. gold futures rose 0.2% to $2,597.60. The Fed is expected to reveal a cut to interest rates for the very first time in more than 4 years at 1800 GMT. Chair Jerome Powell will hold an interview later. Markets are now pricing in a 65% possibility of a 50-basis-point rate cut, compared with 34% a week previously, according to the CME FedWatch tool. I think there's a genuine threat that market pricing is too dovish, which the Fed won't deliver a dovish 50-bp cut. And, that might see yields and the dollar rip higher and weigh further on gold, City Index senior expert Matt Simpson stated. But, let's not forget the recognized bullish pattern and bullish market positioning, and dips towards the lows around $ 2,500 are most likely to interest bears. Zero-yield bullion tends to be a favored investment in a. lower interest rate environment and throughout geopolitical chaos. On the other hand, information launched on Tuesday showed that U.S. retail. sales unexpectedly rose 0.1% in August, suggesting that the. economy remained on solid footing through much of the 3rd. quarter. In the Middle East, militant group Hezbollah guaranteed to. strike back versus Israel, implicating it of triggering explosions. in Lebanon on Tuesday that eliminated nine and hurt almost 3,000. On the physical front, India's August gold imports stood at. $ 10.06 billion, compared with $3.13 billion in July, according. to the trade ministry. To name a few metals, spot silver fell nearly 1% to. $ 30.42 per ounce, platinum edged 0.2% lower to $979.85. and palladium shed 0.6% to $1,109.42.
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Worst drought on record lowers Amazon rivers to lowest levels
The worst drought on record has reduced the water level of the rivers in the Amazon basin to historic lows, in some cases drying up riverbeds that were previously accessible waterways. The Solimoes, among the main tributaries of the mighty Amazon River whose waters come from the Peruvian Andes, has fallen to its least expensive level on record in Tabatinga, the Brazilian town on the border with Colombia. Downriver in Tefé, a branch of the Solimoes has actually dried up entirely, as seen reporters who flew over the river on Sunday. The neighboring Lake Tefé, where more than 200 freshwater dolphins passed away in last year's dry spell, has actually also dried up, depriving the endangered pink mammals of a preferred habitat. We are going through an important year, stated Greenpeace spokesperson Romulo Batista, pointing to where the riverbed of the branch of the Solimoes had actually turned to mounds of sand. This. year, several months have broken in 2015's records. The second-consecutive year of vital dry spell has parched. much of Brazil's plant life and triggered wildfires across South. American countries, masking cities in clouds of smoke. Environment modification is no longer something to stress over in the. future, 10 or 20 years from now. It's here and it's here with. far more force than we anticipated, Batista included. The Solimoes in Tabatinga was determined at 4.25 meters below. average for the first half of September. At Tefé, the river was 2.92 meters listed below the average level. for the same 2 weeks in 2015 and is expected to drop even more. to its lowest-ever. In Manaus, the Amazon's largest city, where the Solimoes. joins the Rio Negro to form the Amazon River correct, the level. of the Rio Negro is approaching the record low reached in. October in 2015. Last year, we remained in this scenario by October, said. Indigenous leader Kambeba. This year, the dry spell has gotten. even worse..
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Financial Times - Sept. 18
The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has actually not confirmed these stories and does not attest their precision. Headings - United States delays decision on Nippon Steel's $15bn takeover of US Steel - EU competition chief alerts against weakening guidelines to produce champs - Guardian in speak with offer the Observer paper to Tortoise Media - UK plans shake-up of welfare system to take on working-age lack of exercise Overview - The US government has extended its national security review of Nippon Steel's proposed $15 billion acquisition of United States Steel, in a surprise relocation given that the deal had been opposed by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. - The EU threats opening a Pandora's box by loosening its merger rules, Brussels' outbound competitors chief Margrethe Vestager has actually warned, after her successor was designated with a. brief to be more supportive of business scaling up. - Britain's Guardian Media Group remains in unique speak with. offer The Observer, the world's earliest Sunday newspaper, to. start-up Tortoise Media. - UK jobcentres will spend less time policing the benefits. system and more time helping individuals to find work, under. government reforms aimed at raising the work rate to the. greatest in the G7.
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Oil prices constant, with financiers focusing on Fed decision
Oil prices steadied on Wednesday, after rising in the previous 2 sessions, as investors await the U.S. Federal Reserve's expected interest rate cut, with the potential for more violence in the Middle East supporting the marketplace. Brent crude futures for November dropped 3 cents to $ 73.67 a barrel at 0053 GMT. U.S. crude futures for October slid 11 cents, or 0.2%, to $71.08 a barrel. Both contracts gained by about $1 a barrel on Tuesday on sticking around supply interruptions in the U.S., the world's greatest oil producer, after Hurricane Francine and as traders wagered that need might increase following what would be the Fed's very first rate of interest cuts in 4 years. Costs were likewise supported by the capacity for more violence in the Middle East that might cause possible output disturbances in the key producing area after Israel apparently attacked militant group Hezbollah with explosive-laden pagers in Lebanon. Markets have cooled down as issues over cyclone damage and intensifying tensions in the Middle East have actually been factored in, said Mitsuru Muraishi, an expert at Fujitomi Securities. Now, investors are concentrating on the Fed's rate cuts which could revitalise U.S. fuel need and weaken the dollar, he said, anticipating that oil costs are most likely to maintain a. bullish tone after Brent struck its lowest since 2021 last week. Traders kept bets the Fed will begin an anticipated series of. rates of interest cuts with a half-percentage-point relocation downward on. Wednesday, an expectation that might itself put pressure on. main lenders to provide simply that. Hezbollah guaranteed to retaliate against Israel after the. pagers detonated throughout Lebanon on Tuesday, killing a minimum of. 8 individuals and injuring almost 3,000 others, consisting of. fighters and Iran's envoy to Beirut. Israel decreased to comment. on the detonations. The market also discovered assistance from the expectation of U.S. oil purchases for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The Biden administration will look for up to 6 million barrels. of oil for the SPR, a source familiar with issue said on. Tuesday, a purchase that if completed will match its largest yet. in the replenishment of the stash after a historic sale in 2022. U.S. oil stock data released on Tuesday from the. American Petroleum Institute (API) was combined. Oil stockpiles. increased by 1.96 million barrels in the week ended Sept. 13,. according to market sources mentioning the API figures, however fuel. and extract stocks both increased by about 2.3 million barrels. Experts polled approximated usually that crude. inventories fell by about 500,000 barrels recently. The U.S. Energy Info Administration's report is due on Wednesday. at 10:30 a.m. EDT
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United States decision on Nippon's quote for United States Steel pressed back up until after election
The U.S. national security panel reviewing Nippon Steel's quote for U.S. Steel will let the business refile their application for approval of the deal, a person acquainted with the matter stated, postponing a. decision on the deal until after the governmental election. The move provides a ray of expect the business, whose. offer appeared set to be blocked when the Committee on Foreign. Financial investment in the United States (CFIUS) declared on Aug. 31 the. transaction presented a danger to national security by threatening the. steel supply chain for crucial U.S. markets. CFIUS requires more time to understand the effect of. nationwide security and engage with the parties, the person said. Refiling sets a new 90-day clock to examine the proposed tie-up. and make a decision. The anticipated demise of the deal in late August prompted. a profusion of support, consisting of a letter from service. groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, raising issues. the transaction was being affected by political pressure. Earlier in September, Vice President and Democratic. governmental candidate Kamala Harris said at a rally in. Pennsylvania, the swing state where U.S. Steel is headquartered,. that she wants U.S. Steel to stay American owned and. run. Her Republican rival Donald Trump has actually pledged to block the. offer if elected. Nippon Steel declined to comment. CFIUS and U.S. Steel did. not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
Possibility of steeper Fed cuts increases stocks, drives record gold prices
U.S. stocks advanced on Friday and gold continued to strike record highs as financiers wanted to whether the Federal Reserve might move more strongly to cut rates at its policy meeting next week.
Futures tied to the Fed's policy rate now reflect about a. 43% opportunity the Fed will cut its policy rate by half a percentage. point, climbing up from 28% odds on Tuesday following media reports. recommending it could be a close call in between a half-point and a. quarter-point rate cut.
The growing anticipation of steeper cuts assisted boost. stocks, gold and Treasury rates, and drive down the dollar.
In midday trading, all three significant U.S. indexes were greater. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.72%, the S&P. 500 leapt 0.56%, and the Nasdaq Composite surged. 0.64%.
MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe. rose 5.28 points, or 0.64%, to 826.87.
Wishes for a larger cut were even more improved when influential. former New York Fed President Bill Dudley said at an online forum in. Singapore, There's a strong case for 50.
But tepid inflation and other financial information previously in the. week suggest the Fed might want to start sluggish as it cuts. rates for the first time because 2020.
It's true that lots of rate-cutting cycles have actually indeed started. with a heftier slice, but usually versus the backdrop of. monetary market tension-- with the S&P 500 just 1% off its peak,. and U.S. home internet worth at a record high, it's tough to. point to monetary tension, wrote Douglas Porter, chief. economist for BMO Capital Markets.
In Asia, stocks in mainland China and Japan both closed. lower, with the Shanghai Composite index down 0.48% and. the Nikkei down 0.68%, although it was still positive on. the week.
DOLLAR, YIELDS DIP
Investors preparing for Fed rate cuts continued to drive. down the dollar, which dropped as much as 1.0% to 140.36 yen. , its weakest given that Dec. 28. It was last down 0.68% at. 140.83.
The dollar index, which measures the currency versus. the yen and five other major competitors, dropped to a one-week. trough at 101.00. It last stood down 0.1% at 101.06.
Benchmark 10-year Treasuries rallied, pressing. yields down 3.1 basis indicate 3.65%. Yields on two-year bonds. , which closely track interest rate expectations,. dropped 6.8 bps to 3.5803%.
Gold headed for its greatest weekly gain because. mid-August, up 0.97% to a record high of $2,583.50 an ounce,. driven by dollar weak point and the looming rate cuts.
Petroleum backtracked as U.S. production rebooted following. the passage of Hurricane Francine. U.S. crude lost 0.38%. to $68.71 a barrel and Brent fell to $71.75 per barrel,. down 0.29% on the day.
(source: Reuters)