Latest News
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Tinubu, Nigeria's Tinubu, nominates new oil regulators following the resignation of chiefs amid Dangote dispute
Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian president, has asked the Senate to confirm a pair of new oil and gas regulators in Nigeria after their predecessors abruptly quit. This was due to a high-stakes conflict between an agency and Africa's wealthiest man, Aliko Dagote. Tinubu was nominated after Gbenga?Komolafe - the former chief executive of Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission - and Farouk Ahmed - the head of Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority – left their positions. Dangote has accused Ahmed of allowing the entry of cut-price fuel imports that ?threaten local refineries, including his 650,000-barrel-per-day Lagos plant, Africa's largest. Dangote filed a?petition on Wednesday against Ahmed at one of Nigeria's anti-graft agencies – the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. Komolafe has clashed over the failure of Dangote to enforce a law requiring that producers prioritize local refineries. The shake-up occurs at a crucial moment for Africa's largest oil producer. Regulatory uncertainty and fears about supply have been dominating headlines ever since Dangote filed a formal complaint against Ahmed citing concerns over governance and personal expenditures beyond declared income. Analysts say the resignations will not have a significant impact on the oil sector. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan is Komolafe’s preferred successor. He spent over three decades with the state oil firm, including as a director of one of its subsidiaries. Saidu Aliyu Muhammad, Farouk’s successor, has been named as an independent nonexecutive Director at?Seplat Energy. He has over 37 years' experience and led a division at NNPC and helped draft Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan. "I do not think that these resignations will adversely affect investor trust," said Ayodele ONI, a partner and energy lawyer with the Lagos-based Bloomfield Law firm. Tife Owolabi contributed additional reporting from Yenagoa, and Isaac Anyaogu from Lagos. Elisha Gbogbo wrote the article. Bernadette Baum edited it.
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Silver tops $66, gold gains 1% due to soft US labor market
Silver prices reached a record-high of $66 per ounce on Wednesday. Gold prices also rose as the Federal Reserve of the United States cut rates after signs of an ailing labor market and escalating tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. boosted demand for safe havens. Spot silver increased nearly 4%, to $66.22 per ounce. It had previously reached a session high of $66.88. Edward Meir, a Marex analyst, said that silver is pulling up gold. "There is money moving out of gold into palladium and platinum," Meir added. "$70/oz" (for silver) seems to be the logical next target for the short term." Gold spot rose 0.7%, to $4334.01 per ounce at 01:56 pm ET (18:56 GMT) after it had risen over 1% in the morning. U.S. Gold?futures closed 1% higher at $ 4,373.9. Silver has risen 129% in the past year, surpassing gold's 65% increase. On Tuesday, data showed a stronger-than-expected increase of 64,000 jobs in the U.S. last month, but the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, its highest level since September 2021. Gold and other non-yielding investments could benefit from a weak labor market. According to?Bas Kooijman of DHF Capital S.A., the CEO and asset manager, the markets continue to see that the Federal Reserve will cut its interest rates twice during the first half of 2026. This could support gold prices over this period. The U.S. Federal Reserve delivered its final quarter-point rate reduction of the year last week. Investors now price in two 25 basis-point rate cuts in 2026. The market is now awaiting the Consumer Price Index for November, due Thursday. Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index will be released on Friday. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, ordered a "blockade", of all sanctioned tankers that enter and leave Venezuela, Washington's latest effort to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro’s government. This move adds to the safe-haven request. Palladium rose 2% to $1635.61 and platinum was up 2.2%, the highest level in over 17 years.
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Silver reaches record price of $65/oz due to a perfect storm
Silver's inclusion on the U.S. Critical Minerals?list and a wave momentum buying has propelled it to a new record high. Prices are expected to end 2025 more than twice where they started. Silver has gained over 120% in the past year, and according to LSEG's data dating back to 1982, is on track for its best-ever annual performance. The metal is beating safe-haven, gold which is expected to rise 64% by 2025. On Wednesday, spot prices reached a new record high of $66.87/oz. The current rally is largely driven by investment. The rally has a strong fundamental basis, but these prices are driven by speculation and investment," said Rhona OConnel, StoneX's head of market research. Silver's fundamentals are robust, with a persistent supply deficit and a healthy outlook for demand from the solar cell, artificial intelligence data centers, and electric vehicles industries. Metals also benefit from the same macroeconomic factors that support gold as well as flows to safe-haven assets due to geopolitical tensions and trade tensions. Nitesh Sha, commodities strategist at WisdomTree, said that these factors and the less abundant inventories outside of the U.S. create a "very supportive environment" for future growth. He added that "Silver could reach a price of up to $75/oz by the end next year." Prices have also been supported by the metal's inclusion in the U.S. Critical Minerals list. Concerns about the potential impact of tariffs on silver prompted a rush to the U.S. in early this year. This led to a shortage of liquidity in London's spot market. Analysts said that the combination of demand from India and China with momentum buying has created a perfect storm for metal. Carsten Menke, Julius Baer's analyst, said that "strong price performances" attract Chinese traders to the market. This is evidenced by the increase in trading volumes and open interest on the exchanges. Analysts remain bullish about silver. They expect the metal to surpass the $70/oz mark next year. This is especially true if U.S. rate cuts boost the demand for precious metals. Others cautioned, however,?that historically volatile metals remain vulnerable to steep corrections. O'Connell said that if gold moves by x% in one direction, silver should move by 2x% to 2.5x% in the opposite direction because it is a smaller, more volatile market.
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Industry says EU carbon tax changes are not sufficient for metals
Industry representatives on Wednesday said that the proposed?changes in the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism are a'step in the right directions' for Europe's?steel?and?aluminium?sector, but not a 'complete solution'. On Wednesday, the European Commission announced plans to extend the CBAM, which imposes a carbon-based tax on imports of metals such as steel and aluminium, and a few other commodities, to include some downstream products that contain a large amount of these metals. These include machinery, appliances and scrap. It did this in response to warnings by metal industry players from Europe regarding "carbon leakage", or the risk that industries worried about losing their competitiveness might move operations out of the region so as to avoid the costs of climate policies. The European Steel Association Eurofer stated in a press release that the proposals were flawed, but did not provide "a comprehensive and lasting response to jobs and carbon leakage", saying the number downstream products included is "very limited". Axel Eggert said that Eurofer, as Eurofer's Director General, was ready to continue discussions with legislators about how to make CBAM watertight. Norsk Hydro, a Norwegian aluminium manufacturer, was in the forefront of the 'lobbying' for the expansion CBAM. It said that 35% of EU aluminum recycling capacity would be lost if remelted scrap aluminium entered the EU free of a carbon levy. It said that the inclusion of "pre-consumer" scrap is a "big move forward". "However,?post-consumer scrap ?must also be added to the scope," a company spokesman ?said. "If we don't, the loophole for scrap will be open to half." Pre-consumer metal is scrap generated during manufacturing before a finished product reaches a consumer. Post-consumer metal, such as aluminum beverage cans, are end-of life metals. (Reporting and editing by Barbara Lewis; Tom Daly)
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The Peruvian Congress extends the informal mining permits program by one year
LIMA, December 17 - Peru’s Congress approved on Wednesday a one year extension to a temporary?permit?program?for small-scale miner amid ongoing protests that?sought to give miners a longer period of time to regularize their operation. The extension will last until the end of 2026. The government previously opposed a bill which sought to extend REINFO by two years. After receiving an initial approval at the beginning of December, the extension was approved by 13 votes in favor, 4 against, and 2 abstentions. The REINFO permits have been extended five times since the program began a little more than a decade ago. This program is for small-scale informal miners that extract gold and/or copper. These permits allow them to continue to work. Sources in the Peruvian industry and police claim that the temporary permits also fueled a'surge' of illegal mining, at a time where precious metals trade at record prices on the international markets. In July, more than 50,000 small-scale miner were removed from REINFO. This left about 31,000 people responsible for bringing the status of their mining up to date before the end 2025. Peru exported $15.5 billion in gold to the world in 2024. This is a huge jump from the $11 billion it had done last year. According to local financial regulator and sector data, it is estimated that 40% of the gold in this country is illegal. (Reporting and Writing by Marco Aquino; Editing and Revision by Brendan O'Boyle).
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Tunisians renew protests against pollution at state chemical plant in Gabes
Around 2,500 Tunisians marched in the coastal city of Gabes, renewing protests against pollution caused by a'state-owned' phosphate complex. The anger was rising over perceived failures regarding public health. The main slogan was "Gabes Wants to Live" on the 15th Anniversary of the pro-democracy revolt of 2011 that ignited the Arab Spring movement. The protest increased pressure on the government of President?Kais saied, who is currently dealing with a financial crisis, growing street unrest and protests by journalists, doctors, banks, and public transport systems. The UGTT, a powerful union in Tunisia, has called for a 'nationwide strike' next month. This is causing great tensions throughout the country. Recent protests have been widely viewed as one of the biggest challenges Saied has faced since he started ruling by decree back in '2021. Protesters marched towards Chatt Essalam (a coastal suburb to the north of the city) where Chemical Group industrial units are situated. Safouan Kbibieh is an environmental activist from the area. She said, "The chemical factory is a crime. We will not pass this environmental disaster on to our children. Residents claim that toxic emissions from the complex of phosphates have increased the rates of cancer, osteoporosis, and respiratory diseases. Meanwhile, industrial waste continues to be dumped into the ocean, causing harm to marine life and livelihoods. The protests in Gabes erupted again after?hundreds? of schoolchildren had breathing problems in the last few months. This was allegedly due to toxic fumes coming from a factory that converts phosphates into fertilisers and phosphoric acids. Saied has described the situation in Gabes, as "environmental murder", and blamed previous governments for their policy choices. He also called for urgent maintenance, to prevent toxic leaks. The protesters are rejecting the temporary measures, and demand the permanent closure of the plant and its relocation. (Reporting and editing by Ed Osmond, Tarek amara)
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Radiant raises more than $300 million for the construction of nuclear microreactors
Radiant, a startup company, announced on Wednesday that it had raised $300 million for its latest funding round to mass-produce nuclear reactors. The funding round was led by Draper Associates & Boost VC, and included funding from Founders Fund ARK Venture Fund Chevron Technology Ventures, and other investors. Why it's important After decades of stagnation, the U.S. nuclear industry is seeing a surge of demand. This is due to the demand for data centers that are used in artificial intelligence technologies as well as electrifications of industries like transportation and manufacturing. The funding round will assist Radiant in commercializing as it prepares for the early next year to break ground on its R 50 'factory' in Oak Ridge Tennessee. CONTEXT Radiant, based in California, is developing nuclear microreactors with a 1 megawatt capacity that are easily transportable. The company signed an agreement earlier this year to supply 20 microreactors for data center developer Equinix. The reactors were designed to provide a constant power source for applications such as disaster response, critical infrastructure, remote industry, and defense. Radiant plans to test its first nuclear reactor in 2026. Initial customer deployments will begin in 2028. KEY QUOTES Tim Draper of Draper Associates said that "portable nuclear power will?provide the bulk of our incremental energy in the coming years. Radiant is working with purpose, not just to turn on their first reactor but also building them in scale within months and not years."
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Tinubu wants a $30 billion budget reset in order to stop fiscal years overlapping
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President of Nigeria has asked Parliament to approve a 43.56 trillion Naira (US$29.96 billion), spending plan that repeals and reenacts 2024's budget to?run until December 2025. The goal is to eliminate fiscal cycles that overlapped in recent years and tighten control on public finances. This move comes after months of criticism from lawmakers about the government's reliance upon?rolling forward capital budgets. As a result, the 2024 capital spending was extended to June 2025 and then December 2025. After years of budget mismanagement, the 'proposal' aims to restore discipline and accountability in Africa’s most populous nation. The lawmakers now want to reset the calendar year cycle in 2026. In a letter read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on the floor of the House of Representatives on ?Wednesday, Tinubu said the proposed repeal-and-reenactment bill would authorise withdrawals from the federal account and allocate ?1.74 trillion naira for statutory transfers, 8.27 trillion naira for debt ?service, 11.27 trillion naira for recurrent spending, and 22.28 trillion naira for capital projects ?under a single framework. Tinubu stated that the measure would "put an end to running multiple budgets simultaneously"?and improve capital projects execution after repeated rolling over of 2024 expenditure into 2025 along with a separate 54.99 billion naira budget for 2025.
Document shows that India has advanced hydro-projects in Kashmir after terminating the pact with Pakistan
According to a government and industry source, India has accelerated the start of four hydropower projects under construction in the Kashmir area by several months. This is after it suspended a water-sharing agreement with Pakistan which had slowed down progress.
The Indian government is using the unilateral suspension of Indus Waters treaty 1960, which it unilaterally imposed following the deadly attack on Kashmir last month, to try and take advantage of this.
India said that two of the "terrorists", who killed 26 men in a popular tourist spot in Kashmir on the 22nd of April, were from Pakistan. It has also taken a number of diplomatic and financial steps against Islamabad at a time when relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors are deteriorating.
Islamabad denied involvement in the attack and threatened legal action for the suspension. It also said that any attempt to divert or stop the flow of water to Pakistan would be viewed as an act war. Pakistan relies on the Indus System for 80% its farms and for most of its output in hydroelectricity.
Since nearly two weeks, the armies have been exchanging small arms fire along the border. Pakistan claims that India is about to launch a military attack.
New Delhi, despite Pakistan's threats, has taken steps to reduce water supplies to Pakistan.
The document was an undated list compiled by the Power Ministry and reviewed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Pakal Dul (1 000 MW), Kiru (620 MW), Kwar (560 MW) et Ratle (850MW) are the four projects. The four projects are located on the Chenab River. Although its waters are intended for Pakistan, India has been allowed to build hydroelectric projects that use run-of water without significant storage.
All the projects are being built by NHPC (India's largest hydropower company), a state-owned corporation. The document states that they are scheduled to begin between June 2026 - August 2028.
The document states that various agencies, such as those focusing on law enforcement and labor supply, were asked to speed up work.
NHPC, the Indian Ministries of Power, Water Resources and Foreign Affairs did not respond immediately to requests for comments.
Indus River Authority officials in Pakistan held a Monday meeting and "noted unanimously with concern that a sudden reduction in River Chenab flows at Marala, (the headworks which regulates flow), due to a short supply from India, would result in further shortages" of summer crops.
The authority announced in a late-Monday statement that it would use downstream reservoirs "in light of the crisis created by Indian shortages in the Chenab River".
"PLANS FOR MORE"
Last month, India's Water Minister vowed to "ensure that no drop of water from the Indus River reaches Pakistan".
According to a source in the Indian industry, there have been several meetings between officials of various government and private agencies and the power ministry over the last week regarding projects in Jammu & Kashmir.
The source declined to identify herself because the matter was sensitive. "In general, government orders to speed up existing projects such as this means that it wants to plan new ones," she said.
India is requesting that seven projects, with a combined power of 7 gigawatts and a cost of 400 billion rupees ($4.73 billion), be expedited. Could not identify all of the projects.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague has already heard a dispute between Pakistan and India over Ratle. The dispute concerns the small pondage or water storage area as well as the turbine design.
New Delhi was required by the water treaty to provide Islamabad with extensive details about projects on three Indus Rivers that were meant for Pakistan, the Indus, the Chenab, and the Jhelum. Modi's Government has sought a modification to the water treaty, citing India's growing population and the need for cleaner forms of power like hydropower.
Officials and experts from both countries had stated that India could not stop the flow of water immediately because the treaty only allowed them to build plants without the need for large storage dams. However, a Pakistani official claimed the Chenab River had already seen a drastic drop in flows.
Muhammad Khalid Idrees Rana told Bloomberg News that the flow of water has dropped by 90% since Sunday.
Sources at Pakistan's Indus Authority said that the Chenab flow has been wildly fluctuating since Sunday. On Sunday, water was flowing at Marala Headworks at 31,000 cusecs. It then dropped to 3,100 on Monday and is now up to 25,000.
Source: "The changes in water supply are due to India's (some hydro) projects," said the source. They can stop the water, then dump it. These variations are not large enough to cause significant damage, but they have an impact on the canals.
(source: Reuters)