France

People familiar with the plant's operations reported that Valero Energy Corporation's Port Arthur refinery, which produces 385,000 barrels per day (bpd), suffered a partial blackout on Tuesday night due to Tropical Storm Edouard. Sources said that the refinery's smaller AVU 147 crude distillation units were shut down due to the power outage at the south end of the plant. The larger AVU 146 CDUs were operating on minimum crude processing levels. CDUs start the fuel production process by breaking crude oil down into feedstocks that are used in the units which make gasoline, diesel, lubricating oil, and feedstocks to make...

Niger's military regained the control of an important military airbase after a day-long mutiny by soldiers. This is the latest challenge for military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani, as his government struggles to contain insurgent jihadists. The attack highlighted tensions in Niger's armed services, who have repeatedly suffered battlefield losses fighting West Africa's al Qaeda affiliates and Islamic State. Early Saturday morning, gunfire and explosions echoed throughout Niamey. This included the area around the military base and the presidential palace. On Sunday, three security sources said that the government forces had retaken Niamey's airbase following hours of fighting. Residents reported that the...

Niger has regained control over a major military airbase located in Niamey, following an attack on Saturday by mutinous troops. This is the latest challenge for military ruler Abdourahamane Tiani in his struggle to contain the jihadist insurgency. The attack revealed tensions in Niger's armed services, who have repeatedly suffered battlefield losses fighting West Africa's al Qaeda affiliates and Islamic State. Early Saturday morning, gunfire and explosions erupted in Niamey. This included the military airbase as well as the area around the presidential palace. The airbase, located in the same complex of Niamey’s civilian airport, is home to military aircraft,...

Brazil's oil export tax is in a state of uncertainty after a local court ruled to suspend the levy and the Foreign Trade Chamber approved extending it for another 60-days. These contradictory moves have left the future of 12% tax unclear, and the oil companies are challenging it. This could lead to a legal battle between the Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva administration and the oil producers. Sources familiar with the issue said that the Foreign Trade Chamber?Camex had approved the extension of tax due to expire September 9. A 'federal court' had granted an injunction to suspend the tax...

The Elysee Palace announced on Monday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had visited Paris and agreed to build a manga-themed amusement?park near Paris?. The Elysee said that the project, which is based on the popular Japanese manga and anime series Dragon Ball Z, would be built in Cergy-Pontoise to the northwest of Paris, and was expected to create 22,000 jobs. Macron advisers claim that the idea came about after French President Emmanuel Macron discovered a common interest in Dragon Ball Z with Saudi Crown Prince during Macron's trip to Saudi Arabia 2025. The project will be funded by...

The Financial Times reported that Shell has attracted interest from bidders such as ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell and others for its U.S. chemical assets, which could fetch up to $8 billion. The report cited people who were familiar with the matter as saying that the private equity firm Apollo Global Management, and the chemicals division of the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, had also expressed an interest in the?assets. Shell is looking to sell off underperforming chemical?plants. Shell, ExxonMobil and Kuwait Petroleum have not responded to requests for comment outside of regular business hours. Shell, ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell Apollo and Kuwait Petroleum did not...

Chevron reported its highest quarterly profits in at least six year on Friday. The U.S. and Israel war against Iran has disrupted world energy markets, which is boosting profits of the largest oil companies. LSEG data shows that adjusted?earnings 'of $12 billion or $6.06 per a share beat the average analyst estimates of $5.56. Chevron's shares rose about 2% during premarket trading. The results were similar to those of European oil giants TotalEnergies, Shell and others who also reported record profits in the second quarter, boosted by higher oil costs. ExxonMobil's quarterly profit missed analyst expectations despite earning a record...

TotalEnergies announced on Tuesday that France's TotalEnergies, and Italy's Eni, have 'approved' the development of 'the Cronos gas field' in Cyprus, which will supply Europe with natural gas liquefied. Production is expected to begin in 2028. The two companies will share the 2.8 million tons of LNG expected to be produced by the field. After losing their access to Russian gas and oil in 2022, the European countries are now focusing on their own resources. Cronos is the name of a large?natural gas find in Block 6 in Cyprus' exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea. It was discovered by...

By America Hernandez PARIS, July 27 - French oil giant TotalEnergies has appealed a court ruling in Paris ordering it to align its business with climate change goals. This was the first of its kind French ruling that found Total responsible for planet-warming emission released by customers using their fuel products. The ruling was made under France's "corporate duty of vigilance" law. It was seen as a victory for climate campaigners. In recent years, climate litigation against oil majors has had mixed results. The Netherlands Supreme Court is currently reviewing a landmark Dutch ruling ordering Shell to reduce emissions. "The...

Investors took comfort in some corporate earnings and weighed the potential impact of higher oil prices on monetary policy. The STOXX 600 index, which measures the performance of all European markets, rose 0.6% to 644.67 for a second consecutive week. SAP, the software giant, gained 10% on Germany's DAX after it reported that second-quarter cloud backlog growth was ahead of analyst expectations. The technology index gained 1.7% after STMicroelectronics' and BE Semiconductor's quarterly reports failed to impress investors on Thursday. Investors are trying to balance AI growth with stretched valuations and returns on large investments in technology. This has led...

* Best quarter for nearly three years * Trading segment (which includes refining)?up 362% on an annual basis due to rising prices * Share Buybacks Maintain?at $1.5 Billion for Q3 By ?America Hernandez PARIS, 23 July - TotalEnergies, the French oil major, reported on Thursday a 67% increase in its second-quarter earnings, its best in almost three years. The company attributed this to higher oil prices, and high profit margins in fuel refining due to war in Iran. According to a poll of analysts by LSEG, adjusted net?income for the second quarter was $6 billion. This is in line with...

Investors are increasingly interested in whether this temporary boost can offset weak demand and the mounting competition of Asian producers. The Middle East conflict has tightened supply conditions, which have helped to support pricing. This has given breathing space to Europe's chemical sector. However, weak demand, overcapacity globally and increasing competition from Asia are still weighing on the long-term outlook of the industry. Investors are also interested in whether the companies have reported sustained volume gains or only temporary price increases, as well their outlooks for second half of the calendar year. Brenntag, BASF, and Evonik are among the chemical...

Authorities?said that a 'tornado' swept through an Aude region village late on Monday night, destroying homes, and injuring 39 people. They described it as a "rare" and "traumatic" event. Officials said that two of the injured were in critical condition, and that around 300 homes in the village of Pomas had been damaged. Officials said that everyone in the village was evacuated until authorities could verify whether or not homes were safe to live in. BFM TV reported that Severine, a Pomas-resident who declined to give her name, said: "It was as if death itself had fallen upon us." She...

Sebastien lecornu, the French prime minister, announced on Monday tax breaks for businesses affected by recent wildfires that ravaged Southern France. He said that companies of all sizes have been affected by the "severe fires" that have ravaged large areas of the country. He said that the government had approved a budget of EUR12 million ($13.91m) to help towns relocate residents whose homes were destroyed. Lecornu announced the news in Merignac near Le Porge in southwest France, where hundreds homes were destroyed in a massive fire last month. Lecornu was booed by dozens in Le Porge as he visited that...

Since more than a century, the cafes of Padua, Italy, have invited customers to enjoy an aperitivo (early evening drink) and socialise outside before dinner. The traditional time slot of 6-7 pm has all but disappeared in Europe as people are seeking air conditioning indoors. This is affecting sales at many hospitality businesses. Extreme heat is often excluded from traditional business interruption policies, which exposes a growing gap in protection for businesses across Europe. Moody's published estimates stating that the European heatwaves last summer cost EUR43 billion ($50billion) in economic output, but only EUR500 million in insured payouts. Federica Luni...

Since more than a hundred years, the cafes of Padua, Italy, have invited customers to enjoy an aperitivo (early evening drink), encouraging them sit outside before dinner and socialise. The traditional 6-7 pm slot is all but gone as people are seeking air conditioning?inside, which has a negative impact on sales. Extreme heat is often excluded from traditional business interruption policies, which exposes a growing gap in protection for businesses across Europe. Moody's published estimates that the European heatwaves last summer cost EUR43 billion ($50billion) in lost output, while only generating about EUR500m of insurance payouts. Federica Luni is the...

Greece fought?wildfires in multiple locations on Friday, from the outskirts and central parts of Athens all the way to Crete. France and Spain gained some relief after bringing the major fires under control. Wildfires have ravaged Europe this summer, following a series of record-breaking heatwaves. This has left 'vast' stretches of parched vegetation ready to burn and forced hundreds of thousands to flee. As smoke billowed out of densely forested hills surrounding Athens, authorities scrambled a formation water-bombing planes to put out the fire. Boeotia is a small coastal town located north-west from Athens. Residents and visitors were evacuated by...

On Friday, France and Spain were relieved from the destruction of days-long wildfires. The blazes in Bordeaux and Madrid had been brought under control. However, fires still raged in Greece and west Spain. Europe has been ravaged this summer by wildfires after consecutive record-breaking heatwaves. Vast stretches of parched vegetation are ready to burn and hundreds of thousands have had to flee their home. Authorities in southwestern France began to allow people back home after declaring a major fire, which had been burning for more than a month, contained. In a press release, Gironde Prefect Sophie Brocas announced that evacuation...

Authorities have allowed a number of people who were evacuated from southwestern France because of a wildfire to gradually return home. The fire has been burning for over a week. The French authorities ended the evacuation in 12 districts west and southwest from Bordeaux on Friday, allowing more than 220,000 people to return home. Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas announced the decision in a press release. She said that the situation was stable and that the fire had been contained within its perimeter. "Overnight, the weather conditions were favorable: low temperatures and high levels of humidity." The A63, which connects the...

Lake 'Brenets', a large, winding, long lake on the Swiss-French frontier, has been drained and rendered unnavigable since more than a fortnight amid a severe drought that has affected waterways throughout Europe. In the summer months, thousands of tourists are transported across the lake by three boat companies. This year, however, it is almost deserted, as the water levels of the River Doubs that feeds the lake have dropped sharply after months of little rain and three consecutive heatwaves. The latest is still underway. Dozens of 'boats have been stranded on cracked mud. "Jumbo", a vessel used as a tourist...

Raphael Fohanno was shocked to see that his parents' house was reduced to a smouldering cinder. The 18-year old said: "Right here was the livingroom; the sofa was in the corner, the TV, a coffee-table, a vase and the printer. Everything was there." She was looking at the charred wood and mangled steel of the home that the family had lived in for the past seven years. It's brutal. The worst part is feeling helpless. "It's horrible for me to think that I can't help with anything, not even my pets." His parents, sister and other family members were evacuated...

The temperatures were expected to rise again in France and Spain on Wednesday, in the fourth heatwave of summer. This will increase the risk of wildfires, which have already forced people to evacuate in large numbers, burned through forests, and killed wildlife. Weather agency AEMET in Spain said temperatures 'were expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, 104 degrees Fahrenheit, at least six regions were on orange alert. This is the second highest level. Meteo France predicts that temperatures in France's southwest, which has been devastated by fires, will rise from 33 C to 42 C. Dry winds in...

French firefighters brought under control a major fire west of Bordeaux, which had forced?massive evacuations overnight. This was ahead of the forecasted rising temperatures and wind that are expected to stoke fires on Wednesday. The Gironde prefect, Sophie Brocas, posted on X on Wednesday at 0400 GMT that "the night was quiet; the fire is still under control today morning." She said this after several small flare-ups were quickly put under control. After a prolonged dry spell brought on by a series heatwaves, the wildfire that raged in the Landes?area, west of Bordeaux - a popular tourist destination - has...

Wildfires burning outside Bordeaux highlight the climate challenges that France's biggest wine region is facing. Producers are struggling with severe drought, increasing temperatures, and a?falling in wine consumption. Although growers claim that the fires are not a threat to Bordeaux’s famous vineyards, the repeated heatwaves and nearly two months of dry weather have caused vines to be stressed and resulted in one of the earliest vintages ever. Thomas Duroux said that the vineyards in Margaux, one Bordeaux's most prestigious regions, are still intact, and the wine quality will not be affected by the fires. He said that warning signs were...