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Oil & Gas

Trump believes Putin is willing to strike a deal

Donald Trump stated on Thursday that, he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to make a deal and that sanctions against Russia played a part in Moscow wanting a meeting. Trump is scheduled Meet Putin on Friday in Alaska. The U.S. President said that he was unsure if an immediate ceasefire could be achieved, but expressed his interest in brokering peace agreements. "He really, I think now, is he convinced that he will make a bargain, he will make a bargain." Trump told Fox News Radio that he believes he will, and they would find out. Early in...

Oil & Gas

Nayara, the Indian refiner that has been hit by sanctions, is in talks with the government to continue operations

Nayara Energy, a Russian-backed Indian refiner, said it was in contact with government officials and partners on Thursday to ensure the operational stability of its 400,000 bar per day refinery. Last month, the EU sanctioned the private refiner owned by Russian companies, including Rosneft. This was part of an EU package that targeted entities associated with Russian oil. In a court filing in Delhi, the private company said that it sold 70% of its refined fuels to Indian consumers through more than 6,600 retail outlets. Nayara said that it supplies fuels through its coastal, rail and road networks to its...

Oil & Gas

Authorities say that a small fire was started by drone debris at a Russian refinery.

Authorities reported on Wednesday that a small fire started by debris from an abandoned drone at the Slavyansk Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region was quickly extinguished. The Russian defence ministry announced on Telegram that 46 Ukrainian drones were destroyed overnight by their air defense units, including five in the Krasnodar area. The ministry only reports drones that were downed and not the number of drones launched by Ukraine. The administration announced on Telegram that there were no reported casualties. The fire was quickly extinguished. "Emergency and special services have arrived at the scene." The regional administration posted that a...

Oil & Gas

Reliance is likely to return to Middle East oil in the event that Russian supplies dry up

Reliance Industries will likely return to its Middle Eastern oil sources if India succumbs to the pressure of U.S. president Donald Trump, who wants to reduce Russian imports. India is being heavily pressured by Washington to cut off its energy ties with Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. Reliance, India's largest buyer, operates at Jamnagar, Gujarat, the world's most advanced refining facility. It can process 1.4 million barrels of oil per day. Due to their geographic proximity, Reliance will likely switch to Middle Eastern crude suppliers if they stop buying Russian crude. Anh Pham is a senior analyst with...

Oil & Gas

Emergency services report that a drone attack extinguished the fire at Russia's Afipsky refinery.

Local emergency services reported on Thursday that a fire caused by drone debris at the Afipsky refinery, in Russia's Krasnodar Region, had been extinguished. The Russian Defence Ministry reported that air defence systems shot down nine Ukrainian drones overnight over the region. The extent of damage to the Afipsky Refinery was not immediately known. This refinery along with the Krasnodar Refinery processed 7.2 millions metric tons crude oil by 2024. According to market sources, the disruption at Afipsky may result in a lower use of crude oil and could potentially add extra barrels to Russia’s exports for August. Drone attacks...

Oil & Gas

Trump imposes an additional 25% tariff on Indian products, relations reach new low

U.S. president Donald Trump issued an executive directive on Wednesday imposing an extra 25% tariff on Indian products citing New Delhi’s continued imports from Russia. This sharply escalated tensions between both countries after the collapse of trade talks. The new measure increases tariffs on certain Indian goods up to 50%, making it among the highest for any U.S. trade partner. The U.S. and India relations have been deteriorating since Trump took office in January. The announcement comes at the same time that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing for his first trip to China in more than seven years....

Oil Refineries

Russian seaborne diesel exports fall in July, data shows

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%...

Oil & Gas

Russell: OPEC+ is lucky to bring back oil production amid uncertainty.

It would have been a bold prediction a couple of months back to claim that OPEC+ could bring back 2,5 million barrels of crude oil production per day and keep the price of oil at $70 a barrel. This is what happened, as the eight producers of the group rolled back their voluntary reductions of 2.2 million bpd by September and allowed a separate rise for the United Arab Emirates. Eight OPEC+ member countries met virtually on Sunday and agreed to increase output by 547,000 bpd in September. This is an addition to the 548,000 bpd increases for August, the...

Oil & Gas

Governor of Sochi says that a drone attack by Ukraine ignited a fire at an oil depot in Russia.

Veniamin Kodratyev, the regional governor of the Russian city Sochi, said on Telegram early Sunday that more than 120 firefighters are trying to put out a fire at an oil depot which was caused by a drone attack from Ukraine. The Russian news agency RIA reported that a fuel storage tank in the Krasnodar Region, where Sochi is situated, was on fire. Rosaviatsia (Russia's civil aviation authority) said on Telegram flights at Sochi airport were stopped to ensure safety. The reports could not be independently verified. Ukraine has not yet responded. This attack on the infrastructure in Russia, which Kyiv...

Oil & Gas

Ukraine claims it has hit Russian oil installations and military airfield

Ukraine's Military said Saturday it had hit oil facilities in Russia. This included a major refinery, a drone airfield and an electronics manufacturing factory. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces released a statement via Telegram stating that they had struck the oil refinery at Ryazan (about 180 km southeast of Moscow) and caused a fire in its premises. The USF also said that the Annanefteprodukt storage facility, which borders the northeastern Ukraine, had been hit. The USF is a specialist in drone warfare and long-range attacks. Russia has not yet commented on the reported attack on its infrastructure. Separately the Ukrainian intelligence...

Oil & Gas

NYT reports that India will continue to buy Russian oil in spite of Trump's threats

The New York Times reported that Indian officials said they would continue to buy oil from Russia, despite the threats of sanctions that U.S. president Donald Trump had said he would impose. Could not verify immediately the report. Requests for comments were not immediately responded to by the White House, India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. In a Truth Social posting last month, Trump said that India could face additional sanctions for purchasing Russian oil and arms. He later stated that he didn't care what India did with Russia. Trump informed reporters on Friday...

Oil & Gas

RPT-Indian state refiners pause Russian oil purchases, sources say

Industry sources claim that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian crude oil last week, as the discounts have narrowed in this month. Donald Trump has also warned other countries against purchasing oil from Moscow. India, which is the third largest oil importer in the world, is the top buyer of Russian crude by sea. This revenue stream for Russia, as it continues to wage war against Ukraine, has been vital for the country. Four sources familiar with the refiners’ plans to purchase Russian crude have told us that the country's state-owned refiners, Indian Oil Corp., Hindustan Petroleum Corp., Bharat Petroleum...

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Trump said it would be up to Ukraine decide on territorial swaps

U.S. president Donald Trump said that he would not be negotiating on behalf of Ukraine during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last Friday and would allow Kyiv to decide whether it would engage in territorial exchanges with Russia. Trump stated that his goal was for the two sides of the conflict to begin a dialogue, and any territorial swaps would be discussed at this time. "They will be discussed but I have to let Ukraine decide, and I believe they will make the right decision." "I'm not here for Ukraine to negotiate, I'm there to get them to...

Fossil Fuels

IEA increases 2025 oil forecast following OPEC+ decision to increase output

The International Energy Agency raised its forecast on oil supply growth for this year after a decision was made by the OPEC+ group of producers to increase production. It also lowered its forecast on demand due to a lacklustre level of demand in the major economies. In a report published monthly, the IEA, an agency that advises industrialised nations, said it expects global oil production to increase by 2.5 million barrels a day (bpd). This is up from 2.1million bpd, as previously predicted. The Paris-based agency predicted that the world's oil demand would rise by 680,000 barrels per day (bpd)...

Fossil Fuels

Trump's trade war may seem to be going well, but there are still obstacles.

The U.S. president Donald Trump seems to be winning his trade war, which he launched after returning to the White House, in January. He has imposed double-digit tariffs on almost all imports and reduced the trade deficit. There are still many obstacles to overcome, such as whether U.S. trade partners will fulfill their commitments for investment and purchases of goods, whether tariffs will increase inflation or slow demand and growth and whether courts will allow him to continue with his ad hoc levies. On the day of the inauguration, U.S. tariffs were effective at around 2.5%. Since then, it has...

Crude Oil

Refined Products

Refined Products

Russell: OPEC+ is lucky to bring back oil production amid uncertainty.

It would have been a bold prediction a couple of months back to claim that OPEC+ could bring back 2,5 million barrels of crude oil production per day and keep the price of oil at $70 a barrel. This is what happened, as the eight producers of the group rolled back their voluntary reductions of 2.2 million bpd by September and allowed a separate rise for the United Arab Emirates. Eight OPEC+ member countries met virtually on Sunday and agreed to increase output by 547,000 bpd in September. This is an addition to the 548,000 bpd increases for August, the...

Refined Products

Sources say that despite the export ban, Russia may face gasoline shortages.

Sources said that despite the export ban, Russia may face gasoline shortages this August due to low stocks at home, a peak in seasonal demand, and repairs being done by domestic refineries. The ban was imposed Monday, and is intended to last through August 31. Its purpose is to stabilize the Russian market and avoid socially sensitive increases in motor fuel prices. Traders say that it is unlikely to be enough to bring the market back to equilibrium, since gasoline export volumes are much smaller than the domestic consumption. They also claim that diverting the fuel to the local market...

Oil & Gas Refining

Sources say that US sanctions have forced vessels carrying Russian oil to divert away from India

Trade sources and LSEG data show that at least two ships loaded with Russian crude oil bound for refiners located in India were diverted due to new U.S. Sanctions. This week, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions against more than 115 Iran linked individuals, entities and ships. Some of these vessels are involved in transporting Russian crude oil. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has warned that he will impose 100% tariffs on all oil purchases from Moscow unless Russia signs a peace agreement with Ukraine. Trade sources reported that three ships, the Aframaxes Tagor, Guanyin, and Suezmax Tassos were to...

Refined Products

Panel of OPEC+ stresses the need to comply with all output limits

A panel of OPEC+ members on Monday emphasized the importance of full compliance with oil production agreements, in advance of Sunday's separate meeting of eight OPEC+ member countries to decide whether or not to increase oil output for September. Online, the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), which is composed of top energy ministers of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as their allies, led by Russia convened for a brief discussion. The JMMC is a two-monthly meeting that has the authority to call a full OPEC+ meeting to discuss market developments if necessary. In a press release...

Refined Products

New EU Russia curbs could increase Indian oil refiners’ reliance on traders

After the latest round European Union sanctions, Indian private refiners who have used cheap Russian crude in order to boost their margins will need to find ways to work around it and depend more on traders for finding new markets for products. In recent years, refiners like Reliance Industries or Nayara Energy have benefitted from the pressure that sanctions imposed on Russia's crude oil prices due to its invasion in Ukraine. Many of these refiners have exported their refined products to European buyers. In its 18th package against Russia, which was approved on Friday by the European Union, it banned...

Refined Products

Russian seaborne diesel imports from July 1-15 fell 6% on a monthly basis, according to data

According to LSEG data and other market sources, the Russian seaborne exports of diesel and gasoline fell by 6% in the first 15 day period of July compared to the same period in 2006. Refinery maintenance and a strong domestic demand affected the supply. According to industry sources, calculations have shown that the offline capacity of Russia's primary oil refineries has increased by 20% to 3.9 millions metric tons in July, which includes maintenance at several large and mid-size refining plants. Refineries use less feedstock when idle capacity increases. In the first 15 days in July, diesel loadings through the...

Refined Products

UAE ready to boost oil production if market demand arises

United Arab Emirates' energy minister stated on Thursday that the country could increase its oil production after 2027, if the market demands it. This move could push the country into the top five oil producing countries in the world. OPEC granted the UAE a larger production quota for this year. The country argued that it was restricting too much its output after investing heavily to increase capacity from 3 million barrels to 4,85 million. Suhail Mohamed al-Mazrouei, Energy Minister of the country, told reporters that capacity could increase further after 2027. He said that if the market demanded it, they...

Refined Products

Russell: China's rebound in crude oil imports has more of a bearish tone than a bullish one.

China's crude oil imports have been positive for the first few months of this year. However, rather than being a sign that fuel demand is improving, the improvement has more to do with rising inventories. Customs data released Friday show that the world's largest crude importer, Saudi Arabia, recorded an average of 11,69 million barrels a day in April. This is down from the 12.1 million bpd it had in March, but up 7.5% from the 10,88 million bpd for the same period last year. The imports in March were the highest since August 2023, and April's relatively strong performance...

Oil & Gas Refining

Data shows that the price of oil in Russia is at a two-year low and 40% below the budgeted amount.

Data showed that the price of oil in Russia in roubles had fallen to its lowest level in two years, below the 4,000-rouble mark per barrel, and was 40% less than what the federal budget planned. This increased pressure on the Kremlin which is already struggling with a growing budget deficit. Global oil prices are down over 10% for six sessions in a row, and over 20% in the past year since U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff shocks in April prompted more bets that global economic growth would slow. The oil prices also fell following the Organization of the Petroleum...

Refined Products

Saudi Arabia is able to live with lower oil price, according to sources

Five sources familiar with the discussions said that Saudi Arabian officials were briefing industry experts and allies to explain the kingdom's unwillingness to support the oil market through further cuts in supply and its ability to handle a long period of low oil prices. Saudi Arabia's possible policy shift could indicate a move to produce more and expand its market share. This would be a major change, after spending five years balancing the oil market by producing a large amount of oil as a member of the OPEC+. These cuts helped to support prices and, as a result, the revenue...

Refined Products

OPEC+ will consider a second increase in oil production for June

Three sources with knowledge of the situation have confirmed that several OPEC+ member countries will propose a second consecutive month of accelerating oil production increases in June. The oil price fell to a 4-year low in April. This was attributed to a U.S. - China trade war, and an unexpected decision made by OPEC+ (which brings together OPEC, Russia and other major oil producers) to increase production by 411,000 barrels of crude per day in May. This was three times the amount originally planned by the group. On May 5, eight OPEC+ member countries will gather to discuss the output...

Refined Products

Data shows that the share of OPEC oil in India's imports has dropped to a record low.

Data from industry and trade sources revealed that the share of OPEC crude oil in India's imported oil fell to a new record low during fiscal year 2024-25, as refiners continued to gorge themselves on cheaper Russian oil, which was the number one oil supplier for New Delhi for a third consecutive year. India, which is the third largest oil consumer and importer in the world, has been buying Russian oil at a discounted price after the West imposed sanctions against Moscow due to the Ukraine conflict. In the fiscal year ending March 2025, the South Asian nation imported 4.88...