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California, Colorado and Washington file lawsuit against Trump administration to unlock funds for clean energy projects
California, Colorado, and Washington are suing to get the federal government to pay grants approved by Congress for clean energy projects. The California attorney general's said this on Wednesday. The Trump administration has terminated funding for environmentally-focused laws such as the Inflation Reduction Act. This is part of a broader effort to curb?support?for wind, solar, and other fossil free power sources, while also?prioritizing an increase in U.S. petroleum production. California has been one of the main opponents to Trump's policies. They have filed dozens suits. California's Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters on Tuesday that he planned to sue the Trump administration over its changes to vaccine policies and to challenge the repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency's endangerment findings, which were key to the regulation of climate change. Bonta stated that the new lawsuit is in response to California's $1.2 billion loss in federal funding for the Alliance for Clean and Renewable Hydrogen Energy Systems, or ARCHES. The hydrogen plan was designed to replace fossil fuels for?utilities and public transport, as well as trucking, ports, and trucks. California says federal agencies must implement laws. Bonta told an interviewer on Tuesday that Congress is the only one with the power to spend money, not the executive branch.
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Gas inhalation kills 37 at Nigerian mining site
A?police report and a'security report' seen on Wednesday said that at least 37 miners had died from?carbon monoxide toxicity? in a mining area of Nigeria's Plateau State. According to the report, the incident happened at 5:45 am in a mine in Kampani in the Wase region. Twenty-five more miners were taken to hospital. Dele 'Alake, Nigeria's Minister for Solid Minerals Development said that the area was an abandoned site where stored minerals were prone to releasing toxic gasses. Unaware of the harmful nature of the gases, the villagers entered the tunnel to collect minerals, and then inhaled them, according to him. Alake ordered that the mining areas covered under licence 11810 operated by Solid Unit Nigeria Limited, and owned by Abdullahi Dan China in Zuraq be closed, after villagers died from alleged gas poisoning while mining. The security report stated that preliminary findings revealed that the victims aged between 20 and 35 died after inhaling gas while working underground. The 'Plateau State Government' said that many people were believed to be dead, but did not provide a number. It added that other patients were being treated in hospitals nearby. The site has been cordoned-off by security forces to prevent access. The majority of mines in Nigeria are illegal, and the safety measures that exist are limited. Miners also lack protective equipment. The federal government has ordered an 'immediate shut down of all mining activities in the affected region pending further investigations. (Additional reporting from Camillus Eboh, Abuja; Writing by Chijioke Ahuocha and Editing by Jon Boyle. Ros Russell and Chizu. Nomiyama.)
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Italy increases corporate tax on energy firms to fund bill reductions
Italy?approved a 2-percentage point hike in the IRAP -corporate tax for energy firms on Wednesday. This will help fund a set of measures aimed to reduce bills for families and businesses that use a lot of energy. A decree viewed by revealed that the move will bring in an extra 1 billion euros (1,18 billion dollars) to the government through 2028. This money will be used to finance the energy bill reductions planned. Meloni, in a social media video, said that the package would have a "significant impact" and guarantee benefits to households and businesses of over 5 billion Euros. He did not give a timeframe. Italy's power costs are higher than those in France or Spain because the country relies heavily on imported gas for electricity production and is thus vulnerable to changes in global prices and geopolitical tensions. The IRAP tax is expected to increase from 3.90% up to 5.90% in the scheme for all energy companies who produce, distribute and supply products. Meloni has added a bonus to help poorer families pay their bills. EU APPROVAL IS NEEDED Package also includes measures that will narrow the gap between the wholesale gas prices at the Amsterdam hub and those in Italy where over 40% of the electricity is produced using gas. The wholesale price of natural gas on the Italian market (the PSV) is usually higher than that on the Amsterdam market (the TTF), depending on market conditions. This is typically a difference between?2-4 per megawatt-hour. Rome intends to offer refunds to certain thermoelectric producers to help mitigate the negative impact on bills of the Emission Trading System. This move would require the approval of EU authorities before it could be implemented. The ETS is the EU’s most important climate change policy. It forces industries and power plants to purchase CO2 permits if they pollute. It also caps the number of permits on the market to reduce emissions over time. The climate change think tank?ECCO stated in a press release that the ETS would place Italy on a collision 'course' with the EU, to defend the producers of fossil fuels. Rome's plan to reduce wholesale energy prices has been widely criticized by companies who fear that the measures will?erode their profits? and?hit investment in green projects? Edison's CEO said that due to changes in regulatory requirements, EDF could revise - or even abandon - its plan to open the capital of its Italian subsidiaries Edison.
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After a disastrous year, Eramet Mine plans to increase capital and sell assets
French mining group Eramet announced on Wednesday that it would?launch an 500 million euro capital increase ($590.40 millions) and consider selling stakes to some activities in 2026, after a decline in earnings and an increase in debt in the past year. The nickel, manganese, and lithium producer announced the measures at a time when it is also facing a'management crisis' following the firing of the former CEO Paulo Castellari as well as the suspension of the?finance director Abel Martins Alexandre in a matter of days earlier this month. Christel Bories has temporarily taken over the CEO role that she handed to Castellari in the past year. She told reporters the capital increase was backed by Eramet’s major shareholders, the Duval family, and the French government, but the terms will be announced later. The company reported a full-year adjusted EBITDA of 372 millions euros, down by 54% compared to 2024. This was due to lower manganese and nickel prices in Indonesia, as well as a weaker US dollar. It reported a net loss of 370 millions euros, excluding New Caledonian Nickel subsidiary SLN. This was partly due to a depreciation in the amount of?171million euros for its mineral sands operations. Castellari announced in early December that the group would also reduce capital expenditures and pursue efficiency measures. Analysts who were initially pleased with Castellari’s efforts to overhaul the group are now concerned by this sudden change in leadership. Eramet, while claiming that their cases are unrelated to each other, has cited the management methods for Castellari’s dismissal and Martins-Alexandre’s?suspension. Eramet announced that the finance chief was relieved of his duties while an independent investigation is conducted into employee complaints about management of finance department. Eramet aims to increase manganese and lithium output in this year while benefiting from a rise in metal prices. A steep reduction in the annual volume authorized by Indonesia has created uncertainty for its nickel business.
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Copper prices rise on dip-buying and tech share recovery
The price of copper rose on Wednesday after a drop to a low that was more than a week old. Investors bought the dip, and industrial metals prices followed a rebound in tech stocks. As of 1700 GMT the benchmark?copper price on?the London Metal Exchange had risen 2.2% to $12,893 per metric ton, having earlier climbed to $12,941. The metal fell 1.8% Tuesday, reaching its lowest level since February 6. Due to the Lunar New Year, traders in China, a major metals consumer, were mostly absent. Tom Price, a Panmure Liberum analyst, stated that traders "rarely leave significant capital on the market" over the holidays. He added that volatility increases and dip buying is a result. "So,?I believe that will offer some support." Broker Marex stated in a report that the base metals complex was instead taking cues from Nasdaq. The Nasdaq Composite gained 1.3% last time, as tech shares recovered ground following an AI-led drop. Copper Stocks in LME Warehouses The 12th consecutive day saw a rise to 224.625 tonnes, the highest since 11 months. New inflows were seen into New Orleans, and Kaohsiung. U.S. sheds The LME has warehouses that hold almost 18% of the total copper available, but there are still 538,122 tonnes on the U.S. Comex. . Price added that the U.S. consumption of copper had decreased 'in the last 12 months. Cash LME copper contracts were trading at a $97 discount per ton compared to the forward contract for three months. There is no immediate need for metal. After touching a 2-week low on Monday, zinc rose 2.4% to $3365.50 per ton. Aluminium was up 1.7% to $3086.50 and poised to end a 4-day losing streak. Nickel jumped by 3.1% to reach $17,375, while tin fell 0.3% to $45,710. (Reporting from Tom Daly, London; Additional reporting by Ishaan?Arora, Bengaluru; Editing done by Ronojoy Mazumdar and Rashmi?Aich.
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HF Sinclair CEO leaves voluntary amid disclosure review; shares of US refiner fall
HF Sinclair CEO Tim Go will take a 'voluntary leave' amid a 'disclosure review. The U.S. refinery announced this?on a Wednesday. Its shares plummeted despite a higher-than expected fourth-quarter profit. Dallas-based refiner Go said he has requested an internal review of the company's disclosure processes. Franklin Myers, the board chair, has been appointed interim CEO. The shares of the refiner dropped 14% during the morning trading after the company announced that the audit committee was evaluating the disclosure processes. Myers said during a conference called that the company is working to finish this review as quickly as possible. He said that the company was satisfied with the financial reports and disclosures released on Wednesday, and does not expect them to change. The board of the company has instructed its Nominating, Governance and Social Responsibility Committee to determine what action is needed regarding the role of CEO. STRONG BARRIERS LIFT QUARTERLY RESULT HF Sinclair reported a higher-than-expected fourth-quarter profit, supported by higher refinement margins for its product. The 3-2-1 crack spread is a measure of the quarterly U.S. refinery profit margins. In the fourth quarter,, on average, increased by 45% from a year ago. Valero Energy and Marathon Petroleum, as well as Phillips 66, reported positive fourth-quarter results citing increased margins. U.S. fuelmaker's margins are beginning to?rebound from the multi-year lows reached in 2024. This pullback?followed an increase triggered by sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine which had constrained global supply. The adjusted refinery gross profit margin of the company more than doubled during this period to $16.28 a barrel. The refinery's utilization rate was 82.1% compared to 82.9% one year ago. LSEG data shows that HF Sinclair reported an adjusted 'profit' of $1.20 for the three months ended December 31. Analysts on average had estimated 45 cents. Reporting by Tanay dhumal from Bengaluru, and Nicole Jao from New York. Editing by Shilpi majumdar, Rod Nickel
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Sources say that US refiners Phillips 66 and Citgo are looking to purchase crude oil directly from Venezuela.
According to sources who are familiar with these efforts, Phillips 66, Citgo Petroleum, and other U.S. refiners want to purchase heavy crude oil directly from Venezuelan oil giant PDVSA in order to maximize their profits. They do not plan to use trading houses or the U.S. oil giant Chevron. Trafigura Trading and Vitol secured the first U.S. export licenses for Venezuelan oil in January as part of a $2 Billion deal between Caracas & Washington. Chevron holds an authorization to ship and operate in Venezuela since last year. Refiners have purchased cargos from these three companies in the U.S. as well as other countries. The pool of buyers will gradually expand after the U.S. President Donald Trump issued a general licence late last month, which authorized broader oil imports from the OPEC nation. Three sources confirmed that Phillips 66 is a major refiner in the United States and has been seeking internal approval to buy directly from PDVSA. One of the sources said that once the company is ready to go, they plan to charter tankers and load crude oil at PDVSA terminals. Sources spoke anonymously due to commercial sensitivities. A Phillips 66 spokeswoman declined to comment on 'commercial activity, but stated that the refiners Gulf Coast facilities are capable of processing a variety of crude oils and access to heavy oil presents a valuable business opportunity. Last month, the company purchased Venezuelan oil at a price of $9 per barrel less than Brent crude. The White House announced on Friday that the Trump administration is responding in large part to the overwhelming interest of oil and gas companies. Taylor Rogers, a spokeswoman for the president's office, said that "the team works around the clock" to respond to requests from oil companies. CITGO WANT OIL DELIVERED - TO U.S. GULF Citgo Petroleum, a Venezuelan-owned U.S. refining company, is also in discussions to buy crude from Venezuela directly. However, the company wants to have it delivered to U.S. Gulf Coast. This is difficult due to PDVSA’s limited number vessels, according to another source. Citgo intends to use the opportunities under the general licence to purchase crude from Venezuela directly, the company stated in an email statement. It added that it plans to process Venezuelan oil in the coming month at its Gulf Coast refining facilities. Citgo bought from Trafigura in January a cargo of Venezuelan heavy oil for delivery in February. This was its first Venezuelan import since 2019. Three other sources confirmed that Valero, which is the second largest U.S. refiner, and the top buyer of Venezuelan crude oil from Chevron in the United States, will buy directly from PDVSA after assessing the state of Venezuela's loading facilities. The company had previously purchased Venezuelan crude for delivery to the U.S. Gulf Coast from Vitol. Valero will increase its imports of Venezuelan Oil. Up to 6.5 Million barrels of Venezuelan Crude are expected for delivery in March at its Gulf Coast Refineries, making Valero the largest foreign refiner. Chevron is expected to make the bulk of these purchases. Valero and PDVSA didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Chevron and Vitol have not responded to requests to comment on the impact of refiners buying directly. Trafigura declined a comment. CHALLENGES Ahead Washington is adjusting regulations to do business with Venezuela which remains under sanctions. This could cause refiners to face difficulties in the weeks ahead when trading for April delivery starts. PDVSA told potential buyers that they needed individual licenses from the US or clearance specific to their business. Four sources reported last week that the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control lifted cargoes in its ports. Three sources also said that many U.S. Banks were reluctant to finance Venezuelan oil transactions. Many refiners, in addition to the general license that they intend to use over the next few months, have also submitted individual license requests. Venezuelan crude oil prices have fallen in recent days, as more Venezuelan oil is heading to the U.S. and not China. Sources say that Vitol and Trafigura 'offered Venezuelan Merey Cargoes at $10 Per Barrel Below Brent' in the last few days. This is cheaper than prices as low as $6-$7.50 Per Barrel below Brent from last month. Vitol and Trafigura, according to the U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, have negotiated prices that are around $15 below Brent per barrel for initial Venezuelan crude purchase. This has resulted in $500 million of sales in a single month. Estimates claim that they made up to $4 profit per barrel, after transport and storage costs. Reporting by Nicole Jao, Marianna Pararaga and Arathy Smasekhar from Houston. Editing and editing by Nathan Crooks, Rod Nickel and Rod Nickel.
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Rare Earths prices rise above the MP Materials price floor
Prices for two rare earths that are crucial to making super-strong magnets used in EVs or defence equipment have risen on the back of a?firm supply and a?firm demand. This is above an unprecedented price floor set by the U.S. As long as the price of MP Materials' neodymium & praseodymium remains above $110 per kilogram, the U.S. Government will not be required to subsidise the company. The price increase to $123 per kg, which is the highest level since July 2022 will also help other rare earth companies that Western governments are hoping will be able reduce their reliance on China, as it is currently the largest producer. China is the dominant supplier of rare earths in the world, with 90% of its refining capacity and 70% of its mined output. The price rally has been driven primarily by the strong downstream magnet demand in China and deliberate supply management. She warned that the price increases are only temporary and that a correction downward is expected by the end March. NdPr oxide: Chinese price The benchmark price, which is 850,000 yuan or $123 per kilogram, has increased from $63 per kilogram on July 9 when MP Materials announced its multi-billion dollar deal with the U.S. Oversupply has pushed down NdPr's prices in recent years. In March of last year, they fell to 345,000 Yuan, their lowest level since November 2020. Mukherjee said that while many operations could sustain production at today's high prices, current market tightness was a?short-term phenomenon and did not reflect the underlying fundamentals of the market. In a 'ground-breaking agreement' with MP, the Pentagon offered MP a price support of $110 per kilogram for its NdPr production to help it better compete against China. According to Adamas, the U.S. government stipulated that the company must stop shipments to China once the material has fed between 7% and 9% of China's NdPr production in the previous three years. Analysts attributed the cutoff in supply to a tightening of the supply in China, due to lower quotas for rare earth mining and melting. However, the Chinese government has not made a public announcement about these quotas.
Sources: China refiner expands despite sanctions
Two people familiar with the project said that a Chinese refinery operator, whose main business suffered when Washington sanctioned it in May over its purchase of Iranian oil, is pushing ahead with a $3.6billion petrochemicals extension project.
Construction at the Xinhai Chemical Site in Cangzhou, north China, shows how independent refiners in the country, Iran's biggest oil customers, maintain their business despite being on the growing Western blacklists aimed to curtail oil revenues for governments such as Tehran and Moscow.
State media reported that Hebei Xinhai Holdings Group, the parent company, announced a plan in early last year to convert the refiner into a producer of chemicals. The plan was worth 50 billion yuan.
A person with first-hand knowledge of the project said that half of this investment will be used for the first phase, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. The source declined to identify themselves due to the sensitive nature of the subject.
The U.S. Treasury designated Xinhai Chemical (the unit that operates a refinery with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day) and several Chinese oil terminal operators in May for purchasing hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian crude oil as part of efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to press Tehran to curtail its nuclear activities.
The initial sanctions caused disruptions to Xinhai Chemical (the main business unit of Xinhai Holdings), including the suspension of state banks' services.
According to a source familiar with the expansion, and another person who was also aware of it, the refinery found a way around the restrictions by using entities that were separate from the blacklisted company and continued to import Iranian oil.
One of the employees said, "The company recovered from its initial, short disruptions."
Xinhai Holdings & Xinhai Chemical have not responded to requests for comment.
The U.S. Treasury declined comment.
One source said that the expansion was being managed by Hebei Zhixiang Chemical New Materials which is independent of Xinhai Chemical. The company's registration details were not found.
Worksheets for TEAPOT
Reports have indicated that other independent Chinese refiners, or "teapots", which are subject to sanctions in this year, have also moved their activities to separate firms to maintain business.
Tan Albayrak is a Reed Smith sanctions lawyer in London. He said that some teapots sanctioned by the government are renaming themselves and reorganizing their operations.
Albayrak, in discussing sanctions generally, said that if the new entity was seen as an 'offshoot' of the sanctioned entity it may deter other parties from doing business with it, depending on their commercial risk appetite.
The sanctions may have slowed down or even stopped the Xinhai project, but according to two experts in the industry the project might opt to rely on local know-how and equipment.
One source said that the Xinhai facility under construction includes a 3,000,000 metric ton-per-year (MTPA) hydrocracker unit, a 1.2,000,000 tpy aromatics plant, and a 3.5,000,000 tpy TDP (toluene diproportionation) plant.
The plant is scheduled to open during the first half 2027. It will produce mixed-xylene for paints and detergents as well as benzene, gasoline additive methyltert-butylether (MTBE), propylene oxide and polyisobutylene.
Xinhai Chemical is one of the few plants in China with a quota for oil imports that exceeds 74,000 bpd.
(source: Reuters)