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Energy Markets

Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas

UAE's ADNOC expands its energy partnership with South Korea

ADNOC, the state-owned oil company of the UAE, announced on Wednesday that it had entered into a long-term partnership with South Korea for energy security. The agreement aims to increase cooperation in areas such as crude supply and emergency supply coordination. The partnership extends existing agreements. This includes a pledge made by the United Arab Emirates in March that they would supply South Korea up to 24,000,000 barrels of crude oil. It was announced at a visit to South Korea by Sultan al-Jaber. ADNOC Group CEO and UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology. ADNOC stated that both parties would...

Oil & Gas

Danish brewer Carlsberg files IPO for India unit

The Danish brewer, Carlsberg, has filed a confidential application for an IPO of its Indian operations, the company announced on Thursday. It joins a growing number of multinationals seeking to tap India's booming equity markets. The 'confidential - route allows companies to keep the IPO filings they make with the country’s markets regulator secret until the launch. Two sources familiar with the matter said that Carlsberg India's planned listing would not raise new capital, but it would allow its parent company to sell a portion of its stake. The brewery is a fully owned subsidiary of Carlsberg Group. This move...

Oil & Gas

Mike Dolan: No silver bullet to solve Fed's inflation problem with the Iran peace deal

The Gulf peace may reduce pump prices but it won't solve the Federal Reserve’s biggest problem. That is, a U.S. Economy that was already overheating prior to the Iran War. Oil prices falling to levels seen before the war could spur demand and increase cost of living fears at a crucial time. This sounds like "damned-if-it does, damned-if-it doesn't" dilemma. Normalizing fuel prices may not solve the Fed's dilemma over inflation and interest rates as quickly as President Donald Trump or the Fed would like. The 'inflation debate' before the conflict was ambiguous, as markets sided with the Fed's guidance...

Oil & Gas

SK Hynix to list in the US for $29 billion as AI demand increases

SK Hynix, a South Korean company, said it planned to?raise up to $29.4billion through a U.S. -stock market listing. This would be one of the largest?listings globally. If completed at the top end, the deal would be the second-biggest share sale after a record $85.7 billion initial public offering by SpaceX earlier this month, surpassing Saudi Aramco's $25.6 billion IPO in 2019and Alibaba'ssimilar-sized offering in 2014. The planned listing reflects a strong global appetite for AI linked equities even as volatility rises across U.S. technology and semiconductor markets. This comes after Elon Musk's SpaceX and other record-breaking equity offerings in...

Heating Oil

Brent paper and physical prices continue to fall as Hormuz flow increases, traders report

The Crude Oil differentials in Europe that help set the Brent benchmark for the world have dropped further this week, as increased flows via the Strait of Hormuz has eased fears about Middle East supply disruptions. JD Vance, the Vice president of the United States, said that on Thursday 12.5 million barrels flowed through strait since the U.S. signed an interim agreement with Iran to end their conflict. Since the beginning of the fighting in late February, the strait has been closed to oil flow. It used to carry up 20 million barrels a day before. Six grades are used...

Oil & Gas

What are India's largest share offerings as Jio Platforms prepares to make a record IPO?

Reliance Jio Platforms, owned by Indian billionaire MukeshAmbani, filed?regulatory documents for an IPO that would raise $3.8 billion. This is the largest-ever stock offer in India. The National Stock Exchange of India is preparing to launch another IPO, which will likely be worth $3.3 billion. The five biggest Indian IPOs so far: HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIANA In October 2024, Hyundai, India's largest passenger vehicle manufacturer and the third-largest carmaker in the world, raised $2.95 billion in India's largest-ever IPO. The South Korean parent company of the manufacturer sold a 17.5% share in a "pure offer for sale", where existing shareholders sold...

Oil & Gas

First the Fed dot then the guidance, and finally a hike. Mike Dolan

Federal Reserve quarterly "dot-plot" rate forecasts could soon lose the last projected rate reduction, the so called easing dot. The plot itself may disappear altogether. Markets would then have to determine if Kevin Warsh was really the inflation-hawk he claimed to be. It might still be a surprise to some investors if he's right. Before his first policy meeting, the new Fed chairman is busy setting up his stall. He consults his staff and gets ready for his first policy session. The guidance he receives on policy direction is not going to be easy. The three-month-long war in Iran and...

Oil & Gas

As Israel intensifies its incursion in Lebanon, oil prices are up more than 2%.

Early trading on Monday saw oil prices rise by more than 2 percent after Israel ordered troops to advance further into Lebanon, in the midst of a battle against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group. This was despite a ceasefire that had been announced more than six weeks earlier. U.S. crude?futures?rose by $2.37, or 2.71%, to $89.73 per barrel as of 0028 GMT. Brent futures increased $2.16, or 2.37%, to $93.28 per barrel. This increased fighting came just days after the U.S. held Israeli-Lebanon talks in Washington, and dimmed expectations of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement extension. Brent and WTI had both...

Oil & Gas

Trump and Xi will consider tariff reductions on $30 billion in imports as part of a managed trade effort

This week, the U.S. will likely move closer to a managed trade system for non-sensitive products. Each side may identify $30 billion in goods that they can reduce tariffs on and sell to one another without violating national security redlines. U.S. -Trade Representative Jamieson Greer first proposed the "Board of Trade", a "deliverable agreement" for this week’s high-stakes'summit' between U.S.-President Donald Trump and Chinese-President Xi Jinping. The plan's contours are still sketchy but there is a clear shift in the dialogue: Washington no longer demands that Beijing change its export-driven and state-directed economic model into one more similar to the...

Oil & Gas

ADNOC advises its clients to avoid the Hormuz Strait by loading crude oil outside of the Gulf

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company notified customers that two crude grades could be 'loaded outside of the Gulf next month, as the Strait of Hormuz was closed. ADNOC is moving the crude grades Das and Upper Zakum from the terminals on Das Island (and Zirku Island) located in the Gulf, to outside locations for loading. The exports of these terminals are down dramatically as there have been fewer ships willing to cross the strait after the U.S. - Iran?war began in late February. ADNOC informed clients that it would make cargoes available to be loaded outside the Arabian Gulf on...

Oil Storage

South Korea claims to have secured 273 million barrels of crude oil via routes outside Strait of Hormuz

South Korea has purchased 273 million barrels of crude oil from the Middle East and Kazakhstan by the end of this year. Supplies are being routed outside of the Strait of Hormuz. Kang, who was visiting as a presidential special envoy in Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia over the last week, said that Asia's fourth largest economy had also acquired 2.1 million tons of naphtha during the same time period. Kang stated that "in particular, the crude and naphtha obtained this time would be sourced via alternative supply routes, unrelated to the closure of the Strait?Hormuz. This will make a...

Oil & Gas

South Korea's Lee warns Middle East Conflict will keep oil prices high and orders quick aid distribution

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that the rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz make it difficult to be optimistic regarding the aftermath of the Iran War. He warned that high oil prices, and supply chain strains are likely to continue for a long time. Lee said at a cabinet gathering on Tuesday that the government should accept a prolonged disruption in global raw materials and energy markets and strengthen its emergency response system. Lee stated that "for the moment, problems in global energy and raw material supply chains as well as high oil prices will continue." I...

Fossil Fuels

Refined Products

Yonhap reports that the prosecutor has charged South Korea's four oil refining companies with collusion over price.

Yonhap News Agency, citing the prosecution, reported that South Korean prosecutors indicted four oil refiners for alleged collusion over fuel prices, which was estimated to have caused anti-competitive damage worth $17 billion. Yonhap reported that the companies are HD Hyundai Oilbank GS Caltex S-Oil and SK Energy. The 'Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office spokesperson did not reply to my phone call and text message seeking confirmation of the report. A phone call or text message asking for confirmation of the report was not answered. Yonhap reported that the prosecutors alleged pricing managers from HD Hyundai Oilbank, SK Energy and other...

Fossil Fuels

Don't confuse turbulence and decline. McGeever: This market is on its feet

The markets are awash with red flags that warn of another turbulent second half in 2026. Don't mistake turbulence for a sign of a correction. Late bull markets are often characterized by wild volatility, eye-watering price fluctuations and a wide range of asset classes and benchmark indices. This is when exuberance becomes irrational, to paraphrase late Federal Reserve chair?Alan Greenspan. These dynamics are playing out in varying degrees on many markets. Silver has fallen 55% since its January peak and Bitcoin's value has dropped by more than half since November. The tech market has been a volatile ride -- the...

Fossil Fuels

Wall Street Journal, June 25,

These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy. Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate oil companies that have not reduced gasoline prices in line with the falling crude cost, accusing them of "gouging". The Pentagon has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for up to 35 billion dollars worth of Thaad interceptors?to replenish U.S. stocks after the 'Iran War. SK Hynix, a memory-chip giant, plans to raise more than $29 billion via a Nasdaq IPO to fund its expansion...

Crude Oil

Mining

Mineral Resources

South Korea's KOSPI reports its biggest drop since early March, as chipmakers slump

South Korean shares fell nearly 11% in their 'worst session for about five months' on Tuesday, as a global chipmaker selloff?hammered SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics and CXMT, while CXMT’s stellar debut in the market heightened concerns about Chinese competition. The benchmark KOSPI fell 732.09 or 10.84% to 6,023.66, its largest daily loss since the 4th of March, when the index experienced a record drop following the outbreak of the Iran War. The price fell by as much as 11.3% in one day and triggered a circuit breaker, the 14th time in history. The price also fell below 6,000 for the...

Mineral Resources

South Korea's KOSPI falls 7% as the global chipmaker sale deepens

South Korean shares fell 'on Tuesday, as a global sale of chipmakers weighed down on technology heavyweights. Pressured 'by concerns about a 'intensifying competitive environment - from China - and a steep drop in SK Hynix shares listed in the U.S. The benchmark KOSPI fell 500.47 points or 7.41% to 6,253.81, prompting "sidecar" trading restrictions on both the KOSPI index and junior Kosdaq, temporarily suspending programme trading. Memory-chip manufacturer SK Hynix fell 10% after 'its American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), which were issued in the United States, dropped to a new record low and below their original U.S. offering prices. Samsung...

Mineral Resources

Investors focus on US tech earnings as South Korean shares lose early gains

South Korean shares closed slightly higher on Tuesday, after a sharp rise in the early going. However, caution before key U.S. technology earnings and chip earnings underscored the market's reliance on heavyweight chipmakers. The benchmark KOSPI Index settled 0.7% higher, at 6,797.7, after rising 6.2% during early trading. This was largely due to a 9% increase in AI memory chips maker SK Hynix. SK Hynix reversed its course and ended marginally lower, while Samsung Electronics finished slightly higher. The'sharp swings' highlighted the dominance and power of Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and other companies that together account for more than half...

Mineral Resources

As the AI rally cools, Indonesian stocks that have been beaten down feel the love.

Some investors are buying back the laggards as big investors start to sell and Indonesia's battered, unloved stock markets is gaining some love. Jakarta's stock market has been Asia's worst performing'major' stock market for this year. It is down by 28%. Investors have been looking at markets with less of a focus on AI. David Chao is the Asia-Pacific Global Market Strategist at Invesco, based in Singapore. He said: "We have been buying Indonesia and taking a profit in South Korea." "Indonesia remains the most overlooked macro-growth story." BARGAIN HUNTERS ARE SEEKING VALUE AS SENTIMENTS CHANGE Although still cautious, the...

Mineral Resources

New York Times Business News - July 7,

These are the most popular?stories from the New York Times business pages. The New York Times has not?verified?these?stories and cannot?guarantee?their accuracy. U.S. president Donald Trump will likely restore the rights of Turkey to buy F-35 stealth jets at the NATO summit, which would reverse a 7-year-old ban imposed by Trump himself. Canada announced on Monday that it has selected ThyssenKrupp to build a fleet of submarines in collaboration with the Norwegian, German and Canadian governments. This is a move towards reducing Canada's military and economic dependence on the United States. Walmart announced on Monday that it would be slashing the...

Mineral Resources

Australia's Lynas and South Korea's JS Link Sign Deal for Malaysia Magnet Factory

Lynas?Earths 'announced on Tuesday that it had signed a deal with South Korea JS Link for the development of a magnet plant in Malaysia. JS Link, a magnet manufacturer in?South Korea, and the Malaysian factory planned by JS Link will receive rare-earth material from the Australian producer until January 2038. This partnership comes after a magnet manufacturing agreement between the two companies in last year. Under the new?deal, JS Link is going to establish a permanent magnet factory in Kuantan (Malaysia) with 3,000 tonnes of neodymium, iron, and boron (NdFeB). Lynas stated that it will invest a total of?about A$50m...

Mining

Eni, the Italian company, has acquired a minority stake in EnergyX’s lithium project in Chile

Eni, the Italian energy company, announced on Monday that it had signed a deal to purchase a 25% stake of?Black Giant?a subsidiary owned by EnergyX?a U.S. start-up developing a lithium?project?in Chile. Eni will be able to access EnergyX's innovative proprietary technologies for lithium production and?secure the possibility of getting up to one-fourth of Black Giant's future output, it said. Eni's $225 million investment will give it access to EnergyX proprietary lithium technologies and the chance to obtain up to a quarter of Black Giant future production, according to the Wall Street Journal report. Eni owns a small minority stake in...

Coal

Rights group: North Korea's sanctioned trade in coal is resurgent as UN monitoring fails,

A Seoul-based rights group reported on Tuesday that North Korea's sanctions against coal and minerals have rebounded in the absence of United Nations oversight. This has been sustained by forced labour, and a shipping network that runs through China and Russia. In a joint report with the British research group Data Desk (Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights), the NKHR alleges that the trade has accelerated ever since Russia vetoed a renewal of an independent UN panel which monitored Pyongyang's compliance with sanctions in March 2024. The group used satellite imagery to count large?ships in five major North Korean...

Mining

Battery storage is the new focus for lithium producers as demand moves beyond electric vehicles

Leading producers said at an industry 'conference' this week that the lithium industry has become more optimistic about a recovery in the market as booming demand for?battery storage?systems offsets a slowdown on some?electric car markets. Electric vehicles have driven lithium demand in recent years. However, changes to regulations in the United States as well as elsewhere have led to a cooling of sales in certain key markets. This slowdown coincided in part with an overproduction of lithium, which pushed prices down sharply. The market is changing due to the growing demand for stationary batteries storage systems. This is largely driven...

Mining

South Korea's KOSPI recoups its losses with SK Hynix led tech rally

South Korea's benchmark index continued its recovery for a second session on Thursday as investors returned to the market after a historic tech crash earlier in the week. As of 04:18 GMT, the benchmark KOSPI was up 466.67 or 5.51% at 8,937.69. The?rise has now reached 9% in two sessions. The?drop of nearly 10% on Tuesday was the biggest since March. The movements underscore a 'volatile tug-of war between rising interest rates anxiety and opportunistic buying of Korean tech shares at dips. SK Hynix, a?peer company, gained 12.17%, tagging a rally among U.S. chips stocks following Micron's earnings report and...

Mining

Battery storage is the new focus for lithium producers as the demand shifts away from EVs

Leading producers said this week that the lithium industry has become more optimistic about a recovery in the market as booming battery storage systems help offset a slowdown on some 'electric vehicle markets. Electric vehicles were the main drivers of lithium demand in recent years. However, changes to regulations in the United States as well as elsewhere have led to a cooling in sales on some key markets. This slowdown coincided in tandem with an overproduction of lithium, which pushed prices down sharply. The market is changing due to the growing demand for stationary batteries storage systems. This is largely...

Mining

South Korean shares surge as retail investors rush in to buy

South Korea's benchmark stock index staged a sharp recovery on Wednesday. It recovered more than 3% following a?drop of nearly 10% a day before, as retail investors rushed to purchase the?dip. The benchmark KOSPI closed at 8,471.02 after rising up to 4.55%. Samsung Electronics led the index upwards, rising 9.84% following a report in the media that the chipmaker planned a share-buyback program worth around 90 trillion won ($58.4billion). Peer SK -Hynix rose by 0.98%. Seo Sang Young, a Strategist at Mirae Asset Securities Co., explained that the rebound was a huge recovery of the double-digit losses from the previous...