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Energy Markets

Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas

Morning bid Europe-Trump's loud talk is not heard by investors

The day ahead for European and global markets on Thursday Donald Trump has been the subject of many headlines over the last 24 hours. He promised to stop defense contractors from paying dividends and buying back shares until weapons production increased. He supported a bipartisan bill that targeted countries doing business in Russia. The United States was also removed from dozens of U.N. and international organizations. His vice president said that the U.S. would exert "incredible" pressure on Venezuela by controlling its oil sales. Trump's plans for Greenland are also worth mentioning. But the markets don't seem to give a...

Oil & Gas

Ford Motor and South Korea's SK On to terminate joint US battery venture

South Korean battery manufacturer SK On announced on Thursday that it has ended its joint venture agreement with Ford Motors for their joint batteries factories in the U.S., as part of a major business revamp to focus on areas such as energy storage systems. This split is a new beginning for one of the largest U.S. battery partnerships. It comes at a time when EV demand has slowed and there are fewer?U.S. South Korean battery manufacturers are pushed to change their U.S. strategy and expand into energy storage systems. SK On is a subsidiary company of SK Innovation that supplies...

Oil & Gas

SK Innovation expects Q4 margins to be resilient

SK Innovation Co Ltd, the owner of South Korea’s largest refiner SK Energy said on Friday that it expects the refining margins to remain stable in the fourth-quarter amid global supply disruptions as well as the onset winter peak demand. The company reported an operating loss of 423 billion won in the period July-September, but a profit of 573 trillion won for that same period. This compares to an analyst's average forecast of 304 billion dollars in profit. The third-quarter revenue increased 16.3%, to 20.5 trillion won, from the same period last year. SK On, a battery supplier to Ford...

Oil & Gas

South Korea releases details about the trade agreement with the US

Here are some details from the U.S. White House Factsheet and South Korea's Chief Policy Advisor Kim Yong Beom on the recent trade agreement between the two nations. Washington and Seoul agreed that tariffs on U.S. auto imports from Korea and auto parts will be reduced to 15% from 25%. This is to bring them in line with their Japanese counterparts who pay the same 15% tariffs after Tokyo made a deal with Washington. South Korean wood product and pharmaceutical manufacturers will have the lowest tariffs of all countries. Generic drugs and aircraft parts will be exempt from tariffs. Kim...

Oil & Gas

Carney, Canada's Carney, visits Asia in order to form new alliances with Asia and reduce US dependency

Mark Carney, Canada's prime minister, will make his first official trip to Asia this Friday. He is hoping to strengthen trade and security links at a moment when North America struggles to reduce its dependence on the U.S. Canadian officials have said that Carney may also meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his week-long visit, as part of a possible attempt to restore a relationship previously strained by a trade war. Analysts say Carney will need to make it clear to Asian leaders that Canada is not as closely aligned to the U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened...

Oil & Gas

Stocks and US yields increase after sanctions against Russia

The oil prices rose more than 5% Thursday, after Washington announced sanctions against major Russian companies for the Ukraine War. Major stock indexes also rose as gains by U.S. energy stocks and European energy shares offset some disappointing earnings reports. The sanctions were announced on Wednesday night and targeted major Russian suppliers Rosneft, Lukoil. The European Union approved the 19th set of sanctions against Moscow, which included a ban on Russian gas imports. Britain imposed sanctions on Rosneft & Lukoil last week. Wall Street stocks rose with indexes picking up momentum following the White House You can also check out...

Oil & Gas

Georgia Governor Kemp meets with Hyundai and LG officials in South Korea, reports media

The Maeil Business Newspaper reported on Thursday that Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia in the U.S., will meet with South Korean leaders of business this week. This includes executives from Hyundai and LG Energy Solution. Kemp's trip comes after U.S. Immigration authorities raided in September the construction site of an under-construction battery plant in Georgia owned jointly by Hyundai Motor, LGES and LGE. After a week-long negotiation between South Korea, the United States and South Korea, hundreds of South Koreans were arrested on suspicion of working without visas. The local public relations agency that handled Kemp's visit refused to comment....

Oil & Gas

WTI's premiums and the increase in shipping costs threaten to close US-Asia arbitrage

Trade sources reported on Tuesday that the arbitrage window for shipping U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude to Asia has shrunk as tanker rates have risen, and strong export demand has pushed up premiums for this grade to multi-month heights. The U.S. Asia arbitrage opened in late summer, and the demand for Very Large Crude Carriers to make this two-month journey prompted a tightening of vessel supply. Kpler's preliminary data shows that U.S. imports into Asia will increase in September. South Korea and India are the top buyers. The first shipment of U.S. oil for Pakistan's biggest refiner Cnergyico, and the...

Oil & Gas

NATO launches "Eastern Sentry" to strengthen eastern flank following Russian drone incursion

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that NATO launched on Friday an operation called Eastern Sentry in response to Russian drones entering Polish airspace this week. Rutte said at a NATO press conference in Brussels that "we must make it clear to the world our determination and our capability to defend our territories." He said this while standing next to NATO's top commander U.S. Air Force general Alexus Grynkewich. Rutte stated that NATO was still assessing possible intentions behind the incursion. This led to Polish and NATO allies shooting down drones, the first such action NATO has taken since Russia's...

Oil & Gas

Tax reform by Indian PM Modi to cut levies for shampoos, hybrids and TVs

Two sources revealed that India will cut the consumption tax on 175 different products, from hybrid cars and shampoos to consumer electronics. Modi has repeatedly called for increased usage of Indian products. This is the biggest reform to the goods and service tax system in almost a decade. Modi announced his first reform plan on Independence Day last month when he promised to make everyday products cheaper in the fifth largest economy of the world. His proposal reduces the goods and services (GST), which includes toothpaste, talcum, and shampoo, from 18% down to 5%. This is expected to increase sales...

Oil & Gas

Modi's tax reform has seen levies cut on TVs, shampoos and hybrid cars

Two sources revealed new details about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s major tax reform. India will cut consumption tax on 175 products, including shampoos, hybrid cars, and consumer electronics. Two sources revealed that India plans to reduce goods and services taxes (GST) from 18% down to 5% on products like talcum, toothpaste, and shampoo. This is expected to boost sales at companies such as Hindustan Unilever, and Godrej Industries. Before the Diwali shopping period, which begins in October, brands such as Samsung, LG Electronics and Sony will dominate sales, consumer electronics, like air conditioners, televisions and other electronic devices, could see...

Mining

EnergyX, backed by GM, buys land rich in lithium deposits in the US Smackover Formation

EnergyX, a lithium-technology startup backed up by General Motors has purchased 35,000 acres from Pantera Lithium in the Smackover Formation. This is the latest deal to gain access to the brine formation of the United States, which is teeming full of supplies for the battery metal. EnergyX, a privately-held company, now owns roughly 47,500 acres of the Smackover formation, a geological formation that stretches from Florida to Texas and is filled with brine rich in lithium. The deal also shows the increasing interest in increasing U.S. metal production despite the low market price. Chevron has purchased Smackover land in recent...

Fossil Fuels

Oil & Gas Refining

Palantir signs HD Hyundai deal worth hundreds millions of dollars, CEO optimistic about Korea

Palantir's leaders announced that the U.S. tech company had clinched a contract to sell more software in South Korea, boosting its heavy industry work. A person with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday that Palantir will receive hundreds of millions over a period of several years. Palantir has declined to comment on the terms of the agreement. The companies held a signing at the office Palantir had set up in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum annual meeting. Palantir has expanded its work with HD Hyundai since 2021, when it began working with one of the largest shipbuilders...

Oil & Gas Refining

Palantir signs HD Hyundai deal worth hundreds millions of dollars, CEO optimistic about Korea

Palantir's leaders announced that the U.S. tech company had signed a deal with HD Hyundai to increase its work in heavy industry in South Korea. A person with knowledge of the matter said that Palantir will receive hundreds of millions over several years. Palantir has declined to comment on the terms of the agreement. The companies planned to sign at the office Palantir had?set-up for?the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week. Palantir has expanded the work it began with HD Hyundai in 2021, one of world's biggest shipbuilders. The companies claim that since?then HD Hyundai has...

Refined Products

What are the trade partners of Iran that will be subject to US tariffs of 25%?

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said on Monday that any country doing business with Iran will be subject to a 25% tariff when it comes to trade with the U.S. According to the latest data from the World Bank, Iran, a?member? of the OPEC oil producing group, exported its products to 147 trading partner in 2022. Fuel is Iran's largest export item in terms of value. Major imports include intermediate products, vegetables, machinery, and equipment. China is Iran's biggest trading partner. According to the World Bank, Iranian exports to China in 2022 will total $22 billion, with fuels making up...

Crude Oil

Mineral Resources

Mining

ASML's $250 million 'printer,' the secret behind Nvidia chips

ASML is the most valuable company in Europe thanks to its dominance of lithography systems. These are huge "chip-printing" machines, which cost $250 million per machine and are essential to companies driving the AI boom. Take a look at how the Dutch company has grown. What is driving the demand for ASML's printers? ASML has a monopoly over the machines that use extreme ultraviolet light (EUV), which are used to manufacture the most advanced semiconductors. However, rivals from China and the U.S. have been working on alternatives. ASML is ASML because of the rapid advances in AI, and the global...

Mining

New York Times Business News - January 27, 2019

These are the most popular stories from the New York Times Business pages. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for their authenticity. The Trump administration announced that it would extend direct funding of up to $277 millions and loans up to $1.3billion to USA Rare Earth. This group is a mining and manufacturing company. It will help USA Rare Earth develop its supply chain for rare-earth metals and magnets. U.S. president Donald 'Trump' said that he would raise tariffs on U.S. imported South Korean autos and other goods up to 25%. He blamed the sluggishness of...

Mining

Hyundai Steel, a South Korean steel company, plans to invest $2.9 billion in a US steel plant.

Hyundai Steel, a South Korean steel company, said it plans to invest $2.9 billion in facilities at a US Steel Plant. This move comes after announcing last year that?Hyundai Motor Group and its 'parent company Hyundai Steel would invest in a steel plant with a?capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per annum?in Louisiana, United States. Hyundai Motor Group had also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korean steelmaker Posco Holdings to cooperate on the planned US Steel Plant. Hyundai Steel USA is the sole owner of Hyundai Steel Louisiana LLC, a U.S.-based Hyundai Steel subsidiary. Hyundai Steel?said that it plans...

Mineral Resources

Global Commodities Holdings begins trading nickel premiums

Global Commodities Holdings Ltd. (GCH), a UK-based company, launched the trading of premiums on physical nickel Thursday. The initial "nickel" product that was introduced last year did not gain much traction. GCH began trading nickel products at fixed prices last year, giving the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SFE) and London Metal Exchange an additional?venue. After a nickel shortage in 2022, the LME lost many of its users' confidence. However, LME nickel volume has recently recovered. GCH reported that fixed-priced Nickel trading was not popular, as participants were unable to hedge their price risks due to the lack of tools. The new...

Mining

Nickel Industries Australia says South Korea's Sphere will buy 10% of the Indonesian project

Nickel 'Industries, Australia's Nickel?Industries, announced on Friday that South Korea's 'Sphere Corp' will purchase a '10% stake' in the Excelsior Nickel Cobalt High-Pressure Acid Leach Plant (HPAL) Project in Indonesia for $2.4 billion. Nickel Industries, an Australian company, said that the South Korean materials manufacturer would acquire the stake in the project from Hong Kong's?Decent Resource. Nickel Industries, however, will keep its 44% stake in the project. Sphere, a supplier of special alloys to Elon Musk's SpaceX, has agreed to sell its 10% share of nickel as cathode. It also entered into a contract for the sale of additional volumes...

Mineral Resources

Minister: South Korea will benefit from the plan of Korea Zinc to build a US smelter

South Korea's Industry Minister said on Wednesday that Korea Zinc’s plan to build a U.S. Smelter will help develop supply chains for essential minerals. Seoul may also discuss the possibility of receiving support from an U.S. Investment Fund. Korea Zinc announced on Monday a plan for a critical minerals refinery worth $7,4 billion in Tennessee. The project will be financed primarily by Washington. Kim Jung-kwan, Industry Minister, said at a 'press conference that he viewed the decision as a positive one for Korea Zinc despite its financial burden. Kim stated that "we concluded that those plans from Korea Zinc?will help...

Mining

MBK and YoungPoong ask for court injunctions to stop Korea Zinc’s share sale plan

MBK Partners, a South Korean private equity firm, and YoungPoong Corp. (a metal smelter) have applied for an injunction to a local court in order to stop a plan by 'Korea Zinc to sell shares to fund construction of a smelter on the U.S. mainland. Korea Zinc announced on Monday that it will build a critical minerals refinery worth $7,4 billion in Tennessee. The project will be funded by Washington. Following the news of the proposed injunction, shares in Korea Zinc fell 13% by 0337 GMT. In a statement, MBK and YoungPoong, two major shareholders in Korea Zinc, said they...

Mining

Official: White House to continue 'historic' deals with mining sector

A senior official revealed on Monday that the Trump administration is planning to make more "historical deals" with U.S. mines in order to increase?production and supply of minerals critical for national defense, high-tech, and other sectors. The administration acquired equity stakes earlier this year in MP Materials Lithium Americas, and Trilogy Metals. These transactions were made as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts to increase domestic production and use of minerals for the national defense. Jarrod Agen is executive director of White House National Energy Dominance Council. He said that the U.S. should be able to control its own destiny,...

Mining

Source: Korea Zinc board will discuss plans to build smelter in US joint venture.

A source familiar with this issue has confirmed that the board of Korea Zinc will vote on Monday on the plan to 'build a plant to refine key minerals in the U.S. as part of a joint venture between the U.S. Government and companies. The investments are estimated to be 10 trillion won (6.78 billion dollars). The South Korean Yonhap News Agency reported the U.S. Government and Companies will 'hold a 20 percent stake in the joint-venture with an investment of 2 trillion won. They said the facilities were expected to produce 'germanium and antimony. Unable to comment immediately, a...

Mineral Resources

Anson, Australia's lithium supplier, signs MoU with Nusano in the US for nuclear use

Anson Resources, based in Australia, announced on Monday that it had signed a nonbinding Memorandum of Understanding with Utah-based Nusano for the supply of lithium chloride to be used in advanced manufacturing and nuclear applications. Anson will provide samples of lithium chloride from its Green River Project in Utah to be tested for qualification. Talks are aimed at an agreement covering a five-year period and at least 300 tonnes equivalent lithium carbonate per year. Nusano is a privately-held company that plans to use Anson’s lithium chloride feedstock in order to produce lithium-6, lithium-7, and other isotopes for the nuclear sector...

Mining

India's finished-steel imports from April to October were down 34% according to government data

According to preliminary government data reviewed on Monday, India's finished-steel imports in the first seven months were down 34.1% compared to the previous year. India, which is the second largest crude steel producer in the world, imported 3.8 millions metric tons (mt) of finished steel between April and October. It was also a net importer for the alloy. South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia were the top exporters of finished steel into India in the past year, with 1.4 million tons. The government reported that domestically, the steel prices were being pressured by a combination of weak demand and a...

Mining

Australia's MinRes sells 30% stake in a lithium joint venture to POSCO for $765 million

Mineral Resources, Australia's miner, will sell a 30 percent stake in its lithium operations to POSCO Holdings of South Korea for $765 millions after placing the business under a joint venture. The new entity, which will be owned by MinRes, will own 50% of each project. POSCO's indirect interest is 15% in both projects. MinRes continues to be the operator of the mines under the existing agreements it has with its partners. POSCO will receive spodumene concentrated in proportion to 30% of its interest, supporting new downstream processing facilities. MinRes stated that the partnership will build on their existing Onslow...