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Energy Markets

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Oil prices fall below the seven-month highs as traders focus on U.S. Iran talks and trade policy

Oil prices were below a seven-month high as traders weighed the uncertainty surrounding U.S. Trade Policy and the prospects for U.S. Iran nuclear talks in light of heightened Middle East tensions. Brent crude futures fell 9 cents or 0.1 percent to $71.40 per barrel at?0120 GMT. This follows a volatile session on Monday, when it reached its highest level since the 31st of July, $72.50, while alternating between gains and losses exceeding 1%. U.S. crude oil futures fell 11 cents or 0.2% to $66.20 per barrel. This is after the previous session saw a rise to $67.28 - the highest...

Fossil Fuels

Solar panels from India and Indonesia will be subject to tariffs by the US

The U.S. Commerce Department will announce a preliminary decision Monday on whether to impose antisubsidy duty on solar 'cells and panels' imported from India, Laos, and Indonesia. This announcement is one of two that the agency will make in the next few weeks regarding a trade dispute brought by a small group in the U.S. solar industry. Commerce will 'likely make final decisions later this year. The decision on Monday will examine whether the companies in these three countries have received unfair government subsidies, which make American products less competitive. Commerce will make a decision on a separate issue next...

Fossil Fuels

India seeks to offset the EU carbon tax on steel exports by looking to the Middle East and Asia

A government source revealed that India was looking for new markets to export steel in the Middle East and Asia in order to offset the carbon tax imposed by the European Union in January. India, which is the second largest producer of crude iron and steel in the world, exports roughly two thirds of its output to Europe. The EU's Carbon Border adjustment Mechanism has put pressure on the flow of steel into Europe. Last week, Sandeep Poundrik, the Steel Secretary of India said that the government will have to take steps to support exports affected by Europe's Carbon Tax....

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...

Fossil Fuels

Venezuelan oil output weighs the market as it faces a glut of supply

The oil prices dropped on Tuesday as the market anticipated a large global supply in the face of a weak demand and weighed the possibility of a higher Venezuelan crude production following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. Brent crude futures dropped?0.2% or 14 cents to $61.62 a barge by 0450 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was at $58.13 a barge, down 0.3%, or 19 cents. Priyanka sachdeva, senior analyst at Phillip Nova, said that the response of oil prices to major geopolitical issues, like the U.S. action in Venezuela or the ongoing strikes against...

Fossil Fuels

Asian stocks continue record rally as oil and dollar drift

The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a new high on Tuesday as oil companies and financials gained. The U.S. oil industry got a boost after the military raid that took place in the U.S. over the weekend, which captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Crude oil fell back $1 per barrel after it rose overnight as traders assessed possible impacts on crude oil flows from Venezuela. Venezuela is home to the largest oil reserves in the world. The events have had a limited impact on the risk sentiment. Equities are driven by momentum, while currencies are based on macroeconomic data. The...

Fossil Fuels

Oil prices fall as a well-supplied market ignores Venezuelan upheaval

Oil prices fell on Monday, as global supplies were plentiful and offset concerns about the impact of U.S. capture President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, the country with the largest global oil reserves. Brent crude futures fell 23 cents or 0.4% to $60.52 a barrel at 0940 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 21 cents or 0.4% lower at $57.11 a 'barrel. Investors reacted to the Venezuela situation, an OPEC country whose crude exports have been subject to a U.S. ban, and assessed its potential impact on the oil supply. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that Washington would take over...

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...

Fossil Fuels

Turkey extends Russia gas contracts for an additional year in order to attract U.S. investment

Turkey has finalised an extension of one year to its gas import contracts that expire with Russia, totalling 22 bcm. It is also considering investing in U.S. production, according to the energy minister. Both import contracts with Gazprom expire by the end of the year. Turkey's share of Russian gas has steadily decreased, and is now below 40%. Turkey, Russia's final major gas market in Europe has signed deals to buy long-duration LNG, a large part of which is from the U.S. This takes advantage of the expected global abundance of LNG over the next couple of years. Bayraktar, the...

Fossil Fuels

Details of the US-South Korea trade agreement released

The U.S. released some details on a new trade agreement with South Korea. The United States and South Korea released a joint factsheet on the recent summit between President Donald Trump of the U.S. and President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea. Washington and Seoul have agreed to lower the tariffs on U.S. autos and auto part imports from Korea to 15%. This is a reduction of 25%. Seoul said that the effective date for auto tariffs would be November 1, after the agreement was finalised, and when a bill relating to the $350 billion package of investment is presented...

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...

Crude Oil

Oil & Gas

Oil prices rise as the Iran conflict escalates and disrupts shipping

On Monday, oil prices rose 7% and reached their highest level in months as Iran and Israel intensified attacks?in the Middle East. They damaged tankers?and disrupted shipments?from the key producing area. Brent crude futures soared to $82.37 in the first trading session after U.S., Israel and other countries launched attacks on Iran, killing its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on Saturday. Brent futures at 0054 GMT were $78.24 per barrel, an increase of $5.37 or 7.37%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude rose by $4.66 or 6.95% to $71.68 per barrel, after reaching $75.33 earlier. This was the highest since June 2025....

Crude Oil

As AI and Iran concerns weigh, Asian shares fall while yen, Treasuries, and Treasuries increase.

The mood was gloomy in Friday's Asian trading session as fears about the?valuations of technology companies weighed down on shares, and Middle East tensions kept the energy markets on edge. Japanese shares fell along with Wall Street - despite what seemed to be a glowing report from AI sector leader Nvidia. The?yen? and U.S. Treasuries grew, while gold remained steady after a 2-day rise. A mediator for the U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, an Omani, gave a positive readout of the latest round. However uncertainty still hung on energy markets as there was no sign of any breakthrough that could avert a...

Crude Oil

Asia shares surge in relief rally after Nvidia beats street

Asian stocks rose on Thursday, after Nvidia's upbeat results soothed concerns about AI-driven disruptions and rising costs. The yen, however, was weighed down by an uncertain rate outlook in Japan. Oil prices remained high due to lingering concerns about the escalating geopolitical tensions that could arise between the U.S. Nvidia forecasted first-quarter revenues above market expectations on Wednesday, betting that Big Tech would continue to spend on its AI processors. Investors were closely watching the result. It was a relief to see that companies weren't spending as much money on AI. This helped Japan's Nikkei reach a new record early...

Refined Products

Mining

Mining

Term sheet shows LG Energy is selling its 7.5% share in lithium company Liontown.

According to a termsheet, LG Energy Solution, a South Korean company, is selling its 7.5% stake in Australian lithium producer Liontown, or shares worth at least A$419,000,000 ($297.99 million), as part of a block transaction. The term sheet, which was seen by, showed that the South Korean company offers 239.5 million Liontown Shares at a range of A$1.75 - A$1.79 per share. The price floor is A$1.75 underwritten and investors are instructed to bid A$0.01 increments. LG 'Energy Solution' and Liontown didn't?respond immediately to requests for comment. According to the terms sheet, LG Energy Solution will no longer be a...

Mineral Resources

Businesses celebrate victory over Trump tariffs but refunds may take some time

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the White House emergency tariffs were invalid. This was a victory for thousands of businesses. The refund process?has just begun. The court's decision could have a ripple effect on the global economy. It ruled that Donald Trump cannot use the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to levy a broad?tariff on imports. The corporate world spent months adapting to Trump's constantly-evolving policy on trade and his use of tariffs to advance his agenda. Not only to address trade issues, but also to act as a weapon against the policies...

Mining

Indium prices reach their highest levels in a decade due to Chinese speculators and supply concerns

Sources say that indium prices, which is used in touch screens, advanced semiconductors, and new solar technologies have reached their highest levels in over a decade on Western markets. This was due to speculative activities at a Chinese exchange, and tightening supplies, according to market sources. The jump has brought new attention to an important niche market that is dominated by Asian manufacturers. Indium prices in Rotterdam are around $500-$600 a kilogram, according to traders and experts. This is the highest price since early 2015. Prices have increased by more than 55% since September. Three market sources stated that the...

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...