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Energy Markets

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Eneos buys Chevron's Singapore refinery and Asian assets for $2.2 Billion

Eneos Holdings announced on Thursday that it would purchase U.S. giant Chevron's 50 percent stake in Singapore?Refining Company and other assets throughout Southeast Asia, Australia and Australia. This will be its first venture into refining outside of Japan. Eneos stated that the deal, which includes Chevron’s assets in Vietnam, Australia Philippines and Malaysia, is expected to be closed by 2027. Chevron is looking to sell its refining assets and storage facilities in Asia, to reduce costs and streamline operations. This investment is a major step towards strengthening the business platforms that connect Japan to Southeast Asia and Oceania. It also...

Fossil Fuels

Mike Dolan: The stress of the long-term bond issue in the G7 is intensifying.

The rise in government borrowing costs over the long term is not slowing down, and there are more aggravators every day. If you have been enthralled by the gravity-defying markets of this year, then look no further for where stress is growing in world markets. The debt, oil, inflation and interest rate risks, combined with the domestic political and geopolitical uncertainties, as well as the waning demand from the private and public sectors for long-term bonds, have pushed borrowing costs in the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies to their highest level in over 20 years. According to ICE Bank...

Oil & Gas

Prices of oil rise amid supply concerns as fragile US-Iran negotiations continue

Prices of oil rose by nearly 1% on Tuesday as the talks to end U.S. - Israel's?war on Iran? appeared fragile. Tehran's response?to a Washington proposal highlighted stark differences which have kept supply concerns alive. Brent crude futures rose 86 cents or 0.8% to $105.07 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was up 99 cents or 1% at $99.06 as of 0411 GMT. Both benchmarks rose by nearly 2.8% Monday. U.S. president Donald Trump said on Monday that the ceasefire agreement with Iran is "on life support." He cited disagreements on several demands such as the cessation?of?hostilities across all fronts,...

Fossil Fuels

Prices of oil rise amid supply concerns as fragile US-Iran negotiations continue

The oil prices increased in the early Asian trading on Tuesday as negotiations to end the "war" between the United States of America and Iran appeared 'fragile.' Tehran’s response to the U.S. proposal highlighted stark differences which kept supply concerns alive. Brent crude futures rose 30 cents or 0.29% to $104.51 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was up 31 cents or 0.32% to $98.38 at 00:02 GMT. Both benchmarks rose by nearly 2.8% Monday. U.S. president Donald Trump stated on Monday that the Iranian ceasefire was "on life support." He cited disagreements on several demands such as the cessation...

Electric Utilities

Britain delays on debt relief for energy, with consumer debts expected to reach $9.5 billion in the next year

The government has not yet launched a scheme to pay off 500 million pounds of energy debt owed by some of Britain's most vulnerable households. However, the industry says that total arrears may reach 9 billion dollars ($7 billion) before year-end. Ministers are under pressure to increase the cost of living as energy bills are expected to rise in July. The energy watchdog Ofgem announced its Debt Relief Scheme in October last year and hoped that it would be launched as early as 2026. Before it can go into effect, the parliament must pass a law allowing energy suppliers and...

Fossil Fuels

Vodacom increases its long-term target for customers as financial services grows

Vodacom Group, a South African mobile telecoms company, announced on Monday that it had upgraded its long-term customer growth target following the addition of millions of?customers in the last year. The group focused on Africa, owned by Britain's Vodafone in majority, has cited its rapidly growing financial services business as well as its mobile core business. Vodacom has announced that it will increase its total number of customers to 275 millions by 2030, up from the previous goal of more than 260 million. Its customer base had reached 237.3million in the financial year ending March 31. Vodacom is 'enforcing its...

Oil & Gas Refining

Ambani’s Reliance Jio : Businesses and investors of IPO-bound company

Reliance Jio Platforms, owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is preparing to apply for regulatory approvals to list in Mumbai. This is expected to be the largest-ever stock offering in India. Jio Platforms is the second largest telecom company in the world by number of users, after China Mobile. TELECOM BUSINESS Reliance Jio Platforms is part of Ambani’s oil-to retail conglomerate,?Reliance Industries. Reliance Jio Infocomm is its most well-known business. It has more than 500,000,000 subscribers and is the largest telecom company in the country. In 2016, when Jio was launched, it offered free voice and data to rivals like...

Oil & Gas

Compass is poised Compass to end Brazil's almost five-year IPO rut

Compass Gas e Energia SA is set to launch its initial 'public offering' on a Thursday, ending a nearly 5-year IPO stalemate on Brazil’s B3 Stock Exchange due to high interest rates. According to two sources familiar with the transaction, the offering of 89.3 millions shares by the existing shareholders of the gas distributor could generate around 3 billion Brazilian reais (about 600 million dollars). One person said that by early afternoon on Thursday, the orders had nearly tripled the size of the initial?offering. The second source said that despite the high demand, pricing may be at the lower end,...

Natural Gas Utilities

Compass is poised Compass to end Brazil's almost five-year IPO rut

Compass Gas e Energia SA is expected to price its initial public offer on Thursday. This will end a 'nearly 5-year drought' of IPOs in Brazil, caused by high interest rates. According to two people familiarized with the transaction, the sale of 89.3 millions shares by the existing shareholders of the natural-gas distributor could generate around 3 billion Reis ($600 Million). One of the people said that by early afternoon on Thursday, the orders were almost three times larger than the offer. The second source, however, added that despite the high demand, pricing could be at the lower end, at...

Oil & Gas

European stocks pull back after Mideast peace prospects are assessed

European shares fell on 'Thursday, after a steep rise?in the prior session. Investors analyzed?progress toward a U.S. Iran peace deal which pushed crude oil prices sharply down. STOXX 600, the pan-European index of stocks, ended up 1.1% lower than it was on Wednesday after gaining more than 2%. The majority of regional bourses in France, Germany, and Britain also declined. European energy stocks fell 2.5% when crude oil dropped below $100 per barrel. Shell fell 2.9%, despite exceeding first-quarter profits estimates and increasing its dividend by 5%. Sources and officials reported that oil prices were under pressure when?the U.S. &...

Fossil Fuels

Farage's Reform focuses on Scotland and Wales as part of the battle for Britain

James Buchan has swallowed up his animosity towards Nigel Farage, a former Peterhead fisherman. The 38-year old's distrust for populist Reform UK leader, a Brexit campaigner, has been overshadowed by his concerns about the local economy. He said that the British government had destroyed the local economy through decades of disastrous policy. He plans to vote Reform this week for the first-time, believing that the party's promises to maximize oil and gas production in North Sea, as well as to restrict access to European fishing boats, are the best way to revive the fortunes of the town. Buchan said, "Some...

Fossil Fuels

TotalEnergies, Nextnorth to build $300 million Philippine Solar Farm

By America Hernandez PARIS, 30 April - French oil major TotalEnergies, and Philippine renewables developer Nextnorth, have announced that they have started construction on a 440 Megawatt-peak Solar Park in the Asian nation. The $300 million project is scheduled to be 'online' by the end of 2027 and will produce 1.2 Terawatt-hours over a period of?20 Years. The remaining half will go to the national grid in the fourth renewable tender round. Total, unlike other oil companies that have walked back on their renewable commitments has expanded its green portfolio. Most recently, it formed a joint venture, with Emirati company...

Crude Oil

Crude Oil

Oil prices rise more than 1% since Trump brought up China's interest to US oil supplies

Oil prices rose more than 1% as a result of?President Donald Trump's statement that China wanted to buy oil from?the United?States. Also, concerns about ship attacks and securing?ships remained despite Iran claiming 30 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude oil futures climbed $1.17 or 1.11% to $106.89 a bar by 0252 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate futures rose by $1.10 or 1.09% to $102.27. Trump said in a Fox News interview that he would be less patient with Iran and urged Tehran to make a deal with Washington. On Thursday, a ship reported to be seized by...

Crude Oil

Oil prices rise as fears persist of attacks on ships and seizure

Oil prices increased 'Friday, as concerns over ship attacks and seizures persisted despite Iran claiming that 30 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S. presidents will be meeting with the Chinese counterparts for a second round of talks on Saturday in Beijing. Brent crude oil futures rose by 60 cents or 0.57% to $106.32 a barge at 0100 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate futures gained 54 cents or 0.53% to $101.71. On Thursday, a ship reported to be seized by Iranians off the United Arab Emirates 'and heading for Iranian waters' was reported. Meanwhile, the White House...

Crude Oil

The morning bid rally for EUROPE-AI continues, while the Trump-Xi Summit takes centre stage

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets The record-setting rally fueled by 'AI' appears to be going well as investors shrug off the prospect that interest rates will remain higher in order to combat inflation, oil prices over $100 per barrel and the impasse of negotiations to end the Iran War. The markets are on edge as a high-stakes meeting between U.S. president Donald Trump and China’s Xi Jinping, which has yet to yield any details. Even if expectations are low, a continuation to the status quo may be enough to...

Refined Products

Mineral Resources

Mineral Resources

Watchdogs warn that foreign buyers are fueling the illegal mineral trade in Nigeria.

A joint report by the government and civil society revealed that Nigeria is losing vast amounts of mineral revenue to illegal trading networks, which are dominated by shell companies, foreign buyers, and armed criminals groups. This highlights the extent of illicit activity. The report was produced by Nigeria's extractive industry watchdog NEITI and Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice with UK government funding. It found that illicit financial flow in the mining sector occurs through commercial manipulation, corrupt officials, and cross-border smuggling. Nigeria's mining industry contributed only 0.72% of GDP in 2023, 0.28% of revenue, and 0.75% % of...

Mining

Zinc reaches near 4-year high amid supply concerns; copper falls

The zinc price surged on Thursday to its highest level in nearly four years after another incident at a metal smelter increased supply concerns. Copper was poised to break an eight-day streak of gains, but held above $14,000. As of 0930 GMT, the benchmark three-month zinc at London Metal Exchange had risen 2.3% to $3,610 per metric tonne. The metal used for galvanizing steel reached $3,616.50, its highest level since August 2022. Nexa Resources announced on Wednesday that operations at the 344,400-ton Cajamarquilla Zinc Smelter, which is the largest zinc smelter of Latin America and has the highest production rate...

Mineral Resources

Aluminium nears 4-year high and copper continues to push towards record January high

Due to 'bullish technical indicators and the outperforming of prices in the U.S. The benchmark three-month 'copper' on the London Metal Exchange rose 0.8% to $14138 per metric ton, in open-outcry official trading, following a record-breaking close on Tuesday. The LME index of six base-metals contracts closed on a record on Tuesday, with copper moving closer to the intraday record of $14,527.50 that was set on January 29. Prices for the entire complex were also strong. Bets on the future growth of demand for copper are a good way to support the price. Recent strong factory data is also a...

Mineral Resources

Australia shares drop as CBA drops 10% on earnings missed, housing tax changes

Australian shares fell on Wednesday as investors sold Commonwealth Bank and other lending institutions. The?top?bank's missed profit heightened fears that Canberra's proposed curbs to tax incentives for property-investors could slow down mortgage demand. The S&P/ASX 200 closed 0.5% lower, at 8,630.40. This brings its overall decline to 2.8% in the last four sessions. Australia's biggest mortgage lender Commonwealth Bank plunged 10.4%, posting its weakest ever session. The bank erased a market value of?A$29.93 billion ($21.66billion) after an earnings missed and new Middle East-related provisions bleakened the outlook for the banking industry. The financials index is down 4% at a five-month...

Mineral Resources

Arctial Aluminium plant in Finland to produce first metal by H2 2029

Maxime Vandersmissen, Arctial's chief commercial officer, said on Tuesday that the smelter, owned by Rio Tinto, in Finland could help boost production in Europe and produce hot metal in the second half 2029. The project is still three years from production, but it is already in the spotlight, as the Iran War has made aluminium more scarce in Europe, which is heavily dependent on imports. Vandersmissen, speaking at the CRU World Aluminium Conference in London said that the project aims to produce 610,000 metric tonnes of aluminium per year. Vandersmissen stated that this would increase the European production level by...

Mining

McEwen Copper hires financial firm to manage $2.4 billion loan for Argentina copper projects

Michael Meding is the vice president and general manager of McEwen Copper. Michael Meding is McEwen Copper’s vice president and manager general. He said that the loan was part of the $4 billion total financing package for the McEwen Copper project. He refused to identify the lender, but said that an announcement will be made shortly. In a recent interview, the executive stated that he had already signed a?agreement? with a company that handled the entire debt package with international export agencies. The project is located in the Andean Province of San Juan. Los Azules is located 3,500 meters above...

Mineral Resources

Copper reaches 3-month high on supply concerns and technical break

On 'Monday', copper prices rose to their highest level in over three months as fears of supply shortages outweighed worries about lower demand because of the stalemate during the 'Iran War. In open-outcry official trading, benchmark three-month copper at the?London Metal Exchange rose 1.1% to $13,715 per metric ton. This is its highest since January 29. The stock was on course to post its sixth consecutive session of gains. This is the longest bullish streak since December. It has gained 10% this year but is still well below its peak of $14,527.50 in January. Ole Hansen is the head of...

Mineral Resources

Source: Palliser, an activist investor, has a minor stake in UK Autotrader.

Palliser Capital, an activist?investor, has acquired a 2% share in Britain's Autotrader Group. A?source with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. This comes at a time where artificial intelligence is putting pressure on the automotive market. Autotrader shares rose 4.2% to 521.2 pence each at 0921 GMT. This outperformed the benchmark FTSE-100, which fell 0.7%. Source: The fund manager's stake will likely be between 1% to 2%. According to a calculation based on Autotrader's closing stock price, the stake could be worth as much as 81.2 million pounds (110.6 million dollars). Palliser had previously called for change at several...

Mineral Resources

Copper prices rise on optimism about a possible US-Iran Peace Deal

On 'Wednesday', copper prices reached their highest level in almost two weeks on hopes that Iran and the U.S. are nearing a deal to end the Middle East?war. The benchmark three-month 'copper' on the London Metal Exchange increased 2.1% to $13,410 per metric ton during official open-outcry trade for a third consecutive session. It had earlier reached its highest level since April 23, at $13,462. Sources said that the United States and Iran were close to an agreement over a memorandum of understanding (MOU) of one page in order to end the Gulf War. Robert Montefusco, broker at?Sucden financial, said...

Mineral Resources

BHP denied permission to appeal UK judgement over 2015 Brazil dam failure

The London Court of Appeal has ruled that BHP can't appeal against the UK ruling that found it liable for the 2015 collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil. In November, London's High Court ruled BHP was legally responsible for the collapse of the Fundao dam in Mariana, southeastern Brazil, ?which was owned and operated by Samarco, a joint venture ?between Australia-headquartered BHP and Brazilian company Vale. Brazil's worst ecological disaster unleashed a toxic sludge wave that left 19 dead, thousands homeless, inundated?forests, and polluted?the length of the Doce River. The High Court refused BHP permission to appeal the ruling...

Pollution

Environmental concerns have led Jesuits to consider divesting from Rio Tinto in Britain

The Jesuits of Britain, an order of Catholic priests, may sell their stake in Rio Tinto after a failed engagement with the mining giant over environmental concerns in Madagascar and Guinea, said its head for ethical investments on Wednesday. Stephen Power SJ, the order's head of ethical investments, said at Rio Tinto’s annual general meeting: "We have been engaged with Rio for three or four years now, coming to AGMs." Power said that Rio Tinto's management of water contamination at its Madagascar operations was particularly troubling. Key water reports were either late or lacking in detail. Since?years, environmental groups have...

Mineral Resources

Nickel touches $20,000 as Trump signals a possible Iran peace agreement.

Nickel prices reached $20,000 for the first time since about two years as U.S. president?Donald Trump hinted at a possible peace agreement that would end the war with Iran. The benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange increased 1.1% to $13,284.50 a metric ton at 0804 GMT. This is its highest level since March 27. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most traded copper contract was up 1.6% to 102,660 Yuan ($15.029.98) a ton. The Chinese markets resumed trading Wednesday after the May Day holiday. LME nickel rose 1.4% to $19 915 per ton, after reaching $20,000, the last time...