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US urges domestic oil producers to raise output

  • Market: Crude oil, Oil products
  • 14/12/21

President Joe Biden's administration is offering its strongest public support yet for domestic oil producers to boost output and drill on existing leases, while definitively ruling out the possibility it will reinstate a decades-old ban on crude exports.

US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm told oil executives today the administration was not "standing in the way" of oil and gas production and supported increased output. She noted that the administration has approved drilling permits on federal land at a faster pace than the prior administration, while pursuing other policies that could bring down retail gasoline prices that in the week ending 13 December were still just 10¢/USG shy of a seven-year high.

"Consumers as you know are hurting at the pump," Granholm said at a meeting of the National Petroleum Council, a group of high-level oil executives that offer advice to the US energy secretary. "I hope you will hear me say that please, take advantage of the leases that you have, hire workers, get your rig count up."

The change in tone comes amid growing frustration from US oil executives, who have bristled at what they see as a lack of support from the administration. Biden in one of his first acts in office blocked the 830,000 b/d Keystone XL pipeline and spent this summer unsuccessfully asking Opec+ to accelerate plans to boost output. US independent producer Pioneer Natural Resources' chief executive Scott Sheffield last week said he has yet to meet another oil executive who has received a call from the administration asking them to increase drilling.

But the administration has become increasingly vocal in saying it supports domestic production, as voter frustration over fuel prices becomes a growing threat to Democratic passage of a $1.85 trillion budget package. US senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) has cited high inflation rates as a reason to slow work on the budget bill, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars in support for clean energy.

No export ban plan

Granholm said it would make "little sense" for the administration to stand in the way of oil and gas production as the US recovers from the effects of Covid-19, echoing remarks that US deputy energy secretary David Turk made last to industry officials last week. She also more definitively ruled out the possibility that the administration would reinstate a ban on crude exports, something the White House said last week it was not considering. Granholm said she had heard from industry officials last week that it was important to take "off the table" the uncertainty of a potential crude export ban.

"I have heard you loud and clear, and so has the White House, and we wanted to put that rumor to rest," Granholm said.

US crude production reached 11.7mn b/d in the week ending on 3 December, the highest output levels since May 2020, according to the US Energy Information Administration. But domestic production is still down from record-high levels of 13mn b/d in the months before the pandemic heavily reduced demand. US oil executives say that a demand by shareholders to prioritize profits over output growth have been the primary driver of their investment decisions, rather than policies set by the administration.

The administration has made other attempts to lower gasoline prices for consumers. Biden has asked the US Federal Trade Commission to look at whether "illegal conduct" is contributing to higher gasoline prices. Biden also accelerated the sale of 18mn bl of crude from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and last week agreed to loan out 4.8mn bl of crude from the strategic reserve to ExxonMobil.


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17/02/25

EU nears lifting sanctions on Syria

EU nears lifting sanctions on Syria

Munich, 17 February (Argus) — The EU will meet on 24 February to discuss lifting sanctions on Syria, EU high representative for foreign affairs Kaja Kallas said on Sunday. But internal European politics and concerns raised by Greece and Cyprus over Turkey's growing influence in the region could slow the process. Speaking to Argus on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Kallas said the prospect of lifting sanctions on Syria "is looking promising". The EU Foreign Affairs Council is scheduled to meet on 24 February to discuss Syria and other issues affecting the Middle East. France on 14 February convened an international conference on Syria in Paris, bringing together representatives from G7 nations, the EU, the UN, the Arab League, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The parties issued a final statement calling for support of Syria's political transition, but the US did not join that statement. US sources with knowledge of the matter told Argus that the issues raised in the statement are things Washington has not decided on, since US president Donald Trump's administration is still formulating its policy regarding Syria. Another source with knowledge of ongoing European talks on Syria said Greece and Cyprus are more reluctant to lift sanctions on Syria. Any EU action will have to be agreed upon by all of the bloc's members. Both countries are leery of ties between Turkey and the Syrian Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the dominant faction in the new Syrian government. Greece and Cyprus are worried about an oversized Turkish influence in the eastern Mediterranean following the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad in December. Sanctions remain one of the biggest obstacles to Syria's recovery. Damascus has been struggling to secure crude and refined oil products through public tenders largely because of those sanctions. Shipowners remain cautious about sending vessels there over concerns tankers being sanctioned or stranded. Last month the US waived sanctions prohibiting energy trade with Syria, but the country is still under EU and UK sanctions, which may have narrowed the pool for bidding. By Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Lavrov, Rubio discuss US sanctions relief: Russia


16/02/25
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16/02/25

Lavrov, Rubio discuss US sanctions relief: Russia

Washington, 15 February (Argus) — Russia and the US have agreed to hold talks aimed at removing US sanctions against Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said today. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and US secretary of state Marco Rubio have "agreed to maintain an open channel of communication to address longstanding issues in Russian-American relations", the Russian foreign ministry said. "Their goal is to remove unilateral barriers inherited from the previous US administration that have hindered mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation," the ministry said. The State Department did not provide a detailed readout of the Lavrov-Rubio phone conversation, held today. "The secretary re-affirmed President [Donald] Trump's commitment to finding an end to the conflict in Ukraine," the State Department said. "In addition, they discussed the opportunity to potentially work together on a number of other bilateral issues." Trump has signaled readiness to end the war in Ukraine on Russia's terms and to cut back on Nato commitments for European security. But he and his administration have provided mixed messages on the future of US sanctions against Russia, imposed under former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden and during Trump's first term. Trump's administration has left in place sanctions imposed by Biden in January, which for the first time would affect Russia's ability to export crude and refined products via tankers. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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EU may trigger clause to boost defense spending


15/02/25
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15/02/25

EU may trigger clause to boost defense spending

Munich, 15 February (Argus) — European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen wants to trigger an emergency clause that would allow member EU countries to significantly increase their spending on defense. She also warned that "unjust" tariffs on the EU will not go unanswered. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Von der Leyen said she "will propose to activate the escape clause for defense investments". Such a move would "allow member states to substantially increase their defense expenditure", she said. Von der Leyen's proposal would exempt defense from EU limits on government spending. Highly indebted EU members such as Italy and Greece have voiced support for the move, arguing that activating the escape clause would enable them to increase defense spending while avoiding other budget cuts. Fiscally conservative EU countries, including Germany, could push back against the idea. Von der Leyen's proposal comes at a sensitive time for the EU, with US president Donald Trump pressuring Europe to finance more of its own defense. Trump wants EU members of Nato to more than double military expenditure to protect themselves from potential aggression rather than leaning on Washington's support. Trump is also pushing to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. "Let there be no room for any doubt. I believe when it comes to European security, Europe has to do more. Europe must bring more to the table," Von der Leyen said, adding that the EU needs to increase its military spending from just below 2pc of GDP to above 3pc. The increase "will mean hundreds of billions of euros of more investment every year", she said. Tariffs will be answered Von der Leyen also reemphasized the EU's position on the recent US tariff decision, noting that tariffs act like a tax and drive inflation. "But as I've already made clear, unjustified tariffs on the European Union will not go unanswered," she said. "And let me speak plainly, we are one of the world's largest markets. We will use our tools to safeguard our economic security and interests, and we will protect our workers, our businesses and consumers at every turn," she added. Trump on 11 February imposed a 25pc tariff on all US imports of steel and aluminum effective on 12 March, although he said he would consider making an exemption for imports from Australia. US 25pc tariffs on steel and aluminum imports could result in a 3.7mn t/yr decrease in European steel exports, as the US is the second-largest export market for the bloc, European steel association Eurofer said. By Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Lack of tariff details worry US energy markets


14/02/25
News
14/02/25

Lack of tariff details worry US energy markets

Washington, 14 February (Argus) — Uncertainty over potential tariffs on US imports from Canada and Mexico is already roiling North American energy trade, as trading desks struggle to understand how tariffs would be assessed and some buyers are unwilling to commit to taking March cargoes without more details. US president Donald Trump's planned 10pc tariff on energy commodity imports from Canada and a 25pc import tax on Mexican energy was originally set for 4 February but he postponed implementation until 4 March. The three governments are negotiating to avert a full-blown trade war, and many market participants are hoping that Trump would again delay their implementation after winning some concessions, as he did earlier this month. But even without tariffs in place, vast segments of the energy industry — oil and gas producers, refiners, pipeline operators, traders — are bracing for them. Energy trade across North America has been tariff-free for decades. Trump during his first term terminated the 1994 North America Free Trade Agreement, but replaced it with the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement in 2020 that kept the energy trade terms unchanged. The sudden imposition of tariffs after decades of free trade could create legal uncertainty in contractual obligations related to the payment of tariffs and reporting requirements, law firm Vinson & Elkins partner Jason Fleischer told Argus . "It's been a long time since oil and gas pipelines have really had to deal with anything quite like this." At least one large Canadian refiner attempted to pass along the tariff to gasoline cargo buyers in the US ahead of the original 4 February start date, leading a few buyers to threaten to pull out of their contracts, market sources told Argus . Complicating the matter is the approach taken by the Trump administration to impose import taxes differs greatly from current trade terms. The regular US customs duties on crude, for example, are currently set in volumetric terms, at 5.25¢/bl and 10.5¢/bl depending on crude quality. In practice, nearly every source of US crude imports is exempt from tariffs at present. But the import tax set out in Trump's executive orders is to be imposed on the value of the commodity — without specifying how that will be calculated and at what specific point during the transportation process. Likewise, guidance on the new tariffs from the US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), given just before the original 4 February deadline, did not address the specific issues relating to the energy commodities. CBP and the Treasury Department will have to issue regulations spelling out specific details on how tariffs are to be assessed and collected, Vinson & Elkins partner Jeff Jakubiak said. "The advice we're giving to companies is to collect information and get ready to provide it to the government at some point in the future," Jakubiak said. If tariffs go into effect, "there is likely to be a combination of reporting obligations by the transporter as well as the owner of the commodity. And in both cases, my advice is, figure out how you can accurately count and assign volumes that are moving across the border and figure out how you would price those." Market effects also uncertain The uncertainty over the timing and details of implementation of tariffs have left the affected market participants having to guess who will carry the burden of new taxes. The discount for Western Canadian Select (WCS) crude at Hardisty, Alberta, to the CMA Nymex WTI contract widened on the eve of the initial 4 February deadline of tariffs, suggesting that market participants expected Canadian producers to bear the brunt of tariffs. But over time, that burden likely will shift depending on individual market power of buyers and sellers. This could hit refiners in the US midcontinent that currently rely on WCS and have few alternatives to taking Canadian crude. They could, in turn, pass on the additional costs to consumers at the pump. US independent refiner PBF Energy said this week that tariffs would likely cut US midcon refinery runs , even if those refiners could find alternatives to Canadian crudes. Most Mexico-sourced crude markets are seaborne, giving producers in that country an alternative to US markets. "For this scenario, we anticipate [US Gulf coast] refiners will reduce consumption to the lower limit of their contractual obligations but will continue to purchase Mexican crude and pay the tariff via reduced refining margins," investment bank Macquarie said in a recent note to clients. Canadian producers also expressed concern about the uncertain impact of tariffs on crude volumes trans-shipped through the US, either for exports to third country destinations from Gulf coast ports or transported on US pipelines to destinations in eastern Canada. Without guidance from the US customs authorities, it is not clear if such flows would be subject to new US tariffs. Integrated oil sands producer Suncor's refineries on the Canadian east coast rely on crude flows from Enbridge's 540,000 b/d Line 5 or 500,000 b/d Line 78 that cross into the US in Michigan before crossing back into Canada. "I would say that I don't know that anyone on the planet knows exactly what's going to happen on tariffs," chief executive Rich Kruger said. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Biomethanol-methanol diff widens, UK demand ticks up


14/02/25
News
14/02/25

Biomethanol-methanol diff widens, UK demand ticks up

London, 14 February (Argus) — The spread between biomethanol and conventional methanol is the highest in more than nine months, at $734/t. This is partly driven by falling European methanol prices, with the methanol fob Rotterdam barge quote hitting $348.97/t on 12 February, the lowest since 7 August. Increased imports from the US, and the restart of a 900,000 t/yr capacity European plant have put downward pressure on prices. Biomethanol values ticked higher in recent sessions, tracking gains in the wider biofuels complex after record low values for renewable fuel tickets — tradeable credits generated primarily by the sale of biofuel-blended fuels — in major European demand centres in 2024. European demand for biofuels in 2025 could be supported by a combination of higher mandates for the use of renewables in transport, and by changes to regulations on the carryover of renewable fuels tickets in Germany and in the Netherlands . UK biomethanol prices and demand rise In the UK, the Argus cif biomethanol price has averaged $1,110/t so far in February, a $22/t increase from January and a $60/t rise from the September 2024 average, when prices hit a record low. The price averaged around $1,094/t in February last year. Prices have been in part supported by stronger renewable fuel ticket prices (RTFCs) in the UK recently, according to market participants. UK 2025 non-crop RTFCs averaged 25.45p in the first quarter of 2025 so far, an increase of 1.88p when compared with the previous quarter. Demand picked up in the UK and the wider European market, including from voluntary sectors, at the beginning of the year, participants said. Biomethanol is used as a gasoline blending component in the UK. Consumption in the country in 2024 rose by 45pc on the year but was lower by 7.9pc than in 2022 at 58mn litres, according to the third provisional release of the 2024 Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation statistics. The Argus biomethanol fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) netback quote was $1,083/t on 12 February. FuelEU fuels demand The January rollout of the FuelEU Maritime regulations could increase demand for biomethanol in shipping. Ship operators traveling in to, out of and within EU territorial waters must reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity on a lifecycle basis by 2pc. The reduction rises to 6pc from 2030 and gradually reaches 80pc by 2050. Shipping companies can choose from a range of alternative marine fuels to reduce their emissions. Only dedicated ships can run on methanol alone, but many companies, including Maersk , have ordered dual-fuel vessels that can run on methanol and traditional bunker fuels, along with biofuel blends like B24 — a mix of very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and used cooking oil methyl ester (Ucome) biodiesel. International offtake agreements for renewable methanol are also on the rise. Maersk has signed several letters of intent for procurement of biomethanol and e-methanol from producers including Equinor , Proman and OCI Global , and has an agreement with Danish shipping and logistics company Goldwind for 500,000 t/yr from 2024. Biomethanol and e-methanol are likely to be the most competitive and scalable pathways to decarbonisation this decade, Maersk said . While relatively small, Maersk's 'green marine' fuel consumption, which includes biomethanol, increased by 38pc in 2024 to 3,034 GWh. Singaporean container shipping group X-Press Feeders said it will buy biomethanol from OCI's Texas plant starting from 2024. Biomethanol bunker sales in the port of Rotterdam dropped by more than half in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the third quarter, to 930t, but sales were 86pc higher than those in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to Port of Rotterdam data . UDB risk to biomethanol imports The European Commission's proposal to exclude automatic certification of biomethane and biomethane-based fuels from the Union Database for Biofuels, if relying on natural gas that has been transported through grids outside the EU, has been slowing some negotiations for 2025 biomethanol imports — particularly from the US — according to market participants. Industry bodies have expressed concerns about implementation of the database, particularly that it will impede the bloc's biomethane development. Burdensome fees, overly strict deadlines, risk of double counting, and a significantly increased number of participants required to enter data will slow market growth, said the European Compost Network and the European Waste Management Association. They recommend mandatory use of the UDB be postponed until 1 January 2026 "at the earliest". By Evelina Lungu Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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