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New Kazakhstan prime minister targets energy sector

  • Market: Crude oil, LPG, Oil products
  • 12/01/22

Kazakhstan's new prime minister Alihan Smaiylov identified priorities for the energy sector at today's first meeting of his government, which was appointed in the wake of the violent unrest that swept the country last week.

He ordered development of measures for regulating the oil products market. Protests against rising prices for LPG — widely used as motor fuel in Kazakhstan — were the starting point for last week's upheaval. The government reduced LPG prices and froze prices for other motor fuels in an attempt to quell the initial protests. Smaiylov said proposals for excise taxes on gasoline producers and intermediaries should be developed within a week. And he ordered the economy ministry and other government agencies to develop proposals for reform of the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund, which holds the state's stakes in shares in oil and gas firm Kazmunaigaz, Kazakh Railways and other companies.


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06/12/24

Republicans weigh two-step plan on energy, taxes

Republicans weigh two-step plan on energy, taxes

Washington, 6 December (Argus) — Republicans in the US Congress are considering trying to pass president-elect Donald Trump's legislative agenda by voting first on a filibuster-proof budget package that revises energy policy, then taking up a separate tax cut bill later in 2025. The two-part strategy, floated by incoming US Senate majority leader John Thune (R-South Dakota), could deliver Trump an early win by putting immigration, border security and energy policy changes into a single budget bill that could pass early next year without Democratic support. Republicans would then have more time to debate a separate — and likely more complex — budget package that would focus on extending a tax package expected to cost more than $4 trillion over 10 years. The legislative strategy is a "possibility" floated among Senate Republicans for achieving Trump's legislative goals on "energy dominance," the border, national security and extending tax cuts, Thune said in an interview with Fox News this week. Thune said he was still having conversations with House Republicans and Trump's team on what strategy to pursue. Republicans plan to use a process called budget reconciliation to advance most of Trump's legislative goals, which would avoid a Democratic filibuster but restrict the scope of policy changes to those that directly affect the budget. But some Republicans worry the potential two-part strategy could fracture the caucus and cause some key policies getting dropped, spurring a debate among Republicans over how to move forward. "We have a menu of options in front of us," US House speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said this week in an interview with Fox News. "Leader Thune and I were talking as recently as within the last hour about the priority of how we do it and in what sequence." Republicans have yet to decide what changes they will make to the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars of tax credits for wind, solar, electric vehicles, battery manufacturing, carbon capture and clean hydrogen. A group of 18 House Republicans in August said they opposed a "full repeal" of the 2022 law. Republicans next year will start with only a 220-215 majority in the House, which will then drop to 217-215 once two Republicans join the Trump administration and representative Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) resigns. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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US House panel approves river infrastructure bill


06/12/24
News
06/12/24

US House panel approves river infrastructure bill

Houston, 6 December (Argus) — A US House of Representatives committee has approved a bipartisan bill that authorizes improvements to navigation channels by the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and maintenance and dredging of river and port infrastructure projects. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) after several months of political wrangling to integrate earlier versions of the legislation approved by the House and Senate . The bill will head to the full House next week, said committee chairman Sam Graves (R-Missouri). This would be the sixth consecutive bipartisan WRDA bill since 2014 if passed by congress. WRDA is a biennial bill that authorizes the Corps to continue working on projects to improve waterways, including port updates, flood protection and supply chain management. WRDA will also "reduce cumbersome red tape", which will allow for quicker project turnarounds, Graves said. The bill authorizes processes to streamline work, he said. The bill also adjusts the primary cost-sharing mechanism for funding for lock and dam construction and major rehabilitation projects. The US Treasury Department's general fund will pay 75pc of costs, up from 65pc, with the rest coming from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund, which is funded by a barge diesel fuel tax. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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S Africa EML gets 2-yr contract at Sunrise LPG terminal


06/12/24
News
06/12/24

S Africa EML gets 2-yr contract at Sunrise LPG terminal

Cape Town, 6 December (Argus) — South African terminal operator Sunrise Energy has awarded local firm EML Energy a 24-month storage contract at its 210,000 t/yr LPG import facility at Saldanha Bay. Eight companies participated in Sunrise's bidding process, of which five opted to proceed to full evaluation. After "a comprehensive vetting process," EML emerged as the preferred bidder, Sunrise's chief executive Rajen Singh told Argus . The contract will begin on 1 January 2025. EML aims to use the opportunity "to enhance its supply chain efficiency, expand its reach and solidify relationships with wholesalers and end-users," it said. Sunrise's facility is the Western Cape's only LPG import terminal, and the province is almost entirely reliant on imports because local refineries are unable to meet demand. EML replaced Vitol's local unit Vita Gas as the Western Cape's sole importer in June 2023, since when it has imported to Saldanha Bay on a temporary basis. Sunrise launched an invitation-only bidding round to find a new long-term supplier after EML's agreement ended in December 2023. Wholesalers in the province served by Sunrise's terminal have said they have to pay significant premiums since EML took over. This has pushed regional prices above the government-regulated maximum refinery gate price (MRGP), prompting the department of mineral and resources energy (DMRE) to review the formula it uses to determine domestic LPG prices. It currently uses Saudi state-controlled Aramco's monthly contract prices (CP) and Argus ' Ras Tanura-Richards Bay freight assessment to generate an import parity price. EML sells at about $280-320/t above the Aramco CP, while the MRGP is only around $160/t above the CP, a local trader said. The firm also varies prices between buyers and has no transparent methodology, revealing prices after the MRGP is published each month, according to a wholesaler that paid a premium of more than R2/kg, or around 14pc above an MRGP of R14/kg, last month. "Nothing justifies such a high premium", the wholesaler said. The price could be "optimised" through long-term contracts and by using a supplier with a sizeable footprint in multiple locations. EML said the MRGP as calculated by the DMRE does not include factors and circumstances such as demurrage and freight costs specific to the LPG terminal in Saldanha Bay. "DMRE is aware of this problem and is better placed to comment on this issue," EML said. DMRE deputy director of minerals and petroleum regulation Tseliso Maqubelo told Argus Saldanha is costlier than Richards Bay — where the Petredec-Bidvest 22,600t LPG terminal is located — because the size of vessel it can accommodate is much smaller. However, some LPG operators in the region have questioned the motivation behind EML's appointment given it has no operational experience and is unable to secure long-term agreements, which forces it to buy more expensive spot supply. At least one wholesaler with an international trading arm, which said it could bring LPG into the Western Cape in full compliance with the MRGP, took part in Sunrise's bidding round but was rejected. Another withdrew its bid because it found the process was not transparent. A second LPG import terminal will add competition once state-owned Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF) completes a pipeline to LPG supplier Avedia Energy's 2,000t storage facility in Saldanha Bay. A tender process to appoint a construction company for the pipeline is underway and work is expected to start in the first quarter of 2025, said the SFF, which acquired a 60pc stake in Avedia last year. The pipeline is expected to be completed by around August 2025, said Avedia chief executive Atose Aguele. This will allow initial imports of about 5,000-6,000 t/month, he said. By Elaine Mills Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Opec+ delays unwinding of 2.2mn b/d cut again: Update


05/12/24
News
05/12/24

Opec+ delays unwinding of 2.2mn b/d cut again: Update

Updates throughout Dubai, 5 December (Argus) — Opec+ producers have delayed a plan to start increasing crude output by another three months to April 2025. Eight members of the group ꟷ Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Kazakhstan, Algeria, Oman ꟷ were scheduled to begin gradually unwinding 2.2mn b/d of voluntary cuts from January over a 12-month period. They agreed today to postpone the start of the production increase until April and to return the full amount over 18 months rather than a year. The delay is designed "to support market stability", the Opec Secretariat said, adding that the unwinding of the cuts "can be paused or reversed subject to market conditions". The Opec+ group also agreed today that a 300,000 b/d production target increase for the UAE will now be phased in starting in April over an-18 month period. It was previously set to be phased in over nine months starting in January. These changes will effectively reduce the amount of additional oil being introduced to the market every month, compared to the previous plan. The return of the 2.2mn b/d of cuts should, in theory, be partially offset by those members that have pledged to compensate for exceeding their production targets this year. These compensation-related cuts were supposed to have been delivered by the end of September 2025 but this has now been extended until June 2026. Opec+ also agreed today to keep in place two other sets of cuts by an additional year to the end of 2026. These cuts — a group-wide 2mn b/d reduction to formal targets and 1.65mn b/d of voluntary cuts by nine members — had been set to remain in place until the end of 2025. And an update to the official crude production capacity levels of each member — from which quotas are calculated — was pushed back by another year to 2027. By Bachar Halabi, Nader Itayim and Aydin Calik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Shell, Equinor to create biggest UK producer: Update


05/12/24
News
05/12/24

Shell, Equinor to create biggest UK producer: Update

adds details throughout London, 5 December (Argus) — Shell and Norway's state-controlled Equinor plan to combine their UK upstream businesses into a joint venture to create the UK North Sea's largest oil and gas producer. The new business will produce more than 140,000 b/d of oil equivalent (boe/d) from 2025, the companies said. Bank analysts reckon growth projects will enable production to eventually increase beyond 200,000 boe/d. It marks the latest deal in a wave of consolidation in the the UK sector of the North Sea, including Italian firm Eni's deal earlier this year to merge its UK upstream assets with those of independent producer Ithaca Energy and UK company Harbour Energy's tie-up with Germany's Wintershall Dea last year . Shell and Equinor are following a similar 50:50 ownership structure and self-financing model that BP and Italy's Eni employed in Angola when they combined their offshore assets there to create Azule Energy in 2022 . The Shell-Equinor joint venture's assets will include Equinor's stakes in the Mariner and Buzzard fields, alongside Shell's interests in Shearwater, Penguins, Gannet, Nelson, Pierce, Jackdaw, Victory, Clair and Schiehallion projects. A consequence of the deal is that Shell, having walked away from Ithaca's contentious Cambo oil project in the UK's west of Shetlands area last year, will now be exposed to Equinor's equally controversial 300mn bl Rosebank project , which is currently under judicial review . If Rosebank goes ahead, it is likely to be the largest growth driver of the new company with around 70,000 boe/d of production from 2027. Although Shell's assets will contribute a greater share of the joint venture's production to begin with, Equinor's assets have greater growth potential. Through the new entity, Shell will also benefit from Equinor UK's £6bn ($7.6bn) of tax losses. "Equinor's higher UK tax loss position and growth potential offsets the higher current production in Shell's UK portfolio, hence the 50:50 split in ownership of the new company," Barclays analysts wrote in a note. The deal does not include Equinor's assets that straddle the UK's maritime border with Norway — Utgard, Barnacle and Statfjord. Equinor will also retain ownership of its UK offshore wind portfolio, as well as other low-carbon and gas storage assets. Shell will retain ownership of its interests in Scotland's Fife NGL plant and St Fergus Gas Terminal, as well as floating wind projects under development. It will also remain the technical developer of the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Scotland. By Jon Mainwaring Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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