Maduro targets Guaido over Guyana claim
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro ordered state prosecutors to lodge treason charges against opposition leader Juan Guaido for allegedly agreeing to relinquish Venezuela's century-old territorial claim to the Essequibo region of neighboring Guyana.
Maduro's order, which was swiftly followed up by the announcement of an investigation by attorney general Tarek William Saab, ratchets up the stakes in Venezuela's political crisis, just as Guyana is about to debut as an oil producer from offshore acreage in the disputed territory. ExxonMobil plans to produce 120,000 b/d of crude starting in March 2020 from the Stabroek block, rising to 750,000 b/d in 2025, a volume that nearly matches Venezuela's shrunken output.
The territorial dispute is considered a legacy of British colonialism. Most Venezuelans of all political stripes support the country's historical claim.
In a fiery speech on state-run television last night, Maduro says the government has evidence of "how the treasonous bandit Juan Guaido is negotiating to give up the Essequibo in exchange for the (UK's) political support for his phantasmagorical and pretentiously farcical government."
Guaido, who presides the opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared an interim presidency in January 2019, prompting the US and dozens of other countries to withdraw recognition of Maduro in his favor.
"Those who seek to weaken Venezuela, who seek to impose a pro-imperialist government and weaken the Bolivarian armed forces have but a single motive, which is to seize the Essequibo, seize Venezuela's oil, seize the Gulf of Venezuela and split the country into 20 pieces," Maduro said. "The attorney general must act expeditiously because the crime is treason against the fatherland."
Saab "already is reviewing the matter to determine how best to proceed against Guaido, whether it should be handled by civilian or military prosecutors and courts," an official in Saab's office said, asserting that he could be arrested soon because he was already stripped of his parliamentary immunity.
Saab is among dozens of Venezuelan officials targeted by US sanctions.
The government-controlled National Constituent Assembly and supreme court voted to strip Guaido of his parliamentary immunity in April. While other opposition figures have been detained since then, Guaido has so far remained free.
Guaido has warned that if he is detained, his domestic and international supporters would react. But the White House has repeatedly signaled that it is not prone to military action in Venezuela, despite its outspoken support for Guaido's interim administration and a raft of sanctions.
Guaido is holding a public rally today in the Lecheria district of Puerto La Cruz, site of state-owned oil company PdV's stalled 190,000 b/d Puerto La Cruz refinery and the Guaraguao oil terminal. He has frequently led such rallies in Venezuelan cities since July as the huge crowds that initially responded to his calls for nationwide demonstrations have dwindled.
A senior official of Guaido's Voluntad Popular party in Caracas denied that he agreed to give up the Essequibo claim in exchange for the UK's support in the period before Guaido declared his interim presidency.
"Maduro is lying and inventing fake crimes to find ways to jail President Guaido illegally," the party official said. "President Guaido's position always has been that the Essequibo region historically belongs to Venezuela."
Another official close to Guaido said yesterday that Maduro's late predecessor Hugo Chavez effectively abdicated the claim in exchange for Guyana's political support under Venezuela's PetroCaribe subsidized oil supply program for neighboring countries.
Guaido's putative foreign minister Julio Borges, who is based on Bogota, blamed Maduro's government of "giving away the Essequibo" and not defending the country's interests at the International Court of Justice.
Maduro's accusation against Guaido is intended to divert attention from the government's support for Colombian militants hiding in Venezuelan territory, Borges added.
Maduro's assertion that Guaido made a treasonous territorial deal with London is based on an audio tape that was released on social media yesterday by executive vice president Delcy Rodriguez.
Rodriguez claimed yesterday that the tape captures the voice of Vanessa Neumann, Guaido's UK envoy, discussing the Essequibo issue with opposition adviser Manuel Avendaño, before Guaido declared himself president on 23 January. In the recording, Neumann is alleged to say that after speaking with officials in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office,she recommends that the opposition "drop the topic" of Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo in order to secure London's political support.
Argus could not confirm the validity of the tape. Neither the UK nor Neumann has commented. Guyana's government has not commented either.
Saab says his office is also investigating Avendano and Neumann.
"We are warning of the danger for the Republic, the fact that people unknown in the country, based abroad and that work for other governments, have the license of an inexistent government to negotiate out resources and assets," Saab said.
He also announced that Venezuelan navy units seized Guyana-flagged vessel Wanderer allegedly smuggling diesel hidden in 12 ballast tanks. Smuggling is commonplace on Venezuela's borders.
Related news posts
N Dakota Jan oil output down 13pc on cold snap: Update
N Dakota Jan oil output down 13pc on cold snap: Update
Adds regulator comment and completion details starting in fourth paragraph. Calgary, 14 March (Argus) — Crude production in North Dakota fell by 13pc in January as a cold snap forced producers to shut in wells, according to the state regulator today. North Dakota producers pumped out 1.1mn b/d of oil in January, down by 171,000 b/d from December, the state Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) said Thursday. January's oil output was the lowest since January 2023 when 1.06mn b/d was produced. The decline was expected after severe cold weather in mid-January knocked off an estimated 650,000-700,000 b/d of oil output in the US' third-largest producing state. "Winter really can bite here in North Dakota," DMR director Lynn Helms said. Production has since recovered to about 1.3mn b/d this week, Helms said. January natural gas output meanwhile plunged to 3 Bcf/d (85mn m³/d), down by 15pc from a month earlier but 6pc higher than the same period in 2023. The gas capture rate for the state — the percentage of natural gas not flared during production — was 93pc for January, falling from 95pc a month earlier but still above the state target of 91pc. Gas that was flared because of pipeline constraints amounted to 6pc of production, while the remaining 1pc was flared from wells with zero sales. Spot gas prices at the Northern Border Ventura Transfer location, an indicator for the price of Bakken gas production, averaged $4.90/mmBtu in January on gains in heating demand. That was more than double the December monthly average of $2.09/mmBtu and 46pc higher than the January 2023 monthly average. Regional gas prices slipped below $2/mmBtu in recent months amid unseasonable warmth and above-average storage inventories. The Northern Border spot index for March so far has averaged $1.38/mmBtu. Weak gas prices across the US have signaled to operators to pause drilling plans . "We're seeing rigs lay down in the natural gas plays, the Marcellus and the Haynesville, like there's no tomorrow," Helms said, referring to shale basins centered in Pennsylvania and Texas-Louisiana, respectively. There were 18,691 oil and gas producing wells across North Dakota in January, according to DMR data, down by 78 wells from the record high set in December. About 88pc of those wells were unconventional in the Bakken-Three Forks formations while the remaining 12pc are from legacy conventional pools, the DMR said. A total of 102 wells were completed in January, up from 80 in December, while more current data shows completions partly edging lower to 92 in February. There were 284 wells waiting to be completed in January, down from 331 the month before. By Brett Holmes and Taylor Zavala Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Green growth a focus for Azerbaijan: Cop 29 president
Green growth a focus for Azerbaijan: Cop 29 president
London, 14 March (Argus) — "Green growth is a priority for Azerbaijan", although the country will continue to deliver gas to customers, president-designate of the UN Cop 29 climate summit Mukhtar Babayev said at the Financial Times Climate Capital Live conference today. Azerbaijan is an oil and gas producer, and a member of the Opec+ alliance. Cop 29 is set to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 11-22 November. "We will continue to deliver the gas to our customers", but at the same time will pursue a "green agenda", Babayev said. Azerbaijan plans to export "over 24bn m³" of gas in 2024, with half of planned deliveries this year earmarked for Europe, energy minister Parviz Shahbazov said earlier this year. Azerbaijan is a "vulnerable country" in terms of climate change, Babayev said, noting water shortages and land degradation. "Azerbaijan has already turned the economy to the green direction", he added. Azerbaijan's state-owned Socar in late December said that it would establish a unit, Socar Green, to focus on driving the country's renewable energy portfolio. The country has a goal to produce 30pc of its power needs from renewable sources by 2030. And Azerbaijan may "reconsider possibly" updating its nationally determined contribution (NDC) — or climate plan — according to Babayev. He emphasised that Cop 29 was a chance for all countries to announce "upgraded NDCs", although the next round of updates under the five-yearly cycle is not due until Cop 30, in 2025. Cop 30 will take place in Brazil. Azerbaijan under its current NDC has set a target to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40pc by 2050, from a baseline year of 1990, contingent to international financial support and technology transfer. Earlier this month, Azerbaijan joined the Global Methane Pledge group of countries that have promised to cut emissions of the greenhouse gas (GHG) by 30pc by 2030. "Climate finance is one of the priorities" for Cop 29, Babayev said. The Cop 29 team has "already started to negotiate with different financial institutes, countries… trying to prepare ourselves to start the negotiations on the text", he added. The topic of climate finance is likely to take centre stage at this year's Cop, as countries must decide on a new finance goal . By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Turkey, Iraq officials meet to discuss security, energy
Turkey, Iraq officials meet to discuss security, energy
Dubai, 14 March (Argus) — Senior Turkish officials are visiting the Iraqi capital today for security consultations and discussions over energy co-operation, the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs said. The visit precedes a trip by Turkish president Recep Tayyep Erdogan to Iraq before the end of April. Foreign minister Hakan Fidan, defence minister Yasar Guler, and intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin will hold talks with Iraqi counterparts, hosted by Iraq's minister of foreign affairs Fuad Hussein. "During the meeting, various topics on our bilateral agenda, particularly co-operation in the fields of combatting terrorism, security as well as military co-operation will be discussed thoroughly," Turkey's foreign ministry said. Relations between Baghdad and Ankara have strained in recent years, specifically as Turkey pursued a more aggressive military strategy against Kurdish separatist group PKK — which Turkey, the US and EU view as a terrorist organisation. "Developing a common understanding in counterterrorism and concrete steps that can be taken in that regard will be on the table," a Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on 13 March. "The PKK being defined as a common security threat by Iraqi authorities is a sign that the desire to battle the PKK is developing in Iraq and we welcome this." Keceli, whose comments were carried by Turkish state-owned news agency Anadolu, added that there will be talks to develop natural gas resources in Iraq and ship them to international markets. He also noted that the resumption of oil flows from the Iraq-Turkey pipeline would be discussed during the meetings. Separately, Turkey's deputy foreign minister Ahmet Yıldız confirmed Erdogan's visit, which is meant to discuss energy co-operation among other issues, and comes after the one-year anniversary of the halt in around 470,000 b/d of Iraq's crude exports. Erdogan's last visit to Baghdad took place in 2012 when he served as prime minister. The ruling by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce in March last year further complicated the situation, because it found Ankara had breached a 1973 agreement with Iraq by allowing crude marketed by the KRG to be exported without Baghdad's consent. Turkey is also holding out on paying $1.47bn that the court said it owed Baghdad in compensation for breaching the pipeline deal. Turkey has said it is ready to resume exports through its Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. But disagreements between Baghdad and Erbil specifically over the contracts of the international oil companies operating in Kurdistan, Iraq, have prevented a restart. By Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
IEA ups demand growth forecast on bunkers, US petchems
IEA ups demand growth forecast on bunkers, US petchems
London, 14 March (Argus) — The IEA has increased its global oil demand forecast by 110,000 b/d in 2024, citing an improved outlook in the US and higher bunker fuel use. In its latest Oil Market Report (OMR), the Paris-based agency sees global oil demand rising by 1.34mn b/d to 103.18mn b/d this year — a significant slowdown on last year's growth of 2.28mn b/d. The IEA's latest demand growth forecast for this year is the highest since it released its first projection for 2024 last July. At that time, it was guiding for growth of 1.15mn b/d for 2024. Still, the IEA's forecast remains substantially lower than that of Opec, which anticipates an increase of 2.25mn b/d to 104.4mn b/d. The IEA gives two reasons for its upgrade — surging ethane demand for the US petrochemicals sector, and increased bunker fuel demand as ships that would have typically sailed through the Red Sea choose the safer-but-longer route around Africa to avoid the threat posed by Yemen's Houthi militants. Some ships also appear to be ' fast steaming ' to mitigate the impact of longer journeys, which is also adding to demand. "With shipowners bypassing the Red Sea, longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope combined with faster speeds to sharply increase bunkering demand in [Singapore], and to a lesser extent in smaller southern African refuelling ports," the IEA said. On US demand, the IEA said this suggests "the shift towards Chinese production in petrochemical markets could be losing momentum. The most cost-efficient petrochemical producers may now have the wherewithal to better compete with new Chinese plants." It sees Chinese consumption growth of 620,000 b/d in 2024, lower by 80,000 b/d than in the previous OMR. On global oil supply, the IEA sharply revised down its 2024 growth estimate by 920,000 b/d to 800,000 b/d, following the decision by several Opec+ members to extend their latest voluntary supply cuts by three months to the end of June. The IEA's latest supply forecast assumes the Opec+ voluntary cuts remain in place until the end of 2024. This shifts its balance for this year from a surplus of around 800,000 b/d to a deficit of 280,000 b/d. Opec+ has yet to decide on its output policy for the second half of the year and may do so at a ministerial meeting scheduled for 1 June in Vienna. Global observed oil stocks surged by 47.1mn bl in February, reversing a steep draw in January, the IEA said. This was due to a big increase in offshore stocks as seaborne exports "recorded an all-time high" and Red Sea shipping disruptions tied up significant amounts of oil on water, it said. While oil on water rose by 84.8mn bl in February according to preliminary data, on-land stocks fell for a seventh consecutive month, the IEA said. By Aydin Calik Global oil demand/supply balance mn b/d Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.