Singapore completes LNG to tanker bunkering operation

  • Market: Natural gas, Oil products
  • 07/05/21

Singapore's first LNG bunkering vessel FueLNG Bellina has completed its first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation of an LNG-powered oil tanker.

A total of 3,000m³ of LNG was transferred to the Pacific Emerald, an aframax tanker owned by Shell. FueLNG then completed the gas-up and cool down operation. FueLNG is a joint venture between Singapore's Keppel Offshore & Marine and Shell.

FueLNG in March this year completed its first ship-to-container vessel LNG bunkering operation. It aims to provide a total of 30-50 LNG bunkering refuellings this year for various types of vessels.

Singapore is promoting the adoption of LNG as an alternative bunker fuel, as it is immediately available and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 23pc during the life cycle of producing a fuel to using it in a vessel.

The city-state in April announced the setting up a of global maritime decarbonisation centre, with it partnering various companies to study and trial low-carbon marine fuels.

The International Maritime Organisation has set a goal for the maritime industry to lower carbon emissions by at least 40pc by 2030 relative to 2008 levels and by 70pc by 2050.


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27/03/24

Louisiana pipeline crossing bill nears vote: Update

Louisiana pipeline crossing bill nears vote: Update

Updates scheduled timing of vote in first paragraph. New York, 27 March (Argus) — The Louisiana state senate is scheduled to vote next week on a bill seeking to clarify pipeline servitude rights and expedite pipeline crossing disputes, advancing legislation promoted by three natural gas pipeline companies involved in a legal battle with US midstream giant Energy Transfer. Natural gas transmission projects by Williams, Momentum Midstream and DT Midstream — which aim to connect growing production out of the prolific Haynesville shale to a wave of new LNG export terminals along the US Gulf coast — have been put on hold while legal proceedings between Energy Transfer and DT Midstream play out. All three companies' proposed pipelines would cross Energy Transfer's own Tiger pipeline in northern Louisiana. The three pipeline companies' projects propose an excessive number of crossings over the Tiger line, an attorney for Energy Transfer argued in a Louisiana senate committee last week, and Energy Transfer has the servitude rights to stop them. But Energy Transfer's "unique" interpretation of the civil code on pipeline crossings is hurting the economy of Louisiana, the author of the bill , Louisiana senator Alan Seabaugh (R), said last week. By blocking the construction of new pipelines out of the Haynesville, Energy Transfer is eliminating jobs and taxes that would be created by new infrastructure, he said. Moreover, by arguing its servitude rights extend above and below its existing pipeline "to the center of the earth," Energy Transfer is "asserting a right that nobody has ever asserted before," Seabaugh said. The Seabaugh bill clarifies that, unless explicitly stated otherwise in a contract, pipeline servitude rights extend only to the physical space occupied by the pipeline and any space necessary to maintain it. The contract stipulating Energy Transfer's servitude rights for the Tiger pipeline is silent on the subject of that vertical, underground space, according to bill supporters. "This really isn't about pipeline crossings — this is about controlling market share," said Jimmy Faircloth, attorney for Momentum Midstream. But the pipeline industry has been amicably working together for decades to allow for reciprocal crossings, Energy Transfer attorney Kay Medlin said. By ripping up this convention over a dispute involving so many crossings, and forcing an expedited legal proceeding for something which "is not a minor process," the Seabaugh bill threatens an industry "that ain't broke," she said. "This legislation will break it, and you will likely spend years trying to fix it, if you ever can," Medlin said. The Seabaugh bill is a companion to two bills which passed 100-0 and 99-0, respectively, in the Louisiana House of Representatives on 21 March. Those bills seek to clarify the law on pipeline crossings and to expedite proceedings on pipeline crossing disputes. By Julian Hast Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Baltimore bridge collapse to raise retail fuel prices


27/03/24
News
27/03/24

Baltimore bridge collapse to raise retail fuel prices

Houston, 27 March (Argus) — The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, is more likely to increase regional gasoline prices than diesel due to additional freight costs and certain route restrictions. Suppliers in the region have so far signaled that the effect on broader markets will be minimal, but regional prices will likely rise, especially as peak summer demand season begins with Memorial Day weekend in late May. The bridge closure could pose more problems for gasoline supply than diesel, since gasoline cannot be transported through the Fort McHenry (I-95) and Baltimore Harbor (I-895) tunnels — the two other major roads that cross the Patapsco River at Baltimore — while there are no restrictions on diesel, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA). Fuel wholesaler Global Partners said yesterday that it would like to see hours of service waivers for trucking in the region to minimize fuel supply disruption to customers, but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is yet to issue one. Elevated retail prices are likely to be limited to the immediate Baltimore area but could spill over into neighboring markets should trucking markets remain tight due to rerouting, market sources told Argus . Fuel markets in eastern Maryland can be supplied by PBF's 171,000 b/d Delaware City, Delaware, refinery and two further plants in Pennsylvania — Monroe Energy's 190,000 b/d Trainer refinery and PBF's 160,000 b/d Paulsboro refinery. To the north, United Refining runs a 65,000 b/d plant in Warren, Pennsylvania, and along the Atlantic coast Phillips 66 operates the 259,000 b/d Bayway refinery in Linden, New Jersey. PBF, Monroe and United did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the bridge collapse is affecting refinery operations. Phillips 66 declined to comment on commercial activities. Still, the five nearby refineries — representing all the Atlantic coast's 850,000 b/d of crude processing capacity — are unlikely to see their operations curtailed by limits in shipping products to Maryland. With no refinery in the state of Maryland, most fuels are delivered to Baltimore by Gulf coast refiners on the Colonial Pipeline. Global Partners, which operates a terminal just west of the collapsed bridge, said yesterday it is primarily supplied by the pipeline and expects product flows to continue. Several terminals in the Baltimore Harbor and the nearby Port Salisbury can also receive small vessels and barges of road fuels from Delaware and Pennsylvania, according to the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). The Port of Baltimore — which remains closed since the collapse — took delivery of 24,000 b/d of gasoline and under 2,000 b/d of distillates from barges and small vessels in 2019, about three percent of the Atlantic coast's refining capacity. "A closure of the Port of Baltimore while the Colonial Pipeline is open would not significantly disrupt fuel supply," the MEA wrote in a 2022 analysis of liquid fuels supply in the state. By Nathan Risser Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Louisiana pipeline crossing bill nears senate vote


27/03/24
News
27/03/24

Louisiana pipeline crossing bill nears senate vote

New York, 27 March (Argus) — The Louisiana state senate is scheduled to vote tonight on a bill seeking to clarify pipeline servitude rights and expedite pipeline crossing disputes, advancing legislation promoted by three natural gas pipeline companies involved in a legal battle with US midstream giant Energy Transfer. Natural gas transmission projects by Williams, Momentum Midstream and DT Midstream — which aim to connect growing production out of the prolific Haynesville shale to a wave of new LNG export terminals along the US Gulf coast — have been put on hold while legal proceedings between Energy Transfer and DT Midstream play out. All three companies' proposed pipelines would cross Energy Transfer's own Tiger pipeline in northern Louisiana. The three pipeline companies' projects propose an excessive number of crossings over the Tiger line, an attorney for Energy Transfer argued in a Louisiana senate committee last week, and Energy Transfer has the servitude rights to stop them. But Energy Transfer's "unique" interpretation of the civil code on pipeline crossings is hurting the economy of Louisiana, the author of the bill , Louisiana senator Alan Seabaugh (R), said last week. By blocking the construction of new pipelines out of the Haynesville, Energy Transfer is eliminating jobs and taxes that would be created by new infrastructure, he said. Moreover, by arguing its servitude rights extend above and below its existing pipeline "to the center of the earth," Energy Transfer is "asserting a right that nobody has ever asserted before," Seabaugh said. The Seabaugh bill clarifies that, unless explicitly stated otherwise in a contract, pipeline servitude rights extend only to the physical space occupied by the pipeline and any space necessary to maintain it. The contract stipulating Energy Transfer's servitude rights for the Tiger pipeline is silent on the subject of that vertical, underground space, according to bill supporters. "This really isn't about pipeline crossings — this is about controlling market share," said Jimmy Faircloth, attorney for Momentum Midstream. But the pipeline industry has been amicably working together for decades to allow for reciprocal crossings, Energy Transfer attorney Kay Medlin said. By ripping up this convention over a dispute involving so many crossings, and forcing an expedited legal proceeding for something which "is not a minor process," the Seabaugh bill threatens an industry "that ain't broke," she said. "This legislation will break it, and you will likely spend years trying to fix it, if you ever can," Medlin said. The Seabaugh bill is a companion to two bills which passed 100-0 and 99-0, respectively, in the Louisiana House of Representatives on 21 March. Those bills seek to clarify the law on pipeline crossings and to expedite proceedings on pipeline crossing disputes. By Julian Hast Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

European bio-bunker March prices firm on uncertainty


27/03/24
News
27/03/24

European bio-bunker March prices firm on uncertainty

London, 27 March (Argus) — Marine biodiesel prices firmed in the second half of March across Europe as higher levels in underlying markets combined with supply uncertainty to lend support to blend prices, despite limited demand. Very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) firmed by $16/t to $585.58/t on a dob Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) basis and $17.47/t to $628.17/t on a dob Gibraltar-Algeciras-Ceuta (GAC) basis during 14-26 March compared with the two weeks prior. Gains in the fossil market were mainly attributed to an increase in European refinery turnarounds as well as stronger crude values. The front-month Ice Brent crude futures 16:30 GMT marker averaged $86.07/bl on 14-16 March, an increase of $2.92/bl from 1-13 March. Rising fossil levels were accompanied by increases in the biodiesel spot barge market. Prices for advanced fatty acid methyl ester (Fame) 0°C cold-filter plugging point (CFPP) on a fob ARA barge basis averaged $1,407.15/t during the last two weeks of March, a $53.58/t rise from 1-13 March. Used cooking oil methyl ester (Ucome) barges firmed by $47.47/t to $1,316/t during the same timeframe. Biodiesel prices have firmed from long-term lows on the back of a reduction in European production and limited demand. Higher prices in underlying markets were accompanied by an emerging theme of biofuel supply uncertainty. Participants reported that European suppliers may look to steer away from Chinese-origin biodiesel as the EU's anti-dumping investigation continues, with a conclusion by early 2025 at the latest. This was compounded by chronic disruption in the Red Sea, historically the most utilised route on the east-west voyage, leading to traffic redirecting via the Cape of Good Hope and a subsequent increase in freight costs. The potential shift in supply routes can be supported by changes in product flows. Some 19,000t of Fame has been exported from China with a marked destination in Europe in March so far, an 80pc drop from February's 106,000t — according to Kpler data. This month's exports are just 10pc of the 184,000t exported from China to Europe in March last year, according to Kpler. Declining volumes from China were accompanied by an increase in Fame volumes exported from northwest Europe intra-continental to 409,000t in March from 364,000t a month prior. GTT data pointed to a 47pc decline in Chinese biodiesel exports in January-February, coinciding with an increase in Chinese exports of used cooking oil (UCO) with northwest Europe the main destination. Uncertainty in the supply import pool coincided with raised concerns around the presence of "unestablished" biodiesel feedstocks in bunker fuels. A report from Lloyd's Register fuel oil bunkering analysis and advisory service (FOBAS) highlighted a correlation between engine fuel pump and injector related damage in vessels and the presence of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) in marine fuels utilised by the vessels. CNSL is one of the cheaper advanced feedstocks and can be eligible for Dutch renewable tickets (HBE-G) — which can help make marine biodiesel blends more appealing and price competitive to buyers, as well as reduce production costs. But participants noted that during tests conducted by shipowners to assess the compatibility of CNSL with marine engines, technical and specification limitations emerged because of potentially high acidity and metal contents. This prompted shipowners and bunker suppliers to avoid fuels that contain CNSL, which may further constrict the pool of biodiesel supply that can be integrated into the maritime sector. Argus assessed the price of B30 Ucome dob ARA, a blend comprising 30pc Ucome and 70pc VLSFO, at $839.17/t during 14-26 March — an increase of just under $22/t from the 1-13 March average. B30 Advanced Fame 0°C CFPP dob ARA range averaged just over $785/t during 14-26 March, higher by $16.19/t from the two weeks prior. B100 Advanced Fame 0 levels rose by $16.62/t to $1,159.79/t in the second half of March. B24 dob Algeciras-Gibraltar firmed to $812.61/t in 14-26 March, an increase of $19.50/t from prices on 1-13 March. By Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Grupo Carso expande su huella en energía


27/03/24
News
27/03/24

Grupo Carso expande su huella en energía

Mexico City, 27 March (Argus) — En los últimos años Grupo Carso, dirigido por Carlos Slim, ha expandido sus operaciones en el sector de petróleo y gas natural, destacándose como uno de los pocos operadores que han fortalecido su presencia a pesar de las restricciones del presidente mexicano Andrés Manuel López Obrador a la inversión del sector privado. A medida que los independientes y las grandes empresas petroleras han empezado a cerrar sus negocios en medio de la falta de nuevas oportunidades en subastas de la fase de exploración y producción, el Grupo Carso ha adquirido dos de los mayores contratos de aguas someras en los últimos 12 meses y ha expresado interés en hacer nuevas adquisiciones. Durante una conferencia de prensa de cuatro horas en febrero, Slim confirmó el interés de la empresa en desempeñar "un papel más importante en el sector de los hidrocarburos y, finalmente, participar en los productos petroquímicos." Slim, la persona más rica de México y director de un conglomerado que abarca desde las telecomunicaciones hasta la minería, también expresó su interés por "ser socio de alguien con experiencia" y por aumentar la participación de la empresa en el operador independiente estadounidense Talos Energy. La división de energía de Grupo Carso, Carso Energy, tenía un papel marginal en el sector aguas arriba de México antes de esta administración, con derechos de producción y exploración de dos bloques terrestres asegurados tras la reforma energética de 2014. A pesar de que los contratos se adjudicaron en 2017, los bloques 12 y 13 de Veracruz siguen en fase de exploración en medio de la falta de equipos de perforación disponibles y la presencia del crimen organizado en la zona, que ha impedido el acceso al emplazamiento, el operador informó al regulador de petróleo CNH el pasado diciembre. Pero los dos bloques terrestres son pequeños en comparación con los bloques de aguas poco profundas que Grupo Carso compró el año pasado. En septiembre, Grupo Carso completó la compra por $124 millones de una acción de 49.9pc en la filial mexicana de Talos Energy, involucrada también en el mega yacimiento de aguas superficiales de Zama que se está desarrollando con la paraestatal Pemex. Con un pico pronosticado de producción de 180,000 b/d de crudo para 2026, el yacimiento sería el segundo campo de producción de crudo más importante de México según las cifras de enero. El pasado diciembre, Carso Energy llegó a un acuerdo de $530 millones para adquirir el bloque de aguas someras 4 del conglomerado mexicano Petrobal en la cuenca sureste. El bloque es el tercer contrato de producción de crudo más alto, con una producción de 11,784 b/d en enero, según la CNH. Inversiones en gas En el sector del gas, Carso Energy también opera el gasoducto de gas natural Sasabe-Samalayuca de 472mn cf/d y es socio en las líneas estadounidenses de interconexión Waha-Presidio y Waha-San Elizario. Pero mientras que la mayoría de las empresas del sector de la energía han visto un colapso de las oportunidades de inversión durante la administración de López Obrador, el Grupo Carso parece ser una de las pocas empresas del sector privado con las que el presidente permitirá que las empresas estatales Pemex y CFE hagan negocios. CFE adjudicó directamente un nuevo contrato de gasoducto al operador en diciembre del año pasado, con un acuerdo para ampliar la línea de gas Sasabe-Samalayuca de 416km y 472mn cf/d de Sasabe, Sonora a Mexicali, Baja California. López Obrador, a menudo crítico de las empresas del sector privado dentro del sector de la energía, incluso ha elogiado el papel creciente de Slim en el mercado del petróleo y el gas, celebrando su adquisición del contrato Petrobal por permitirle "permanecer en manos mexicanas." Mirando hacia el futuro, los profundos bolsillos del Grupo Carso podrían convertirlo en un socio potencial para desarrollar el campo de gas de aguas profundas de Lakach tras la decisión de New Fortress Energy de retirarse el pasado mes de noviembre. Pero el entorno de bajos precios del gas podría complicar el proyecto en el que Pemex ya ha invertido $1.4 mil millones, mientras que la falta de experiencia de Carso en aguas profundas plantea preguntas sobre su viabilidad como socio. Carso Energy representó sólo 1.6pc de los Ps55.4 mil millones ($3.29 mil millones) totales de ventas del Grupo Carso durante el cuarto trimestre del año pasado, pero la estrategia de adquisición del grupo y el estatus favorecido frente a la administración podrían ver esa cuota aumentar en los próximos años. Por Rebecca Conan Proyectos de energía de Carso Proyecto Tipo de proyecto Tamaño/capacidad Bloque 12 E&P en tierra Fase de exploración Bloque 13 E&P en tierra Fase de exploración Zama E&P en aguas someras 180,000 b/d crudo en 2026 Bloque 4 E&P en aguas someras 11,784 b/d crudo en enero Sasabe-Samalayuca Gasoducto 472mn cf/d Waha-Presidio Gasoducto 1.4 Bcf/d Waha-San Elizario Gasoducto 1.1 Bcf/d Grupo Carso Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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