Port of Corpus still partially shut after pipeline fire

Spanish Market: Crude oil, LPG, Oil products
23/08/20

Parts of the Port of Corpus Christi in Texas remained shut over the weekend as clean up continued after a deadly explosion and fire from a ruptured propane pipeline near the port's refinery area.

The Corpus Christi Inner Harbor is closed from the Chemical Turning basin to the Viola Turning basin, disrupting some shipping traffic at the port which is a key outlet for exporting US crude and other commodities. The port on 21 August was closed from the Harbor Bridge inward.

A dredging barge struck a submerged propane pipeline at around 9am ET on 21 August causing the explosion and fire. The Coast Guard yesterday recovered the bodies of two crew members and two others are still missing. Six other crew members were taken to area hospitals last week, according to the Corpus Christi fire department.

A fire on the barge reignited late on 21 August and was extinguished before the vessel broke apart and sank. The Coast Guard was planning to recover the barge, but inclement weather could hamper the process as tropical storm Laura appeared headed to the Texas or Louisiana coast later this week. Another storm in the Gulf, Hurricane Marco, was headed to make landfall in Louisiana.

Enterprise Products Partners, which operates the propane line, said last week that it experienced a release of propane from a portion of its south Texas pipeline system at the Port of Corpus Christi resulting in a fire. "Enterprise immediately initiated its emergency response plan and has isolated the affected segment of the pipeline," the company said.

By Eunice Bridges

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14/05/24

Funding of $2.2bn pledged to clean cooking in Africa

London, 14 May (Argus) — Public and private-sector pledges amounting to $2.2bn in cash, infrastructure investment and finance to provide access to clean cooking fuels, including LPG, in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 have been announced at the IEA's Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa today. Governments, financial institutions and private-sector companies made a string of funding pledges at the event, which attracted nearly 1,000 delegates from 45 countries, including heads of state from Norway, Tanzania, Togo and Sierra Leone and 21 ministers. From the public sector, the EU has earmarked €400mn ($432mn) for clean cooking under an existing EU-Africa investment package. Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre added $50mn to this commitment, while French, Danish and UK ministers pledged €100mn, $72mn and £8.5mn ($10.7mn), respectively, under various clean cooking initiatives across the continent to 2030. The US will add a minimum of $40mn in the next two years alone. Private-sector pledges were led by energy firms operating in the region, many of which operate in the LPG sector. Trading company Vitol's chief executive Russell Hardy committed $550mn towards "infrastructure, [LPG] cylinders, distribution and cookstoves" across his firm's African operations, while Italy's Eni pledged $300mn to lift the number of beneficiaries of its clean cooking programme in Africa from 500,000 to 10mn by 2027 and 20mn by 2030. TotalEnergies will invest $100mn in additional LPG production in Uganda and associated local distribution, and $400mn across Africa and India in developing LPG cooking markets, chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said. LPG is a "pragmatic, existing enabler for access to clean cooking," he said. Africa50 — a financial institution founded by African governments and the African Development Bank (AFDB) to mobilise investment in infrastructure in the continent — pledged $500mn of finance for LPG infrastructure projects, according to chief executive Alain Ebobisse. This is on top of a previous commitment from the AFDB, announced at the UN's Cop 28 climate summit in November, to allocate 20pc of its energy lending budget to clean cooking, worth around $2bn over the next 10 years. The bank has also urged local governments in Africa to allocate 5pc of their current energy investments to clean cooking, which would raise another $3.5bn/yr, AFDB president Akinwumi Adesin said. 2030 Vision LPG plays a crucial role in the IEA's vision for clean cooking in Africa. Under the Paris-based agency's "access for all" policies scenario, around 45pc of the transition will be to LPG by 2030. The IEA wants to mobilise $4bn/yr of investment in clean cooking in sub-Saharan Africa, 80pc of which will be for end-user equipment and 20pc on infrastructure, a goal that it says is achievable now. The region can look to emulate successful LPG transitions in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Ghana, Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu Hassan said. The funding pledged at the event is a significant milestone for clean cooking in Africa, given that just $175mn/yr was invested in the region in 2015-19, according to the IEA. The agency organised the summit and encouraged participation as part of its drive to tackle indoor air pollution from cooking with solid biomass fuels. IEA executive director Fatih Birol said he hopes the world will look back on today "as the turning point" for tackling the problem. By Peter Wilton and Matt Scotland Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

HVO-Zulassung steht bevor

14/05/24

HVO-Zulassung steht bevor

Hamburg, 14 May (Argus) — Die Zulassung von HVO zum freien Verkauf an deutschen Tankstellen steht laut dem BMUV kurz bevor. Die Zahl der Tankstellen, an denen HVO bereits erhältlich ist, wächst. Eine Sprecherin des Bundesministeriums für Umwelt- und Verbraucherschutz (BMUV) bestätigte gegenüber Argus , dass die Zulassung von HVO durch die Veröffentlichung der Novelle der 10. Verordnung zur Durchführung des Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetzes (10. BImSchV) bevorsteht. Die Novelle liegt dem Bundespräsidialamt zur Überprüfung vor, so eine Sprecherin des Amtes. Dies ist der letzte Schritt vor der Veröffentlichung im Bundesgesetzblatt. Unklar ist jedoch, ob sich die Veröffentlichung dadurch verzögern könnte, dass die Novelle des Saubere-Fahrzeuge-Beschaffungs-Gesetz zuerst veröffentlicht werden muss, was bisher noch nicht geschehen ist. Marktteilnehmer bereiten derweilen ihre Tankstelleninfrastruktur auf die Zulassung vor. Der Verein eFuelsNow e.V. verzeichnet etwa 150 Tankstellen in Deutschland, die schon HVO100 anbieten. In 2023 gab es in Deutschland laut Daten des Branchenverbands en2x etwa 14.500 Tankstellen, womit knapp 1 % aller Tankstellen bereits HVO führen. Die Tendenz ist dabei steigend; mehrere Anbieter haben bereits zusätzliche Standorte angekündigt. Der Großteil dieser Tankstellen befindet sich in Hessen, Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Nordrhein-Westfalen und Niedersachsen. Einige Anbieter sind mittlerweile dazu übergegangen, HVO bereits vor der offiziellen Zulassung frei zu verkaufen, während andere Anbieter HVO weiterhin nur in geschlossenen Kundenkreisen über Clubs mit Zugangskarte verkaufen. Von Max Steinhau Senden Sie Kommentare und fordern Sie weitere Informationen an feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Opec leaves 2024-25 supply, demand forecasts unchanged

14/05/24

Opec leaves 2024-25 supply, demand forecasts unchanged

London, 14 May (Argus) — Opec has left its global oil supply and demand forecasts for 2024-25 unchanged. Demand is projected to rise by 2.25mn b/d to 104.46mn b/d this year and by a further 1.85mn b/d to 106.31mn b/d next year, the group said in its latest Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR). Minor adjustments were made within the 2024 quarters, reflecting actual data received and expected short-term developments. But the overall growth figure for the full year is the same as last month , with an upwards adjustment in Chinese oil demand, mainly in the first quarter, offset by downward revisions for OECD Americas and the Middle East. Opec introduced a new section in last month's MOMR outlining a liquids supply forecast for all countries outside the wider Opec+ alliance. It expects non-Opec+ supplies to grow by 1.23mn b/d to 52.96mn b/d in 2024 and by another 1.1mn b/d to 54.06mn b/d in 2025. This is unchanged from its previous projection. This year's non-Opec+ supply growth is driven by production increases in the US, Canada and Norway. Next year is supported by a further rise in output in the US and Canada, as well as higher production in Latin America. The supply and demand projections leave the call on Opec+ crude at 43.2mn b/d this year, rising to 44mn b/d in 2025. Opec+ production was 41mn b/d in April, according to an average of secondary sources that includes Argus . By James Keates Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

TMX oil specs inappropriate: Valero, Chevron

13/05/24

TMX oil specs inappropriate: Valero, Chevron

Calgary, 13 May (Argus) — Crude quality specifications on the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) pipeline in western Canada are not narrow enough and may prevent buyers in California from taking crude shipped on the recently commissioned system, according to two US refiners. The 590,000 b/d TMX pipeline was placed into service on 1 May, a welcome addition for both producers in Alberta and refiners on the Pacific rim, but the upper limits allowed for crude on the line relating to vapor pressure and Total Acid Number (TAN) are problematic, Chevron and Valero said in letters to the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) on 10 May. The specifications, as set out by Trans Mountain's rules and regulations, were already in place for the original 300,000 b/d crude pipeline, or Line 1, which also carries refined products that require a higher vapor pressure. TMX, or Line 2, will primarily cater to heavy crude shippers. But the vapor pressure limit of 103 kPa at 37.8°C on the new line is nearly 40pc higher than tanks allow, according to Valero. "High vapor pressure crude oil simply cannot be accepted in United States internal floating roof tanks," wrote Valero. The current limits are "wholly inappropriate" and will result in crude being transported through TMX that is not suitable for the west coast market. Chevron concurred that the specifications exceed the limit for storage tanks at its own California refineries in Richmond and El Segundo. "Failure to amend the TAN specification and vapor limits for TMPL may prevent Chevron from purchasing or processing crude from [Trans Mountain] for our California refineries," the company wrote. The letters were in support of a 12 April complaint by Canadian Natural Resources (CNRL) to the CER, requesting the regulator intervene. Fellow oil sands producers Suncor, Imperial Oil, MEG Energy and ConocoPhillips also wrote in support, as did industry groups Explorers and Producers Association of Canada (EPAC) and Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA). Current rules state crudes must have a TAN of less than 1.3mg KOH/g to be considered a Low TAN Dilbit, but that is "inappropriately high," according to CNRL, and should be brought down to the same 1.1mg KOH/g threshold set by other export pipelines. Cenovus and Plains Midstream wrote that the CER did not need to intervene as this was a commercial matter. "This is effectively a commercial dispute that should be dealt with between the sophisticated commercial entities involved," said Plains. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Potential strike threatens Vancouver port again

13/05/24

Potential strike threatens Vancouver port again

Calgary, 13 May (Argus) — A labour dispute at the Canadian port of Vancouver could result in another work stoppage, less than a year after a strike disrupted the flow of more than C$10bn ($7.3bn) worth of goods and commodities ranging from canola and potash to coking coal. Negotiations between the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 union have stalled as the two sides try to renew an agreement that expired on 1 April 2023. A 21-day "cooling-off period" concluded on 10 May, giving the union the right to strike and the employers association the right to lock out the workers. A vote and 72-hour notice would first need to occur before either action is taken. The BCMEA filed a formal complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) the same day, which had to step in last year in another dispute. The BCMEA locked horns with ILWU Canada over a separate collective agreement in 2023 leading to a 13-day strike by the union in July. This disrupted the movement of C$10.7bn of goods in and out of Canada, according to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Vancouver's port is the country's largest — about the same size as the next five combined — and describes itself as able to handle the most diversified range of cargo in North America. There are 29 terminals belonging to the Port of Vancouver. Terminals that service container ships endured the most significant congestion during last year's strike. Loadings for potash, sulphur, lumber, wood pellets and pulp, steel-making coal, canola, copper concentrates, zinc and lead concentrate, diesel and renewable diesel liquids and some agri-foods were also disrupted. The Trans Mountain-operated Westridge Marine Terminal responsible for crude oil exports on Canada's west coast was unaffected. A deal was eventually reached on 4 August. The strike spurred on proposed amendments to legislation in Canada that would limit the effect of job action on essential services. A bill introduced in Canada's Parliament in November would update the Canada Labour Code and CIRB Regulations accordingly. The bill has been progressing through the House of Commons, now having completed the second of three readings. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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