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PKN to sell Lotos assets to Aramco, Mol ahead of merger

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

Saudi Arabia's state-controlled Saudi Aramco is poised to re-enter Europe's refining sector after agreeing to buy some of Polish firm Grupa Lotos' assets ahead of its planned takeover by domestic rival PKN Orlen.

PKN today announced a package of asset sales designed to win EU competition approval for the Lotos deal. The pick of them is an agreement to sell Aramco a 30pc stake in Lotos' 210,000 b/d Gdansk refinery for a headline price of 1.15bn zlotys ($255mn). The final price will factor in any debt held by the refinery. Aramco has also agreed to buy Lotos' refined products supply and logistics company in Poland for 1bn zlotys, and a stake in its jet fuel supply joint venture Lotos Air BP Polska.

PKN said it will sign a term contract to buy 200,000-337,000 b/d of crude from Aramco if the Gdansk sale goes through. This could take a sizeable chunk of demand away from Russia, which is Poland's main crude supplier. PKN, which already has a contract for 100,000 b/d of Saudi crude that is renewed on a yearly basis, said if the deal is completed Saudi crude could represent as much as 45pc of its total crude slate. It said it plans to direct the new Saudi supply to several of its refineries, including Plock and Gdansk in Poland, Mazeikiai in Lithuania, and Litvinov and Kralupy in the Czech Republic.

"The investments will widen Aramco's presence in the European downstream sector and further expand its crude imports into Poland, which aligns with PKN Orlen's strategy of diversifying its energy supplies," Aramco said today.

Tracking data show PKN's Saudi term supplies are delivered to the port of Gdansk from storage in Sidi Kerir, Egypt. PKN's refineries also receive pipeline shipments of Russian Urals, along with Caspian, North Sea, US and west African grades. The shift to a higher Saudi intake will likely tighten PKN's reliance on spot purchases.

The proposed Gdansk acquisition is Saudi Arabia's second step in strengthening its marketing foothold in Europe this week. Yesterday, German commodities trader and refiner Klesch Group said it had agreed a deal with Aramco's trading subsidiary ATC for the supply of 110,000 b/d of non-Saudi crude over a three-year period. Unlike Aramco, ATC does not typically trade Saudi crude. It has previously operated crude-for-products supply deals with PKN and Greek refiner Motor Oil Hellas (MOH).

Aramco has focused on Asia-Pacific to grow its international refining footprint in more recent years, but it does have past experience in Europe, having previously owned a stake in MOH. Expanding its presence in Europe's downstream sector will help the firm to optimise its Red Sea-facing terminals, such as Yanbu, Jeddah, Shuqaiq and Rabigh.

Retail sales

Other Lotos assets being divested ahead of the PKN merger are staying in European hands. Hungarian firm Mol has agreed to buy 417 Lotos filling stations in Poland for $610mn. These include 270 owned by retail subsidiary Lotos Paliwa. Mol expects to gain country-wide market coverage and potentially become Poland's third-largest motor fuel retailer as a result of the deal.

Mol said it also signed a long-term fuel supply agreement with PKN for its future Polish retail network. It has no refining assets in Poland, although it owns the 120,000 b/d Bratislava refinery in neighbouring Slovakia. Subject to the Polish acquisition being approved, Mol will divest 144 retail stations in Hungary and 41 in Slovakia to PKN for $259mn, marking the Polish firm's entry into the Hungarian retail market.

Other Lotos divestment deals agreed today include the sale of biofuels subsidiary Lotos Biopaliwa to Hungary's Rossi Biofuel, in which Mol holds a minority stake, and the sale of storage and bitumen assets to Polish trading firm Unimot. The latter deal includes an agreement for Unimot to buy 500,000 t/yr of bitumen from the Gdansk refinery.

PKN said it will present all of these deals to the European Commission within seven days and aims to finalise them within 12 months assuming it receives the EU's approval.


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12/02/25

US trade policy adds uncertainty to oil market: Opec

US trade policy adds uncertainty to oil market: Opec

London, 12 February (Argus) — Opec said today that the US' new trade policies have added "more uncertainty" into global oil markets. This uncertainty "has the potential to create supply-demand imbalances that are not reflective of market fundamentals, and therefore generate more volatility", Opec said in its latest Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR). The producer group said the uncertainty has also "increased inflation expectations" and "made it more challenging to cut interest rates in 2025". US president Donald Trump started his new term in January with threats to impose a wide array of import tariffs on several big trading partners. Washington has so far announced new tariffs on imports from China, as well as on all US imports of steel and aluminium. And Trump says more tariffs are on the way. For now, Opec has kept its global oil demand growth projections for both 2025 and 2026 unchanged. For this year, the group sees oil demand growing by 1.45mn b/d to 105.2mn b/d, while in 2026 it sees consumption increasing by 1.43mn b/d to 106.63mn b/d. In terms of supply, the group has downgraded its growth forecast for non-Opec+ liquids for 2025 and 2026 by 100,000 b/d each to 1mn b/d for both years. The downgrade is driven by the US and Latin America. Opec+ crude production — including Mexico — fell by 118,000 b/d to 40.625mn b/d, according to an average of secondary sources that includes Argus . Opec puts the call on Opec+ crude at 42.6mn b/d in 2025 and 42.9mn b/d in 2026. By Aydin Calik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Americas dominate Spain's crude imports in 2024


12/02/25
12/02/25

Americas dominate Spain's crude imports in 2024

Madrid, 12 February (Argus) — Spain's crude imports from the Americas climbed sharply in 2024 to account for more than half of total receipts for the first time on record. Spanish crude imports increased by 5pc on the year to more than 1.29mn b/d, according to petroleum reserves regulator Cores, driven by double-digit growth in receipts from the three largest suppliers the US, Mexico and Brazil. This combined with a respective doubling and tripling of imports from smaller suppliers Venezuela and Guyana to give the Americas a 53pc share of Spanish receipts in 2024, up from 47pc in 2023. Imports were 200,000 b/d below the Spanish refining system's 1.49mn b/d of crude distillation capacity, which like other European countries refineries continued to struggle with competition from cheap imported finished products. North America accounted for 31pc of imports. The US led suppliers for a second consecutive year, with receipts rising by 18pc to 214,000 b/d. Imports from Mexico climbed by 20pc to 161,000 b/d as higher supplies of lighter Olmeca and Isthmus grades more than offset lower amounts of heavy Maya crude at integrated Repsol's refineries. Receipts from Spain's second largest supplier Brazil climbed by 38pc to 181,000 b/d. Those from Venezuela more than doubled to 58,000 b/d after Repsol increased imports under its crude-for-debt deal with state-owned PdV. The Mideast Gulf accounted for just 8pc of Spanish crude imports in 2024, down from 12pc in 2023 as unrest in the region reshaped shipping routes. Receipts from Iraq dropped by 38pc to 38,000 b/d, from Saudi Arabia they fell by 15pc to 70,000 b/d and there were none from the UAE. Africa's share of Spain's crude slate narrowed in 2024. Receipts from Nigeria fell by 21pc to 129,000 b/d, and from Libya they fell by 13pc to 88,000 b/d. Opec's share of Spanish crude imports fell to a record low of 37pc in 2024 from 44pc in 2023 and around 50pc over the past decade. Its share was 35pc of 1.24mn b/d in December. Spain's year-on-year import growth slowed to 3pc in December from 14pc in November. Deliveries were lower at Repsol's 220,000 b/d Bilbao refinery ahead of maintenance in January, rose at Moeve's 244,000 b/d Algeciras facility after conclusion of work there and rose back to capacity at Repsol's 135,000 b/d Coruna after maintenance finished at the start of December. Spain imported crude from 15 countries in December, down from 17 in November as slates narrowed and receipts rose from Nigeria and Mexico. By Jonathan Gleave Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

California aims to expand alternative bunkers


11/02/25
11/02/25

California aims to expand alternative bunkers

New York, 11 February (Argus) — California lawmakers will consider expanding alternative marine fuels use by ocean-going vessels on the state's coast. State senate bill 298, introduced by state senator Anna Caballero (D), would require the California State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (Energy Commission), the California Transportation Agency and the state board to develop a plan by 31 December 2030 for the use and deployment of alternative fuels at California's public seaports. The plan should identify significant alternative fuel infrastructure and equipment trends, needs, and issues and describe how the state will facilitate permitting and construction of infrastructure to support alternative fuels. The plan should also identify locations for alternative fuel infrastructure, provide a reasonable timeline for its installment and estimate the costs, including public or private financing opportunities. The bill also calls for the Energy Commission to convene a working group consisting of representatives of seaports, marine terminal operators, ocean carriers, waterfront labor, cargo owners, environmental and community advocacy groups, the Transportation Agency, the state board, the Public Utilities Commission, and air quality management and air pollution control districts. The working group will advise the commission. The US territorial waters, including California's, are designated as emission control areas (ECAs). In the ECAs, the sulphur content of marine fuel burned by ocean-going vessels is capped at 0.1pc. Thus ocean-going vessels within 24 nautical miles of California burn 0.1pc sulphur maximum marine gasoil (MGO). Ocean-going vessels could achieve the equivalent of 0.1pc sulphur marine fuel emissions by installing marine exhaust scrubbers. But California has banned their use. California is the only US state that has banned the outright use of marine scrubbers. California also requires that ocean-going vessels while at berth in California ports must either use shore power or use alternative technology such as batteries. The regulation came into force for container ships, reefers and cruise ships in 2023. It came into force this January for tankers visiting Los Angeles and Long beach and for roll on roll off vessels. Starting on 1 January 2027, it will apply to all tankers at berth in all California's ports. US harbor craft vessels (such as barges, commercial fishing vessels, excursion vessels, dredgers, pilot vessels, tugboats and workboats) in California's waters are required to burn renewable diesel (R99 or R100). By comparison, elsewhere in the US, harbor craft vessels are required to burn ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD). In January, Los Angeles ULSD averaged at $773/t and R99 at $962/t. By Stefka Wechsler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil’s January inflation lowest since 1994


11/02/25
11/02/25

Brazil’s January inflation lowest since 1994

Sao Paulo, 11 February (Argus) — Brazil's monthly inflation stood at 0.16pc in January, the lowest increase for the month since 1994 when the government enacted multiple measures to contain soaring inflation, according to government statistics agency IBGE. The consumer price index (CPI) slowed annually to 4.56pc from 4.83pc in December, heavily influenced by a 14.2pc tumble in power costs in January, compared with a 3.19pc drop in December. Power costs decelerated January's inflation by 0.55 percentage points — the major individual contributor to the annual drop, according to IBGE — thanks to a R1.3bn ($224mn) federal discount in power tariffs that month, CPI's manager Fernando Goncalves said. Food and beverage costs rose by an annual 7.25pc, decelerating from 7.69pc in December. Beef costs increased annually by almost 21.2pc following a 20.8pc gain in the month prior, while soybean oil costs decelerated to 24.55pc over the last 12 months from 29.2pc in December. Motor fuels prices rose by 11.35pc in January. Ethanol was responsible for the group's largest annual increase of 21.59pc, up from 17.58pc in the month prior. Gasoline and diesel prices also registered annual rises of 10.71pc and 2.66pc from 9.71pc and 0.66pc, respectively. Still, diesel prices remained at a 0.97pc monthly increase from December, while ethanol costs contracted by 1.82pc from 1.92pc and gasoline prices increased by 0.61pc from 0.54pc. Fuel prices are likely to keep increasing in February, as states increased the VAT-like ICMS tax on fuels and state-controlled Petrobras increased wholesale diesel prices by 6.3pc , both effective as of 1 February. Transportation costs rose by 1.3pc in January over the year, following a 0.67pc gain in December. Flight tickets were the most responsible for the increase, with a 10.42pc monthly gain from a 22.2pc contraction in December. Brazil's central bank is targeting CPI of 3pc with a margin of 1.5 percentage point above or below. The bank raised its target rate to 13.25pc in January after it failed to maintain Brazil's headline inflation under the ceiling of 4.5pc for 2024. Further increases are expected in the coming months, the bank said. The central bank has recently changed the way it tracks the inflation goal. Instead of tracking inflation on a calendar year basis, it will now monitor the goal on a 12-month basis. In 1994, Brazil enacted its Plano Real, a series of measures to stabilize the economy and detain soaring inflation, which had hit an annual 916pc by the end of that year. One of the measures was to change its currency to the real from the cruzeiro real. By Maria Frazatto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Petrobras considers India for crude: CEO


11/02/25
11/02/25

Petrobras considers India for crude: CEO

Sao Paulo, 11 February (Argus) — Brazilian state-controlled Petrobras is considering opportunities in deepwater and ultra-deepwater crude blocks in India, chief executive Magda Chambriard said today. The Indian government announced on Tuesday, during the India Energy Week conference held in New Delhi, that it will offer 25 deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil blocks, Chambriard said. "We will carefully evaluate these opportunities, always looking for new production frontiers, which will guarantee us security and financing for the energy transition," she added. Petrobras has been looking for alternatives to replenish its crude reserves, as those in its main source of oil — Brazil's pre-salt — are dwindling. But reserves are not in immediate danger, as the firm's proven oil and natural gas reserves rose by 4.6pc to 11.4bn bl of oil equivalent (boe) at the end of 2024. The company's 2025-29 strategic plan envisions investments in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Africa, but this is the first time Petrobras mentioned India as a potential source of crude. Still, the company's main bets to replenish reserves are the southern Pelotas basin and the Foz do Amazonas basin in the northern equatorial margin. The latter could contain 10bn of recoverable bl of oil equivalent, according to energy research bureau EPE. Petrobras is awaiting permission to start exploratory drilling there , after it appealed environmental agency Ibama's May 2023 decision to deny the license on environmental grounds. By Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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