Norway's Equinor sees minor fall in 1Q output, profit

Spanish Market: Crude oil, Electricity, Natural gas
30/04/25

Norwegian state-controlled Equinor posted a profit of $2.63bn in the first quarter — a decline of 2pc on the year — as production dropped slightly and it reported lower liquids prices.

Although its profit fell compared with a "strong" first quarter of 2024, it was an increase of nearly a one third from the fourth quarter of 2024.

Equinor's production was 2.12mn b/d of oil equivalent (boe/d) in the January-March period, lower on the year by 2pc.

"The production decrease was similar for both gas and liquids," the company said. It cited "strong" operational performance for most of its Norwegian fields, which it said "almost offsets the negative production impact from the shut-in at Sleipner B… and planned and unplanned maintenance at Hammerfest LNG." The Sleipner B platform was shut down in October after a fire.

Equinor's US production rose on the year, while its output from international assets fell over the same timeframe owing to its exits from Nigeria and Azerbaijan in 2024.

Equinor reported an average liquids price of $70.6/bl in the January-March quarter, down by 7pc on the year. Its realised piped gas prices rose considerably over the same time, to $14.80/mn Btu for Europe and $4.06/mn Btu for the US — increases of 57pc and 74pc, respectively.

The company's total first-quarter power generation increased by 9pc on the year, to 1.4TWh, driven by "stronger clean spark spreads in gas to power generation and onshore assets in Brazil." But the renewables share of this slid by 2pc over the same period, to 760,000GWh because of "unfavourable wind conditions."

Equinor is considering its legal options with regards to its US Empire Wind project, chief executive Anders Opedal said today. The US government in April ordered work to stop on the planned 810MW wind farm, offshore New York.

"We have invested in Empire Wind after obtaining all necessary approvals, and the order to halt work now is unprecedented and in our view unlawful," Odepal said. "This is a question of the rights and obligations granted under legally issued permits, and security of investments based on valid approvals."

The company reported a marginal decline in its upstream CO2 intensity in the first quarter 6.1kg CO2/bl, compared with 6.2kg CO2/bl for full-year 2024. There was a similar drop in absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — at 2.7mn t/CO2 equivalent (CO2e) for the first quarter, compared with 2.9mn t/CO2e a year earlier.

Equinor confirmed a cash dividend of $0.37/share for the first quarter and plans to launch a second tranche of its share buyback programme of up to $1.265bn, subject to authorisation at its annual general meeting in May. The first tranche of this year's buyback programme was completed on 24 March with a total value of $1.2bn.

By Georgia Gratton

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19/06/25

SEE gas operators propose changes to Route 1 product

London, 19 June (Argus) — Gas transmission system operators (TSOs) in southeast Europe have proposed several changes to the "Route 1" integrated capacity product from Greece to Ukraine, including allowing nominations from the Greek virtual trading point (VTP) to count toward exports, subject to approval by the regulator. Route 1, a product offered only between June and October in order to help Ukraine reach its goal of importing roughly 5bn m³ of gas in preparation for the next heating season, bundles together capacity at the Kulata/Sidirokastro, Negru Voda/Kardam, Isaccea/Orlovka, Kaushany and Grebenyky interconnection points. The first monthly auction for Route 1 was held on 29 May , but no capacity sold at the auction as traders pointed toward serious questions over the product's compliance with EU law, a restrictive rule set and insufficient economic incentive to book. During a meeting with regional shippers today, the route's TSOs proposed several changes to the product. The most prominent change would allow nominations from the Greek VTP to count towards exports under the Route 1 product, which would increase the pool of eligible users if approved by the Greek regulatory authority. Under previous rules, Route 1 users would have had to cumulatively nominate at the Greek entry points of Agia Triada, Nea Mesimvria, Amfitriti and Kipi at least as much as they notify Greek TSO Desfa they intend to deliver to Ukraine, but this list explicitly did not include the Greek VTP or Kulata/Sidirokastro. These rules effectively heavily favoured users with LNG capacity at Revithoussa. The operators also clarified that Route 1 users will not be required to obtain a licence from Moldovan regulator Anre and conclude a balancing contract, as the gas will only be transmitted from one Moldovan interconnection to another. It is also not required to sign a balancing contract with Romanian TSO Transgaz, although it is necessary with Bulgartransgaz. The operators also clarified that interested parties do not need to have licences to trade in all five countries along the route, simply to be registered system users with access to transmission services for each of the TSOs. Although several market participants told Argus that even this process can take a month or longer. Other details of the product, such as the 25pc discount at all points except Isaccea entry, Kaushany exit and Grebenyky entry, where a 46pc discount is already applied by the Ukrainian TSO, remain in place. The operators do not appear to have addressed concerns raised by Energy Traders Europe that the offering of discounts on point-to-point capacity on a monthly basis is not in line with the EU's network code on capacity allocation (NC CAM). Traders today still expressed reservations about booking the Route 1 product, noting that the Greek discount to other competing routes into Ukraine is probably not large enough to justify booking given the cost of the tariffs. Argus assessed the Greek day-ahead price at a €6.70/MWh discount to the Slovak day-ahead market, the other most prominent underutilised route to Ukraine, at the most recent close. But at a cost of around €7/MWh for the Route 1 tariffs and volume fees, compared with a monthly Slovak exit tariff of €1.47/MWh and a volume fee of around €0.35/MWh, Route 1 would only marginally be in the money. Further, the 131 GWh/d booking from the Czech Republic to Slovakia for July , as well as a nearly correspondingly-large Ukrainian entry booking from Slovakia , suggests that traders intend to supply a large volume of gas to Ukraine along the main route competing with Route 1. Additionally, worries about the potential regulatory problems associated with Route 1 have not been addressed, leaving some firms uneasy, although all agreed that the potential inclusion of Greek VTP nominations would have a positive effect on potential interest. The next Route 1 auction will be held on the Regional Booking Platform (RBP) on Monday, with around 30 GWh/d on offer. By Brendan A'Hearn Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

French Bugey nuclear cuts likely from 25 June: EdF

19/06/25

French Bugey nuclear cuts likely from 25 June: EdF

London, 19 June (Argus) — High temperatures on the River Rhone are "likely" to drive production cuts from nuclear plants along the river, especially Bugey, according to French utility EdF. The potential cuts will be reviewed on 24 June, and a specific publication will detail the cuts if they are confirmed, EdF said. France is about to see a combination of a heatwave and dry spell, with daily highs in Grenoble forecast to remain mostly above 30°C until the beginning of July. The combination of heat and a lack of rain in the Alps has increased the chance of hotter water and lower flows on the Rhone, which could have a knock-on effect on France's nuclear fleet. Eight of the country's 57 reactors discharge their cooling water directly into the river, and environmental regulations limit the temperature at which they can do this, meaning if the river's flow is low and temperatures high, the units can be forced to reduce output. Flows out of Lake Geneva — where the Rhone leaves Switzerland and enters France — have remained at 239-328 m³/s since 2 June. Earlier in the month this was within the 25th to 50th percentile of historical values, but is now slightly below the 25th percentile, as flows typically increase in June to peak at the end of the month and into July. The low outflows are reflective of low inflows, as the lake's level is regulated by the Seujet dam at the lake's exit to the Rhone, which keeps its level about 1m all year. The lake's level typically falls in the first quarter and rises in the second to a peak in June and July, and the level has been creeping up over June in line with the historical trend. The outflow's average temperature of 20.9°C on Wednesday was between the 75th and 95th percentile for the date. A convention between France and Switzerland guarantees that the flow of the Rhone upstream of Bugey, the first nuclear plant on the river, is to remain above 150 m³/s, with the potential for release of water from the Emosson reservoir in Switzerland to the Arve River to achieve this. In recent days, flows at Bugey — combining outflows from Lake Geneva and tributaries of the Rhone, which have brought more than 100 m³/s — have been well above this minimum. And thermal limits for Bugey are set at a maximum temperature downstream of the plant of 26°C and a maximum temperature difference between upstream and downstream of 5°C. If grid operator RTE determines that the plant is necessary to maintain supply, this maximum limit can increase to 27°C, but with only a 1°C temperature difference allowed. Only two of Bugey's four units discharge their cooling water directly into the Rhone, with the other two using cooling towers, which sharply reduce their thermal impact on the river, and so the extent to which the regulations affect them. If water flows were at their minimum of 150 m³/s, and at a temperature of 21°C upstream of the plant, this stream would have the capacity to carry 3.14GW of waste heat away from the plant before hitting the regulatory limit of 5°C of temperature difference and 26°C maximum temperature downstream. This is less than the roughly 3.8GW of waste heat generated by Bugey 2 and 3 operating at full power, including their thermal power of 5.6GW less their electrical power of 1.8GW. Bugey 4 and 5 contribute a small amount of extra waste heat downstream, as their cooling towers do not completely eliminate waste heat. Both units have had to stop at moments in the past two years because of heat-related constraints. In the last period when Bugey was constrained, in mid-August, flows leaving Lake Geneva were significantly hotter than now, roughly 24-26°C. At that point, output from Bugey 2 was reduced to zero, before a sharp fall in water temperature to roughly 20°C by 18 August allowed constraints to be lifted. But air temperatures in the region are forecast to remain elevated for the next two weeks, which will boost water temperatures over time. Daily highs in Sion, Switzerland, are seen at 3-4°C above the norm through to the beginning of July. Temperatures and flows at reactors further downstream which do not possess cooling towers — 2.6GW Saint Alban and 3.6GW Tricastin — are affected by other flows on tributaries to the Rhone, which cool the river down and increase its volume after passing Bugey. By Rhys Talbot Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Israel to undermine Iran regime after hospital hit

19/06/25

Israel to undermine Iran regime after hospital hit

Dubai, 19 June (Argus) — Israel's defence minister Israel Katz today said the military has been ordered to "undermine the ayatollahs' regime" in Tehran — the first time Israel has openly declared regime destabilisation as a goal since the conflict with Iran began last week. The shift in public messaging follows an Iranian missile strike early Thursday that appeared to hit a hospital in southern Israel. Social media footage showed damage to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, which serves around 1mn people. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) denied the hospital was targeted, saying missiles were aimed at nearby military command centres, according to Iranian state news agency Irna. Until now, Israel had justified its military campaign as a pre-emptive effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Katz's remarks reflect a significant hardening of Israel's public stance, moving beyond claims of self-defence to a declared aim of weakening Iran's leadership. "The Prime Minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] and I have instructed the [Israel Defense Forces] IDF to increase the intensity of attacks against strategic targets in Iran and against government targets in Tehran in order to remove threats to the State of Israel and undermine the ayatollahs' regime," Katz said in a post on social media platform X. Ice Brent crude futures rose today, supported by the latest Iranian-Israeli escalation and a sharp drop in US crude stocks. At 09:30 GMT, the front-month August Brent contract was at $77.14/bl, up by 44¢/bl from its settlement on 18 June. Ice Brent has gained nearly 8pc since Israel launched its initial strike on Iran on 13 June. Several Iranian missiles struck areas inside Israel early Thursday. Videos shared on social media showed damage in multiple locations, including civilian areas. The IRGC said it had "successfully carried out a 14th wave of combined missile attacks targeting strategic sites in Israel". Iran's attack followed Israeli airstrikes overnight on what Israel said were key sites linked to Tehran's nuclear and missile programmes. The IDF said it struck an "inactive nuclear reactor in Arak", a facility used in plutonium production, and a "nuclear weapons development site near Natanz". Natanz is home to Iran's main uranium enrichment facility, which Israel also targeted during its 13 June strike. The UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, confirmed the Arak site had been hit. But "it was not operational and contained no nuclear material, so no radiological effects", the agency said. Iran had previously told the IAEA it planned to begin operating the reactor in 2026. US president Donald Trump has not confirmed whether Washington will join Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. "I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do," he said on 18 June. Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei earlier rejected Trump's call for Iran to surrender. By Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Sri Lanka revives plan to build LNG import terminal

19/06/25

Sri Lanka revives plan to build LNG import terminal

Singapore, 19 June (Argus) — Sri Lanka has revived its plan to build the country's first LNG import terminal, power and energy minister Kumara Jayakody told the country's parliament on 17 June. The process to build the terminal is already underway and LNG supply is scheduled to begin in 2028, the minister said. The tender to build the import terminal was issued by state-controlled importer Ceylon Petroleum and state-run utility Ceylon Electricity Board, and the negotiation and project committees have been re-established to facilitate the eventual signing and finalisation of the project, the minister added. Sri Lanka plans to use LNG as a transition fuel despite its higher costs compared with coal, as the country looks to increase its renewables load. Sri Lanka had previously finalised an agreement with US operator New Fortress Energy to develop a new LNG terminal in Sri Lanka in 2021, but there have been no updates on the terminal since then. It is unclear if the current plan to build an LNG import terminal is linked to this floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) agreement. By Joey Chan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil central bank raises target rate to 15pc

18/06/25

Brazil central bank raises target rate to 15pc

Sao Paulo, 18 June (Argus) — Brazil's central bank today raised its target interest rate by 0.25 of a percentage point to 15pc, the highest level since July 2006, citing a still "adverse and uncertain" global economic scenario. That is the seventh consecutive hike from a cyclical low of 10.5pc at the end of September last year. The bank had last increased the rate by 0.5 of a percentage point in May . "The [economic] scenario continues to require caution on the part of emerging countries in an environment of heightened geopolitical tension," the bank said, citing the US' "uncertain economic policies." The bank also said it increased the interest rate because Brazil's inflation remains above the ceiling of 3pc with a tolerance of 1.5 percentage points above or below. Annual inflation eased to 5.32pc in May . Central bank forecasts for 2025 and 2026 inflation remain at 5.2pc and 4.5pc, respectively, it said. "Inflation risks, both upside and downside, remain higher than usual," the bank said 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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