New Zealand to invest $119mn in gas fields

Spanish Market: Natural gas
22/05/25

The New Zealand coalition government will co-invest NZ$200mn ($119mn) over four years in new gas fields to support the country's low natural gas supply, it announced today in its 2025 budget release.

This is part of efforts to address the gas shortage risk and will take the government's commercial stake to up to 10-15pc in new gas field developments by the private sector that feed the domestic market. Further details were not disclosed.

Natural gas will be critical in New Zealand's energy generation for at least another 20 years, resources minister Shane Jones said on 22 May.

The government must stand by the petroleum sector as a co-investor with private companies to get through winter periods and counter the country's reliance on imported thermal coal, according to Jones.

The coalition government plans to ensure reliable generation from coal, oil, gas or geothermal resources, Jones said in 2024.

New Zealand has been facing a gas shortage for months, and domestic utility Meridian Energy called for an ease in regulations to allow LNG import facilities in early 2025. The country's national gas production fell to its lowest level since 1983 in October-December 2024.

By Susannah Cornford

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22/06/25

US bombs nuclear sites in Iran: Update

Updates with remarks from President Donald Trump Washington, 21 June (Argus) — The US conducted air strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, President Donald Trump said Saturday evening. US bombers targeted the heavily fortified, underground facility at Fordow and sites at Natanz and Isfahan, Trump said on his social media platform. "The strikes were a spectacular military success," Trump said in a televised address Saturday night. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." Trump waited until after the US planes had left Iranian airspace before making the announcement. Israel's air and missile strikes, underway since 13 June, had already targeted those three facilities, in addition to some domestic energy infrastructure and urban areas across Iran. UN nuclear watchdog the IAEA on Friday warned of potential nuclear safety hazards from the ongoing Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and cautioned Israel against targeting Iran's Busherh nuclear power plant and a nuclear research laboratory in Tehran. Washington-based military experts assessed that only the US Air Force had the right type of munitions to destroy Fordow. Involving the US in the Israel-Iran war is a watershed moment for Trump's presidency. Trump in the past decade has often lambasted his predecessors for involving the US in costly and fruitless military adventures in the Middle East. But he has changed his tune since the beginning of Israel's offensive on Iran, claiming that eliminating Iran's nuclear program was worth the US involvement. Trump, in his televised address, referenced the US' killing of senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in January 2020 — the last time US and Iranian forces directly exchanged fire. Tehran's response at that time involved missile attacks on US bases in Iraq that wounded more than 100 US military personnel, but drew no heavy US retaliation. The markets will closely watch Tehran's reaction to the US air strikes. Even before the US bombing raids, Trump's public musings about a possible US role in Israel's campaign against Iran in the past week spurred the oil industry and shipping sectors to increase the risk premiums embedded in their calculations. Most immediately at stake are Iran's 2.5mn b/d of crude, condensate and products exports, which mostly head to China. Oil markets are also concerned about the risk of contagion if Israel and the US draw retaliatory attacks elsewhere in the Mideast Gulf or jeopardize shipping through the strait of Hormuz — the global oil market's single most vulnerable chokepoint, through which pass about 17mn b/d of crude and products, or about a quarter of seaborne oil trade. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US bombs nuclear sites in Iran

22/06/25

US bombs nuclear sites in Iran

Washington, 21 June (Argus) — The US conducted air strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran, President Donald Trump said Saturday evening. The US bombers targeted the heavily fortified, underground facility at Fordow and sites at Natanz and Isfahan, Trump said on his social media platform. He said he would make a televised address at 10pm ET Saturday "regarding our very successful military operation in Iran". "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow," Trump said. Trump waited until after the US planes had left Iranian airspace before making the announcement. Israel's air and missile strikes, underway since 13 June, already targeted those three facilities, in addition to some domestic energy infrastructure and urban areas across Iran. UN nuclear watchdog the IAEA on Friday warned of potential nuclear safety hazards from the ongoing Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities and cautioned Israel against targeting Iran's Busherh nuclear power plant and a nuclear research laboratory in Tehran. Washington-based military experts assessed that only the US Air Force had the right type of munitions to destroy Fordow. Involving the US in the Israel-Iran war is a watershed moment for Trump's presidency. Trump in the past decade often lambasted his predecessors for involving the US in costly and fruitless military adventures in the Middle East. But he has changed his tune since the beginning of Israel's offensive on Iran, claiming that eliminating Iran's nuclear program was worth the US involvement. Trump's public musings about a possible US role in Israel's campaign against Iran in the past week spurred the oil industry and shipping sectors to increase the risk premiums embedded in their calculations. Trump since 13 June alternatively held out the prospect of diplomacy and discussed killing senior Iranian leaders. Even today, after the US air strikes, Trump posted that "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!". The markets will closely watch Tehran's reaction to the US air strikes. Most immediately at stake are Iran's 2.5mn b/d of crude, condensate and products exports, which mostly head to China. Oil markets are also concerned about the risk of contagion if Israel and the US draw retaliatory attacks elsewhere in the Mideast Gulf or jeopardize shipping through the strait of Hormuz — the global oil market's single most vulnerable chokepoint, through which pass about 17mn b/d of crude and products, or about a quarter of seaborne oil trade. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Cop 28 outcome must be implemented in full: Cop 30 head

20/06/25

Cop 28 outcome must be implemented in full: Cop 30 head

London, 20 June (Argus) — The incoming UN Cop 30 summit president Andre Correa do Lago has set out his objectives for the conference in November, placing as a key priority the Cop 28 outcome of trebling renewables capacity and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Correa do Lago today said his plan is to drive "collective action" to tackle climate change, placing a strong emphasis on the global stocktake, the first of which was concluded at Cop 28 in 2023 . That outcome saw almost 200 countries commit to "transition away" from fossil fuels, as well as treble renewables capacity by 2030. The global stocktake, a five-yearly process, sets out progress made towards Paris climate agreement goals. Today's "Action Agenda must drive momentum towards the full implementation of the GST [global stocktake]", Correa do Lago said. The incoming Cop president is focusing on implementing agreements made at previous Cops, and ensuring that countries and all other stakeholders — such as sub-nationals and the private sector — work together to put the decisions into action. Correa do Lago's letter today repeated language from the Cop 28 outcome, and noted his other main themes for Cop 30, which will take place in Belem, in Brazil's Para state, on 10-21 November. As well as shifting energy, industry and transport from fossil fuel-powered to lower- or zero-carbon alternatives, he listed forests, oceans and biodiversity and agriculture and food as key topics. Further topics involved building resilience for cities, infrastructure and water and human and social development. A final priority was enablers and accelerators across the board, including for finance and technology. Correa do Lago said in May that Cop 30 should be a "pivot point" to action on climate change, and "a new era of putting into practice" what has been agreed at previous Cop summits. He has noted a difficult geopolitical situation , which could make talks more challenging. Brazil's Cop 30 presidency is also focused on climate finance at UN climate talks, currently underway in Bonn, Germany. These 'halfway point' discussions serve to cover substantial technical groundwork ahead of political talks at Cop summits each November. Brazil yesterday at Bonn presented a draft of a roadmap to scale up climate finance — from all sources — to $1.3 trillion/year by 2035. The roadmap will not be officially negotiated, although it was a key outcome from Cop 29 in 2024 and is likely to be finalised just ahead of Cop 30 this year. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

SEE gas operators propose changes to Route 1 product

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.

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.

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