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Keyera acquiring Plains' Canada NGL assets for $3.75bn

  • Spanish Market: LPG, Natural gas, Petrochemicals
  • 17/06/25

Midstream operator Keyera will acquire Plains All American's Canadian natural gas liquids (NGLs) business for C$5.15bn ($3.75bn).

The transaction, which is expected to close by the first quarter of 2026, includes 193,000 b/d of fractionation capacity in western Canada, more than 1,500 miles of pipelines gathering 575,000 b/d of NGLs, 23mn bl in NGL storage capacity, and the 5.7 Bcf/d Empress straddle gas processing plant.

The acquisition is expected to deliver C$100mn of annual synergies between the assets in the first year, according to Keyera.

Plains said the divestiture will allow the US-based midstream operator to focus on its crude handling assets in both the US and Canada. Plains will keep nearly all of its NGL assets in the US.

The acquisition of Plains' assets gives Keyera NGL fractionators and gas processing plants in Fort Saskatchewan, and at the Empress facility in western Canada as well as storage at Sarnia, Ontario. It also links Keyera's existing assets to takeaway agreements for LPG exports out of British Columbia.

Keyera chief executive Dean Setoguchi said the acquisition "... brings key infrastructure under Canadian ownership, keeping value and decision-making closer to home."

Plain's Canadian business is underpinned by fee-based contracts with an average remaining life of 10 years, Keyera said.

Associated NGL production in Canada is expected to grow by 500,000 b/d by 2040, according to Keyera, as natural gas production in western Canada climbs by 6 Bcf/d during the same timeframe.


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09/07/25

Heatwave eats into Japanese utilities’ LNG stocks

Heatwave eats into Japanese utilities’ LNG stocks

Osaka, 9 July (Argus) — LNG inventories at Japan's main power utilities fell for the second consecutive week during the week to 6 July, as hotter than normal weather boosted electricity demand for cooling and increased gas-fired generation. The utilities held 2mn t of LNG inventories on 6 July, down by 7pc from a week earlier and by 12pc from the recent high of 2.27mn t on 22 June, according to a weekly survey by the trade and industry ministry Meti. But the latest volume was almost in line with the 1.99mn t recorded for 7 July 2024. A large part of Japan has experienced unusually hot weather since the middle of June, with the country's environment ministry, together with the Japan Meteorological Agency, occasionally issuing heatstroke alerts. This boosted the country's power demand to an average of 113GW during the 30 June-6 July period, up by 10pc on the week and by 7pc from a year earlier, according to the Organisation for Cross-regional Co-ordination of Transmission Operators (Occto). Firm electricity demand encouraged power producers to raise gas-fired output by 9.1pc on the week to an average of 36GW during the week to 6 July, the Occto data showed. Coal- and oil-fired generation also rose by 22pc to 31GW and 49pc to 1GW, respectively. Generation economics for Japan's gas-fired power plants improved with higher wholesale electricity prices, which was supported by stronger bidding demand. Margins from a 58pc-efficent gas-fired unit running on spot LNG averaged ¥2.82/kWh ($19.18/MWh) across 30 June-6 July, up from the previous week's ¥0.88/KWh, based on the ANEA — the Argus assessment for spot LNG deliveries to northeast Asia — and Japan Electric Power Exchange' systemwide prices. The 58pc spark spread using oil-priced LNG supplies also rose by 35pc to an average of ¥3.90/kWh. By Motoko Hasegawa Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

PVC producer Vynova to close Beek site


08/07/25
08/07/25

PVC producer Vynova to close Beek site

London, 8 July (Argus) — European chlor-vinyls producer Vynova said it intends to close its 225,000 t/yr PVC producing site in Beek, the Netherlands, by November 2025. The company said pressures on the site included "global overcapacity, persistently weak demand and increased competition from regions with lower production costs and less stringent regulations". Vynova said it did not expect these conditions to improve in the short term. The company also operates a 275,000 t/yr capacity PVC producing site in Mazingarbe, France, and a 340,000 t/yr site in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Two PVC producing sites in Europe have already closed this year — a 135,000 t/yr capacity plant in Spolana, Czech Republic, and a smaller site operated by Fortischem in Slovakia. By George Barsted Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

EU proposes support package for chemicals sector


08/07/25
08/07/25

EU proposes support package for chemicals sector

Brussels, 8 July (Argus) — The European Commission today proposed a package of measures to support the EU chemicals sector, aiming to address high energy costs, global competition and weak demand. The plan includes extending emissions trading system (ETS) compensation to more producers and simplifying fertilizer registration rules. The commission said the simplification measures could save the sector €363mn/yr. The proposals are part of a broader action plan to boost competitiveness and secure supply chains. A new Critical Chemicals Alliance will identify key production sites in need of policy support, including on trade issues such as supply chain dependencies and market distortions. The commission also pledged to apply trade defence measures more quickly and expand chemical import monitoring under an existing surveillance task force. While the commission stopped short of proposing a Critical Chemicals Act — which would legally define specific chemicals for support — it named steam crackers, ammonia, chlorine and methanol as "essential" to the EU economy. The alliance will aim to align investment and co-ordinate support, including through the bloc's Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) programme. The commission also decided on new rules legally defining low-carbon hydrogen today and said it plans to allow more state aid for electricity-intensive chemical producers by the end of the year. It also encouraged the use of carbon capture, biomass, waste and renewables. EU industry commissioner Stephane Sejourne said the action plan uses "all levers" to put the chemicals sector back on a growth track, with measures to retain steam crackers and other key chemical assets in Europe. He also highlighted efforts to secure domestic demand for "clean and made-in-Europe chemicals". The commission will align fertilizer registration rules with the EU's REACH chemicals framework, applying standard REACH provisions and streamlining the assessment of micro-organisms used in fertilizers. Officials said the changes will maintain safety and agro-economic efficiency standards while allowing a broader range of micro-organisms. For ETS indirect cost compensation, the commission plans to expand the list of eligible chemicals — including organic chemicals and fertilizers — but must first update existing state aid guidelines, a senior EU official said. By Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Alberta, Ontario to study oil pipelines, port, rail


07/07/25
07/07/25

Alberta, Ontario to study oil pipelines, port, rail

Calgary, 7 July (Argus) — Alberta and Ontario plan to study new trade routes to boost economic activity between the two provinces and beyond, with an interest in exporting oil and gas through Hudson Bay, leaders said today. Alberta premier Danielle Smith and Ontario premier Doug Ford signed two memorandums of understanding to drive interprovincial trade and major infrastructure development, including pipelines and rail lines. The broad intent is to further connect Alberta's energy resources to Canada's most populous province, and on to foreign partners, using steel from Ontario. "Built using Ontario steel, new pipelines would connect western Canadian oil and gas to existing, and potential, new refineries in southern Ontario," said Ford during a joint press conference in Calgary, Alberta. A "potential" new deep sea port at James Bay on the south side of Hudson Bay in northern Ontario would also enable further export opportunities for land-locked Alberta, which is trying to get more pipelines built before growing oil sands production fill existing capacity. Oil and gas would need to flow across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to get to Ontario. Alberta has taken an all-of-the-above strategy in its pipeline pursuits, calling for more egress in all directions, including enhanced access to Pacific Rim markets via a 1mn b/d bitumen pipeline to British Columbia's (BC) coast. "Having access to the northwest BC coast is essential to being able to get to Asian markets, and that's the one that we hear the most enthusiasm for," said Alberta premier Danielle Smith, who expects to have some "good news" on that front in a few months. Federal regulations need to be undone: premiers Smith and Ford called on the federal government to significantly amend or outright repeal the onerous Impact Assessment Act and other legislation that has stifled investment, including the oil and gas emissions cap, Clean Electricity Regulations and the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act that currently prevents an oil pipeline to BC's northwest coast. "No one will build a pipeline to tidewaters if there is a ban on tankers," said Ford. "It is the craziest thing I've ever heard of . . . a ban on tankers." Ford is the latest premier to side with Alberta's stance on federal oversight after Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe did in June . Ford's automobile , steel and aluminum sectors have been caught in US president Donald Trump's crosshairs, spurring the premier to look elsewhere to shore up trade, including within Canada. But hostilities from south of the border are not new for Ontario, whose refining sector relies on Enbridge's 540,000 b/d Line 5 cross-border pipeline. "We have the governor of Michigan constantly threatening to close down the pipeline," said Ford. "Do you know the disaster that would create in Ontario?" To both kickstart a lagging economy and pivot away from the US, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney fast-tracked Bill C-5 through Parliament last month to allow "nation building" projects to bypass regulatory hurdles. To be considered for the new "National Interest Projects" list, a project should strengthen Canada's autonomy, provide economic benefits, have a high likelihood of completion, be in the interests of Indigenous groups, and contribute to meeting Canada's climate change objectives. "The days of relying on the United States 100pc, they're done, they're gone," said Ford. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Drilling slowdown undermines Trump’s energy dominance


07/07/25
07/07/25

Drilling slowdown undermines Trump’s energy dominance

New York, 7 July (Argus) — US shale producers expect to drill fewer wells in 2025 than they initially planned to at the start of the year, dealing a potential blow to President Donald Trump's goal of unleashing energy dominance. Almost half of the executives quizzed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in its second-quarter 2025 energy survey have scaled back their anticipated drilling in response to lower crude prices. The decline was most notable among the large operators — or those with output of at least 10,000 b/d — that now account for about 80pc of total US production, according to the bank. The anonymous survey, which gauges the pulse of the shale heartland, has become an outlet for industry insiders to vent their growing frustration at the Trump administration, and executives from exploration and production (E&P) firms offered a withering criticism of the president's tariff policies and unrelenting push for lower oil prices that have contributed to an industry-wide slowdown. "It's hard to imagine how much worse policies and DC rhetoric could have been for US E&P companies," one unidentified executive wrote. "We were promised by the administration a better environment for producers but were delivered a world that has benefited Opec to the detriment of our domestic industry." The survey found that activity contracted slightly in the three months to the end of June, with firms becoming increasingly uncertain about the outlook. "The key point from this survey release is that conditions deteriorated for companies in the oil and gas sector this quarter, with survey responses pointing to a small decline in overall activity as well as oil and gas production," Dallas Fed senior business economist Kunal Patel says. The deteriorating outlook for shale comes as the Opec+ group has stepped up efforts to unwind past output cuts, which might help it to regain market share. But the White House argues that efforts to remove permitting obstacles will help the homegrown oil industry to thrive over the longer term, bolstered by Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill that paves the way for expanded oil and gas leasing. Still, that did not stop executives in the latest Dallas Fed survey from complaining that Trump's " Liberation Day chaos " has jeopardised the sector's prospects, and recent volatility is inconsistent with the president's "Drill, baby, drill" mantra. One drew attention to calls from some within the White House for a price target of $50/bl. "Everyone should understand that $50 is not a sustainable price for oil," the executive said. "It needs to be mid-$60s." Firms were also asked about how their production would change at lower prices. A slight decline was expected if oil prices hovered around $60/bl over the next 12 months, while a significant pullback was anticipated if oil retreated as far as $50/bl. Steel yourself About a quarter of producers estimated that tariffs have increased the cost of drilling and completing a new well by as much as 6pc. And about half of the surveyed oil field services firms expect a recent increase in US steel import tariffs to result in a slight decline in customer demand in the next year. "Despite efforts to mitigate their impact, the scale and breadth of the tariffs have forced us to pass these costs on to our customers," one services firm executive wrote. "This comes... when the economics of oil and gas production are already challenged due to the dynamics of global oil supply and demand." On top of this, firms expect challenges related to the huge volumes of water produced alongside oil in the top Permian basin of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico to act as a constraint on drilling in the next five years. "Water management continues to disrupt plans and add significant costs," one executive said. By Stephen Cunningham Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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