US rejects tariff exemption for steel in oil wells
President Donald Trump's administration shot down its first request from an importer of oil and gas equipment to waive a 25pc tariff on steel imports, as rising trade fights become a worry for the oil and gas sector.
Borusan Mannesmann Pipe US sought the tariff exclusion for 135,000 t/yr of "green" steel tubing and casing it imports from Turkey and finishes at its facility in Baytown, Texas. The company argued waiving duties would "enhance national security" by allowing it to increase domestic production of steel products in high demand by the energy sector.
The administration, in decisions the US Commerce Department issued yesterday, denied the company's waiver requests. Commerce said the imported products are manufactured in high enough volumes in the US and there were "no overriding national security concerns" to justify providing tariff exclusions. Borusan did not respond for comment.
The waiver denials come amid concerns from oil and gas companies about trade fights. The US today put into effect tariffs on $34bn of Chinese imports, causing China to immediately retaliate with its own equivalent tariffs on US goods.
Trump yesterday threatened to impose tariffs on another $16bn in Chinese imports in two weeks and said he had tariffs for another $450bn of imports in waiting. China's next tranche of tariffs would include a 25pc tariff on energy and chemical imports.
Borusan's waiver request covered just 4pc of the 3.1mn metric tons of oil country tubular goods the US imported last year, according to US Census data. But the request has been closely watched for hints about how the administration might respond to tariff waiver requests from oil and gas companies that similarly cite national security.
Shell's offshore division has cited national security in requests to waive tariffs on 18,900 t/y of tubing and casing it says are unavailable from US manufacturers. Delaying and raising the cost of oil and gas extraction "does not serve the national security," the company said in its requests for exemptions.
US independents Hess and Marathon Oil made similar arguments in requests to waive tariffs on 3,700 t/y and 5,000 t/yr, respectively, of steel. Hess said tariffs were detrimental to the "financial viability of exploration and production activities that bolster national security." Chevron cited national security in its request for exemptions on 460 t/yr of steel.
Oil and gas companies have said the specialty steel products they need are not available in the US. BP took this approach when requesting to waive tariffs on 14,000 t/y or pipes, tubes and other products that will primarily be used in its 140,000 b/d Mad Dog 2 project in the US Gulf of Mexico.
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Pemex bajo presión para mantener refinación alta
Pemex bajo presión para mantener refinación alta
Mexico City, 7 May (Argus) — La refinación de crudo de Pemex, propiedad estatal de México, en marzo alcanzó sus niveles más altos en casi ocho años antes de las elecciones presidenciales del 2 de junio, pero la empresa podría enfrentarse a desafíos para mantener niveles de refinadoaltos en los próximos meses. Las seis refinerías nacionales de Pemex procesaron más de 1 millón b/d de crudo en marzo por primera vez desde junio de 2016, impulsadas por el progreso en la rehabilitación de las refinerías y una disminución de las exportaciones de crudo para alimentar el sistema de refinación. El presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador busca reducir las importaciones de combustible en su último año en el cargo, en línea con su promesa de campaña de volver a México más independiente en energía. Sin embargo, los niveles de proceso de crudo podrían disminuir en abril-mayo después de que se produjeran incendios en las refinerías Minatitlán y Salina Cruz a finales de abril. Además, las refinerías de Salina Cruz (330,000 b/d) y Tula (315,000 b/d), las más grandes de México, siguen batallando con una producción elevada de combustóleo con alto contenido de azufre, lo que limita las capacidades de las refinerías para operar a altas tasas simultáneamente. Pemex lleva mucho tiempo luchando con la elevada producción de combustóleo, ya que México produce principalmente crudo pesado, lo que crea una serie de desafíos operativos. El combustóleo suele ocupar valioso espacio de almacenamiento necesario para productos de mayor valor, lo que puede limitar la producción de combustibles más ligeros. Las exportaciones récord de combustóleo en marzo, impulsadas por un aumento de la demanda en la costa del Golfo de EE. UU. después de los reacondicionamientos de la refinería, permitieron a Pemex elevar las operaciones en ambas refinerías simultáneamente. Sin embargo, el problema podría volver a afectar a Pemex en los próximos meses cuando la demanda de combustóleo disminuya y la empresa se vea obligada a almacenar el producto. Pemex está construyendo unidades de coquización en ambas refinerías para resolver este problema, pero no se espera que la unidad de Tula comience a funcionar hasta al menos finales de año, mientras que la unidad de coquización de Salina Cruz comenzaría a finales de 2025. Mientras tanto, la refinería Cadereyta de 275.000 b/d podría compensar parcialmente una disminución en el procesamiento de crudo en Tula y Salina Cruz, ya que su configuración le permite producir menos combustóleo, una fuente familiarizada con las operaciones de Pemex ha dicho a Argus . Las tasas de refinación de Pemex comenzaron a caer en 2014 después de que la administración anterior decidiera depender menos de la producción nacional y centrarse en abrir el mercado de la energía, antes hermético a inversiones externas. En cambio, López Obrador invirtió al menos $3.7 mil millones en mantenimiento para las refinerías antiguas de Pemex de 2019-2023, excluyendo proyectos importantes como las coquizadoras en construcción, además de $17 mil millones para la nueva refinería Olmeca. Cambios en el flujo de crudo y combustible Los mayores niveles de refinación de Pemex han disminuido el flujo de crudo y combustible entre México y EE. UU., y el arranque de Olmeca podría alterar aún más los flujos. Pemex redujo sus importaciones de gasolina y diésel en 25pc a 419,000 b/d en marzo, comparado con 562,000 b/d el año pasado, como resultado de un mejor rendimiento de las refinerías. Las exportaciones de crudo de México cayeron un 29pc hasta un mínimo histórico de 687,000 b/d en marzo, por una menor producción y mayores niveles de refinación. El flujo de crudo y combustible entre México y EE. UU. podría disminuir aún más una vez que Olmeca comience operaciones comerciales y si Pemex mantiene un alto nivel de refinación en sus otras refinerías. La refinería Olmeca comenzará a producir diésel de ultra bajo azufre esta semana, procesando destilados enviados desde la refinería Madero, dijo Pemex el 3 de mayo. Pero la refinería no ha cumplido varios plazos prometidos, el más reciente en abril. La unidad de destilación de crudo de la refinería, la primera unidad de procesamiento, se enfrenta a "problemas importantes" que han retrasado el inicio de la refinería, aunque otras unidades de procesamiento secundario están listas para comenzar, dijo a Argus una fuente familiarizada con las operaciones de Pemex. Sin embargo, el mercado se mantiene escéptico de que se puedan mantener los niveles de refinación después de las elecciones del 2 de junio, ya que Pemex sigue enfrentándose a problemas operativos en sus refinerías. Pero la candidata del partido gobernante Claudia Sheinbaum lidera la votación con doble dígito y se espera que continúe el proyecto actual del gobierno para reforzar Pemex y aumentar los niveles de refinación de la empresa. Por Antonio Gozain Exportaciones de crudo, importaciones de combustible de Pemex ’000 b/d Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US set to resume crude purchases for SPR
US set to resume crude purchases for SPR
Washington, 7 May (Argus) — The US is set to resume crude purchases for the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), after calling off a planned 3mn bl refill last month following a rise in crude prices. The US Department of Energy (DOE) today said it plans to purchase up to 3.3mn bl of sour crude for delivery in October to the SPR's Big Hill storage site in Texas. The solicitation sets a maximum price of $79.99/bl for the offers, a slight increase from the $79/bl ceiling it used in the recent monthly purchases. The agency last month called off two pending solicitations that sought to buy 1.5mn bl/month for delivery to the SPR's Bayou Choctaw site in August and September, citing higher crude prices. The most recent SPR refill, nearly 2.8mn bl of sour crude for delivery in September, cost an average of $81.34/bl. DOE says it has has already purchased a total of 32.3mn bl at an average price of $76.98/bl, well below the average $95/bl it received from the sale of 180mn bl of crude from the SPR to respond to market turbulence after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Energy secretary Jennifer Granholm told lawmakers last week that two out of four SPR sites were undergoing maintenance and would not be able to accept SPR deliveries until the end of the year. "We want to continue to fill it, and we will," Grahnolm said. The SPR held 367.2mn bl as of 3 May. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Liberty Merchant Bar to be 'mothballed', sources say
Liberty Merchant Bar to be 'mothballed', sources say
London, 7 May (Argus) — Liberty Steel will announce the mothballing of Liberty Merchant Bar (LMB) in Scunthorpe, England, this week, multiple sources told Argus . LMB has effectively been mothballed for a couple of years, as it stopped producing in 2022 amid cash constraints and problems with energy supply. The mill was powered by gas captured in the coke-making process at British Steel , but that supply has now stopped. Sources suggest the mothballing announcement is really a sign that the plant will not reopen, given it has been off line for so long. Around 135 staff are employed at the site — it is not clear whether they will be redeployed elsewhere in the group. Liberty recently said it has signed a new framework agreement with its major creditors, following the refinancing of its Infrabuild business in Australia, which would enable it to "consolidate its UK steel businesses under a new entity with a simpler structure, a strong balance sheet and greater access to third-party finance and investment". Liberty has been promising to publish consolidated financial results since 2019, but is still yet to do so. Under this consolidation, existing UK companies will transfer their assets and employees to the new entity, the company said. The change has enabled "development of a comprehensive plan that aims to take Liberty's electric arc furnace (EAF) melting capacity" at Rotherham to 2mn t/yr, the company added. The two existing furnaces at the site — N and T — have a capacity of 1.2mn t/yr, but have been running well below this. Only T is running at present, following prepayment from aerospace customers, and it has produced less than 7,000t so far this year. Liberty's eventual plan is to produce feed for longs and engineering bar from furnace N, feed for aerospace customers from furnace T, and to install a new EAF to produce slab for the company's plate and coil mills in Scotland and Wales. The company declined comment. By Colin Richardson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia’s Gorgon LNG train to be out for five weeks
Australia’s Gorgon LNG train to be out for five weeks
Singapore, 7 May (Argus) — One of three trains at Australia's 15.6mn t/yr Gorgon export terminal will be off line for five weeks, operator Chevron told Argus on 7 May. The train has been off line since 30 April because of a mechanical fault in a turbine. Chevron's five-week shutdown expectation is slightly longer than the initially expected shutdown period of about 2-3 weeks, traders said. Each week of downtime on one train at Gorgon reduces the terminal's available liquefaction capacity by about 100,000t. The five-week shutdown is likely to reduce the terminal's production by about 5-8 cargoes, traders said. One standard-sized cargo is roughly equivalent to 60,000-70,000t of LNG. But overarching sentiment from market participants is that the impact on both prices and supply will be limited, as only one train is affected and there are ample cargoes for June and July. There will be a temporary spike in prices as affected buyers — if any — will have to secure prompt cargoes to replace lost LNG from Gorgon, keeping prices supported well above $10/mn Btu, traders said. The shutdown will have a greater impact on prices if repair works drag on for longer and affect summer deliveries, they added. The ANEA price, the Argus assessment for spot LNG deliveries to northeast Asia, for the first and second half June were assessed at $10.57/mn Btu and $10.58/mn Btu on 7 May, higher by 40¢/mn Btu from the previous day. First- and second-half July ANEA prices were assessed at $10.64/mn Btu and $10.66/mn Btu, up by 36¢/mn Btu/mn Btu from a day earlier. Chevron has rescheduled deliveries of some LNG cargoes for their Asian offtakers, according to some traders. Further details are unclear. Shell might have bought around 3-4 cargoes because of the shutdown at Gorgon, according to traders. It is not clear whether the cargoes are for June or July delivery. Some traders have offered both June- and July-delivery cargoes to Chevron but the firm has responded by saying that the shortfall can be managed by optimising its own portfolio, traders said. The Gorgon LNG joint venture is operated by Chevron with a 47pc stake, while ExxonMobil and Shell hold 25pc each. By Simone Tam Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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