Iran awards key Sohrab field development to local firm

: Crude oil
22/02/07

Iran's state-owned NIOC has awarded an $800mn contract to local upstream contractor Dana Energy to develop the 2bn bl Sohrab oil field in the country's western Khuzestan oil and gas heartland.

Sohrab is one of several fields that straddle Iran's border with Iraq. These and the other fields that Iran shares with its neighbors in the Mideast Gulf have long played a key part in Tehran's efforts to expand its crude output capacity.

This contract seemingly builds on a non-binding agreement that was signed between the two companies almost a decade ago. But the on-again, off-again western sanctions on Iran over this period, and the financial constraints that they brought, left them unable to progress to a final agreement until now.

Over the contract's 20-year duration, Dana Energy has committed to produce 160mn bl from the field and to raise production to a plateau of 30,000 b/d, NIOC said. Iran's oil ministry said the field holds 16°API crude in the Ilam layer, 17.5°API crude in the Sarvak layer, 31°API crude in the Kajdomi layer and 35°API in the Gadvan layer.

The project will be developed under the terms of the Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC), the upstream investment contract that Tehran rolled out in late 2016 in anticipation of renewed foreign investment following the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions that came with the signing of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Iran only managed to close a handful of deals under the IPC framework before then US president Donald Trump reimposed sanctions in 2018.

Neither NOC nor Dana Energy discloses how long it would take for the Sohrab field to be developed. The 2012 plan envisaged development taking between 48 and 52 months.

Sohrab is located northwest of Ahvaz in Khuzestan. NIOC says the field shares a reservoir with the 1bn bl Huwaiza field in Iraq, which Iraqi state-owned Misan Oil (MOC) began to develop in 2017.

By Nader Itayim

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25/05/22

Iraq signs integrated energy deal with China’s Geo-Jade

Dubai, 22 May (Argus) — Iraq's oil ministry has signed an agreement with China's Geo-Jade Petroleum and local firm Basra Crescent to expand the capacity of the 20,000 b/d Tuba oil field and develop a suite of downstream and power assets, in a move that mirrors recent integrated energy deals with international partners. A key component of the South Basrah Integrated Energy Project will be to raise Tuba's production capacity to 100,000 b/d, oil minister Hayan Abdulghani said at the signing ceremony in Baghdad on 21 May. The project will also include processing of up to 50mn ft³/d of associated gas. Downstream components include a 200,000 b/d refinery, a 620,000 t/yr petrochemical plant and a 520,000 t/yr fertilizer facility. A 650MW thermal power plant and a 400MW solar plant will also be part of the project, Abdulghani said. No financial details or project timelines were disclosed. The agreement marks a further step in Geo-Jade's expansion in Iraq, following its successful participation in the country's fifth and sixth licensing rounds. While the company now holds multiple upstream assets in Iraq, it has yet to bring any into production. The deal follows a similar multi-billion dollar agreement signed with TotalEnergies in 2023 , which bundled gas processing, water treatment and solar power with development of the Ratawi field. In February this year, BP signed a major upstream deal with Iraq that also includes power, water and potentially exploration. By Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mexican GDP outlook dims on tariffs: IMEF

25/05/21

Mexican GDP outlook dims on tariffs: IMEF

Mexico City, 21 May (Argus) — Mexico's association of finance executives IMEF lowered its 2025 growth forecast for a fourth consecutive month, citing the growing impact of US tariffs on the economy. GDP is now expected to grow just 0.1pc in 2025, according to IMEF's May survey, down from 0.2pc estimates in April, 0.6pc in March and 1pc in February. The number of respondents forecasting a contraction in GDP rose to 16, or 37pc of the sample, from nine in April. While the US has granted some exemptions and discounts for Mexican goods meeting regional content rules, IMEF said the effective tariff rate on Mexican exports remains higher than that for Canada, Brazil, India, Vietnam and others. "We're already seeing the [tariffs'] impacts," said IMEF economic studies director Victor Herrera, adding that May trade data will likely show a sharp drop in Mexican exports to the US. Trade is also being hit by a screwworm outbreak in cattle that led to port closures last week and curtailed beef exports, which account for $1.3bn in annual exports. More automakers could relocate or scale back production in Mexico, Herrera said, after Stellantis confirmed plans to shift some operations to the US and recent reports Nissan may close one or both of its Mexican plants. In response, Mexico this week sent deputy economy minister Luis Rosendo Gutierrez to Tokyo to meet with Mazda, Nissan, Toyota and Honda executives. IMEF cut its 2025 job creation forecast to 200,000 in May from 220,000 in April. Mexico's social security administration IMSS reported only 43,500 new jobs over the past 12 months as of 5 May. Beyond trade, IMEF flagged uncertainty from recent constitutional reforms and the potential for a US tax on remittances as additional risks to growth. The group held its 2025 inflation forecast steady at 3.8pc, despite Mexico's consumer price index rising to 3.93pc in April from 3.80pc in March . IMEF noted concerns about a potential rebound in inflation later this year after the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 9pc on 8 May — the third such cut in 2025. The group now sees the end-2025 rate at 7.75pc, down from 8pc previously. IMEF expects the peso to end the year at Ps20.80/$1, slightly lower than the Ps20.90/$1 forecast in April. The peso recently strengthened to Ps19.34/$1, though Herrera said this reflected dollar weakness more than peso strength. By James Young Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Phillips 66 shareholders split board vote

25/05/21

Phillips 66 shareholders split board vote

Houston, 21 May (Argus) — Activist hedge fund Elliott Investment Management is set to win two seats on Phillips 66's board of directors, short of its goal of four seats, according to preliminary results. Two Phillips 66 nominees were also elected in the vote, a positive result for the US refiner and midstream operator. Elliott, which has amassed a $2.5bn stake in Phillips 66, had put forth four nominees for the board in a proxy fight which culminated today at an annual meeting of shareholders. Both sides declared victory after the split vote on the four open seats. Phillips 66 said the vote reflects a belief in its integrated strategy of holding assets in different sectors, while Elliott said the vote "sends a clear message" that shareholders demand meaningful change at Phillips 66. The two Elliott nominees elected to the 14-member Phillips 66 board are Sigmund Cornelius, former chief financial officer of ConocoPhillips and Michael Heim, former chief operating officer of Targa Resources, according to preliminary voting results. The two Phillips 66 nominees elected to the board are Nigel Hearne, a 35-year veteran of Chevron, and Robert Pease, a former Motiva and Cenovus downstream executive who was appointed to the board in 2024 to address Elliott's concerns about a shift in focus from refining to midstream. Phillips 66 also said today that shareholders "overwhelmingly" rejected an Elliott proposal requiring annual director resignations, according to the preliminary results. The voting tally will be tabulated and certified by an independent inspector and final results will be reported to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The two Elliott nominees for the Phillips 66 board who were not elected are Brian Coffman, former chief executive at Motiva, and Stacy Nieuwoudt, former energy analyst at Citadel. The two Phillips 66 nominees to the board that were not elected are current director John Lowe, who was up for re-election, and Howard Ungerleider, a former Dow president and chief financial officer. Long-running battle over direction Elliott contends that Phillips 66 has consistently trailed its industry peers and needs to streamline operations, including spinning off or selling its midstream business, selling its 50pc stake in Chevron Phillips Chemical (CPChem), and possibly other assets. Elliott has waged an aggressive campaign, launching a website dubbed "Streamline 66" with power point presentations, podcasts, biographies of its dissident board nominees, press releases and information on how shareholders can vote. Phillips 66 has told shareholders that its board and management team are implementing a transformative strategy that has delivered results. The company has expanded its NGL business, improved its refining cost structure and continues to position CPChem as the lowest cost producer of ethylene, Phillips 66 said. Phillips 66 told shareholders that Elliott was pushing "an aggressive short-term agenda" that would cause disruption, slow momentum and jeopardize shareholders' investment capital. Phillips 66 has made some adjustments since Elliot started to agitate for change. In addition to adding Pease to the board, the company recently agreed to sell off some of its European retail business , and expects about $1.6bn in pre-tax cash proceeds from the sale that it will use toward debt reduction and shareholder returns. But the refiner has resisted the other major Elliott recommendations to divest its midstream business and sell its 50pc share of CPChem, saying earlier this month that the Phillips board has evaluated them and "came to the conclusion that neither action is in the best interest of long-term shareholders at this time". Meanwhile, Chevron has advised Phillips 66 of its interest in acquiring the other half of CPChem "at a reasonable value for both parties", Chevron chief executive Mike Wirth said on 2 May. Three top shareholder advisory firms [backed the Elliott nominees] (https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2687988) in the proxy fight. Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Egan-Jones recommending all four of Elliot's dissident nominees, while Glass Lewis backed three of the four. By Eunice Bridges Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Nigeria's Dangote to import 9mn bl WTI crude in June

25/05/21

Nigeria's Dangote to import 9mn bl WTI crude in June

London, 21 May (Argus) — Nigeria's 650,000 b/d Dangote refinery has bought 9mn bl of US light sweet WTI for delivery in June, according to traders, the most for any month since it started up in early 2024. Trading firm Vitol sold three 2mn bl shipments, and trading firm Petraco sold one 2mn bl cargo and a Suezmax-sized shipment. Only one 2mn bl cargo of WTI has arrived at Dangote in May to date, after three in April, according to Vortexa. Dangote was built to run Nigerian crude, but its share of local grades has been 50pc or less in recent months. Nigeria's state-run NNPC allocated six June-loading cargoes to Dangote — two of medium sweet Escravos, and one each of light sweet grades Brass River, Bonny Light, Okwuibome and Yoho — for a maximum of 6mn bl. Market participants expect NNPC to slightly increase its official crude formula prices for June supplies, which should surface before the end of May. Even small increases to official prices would erode the appeal of Nigerian grades compared with WTI. WTI for front-month delivery averaged a 90¢/bl premium to North Sea Dated on a delivered-Europe basis in the 1-20 May period. The deals to Dangote were struck at similar levels on a delivered-Nigeria basis, although price levels were unconfirmed. Escravos' official price was a $1.63/bl premium to Dated for May, and Bonny Light was 48¢/bl above the benchmark on a fob basis — already close or higher than delivered WTI prices, without freight. Dangote has provided an outlet for US light sweet crude at a time of subdued demand from Europe. Around 1.5mn b/d of WTI is booked to arrive to Europe in June, which is lower than typical amounts, according to traders. Tracking data do not always capture the amount of WTI accurately. Relatively cheap Caspian CPC Blend has been weighing on European demand for WTI, according to traders. The Caspian light sour grade has been on average $3.20/bl cheaper on a cif Augusta basis than WTI on a cif Rotterdam basis in May to date. Taking CPC Blend to northwest Europe would incur some additional freight costs, and narrow its discount relative to WTI, but the grade would be still priced below the US crude. Europe is grappling with a glut of light crude grades, partly because of far higher Kazakhstan production an muted Asia-Pacific demand for it, as well as lower demand in Europe due to permanent closures of some refineries. By Lina Bulyk and Sanjana Shivdas Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US gas market expected to tighten in 2026

25/05/20

US gas market expected to tighten in 2026

New York, 20 May (Argus) — US natural gas producers and analysts are forecasting a tighter market in 2026 than previously expected because of rising LNG exports, a slowdown in crude production and a reluctance on the part of gas-focused producers to ramp up supply. The market has already tightened this year as cold winter weather balanced the previously oversupplied domestic market and Venture Global's Plaquemines LNG terminal ramped up faster than expected. Nymex gas delivery for 2026 at the US benchmark Henry Hub settled Tuesday at $4.30/mmBtu, up from $3.91/mmBtu at the start of the year. US LNG exports are expected to rise by 19pc to 14.2 Bcf/d this year, followed by a 15pc increase to 16.4 Bcf/d in 2026, the US Energy Information Administration forecasts. Meanwhile, tariff-induced economic uncertainty and plans by Opec+ to boost supply have lowered crude prices this year, which will probably throttle growth in the Permian basin, a prolific US oil field in west Texas and southeast New Mexico that accounted for 22pc of US gas supply in 2024. US onshore crude production has likely peaked as activity slows in response to the recent decline in oil prices, Diamondback Energy chief executive officer Travis Stice said earlier this month. US producer Antero Resources this week forecast a 5.5 Bcf/d supply growth shortfall from 2025-26 as producers fail to keep up with booming LNG exports, pipeline sales to Mexico and rising gas-fired power demand. Producers have so far been reluctant to ramp up activity in the Haynesville shale basin of east Texas and northwest Louisiana, the major marginal gas supplier to the US market and a key supplier to the coming wave of new US LNG export terminals, all of which are sited in Texas and Louisiana. Producers' hesitation might be linked to past experience, when they ramped up output for new LNG terminals only for those terminals' in-service dates to get pushed back, contributing to an oversupplied market that depressed prices. Haynesville operators' lack of response to higher gas prices in the first quarter of this year led analyst group Enverus to raise its 2026-30 US gas price forecast to $4/mmBtu. Some producers, including EQT, the second-largest US gas producer by volume, are holding off on locking in the elevated prices for 2026 production with financial derivatives, in part because they want exposure to the possibility of even higher prices. Those producers are "playing a little bit of a dangerous game", according to FactSet senior energy analyst Connor McLean. If a mild summer or delayed LNG terminal start-ups reverse expectations of a tighter market, producers might enter a weaker market in 2026 having "missed their chance" at more opportunistic hedges, McLean said. US LNG out the window Tudor Pickering Holt last week raised its "2026 base case forecast" for US gas prices from $4/mmBtu to $5/mmBtu. The Houston-based investment bank expects the US gas market to shift to a state of "material undersupply" in 2026, potentially pushing domestic prices so high that the price of producing LNG from US gas would exceed prevailing global LNG prices. Aside from short-term price spikes caused by storms or maintenance events, this would be the first instance of the US gas-to-global LNG price "arbitrage window" closing since pandemic-induced demand destruction caused more than 175 US LNG cargoes to be cancelled from April-November 2020, according to consultancy McKinsey. Energy Aspects head of North American gas David Seduski said he would not rule out the possibility of high US gas prices reducing exports, but that is not his "base case". According to Seduski, Europe is "in such desperate need of gas" that in the absence of some geopolitical development that boosts Russian gas sales to Europe, high US gas prices would probably just spur higher European gas prices and keep US sales to the continent profitable. Henry Hub prices would probably have to exceed $7/mmBtu given current global gas prices for US LNG cargoes to start being cancelled, FactSet's McLean said. By Julian Hast Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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