EPA readies new biofuel blend mandate proposal

: Agriculture, Biofuels, Emissions, Natural gas, Oil products
25/06/12

President Donald Trump's administration is close to releasing two regulations informing oil refiners how much biofuel they must blend into the conventional fuel supply.

The two rules — proposed biofuel blend mandates for at least 2026 and most likely for 2027 as well as a separate final rule cutting cellulosic fuel mandates for last year — exited White House review on Wednesday, the last step before major regulations can be released. Previously scheduled meetings as part of the process appear to have been cancelled, another signal that the rules' release is imminent.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said it wants to get the frequently delayed Renewable Fuel Standard program back on its statutory timeline, which would require volumes for 2027 to be finalized before November this year. Any proposal will have to go through the typical public comment process and could be changed.

A coalition of biofuel-producing groups and feedstock suppliers, including the American Petroleum Institute, has pushed EPA to set a biomass-based diesel mandate of 5.25bn USG for 2026, hoping that a record-high target will support biorefineries that have struggled this year. Many plants have idled or run less recently, as uncertainty about future blend mandates, the halting rollout of a new clean fuel tax credit, and tariffs that up feedstock costs all hurt margins.

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin also told a House subcommittee last month the agency wanted "to get caught up as quickly as we can" on a backlog of small refiner requests for program exemptions. Courts took issue with EPA's exemption policy during Trump's first term and again during President Joe Biden's tenure, leaving officials now with dozens of waiver requests covering multiple compliance years still pending.

It is unclear whether the rule will provide clarity on EPA's plans for program waivers — including whether the agency will up obligations on other parties to make up for exempt small refiners — but biofuel groups have worried that widespread exemptions would curb demand for their products. The price of Renewable Identification Number (RIN) credits used for program compliance have been volatile this year on rumors about these exemptions, which EPA has called market manipulation.

RIN trading picked up and prices rose on the news as Thursday's session began. Bids and offers for 2025 ethanol D6 RINs, the most prevalent type currently trading, began the day at 96¢/RIN and 98¢/RIN, respectively. Deals were struck shortly after at 98¢/RIN and 99¢/RIN, with seller interest at one point reaching 100¢/RIN — well above a 95.5¢/RIN settle on Wednesday. Biomass-based diesel D4 RINs with concurrent vintage followed the same path with sellers holding ground as high as 107¢/RIN.

By Cole Martin and Matthew Cope

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25/07/12

Trump threatens Mexico, EU with 30pc tariffs

Washington, 12 July (Argus) — President Donald Trump on Saturday said the US will impose 30pc tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and the EU beginning on 1 August. In a move that could significantly disrupt crude, refined product and other commodity flows, Trump made public on his social media platform letters sent to Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Friday threatening the new tariffs. Trump also vowed to raise the tariffs even higher if Mexico or the EU were to retaliate with their own measures. The threats follow similar letters sent to leaders of other countries this past week, including a 35pc tariff on Canadian imports , likewise starting on 1 August, and a 50pc tariff on Brazilian imports . In his letter to Sheinbaum, Trump repeated previous justifications for higher tariffs by pointing to "Mexico's failure to stop the Cartels" smuggling fentanyl into the US. "Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done is not enough," Trump wrote. "If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 30pc that we charge," Trump wrote to Sheinbaum. His letter to von der Leyen included similar language. Trump's previous executive orders regarding tariffs on Mexico and Canada carved out exemptions for goods compliant with the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement. A White House official on Friday, following Trump's 10 July Canadian tariff announcement, said the exemption will remain in place, with a caveat that Trump has yet to determine the final form of application. Regarding the EU, Trump argued the 30pc figure "is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with the EU". Mexico's ministries of the economy, foreign affairs, finance, security and energy said in a statement Saturday that they met with their US counterparts on Friday to begin negotiations to head off the new tariffs before 1 August. "We stated at the meeting that [the new tariff plan] was unfair treatment and that we disagreed." After receipt of the new tariff letter, von der Leyen said Trump's tariffs "would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic". The US has clinched only one limited trade deal, which keeps in place a 10pc tariff on US imports from the UK while granting a lower-tariff import quota for UK-made cars. Trump has announced a deal with Vietnam, setting tariffs at 20pc. By David Ivanovich Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US to loan 1mn bls crude to Louisiana refinery: Update

25/07/11

US to loan 1mn bls crude to Louisiana refinery: Update

Adds details on crude quality issues from Mars pipeline. Washington, 11 July (Argus) — ExxonMobil will borrow up to 1mn bl of crude from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for its 522,500 b/d refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in response to a disruption to offshore supply of crude for the facility. ExxonMobil warned suppliers last week of "serious quality issues" related to elevated levels of zinc in crude supplied by the Mars pipeline, which brings crude from a series of deepwater fields in the Gulf of Mexico to shore, according to market sources. In letters to suppliers ExxonMobil said the crude quality issues were "... significantly affecting the operations at our Baton Rouge Refinery," and that it would stop accepting Mars crude "... in an effort to avoid further damages." The US Department of Energy said today it had approved the loan to ExxonMobil, called an exchange, to ensure a stable supply of transportation fuels in Louisiana and the US Gulf coast. The agency said the crude loan will support ExxonMobil's "restoration of refinery operations that were reduced due to an offshore supply disruption." Chevron, one of the producers that contributes crude to the Mars pipeline, said it has "identified a potential contributing source to the Mars crude composition changes, which is associated with the start-up of a new well." Chevron said it was working to resolve the matter and does not expect it to affect current production guidance. In April Chevron started production from a new deepwater field , Ballymore, which ties into the Mars system. Shell, which owns a majority stake in the Mars pipeline, did not respond to a request for comment. Mars premium to WTI falls The August Mars premium to Nymex-quality WTI has dropped nearly $1/bl in the last week. The August Argus Mars volume-weighted average assessment on Thursday was a 9¢/bl premium to the Nymex-quality WTI Cushing benchmark, nearly $1/bl lower than a week earlier. Mars averaged a 63¢/bl premium for the August trade month through Thursday, but was at a $1.40-$1.50/bl premium at the start of the trade month. The August trade month started 26 June and ends 25 July. The SPR, which consists of four underground storage sites in Texas and Louisiana, held 403mn bl of crude as of 4 July. Under the exchange announced today ExxonMobil will eventually return the borrowed crude — along with additional crude as payment for the loan — to the SPR. The SPR's Bayou Choctaw site connects to refineries in Baton Rouge through the Capline pipeline. In 2021, the Department of Energy authorized a loan of up to 3mn bl from the SPR to ExxonMobil's refinery in Baton Rouge to address disruptions related to Hurricane Ida. ExxonMobil was initially scheduled to return the crude in 2022, but that deadline has been repeatedly pushed back, most recently to require a return of the crude by March 2026. By Chris Knight, Eunice Bridges and Amanda Smith Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Congress resumes push to cut US shipping pollution

25/07/11

Congress resumes push to cut US shipping pollution

New York, 11 July (Argus) — US lawmakers reintroduced two bills Thursday to slash greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) and Alex Padilla (D-California), along with US House of Representatives members Doris Matsui (D-California) and Kevin Mullin (D-California), reintroduced the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act, which would impose pollution fees on large ships calling at US ports. The bill targets vessels over 5,000 gross tonnes with a $150/t fee on carbon, plus fees on nitrogen oxides at $6.30/lb, sulfur dioxide at $18/lb, and fine particulate matter at $38.90/lb. Ship operators would only pay the carbon fee if no equivalent global measure from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is in place. Revenue would go toward modernizing the Jones Act fleet with low-emission ships, electrifying shipbuilding, and addressing pollution at US ports. The group also reintroduced the Clean Shipping Act of 2025, led in the House by Representatives Robert Garcia (D-California). It directs the Environmental Protection Agency to impose carbon intensity standards for marine fuels, targeting 30pc lifecycle CO2-equivalent emissions reduction from 2030, 58pc from 2034, 83pc from 2040, and 100pc from 2050. It also requires all ships at berth or anchor in US ports to emit zero emissions by 2035. The lawmakers say the proposed bills also close a major loophole. Marine shipping is largely exempt from fuel taxes unlike other transport sectors. They say the plan will also support US manufacturing and help reduce the US trade deficit. The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act is endorsed by environmental and advocacy groups including Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club and Ocean Conservancy, among others. The original bills were introduced in 2023 and expired without being enacted. The bills follow the IMO's decision in April to adopt a net-zero framework and a global carbon price proposal for shipping. The US delegation was absent from IMO's April meeting, issuing a statement that "President Trump has made it clear that the US will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the US or the interests of the American people ." By Stefka Wechsler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil advances oil, gas decarbonization strategy

25/07/11

Brazil advances oil, gas decarbonization strategy

Sao Paulo, 11 July (Argus) — Brazil is implementing a roadmap to increase crude output without boosting net emissions from the sector, a key argument for its claim to leadership on climate issues ahead of the Cop 30 UN summit. Although Brazil does not plan to phase out fossil fuel use, it is working to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and slashing greenhouse gases from its hydrocarbons production is part of this strategy. Brazil's oil industry already has a carbon footprint at 14.88kg CO2 equivalent (C02e)/bl of oil equivalent (boe), which is well below the global average of 20kg CO2e/boe, according to the hydrocarbons regulator ANP. But with oil and gas production slated to increase steadily over the next decade, Brazil's government and producers are eyeing a range of options to further slash emissions. "Brazil can double oil output without increasing net emissions by employing existing technologies," Heloisa Borges, the director of oil, gas and biofuels at the government energy planning and research agency (Epe) said. As part of these efforts, the government called on Epe, ANP and state-owned company Pre-Sal Petroleo to present a roadmap to decarbonize the sector. The plan presented in late June outlines options including adopting new technologies and expanding existing emissions reductions techniques, such as leak detection and reducing flaring. "Expanding methane capture not only reduces emissions, but it allows companies to use this gas to substitute other fuels, such as diesel in their operations," Borges said. Other fuel substitution operations include using natural gas as fuel for drilling rigs and electrification of production operations, the study said. State-controlled Petrobras is already advancing its decarbonization strategy. The company's most recent five-year plan earmarks R5.3bn ($950mn) for emissions reductions in its operations as well as $1bn for research and development of new technologies. Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is a key element, according to Lilian Melo, executive director of the Petrobras' research, development and innovation center Cenpes. The company uses high-pressure separation technology to remove CO2 from oil at the mouth of a reservoir and inject it back into the reservoir after the fluids are separated. This technology significantly reduces emissions, especially because crude produced from pre-salt blocks has high CO2 content, Melo said. The CCUS is used on 23 of Petrobras' offshore platforms in the pre-salt. Petrobras is also working to expand electrification of its on and offshore platforms. Power generation is responsible for 65pc of Petrobras' production-related emissions, according to Melo. The company announced this week a contract with Hitachi Energy to assess electrification of its offshore oil operations. Catch and keep Other oil producers are working to reduce the carbon footprint of their operations, including Eneva, which is also weighing investments in carbon capture and storage. The company is conducting a preliminary study to assess the technical viability of injecting CO2 into fields in the Parnaiba basin in Maranhao state. The Gaviao Real field has been operating for more than 10 years and is expected to become depleted in coming years, when it could potentially be converted to store CO2. Eneva is also weighing investments in carbon storage in the Parana basin, where the company has four exploratory blocks. Preliminary seismic data indicates that these blocks also have salt caverns and the company believes that there is significant potential to offer carbon storage to ethanol mills in areas adjacent to the blocks. Despite Brazil's ambitious emissions reduction plan, it has no intention of pulling back on exploration and production. With few exceptions, the Brazilian government is aligned on developing oil and gas reserves to boost economic growth and energy security and holds that the aim does not hurt its role in climate leadership. Brazil's energy sector GHG emissions mn t CO2e Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

USDA boosts soy view on biofuel policy changes

25/07/11

USDA boosts soy view on biofuel policy changes

St Louis, 11 July (Argus) — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) today raised its projected US soybean crush for the 2025-26 marketing year following recent policy changes that are expected to increase domestic soybean oil demand for biofuel production. US soybean crush is expected to rise to a record 69.1mn metric tonnes (t) in the 2025-26 marketing year, the USDA said Friday in its monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (Wasde) report, up by 1.36mn t from the June report. The latest forecast marks a 5pc increase from volume projected for the 2024-25 marketing year. The higher outlook for soybean crush was driven by a substantial increase in anticipated soybean oil use for biofuel production, which the USDA places at 7.03mn t for the marketing year ahead, up by 27pc from the volume expected for the current marketing year. The increased biofuel use outlook follows US policy changes that significantly strengthen support for biofuels made from domestically produced feedstocks through changes to the 45Z biofuels tax credit and Renewable Identification Number credits generated through the Renewable Fuel Standard. The US is also proposing to require record biofuel blending into the US fuel supply over the next two years, including unexpectedly strong quotas for biomass-based diesel. With the increase in soybean crush, USDA expects domestic soybean oil production will rise to a record 13.6mn t in 2025-26, up by 4.1pc from the current marketing year. Additionally, the USDA revised higher its expectation for soybean oil imports in 2025-26 to 200,000t, up by 13pc from the current marketing year. Following an elevated export rate over the first half of the current marketing year, US soybean oil exports are projected to collapse in 2025-26, down by 73pc from the current marketing year to 318,000t. The reduction in exports, in combination with increased supply, is projected to exceed the gains in biofuel demand, increasing stocks to 758,000t by the end of the 2025-26 marketing year, up by 15pc from the inventory level projected for the end of 2024-25. Soybean meal supplies swell The jump in soybean oil demand is as also expected to result in a record level of US soybean meal production in 2025-26, up 4.5pc from 2024-25 to 54.3mn t, according to USDA. Both domestic use and exports of soybean meal are projected higher for the next marketing year following the increased supply outlook. US soybean meal exports are projected to reach 17mn t, up 7.5pc from 2024-25, while US soybean meal domestic use is projected to rise by 2.8pc to 37.9mn t. Soybean mean stocks are projected to increase as well, reaching 431,000t by the end of 2025-26, up 5.6pc from the level projected for the end of the 2024-25 marketing year. By Ryan Koory July 2025 USDA projections 2025-26 Chg from Jun 2024-25 Chg from Prior MY U.S. soybean oil supply and use ( mn t ) Supply -Beginning stocks 0.66 - 0.70 - -Production 13.59 0.27 13.06 - --Extraction ratio (pc) 19.67 0.00 19.83 - -Imports 0.20 0.07 0.18 -0.05 Total supply 14.46 0.34 13.95 -0.05 Use -Domestic disappearance 13.38 0.73 12.11 -0.14 --Biofuel 7.03 0.73 5.56 -0.39 --Food, feed and other Industrial 6.35 - 6.55 0.25 -Exports 0.32 -0.45 1.18 0.09 Total use 13.70 0.27 13.29 -0.05 -Ending stocks 0.76 0.06 0.66 - -Stocks-to-use (pc) 5.53 0.36 4.95 0.02 U.S. soybean meal supply and use ( mn t ) Supply -Beginning stocks 0.41 - 0.41 - -Production 54.30 1.04 51.98 - --Extraction ratio (pc) 78.54 -0.04 78.92 - -Imports 0.59 - 0.66 0.09 Total supply 55.29 1.04 53.05 0.09 Use -Domestic disappearance 37.90 0.41 36.85 0.09 -Exports 16.96 0.64 15.79 - Total use 54.86 1.04 52.64 0.09 -Ending stocks 0.43 - 0.41 - -Stocks-to-use (pc) 0.79 -0.02 0.78 -0.00 October-September markeing year — USDA, Argus Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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EPA readies new biofuel blend mandate proposal

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Trump threatens Mexico, EU with 30pc tariffs

Trump threatens Mexico, EU with 30pc tariffs

US to loan 1mn bls crude to Louisiana refinery: Update

US to loan 1mn bls crude to Louisiana refinery: Update

Congress resumes push to cut US shipping pollution

Congress resumes push to cut US shipping pollution

Brazil advances oil, gas decarbonization strategy

Brazil advances oil, gas decarbonization strategy

USDA boosts soy view on biofuel policy changes

USDA boosts soy view on biofuel policy changes

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