US M&A deals dip after record 1Q: Enverus
US oil and gas sector mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are likely to slow for the rest of the year following a record $51bn in deals in the first quarter, consultancy Enverus says. Following an unprecedented $192bn of upstream deals last year, the Permian shale basin continued to dominate first-quarter M&A as firms competed for the remaining high-quality inventory on offer. Acquisitions were led by Diamondback Energy's $26bn takeover of Endeavor Energy Resources. Other private operators, such as Mewbourne Oil and Fasken Oil & Ranch, would be highly sought after if they decided to put themselves up for sale, Enverus says.
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Petrobras to expand free gas market footprint
Petrobras to expand free gas market footprint
Rio de Janeiro, 10 May (Argus) — Petrobras said today it will offer new types of natural gas contracts in Brazil's open market with more flexibile and competitive terms, but provided no details on the planned offers. The company also announced new commercial contract models for gas sales to state distributors, offering price reductions for current contracts of up to 10pc. The reduction will be connected to the distributors performance, Petrobras said, without providing more detail. The move by the state-controlled giant is significant given the 2021 gas market liberalization as aimed at increasing competition at every step of the value chain beyond just Petrobras. But progress has been slow in cutting Petrobras' market share, lowering prices, and increasing market transparency. The 2021 gas law covers the full lifecycle of natural gas, from production to transportation, processing to storage, and sales. A key provision aimed at promoting competition in the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors, particularly transportation and distribution. Yet, three years later, there is little sign of downstream customers migrating to the free market, despite some moves such as those from Delta Geração, Acelen, Gerdau, Tradener, and others. The number of free market commercial contracts does not exceed ten, according to a lawyer specialized in the energy market. By Betina Moura Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Russia leads Opec+ output fall
Russia leads Opec+ output fall
London, 10 May (Argus) — Opec+ crude output by members subject to cuts fell by 440,000 b/d in April as Russia began implementing a fresh cut and Iraq and Kazakhstan curbed some of their overproduction. This saw the group's production fall to 34.11mn b/d, which was 140,000 b/d above quota, Argus estimates. Still, this was a marked improvement on the 230,000 b/d overproduction that it recorded in March. The lower production has not provided much support to oil prices, which have shed $5-8/bl in the past month. Several members of the alliance are implementing a new set of "voluntary" cuts that came into effect in January and, for now, run to the end of June. What Opec+ decides to do beyond this will probably be decided at a ministerial meeting in Vienna on 1 June, although the likelihood of a rollover has grown as oil prices have fallen. The big mover last month was Russia, whose output fell by 210,000 b/d to 9.29mn b/d. The drop is related to Russia's pledge to start phasing out an existing 500,000 b/d export cut commitment from April and replace it with a 471,000 b/d production cut by June. But the country remained 190,000 b/d above its new 9.1mn b/d target for April. And while the output fall shows Russia has made headway with its pledge to reduce production, sanctions on the country's oil industry and Ukrainian attacks on its refineries could affect its crude output in the months ahead. Iraq and Kazakhstan also reduced their output last month, while remaining well above target. Iraqi output fell by 40,000 b/d to 4.14mn b/d, mostly owing to lower crude use by the power sector. But this was still around 140,000 b/d above its target of 4mn b/d. Kazakhstan's output fell by 40,000 b/d to 1.54mn b/d — the second month in a row that its output has fallen. But it was also still around 70,000 b/d above its target of 1.47mn b/d. Compensation plans Iraq and Kazakhstan have each submitted plans to the Opec+ Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee detailing how they intend to compensate for producing above target in the first four months of the year. As things stand, Iraq says it will produce 50,000 b/d below quota in May-September, 100,000 b/d below quota in October-November and 152,000 b/d below quota in December. Kazakhstan's compensation plan starts in May with an initial cut of 18,000 b/d below target. It would then stick to its target in June and July before implementing a cut of 131,000 b/d in August, no cut in September, 299,000 b/d in October, 40,000 b/d in November and no cut again in December. The two countries' plans are dependent on a final production figure for April from secondary sources — including Argus — and could be adjusted after it becomes available. Nigerian production recorded a large fall in April, dropping by 100,000 b/d to 1.4mn b/d, the lowest since 1.28mn b/d in August 2023. This left the country 100,000 b/d below its target of 1.5mn b/d. Production was relatively uneventful in the Mideast Gulf Opec+ contingent. Saudi Arabia's output fell by 30,000 b/d to 8.97mn b/d, the UAE's fell by 20,000 b/d to 2.93mn b/d, Kuwait's dropped by 20,000 b/d, while Bahrain's production increased by 30,000 b/d to 190,000 b/d. All four members were more or less within their targets. Iran, which like Libya and Venezuela is not bound by production targets, boosted its output by another 20,000 b/d to 3.3mn b/d — the highest since October 2018. The gains have come despite US sanctions and Washington's attempts to crack down on the country's oil trade. Opec+ crude production mn b/d Apr Mar* Apr target† ± target Opec 9 21.32 21.54 21.22 0.10 Non-Opec 9 12.79 13.01 12.75 0.04 Total Opec 18 34.11 34.55 33.97 0.14 *revised †includes additional cuts where applicable Opec wellhead production mn b/d Apr Mar* Apr target† ± target Saudi Arabia 8.97 9.00 8.98 -0.01 Iraq 4.14 4.18 4.00 0.14 Kuwait 2.41 2.43 2.41 -0.00 UAE 2.93 2.95 2.91 0.02 Algeria 0.91 0.92 0.91 0.00 Nigeria 1.40 1.50 1.50 -0.10 Congo (Brazzaville) 0.28 0.25 0.28 0.00 Gabon 0.23 0.25 0.17 0.06 Equatorial Guinea 0.05 0.06 0.07 -0.02 Opec 9 21.32 21.54 21.22 0.10 Iran 3.30 3.28 na na Libya 1.22 1.18 na na Venezuela 0.82 0.85 na na Total Opec 12‡ 26.66 26.85 na na *revised †includes additional cuts where applicable ‡Iran, Libya and Venezuela are exempt from production targets Non-Opec crude production mn b/d Apr Mar* Apr target† ± target Russia 9.29 9.50 9.10 0.19 Oman 0.76 0.76 0.76 0.00 Azerbaijan 0.48 0.48 0.55 -0.07 Kazakhstan 1.54 1.58 1.47 0.07 Malaysia 0.35 0.35 0.40 -0.05 Bahrain 0.19 0.16 0.20 -0.01 Brunei 0.08 0.08 0.08 -0.00 Sudan 0.02 0.02 0.06 -0.04 South Sudan 0.08 0.08 0.12 -0.04 Total non-Opec† 12.79 13.01 12.75 0.04 *revised †includes additional cuts where applicable Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
California fuel retailers fear regulatory scrutiny
California fuel retailers fear regulatory scrutiny
Houston, 10 May (Argus) — US fuel retailers like neither the regulatory precedent being set in California nor how the transition to renewable fuels is being managed, but companies sticking it out in the Golden State may reap rewards. California governor Gavin Newsom (D) in March last year signed SB X1-2 into law, allowing the California Energy Commission (CEC) to gather a broad range of profit data from refiners and set a maximum gross gasoline refining margin in an effort to avoid price spikes at the pump. "Unfortunately in California there is no shortage of bad policies that are being proposed," California Fuels and Convenience Alliance director Alessandra Magnasco said this week in a legislative affairs meeting at fuel retailer trade association SIGMA's conference in Austin, Texas. She worries that if CEC fails to make progress in capping margins at the refiner level, they will look further downstream and regulate retailers. The alliance is opposed to what it sees as burdensome reporting requirements mandated by SBX 1-2 that were rushed through the legislature. "They are doing it in a way to leave out industry," Magnasco said. The CEC this week approved further reporting requirements for refiners in the state, mandating they file maintenance schedules with the commission at least 120 days in advance of planned work and within two business days after the start of unplanned shutdowns. "Every bad idea we face has generally been socialized in California first," David Fialkov, vice president of government affairs for US fuel retailer trade association NATSO, said during the SIGMA session. The increased adoption of renewable diesel in California is also causing headaches for fuel supply managers. "I can't even tell my customers which specific terminal might have traditional diesel versus renewable or if they're going to have both," said Deborah Neal, director of price risk management for fuel supplier World Kinect during another SIGMA panel discussion. The introduction of renewable diesel to the California market was done without a specific time line or transition plan, Neal said. "It's messy to say the least." The regulatory environment in California has also dampened appetite for mergers and acquisition activity in the eyes of bankers doing the deals. Gas station buyers who are looking to consolidate smaller assets are not looking at California if they are not already invested there, Matrix Capital Markets' co-head of downstream energy investment banking Cedric Fortemps said at SIGMA. "The operating and legal dynamics are completely different than other parts of the country," Fortemps said. But for companies already operating in California, there is limited out-of-state competition and high barriers to entry. Those companies are keen to grow their existing operations, Fortemps said. By Nathan Risser Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
India's Chhara LNG terminal to start operations by Oct
India's Chhara LNG terminal to start operations by Oct
Mumbai, 10 May (Argus) — Indian state-run refiner Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) will start up its 5mn t/yr Chhara LNG import terminal by October, a company official said in an investor call today. This follows commissioning delays after the firm faced difficulty in unloading its first cargo last month. The 160,000m³ Maran Gas Mystras vessel failed to unload at the terminal because of a "swell in the rough sea beyond permittable limit," the official added. The facility is set to be closed from 15 May-15 September because of the monsoon season. The firm will be ready to receive LNG cargoes from October as its pipeline that begins at the terminal and stretches over 40km to Gundala village in Gujarat is now complete, the official said. The pipeline is further connected to Gujarat State Petronet's city gas distribution network to Somnath district, a total stretch of 86.6km. The LNG vessel that arrived in mid-April at the terminal was left stranded for over a week as it could not achieve mooring mode after berthing, because of inclement weather and the lack of a breakwater facility at the terminal, a source close to the matter told Argus . Rough weather and sea conditions caused the vessel to hit the fenders, resulting in damage. Almost five loading arms were also broken before the whole operation was abandoned on 18 April, the source added. The fender acts as a buffer or cushion between the ship hull and the dock, and prevents damage as a result of contact between the two surfaces. HPCL is building a breakwater facility at the terminal which is required to ensure safe LNG tanker berthing during India's monsoon season. No specific timeline has been given for building the breakwater, but the terminal will be able to operate year-round once it is completed. Indian state-controlled refiner IOC brought in the distressed vessel through a tender seeking approximately 80mn m³ of regasified LNG for delivery to the 17.5mn t/yr Dahej terminal at around $8.40/mn Btu on a des equivalent. HPCL also has not awarded a tender that is seeking another early-May delivery cargo , which closed on 19 April. Commissioning of the Chhara LNG terminal has been delayed since September 2022 owing to pipeline issues. The terminal is the country's eighth LNG import facility, which would lift total regasification capacity to 52.7mn t/yr from 47.7mn t/yr currently. By Rituparna Ghosh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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