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High Oil News

31 Aug 2023

Iran's Oil Output, Exports Rise as Washington, Tehran Talk

© leodeep / Adobe Stock

Iran's oil output and exports jumped in August despite U.S. sanctions, according to consultants and companies that track tanker shipments, as Tehran sells to buyers including China.Analysts said the higher exports appear to be the result of Iran's success in evading U.S. sanctions and Washington's discretion in enforcing them as the two countries seek better relations.The United States has sought to limit Iran's oil exports since Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear accord in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions aimed at curbing revenues to Iran's government.

17 Aug 2023

False Alarm, Loss of Propulsion Leads to Cargo Ships Colliding

Damaged stern area of the AP Revelin after the collision. (Photo: NTSB)

A loss of propulsion due to a false alarm led to cargo vessels colliding near Port Arthur, Texas last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.While transiting the Sabine Pass on August 21, 2022, the general cargo ship Damgracht lost propulsion when the vessel’s main engine shut down due to “high oil mist density” sensed by its oil mist detector (OMD). Due to the abrupt loss of propulsion, the Damgracht began veering into the path of the bulk carrier AP Revelin.

19 Apr 2023

Oil Exports from Russia's Western Ports Hit 4-year High

© ROMAN DZIUBALO / Adobe Stock

Oil loadings from Russia's key western ports in April will rise to the highest level since 2019, above 2.4 million barrels per day (bpd) despite Moscow's pledge to cut output, trading and shipping sources said.Russian crude exports and transit from the ports of Primorsk, Ust-Luga and Novorossiisk in Arpil will rise above 10 million tonnes, up from 9.7 million tonnes in March.Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Feb.

12 Jan 2023

Russian Oil Revenues Falling Because of Price Cap -US Official

© ROMAN DZIUBALO / Adobe Stock

Russian oil revenues are falling due to the price cap that Western countries imposed on its crude oil shipments and, ahead of further caps on Russia's oil products, Europe is well positioned to manage any price pressures, a U.S. Treasury official said on Wednesday.The Group of Seven countries, Australia and the European Union will extend sanctions on Russia for its war in Ukraine by putting a price cap on its oil products, such as gasoline and diesel, on Feb. 5. The coalition…

16 Nov 2022

Eidesvik Offshore Says Revenue, Backlog on the Rise

From left: CFO in Eidesvik Offshore, Helga Cotgrove and CEO in Eidesvik Offshore, Gitte Gard Talmo. - ©Eidesvik Offshore

Norwegian offshore support vessel operator Eidesvik Offshore posted what it said was the second consecutive quarter with a revenue level not seen since 2016.The company's revenue was NOK 190.4 million, an increase of 9% compared to Q3 2021. EBITDA increased by 12% to NOK 91 million vs NOK 81.5 million. The company’s operating result was NOK 262.9 million, up from NOK 1 million in Q3 2021."During the period, Eidesvik increased its backlog substantially through the signing of multiple long-term contract awards with an estimated value of NOK 690 million.

09 Nov 2022

Inflation Hits Vessel Operating Costs -Drewry

© moofushi / Adobe Stock

Vessel operating cost inflation has accelerated in 2022 on mounting worldwide macroeconomic price pressures, despite some receding of Covid-19 related costs, according to the latest Ship Operating Costs Annual Review and Forecast 2022/23 report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.Drewry estimates that average daily operating costs across the 47 different ship types and sizes covered in the report rose for the fifth consecutive year to reach $7,474 in 2022, a rise of 2.2%.

10 Aug 2022

LNG Traders Absorb Huge Losses After Supply Outages

Major energy traders are taking hundreds of millions of dollars in losses as they scramble to plug a liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply gap after several outages hampered efforts to fill European storage ahead of the winter heating season.Unplanned disruptions at LNG plants in the United States, Nigeria and Australia have wrong-footed traders, including BP and Shell, forcing them to pay inflated costs for alternative supplies.In a market already struggling to meet global demand for natural gas after Russia sharply reduced pipeline supplies into Europe, the lost LNG cargoes which can be transported by ship, have pushed global prices sharply…

18 Jul 2022

Guyana Races Against the Clock to Bank Its Offshore Oil Bonanza

Liza Destiny FPSO offshore Guyana - Credit: Rolf Jonsen

For the poor, small South American country of Guyana, there's no time like the present when it comes to reaping the rewards of its offshore oil jackpot.With sky-high oil prices, a transition to renewable energy on the horizon, and 750,000 citizens desperate for better lives, Guyana is putting its foot on the gas to exploit its vast oil reserves, even if that means sacrificing some longer-term gains.Already locked into contracts with oil firms that have been criticized for being too one-sided…

15 Jun 2022

IEA Says World Oil Demand to Rise 2% in '23

Copyright chakisatelier/AdobeStock

World oil demand will rise more than 2% to a record high of 101.6 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2023, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, although sky-high oil prices and weakening economic forecasts dimmed the future outlook.The Paris-based IEA also said in its monthly report supply was being constrained because of sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine."Economic fears persist, as various international institutions have recently released downbeat outlooks…

28 Apr 2022

World Energy Reports: Gas Supply Fears Drive Interest in FSRUs in Europe

Credit: Karel/AdobeStock

Fears of gas supply interruptions due to Russian gas export constraints are driving interest and demand for floating regasification terminals, with contracting activity for oil and gas floaters also being quite active, World Energy Reports said in April 2022 Floating Production Systems Report. Tensions in East Europe and Covid outbreak in China continue to rattle the energy sector. Oil prices remain above $100, despite efforts to lower prices by releasing crude from strategic reserves…

04 Feb 2022

Oil Hits Seven-year High

© Lukasz Z / Adobe Stock

Oil prices surged to seven-year highs on Friday, extending their rally into a seventh week on ongoing worries about supply disruptions fueled by frigid U.S. weather and ongoing political turmoil among major world producers.Brent crude rose $2.16, or 2.4%, to settle at $93.27 a barrel having earlier touched its highest since October 2014 at $93.70.U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ended $2.04, or 2.3%, higher at $92.31 a barrel after trading as high as $93.17, its highest since September 2014.Brent ended the week 3.6% higher…

10 Aug 2021

VLCC Owners Avoid Scrapping ... For Now

© Carabay

During the first seven months of 2021, only three actively trading Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) have been sold for demolition. The current market for seaborne transportation of crude oil is weak and has caused freight rates to drop to multi-year lows. Despite this, crude oil tanker shipowners are not seizing the opportunity to reduce capacity and send less efficient units to the demolition yards.The subdued demolition activity is seen at a time when steel prices offered in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan – the world’s top ship demolition locations – are at an all-time high.

15 Apr 2021

U.S. Crude Oil Exports: When 'Less is More'

© SHUTTER DIN/AdobeStock

Longer sailing distances cushion fall in US crude oil exportsTon mile demand generated by US crude oil exports has fallen by 9.7% in the first two months of 2021 compared with the start of 2020. The fall could however have been much worse; In volume terms, seaborne crude oil exports have fallen by 18.8%, to 20.9m tonnes, a 4.8m tonnes decline compared with last year, according to data from the US Census Bureau.While seaborne crude oil exports to all regions have fallen, those to Asia are among the least affected, down just 1.0%, or equivalent to one Aframax load (101,088 tonnes).

12 Jan 2021

Oil Rises to 11-month High

© viking75 / Adobe Stock

Oil hit an 11-month high just below $57 a barrel on Tuesday, bolstered by Saudi Arabia's plans to limit supply, offsetting worries that rising coronavirus cases globally would curtail fuel demand.Brent crude settled up 92 cents, or 1.7%, at $56.58 a barrel by after touching its highest level since last February at $56.75. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 96 cents, or 1.8%, to $53.28.Saudi Arabia plans to cut output by an extra 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in February…

12 Jan 2021

Norway Eyes Sea Change in Deep Dive for Metals Instead of Oil

An offshore platform in Norway - Credit:Jone Gundersen/AdobeStock

Norway's oil and gas reserves have made it one of the world's wealthiest countries but its dreams for deep-sea discovery now center on something different.This time, Oslo is looking for a leading role in mining copper, zinc, and other metals found on the seabed and in hot demand in green technologies.Norway could license companies for deep-sea mining as early as 2023, its oil and energy ministry told Reuters, potentially placing it among the first countries to harvest seabed metals for electric vehicle batteries…

17 Sep 2019

Middle East Risks Keep Oil Prices High

Oil prices have risen massively following the recent attacks on Saudi oil refining facilities – the US has responded by authorizing the release, if necessary, of emergency crude oil stocks to ease price pressures. (Photo © Adobe Stock / Douglas Knight)

Oil lost some of its big price rises today as the US announced the possible release of crude reserves but the possibility of military action in response to the drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities still means prices are high and that stocks are under pressure. Equity market losses have not been large but investors are continuing to support ‘safer’ assets such as gold, for which treasury prices are rising.Brent crude prices fell 1.78% to $67.79 per barrel in Asia today (Tuesday, September 17) after a big increase yesterday of 14.6%, the biggest one-day percentage gain since at least 1988. U.S.

29 Mar 2019

COSCO Shipping Flags Risks From Oil Price, Trade Dispute

Photo courtesy of COSCO

China's COSCO Shipping Holdings Co Ltd said trade frictions and high oil prices pose risks for the global shipping industry this year, after confirming on Friday that its net profit for 2018 fell by more than half.The state-owned company, the world's third largest container shipping line, said net profit attributable to shareholders slid 53.8 percent to 1.2 billion yuan ($178.83 million) last year from 2.7 billion yuan a year earlier.It had warned profit would slump in January.Revenue rose 33.6 percent as demand for its container shipping and terminal business remained strong, COSCO said.

26 Jul 2018

Saudi Arabia Halts Red Sea Oil Exports after Tanker Attacks

Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was suspending oil shipments through a strategic Red Sea lane after Yemen's Iran-aligned rebels attacked two tankers in the waterway, underscoring the risk of an escalation in tensions in the region.Brent crude futures rose 59 cents to $74.52 a barrel by 1008 GMT, extending their rally into a third day but falling from a 10-day high in earlier trading.Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Iran have been locked in a three-year proxy war in Yemen, which lies on one side of the Bab al-Mandeb strait at the southern mouth of the sea, one of the most important trade routes for oil tankers heading from the Middle East to Europe.The Houthis…

18 Jan 2016

What is the Scrapping Potential of the Crude Fleet?

Tanker owners are currently doing fairly well, certainly compared to their colleagues in the dry bulk market, says a reserach report from Poten & Partners. However, history shows that such markets do not last forever and when the downturn comes, it is important that the supply side can respond quickly. The tanker orderbook is not excessively large in historical terms but still requires a sizable demand increase to maintain a balanced market in the coming years. Scrapping is the other variable that influences the supply side of the equation and the question is: What is the potential for scrapping to help balance the market in the coming years?

09 May 2018

Sanctions spell the end of OPEC output deal

© Douglas Knight / Adobe Stock

President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear agreement with Iran marks the end of the current output agreement between OPEC and its allies.OPEC is likely to insist the current agreement remains in effect, at least for now, but the prospective removal of several hundred thousand barrels per day of Iranian exports from the market will require a major adjustment.Saudi Arabia has already promised to "mitigate" the impact of any potential supply shortages, in conjunction with other suppliers and consumer countries…

20 Apr 2018

Trump Rails Against Oil Prices, OPEC Pushes Back

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

U.S. President Donald Trump accused OPEC on Friday of "artificially" boosting oil prices, drawing rebukes from some of the world's top energy exporters."Looks like OPEC is at it again. With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea. Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!" Trump wrote on Twitter.It was unclear what triggered the tweet, Trump's first mention of OPEC on social media during his term.U.S. oil prices are near a three-year high…

08 May 2017

Vestdavit Brings New Davit Lifting Force to Market

The new PAP-16000 single point davit from Vestdavit (Photo: Vestdavit)

Vestdavit has completed its largest ever single-point A-frame davit for over the side boat handling, rising to the continuing challenge set by customers to be able to launch and retrieve ever larger workboats from their ships. The first PAP-16000 davit, which features a safe working load of 16t, will be installed on board a service operation vessel destined for a specialized segment in the offshore industry for an unspecified owner. The 58.5 m length vessel, due delivery by the end of 2017, will operate off north continental Europe.

31 Oct 2017

A Turning Point in Oil Spill Recovery

(Photo: Elastec)

Cleaning up marine oil spills can be a challenge as there are various types of oil spilled but only a few effective recovery methods. The three main technologies for oil spill recovery for inland and offshore waters are mechanical, insitu burning (ISB), and dispersant application. Absorbent booms and pads may also be used, but they are more effective for small fuel spills. Mechanical recovery, usually an oil skimmer, is a device that skims contained floating oil and transfers the recovered oil to a storage container or vessel.