Increased Crude Oil News

Developments in the oil tanker market in the past decade dominated by geopolitics, says shipping association BIMCO.Crude oil and product tanker markets alike have faced high volatility in recent weeks and months, largely due to geopolitics and the constantly evolving situation in the global oil markets. The first major disturbance since the fall in the oil price between the fourth quarter of 2104 and first quarter of 2016 came in the fourth quarter of 2019, after which freight rates have bounced back despite a collapse in demand.In these extraordinary times…

Bermuda-based international tanker company Nordic American Tanker (NAT) said that it has  the strongest tanker market that it has seen in decades.In NAT fleet of 23 suezmaxes, 21 are in the short term market, providing immediate benefit for nat. The fourth quarter is building a strong momentum for 2020."We expect this to continue. Political frictions often lead to a stronger tanker market," said the company.About 70% of the spot trading days of our fleet for 4Q19 have been booked at an average TCE of $34,000/day. Spot rates are continuing its upward momentum.The Time Charter equivalent (TCE) for our ships for the third quarter came in at $15…

Asset quality, size and diversification will determine the success of shipping companies in the next 18 months as higher costs, tighter environmental rules and worsening global trade relations risk offsetting buoyant demand and capacity reductions.Only container-shipping companies with the biggest fleets and most efficient vessels are likely to turn a profit this year and meet longer-term challenges, says Scope Ratings in a short report out today. Container shipping is a capital-intensive business. A.P. Møller-Mærsk, the industry leader, spends around USD 1bn a year on new ships. When owners have little control over cargo rates, and differentiating one freight service from another is difficult…

The Jones Act has been blamed for everything from higher prices of goods and oil to a shortage of rock salt supply in the Northeast during the past winter, but the 94-year-old U.S. federal statute governing the U.S. coastal shipping trades will not be going away anytime soon. The solid status of this deeply entrenched U.S. federal maritime law is reflected in heavy investments by oil, logistics and shipping companies in this lucrative domestic shipping sector. Last December, Kinder Morgan spent nearly $1 billion in its acquisition of its first Jones Act tanker assets when it bought American Petroleum Tankers and State Class Tankers. The market outlook for U.S.- flagged oil tankers remains bright, and some companies are banking on that.

Wärtsilä opened its new office and workshop facilities in Mexico, in the city of Veracruz, which is the largest container shipping port in the country and is home to the Mexican Merchant Marine Academy. The new facilities will further expand Wärtsilä's offering in all market segments, especially in the marine and offshore segments. Since Wärtsilä is a strong player in the automation field, customers from the industrial market will also benefit. The new facilities, which cover an area of over 4000 sq. m., have been set up to enhance Wärtsilä's capabilities in the region. The 1000 sq. m. new workshop features an optimized layout for equipment…

Not only did most oil producing companies post increased income and revenues in the first quarter 2000, compared to 1999, but in some cases, the increases were record-setting. In fact, Conoco's first quarter was the best quarter in the company's 125-year history. Here is a capsulated report of several companies' earnings. USX-Marathon Group's net income adjusted for special items was $199 million in first quarter 2000, compared with a net loss adjusted for special items of $11 million in first quarter 1999. The Marathon Group recorded first quarter 2000 net income of $254 million, which included a $55 million favorable aftertax gain on the sale of its 33.34 percent interest in the Angus/Stellaria development in the Gulf of Mexico. Net income in first quarter 1999 was $119 million.

ING Barings has raised its ratings of the shares of several oil and gas companies. ING raised Burlington Resources to strong buy from hold, Transocean Offshore to strong buy from buy and Ocean Energy Inc. to buy from hold. On Transocean, analyst Stephen Gengaro wrote: "We believe the stock has lagged the group because of the relatively high level of contract rollovers over the next six months, which includes some of the company's high-specification semis currently working at high day rates. "While these rollovers will likely keep pressure on earnings over the next several quarters, we do not expect the company to sign any long-term contracts…

Once again, quarter and year-end earnings reported in the offshore market reflected a familiar trend: oil majors saw gains - sometimes significant; while oilfield service companies continued to struggle, compared to the year-earlier marks. Unocal Corporation reported fourth quarter 1999 preliminary unaudited net earnings of $97 million and adjusted net earnings (excluding special items) of $77 million. The fourth quarter results compare with a reported loss of $29 million for the same period a year ago. Adjusted net earnings for the fourth quarter 1998 were $28 million. The fourth quarter earnings reflect higher oil and gas prices, offset partially by lower net oil and gas sales volumes and a higher international tax rate.