Sinochem News

China more than halved the volume of export quotas for refined fuel, predominantly gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, under the first allotment for 2022, while raising the allowances for low-sulphur fuel oil by 30%, industry sources said on Tuesday.The deep cuts to refined fuel, largely expected by the market, was in line with the Chinese government's recent policy to curb excessive domestic refinery production amid a broad plan to reduce carbon emissions, the sources said.Quotas for refined fuel exports totalled 13 million tonnes under the batch…

U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Cheniere Energy Inc said Wednesday its marketing arm agreed to sell LNG to a unit of Chinese natural gas distribution company Foran Energy Group Co Ltd for 20 years starting in January 2023.Analysts said the deal should move Cheniere closer to making a final investment decision (FID) to build the proposed Stage 3 expansion at its Corpus Christi plant in Texas, which is expected in 2022.The deal is one of several announced in recent weeks…

China has issued new export quotas for the export of low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) used to power ships and for other refined fuels such as gasoline and diesel for the rest of 2021, according to a trading source and document reviewed by Reuters on Thursday.Under the new quotas, 1 million tonnes of LSFO can be exported while 1.579 million tonnes of refined fuels can be shipped, according to the source and the document issued by the Ministry of Commerce.The new issue brings this year’s total permits for refined fuel exports to about 38.6 million tonnes…

Chinese refiners have the capacity to produce 18.1 million tonnes of low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) this year, which would make the country self-sufficient in the new shipping fuel, an official with state major PetroChina said on Monday.China has been striving to reduce its reliance on bunker fuel imports and is aiming to create its own marine fuel hub to supply northern Asia.About 20 refineries, mostly under state-run Sinopec Corp, PetroChina, CNOOC and Sinochem, installed equipment to produce 0.5% sulfur fuel that meets International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules that came into force at the

China's low-sulphur marine fuel exports rose by a third in April compared with March to the highest level yet after it waived export taxes for domestic refiners to meet shipping demand, Chinese customs data showed.Chinese refiners began exporting in January very low sulphur fuel oi (VLSFO) with a maximum sulphur content of 0.5% to comply with emission rules for ships from the International Maritime Organization.Data from China's General Administration of Customs showed April exports of the ship fuel reached nearly 1.43 million tonnes…

China has issued 28 million tonnes of refined fuel export quotas in the second allotment for this year, little changed from the first batch of 27.99 million tonnes issued last December, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter.The quotas were released last week to five state oil companies, PetroChina, Sinopec, China National Offshore Oil Corp, Sinochem Group and China National Aviation Fuel Corp, the sources said.The new quotas, of mostly gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel…

China is set to release its first-ever quotas to export very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) with total volumes of 10 million tonnes for this year, six industry officials with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.The quotas, which came in the wake of Beijing’s policy in January to offer tax sweeteners to boost local production of the fuel, paves the way for Chinese refiners to almost fully cover the demand from its coastal bonded marine fuel market of 12-14 million tonnes annually.The quotas will be issued to four state-run firms - Sinopec Group, CNPC, China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOO

Chinese power giant China Power International Holding (CPIH) and Norwegian energy firm Equinor have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on offshore wind projects off China and Europe.“China is rapidly increasing its use of renewables and natural gas. The country is set to become the world’s biggest offshore wind market by 2030. As an offshore wind major, Equinor is excited to collaborate with CPIH to develop offshore wind” says executive vice president New Energy Solutions, Pål Eitrheim.“CPIH, as a leading power generator in China, has been striving to develop its international strategy to become a pioneer of reliable energy provider worldwide.

BP operates largest teapot marketing team among majors; four BP-chartered tankers have trouble unloading off China. Four supertankers chartered by energy major BP have been held up or delayed off China's east coast over the last two months, unable to fully discharge oil as slowing demand from the country's private refiners starts to impact global markets. Two of the four BP-chartered very large crude carriers (VLCCs) are still off Shandong province holding half their cargoes of Angolan crude oil, and another is headed back there from South Korea, according to trade flow data in Thomson Reuters Eikon and two shipping sources who track these vessels.

United States taking share from OPEC nations in Asia, Europe, as China’s biggest U.S. crude buyer to double imports. In the two years since Washington lifted a 40-year ban on oil exports, tankers filled with U.S. crude have landed in more than 30 countries, ranging from massive economies like China and India to tiny Togo. The repeal has unleashed a flood of U.S. shale oil, undercutting global crude prices, eroding the clout of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and seizing market share from many of its member countries. In 2005, before the shale revolution, the United States had net imports of 12.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude and fuels - compared to just 4 million bpd today. U.S.

Odfjell SE said it has signed Framework Agreement with Sinochem Shipping Singapore Pte. Ltd whereby the Norwegian ship owner will take four vessels on long-term bareboat charter and together form a pool of eight 40,900 dwt chemical tankers. The four chemical tankers are part of Sinochem’s series of eight ordered from Hantong Wing Shipyard in China. Sinochem will retain ownership of the series’ four other vessels, which together with the bareboat vessels will form a pool managed by Odfjell SE and trading as part of the Odfjell Tankers fleet.

China’s Sinochem International Logistics, a leading chemical tanker owner and operator with 80 vessels, is implementing DNV GL’s data smart fleet management system ShipManager on the entire fleet, optimizing operations and improving performance and efficiency. The contract was signed in April at the opening of DNV GL’s newbuilt near-zero-emission Green Office Centre in Shanghai, with the Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in attendance, in addition to two of her cabinet members. DNV GL - Software CEO Are Føllesdal Tjønn and Sinochem International Logistics Vice General Manager Zhang Xin signed the contract at the ceremony. “We are proud to be partnering with Sinochem, an innovative and growing shipping company in Asia,” said Tjønn.

China's loadings of West African crude are set to hit their highest in more than two years in November as the nation's refineries race to stock up and offset falling domestic oil production, according to a Reuters survey of shipping fixtures and traders. China's November West African crude oil loadings, the bulk of it Angolan, are on track to reach 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd), the highest since September 2014, the survey showed on Monday. December bookings are already expected to be similarly strong. "Domestic production declines and stockpiling continue to generate demand for crude," said Michal Meidan, Asia analyst with Energy Aspects.

Chinese state-owned chemical companies Sinochem Group and ChemChina are in discussions about a possible merger to create a chemicals, fertilizer and oil giant with almost $100 billion in annual revenue, reports Reuters. The deal was reportedly proposed by China’s central government. “The government has given the mandate to let Sinochem lead in this potential merger with ChemChina,” said a source. The combination of the two Chinese rivals is part of a broader strategy by the regulatory body that oversees the country’s state assets to merge state-owned companies to create larger and stronger national champions, says FT. The talks come as doubts have been raised in the Chinese media over the ability of ChemChina to close its acquisition of Syngenta…

China's state-run Sinochem Group said on Wednesday it had signed a deal with Angolan state-owned producer Sonangol to buy crude oil for more than 10 years. The statement on the Chinese company's website did not give details of the supply amount or other financial details, but trading sources said the agreement was for four or five cargoes per month, which would make the company one of the largest holders of monthly contracts to buy Angolan crude. There are currently around 15 cargoes given to these so-called term buyers each month from Angola's export programmes of roughly 55 cargoes. The deal is a coup for Angola, as OPEC members fight for market share, particularly in China, the world's largest energy consumer.

The board members of China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) has approved of a plan to order an additional 10 eco-friendly VLCCs. These vessels will be operated by CMES’ Hong Kong-based subsidiary, China VLCC Company Limited,  a tanker JV between CMES and Sinotrans & CSC Group. China VLCC  was set up in early September, will be in charge of vessel operation. CMES added that it would disclose more details on the announcement once the contracts on construction of the energy saving tankers are signed. Potential value of the deal is expected to reach around USD 920 million. China VLCC currently operates a fleet of 34 VLCCs, with an additional nine on order. In October, it sold VLCCs New Medal (297,600 dwt, built 2009) and New Founder (297,400 dwt, built 2008) to Greece’s Navios for $133m.

Asia's fuel oil crack for benchmark 180-centistroke rebounded to a discount of $6.79 a barrel on Wednesday, gaining as bunker prices firmed on the possibility of reduced arbitrage volumes from the West next month even as the market remained quiet, traders said. The spread for the benchmark also remained tight, holding around a four-month high, at a discount of $2.75 - a further indication of possible lower arbitrage volumes, traders said. "We don't see much arbitrage cargo - somewhere in the low 3s (million tonnes) in December," said one Singapore trader. Other traders have estimated volumes could hit 4 million tonnes, similar to November's level. "Bunker prices have picked up and fundamentals kicked in," the trader said.

About 4 million barrels of crude oil bought by a Chinese state trader for the country's strategic reserves have been stranded in two tankers off an eastern port for nearly two months due to a lack of storage. The delays will cost millions of dollars and indicate how China is struggling to import record amounts of crude if storage and port capacity at Qingdao, its largest oil import terminal, are unable to keep pace. Ocean Lily and Plata Glory, two very large crude carriers (VLCCs) carrying oil for Sinochem Corp, arrived at Huangdao, Qingdao's main oil terminal, in early September, and both were still at anchor this week, waiting to unload, according to Reuters' shipping data, and trade and port sources.

Petrobras is operator for licence BM-ES-32, where the discovery was made and where Statoil holds a 40% stake. The exploration well was drilled at a depth of 2,130 metres and both oil and reservoir quality is good. The reservoir thickness is approximately 70 metres and is of good quality. The preliminary analysis of the oil shows a density in the range between 25 and 30 degrees API. The Inndra find was made by the semi-submersible rig Paul Wolfe. The location is situated 140 kilometres from land and some 400 kilometres north of the Peregrino field. At the moment Statoil is also participating in exploratory drilling in the Campos basin on licence BM-C-33, where Repsol is the operator.

Statoil's first quarter 2011 net operating income was NOK 50.7 billion, a 28% increase compared to NOK 39.6 billion in the first quarter of 2010. The quarterly result was mainly affected by a 33% increase in the average prices for liquids measured in NOK, a 20% increase in average gas prices, and a 12% decrease in liftings, when compared to the same period last year. "In the first quarter of 2011 we delivered good financial results and passed important industrial milestones. Through the Skrugard discovery and the new acreage awarded Statoil in the Barents Sea…

Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon officially opened the Statoil-operated Peregrino oil field offshore Brazil today in a ceremony aboard the floating production storage and offloading ship (FPSO). The event was attended by relevant authorities and international journalists. Crown Prince Haakon was accompanied by Norwegian petroleum and energy minister Ola Borten Moe, Statoil CEO Helge Lund, Norwegian ambassador to Brazil Turid Eusebio, and Brazilian mines and energy minister Edison Lobão. The guests were first led on a tour of the FPSO, followed by an official opening ceremony.

The unit has been in use at the Statoil-operated Peregrino field in Brazil since production start-up in 2011. The global FPSO contractor BW Offshore will take over operation of the FPSO after a transition period of about six months. The  Peregrino FPSO project was initiated in 2007 and the conversion from a very large crude carrier (VLCC) to a complex offshore oil production installation required more than 15 million labour hours and an investment in excess of USD 1 billion. At present the vessel is operating in the Campos Basin 85 km off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

China is set to import more than 335,000 tonnes of naphtha and diesel, rare moves for the world's no. 2 oil consumer given it has been self-sufficient at meeting domestic oil product demand, industry sources said on Friday. Unipec, the trading arm of top Chinese oil firm Sinopec, has bought more than 300,000 tonnes of naphtha for delivery into China. Traders said the firm rarely buys specifically for China. State-run Sinochem has bought at least 35,000 tonnes of diesel for October-to-November delivery and could import more, industry sources said. CNOOC and PetroChina have bought 105,000 tonnes of diesel and could buy more, they said, though volumes could not be confirmed. China became a net diesel exporter in 2013.