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Energy Information Administration News

22 Apr 2024

As Shale Oil Gains Slow, Deepwater Port Struggles for Customers

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As U.S. shale oil boomed last decade, an oil pipeline company pitched an ambitious multi-billion-dollar export port off the Texas coast to ship domestic crude to buyers in Europe and Asia.In April, Enterprise Products Partners' SPOT became the first project to receive a license from the U.S. maritime regulator for a deepwater port that could load two supertankers, each of which can carry up to 2 million barrels of oil at a time.But multi-year regulatory delays, a loss of commercial backers and slowing U.S.

18 Dec 2023

Bab al-Mandab Shipping Lane Becomes Target as Israel Fights Hamas

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Yemen's Houthis have been targeting vessels in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait in attacks that the Iran-aligned group says aim to support the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war.Several freight firms including MSC, the world's largest container shipping line, said they would avoid the Suez Canal as a result, which could mean having to circumnavigate Africa instead.War risk insurance premiums have risen as a result.WHAT ARE THE RECENT HOUTHI ATTACKS?* Dec.

08 Nov 2023

US Working with Allies Over Sanctions on Russian Arctic LNG Project

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The Biden administration is working closely with partner countries over sanctions on a Russian liquefied natural gas project in the Arctic as a January deadline looms on a wind down of transactions with the plant, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.The U.S. imposed sanctions last week on the Arctic LNG-2 project in Russia as part of wide-ranging measures to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine. The Office of Foreign Assets Control, part of the Treasury Department, also issued a general license that authorizes the wind down of transactions involving Arctic LNG-2, through Jan.

08 Nov 2023

FOCUS-How Shipping More US Natural Gas to Europe Helped Fuel CO2 Pollution

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Carbon dioxide emissions from U.S. liquefied natural gas facilities have jumped to 18 million tons per year, up 81% since 2019, adding a volume of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere equivalent to that produced by several big coal plants, according to United States government data.They could more than double to 45 million tons per year by the end of the decade as new facilities, encouraged by soaring overseas demand for the super-cooled fuel, come online, according to company projections provided to the U.S.

22 Jun 2023

Saudi Arabian Crude Oil Exports Fall 12%

“By agreeing to an additional voluntary production cut within OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) of 500,000 barrels per day in May and announcing a further independent production cut of 1,000,000 barrels per day in July, Saudi Arabia is aiming to reduce excess supply and support prices,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.According to the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration), Saudi Arabian oil production fell to 9.9 mbpd (million barrels per day) in May…

12 May 2023

Record US Crude Exports, Rising Shale Output Boosts Oil Flow to Houston

Oil pipelines from the top U.S. shale field to Houston that have run half empty are filling again as rising output has absorbed most of the space on lines to the main south Texas export hub in Corpus Christi.U.S. crude exports climbed to a record of about 4.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in March, spurred by recovering Chinese demand and competitive pricing for U.S. oil. Sanctions on Russian crude purchases by the European Union and Britain also have boosted demand.Pipelines…

19 Apr 2023

Second-hand Crude Tankers Reach Highest Values in 25 Years, BIMCO Says

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“Second-hand crude tanker values for five-year-old ships hit bottom levels in late 2020 and have since increased by an average 67%. Over the past twelve eventful months values have risen by 34%, reaching their highest level in 25 years,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Crude tanker values saw their most recent low in December 2020 when Clarksons Research estimated the combined value of a five-year-old Aframax, Suezmax, and VLCC was USD 138.5 mill. Twelve months ago, that valuation had risen to USD 172.0 mill. (+25%).

20 Feb 2023

US LNG Producers Poised to Leapfrog Rivals with Three New Projects

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At least three proposed U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants have likely found enough customers to receive financial approvals this year, according to Reuters calculations, developments that would make the country the world's largest LNG exporter for years to come.After a dearth of plant approvals last decade, developers have secured dozens of long-term contracts to finance new multibillion-dollar LNG plants. The pace of approvals has accelerated as Europe has shifted…

16 Jan 2023

US Offshore Wind: Our Interconnected Future

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It will take a team effort that spans sectors and even industries to meet the United States’ goal of 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030, writes Greg Lennon, ABS Vice President, Global Offshore Wind.As the United States offshore wind (OSW) industry considers the Biden-Harris Administration’s 30 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 goal, it’s easy to be struck by the monumental scope of the task ahead. From constructing enough installations before the aggressive deadline to the myriad support vessels needed to achieve these goals…

08 Dec 2022

Why Are Oil Tankers Stuck in Turkish Waters?

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Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers that don't carry appropriate insurance letters, adding that insurance checks on ships in its waters were a "routine procedure".The logjam is creating growing unease in oil and tanker markets and comes as the G7 and European Union introduce a price cap on Russian oil.Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean.Here are key facts about the issue.Ships typically have protection & indemnity (P&I) insurance…

18 Aug 2022

Oil Companies Work Around Jones Act to Supply US Fuel Markets

U.S. oil companies are working around a century-old shipping law to supply fuel to the U.S. East Coast, according to data from Refinitiv and oil trading sources, as high demand for gasoline and global disruptions in fuel markets sent prices higher.Traders are increasingly sending unfinished gasoline components from the Gulf Coast to Buckeye Partners LP’s terminal in the Bahamas, also known as Borco, where they are blended into finished gasoline to be sent to the U.S. East Coast. The uncommon trade is a sign of heavy demand for products up and down the coast, home of some of the nation's largest consumer markets.The trade represents a legal workaround to the Jones Act, which requires goods moved between U.S. ports to be carried by ships built domestically and staffed by U.S.

25 Jul 2022

US Becomes Top LNG Exporter in First Half of 2022 -EIA

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The United States became the top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in the first half of 2022, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said, citing data from CEDIGAZ, as the country increased supply to Europe amid the Ukraine crisis.U.S. LNG exports rose 12% to average 11.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in the first half of the year compared with the second half of 2021, the EIA said. Increased LNG export capacity, higher prices, and demand, particularly from Europe…

20 Jul 2022

Can US Port Infrastructure Handle More Crude Exports?

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U.S. crude shippers are exporting huge amounts of oil to meet strong demand from Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions against Moscow. In coming years U.S. oil may find even more buyers overseas, but that could test the capabilities of U.S. export infrastructure.How much crude does the United States typically export?U.S. crude exports averaged 3.7 million barrels per day (bpd) over the four weeks through late May, their highest since March 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

12 Jul 2022

Could the US Ship More LNG to Europe?

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The United States, the world's top natural gas producer, wants to send more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe to help its allies break their dependence on Russian gas after Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.But U.S. exports are limited by the country's liquefaction capacity and an ongoing outage at Freeport LNG's plant after the second-biggest U.S. LNG export facility was hit by fire in June.Russia, once Europe's biggest gas supplier, has already cut exports for various reasons this year…

22 Jul 2022

U.S. to Add 6 GW of Offshore Wind Capacity Through 2029 -EIA

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Power plant developers and operators plan to install more than 6 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity at sites mostly along the U.S. eastern seaboard over the next seven years, the U.S.

16 Jun 2022

US Steps Up Heavy Crude Imports

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U.S. refiners last month imported the most heavy crude in nearly two years, customs data showed, as they cranked up motor fuel production and sought to replace sanctioned Russian oil.Higher heavy-crude imports are common in summer-driving months, but this year's increase comes as the Biden administration is calling on for refiners to ramp up output and shave profit margins to ease soaring prices. The administration has asked for a parley to explore further efforts.Heavy crudes are cheaper than lighter shale oils produced in the United States and typically make more diesel and less gasoline.

03 Jun 2022

New U.S. Hurricane Outlook Sees Five Major Storms

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Forecasters on Thursday amped up their outlook for the U.S. Atlantic hurricane season, saying warm sea temperatures and the absence of a moderating wind shear portend a "well-above average" number of storms.Colorado State University researchers raised their estimate for tropical storms, hurricanes and major hurricanes by one apiece to 20, 10 and five, respectively. There is a 50% chance or more of at least one major hurricane apiece hitting the East and Gulf Coasts, it said.The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season began on Wednesday and continues through Nov.

20 Apr 2022

US Receiving Last Russian Oil Cargoes Before Wind-down

Nine tankers carrying Russian-origin crude and fuel oil have discharged in the United States in April, likely the last ones to deliver before a wind-down set by Washington expires this week, customs and tanker tracking data showed.The United States last month set an April 22 ban on imports of Russian crude and refined products. The United States gave importers of Russian petroleum, liquefied natural gas and coal 45 days to take en route and under-contract cargoes.Tanker Seamagic, which loaded fuel oil at Russia’s Taman port, discharged at Valero Energy’s St. Charles, Louisiana, refinery last week, the last of the nine tracked to discharge.

08 Mar 2022

Biden Bans Russia Oil Imports to the US

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U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports on Tuesday in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, underscoring strong bipartisan support for a move that he acknowledged would drive up U.S. energy prices."We're banning all imports of Russian oil and gas energy," Biden told reporters at the White House. "That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable in U.S. ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war machine."Oil prices jumped on the news…

22 Feb 2022

US Met More Than a Quarter of European LNG Demand Last Year

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The United States last year became Europe’s largest source of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Tuesday.The United States this year became the world's largest LNG exporter by capacity here, exceeding Australia and Qatar, because of its development of new LNG processing plants and ample natural gas from shale reservoirs.Of LNG imported by European Union member countries and the United Kingdom last year, 26% came from the United States…

28 Jan 2022

U.S. Judge Annuls Gulf of Mexico Oil Auction Over Climate Impact

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A federal judge invalidated the results of an oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday saying the Biden administration failed to properly account for the auction's climate change impact.The decision has cast uncertainty over the future of the U.S. federal offshore drilling program, which has been a big source of public revenue for decades but also drawn the ire of activists concerned about its impact on the environment and contribution to global warming.The Gulf of Mexico accounts for 15% of existing U.S.

07 Jan 2022

Gas Gap in Europe Drives US LNG Exports to Record High

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Sky-high European demand drove U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to a record in December, Refinitiv data showed, with winter supply worries set to sustain orders for the fuel.About half of the record U.S. LNG volumes shipped last month went to Europe, up from 37% earlier in 2021, data from Refinitiv and the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed.The gains reflected soaring demand for the home heating and industrial fuel that pushed prices in Europe and Asia to record highs.

31 Dec 2021

2021 in Review: The Dry Bulk and Tanker Markets

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The Signal Group offers an exhaustive overview of the trends in the dry bulk and tanker markets that both defined 2021, and offer a glimpse as to what might be in store for 2022 and beyond. The report is excerpted in short below; to see the full report CLICK HERE.Using Signal Ocean data, give the insight to analyze the trends and changes across the major vessel sizes in the dry and tanker freight market for 2021. This time last year, Signal Group analyzed the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on commercial shipping with a focus on dirty tankers - VLCC…