Russian Oil Exports Curtailed By Drone Attacks, Weather
Russia has been unable to capitalize on this week's surge in global crude prices, as days of Ukrainian drone attacks and harsh winter storms have sharply curtailed its capacity to export oil, industry sources said.Russia's Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk port suspended oil loadings on Monday after a Ukrainian drone attack left a fuel terminal ablaze and damaged dozens of buildings, Russian and Ukrainian officials and three trade sources said.Crude oil benchmarks rose about 8% on Tuesday…
Oil Prices Surge 3% on Worries of US Action Against Iran
Oil prices climbed about 3% to a five-month high on Thursday on rising concerns that global supplies could be disrupted if the U.S. decides to attack Iran, one of the biggest crude producers in OPEC.Brent futures rose $2.10, or 3.1%, to $70.50 a barrel by 11:07 a.m. EST (1607 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained $2.09, or 3.3%, to $65.30.That pushed both crude benchmarks into technically overbought territory and put Brent on track for its highest close since July 31 and WTI on track for its highest close since September 26.U.S.
Experts Discuss Maritime Security Risks
This week’s maritime security report from Palaemon Maritime starts by saying: “Hello Shipmate, this week saw a sharp escalation in maritime security incidents across Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia.”Key developments include:• Ballistic missile attack on Chornomorsk Port, Ukraine, causing container damage and an oil spill• Greek-managed oil tankers hit by drone strikes near the CPC terminal off Novorossiysk• A Panama-flagged vessel struck by a Russian UAV, injuring one crew member• A cargo vessel sunk in the Caspian Sea, all 14 crew rescued• Americas – U.S.
Unidentified Drones Strike Three Oil Tankers in Black Sea
Three Greek-managed oil tankers were hit by unidentified drones in the Black Sea on Tuesday as they were on their way to load crude at a terminal on Russia's coast, sources told Reuters.The attacks come as Kazakhstan's oil production, most of which is exported via the terminal, cratered in early January.It was not immediately clear who was behind Tuesday's strikes. Ukraine did not immediately comment. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which operates the terminal where the tankers were due to take on board cargoes…
Oil Prices Stabilize as Russia-Ukraine Peace Hopes Fade, Yemen Tensions Rise
Oil prices were steady in choppy trade on Tuesday as investors weighed dented hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East around Yemen.Brent crude futures for February delivery, which expire on Tuesday, were up 3 cents, or 0.05%, at $61.97 a barrel at 1:18 p.m. EDT. The more active March contract was down 12 cents or 0.2% at $61.37.U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 6 cents, or 0.1%, to $58.02.The Brent and WTI benchmarks settled…
CPC Suspends Black Sea Oil Exports After Storm Halts Terminal
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which delivers oil from Kazakhstan, said it had suspended oil exports from the Black Sea's terminal on Monday due to bad weather.It also said that terminal has halted oil intake due to full reservoirs until weather improves.CPC's loading operations have already been constrained by the Ukrainian drone attack on November 29.The exports bottlenecks at the terminal near the Russian Black Sea's port of Novorossiysk, which handles around 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports…
Oil Tankers Delayed up to 12 Days in Turkish Straits
Delays for oil tankers passing through the Turkish Straits have climbed to about 12 days for a round trip to the Black Sea, up from about seven days last week, as winter storms, heightened security risks and shorter daylight hours snarl traffic, traders said and Riverlake data in LSEG showed.The congestion, which last exceeded 12 days in February, is being compounded by intensified security checks following recent attacks on tankers carrying Russian oil and strikes on port infrastructure in Novorossiysk…
Turkey Cuts Russian Urals Oil Imports, Turns to Kazakh, Iraqi Supply
Turkey sharply reduced its imports of Russia's flagship Urals crude oil in November, shipping data from energy consultancy Kpler showed, as Western sanctions on Russian energy suppliers tightened and Turkish refineries shifted to alternative grades.Shipments of Urals to Turkey fell by 100,000 barrels per day from October levels, with total imports dropping to around 200,000 bpd last month, data from Kpler and LSEG showed.Turkey has become one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since 2022 when European buyers stopped purchases…
Ukraine Strikes Two Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers
Ukrainian naval drones hit two sanctioned tankers in the Black Sea as they headed to a Russian port to load up with oil destined for foreign markets, an official said on Saturday, as Kyiv tries to pile pressure on Russia's vast oil industry.The two oil tankers, identified as the Kairos and Virat, were empty and sailing to Novorossiysk, a major Russian Black Sea oil terminal, the official at the Security Service of Ukraine told Reuters.Naval drones could be seen speeding towards hulking tankers followed by powerful explosions that caused fires on the vessels…
Chevron Eyes Lukoil Assets
Chevron is studying options to buy global assets of sanctioned Russian oil firm Lukoil, five sources familiar with the process told Reuters on Monday.The U.S. Treasury gave clearance last week to potential buyers to talk to Lukoil about foreign assets. Chevron would join Carlyle and other firms in the race for the Lukoil portfolio worth at least $20 billion.The United States last month imposed sanctions on Russia's two biggest oil companies, Lukoil LKOH.MM and Rosneft ROSN.MM…
Two Dead in Ukrainian Drone Strike on Novorossiisk Port
A Ukrainian drone strike on the southern Russian port city of Novorossiisk killed two people and wounded six on Wednesday, regional authorities said on Telegram.The city's top official declared a state of emergency at Novorossiisk, Russia's major sea port on the Black Sea where oil and grain export terminals are located, but later said there was no danger to inhabitants and guests as servicemen had completed their tasks.Russian state news agency TASS reported that there was no damage to port infrastructure or ships at Novorossiisk following the attack.The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC)'s of
Allseas-Boskalis Consortium Bags $1.4B Offshore Gas Pipeline Job in Taiwan
The 50-50 consortium between Allseas and Boskalis has been awarded a large contract by CPC Corporation Taiwan for the second offshore gas pipeline from Yongan to Tongxiao (YT2) in Taiwan.Under the contract, the consortium will design, construct, install and pre-commission the new YT2 36-inch offshore natural gas pipeline, which will run approximately 232 kilometers parallel to the existing YT1 pipeline, connecting the Yongan LNG terminal in the Southwest with the Tongxiao transfer station in the Northwest.The comprehensive scope of work includes trenching…
Caspian Pipeline Consortium: Damaged Pipeline Is Back Online
A pumping station on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline in Russia damaged in February is back in service, operator CPC said on Friday.The route is Kazakhstan's main means of exporting crude and also carries Russian oil to the Black Sea for export by tanker.The Kropotkinskaya pumping station was damaged in what was described as a drone attack.Moscow accused Ukraine of striking the site, something the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces acknowledged.While the pumping station was being repaired CPC continued deliveries by bypassing the facility.The pipeline carries more than 1
US Plans Alaska LNG Summit, Hoping Japan and South Korea Will Support the Project
U.S. President Donald Trump's energy security council plans to host a summit in Alaska in early June, when it hopes Japan and South Korea will announce commitments to the Alaska LNG project, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.Trump has touted the $44 billion Alaska liquefied natural gas project, which would deliver gas from the state's North Slope fields via an 800-mile (1,300-km) pipeline for domestic use and also ship it to customers in Asia as LNG, bypassing the Panama Canal.While the project has been talked about for years…
Asian Spot LNG Prices Remain at One-Year Low Amidst Supply Disruptions
Asian spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices remained at a near one-year low this week, as supply disruptions from three export facilities in the region and some buying interest capped losses fuelled by overall weak demand.The average LNG price for June delivery into north-east Asia LNG-AS was at $11.50 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), estimated industry sources, down from $11.80/mmBtu last week but still at its lowest levels since mid-May."Lower Asian LNG prices this week prompted opportunistic buying by some East Asian importers, while supply disruptions at export projects in Australia and Brunei provided support to otherwise falling regional fundamentals…
Russian Court Lifts Suspension on Transneft Oil Berth
A Russian court overturned on Monday a decision by a regulator to suspend the operation of an oil berth at the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk controlled by Transneft, an industry source told Reuters.Transneft said last week it had suspended mooring number 8 at Novorossiisk for 90 days after a snap inspection by a transport watchdog.The Novorossiisk Commercial Sea Port (NCSP) is one of Russia's largest export outlets and the closure of one mooring is unlikely to affect its operations significantly.The source said the port was fined 200,000 roubles ($2,322) for unspecified irregularities.
CPC: Russian Court Rules Not to Suspend Oil Export Terminal
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said on Friday that a Russian court ruled that its Black Sea export terminal facilities should not be suspended, in a major victory for the Western-backed consortium.The decision looks set to avert a potential fall in Kazakhstan's oil production and supplies via the CPC, which accounts for around 80% of the country's oil exports.Industry sources told Reuters about a flurry of diplomatic activity over the pipeline's operations between Russia and Kazakhstan before the court ruling.Russia's oil pipeline monopoly Transneft said on Thursday that its head…
Caspian Pipeline Consortium Halts Operations at Two Mooring Points
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which exports Kazakhstan's and Russia's oil from the Black Sea, announced on Monday that it had halted operations at two of its terminal's three mooring points (SPMs).CPC pipeline, which ships about 1% of world oil supply and is a key route for Kazakhstan's oil exports, may lose some 50% of the capacity if operating just one SPM, according to traders' estimates.CPC has been in the spotlight since Russia's war in Ukraine: the consortium closed…
Canadian, WTI Crude Prices to Asia Jump
Prices of Canadian and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil to Asia jumped after shipping costs rallied on concerns that wider U.S. sanctions on the Russian fleet are tightening ship availability, trade sources said on Tuesday.Asian refiners face a margin squeeze as their costs of crude and shipping have spiked since Washington earlier this month imposed sweeping new sanctions targeting Russian insurers, tankers and oil producers.Discounts for Canadian crude exported via the Trans Mountain pipeline (TMX) and delivered to China in April have narrowed $1-$2 a barrel from the previous month…
Chicago Propeller Club is Int'l Chapter of Year
Chicago Propeller Club celebrated being named International Propeller Club of the Year at its latest event.Guests from across the Great Lakes and Mid West maritime industry gathered for the reception, a Chicago River cruise aboard club sponsor Wendella Cruises vessel the Iris.Club President Chris Carr, managing partner of SBSB Eastham law firm, said winning the title at the International Convention in Tampa, just a year after restarting the club, following a 15 year hiatus, is…
Russian Oil Freight Rates Fall to Lowest Since 2022
Freight rates to ship Russian oil have fallen this month towards parity with those for other global exporters for the first time since 2022 as more tankers were available despite Western sanctions and exports fell, three sources said on Wednesday.Freight rates to ship Russian oil soared to more than $20 million per voyage in 2022 after the West imposed sanctions and a $60 dollar price cap to try to limit Russian export revenues.The sources who asked not to be named because they…
Esgian Week 18 Report: Confirmations, Terminations and Suspensions
Esgian reports an eventful week with contract confirmations, terminations and suspensions in its Week 18 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsBurullus Gas Company, the self-operated joint venture between Shell Egypt, the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and Petronas, has agreed to move forward with the development of Phase 11 in Egypt's Nile Delta in the Mediterranean Sea.QatarEnergy has exercised a one-year option for Borr Drilling 400-ft jackup Groa…
Chevron Reroutes Kazakh Oil to Asia Around Africa
Chevron is sending cargoes of Kazakhstan's CPC Blend oil to Asia around Africa's Cape of Good Hope rather than via the Red Sea to avoid the risk of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, according to three industry sources and LSEG ship-tracking data.The Iranian-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks on shipping despite U.S.-led air strikes on the group's positions in Yemen, leading more vessels to avoid using the Red Sea and the Suez Canal - the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia.CPC Blend crude is loaded at the Russian Black Sea terminal of Yuzhnaya Ozereevka, near Novorossisk.