Russia's Arctic LNG 2 Last Line is on Hold
The third and the last train of the Arctic LNG 2 project in Russia has been put on hold but the second train is likely to be installed, the head of stakeholder TotalEnergies' said.The liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the Russian Arctic has faced challenges from U.S. sanctions imposed on the project last November over the conflict in Ukraine, and subsequent force majeures by shareholders.At the end of 2023 Arctic LNG 2 started tentative production at its first train, which is yet to deliver a first cargo.
First-ever U.S. Sour Crude Cargo Sails to Germany as Russia Sanctions Bite
A tanker of U.S. sour crude was delivered at Germany's port of Rostock last week for the first time ever, according to sources, analysts and vessel tracking data, as local refiners test alternatives to Russian oil.The European Union plans an almost-complete embargo of Russian barrels by year-end, and is trying to wean itself off Russian crude imports, which have fed inland refineries in Germany, Poland and other central European nations via pipeline.Refiners plan to replace Russian oil with seaborne Norwegian, Saudi Arabian, British and U.S. crude grades. Russia has already shown through its natural gas exports that it is willing to cut off European destinations in a tit-for-tat over the EU's financial sanctions that followed Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February.
Total to Invest in Novateks LNG Projects
The French oil giant Total intends to buy 10% shares of the transshipment points of liquefied natural gas in Murmansk and Kamchatka, which Novatek plans to build.Russian news agency TASS quoted the CEO of the French company Patrick Pouyanne as saying: "We have just announced that we are investing in Arctic LNG 2, but we are also investing in terminals in Murmansk as well as in Kamchatka. This is part of our agreement with Novatek. To develop Arctic LNG 2, we need two hubs — one in Murmansk, the other in Kamchatka. And Total will be a partner in these two hubs.""All of that will account for a 10 percent share. Remember that we are also Novatek shareholders," he added.Novatek plans to build an LNG transshipment and storage facility in Ura Bay in the Murmansk Region.
Total, Singapore's Pavilion Energy Sign LNG Ship Fuel Supply Chain Deal
Total and Singapore's Pavilion Energy have signed a non-binding deal through their subsidiaries to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunker supply chain in the port of Singapore, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday.Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions, the French oil major's affiliate in charge of worldwide ship fuelling, or bunkering, activities, and Pavilion Gas signed a heads of agreement which covers the shared long-term time charter of a new generation LNG bunker vessel to be commissioned by Pavilion Gas by 2020…
Total Determined to Drill Amazon Basin as Greenpeace Storms AGM
Total is determined to push ahead with its plans to drill for oil in the Amazon basin, it said on Friday as Greenpeace activists interrupted its annual general meeting in protest at the project.The French oil major wants to explore Brazil's Foz do Amazonas basin, but Brazil's environmental agency rejected its licence application on Tuesday for a fourth time.As the company's annual general meeting opened in Paris on Friday, four activists from Greenpeace descended by rope from the ceiling above the stage…
Big Oil Takes Stage for Post-austerity Beauty Contest
With years of austerity in their rear-view mirrors, the world's biggest oil companies are locked in a beauty contest to lure investors with promises of growth and greater rewards. Royal Dutch Shell and Total are emerging as frontrunners after a three-year slump thanks to strong growth projections but Exxon Mobil, the biggest publicly traded oil company, has largely disappointed with a weaker outlook. Major oil companies slashed spending and cut costs after oil prices collapsed…
Total to supply LNG for CMA CGM's Future Boxships
Total to supply 300,000 T of LNG a year for 10 years. Total will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to CMA CGM to fuel the container shipping group's future very large vessels, the French companies said on Monday. CMA CGM had said last month it would use LNG to power the nine extra-large vessels it has on order, a first such move in a shipping industry grappling with how to comply with tougher rules on emissions. Under the 10-year agreement, oil and gas major Total will supply around 300,000 tonnes of LNG per year to CMA CGM, starting in 2020, the companies said in a statement. Financial terms were not disclosed. CMA CGM's future container ships, to be among the largest ever built, are due to be delivered from 2020.
Total CEO Not Worried over Possible Norway Fund Capital Exit
The possible exit of Norway's sovereign wealth fund from the capital of French oil and gas major Total will take place over time and is thus unlikely to hurt Total's stock price, Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne said on Friday. "I can tell you that, obviously, the managers of the fund who we know very well...are not going to sell in a manner that would lead to a stock-price collapse," Pouyanne told shareholders during an annual gathering in Paris. Acccording to Thomson Reuters data, Norges Bank Investment Management - owns around 1.6 perent of Total's capital.
Total Delivers First LNG Cargo from Gladstone
The first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Australia's Gladstone project has been delivered to Korea Gas Corp, Total Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said on Thursday. The French oil and gas company holds a 27.5 percent stake in the project. Other partners include Australia's Santos Ltd , Malaysia's Petronas and Korea Gas Corp. The Gladstone project produces natural gas from coal seams and converts it into LNG for shipping to buyers, mostly in Asia. Reporting by Bate Felix
Gazprom, Total for Joint Exploration in Bolivia
The Gazprom headquarters hosted today a meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Company's Management Committee and Patrick Pouyanne, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Executive Committee of Total, to address the core issues of the bilateral cooperation on the current status of the agreements on joint development of oil and gas fields in Bolivia. It was noted that the preparation of wells and the relevant infrastructure was well underway as part of developing the Ipati and Aquio gas deposits before the start of commercial production scheduled for 2016. The meeting also shared opinions regarding the project for joint development of hydrocarbon deposits in the Acero block.
Oil Majors to Preserve Dividends Despite Oil Collapse
Europe's oil majors will strike a sober note in their fourth-quarter results and investors will focus on companies' plans to maintain cherished dividends and their strategies to cope with the oil prices collapse that caught many unawares. Having sold around $120 billion in assets in recent years to boost balance sheets and keep up dividend payouts, companies are expected to increase borrowing and further cut costs as they come to terms with oil prices that have more than halved since June to around $50 a barrel. "Lower oil prices pose the biggest threat to oil and gas industry earnings and financial solidity since the financial crash of 2008," consultancy Wood Mackenzie said in a note.
Total CEO: EU Must Fight US Crude Export Law
First major public appearance of new Total head; he challenges European politicians to fight US ban. The new head of French energy major Total challenged Europe to fight Washington over the U.S. oil export ban, in his first public appearance since his predecessor Christophe de Margerie was killed in a Moscow plane crash last week. Patrick Pouyanne said on Thursday the export ban flouts free-trade agreements and puts European and Asian refiners at a disadvantage, making a bold appeal to European politicians. "We need to fight and put this topic on the table," Pouyanne said during a sometimes emotional appearance at London's annual Oil & Money conference, where de Margerie had been a popular speaker over the years. "I hope the European Commission raises this issue ...
Total Names Refining Boss to Replace de Margerie
French oil company Total has appointed refining boss Patrick Pouyanne as chief executive to succeed Christophe de Margerie who was killed in a plane crash in Moscow this week. Pouyanne, 51, head of refining, had been considered as possible candidate to succeed de Margerie in the past and has a reputation as a shrewd cost-cutter. The world's fourth largest oil company also named Thierry Desmarest, a former Total CEO, as non-executive chairman. The appointments came less than 48 hours after de Margerie's death.
Total CEO Killed in Moscow Runway Accident
Private jet collided with snow plow during takeoff; Total's CEO a defender of Moscow policies. Insiders Boisseau and Pouyanne long seen as potential successors. The chief executive of French oil major Total, Christophe de Margerie, was killed when his private jet collided with a snow plough as it was taking off from Moscow's Vnukovo airport on Monday night. De Margerie's death leaves a void at the top of one of the world's biggest listed oil firms at a difficult time for the industry as oil prices fall and state-backed competitors keep them out of some of the best oil exploration territory. The collision occurred minutes before midnight Moscow time as de Margerie's Dassault Falcon jet was taking off for Paris.
Total Refinery Plans Revealed by Next Spring
La Mede/Lavera plant merger project failed; Total may invest 300 mln euros in La Mede near Marseille. Total, Europe's biggest oil refiner, is giving itself until the spring of 2015 to review its options for the French refining sector, which could include capacity cuts but no site closures, union sources told Reuters on Friday. Total's European refining margins have dropped to near four-year lows this year, as the sector struggles to compete with more efficient plants in the Middle East, overcapacities in Europe and a decline in gasoline and diesel consumption. The French group held a works council meeting on its refining strategy on Thursday evening, where head of refining Patrick Pouyanne replied to a list of 25 questions presented by unions on the future of the industry in France.
