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US prospects for permitting overhaul dwindle

  • Market: Crude oil, Natural gas, Oil products, Pipe and tube
  • 20/11/23

Oil and business groups' hopes that the US Congress could fast-track permitting this year are rapidly fading, with Republicans consumed by infighting and a key Democrat openly flirting with a presidential run.

The prospect of meaningful permitting legislation passing this year was always a long shot, given deep divides on the issue and the current split in the control of Congress. But industry hoped a deal could arise, with Democrats trying to fast-track clean energy projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Republicans seeking to remove obstacles to new fossil fuel infrastructure.

Permitting reform advocates concede a deal is unlikely to emerge any time soon, given scant progress on the issue so far, and as Congress heads into an election year where any deal would be much more difficult to pass. "I am not optimistic of anything passing this year," Republican-leaning non-profit Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions president Heather Reams says.

In another headwind to a possible deal, Democratic West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, who leads the Senate's energy committee, earlier this month said he would not run for re-election in 2024 but will be "travelling the country" to mobilise moderate voters. Manchin has been a top negotiator on permitting and energy issues, including parts of the IRA that restarted oil and gas leasing on federal land and the US Gulf of Mexico. Manchin says he is "absolutely" considering a run for the White House, adding a potential complication to President Joe Biden's re-election bid.

Permitting negotiations had already become stuck in early summer after Congress was able to pass modest permitting changes as part of a bipartisan debt limit law. After the enactment of those changes, the issues left outstanding are more politically thorny, such as energy sector demands for judicial reform to make it harder to bring lawsuits against permitting, or changes to the Clean Water Act sought by the gas sector and opposed by environmentalists and some states.

And the signing of the debt limit law came before far-right Republicans paralysed the US House of Representatives last month by removing Kevin McCarthy as speaker. The infighting shows no sign of easing. House Republicans last week blocked votes on their party's own spending bills. The new speaker Mike Johnson had to rely on Democrats to prevent a government shutdown after 17 November, and Congress is on track to spend the next two months trying to stop a shutdown from 20 January. Far-right House Republicans have held up work as they demand spending cuts and policy changes as a condition to keep the government open.

One event away

Oil and gas executives are holding out hope for permitting changes they say are essential to supporting the industry's growth, including supplying gas to LNG export facilities being developed on the US Gulf coast. An energy crisis, such as a spike in prices, could create the political pressure needed to pass legislation, US gas producer EQT chief executive Toby Rice told an industry conference last month. "We're one event away from something happening. You have one event, you get to reality real quick and you start getting stuff built," Rice said, giving the example ofLNG terminal permitting in Germany after the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Congress is set to finish the year having passed some modest permitting tweaks as part of the debt limit agreement. The law will allow the $7.2bn Mountain Valley Pipeline to be completed, enabling the transport of natural gas from West Virginia, and it has expanded the use of "categorical exclusions" that fast-track reviews. But the impasse over broader legislation will put pressure on the White House to pursue changes that allow faster permitting, such as federal initiatives to build out long-distance electric transmission projects to add renewables to the grid.


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10/03/25

Brazil ignores fossil fuel phase-out in Cop 30 letter

Brazil ignores fossil fuel phase-out in Cop 30 letter

Sao Paulo, 10 March (Argus) — Climate activists praised Brazil's stance of making UN Cop 30 a "turning point" for real climate change commitments but criticized the presidency's letter for turning a blind eye to fossil fuels' leading role in global warming. The summit's president Andre Correa do Lago unveiled on Monday a letter addressing the event's goals and outlooks, which includes boosting climate financing to $1.3 trillion/yr from the target stipulated at Cop 29 of $300bn/yr. "Lago calls on foreign countries — especially the US — to leave individuality and irresponsibility behind in exchange for cooperation and our planet's future," scientist Karin Bruning — a graduate of the University of Heidelberg and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — said. "However, the letter has no use if Brazil does not pull its own weight." Bruning recalled Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's [public feud](http://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2657369 with the country's environmentalist watchdog Ibama regarding the exploration in Brazil's equatorial margin region. "A country with so much renewable energy available cannot look at past solutions such as exploring and pushing for fossil fuels," Bruning said. She also highlighted the importance of respecting technical and scientific decisions on matters such as oil exploration. Environmental concerns have always been at the center of the equatorial margin debate, as it stands near a freshwater barrier reef. State-controlled Petrobras has long been trying to explore the area's Foz do Amazonas basin — which holds an estimated 10bn bl of crude, according to energy research bureau Epe — but has struggled to receive the environment licenses to do so. Ibama last denied the company a request to drill in the area in May 2023. Brazilian climate think tank Observatorio do Clima called the letter "inspiring," but added that it "excludes the elephant in the room." It recognized the letter as a "relief for giving the Paris Agreement negotiations to professionals who understand the gravity of the moment" but bashed it for keeping fossil fuels' gradual stoppage out of Cop 30's priorities list. Still, Correa do Lago's letter was celebrated for recognizing "the scale of the challenge and the urgency of response," according to climate change think-tank E3G's associate director Kaysie Brown. Holding on to past pledges Previous Cop agreements and global stocktakes (GST) — a five-yearly checkpoint agreed upon in the 2015 Paris Agreement — were ignored and pushed back against in Baku's final text. Correa do Lago's letter focused on rolling back decisions regarding developing countries and increasing financing for them, which has long been one of the Brazilian government's priorities. This includes the climate financing target of $1.3 trillion. "We do have pending issues to solve at Cop 30, notably the UAE dialogue on implementing the GST outcomes and the just transition work programme," Correa do Lago said in his letter. "The GST is an invaluable legacy that unites us. We must all continue to subscribe to it as the ultimate benchmark for climate implementation." By Maria Frazatto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Vitol's Sarroch refinery crude receipts at 6-year high


10/03/25
News
10/03/25

Vitol's Sarroch refinery crude receipts at 6-year high

Barcelona, 10 March (Argus) — Crude receipts at refiner Saras' 300,000 b/d Sarroch refinery in Italy rose to a six-year high in February, with the plant receiving a trio of new grades in February-March. Receipts were close to 320,000 b/d last month compared with 205,000 b/d in January, according to Argus tracking. Receipts averaged 245,000 b/d in 2024, slightly lower than around 250,000 b/d in 2023. Saras had aimed for 265,000-270,000 b/d last year, without success. In the past decade the unit has consistently underperformed targets, not achieving much more than 260,000 b/d in a year. Former workers said the plant is unable to distill crude in excess of 285,000 b/d. After repeated issues and "technical hiccups" it was unable to run at that pace for extended periods, a problem shared with the large majority of its Mediterranean peers. But Saras appears to have been making efforts to improve availability with a string of planned maintenance programmes in the past 18 months. New owners, trading firm Vitol, may be keen to test the unit's capabilities. Vitol purchased the unit last year in a €1.7bn ($1.84bn) deal and appear to be introducing new grades. Sarroch took receipt of a first cargo of 28°API Guyanese grade Payara Gold in February, having in December sampled Senegal's Sangomar crude for the first time. Receipts in February comprised 125,000 b/d of Libyan crude, split between Amna, Bouri and Zueitina grades, 70,000 b/d of Angolan crude split between Palanca and Pazflor, 50,000 b/d of Azeri BTC Blend, 30,000 b/d of US WTI, 25,000 b/d of Caspian CPC Blend and 20,000 b/d of the Payara Gold. Argus assessed these at a weighted average gravity of 35.4°API and 0.5pc sulphur content, compared with 32.2°API and 0.7pc sulphur in January. The slate averaged an estimated 33.3°API and 0.8pc sulphur last year, almost identical to 2023. The pace of delivery in March appears good, with around 600,000 bl of BTC Blend unloaded. Twi further new grades for Sarroch were received in the form of 1mn bl of heavy sweet Meleck from Niger, and 735,000 bl of the re-branded Kazakh Urals grade, Kebco. Sarroch was not a major buyer of Urals, prior to the imposition of sanctions following the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and received its last Baltic-loaded Urals in April 2022 . A further 1mn bl each of Brazilian Frade and Libyan Attifel are on route. By Adam Porter Sarroch crude receipts mn bl Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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US SAF projects will be protected: United Airlines


10/03/25
News
10/03/25

US SAF projects will be protected: United Airlines

Houston, 10 March (Argus) — US sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projects will move forward despite the US administration pushing back against earlier legislation that supports renewables, the head of United Airlines said today. SAF has bipartisan support in Congress and at the state level and is likely to be protected, United chief executive Scott Kirby said at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference in Houston, Texas. Electrification is not practical in large scale aviation and hydrogen has a different set of problems, leaving SAF as the better option, Kirby said. The US has provided strong incentives to develop SAF under laws passed during the administration of former-president Joe Biden and will likely produce enough to export to Europe to help that continent meet aggressive targets. US president Donald Trump issued an executive order upon taking office which paused all disbursements of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in 2022 and a complementary infrastructure law passed in 2021. The order called for ending the "Green New Deal", echoing language he used on the campaign trail when criticizing the IRA. Trump said the funding should be held back until federal agencies "review their processes, policies and programs for issuing grants, loans, contracts or any other financial disbursements" to ensure they fit with policy objectives. United announced in December that it agreed to buy SAF from Phillips 66's Rodeo facility in northern California as soon as the product came online. The airline inked a similar deal with Neste last year for SAF as it continues to take advantage of the Illinois SAF buyers' tax credit in supplying its major hub at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Other US independent refiners have recently announced that SAF projects are advancing. Specialty refiner Calumet said last month that a project to expand SAF production in Montana is moving forward after it received an initial $782mn loan from the US Department of Energy (DOE). The funding is the first portion of a $1.44bn loan from the DOE that will allow Calumet subsidiary Montana Renewables to expand operations at its Great Falls, Montana, biofuel plant. The loan was paused temporarily earlier this year as the Trump administration conducted a review to confirm "alignment with White House priorities." Another US independent refiner, Par Pacific, said it is seeing strong interest in its planned renewable fuels facility at its 94,000 b/d Kapolei, Hawaii, refinery. The $90mn project, which will produce SAF and other products, is on schedule to start up in the second-half of 2025, Par Pacific said. Meanwhile, US independent refiner Valero said recently that its project to produce up to 15,000 b/d of SAF at its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, is fully operational. The project allows the plant, jointly owned with Diamond Green Diesel (DGD), to upgrade up to 50pc of its 31,000 b/d renewable diesel refining capacity to SAF. By Eunice Bridges Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Tanker and cargo vessel collide in North Sea: Update


10/03/25
News
10/03/25

Tanker and cargo vessel collide in North Sea: Update

Adds details from tanker management London, 10 March (Argus) — An oil tanker and a container vessel are on fire in the UK North Sea after colliding earlier today, the UK coastguard said. Shiptracking data appear to show the US-flagged Medium Range (MR) tanker Stena Immaculate was at anchor when it was hit by Portuguese-flagged container vessel Solong. The Stena Immaculate's manager, US-based logistics company Crowley, said the incident resulted in a ruptured cargo tank containing jet fuel. It said all its employees on board are safe and accounted for. Market sources told Argus that the tanker was likely carrying jet fuel and diesel. Vortexa data show the tanker was on route to the UK's port of Immingham on the east coast of England, from the Greek port of Agioi Theodoroi. The Solong was plying a route from the east coast of Scotland to Rotterdam, according to vessel tracking data. "The incident remains ongoing and an assessment of the likely counter pollution response required is being enacted," the coastguard said. By Rhys van Dinther Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Mark Carney to be Canada's next prime minister: Update


10/03/25
News
10/03/25

Mark Carney to be Canada's next prime minister: Update

Adds recent poll data on national election, more on Carney's background. Calgary, 10 March (Argus) — Mark Carney is to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada's prime minister after comfortably winning the governing Liberal Party's leadership contest. Carney, who served as governor for the Bank of Canada and then the Bank of England, will be sworn in later this week once Trudeau officially resigns. Carney has never held political office and does not have a seat in Canada's House of Commons. In his victory speech, he vowed to protect Canada's sovereignty and stand firm in the face of US president Donald Trump's trade war. Although Trump on 7 March repealed most of the tariffs he imposed on Canada just a few days earlier, Carney pledged to continue with retaliatory measures. "My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans can show us respect," he said. "The Americans, they should make no mistake, in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win." Carney also referenced Trump's repeated calls to make Canada "the 51st state" of the US, vowing that "Canada never ever will be part of America in any way, shape or form". Liberals rebound in polls on tariff war Carney will stand for the Liberal Party in the next general election, which must be held by 20 October. Opposition parties have vowed to trigger a general election at first chance when Parliament returns to session on 24 March, but a recent rebound in polls may prompt the Liberals to call one earlier yet. An Ipsos poll done in late-February showed the Liberals making up a 26-point deficit to take a narrow lead, the first time since 2021. The Conservatives have since pulled ahead slightly, according to Nanos Research, while a poll by Innovative Research Group indicates a 38pc to 31pc lead for the Conservatives over the Liberals. Even with the Conservatives ahead, both indicate a much tighter race compared to earlier in the year. The remarkable rebound for the Liberals comes after the promise Trudeau would no longer be the face of the party, and the perceived similarities between Trump and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Trump's aggressive actions and rhetoric towards Canada have stoked anti-American sentiment across the country and prompted the public to reexamine the trade relationship with its southern neighbour. A more recent poll by Ipsos shows only 1-in-10 Canadians want to strengthen their reliance on the US. Carney was born in Northwest Territories and grew up in Alberta, but it remains to be seen if his western upbringing will help the Liberal Party's success in the region given their unpopularity with the oil patch. The last time Canada had a prime minister born in western Canada was Kim Campbell in 1993 who succeeded Brian Mulroney under similar circumstances when he stepped down from the top post. By Brett Holmes and James Keates Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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