Houston-Galveston port restrictions lifted: USCG

Market: Crude oil, Oil products
09/07/24

Major ports near Houston, Texas, are cleared for some daylight operations following a complete closure over the weekend due to Hurricane Beryl.

The ports of Galveston and Texas City are open to daylight traffic for vessels with drafts of 30 feet or less, according to a notice from the US Coast Guard (USCG) issued Tuesday afternoon.

The Port of Houston is open to ships with drafts of 35 feet or less during daylight hours, while the Port of Freeport is open to ships with drafts of 36 feet or less.

The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from the Colorado Locks in Matagorda, Texas, east to Pelican Cut near Galveston remains closed to vessel traffic, but is open from Bolivar east to the High Island Bridge, according to the notice.

The ports were closed at 5pm ET Sunday as Hurricane Beryl approached the region. The storm made landfall Monday morning near Matagorda, bringing storm surge, heavy rains and wind gusts nearing 90mph throughout the region.

By Joseph Barbour

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07/05/25

IMO GHG pricing falls short on green methanol, ammonia

New York, 7 May (Argus) — The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) proposed global greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing mechanism might not drive significant uptake of green methanol and green ammonia by 2035, given current market prices. Despite introducing penalties on high-emission fuels use and tradable surplus credits for low-emission fuels, the mechanism does not sufficiently close the cost gap for green alternatives. Under the system, starting in 2028 ship operators will face a two-tier penalty: $100/t CO₂e for emissions between the base and direct GHG intensity limit, and $380/t CO₂e for those exceeding the looser base limit. These thresholds will tighten annually through 2035. Ship operators can earn tradable credits for overcompliance when their GHG emissions fall below the direct limit. Assuming a surplus CO₂e credit value of $72/t — mirroring April 2025's average EU emissions trading system price — green ammonia would earn about $215/t in surplus credits in 2028 (see chart) . This barely offsets its April spot price of $2,830/t VLSFO equivalent in northwest Europe. Bio-methanol would receive about $175/t in credits, offering minimal relief on its $2,318/t April spot price. Currently, unsubsidized northwest Europe bio-LNG sits mid-range among bunker fuel options under IMO's emissions framework. While more expensive than HSFO, grey LNG, and B30 bioblends, the bio-LNG is cheaper than B100 (pure used cooking oil methyl ester), green ammonia, and bio-methanol. To become cost-competitive with unsubsidized bio-LNG — priced at $1,185/t in April 2025 — green ammonia and bio-methanol prices would need to fall by 57pc and 49pc, respectively, to around $1,220/t VLSFOe and $1,180/t VLSFOe by 2028. Unless green fuel prices drop significantly or fossil fuel prices rise, the IMO's structure alone provides insufficient economic incentive to accelerate green ammonia and bio-methanol adoption at scale. By Stefka Wechsler NW Europe, fuel prices plus IMO penalties and credits Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Opec+ eight agree accelerated hike for June: Update

07/05/25

News

07/05/25

Opec+ eight agree accelerated hike for June: Update

London, 7 May (Argus) — A core group of eight Opec+ members has agreed to accelerate, for a second consecutive month, their plan to unwind some of their production cuts, the Opec secretariat said Saturday. As it did for May, the group will again raise its collective output target by 411,000 b/d in June, three times as much as it had planned in its original roadmap to gradually unwind 2.2mn b/d of crude production cuts by the middle of next year. The original plan envisaged a slow and steady unwind over 18 months from April, with monthly increments of about 137,000 b/d. But today's decision means that the eight — Saudi Arabia, Russia, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Algeria, Oman and Kazakhstan — will have unwound almost half of the 2.2mn b/d cut in the space of just three months. The decision to maintain this accelerated pace into June is somewhat surprising, given the weakness in oil prices and the outlook for the global economy. The eight's decision last month to deliver a three-in-one hike in May was seen as a key reason for the recent slide in oil prices, alongside US President Donald Trump's tariff policies. Front month Ice Brent futures have fallen by about $13/bl since early April to stand at just over $61/bl. But the eight today pointed to "current healthy market fundamentals, as reflected in the low oil inventories" as a key factor in its latest decision. It reiterated, as it has in the past, that the gradual monthly increases "may be paused or reversed subject to evolving market conditions." As was the case for May, delegates said that the main driver for the June hike was again a desire to send a message to those countries that have persistently breached their production targets since the start of last year — most notably Kazakhstan and Iraq, which each have significant overproduction to compensate for through the middle of next year. "This measure will provide an opportunity for the participating countries to accelerate their compensation," the secretariat said. This group of eight is due to next meet on 1 June to review market conditions and decide on July production levels. By Nader Itayim, Aydin Calik and Bachar Halabi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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India, Saudi Arabia plan two Indian refineries

07/05/25

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07/05/25

India, Saudi Arabia plan two Indian refineries

Mumbai, 7 May (Argus) — India and Saudi Arabia are to collaborate on the development of two integrated refinery and petrochemical plants in India. The plan was announced after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi met Saudi counterpart Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on 22 April, as part of the India–Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council. Saudi Arabia in 2019 pledged to invest $100bn in India in several sectors including energy and petrochemicals. No further details have been provided but the projects could be Indian state-run BPCL's planned facility in Andhra Pradesh and oil firm ONGC's refinery project in Gujarat, according to industry participants. Plans for a 1.2mn b/d refinery in Ratnagiri alongside the UAE's Adnoc have been abandoned because of logistical and land acquisition challenges, industry participants say. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Spanish base oils under force majeure after power cut

07/05/25

News

07/05/25

Spanish base oils under force majeure after power cut

London, 7 May (Argus) — Spanish firm Repsol declared force majeure on its domestic base oil operations last week, the day after a massive power outage disrupted industrial infrastructure across the Iberian peninsula, the company told Argus today. Repsol has since resumed production at its Spanish base oil plants, but the force majeure remains in place. Its duration will depend on how successfully output can be ramped up and whether the base oil material meets quality specifications, the company said. The nationwide blackout disrupted operations at Repsol's 80,000 t/yr Group I unit in Puertollano and its 135,000 t/yr Group I and 630,000 t/yr Group II and III units in Cartagena. It shares the Cartagena units in a joint venture with South Korean producer SK Enmove. The power outage in Spain has further tightened already constrained global Group III supplies. Bahrain's state-owned Bapco is carrying out a 45-day turnaround at its 400,000 t/yr Group III unit in Sintra, and SK Enmove is poised to start maintenance at its 1.3mn t/yr Groiup III plant in Ulsan, South Korea in mid-May. Europe is a net importer of Group III product, with only 13pc of the region's estimated 7mn t/yr of nameplate base oil production capacity dedicated to the higher-quality grade. Tight supply, combined with seasonally high finished lubricant demand due to the spring oil change, is likely to continue to support Group III prices. By Christian Hotten & Gabriella Twining Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Asian airlines divert, cancel flights to avoid Pakistan

07/05/25

News

07/05/25

Asian airlines divert, cancel flights to avoid Pakistan

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