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Greek court overturns US crude seizure: Tehran

  • Spanish Market: Crude oil
  • 09/06/22

Iran said today it expects the return of a cargo of its crude that was seized by the US in Greek waters last month, citing a court of appeals ruling in the Mediterranean country.

Iran's embassy in Greece said the court has overturned an initial ruling that allowed the US to seize the Lana, which was found to be carrying 845,000 bl of Iranian crude. Argus has been unable to verify the court ruling.

"The entire oil shipment will be returned", the embassy said in a Tweet, adding that Greece and Iran will consult on implementing the appeals court ruling.

Part of the Lana's cargo was transferred onto the Ice Energy for delivery to the US, but the latter remains in Greek waters.

A return of the crude to Iran could facilitate the release of Greek-flagged tankers Delta Poseidon and Prudent Warrior, which were detained by Iran in the days after the Lana was seized. Owners of one of these tankers, taking part at the Posidonia 2022 shipping fair in Greece, refused to comment about negotiations.


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05/07/24

Beryl enters GOM, heading towards Texas: Update

Beryl enters GOM, heading towards Texas: Update

Updates hurricane watch and status of Texas ports and lightering zones. New York, 5 July (Argus) — Hurricane Beryl weakened to a tropical storm as it crossed the Yucatan Peninsula and entered the Gulf of Mexico on Friday afternoon, with a likely second landfall in Texas on Monday. Maximum sustained winds have dropped to near 65mph, the National Hurricane Center said in a 5pm ET advisory, but the tropical storm is forecast to strengthen to a hurricane again as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico, with forecasts pointing to a landfall late Sunday or early Monday from far northeastern Mexico to the eastern Texas coast. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch from the mouth of the Rio Grande River to Sargent, Texas, about 80 miles southwest of Houston. Heavy rainfall of 4-8 inches is expected by Sunday into next week. The US Coast Guard changed the status of the port of Corpus Christi, Texas — a key US oil export hub — to "X-ray" at 3pm ET Friday, meaning gale force winds are expected to arrive at the port within 48 hours. All commercial traffic and transfer operations can continue during X-ray, but the Coast Guard said ocean-going commercial vessels greater than 500 gross tons should make plans to depart the port. Corpus Christi is also home to three refineries totaling 800,000 b/d of capacity. Citgo said it is implementing its hurricane preparedness plan at its 165,000 b/d refinery there. The ports of Houston, Texas City, Galveston and Freeport were set to port condition Whiskey at 5:05pm ET Friday, meaning gale force winds are expected to arrive within 72 hours. The ports remain open to all commercial traffic. Ship-to-ship transfers off the Texas coast proceeded as normal on Friday but will be postponed off Corpus Christi beginning Sunday. The US National Weather Service (NWS) forecast winds up to 90mph and waves up to 32 ft at the Corpus Christi lightering area on Sunday and Monday before calmer conditions return Tuesday. Ship-to-ship transfers are expected to be postponed at the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area early next week due to the same conditions. Most of Mexico's Gulf coast ports were closed today and many offshore oil production operations. The impact to US Gulf oil and gas operations so far appears to be limited, with BP determining forecasts "indicate Hurricane Beryl no longer poses a significant threat" to its offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell had taken the precaution of shutting in production and evacuating all staff from its Perdido platform and its Whale development, which is scheduled to begin operations later this year. "We have safely paused some of our drilling operations, but there are currently no other impacts on our production across the Gulf of Mexico," the company said late on Thursday. Earlier this week, Beryl was a Category 5 storm, which made it the strongest on record for the month of July, as it left a trail of destruction in the Caribbean. By Stephen Cunningham, Tray Swanson and Nathan Risser Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Hurricane Beryl threat to US offshore oil lower


05/07/24
05/07/24

Hurricane Beryl threat to US offshore oil lower

Calgary, 5 July (Argus) — A northward shift in forecasts for Hurricane Beryl could bring the storm to the mid-Texas coast early next week, but its threat to US Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production appears limited. US Gulf oil and gas operators evacuated non-essential workers from some offshore facilities earlier in the week as a precaution. But on Thursday those concerns appeared to lessen, with BP saying the storm "... no longer poses a significant threat to our Gulf of Mexico assets". Beryl had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane, according to a 5pm ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. The storm is expected to reach the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico by early Friday, bringing heavy rain, hurricane-force winds and storm surge. Beryl will likely weaken to tropical storm status as it passes over the Yucatan but regain hurricane status when it enters the Gulf of Mexico late Friday-early Saturday. Current forecasts have it turning northwest to make landfall again somewhere between the northeastern coast of Mexico and the mid-Texas coast on Sunday. The US Coast Guard changed the status of the port of Corpus Christi, Texas, -- a key US oil export hub -- to "whiskey" on Thursday, meaning gale force winds are expected to arrive at the port within 72 hours. The port remains open to all commercial traffic. Earlier in the week Beryl was a Category 5 storm, which made it the strongest on record for the month of July. It was a Category 4 storm on Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph as it brushed past the southern coast of Jamaica. By Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Saudi Aramco cuts official August crude prices for Asia


04/07/24
04/07/24

Saudi Aramco cuts official August crude prices for Asia

London, 4 July (Argus) — Saudi Arabia's state-controlled Saudi Aramco has reduced the official formula prices of August-loading crude exports for buyers in its core Asia-Pacific market, while increasing prices for European customers. For customers in Asia-Pacific, Aramco has cut the August formula prices of its Arab Light and Extra Light grades by 60¢/bl compared with July and reduced the prices of its other grades by 20-70¢/bl. The price cuts for Asia-Pacific are within customers' expectations. Refiners in the region expected a narrower Dubai backwardation to prompt a reduction in Saudi formula prices . The month-on-month change in Dubai intermonth spreads is one factor that producers such as Aramco consider when setting the formula prices for their Asia-bound cargoes. For customers in northwest Europe, Aramco has raised the official August prices of its Extra Light, Arab Light, Arab Medium and Arab Heavy grades by 90¢/bl. For Mediterranean-bound exports of the same grades, it increased prices by 90¢/bl on a fob Ras Tanura basis and by 80¢/bl a fob Sidi Kerir basis. European refiners were anticipating an increase in Saudi formula prices on the back of firm values for rival crudes and tighter global supply. The North Sea's largest crude grade, Norway's medium sour Johan Sverdrup, averaged $1.60/bl above the North Sea Dated benchmark fob Mongstad in June, up from a $0.29/bl premium in May. Values of heavier grades in Europe have recently begun to improve. The Argus Brent Sour Index, which prices northwest Europe's heavier and sourer crudes, has averaged a 35¢/bl premium to Dated so far this week. The index averaged 10¢/bl above Dated in June and 7¢/bl below the benchmark in May. Aramco is expected to export less crude in the summer months when domestic demand peaks. Saudi Arabia announced in early June that it will extend a 1mn b/d "voluntary" additional crude output cut — first implemented in July 2023 — for three months until the end of September. For customers in the US, Aramco has lifted the August formula prices of Extra Light and Arab Light by 10¢/bl compared with July. It has left formula prices of the other grades unchanged. By Edmundo Alfaro and Lina Bulyk Saudi Aramco official formula prices $/bl August July ± United States (vs ASCI) Extra Light 7.10 7.00 0.10 Arab Light 4.85 4.75 0.10 Arab Medium 5.45 5.45 0.00 Arab Heavy 5.10 5.10 0.00 Northwest Europe (vs Ice Brent) Extra Light 5.60 4.70 0.90 Arab Light 4.00 3.10 0.90 Arab Medium 3.20 2.30 0.90 Arab Heavy 0.80 -0.10 0.90 Asia-Pacific (vs Oman/Dubai) Super Light 2.75 2.95 -0.20 Extra Light 1.60 2.20 -0.60 Arab Light 1.80 2.40 -0.60 Arab Medium 1.25 1.95 -0.70 Arab Heavy 0.50 1.20 -0.70 Mediterranean fob Ras Tanura (vs Ice Brent) Extra Light 5.60 4.70 0.90 Arab Light 3.90 3.00 0.90 Arab Medium 3.30 2.40 0.90 Arab Heavy 0.60 -0.30 0.90 Mediterranean fob Sidi Kerir (vs Ice Brent) Extra Light 5.65 4.85 0.80 Arab Light 3.95 3.15 0.80 Arab Medium 3.35 2.55 0.80 Arab Heavy 0.65 -0.15 0.80 Source: Saudi Aramco Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US services contract in June, signal broad weakening


03/07/24
03/07/24

US services contract in June, signal broad weakening

Houston, 3 July (Argus) — Economic activity in the US services sector contracted in June by the most since 2020 while a report earlier this week showed contraction in manufacturing, signaling a broad-based slowdown in the economy as the second quarter came to an end. The Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) services purchasing managers index (PMI) registered 48.8 in June, down from 53.8 in May. Readings above 50 signal expansion, while those below 50 signal contraction for the services economy. The June services PMI "indicates the overall economy is contracting for the first time in 17 months," ISM said. "The decrease in the composite index in June is a result of notably lower business activity, a contraction in new orders for the second time since May 2020 and continued contraction in employment." The business activity/production index fell to 49.6 from 61.2. New orders fell by 6.8 points to 47.3. Employment fell by 1 point to 46.1. Monthly PMI reports can be volatile, but a services PMI above 49 over time generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. "Survey respondents report that in general, business is flat or lower, and although inflation is easing, some commodities have significantly higher costs," ISM said. The prices index fell by 1.8 points to 56.3, showing slowing but robust price gains. ISM's manufacturing PMI fell to 48.5 in June from 48.7 in May, ISM reported on 1 July. It was the third consecutive month of contraction and marked a 19th month of contraction in the past 20 months. Wednesday's weaker than expected ISM report, together with a Wednesday report showing initial jobless claims last week rose to their highest in two years, slightly increase the odds that the Federal Reserve may lower its target rate later this year after maintaining it at 23-year highs since last year in an effort to stem inflation. By Bob Willis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

South Africa’s new coalition cabinet unveiled


03/07/24
03/07/24

South Africa’s new coalition cabinet unveiled

London, 3 July (Argus) — South Africa's new coalition government has split the energy portfolio from mining and merged it with electricity, shrinking the remit of former mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe. Responsibility for the merged portfolio has been given to the former electricity minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who proved successful in alleviating the country's rolling power cuts. On 28 June, state-owned utility Eskom marked around three consecutive months without any power cuts. This compares with 2023, when South Africa experienced its worst year of loadshedding yet. Mantashe, who wields significant political power as chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC), has been assigned a smaller mineral and petroleum resources portfolio. A new ministerial cabinet was announced just over a month after the ANC lost its majority for the first time since it came to power, forcing it to form a government of national unity (GNU) with main opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA). More parties have since joined, so that a total of 11 parties now form part of the GNU. Contrary to the ANC's previously stated intention to reduce the number of ministers, the new national executive comprises even more "to ensure that [it] is inclusive of all the parties," said ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa, who was re-elected as president for a second term. "In some instances, we have considered it necessary to separate certain portfolios to ensure that there is sufficient focus on key issues," Ramaphosa said. The Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG) of South Africa welcomed the establishment of a dedicated electricity and energy ministry, which can exclusively focus on helping Eskom to fulfil its mandate. The appointment of Ramokgopa as minister overseeing the new ministry also bodes well for continuity of plans already in place, the EIUG said. "We hope his broader mandate will expedite the much-needed transformation of the energy and electricity industry." The Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA) welcomed the separation of the minerals and energy portfolios as it will allow Mantashe "to focus on and give urgency to creating the right legislative environment to grow the mining industry," it said. South Africa's attractiveness as a mining investment destination has plummeted over the past decade and the country now ranks among the bottom 10 in the world, according to the Fraser Institute. Regulatory requirements in various departments — such as water, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and environment — must be harmonised to expedite the awarding of exploration and mining rights, the MCSA said. Equally important is the implementation of a mining cadastre, a digital platform to transparently and efficiently manage mineral right applications and licences, it said. Under the new administration, former department of forestry, fisheries and the environment (DFFE) minister, Barbara Creecy, was reassigned as transport minister, while the DA's Dion George was appointed in her place to oversee the DFFE. Former finance minister Enoch Godongwana, under whom South Africa recently achieved its first primary budget surplus in 15 years, was reappointed in the same position. By Elaine Mills Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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