Curacao sells Venezuelan asphalt batch
Curacao's state-owned RdK released a batch of asphalt-quality bitumen in the first sale of inventory left behind by Venezuela's state-owned PdV.
The 73,000 tons of AC-30 bitumen loaded yesterday aboard the Hong Kong-flagged Da Ming Shan asphalt tanker, which ship-tracking services indicate is currently in Willemstad.
RdK did not identify the buyer or the value of the transaction. The vessel is currently on a time-charter contract with trading firm Gunvor.
RdK told Argus it expects to earn 60mn Curacao and Sint Maarten guilders ($33.5mn) from the sale of the varied inventory.
"Proceeds generated by the sale of all the products will be used to invest to guarantee the long-term sustainable future of the company," RdK said.
PdV had operated Curacao's 335,000 b/d Isla refinery and Bullen Bay terminal under a long-term lease that expired in December 2019. The Dutch-controlled Caribbean island's long efforts to find a new refinery operator have so far come up dry.
RdK is currently in the process of closing its money-losing refinery utilities subsidiary CRU as of 30 September.
PdV has been the target of US oil sanctions since January 2019.
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New Libyan firm starts exporting crude
New Libyan firm starts exporting crude
State-owned NOC subsidiary Agoco appears to be paying for work at its fields with crude, writes Aydin Calik London, 19 July (Argus) — A little-known Libyan firm has begun exporting crude, according to sources, official documents and ship-tracking data seen by Argus . Arkenu Oil, which describes itself as a private oil and gas development and production firm, exported 1mn bl of Sarir/Mesla from the port of Marsa el-Hariga on 10 July on the Zeus, a Suexmax . Shipping agent and port reports list Chinese trading firm Unipec as the charterer. The Zeus' bill of lading lists Libyan state-owned NOC as the sender of the consignment on behalf of Arkenu. Libyan crude sales have historically been the preserve of NOC and a handful of international oil firms that hold stakes in the country's upstream, including Italy's Eni, TotalEnergies and Austria's OMV. Turkey-based commodities trader BGN, which does not have upstream production in Libya, also regularly appears on loading programmes as a seller of the country's crude. According to a document dated 10 July, NOC allocated to Arkenu an unspecified share of production from its subsidiary Agoco's Sarir and Mesla fields in return for Arkenu carrying out development work at the sites. This implies that Agoco is paying Arkenu for the work in crude. Arkenu's 1mn bl cargo is worth around $84mn at prevailing market rates, Argus estimates. Arkenu, set up in early 2023 in the eastern city of Benghazi, says it owns modern drilling rigs and has a team of experts "who have held high positions in major oil production and development companies". It is unclear what work Arkenu has carried out for Agoco. Sarir and Mesla accounted for most of Agoco's roughly 280,000 b/d of output in 2023. Libya is politically divided between an internationally recognised administration in the west, which has historically controlled oil revenues, and a rival administration in the east, which is home to around three-quarters of the country's production capacity. Agoco is based in the east, and NOC in the west. Arkenu, NOC and Unipec have been contacted for comment. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Trump vows to target 'green' spending, EV rules
Trump vows to target 'green' spending, EV rules
Washington, 19 July (Argus) — Former president Donald Trump promised to redirect US green energy spending to other projects, throw out electric vehicle (EV) rules and increase drilling, in a speech Thursday night formally accepting the Republican presidential nomination. Trump's acceptance speech, delivered at the Republican National Convention, offered the clearest hints yet at his potential plans for dismantling the Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. Without explicitly naming the two laws, Trump said he would claw back unspent funds for the "Green New Scam," a shorthand he has used in the past to criticize spending on wind, solar, EVs, energy infrastructure and climate resilience. "All of the trillions of dollars that are sitting there not yet spent, we will redirect that money for important projects like roads, bridges, dams, and we will not allow it to be spent on the meaningless Green New Scam ideas," Trump said during the final night of the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump and his campaign have yet to clearly detail their plans for the two laws, which collectively provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of federal tax credits and direct spending for renewable energy, EVs, clean hydrogen, carbon capture, sustainable aviation fuel, biofuels, nuclear and advanced manufacturing. Repealing those programs outright could be politically difficult because a majority of spending from the two laws have flowed to districts represented by Republican lawmakers. The speech was Trump's first public remarks since he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt on 13 July. Trump used the shooting to call for the country to unite, but he repeatedly slipped back into the divisive rhetoric of his campaign and his grievances against President Joe Biden, who he claimed was the worst president in US history. Trump vowed to "end the electric vehicle mandate" on the first day of his administration, in an apparent reference to tailpipe rules that are expected to result in about 54pc of new cars and trucks sales being battery-only EVs by model year 2032. Trump also said that unless automakers put their manufacturing facilities in the US, he would put tariffs of 100-200pc on imported vehicles. To tackle inflation, Trump said he would bring down interest rates, which are controlled by the US Federal Reserve, an agency that historically acts independently from the White House. Trump also said he would bring down prices for energy through a policy of "drill, baby, drill" and cutting regulations. Trump also vowed to pursue tax cuts, tariffs and the "largest deportation in history," all of which independent economists say would add to inflation. The Republican convention unfolded as Biden, who is isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, faces a growing chorus of top Democratic lawmakers pressuring him to drop out of the presidential race. Democrats plan to select their presidential nominee during an early virtual roll-call vote or at the Democratic National Convention on 19-22 August. By Chris Knigh t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Q&A: Aviation may pull feeds away from marine: BV
Q&A: Aviation may pull feeds away from marine: BV
London, 19 July (Argus) — Biofuel feedstocks could be routed away from marine fuels to meet demand from the aviation sector if the latter is willing to pay higher prices associated with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Bureau Veritas (BV) Marine & Offshore's global market leader for sustainable shipping Julien Boulland told Argus. Edited highlights follow: Marine biodiesel has been the largest alternative fuel uptake, with over 1mn t sold in Rotterdam and Singapore last year. But with Argus assessments showing premiums above $225/t to VLSFO dob ARA, how do you see marine biodiesel demand in the medium- to long-term? Shipowners and ship operators have to run an individual cost-analysis on whether the premiums could be offset by potential savings under EU emissions trading system (ETS) and FuelEU Maritime regulations, as well as any future regulations such as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) economic pricing mechanism . In terms of emissions, biofuels still emit CO2 on a tank-to-wake basis, but less on a well-to-wake basis compared to their fossil equivalents. This will also vary depending on the feedstock for the biofuel as well as the production process. Under the current IMO regulations for energy efficiency, including the Ship Energy Management Plan (SEEMP) and its requirements for fuel reporting (DCS), there might be some indirect commercial benefits for owners, too. For example, a better CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator) score may make a vessel more appealing to charterers and help its owner secure more favourable rates. There are also other factors to consider, such as Scope 3 emissions rights, which can influence demand, as we currently see from voluntary demand from cargo owners seeking those documents. But this will also have a geographic impact on demand, as larger container liner companies usually utilise the east-west route and they might prefer to opt for bunkering the marine biodiesel blend in Singapore due to lower prices. What are the risks associated with bunkering marine biodiesel in relation to conventional ship engines? How significant is the recent FOBAS report that implied a correlation between the use of "unidentified" biofuels and engine pump injector damage? We have supported our shipowner clients in numerous pilots to trial biofuels such as fatty acid methyl ester (Fame) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in variable blends. Overall, these trials have gone smoothly, but we have learned a few things along the way. Firstly, engines do not need to be modified, but since biofuels have slightly different physical properties, it is necessary to find the right engine adjustments. A very good knowledge of the fuel properties is key in determining the right adjustments, and the new revision of ISO 8217 on marine fuel specifications is crucial in supporting this process. Another key finding is the importance of receiving full information on fuel characteristics from the supplier. Finally, BV plays a key role in ensuring full fuel certification on several aspects, including sustainability and physical properties. Used cooking oil (UCO) can also feed into SAF and with potentially greater refining margins. Do you think some feedstocks will be pulled away from marine? When it comes to methanol, we believed marine would take up more of the feedstock compared with the chemicals industry due to greater willingness to pay larger premiums. But with biofuels, it seems to be the other way around where aviation could end up pulling biofuel feedstocks away from maritime. In terms of fuel consumption, the marine and aviation industries are comparable but if aviation are willing to pay more, then it will likely get more of the feedstocks required to produce SAF. What are the implications of the new ISO specifications, what are the key takeaways for marine biodiesel uptake? More has to be done, but now we have parameters for assessing biofuel blend specifications. It was very well accepted by the industry, and now operators and shipowners have a standard to rely on. But it doesn't resolve the question around feedstock cross-industry competition. However, it does also open the door for off-spec Fame residue blends to become ISO-certified — depending on further testing. With IMO aiming for "global regulations for a global market", how do you see conflicts between different regulations affecting the market? We are closely following the IMO development process for a global economic pricing mechanism. IMO has assigned a working group of technical experts to look at this mechanism from an apolitical perspective. In terms of potential regulatory conflicts , we have the example of the Netherlands, where the Dutch emission authority requires the delivery of Proof of Sustainability (PoS) certificates for applying to the scheme of Dutch renewable tickets (HBE-G) which can be traded, but this PoS cannot be used for other purposes, such as the EU ETS. To circumvent this hiccup, we may see the development of new digital certificates, such as an accompanying ISCC-certified Proof of Compliance (PoC). By Hussein Al-Khalisy Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Weather sparks uncertainty for Vietnam’s bitumen demand
Weather sparks uncertainty for Vietnam’s bitumen demand
Mumbai, 19 July (Argus) — Expectations of Vietnam's bitumen consumption in July-August are mixed, given an easing in the monsoon season in some regions but an upcoming typhoon season in other parts. The mixed expectations will likely keep importers uncertain about future seaborne purchases. Consumption in Vietnam has been lower than normal in the last quarter because of unfavourable weather, political uncertainties, a lack of new paving projects and delays in disbursement of project funds, according to market participants. The lower consumption kept inventories higher and weighed on demand for spot seaborne volumes, with many importers only focused on taking delivery of their term contract shipments. Some importers in Vietnam are cautious and did not report consumption rising noticeably as weather in the key consuming south and central regions continues to be wet and not suitable for road paving, while the country is also set to experience typhoons next month. Consumption will stay low until September because the typhoon season starts next month, and the first region to get hit is the north before moving towards the south, a key importer told Argus . It is raining in the south and central regions, according to the importer. "The north is alright now but there is no good pick up [in consumption]," the importer said, adding that imported cargo inventories in the region are still notably higher. This is in contrast to expectations from other Vietnamese importers and some Asian traders, which said that consumption and demand for seaborne bitumen are expected to be higher in July and August as compared to previous months this year, given favourable weather in north Vietnam and more enquiries for Singapore cargoes, to restock in August. Consumption in the south and central regions are stable-to-weak, but overall demand in July and August are set to pick up as some new road projects are in the pipeline, a market participant said. Inventories are falling in some parts of the region and there is a need to replenish stocks now, while the domestic selling price is also expected to increase, participants said. "Demand in Haiphong and north Vietnam is good, and we are able to sell more than last month," another importer told Argus . "If the weather continues to be good, then demand will improve further in the coming weeks and that can increase import appetite." Vietnam is a net importer and typically secures most of its seaborne volumes from Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. Vietnam imported 1.04mn t of bitumen in 2023, up by 20pc from 866,000t imported in 2022, according to GTT data. Singapore cargoes accounted for about 32pc of Vietnam's total imports last year, while Thailand, Taiwan, and China together accounted for about 35pc of the total imports, the data showed. This compared to a 33pc and 40pc share, respectively, in 2022. Middle East penetration Some importers are worried that domestic prices are unlikely to rise in the near term, because of increased availability of relatively cheaper Middle East-origin cargoes in the region. They noted that this would cut domestic appetite for Asian cargoes and would in turn weigh on imports. Vietnam imported about 252,000t of bitumen from the Middle East in 2023, accounting for about 24pc of the total imports, show GTT data. This compared to 135,000t imported in 2022, which accounted for about 16pc of the total imports. Imports from the Middle East totalled 156,000t over January-May, nearly tripling from 55,000t imported during the same period last year. The region's imports from Singapore during the five-month period this year totalled 135,000t, down from 150,000t a year earlier. Imports from the Middle East increased as the inter-regional price arbitrage with Singapore was wide open. The Argus assessed ABX 1 fob Singapore prices averaged $421.50/t for the week of 12 July, while fob Iran bulk prices averaged $294.50/t for that week. Vietnam importers noted that Middle East-origin bulk cargoes were priced at low-$400s/t on a cfr basis, which was still lower than prevailing fob Singapore levels during the period. By Sathya Narayanan Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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