Bitumen / Asphalt
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Paving Amazon road may spoil Brazil climate target
Paving Amazon road may spoil Brazil climate target
Sao Paulo, 8 July (Argus) — Brazil suspended the paving and reconstruction of the northern BR-319 highway, which would drive up deforestation and make it impossible for Brazil to meet its climate targets by 2050, according to the environment ministry. Reconstructing the highway would increased deforestation and generate 8bn metric tonnes (t) of CO2 by 2050, according to the environment ministry. This would run counter to Brazil's efforts to eliminate deforestation — both legal and illegal — by 2030, to meet its emissions reductions targets under the Paris climate agreement. A federal court decision from October 2024 allowed plans by former-president Jair Bolsonaro's administration to rebuild and pave BR-319 to move forward through a preliminary license. The federal court reassessed the case on 2 July, suspending the preliminary license for the second time. The first suspension dates back to July 2024, when a federal environmental court stopped the work under an argument of irreversible risks to the Amazon forest if the concession remained active. The 918km BR-319 connects the capitals northern Amazonia and Rondonia states, Manaus and Porto Velho, both in the Amazon forest biome. While the preliminary license was in force, deforestation around the highway more than doubled, including in conservation areas, Brazilian climate network Observatorio do Clima said. An increase in deforestation could cut water supply to large cities in the center-south and reduce agriculture and cattle raising by interfering in the rainfall pattern, according to the ministry. It also added that 95pc of Amazon's deforestation happens within 5.5km of highways. Brazil's environmental watchdog Ibama has strengthened its monitoring in the BR-319 to prevent deforestation and other illegal practices in the surrounded areas. Ibama agents have seized tractors and power generators near Tapaua city, in Amazonas, which were used to support illegal activities in the Amazon forest, such as wood extraction. Ibama also applied R8mn ($1.46mn) in environmental fines and blocked access to 1,600 hectares (ha) of deforested areas to fight ongoing illegal activities, it said today. By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
OMV imports first bitumen cargo into Romania facility
OMV imports first bitumen cargo into Romania facility
London, 4 July (Argus) — Austrian oil company OMV this week imported its first bitumen cargo into Galati tanks in Romania, as it extends its presence in a competitive field of cargo and truck suppliers into one of Europe's biggest bitumen import markets. The firm's Romanian subsidiary OMV Petrom is understood by market participants to have begun its import operation into Galati, a terminal on the Danube river close to the Black Sea coast, with a bitumen cargo loaded on the 6,065dwt Trafigura tanker Acacia Rubra at Greek firm Helleniq Energy's Aspropyrgos refinery and terminal. The shipment arrived at the Galati bitumen terminal run by Romanian firm Unicom on 1 July. OMV's foray into cargo supply into Romania — which it already supplies by truck from its 193,700 b/d Schwechat refinery in Austria — follows a similar move by Azerbaijani state-owned Socar's Romanian trading and supply unit , which received its inaugural bitumen cargo at Galati in May. Socar this year began using 3,000t of tank capacity at the Unicom terminal, the same capacity now being used by OMV according to regional market players. Socar last week took delivery of its second cargo at the facility on board the 6,000dwt Kiymet Ana that was loaded at Izmit, Turkey. That bitumen tanker, owned by Turkish trading and supply firm Guven Asfalt, was understood to have discharged 3,000t of the product into Socar at Galati before delivering its remaining 2,000t into Guven at Constanta's Midia oil port area. Trading firm Vitol has been utilising separate Unicom tanks at Galati since 2020 , progressively raising capacity there to an estimated 8,000t. It has this week imported another bitumen cargo into the terminal, arriving on 3 July on the 12,000dwt Zhuang Yuan Ao , loaded at the Aramco-Luberef Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu. Galati is in northeast Romania, close to the borders with Moldova and Ukraine, and can supply bitumen truck volumes into those markets as well as Romania itself. Romania is one of Europe's biggest import markets, at 730,000t by road, rail and in cargoes in 2024, up by 29pc from 2023. By Keyvan Hedvat Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Shell issues rare Rotterdam bitumen sell tender
Shell issues rare Rotterdam bitumen sell tender
London, 4 July (Argus) — Shell has issued a rare sell tender for a 5,000t bitumen cargo, offering various grades for loading in the Rotterdam area during August, according to two European trading firms invited to bid. The tender includes grade options such as pen 35/50 and 50/70, both commonly used in road paving. Bidding closes on 10 July. Market participants expect at least one of the invited firms not to bid, citing a lack of cargo requirements during August — a period when bitumen demand typically falls across northwest Europe as road construction slows during the summer holiday season. Participants also noted rising cargo availability in the region ahead of the seasonal slowdown, which affects countries including France, Germany, the Benelux states and the UK from mid-July through to late August. Shell is among Europe's leading bitumen suppliers, with much of its output coming from the 420,000 b/d Pernis refinery in Rotterdam. The company also has exclusive access to bitumen tank storage at the HES terminal in Botlek, where tankers of up to 35,000t can be loaded for export. Smaller volumes are regularly shipped from Shell's Delfzijl facility in northeast Netherlands. Shell supplies bitumen under term contracts — including recent deals with Nordic buyers — and also sells on a spot basis. Tender offerings by the company, especially from the Rotterdam area, are relatively uncommon, traders said. Shell officials were unavailable for comment. By Keyvan Hedvat Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
S Africa's Natref refinery set for July-Oct work
S Africa's Natref refinery set for July-Oct work
London, 26 June (Argus) — South Africa's 107,000 b/d Natref refinery in Sasolburg will undergo a partial maintenance shutdown from July to October affecting several of its units. The turnaround is understood from South African market sources to affect units producing gasoline, middle distillates and heavy end products, including bitumen. The refinery's bitumen customers received communication on 24 June from UK-based Prax Group, Natref's minority shareholder with a 36.4pc stake, saying the refinery will undergo maintenance work from 14 July to 8 October. An official at Sasol, which holds a 63.3pc controlling stake in Natref, said today it could not comment on the refinery's maintenance plans, while Prax officials have so far been unavailable for comment. The refinery's bitumen customers were informed in April that it would cease bitumen production in September, with final stocks of the product to be sold out a month later. The move will be one of the results of a major upgrade programme at the refinery that will enable it to run on light sweet crudes and comply with the country's Clean Fuels 2 regulations that come into force on 1 July 2027. Bitumen market participants said they have been informed that Sasol will maintain normal bitumen production and supply during the upcoming turnaround, while Prax will have no availability of the product. Bitumen production and truck loadings only resumed in early June , following an unexpected outage in mid-May caused by steam supply issues. By Fenella Rhodes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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