Daily Energy Standup Episode #246 – China-Russia Gas Agreement, Southeast Asia’s LNG Peak, Mideast War Impact, BP Exit, and Canadian Deal

Energy News Beat

Daily Standup Top Stories

China, Russia Intensify Efforts to Expedite New Gas Route Supply Agreement

(MENAFN) China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Vice President, Xie Jun, has disclosed that Russian energy giant Gazprom is collaborating with China to fast-track the implementation of a new gas supply route known as the Far […]

Southeast Asia’s LNG investments predicted to peak by 2040: Study

More natural gas facilities than ever will be firing in Southeast Asia almost two decades from now, according to a report by Singapore-based research firm Asia Research & Engagement (ARE). Led by Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, the region currently […]

Mideast War Turns Spotlight on Arab Gas Pipeline

The Israel-Hamas war has not significantly impacted Mideast oil and gas flows so far, but critical energy infrastructure such as the Arab Gas Pipeline (AGP) is being watched closely. The pipeline connects Egypt with Jordan and […]

Following BP’s exit, operatorship of giant gas discoveries changes hands, as US player takes the reins

U.S.-headquartered oil and gas exploration and production company Kosmos Energy has boosted its working interest and taken the operatorship helm of giant gas discoveries offshore Senegal, after BP’s withdrawal from the field. This is subject […]

Follow Stuart On LinkedIn and Twitter

Follow Michael On LinkedIn and Twitter

ENB Top News

ENB

Energy Dashboard

ENB Podcast

ENB Substack

– Get in Contact With The Show –

Video Transcription edited for grammar. We disavow any errors unless they make us look better or smarter.

Michael Tanner: [00:00:15] What is going on, everybody? Welcome to another edition of the Daily Energy News Beat Standup here on this gorgeous Tuesday, November 7th, 2023. As always, I’m your humble correspondent, Michael Tanner, coming to you from an undisclosed location here in Dallas, Texas, joined by the executive producer of the show, the purveyor of the show and the director and publisher of the world’s greatest Web site, energynewsbeat.com, Stuart Turley, my man, how are we doing today. [00:00:36][21.8]

Stuart Turley: [00:00:37] It’s a beautiful in the neighborhood in our news desk was crazy today. [00:00:42][4.7]

Michael Tanner: [00:00:43] Absolutely we have an absolutely stacked menu lined up for you guys. First up on the show, china Russia intensify efforts to expedite new gas route in new supply agreement. Next up, Southeast Asia’s LNG investments predicted to hit peak by 2040. That’s according to a new study out of the Asia Research and Engagement Institute there in Singapore, says dual cover what all they’re saying. Next up are Mideast war turns Spotlight on Arab gas pipeline. That’s big for all. You know, speaking of LNG development, that’s huge. And finally, following BP’s exit, operatorship of giant gas discovery changes hands as US player takes the rings. Dun dun dun. So we will still will dive into exactly who’s taking over that big BP gas position over there. He’ll toss it over to me. I’ll quickly cover what happened in the oil and gas markets today and then touch slightly on a deal that happened in Canada. Interesting. I was familiar with the Canadian M&A market as as I am the U.S. But this is an interesting deal. And we’ll we’ll cover it from from a few different angles. And then we will let you guys get out of here and start your gorgeous Tuesday. Before we do all that, guys, remember everything you are about to hear. The stories and analysis are brought to you by the world’s greatest website. www.energynewsbeat.com The best place for all of your energy news. I highly recommend checking it out soon. The team does a great job of curating that website, making sure it stays up to speed to make sure you’re at the tip of the spear when it comes to the energy business. Appreciate the team’s hard work for that. You can hit us up [email protected] that’s our data news combo lead us some comments email the show questions@energynewsbeat@com. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Check us out on YouTube at Energy News Beat and again, appreciate everybody who supports the show. Check out the description below. Timestamps links everything you’ll need to do to stay informed with the show. I’m out of breath tho Stu. Where do you want to begin? [00:02:35][112.0]

Stuart Turley: [00:02:35] Okay, let’s start with my buddy. The producer can slide in pictures that we have for us. This is actually what I think I look like. But I know. [00:02:45][9.4]

Michael Tanner: [00:02:45] Do you think this is what you think? You look like the dude. [00:02:48][2.5]

Stuart Turley: [00:02:49] The dude. This is actually Jeff Bridges. I mean, he looks good. And so now it’s a little different. He goes, Oh, it’s the best Scooby I’ve seen in a long time. And Anonymous is actually a wonderful resource on Twitter. And so we’ll have his contact information. But let me read this one phrase to you because I really had to go. But it made sense. If the Biden administration is trying to bring additional oil supplies from Venezuela and Iran to avoid high end gasoline, oil and gasoline prices next summer before the 2024 elections, they will not succeed unless we have a recession. End of story. What do you think? [00:03:40][51.5]

Michael Tanner: [00:03:42] I mean, it’s I think what we’re doing with it with with Venezuela and trying to bring the I mean, it’s it’s pretty backwards considering what we should be doing, exporting our own energy resource. So pretty crazy. [00:03:53][10.9]

Stuart Turley: [00:03:54] I don’t get it. And quite honestly, I think I have a nice debt on. Right. Because if in order for it to work, they’re going to have to have a recession. In order to have a recession, they’re going to people are tired. All right, let’s run on down the road. I just I live in a nice China Russia intensify efforts to expedite new gas route supply agreement. Michael, this is a 30 year agreement that is just nuts. When you sit back and take a look at the collaboration between china and Russia, it is going crazy. So right now, the 30 year agreement deliveries commenced in 2019. It will reach full capacity of 38 billion cubic meters in 2025. My hope that is a lot of gas and a lot of energy for through Siberia to China in that crazy. [00:04:45][51.4]

Michael Tanner: [00:04:46] Well, what it really does is it is it you know, it shows a few things. I think the first thing it shows that sanctions as much as we wish they work, don’t and not to patch you on the back against do but sanctions don’t work because if you don’t have every single country commit to them, it doesn’t mean anything. So, you know, we try to cut off oil supply here. We try to cut off gas supply via the Nord Stream. I mean, we didn’t bomb it. It was somebody else. So just put that out there. The sarcasm. Course it was the Ukrainian SEALs. But we they’re going to find a way to sell their product because it’s a valuable commodity in the market. I do find it funny, you know, in my opinion, the real question is they’re striving to build a closer energy partnership. I mean, that’s a middle finger to the U.S., to a big middle finger to the U.S. and the West. [00:05:31][45.3]

Stuart Turley: [00:05:32] Oh, it is. And that is increasingly something we see in all the articles. There’s a couple of great ones on in Newsbeat today where they’re having the whole everybody is flipping their finger off at the U.S., So. All right, let’s see what’s next to the next one. Southeast Asia LNG investments predicted to peak by 2040. So we have a peak hour here on the show. He just happened to walk in. I think it was Jerry Nadler’s. He was walking off stage more natural gas. That was funny, by the way. More natural gas facilities will be firing in Southeast Asia in more than two decades. That is just nuts. Here comes if allowed to continue. The expanded LNG stands to thwart efforts to keep global warming below 1.5. Growing investment in LNG by the Philippines, Vietnam and other Southeast Asians will not only help push the world the world further beyond this critical target. People don’t understand that the only successful markets that will be rolling will be the Asian markets, because they’re going to continue to use low cost energy and they’re going to actually have lower input imprint than using renewables. Look at this, Michael. The Philippines received a shipment in April to fuel a 1200 megawatt power plant, even though through its declining reserves in the natural gas field, the LNG is saving Asia. [00:07:10][97.9]

Michael Tanner: [00:07:10] Yep. Well, because it’s it’s it provides again, that baseload energy that people so desperately need, specifically where you’re in a part of the world where access to low cost energy can drastically improve your standard of living. You know, I think it’s interesting. Kurt Metzger, he’s the energy transition director for that Asian Research Council. He said Southeast Asia’s limited legacy LNG infrastructure makes the pivot to low carbon power sources a viable option compared to investing in new LNG infrastructure. So I think what they’re attempting to do is say since they don’t have any LNG, we might as well go build some unprofitable wind and solar. So we know where that’ll end up. [00:07:51][40.7]

Stuart Turley: [00:07:51] Oh, absolutely. It’ll be back into Germany shooting themselves in the foot and, you know, providing some extra shoes for them to eat in the winter. Okay. [00:08:00][8.3]

Michael Tanner: [00:08:00] What’s next? [00:08:01][0.3]

Stuart Turley: [00:08:01] Go to let’s go to the next one. We’re going to go to the Mid Midwest. Mideast War Turns Spotlight on Arab Gas Pipeline. Boy, I got all choked up on that one. Michael. The Israel-Hamas war has not significantly impacted Middle East oil and gas flows. But I’ll tell you what, it’s shaking everybody up and really bringing energy security to the forefront. Jordan imports almost all the energy it needs if it would have serious socioeconomic implications. I mean, that’s just amazing if we take it. There’s a map on this. If we could have the producer slide it in. You take a look at that pipeline. You have the Egypt pipeline around port side, you have the Arab pipeline, you have the gas future, the extended the dotted line there. And then you take a look at that, you eliminate that pipeline. It becomes a whole horrible problem there. [00:09:02][61.1]

Michael Tanner: [00:09:02] Well, and I think I’ve been covering this for the past week. I think the sentiment on the street has been wild. This this Israel Gaza war that’s going on right now, has it really moved prices upward? If anything, we’ve seen a softening of prices and why? Well, on a macro level, it doesn’t look like it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a huge effect on the overall supply and demand considering that Strait of Hormuz will always stay open. And we’ve deployed a nuclear submarine to the Mediterranean, if only because we understand the vital importance of making sure things like these gas flows and oil flows continue. But I think what’s interesting is that doesn’t mean that countries inside this Arab gas pipeline and who are connected to could experience short bursts of them not having the available gas that they need. I mean, specifically along that Egypt Gaza border right there, as you mentioned from Port Said to Ashley Kahn up there, you know, really right there north of the Gaza Strip. So it’ll be very interesting. Yes. Overall, worldwide gas flows and oil flows may not be affected so much to the point where we’ve seen a softening of prices. But that doesn’t mean something crazy could happen. And I think this article does a really good job of of kind of separating the two and say, sure, overall world supply. I might stay the same, but we may have spurts of zero supply going through this key area which could lead for massive terminal. They mentioned Lebanon, specifically Syria. You know, there are other things. Jordan, as we mentioned earlier, So lots going on in this region. [00:10:27][84.4]

Stuart Turley: [00:10:28] Oh, it is. And so buckle up. We don’t know. We hope for the best. But Michael, that brings us to the next one coming around the corner. Following BP’s exit, operatorship of giant gas discoveries changes hands as U.S. player takes the reins. I really like this one. And Cosmos is the, I believe, Dallas based energy firm that’s taking over for this. And I was looking around on their Web site today. And they are a offshore firm. Do you know much about them? [00:11:02][34.8]

Michael Tanner: [00:11:03] I mean, I know a little bit about Cosmos. I know the fact that, you know, they’re they’re they’re what I would call a cash flow style company, which means they’re going to live and die off cash flow. And if they’re going in and acquiring this 90% working interest specifically in this gas field. Right. They plan to produce the heck out of this 25 trillion cubic feet that they’ve got. So I think it’s an interesting move, you know, from BP, it probably is more of a consolidation of their assets to the Gulf of Mexico versus a, you know, a move that maybe makes operational economic sense. We know they’ve been pulling off wind farm. This is probably a shift away from heavy natural gas wind assets typically to be able to invest more in their oil business. But it will be interesting to see how this goes. You know, these large project, you won’t know if this is a good deal or not for two or three years, but in two or three years it’ll be obvious whether or not it’s a good deal and we’ll be able to look back and see if that that 25 trillion cubic feet is actually a legitimate number. [00:11:59][56.3]

Stuart Turley: [00:12:00] Yeah, that field your car Tangier gas field heat. They got 90% working interest in that bed. Doug Mm hmm. That’s a lot. [00:12:09][9.3]

Michael Tanner: [00:12:10] Yeah, it’s it’s a lot. They can. They’ll be able to crank it up. [00:12:13][3.0]

Stuart Turley: [00:12:14] I’m going to reach out to Andrew in English and see if I can get him on the podcast. That would be a really good one to visit with. See what his thoughts are on it. [00:12:23][9.0]

Michael Tanner: [00:12:23] Would you want to talk about people in the forefront of energy security. [00:12:25][2.3]

Stuart Turley: [00:12:26] Right there, baby? All right. That’s all I got, man. [00:12:28][2.3]

Michael Tanner: [00:12:29] All right. Well, we’ll go ahead and quickly shift over to finance here. Overall, markets were fairly slim today. S&P only up about about a 10th of a percentage point. Nasdaq up 3/10 of a percentage point, really as as the market, you know, comes under and really is digesting a lot of the data that happened last week. We obviously saw the Fed come out and keep interest rates the same. We saw a few other data points, specifically unemployment come up, you know, weaker than what we would have expected or a stronger than what we would have hoped for. Specifically the fact that rising unemployment rate will probably help lower interest rates. But as as we know that we’ll see how the Fed decides to play that one. Looking at oil prices, too, we actually had a little bit of a choppy day. We were up about two and, you know, maybe a percent percent and a half on towards the latter half of the day, saw a little bit of a tumble currently sitting at 8092. You know, here as we record this about 545 here on Monday evening. So, you know, interesting movement down. Really what we’re what we’re seeing in that is over the week. And I think the big news, Stu, was that Saudi reaffirmed both on Sunday that they’re going to continue the additional voluntary cuts of 1 million barrels per day in hopes of keeping their output about 9 million barrels. That really kind of buoyed prices early, late, you know, early on in the trading session. But then we saw a big fall off again. I think a lot of this production cut news has really been baked into the market. And I read somewhere that Saudi is considering another drop and they will continue to reevaluate as they go. You know, and specifically, here’s what this is. UBS strategy strategist Giovanni Serrano. The cuts could be extended into the first quarter of 2024 because what seasonal weaker oil demand at the start of every year, ongoing economic growth concerns in the aim of producers in OPA to support the oil markets stability imbalance could mean that these cuts will continue and that will only help keep prices where they’re at. But again, with the overall market really not pricing in much of what’s going on in the Israel-Hamas conflict right now, it’s going to be it’s going to be interesting to see how things continue to play out. Gas prices did open up a little bit lower today. Natural gas currently trading at $3.28 after opening a little lower, after closing a little under $3.50, again, mainly due to a little bit of of of warmer weather. We are in warmer weather is expected to kind of come through here and specifically in the winter, that’s going to lead to slightly softer prices. I think the only other interesting thing of note still we saw was a you know, we did see some you know, Sandridge Energy went ahead and announced earnings. We saw Terra Energy announce earnings yesterday. We specifically covered kind of our last peek at what Pioneer is doing. But I thought there was one interesting deal north of the border, a.k.a in Canada, which our second favorite. Country. You know, we love Alberta and that, you know, not so much maybe Ontario or wherever. Wherever. Quebec is it Quebec? Is that where their capital is. So maybe maybe Quebec, Quebec. In California, they’ve got a lot in common. But we love everybody up in Alberta. I’m not as familiar with where we were with the Canadian M&A market, but but a private oil and gas company, hammerhead ing, they’re actually a public company here trading on the Nasdaq. RS They’ve gone ahead and announced in a definite agreement to go ahead and sell to Crescent Point, pretty large oil and gas operator with a significant stake up there specifically in that Montney Shale. You know, that’s big way it’s been described to me. The Montney is the equivalent of the Permian Basin stew. It’s thick zones. Couple different pay zones you can target. You know, you can kind of wine rack the wells. You get a lot per location, everything. Well, everyone loves a good little Montney Shale buy. [00:16:08][219.0]

Stuart Turley: [00:16:08] So I also love the accent. Whenever you’re talking to anybody up there with the CEOs I was with Montney. [00:16:14][5.2]

Michael Tanner: [00:16:15] Montney, Montney, it’s a Hammerhead and Chris Boyd, both public companies, Hammerhead majority, actually owned by Riverstone, though. So they’re going to go ahead and cash out. This deals about 2.55 billion and assumes a 70% premium over the five day weighted trading value average. Yeah, they’re doing about five 56,000 body per day. So if you do the math on that deal, Stewart’s about 45,000 per flowing body, which is, you know, not horrible considering the fact that they’ll claim there’s 800 locations available to drill. So, you know. [00:16:47][32.2]

Stuart Turley: [00:16:48] I guess tier one. [00:16:48][0.7]

Michael Tanner: [00:16:49] I don’t want to make a 1 to 1 comparison between the Permian and the Montney, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say there’s probably not 800 locations that are worth drilling. We’ll probably cut that number in half. But this, again, is another consolidation move. You know, I’m surprised we’re not seeing more of this, to be honest, when it comes to Canadian oil and gas, considering we’re seeing a lot of it, you know, in the United States where you would consider the returns are going to be a little bit better considering the diversification. But, you know, good for the Hammerhead. You know, I’m never one to stand up for Riverstone. They’re not necessarily known to you know, as much as I want to stand up and and cheer that a private equity company got paid, I think it’s a good deal for the management team there. You know, that 17% premium, not horrible is a little bit better than what I pay, a little bit better than what Exxon paid for pioneer So you know, good for good for Riverstone able to negotiate. But you know, we’ll be following this one closely. And again, what a whoa, what is this, a good deal or not? And only time will tell, but we’ll we’ll be following this one. Congrats to the Crescent Point team and Hammerhead all in one channel. I’ve got Stu. What else? What what else should we be worried about this week? [00:17:55][65.9]

Stuart Turley: [00:17:55] Oh, more coming around the corner. I get to visit with some more folks from Norway. I got a few others coming up, so it’s going to be a lot of fun. We just dropped Captain Kelly’s. He was a hoot. I actually got a little choked up on that one as a staff got that one out there. That was a little rough as he was talking about it. But it is about energy solving the energy problems. So it’s pretty cool. Humanitarian. [00:18:22][26.4]

Michael Tanner: [00:18:23] Absolutely. So. Well, we appreciate everybody sticking with us here on this Tuesday. You know, stay strong. Week is almost done here, but we’ll let you get out of here and finish and start your day. For Stuart Turley, I’m Michael Tanner. We’ll see you tomorrow, folks. [00:18:23][0.0][1068.7]

– Get in Contact With The Show –

The post Daily Energy Standup Episode #246 – China-Russia Gas Agreement, Southeast Asia’s LNG Peak, Mideast War Impact, BP Exit, and Canadian Deal appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

Africa’s Geothermal Power Sector Set To Overtake Europe

Energy News Beat
Total geothermal power generation capacity in Africa may reach 13GW in 2050.
Kenya and Ethiopia will lead the growth of Africa’s geothermal sector, accounting for close to 90% of total capacity.
Many African countries with geothermal potential rely heavily on hydropower for their electricity supply.

Africa’s geothermal sector will attract at least $35 billion in investments by 2050, showing the critical role geothermal is set to play in meeting the continent’s rapidly growing energy demand. Rystad Energy’s latest projections reveal this significant investment will see Africa’s installed geothermal capacity surpass Europe by the end of the decade.

Despite being home to only about 1 gigawatt (GW) of geothermal capacity in 2023 – half of Europe’s total – Africa’s total installed capacity will more than double by 2030, based solely on already announced projects. If we also consider yet-to-be-announced projects needed to meet government targets, capacity could triple by 2030. By 2050, we expect geothermal power generation capacity in Africa to expand to 13 GW, more than double the expected 5.5 GW of installed capacity in Europe. Kenya and Ethiopia will lead the growth of Africa’s geothermal sector, accounting for close to 90% of total capacity.

The geothermal industry in Africa is picking up steam and could help meet soaring demand across the continent in the decades to come. Analyzing already announced projects signals significant growth on the horizon, but developments that we project to come online given economics and demand really highlight the rapid build out. This growth will take the continent from being the sixth largest geothermal power generator in 2023 to the third largest in 2030.

Daniel Holmedal, senior supply chain analyst, Rystad Energy

Geothermal power has contributed to Africa’s energy sector since the 1950s. The Democratic Republic of Congo was the third country in the world to build a geothermal power plant, with the commissioning of the Kiabukwa power plant in 1952. Today, international players are increasingly looking to the East African Rift for growth opportunities as geothermal energy provides a stable energy source that complements intermittent sources like wind and solar. Rystad Energy forecasts that investments in Africa’s geothermal sector will reach at least $35 billion from 2024 to 2050, driven by rapidly growing energy demand in East Africa.

International expertise and technical assistance have helped contribute to the growth of East Africa’s geothermal sector, in turn fostering the development of domestic expertise. Kenyan companies such as the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) and Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) are playing key roles in helping neighboring countries establish their geothermal industry.

Kenya and Ethiopia will lead the growth of Africa’s geothermal sector, accounting for close to 90% of total capacity. This is due to their rich geothermal resources and the need to diversify Ethiopia’s power mix. The power supply in the two countries is expected to increase six-fold from 2023 to 2050, rising from 34 terawatt-hours (TWh) to 222 TWh. Rystad Energy projects that geothermal supply from the pair will rise well above 10 GW by 2050, potentially reaching as high as 12 GW.

Many African countries with geothermal potential rely heavily on hydropower for their electricity supply. Ethiopia, for instance, currently sources 88% of its electricity from hydro. However, this dependency places these countries at risk to external weather conditions such as droughts. By incorporating more geothermal energy into their power mix, African nations can help reduce their dependency on hydropower and mitigate these risks. While Kenya has limited potential for large-scale hydropower projects, estimated at around 1-1.5 GW, Ethiopia has significant potential for hydropower generation. Its controversial Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile, for example, has a capacity of more than 5 GW.

To achieve a 13 GW geothermal capacity in Africa by 2050, Rystad Energy’s base case scenario relies heavily on the development of geothermal resources in Kenya and Ethiopia. Kenya has already demonstrated its commitment to incorporating geothermal energy into its power mix. With abundant geothermal resources, strong local expertise and increasing interest from international players, it is expected that Kenya will exceed 8 GW of geothermal capacity by 2050. Ethiopia faces several challenges, however, and it is imperative that projects like Tulu Moye, Aluto-Langano and Corbetti prove their worth if the country is to exceed 3.5 GW of installed geothermal capacity by 2050.

Source: Oilprice.com

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 
ENB
Energy Dashboard
ENB Podcast
ENB Substack

The post Africa’s Geothermal Power Sector Set To Overtake Europe appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

#ENB 148: Energy poverty, ecological devastation, and a path forward can only be fixed by sustainable Action. – Captian Kelly

Energy News Beat

There is no ESG without accountability, and energy poverty, hypocrisy, and pollution will continue without action. Which side will you be on?

Energy poverty is one of my biggest concerns, and my conversation with Captin Kelly is one of the most fun yet emotional I have had. We could have gone on for another hour with his wealth of experience, solutions, and working programs, but I had to stop.

Captain Kieran Kelly, Commissioner and CEO of the Ocean Integrity Group, is a fantastic resource of oceanic knowledge and has a mission to take that knowledge and turn it into action for humanity and our environment.

Please follow and support his movement on his LinkedIn HERE: Https://www.linkedin.com/in/captain-kieran-kelly-

00:00 – Introduction

01:06 – Explaining your current activities

02:53 – Strategies for combating poverty while cleaning the oceans

12:32 – Addressing the financial sustainability of ocean cleaning initiatives, including recycling efforts and their impact

14:09 – Captain Kieran Kelly discusses a partnership with a beer company aimed at removing plastic from the oceans

16:09 – Discusses concerns about wind energy, corruption in carbon offset industry, potential harm to marine life from offshore wind turbines, plastic pollution, and preserving marine ecosystems

26:53 – Questions the long-term sustainability of U.S. wind farms due to tax subsidies, carbon neutrality timelines, and maintenance costs

31:14 – Criticizes the misallocation of $3.9 billion earmarked for ocean plastic issues and the importance of addressing local waste management

33:32 – Highlights the overuse of climate change as an explanation for environmental problems and the importance of tackling local waste issues

38:52 – Addressing the needs and aspirations of the next generation

40:59 – Explaining the support received from hotels that back the Captain Kelly programs and their role in environmental preservation

41:58 – Discussing environmental and ethical concerns in the transition to sustainable practices, including child labor, pollution, and poverty in developing nations

49:31 – Informing how people can support and contact you for poverty elimination initiatives

51:35 – Outro

Michael and I are on a mission to talk about energy. If you are a thought leader, government-elected official, CEO, or author of any energy market, contact us and get your story out on our news and podcast channels. – Get in Contact With The Show –

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 

ENB

Energy Dashboard

ENB Podcast

ENB Substack

The post #ENB 148: Energy poverty, ecological devastation, and a path forward can only be fixed by sustainable Action. – Captian Kelly appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

Spain’s business lobby calls for extension of nuclear power

Energy News Beat

MADRID, Nov 3 (Reuters) – One of Spain’s top business lobby groups called for extending the use of the country’s nuclear plants on Friday, that the government led by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to start closing down from 2027.

The fate of Spain’s nuclear fleet became a hot issue during the recent electoral campaign, with the conservative opposition People’s Party (PP) pledging to reverse the planned phase-out of the nuclear plants, which generate about a fifth of the country’s electricity.

A coalition deal between centre-left parties seeking to form a government confirmed “the orderly and progressive dismantling” of nuclear reactors.

“Ideological positions should not prevent us from recognising the need to extend the useful life of power plants already installed, which guarantee the stability of the system,” said Manuel Perez-Sala, chairman of business lobby Circulo de Empresarios, which says its members include 230 business leaders and top managers.

Keeping nuclear plants running requires multi-billion euros investments in aging plants, but offers the assurance of stable power, he said at an energy transition event the group held in Madrid.

Acting Energy Minister Teresa Ribera, who supports an energy model based on renewable energy such as solar and wind, has defended the nuclear phase-out numerous times.

Extending the life of nuclear plants “is not viable and its cost would necessarily fall on citizens, because it is necessary to guarantee investments in safety,” she said during the electoral campaign.

The lobby group also stressed the importance of legal certainty and “a regulatory framework without ups and downs, particularly of a retroactive nature.”

The post Spain’s business lobby calls for extension of nuclear power appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

In the rapidly shifting world of geoeconomics, the Rest is getting tired of the West

Energy News Beat

If you have not heard about the rise of geopolitics over the past year, where have you been hiding?

So now I want to complicate your lives further and introduce you to its lesser-known but arguably even more important cousin: geoeconomics. Another fancy name for a nebulous concept that boffins regularly confuse you with, you say? Perhaps. But hear me out.

First, let’s begin with a (clunky) definition from my go-to think tank of the moment, Chatham House: “The term ‘geoeconomics’ has become popular but lacks an agreed definition. Most commonly, it is understood as the use of economic tools to advance geopolitical objectives. Other definitions reverse the ends and means, emphasising how flexing geopolitical muscle is used for economic results. Broadly, one can think of the interplay of international economics, geopolitics and strategy.”

I buy this definition, but, in this essay, I want to de-emphasise, where I can, the politics: in today’s fractious world, geopolitics has a way of hijacking almost any discussion to the extent that other considerations barely merit a look-in. I will rather emphasise the geoeconomic data and make a few suggestions as to how this data might be interpreted geopolitically.

Those who know me will know my bedrock contention is that the centre of economic gravity is moving resolutely back to Asia from whence it came some 200 years ago. There is deep demographic logic to this return migration: over half the world’s population lives within 3,200km of Mong Khet in north-eastern Myanmar, inside what is known as the Valeriepieris Circle.

I came across a new statistic last week that reinforces this paradigm shift: 113 million people will enter the world’s consuming classes next year, with 83% or 94 million being Asian, and only 4% or five million from the West.

And, for the first time, India will beat China 33 million to 31 million, underlining the fact that in 2023, India’s population rise overtook China’s.

This population centre of gravity is centrifugally pulling in the geoeconomics: McKinsey estimates the geographic centre of economic gravity in 2023 to be near Kyzyl, on the Russian side of its border with Kazakhstan.

As recently as 1990, this core was close to Norway’s Svalbard Islands; by 2030, it is forecast to be in northern China. From the icy Greenland Sea to the arid Gobi Desert in 40 years? That is paradigm-shifting.

But this is not the narrative you will hear on Bloomberg or CNBC. This is because they inhabit the atmosphere of capital – of “financial markets” – rather than that of trade. The capital atmosphere is captured in movements in stock markets and bond markets and, at a macroeconomic level on a nation’s capital account; furthermore, the only “language” it speaks fluently is nominal US dollars.

By contrast, the atmosphere of trade is best reflected in trade statistics as recorded on a nation’s current account and is very (and I mean very!) approximately measured in Purchasing Power Parity “dollars”. By the latter measure, China overtook the US as the world’s largest economy in 2014 and is now 22% larger. By the former measure, the US economy is still 32% larger than China’s.

Unsurprisingly, the narrative of capital markets remains focused on what is happening in US stock and bond markets: over 60% of the All Country World Index for equities is in US securities, as is over 40% of the All Bond Index.

Add to this the fact that the go-to US dollar index for FX markets is the DXY, an index composed of six Western currencies: the euro, yen, pound, Canadian dollar, Swedish kronor and Swiss franc. Even though Mexico and China are the US’ second and third-largest trade partners, there are no “trade-rich” pesos or renminbi in this “capital atmosphere” basket.

The atmosphere of trade reflects altogether different realities and is perhaps best captured in the statistic that, in 2022, China’s $3.6-trillion worth of exports beat the US’ $2.2-trillion. Without the US’ oil and gas sales abroad, China’s export total would be almost twice that of the US.

It will take several years for the Western-focused world of capital to align with the increasingly Asian-centred world of trade. And much of this catch-up will be facilitated not just by GDP growth in China, but also in ABC: Asia Beyond China.

The latest economic forecasts coming from the IMF’s September annual meeting in Marrakesh clearly show that Asia (and again, not just China) has become the world’s GDP growth locomotive: 2024’s 94 million out of 113 million new members of the world’s consuming classes being Asian will bear witness to that.

If you look through the prism of capital, you can make a case for the argument that the US-centric world is indeed deglobalising. But if you instead peer through the prism of trade, what you see is a world that is re-orienting (pun intended) – one that is moving into the heart of Asia by leaving the North Atlantic behind.

In the meantime, one can broadly expect the pre-eminent status of the US dollar – in its money functions as a store of value, a unit of account and as a standard of deferred payment – to hold sway. (That said, the US dollar’s share of global FX reserves has fallen 6% to under 60% in the past decade.)

What is changing most is that the world is witnessing the US dollar’s grip on the medium of exchange function slip, especially in commodity markets, be it UAE gas exports to India denominated in dirhams, or Indonesian nickel and Australian iron ore exports to China denominated in renminbi.

As the world moves from the post-Cold War unipolarity of the US to the age of multipolarity where many nations participate in helping define the economic character of the global economy, one refrain is constantly heard from these new players: “As a nation, we act in our own best interests: we do what works for us.”

So India will not join a US-led oil embargo on Russia which prevents them from settling that trade in US dollars. Instead, India is perfectly willing to pay Russia for its oil, even if it does so in Chinese renminbi.

And much to the chagrin of the US – which saw the dollar-based New York Clearing House mechanism as an irreplaceable link in the chain of most global trade – countries are finding that bypassing the dollar is surprisingly easy to do. And, what’s more, it is often cheaper too.

All of this threatens the economic hegemony of the US, and not just in the international arena as described above. Before long, these tectonic shifts are likely to have profound – and profoundly destabilising – implications for the US domestic economy as well.

But back to those two atmospheres – one for capital, one for trade. They intersect in a nation’s current account position. For the US, their current account deficit means they are short the trade atmosphere by about $1-trillion a year and so – if the dollar is to hold its value, the US must be long of roughly an equivalent amount of imported capital from the rest of the world’s capital atmosphere.

Those nations that run current account surpluses – the Eurozone, China, Japan, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia, for example – are long the trade atmosphere and so are net contributors of their surpluses to that capital atmosphere. (Economists also characterise this situation as a nation that runs a current account deficit as being savings deficient and therefore needing to import savings through their capital account, savings generated from the current account surpluses run by other countries.)

So far, so good. But this is where the geoeconomics moves to another much higher level… and yes, this is where geopolitics starts to enter the equation.

Such is the level of net dissavings by the US created by its current account deficit that it generates 60% plus of ALL such deficits worldwide. In other words, the US consumes 60% plus of all internationally mobile savings to balance its trade-short external account. Sixty percent? Not bad for 4.2% of the world’s population!

And there are growing signs that at least some of those nations previously providing their savings to the US are growing weary of funding what is in effect the US’ excess consumption. Another way of saying this – using the logic of Ben Bernanke, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, but applying it in reverse – is that some of the world’s “surplus savers” no longer feel so inclined to let the US’ “surplus consumption” absorb the lion’s share of those savings.

Before proceeding, it is worth detailing exactly to what ends these surplus savings have been applied. The TICS data provided monthly by the US Treasury tells us where these savings go. (All figures are net flows; all trends are those evident over the past decade.)

Since 2014, foreign flows into US equities have – albeit with fluctuations, especially over Covid – been on a generally declining trend. Similarly, flows from foreign official sources like central banks have declined to be almost negligible today.

So what has been the principal destination for private foreign capital inflows – part of those foreign excess savings – into the US? The short answer is not US Inc equity instruments, but rather US government debt instruments. In particular, foreigners have bought Treasury Bonds and Bills, with much smaller amounts going into still-government-backed Agency Bonds as well as corporate bonds.

For the year to end September 2023, these net flows have been Treasuries $597-billion, Agency Bonds $125-billion; and Corporate Bonds $187-billion, together a total inflow of $909-billion.

Add in net flows into equities for the same period – $168-billion – and the US current account deficit is essentially covered, allowing the imbalance of its trade atmosphere to be “equilibrated” by that “kindness of strangers”: capital, or more precisely, savings from abroad.

As the above category totals show, foreign savings flowing into US Treasuries ($597-billion) contribute to the funding of the US’ budget deficit, this year forecast to top $1.7-trillion.

As a past rule of thumb, I estimated this kindness of strangers would fund over half of the US’ annual budget deficit, but this 50%+ ratio may now also be falling.

Earlier this year, the 12-month total into US Treasuries was close to $1-trillion; the subsequent drop off to $597-billion by September may help explain the disastrous performance of the US Treasury market in 2023.

Are foreigners “falling out of love” with US Treasuries? Given the disastrous performance of US Bonds since 2021, it would not be a surprise.

Now add this final observation to the mix: that the US, again with only 4.2% of the world’s population, runs over 42% of all budget deficits worldwide.

With these factual foundations laid down, let us now move on to the emerging geoeconomic tensions in the global economy; tensions that are exacerbated by the intensifying winds of geopolitics, be they blowing from Ukraine, Gaza or Taiwan.

There is growing evidence that leading players in the non-West – sometimes collectively called the Global South – are increasingly impatient with the underhand way the West loads the dice in its favour in the playing of the world economic game.

On 14 December 2022, the UN General Assembly voted on a resolution: “Towards a New International Economic Order”. The vote split perfectly between the Rest (123 in favour) and the West (50 against): only Türkiye abstained.

West vs Rest unanimity in this vote was near total, and there were plenty of democracies who voted in the latter camp: it was not a divide between democracies and autocracies.

However, there is far from unanimity in the reasons for this impatience among the Rest, and even less agreement as to what sort of economic order might replace it. But there is a coalescing sense coming from these discontents around the idea of, “well, definitely not the current one!”

So far, I have not seen any analysis where this impatience takes the form of: “Since some of we non-Westerners provide a sizeable share of our surplus savings to keep the US show on the road (and, albeit on a smaller scale, the British one), unless things really start to change, we might see fit to withhold some or all of those savings.”

But I fully expect a researcher in, say, the BRICS New Development Bank to put two and two together and come up with four.

Often, it seems as if a political event might give further impetus to the campaign to reform underlying economic grievances.

When the United States vetoed a resolution from BRICS founding member Brazil at the UN Security Council calling for “humanitarian pauses” in the Gaza conflict, it again highlighted the powerlessness of current multilateral institutions to address those issues that concern the wider UN Assembly: economic advancement and security and human rights for all – not just for those communities favoured by the West.

This resolution came soon after the end of the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank meeting in Morocco. At Marrakesh, the contentious issue of global governance reform was again raised.

The IMF is arguably the most important economic organisation that the Global South wants reformed. At present, it has skewed-to-the-West voting ratios: the US’ 17.4% is almost three times that of China; the UK’s significantly larger than India, and Belgium’s is bigger than Indonesia.

The reforms envisaged would upend the pro-Western voting weights, including possibly ending the US’ right of veto were its quota to fall below 15%.

Likewise, the “droit de seigneur” exercised by the US and Europe at the two Washington DC multi-laterals (where the US gets to choose the head of the World Bank while Europe gets to nominate the head of the IMF) may need to be replaced with a more “democratic” arrangement.

Meanwhile, over at the UN, it is becoming increasingly untenable for the permanent five members of the Security Council (and especially the US, UK and France) to stall Indian and even Brazilian membership of that inner grouping.

Finally, this time thinking geostrategically, what might happen to the US’ defence budget ($837-billion) if foreign inflows began to dry up? That budget currently allows the US to spend more on defence than the next 10 countries combined and, in so doing, maintain over 750 foreign bases – 80% of all foreign bases worldwide.

My primary interest however is focused on the geoeconomic fallout of a possible shift away from non-Western countries choosing to deploy their international savings in US government debt instruments and thereby underwrite the ballooning US government deficit.

The reason for this is that their actions may yet destabilise the foundation of US capital markets: the US bond market. This they would do by undermining the foundational price of risk in global capital markets, the yield on the 10-year US Treasury.

It is difficult to speculate as to what would be the full ramifications if these non-Western surplus recyclers were to shift even some of their surplus savings elsewhere. Yet, as it is, there is tentative evidence that they are beginning to do just that.

And, though the connection is all but impossible to “prove”, this could be one reason why Western financial markets – led by that axiomatic US bond market – have been struggling for nearly three years. (This period has led to the worst returns for US bonds since 1871.)

Already we see that several surplus-running countries outside the West seem less inclined to recycle the same share of their surpluses into US securities as previously: even the Saudis have reduced their central bank Treasury Bill holdings by 45% in the past three years, to $108-billion today.

Instead, these surplus runners have directed more of their national savings towards a variety of alternative assets. Gold reserves have risen sharply in the Global South central bank community, notably in China, Russia, India, the Central Asian “stans” and Türkiye: in the first nine months of 2023, such holdings rose 800 tonnes, over seven times South Africa’s 2022 production of 110 tonnes.

Sovereign wealth funds from Greater Arabia are increasing their exposure to Asian assets, including private equity and property. Middle Eastern companies – especially in the oil and petrochemical sectors – have been increasing their foreign direct investments in existing companies as well as start-ups across Asia, including China and India.

Perhaps the most telling strategy of all comes from the biggest surplus runner: China. While systematically reducing its US Treasury holdings – from $1.3-trillion in 2014 to under $800-billion today – it appears as if a sizeable share of China’s surplus has rather been recycled into its strategic stockpiles of commodities.

Besides gold, oil, nickel, uranium and cobalt have all seen notably large Chinese purchases beyond China’s current consumption needs. Perhaps the most unremarked upon “beneficiary” has been grains. China now holds 70% of world maize reserves, 60% of rice, 50% of wheat and 30% of soya. (Note under IMF rules, gold can be included in their definition of FX reserves, but other commodities cannot.)

So how do these geoeconomic facts connect to the geopolitical environment? My sense is that the two are connected by a two-way feedback mechanism, where the geopolitical concerns get reflected onto the geoeconomic foundation and vice versa. Increasingly, political and economic decisions are then taken by nations – individually, collectively – that align both. All this tends to happen while prioritising an individual nation’s economic self-interest in the process.

If this is so, given that the US and much of the West are floundering in the geopolitical arena, the world is seeing nations outside the West taking actions that could destabilise the current economic structure of the world – and particularly in the atmosphere for capital – as we have come to know it.

Evidence of this growing frustration in the Rest with the priorities of the West was well captured in a quote from the Indian Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: “Somewhere, Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.”

Many countries in the Rest would add the US to Europe in this quote.

Add to this the growing perception in much of the Rest that the moral high ground the Western democracies occupied for much of the postwar era is increasingly tarnished. The US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – where, respectively, no weapons of mass destruction and no Osama bin Laden were found – accelerated this process; neither invasion was sanctioned by the UN, but both went ahead regardless.

The Gaza conflict provides an all-too-tragic current example. Many non-Western nations (though not South Africa) supported the West’s position on Ukraine in the UN, some decrying the neo-imperialism exhibited by Russia as well as its callous approach towards the wellbeing of Ukraine’s civilians.

With that in mind, these same nations of the Rest – while unreservedly deploring Hamas’ actions on 7 October – cannot understand why so many Western nations now implicitly defend Israel’s livelihood-threatening and even life-taking actions towards Gaza’s civilians.

Some Western nations – notably the trade deficit running US – even go so far as to veto “humanitarian pauses” that would allow medicine, food and water to be distributed within the besieged Palestinian enclave. The visible squirming of the US’ UN ambassador as she vainly tried to square this sad circle was there for all UN members to see.

The charge of hypocrisy against the US and its close Western allies now hangs heavily in the air.

Such duplicitous behaviour by some Western nations means the growing reservations of the Rest leak from the geopolitical arena into the geoeconomic one. And then, by the Rest’s subsequent economic actions no longer aligning themselves to Western priorities, they leak back from the geoeconomic into the geopolitical.

And thus we find a world that is very different from that of the 1950s. For then, the winners of World War 2 mostly had right on their side: even the Europeans had begun the process of decolonisation.

Today, for all the high-minded expressions from the leaders of the West as to, “what is the right thing to do”, their mask has slipped and the old – and terrifying – logic of “might makes right” has again been revealed.

And more and more, many nations in the Rest simply do not agree with that mantra, even if, regrettably, some of those same nations still practice such behaviour too.

Thus, where they can, some of these Global South nations have resolved to take their trade – and even their surplus capital – elsewhere.

Frequently, this “elsewhere” means Asia, a destination that has the added advantage of offering product that is cheaper – and increasingly better – than that found in the West.

Indeed, the ultimate confirmation of this is that many leading Western multinationals also source their manufactured products from Asia – exhibit A, the iPhone 15 – for precisely the same two reasons.

Source: Dailymaverick.co.za

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 
ENB
Energy Dashboard
ENB Podcast
ENB Substack

The post In the rapidly shifting world of geoeconomics, the Rest is getting tired of the West appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

Mideast War Turns Spotlight on Arab Gas Pipeline

Energy News Beat

The Israel-Hamas war has not significantly impacted Mideast oil and gas flows so far, but critical energy infrastructure such as the Arab Gas Pipeline (AGP) is being watched closely.

The pipeline connects Egypt with Jordan and gas shipments via AGP have been disrupted in the past by attacks in the Sinai Peninsula.

Jordan imports almost all of the energy it needs, and if gas stopped flowing through AGP, it could have serious socio-economic implications and lead to instability in that country.

If the conflict in Gaza escalates, it could also deal a serious blow to sentiment among international investors at a time when Israel and Lebanon both want to encourage offshore oil and gas exploration.

High casualty levels in Gaza and an expansion of the conflict into a regional war could drive “a severe degradation of the investment climate” in the Levant and the Gulf, according to Eurasia Group.

If war breaks out along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and Iran becomes involved, there could be “massive hits to business and consumer confidence,” Eurasia added.

Energy Intelligence takes a look below at the countries that are connected to the Arab Gas Pipeline.

Egypt

Egypt, Africa’s third-largest natural gas producer, has come under pressure because of the Israel-Hamas war.

It relies on Israeli gas imports during the summer months to keep the lights on and air conditioners running.

AGP — with a reported capacity of 234 billion cubic feet per year (640 million cubic feet per day) — currently ships natural gas from Egypt to Jordan at annual rates of 26 Bcf and 44 Bcf.

Exports from Israel’s giant Leviathan field — operated by US major Chevron — flow through the AGP system.

As domestic demand has soared, Cairo is facing a supply crunch. It has tried to reduce its gas consumption by 20% this year and halted LNG exports from its two liquefaction plants over the summer.

Average gas production for the 2022/23 fiscal year to Jun. 30 was 6.2 Bcf/d, while average consumption hit 5.9 Bcf/d, Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Co. confirmed last month.

Egypt said this week that its imports of Israeli gas fell to zero from recent levels around 800 MMcf/d.

However, upstream operators contradicted that, telling Energy Intelligence that Israeli gas exports to Jordan had continued via Egypt.

Meanwhile, the East Mediterranean Gas pipeline running from Ashkelon in Israel to Arish in northern Egypt — close to the area of conflict in Gaza — has been closed down as a precaution.

Jordan

Jordan, which imports more than 90% of its energy needs, relies on gas that is delivered via Egypt and Israel.

In addition to gas supplied by AGP, Israel’s gas transmission system has an onshore connection with the Jordanian gas network near the Israeli town of Beit She’an.

Jordan is under pressure to sever ties with Tel Aviv, after Israel’s offensive in Gaza — in response to the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel — claimed more than 9,000 Palestinian lives so far.

Israel’s strikes in Gaza have fueled anger in Jordan, which has a large Palestinian population, many of whom are Jordanian citizens.

The kingdom relies heavily on international aid and grants to cover its budget and current account deficits, and disruption of gas flows could worsen already difficult economic conditions and stoke social unrest.

Israel

Israel is the second-largest natural gas producer in the Eastern Mediterranean after Egypt.

After the Hamas attack, Israel closed down the Chevron-operated Tamar offshore gas field as a precaution because of its proximity to Gaza. The field had previously been supplying gas to Israel and Egypt.

The country is reportedly exporting 70% less natural gas since it shut down Tamar at a cost of around $200 million a month, according to a report by consulting firm BDO.

Israel had recently advanced several pipeline capacity expansions to meet rapidly rising demand for gas in Egypt, which looks set to face a gas shortage by the middle of next year.

In August, the government approved an increase in pipeline gas exports to Egypt of about 350 MMcf/d for the next 11 years.

Israeli government sources say a plan to build a new onshore pipeline connecting Israel’s southern gas pipeline network to the AGP by 2026 could be impacted by the war.

The proposed Nitzana pipeline would have a capacity of 580 MMcf/d to 770 MMcf/d.

If the pipeline project is disrupted that would affect Chevron’s plans to increase gas output from the Tamar field from 1.1 Bcf/d to 1.6 Bcf/d, with first gas from the expansion due by early 2025.

Despite the conflict, Israel recently awarded European majors Eni and BP offshore oil and gas exploration blocks as part of its fourth upstream bid round.

Lebanon

Lebanon is currently facing the worst economic crisis since its independence. It has long been plagued by power shortages and continues to grapple with energy shortages.

Up to now, Lebanon’s crude oil and fuel needs have been met by supplies from Iraq as well as refineries in Turkey and Italy.

Lebanon does not currently receive gas from the Arab Gas Pipeline, although there has been talk of using it to deliver gas via Syria for power generation in Lebanon.

Unlike Egypt and Israel, Lebanon does not currently produce gas, but its government estimates that there could be 25 trillion cubic feet or more of untapped resources in the waters off its coast.

Source: Energyintel.com

Source: Offshore-energy.biz

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 
ENB
Energy Dashboard
ENB Podcast
ENB Substack

The post Mideast War Turns Spotlight on Arab Gas Pipeline appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

China, Russia Intensify Efforts to Expedite New Gas Route Supply Agreement

Energy News Beat

(MENAFN) China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Vice President, Xie Jun, has disclosed that Russian energy giant Gazprom is collaborating with China to fast-track the implementation of a new gas supply route known as the Far Eastern route. This initiative aims to deliver Russian natural gas to China from the offshore reserves near Sakhalin Island.

Speaking at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum, Xie Jun stated, “Our company and Gazprom are striving to build a closer energy partnership and are systematically accelerating the implementation of the gas supply project along the Far Eastern route.”

The collaboration between Moscow and Beijing was solidified in February with an agreement to enhance natural gas supplies to China via the Far Eastern route. This ambitious project includes the construction of a cross-border section across the Ussuri River, connecting the operational Russian pipeline to the Chinese city of Hulin. Once fully operational, this route will have the capacity to transport 10 billion cubic meters of Russian pipeline gas to China annually.

Presently, Russia fulfills its gas commitments to China through the Power of Siberia pipeline, a segment of the Eastern Route, in accordance with a 30-year bilateral agreement. Gas deliveries commenced in 2019, and the pipeline is anticipated to reach its full operational capacity of 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually by 2025.

As both nations deepen their energy cooperation, the intensified efforts to advance the Far Eastern route underscore their shared commitment to diversifying energy supply routes and strengthening their strategic partnership in the energy sector. This development is poised to have far-reaching implications for regional energy security and economic integration between China and Russia.

Source: Menafn.com

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 
ENB
Energy Dashboard
ENB Podcast
ENB Substack

The post China, Russia Intensify Efforts to Expedite New Gas Route Supply Agreement appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

Southeast Asia’s LNG investments predicted to peak by 2040: Study

Energy News Beat

More natural gas facilities than ever will be firing in Southeast Asia almost two decades from now, according to a report by Singapore-based research firm Asia Research & Engagement (ARE).

Led by Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, the region currently has liquified natural gas (LNG) facilities operating at a capacity of 45 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa), which release the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of about 30 coal plants in one year.

This is expected to almost double to a capacity of 80 Mtpa by 2040, as proposed projects, mostly in Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam will be completed by then.

“If allowed to continue, expanded LNG use stands to thwart efforts to keep global warming below 1.5 C,” ARE’s report read. “Growing investment in LNG by the Philippines, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian nations will only help push the world further beyond this critical target.”

Last year’s biggest addition to global LNG consumption was Thailand’s new US$900 million regasification facility, with a capacity of 7.5 Mtpa, added the analysis.

The Philippines and Vietnam made their first forays into LNG this year.

The Philippines received a shipment in April to fuel its 1,200 megawatt (MW) Ilijan power plant, amid declining reserves from its Malampaya natural gas field off the province of Batangas and after Asian spot LNG prices slid from all-time highs in 2022. The purchase was handled by AGP International Holdings, backed by Osaka Gas and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

A month later, Vietnam’s first imports of LNG arrived with a shipment of 70,000 tonnes of Indonesian LNG purchased by state-run PetroVietnam Gas. The new terminals in both Southeast Asian nations are slated to expand the region’s LNG import capacity by 7.8 Mtpa.

The Philippine government has been promoting renewable energy, but as part of its energy development plan, it continues to approve projects to import LNG as a transitional fuel. Although Vietnam is trying to reduce its reliance on coal while tackling worsening power shortages that imperil its fast-growing economy, its development plan likewise calls for more than doubling its reliance on natural gas.

Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore began importing LNG in the 2010s, and Myanmar did so in 2020. Cambodia is preparing to start taking shipments, with a three-phase plan to promote the fuel’s adoption at home.

“Southeast Asia’s limited legacy LNG infrastructure makes the pivot to low-carbon power sources a viable option compared to investing in new LNG infrastructure,” Kurt Metzger, energy transition director of ARE, told Eco-Business.

“The new research underscores that LNG’s carbon intensity is on par with coal, emphasising the necessity of investing in solar, wind, and low-carbon sources to limit global warming below 1.5 degrees.”

Indonesia has the most LNG operating in Southeast Asia, as of 2021, but is expected to be overtaken by Thailand, once its facilities that are both under construction and proposed will be operational by 2040.

In the rest of the world, the report’s authors find it worrisome that the expected production of LNG “far exceeds” what global energy authority International Energy Agency (IEA) calculates is necessary to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The report noted how IEA predicts that LNG used globally must peak in 2025 and decline to 150 Mtpa by 2040 to achieve its 2050 net zero target. But oil firm Shell forecasts in its outlook this year that demand will reach almost 700 Mtpa by 2040, with projected LNG production and supply rising by 20 per cent to 480 Mtpa based on LNG infrastructure currently under construction.

Natural gas is considered a cleaner-burning fuel because it releases up to 60 per cent less carbon dioxide than coal. But experts have flagged the climate impacts of methane—a powerful greenhouse gas—that is emitted during its production, transportation and combustion.

Source: Eco-business.com

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 
ENB
Energy Dashboard
ENB Podcast
ENB Substack

The post Southeast Asia’s LNG investments predicted to peak by 2040: Study appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

Following BP’s exit, operatorship of giant gas discoveries changes hands, as US player takes the reins

Energy News Beat

U.S.-headquartered oil and gas exploration and production company Kosmos Energy has boosted its working interest and taken the operatorship helm of giant gas discoveries offshore Senegal, after BP’s withdrawal from the field. This is subject to customary government approvals and will assist the American firm in advancing significant future natural gas and LNG development opportunities.

According to Kosmos Energy, it has increased its working interest to 90% and assumed operatorship -subject to customary government approvals – of the huge Yakaar-Teranga gas field development offshore Senegal, deemed to contain one of the world’s largest gas discoveries in recent years, holding around 25 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of advantaged gas in place, with negligible carbon dioxide content and minimal impurities, reducing the need for processing ahead of transportation/liquefaction.

Andrew G. Inglis, Kosmos Energy’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Yakaar-Teranga is one of the crown jewels of Senegal’s growing energy sector and this aligned partnership allows Kosmos and Petrosen to accelerate the development of a cost-competitive gas project supporting Senegal’s goal of providing universal and reliable access to low-cost energy. The project is also expected to lower emissions by displacing heavy fuel oil in the country’s energy mix.

“In addition, the project is expected to deliver LNG export volumes to global markets, further establishing Senegal as an important and reliable supplier of energy to the world. I would like to thank Petrosen for their support to progress this opportunity. Kosmos looks forward to delivering a project that is aligned with the country’s strategic development plan, ‘Plan Sénégal Emergent,’ to drive social progress and inclusive economic growth in Senegal for many years to come.”

Furthermore, the U.S. player has been working closely with Petrosen and the government of Senegal on an innovative development concept that prioritizes cost-competitive gas to the rapidly growing domestic market, combined with an offshore LNG facility targeting exports into international markets. The currently envisioned development concept is an offshore development producing approximately 550 million standard cubic feet of gas per day with domestic gas transported via pipeline to shore and export volumes liquified on a floating LNG vessel.

Kosmos explains that the concept is now being optimized to best meet the domestic and international requirements, after which the project will move into front-end design and engineering (FEED). As concept optimization progresses, the firm’s aim is for Petrosen to participate as an equal partner in the full value chain with a greater working interest.

Moreover, the two companies plan to evaluate potential partnership strategies with the objective of creating an aligned partnership possessing the necessary upstream and midstream expertise, coupled with access to cost-effective financing and exposure to end markets.

Thierno Seydou Ly, Petrosen’s Director General, Upstream, remarked: “Yakaar-Teranga is a strategic project and a key asset for the government’s ‘gas-to-power’ and ‘gas-to-industry’ initiatives, which aim to provide affordable, abundant, and cleaner energy as part of the country’s ‘Plan Sénégal Emergent.’

“With a simplified and aligned partnership, we look forward to advancing the project, increasing Petrosen’s expertise through knowledge and skills transfer, and providing economic, social, and environmental benefits to the people of Senegal.”

Source: Offshore-energy.biz

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 
ENB
Energy Dashboard
ENB Podcast
ENB Substack

The post Following BP’s exit, operatorship of giant gas discoveries changes hands, as US player takes the reins appeared first on Energy News Beat.

 

Shell Prefers Share Buybacks over Big Acquisitions: CEO

Energy News Beat

Shell PLC’s capital deployment strategy favors repurchasing company stocks more than absorbing rivals, chief executive officer (CEO) Wael Sawan has said, in contrast to USA competitors Chevron Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp.

Reporting a 23 percent quarter-on-quarter increase in adjusted earnings to $6.2 billion for the third quarter, the British energy giant said it has approved a buyback program for the next three months amounting to $3.5 billion. That brings its share redemption program for the second half of 2023 to $6.5 billion and total announced stockholder distributions for the year to about $23 billion.

“If we then look at how we want to be able to deploy capital, our preference right now is to continue to buy that very attractive asset base that we have, and the free cash flow yield that is also a very healthy free cash flow yield”, Sawan, who took over as Shell boss at the start of 2023, said in a question and answer session with analysts.

Shell posted $0.93 in adjusted earnings per share for the July–September 2023 quarter. Its free cash flow stood at $7.51 billion for the latest three-month period, with $12.33 billion generated from operating activities, the London-based company announced Thursday.

It recorded $5.65 billion in cash capital expenditure and $10.1 billion in operating expenses.

USA rival Chevron earlier reported $3.05 in adjusted earnings per share. The San Ramon, California-based company had $5 billion in free cash flow, compared to $4.7 billion capital expenses, according to its quarterly report October 27.

Another American major, ExxonMobil, reported the same day $2.25 earnings per share. It recorded $16 billion in free cash flow and $5.2 billion in capital expenditure.

Earlier in October Spring, Texas-based Exxon Mobil announced it was acquiring Pioneer Natural Resources in an all-stock transaction valued at $59.5 billion.

“The merger combines Pioneer’s more than 850,000 net acres in the Midland Basin with ExxonMobil’s 570,000 net acres in the Delaware and Midland Basins, creating the industry’s leading high-quality undeveloped U.S. unconventional inventory position”, said a joint press release October 11.

“The merger is anticipated to be accretive immediately and highly accretive mid- to long-term to ExxonMobil earnings per share and free cash flow, with a long cash flow runway”, ExxonMobil added. “ExxonMobil’s strong balance sheet combined with Pioneer’s added surplus free cash flow provides upside opportunity to enhance shareholder capital returns post-closing”.

Later October 23 Chevron said it was purchasing Hess Corp. in an all-stock transaction worth $53 billion.

“The combined company is expected to grow production and free cash flow faster and for longer than Chevron’s current five-year guidance”, Chevron and Hess said in a joint news release about the definitive deal set to close in the first half of 2024.

For Shell however, the financial growth strategy is to continue “to preferentially allocate our capital towards share buybacks, more so than going for big acquisitions”, Sawan said in the session with analysts shared on the company’s YouTube channel.

For this year, Shell has now curbed the upper range of its capex to $23–25 billion from $23–26 billion in the second quarter and $23–27 billion in the first quarter.

Its results for the third quarter were weighed down by “lower margins due to seasonal impacts, primarily in Europe, and lower trading and optimization results”, as well as lower output, as stated in its earnings news release. These were offset by “favorable trading and optimization results combined with higher realized liquids prices”.

“We continue to simplify our portfolio while delivering more value with less emissions”, Sawan said in comments for the earnings media release.

Shell closed the first nine months of 2023 with $141.25 billion in current assets, including $43.03 billion in cash and cash equivalents. Its total current liabilities stood at $95.13 billion, including $10.12 billion in debt.

Source: Rigzone.com

Real Estate Investor Pulse

1031 Exchange E-Book

ENB Top News 
ENB
Energy Dashboard
ENB Podcast
ENB Substack

 

The post Shell Prefers Share Buybacks over Big Acquisitions: CEO appeared first on Energy News Beat.