February 23, 2021

European powers demand concrete steps from Tehran on nuclear issue or United Nations sanctions will be reinstated, as IAEA inspections remain blocked and tensions with Washington persist.
Eskom must restart the entire administrative process for its Richards Bay gas plant after South Africa’s Supreme Court cancelled its permit, citing insufficient public consultation.

QatarEnergy and TotalEnergies launch final phase of major gas project in Iraq

QatarEnergy, TotalEnergies and Basra Oil Company begin construction of the final infrastructure components of Iraq’s integrated gas project, mobilising more than $13bn in investments to modernise the country’s energy supply.
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Texas-based utility CPS Energy acquires four natural gas power plants from ProEnergy for $1.39bn, strengthening its footprint in the ERCOT market with operational dual-fuel infrastructure.
MCF Energy has completed drilling of the Kinsau-1A well in Bavaria at 3,310 metres, reaching its geological targets with hydrocarbon presence, reaffirming the company’s commitment to its European gas projects.

Italian judge approves extradition of Ukrainian linked to Nord Stream sabotage

A Ukrainian national arrested in Italy will be extradited to Germany, where he is suspected of coordinating the 2022 attack on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.
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Starting the ban on Russian gas as early as 2026 would raise benchmark prices, with a spread close to $1/MMBTU in 2026–2027 and spikes above $20/MMBTU in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia, amid tight regional supply and limited LNG availability.
Cairo has concluded three new exploration agreements with Apache, Dragon Oil and Perenco, for a total investment of over $121mn, as national gas output continues to decline.

Fifth sanctioned Russian LNG carrier docks at Beihai terminal in China

The Iris carrier, part of the Arctic LNG 2 project, docked at China’s Beihai terminal despite US and EU sanctions, signalling intensifying gas flows between Russia and China.
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Blackstone Energy Transition Partners announces the acquisition of a 620-megawatt gas-fired power plant for nearly $1bn, reinforcing its energy investment strategy at the core of America’s digital infrastructure.
Argentina aims to boost gas sales to Brazil by 2030, but high transit fees imposed by Bolivia require significant public investment to secure alternative routes.

Russian Arctic LNG 2 deliveries to Asia to slow this winter

The accelerated arrival of Russian cargoes in China has lowered Asian spot LNG prices, but traffic is set to slow with the seasonal closure of the Northern Sea Route.
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Nigeria and Libya have initiated technical discussions on a new pipeline project to transport Nigerian gas to Europe through the Mediterranean network.
Shipments of liquefied natural gas and higher pipeline flows strengthen China’s gas optionality, while testing the sanctions regime and reshaping price–volume trade-offs for the next decade.

Canada fast-tracks five major energy and mining projects

The Canadian government aims to reduce approval delays for strategic projects, including liquefied natural gas, nuclear and mining operations, amid growing trade tensions with the United States.
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Brussels confirms its target to end all Russian energy imports by 2028, despite growing diplomatic pressure from Washington amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Liquefied natural gas exports in sub-Saharan Africa will reach 98 bcm by 2034, driven by Nigeria, Mozambique, and the entry of new regional producers.

Angola invests in natural gas despite technical challenges at Soyo

Backed by an ambitious public investment plan, Angola is betting on gas to offset declining oil output, but the Angola LNG plant in Soyo continues to face operational constraints.
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Donald Trump threatens to escalate US sanctions against Russia, but only if NATO member states stop all Russian oil imports, which remain active via certain pipelines.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb denounced fossil fuel imports from Russia by Hungary and Slovakia as the EU prepares its 19th sanctions package against Moscow.
Permex Petroleum signed a $3 million purchase option on oil and gas assets in Texas to support a strategy combining energy production and Bitcoin mining.
Enbridge announces the implementation of two major natural gas transmission projects aimed at strengthening regional supply and supporting the LNG market.

Commonwealth LNG secures final non-FTA export authorization

Commonwealth LNG’s Louisiana liquefied natural gas project clears a decisive regulatory step with final approval from the U.S. Department of Energy for exports to non-free trade agreement countries.
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Brasília has officially begun the process of joining the International Energy Agency, strengthening its strategic position on the global energy stage after years of close cooperation with the Paris-based organisation.
During a meeting in Beijing, Vladimir Putin called on Slovakia to suspend its energy deliveries to Ukraine, citing Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure as justification.

Moscow and Bratislava discuss the Ukrainian conflict and energy cooperation

Vladimir Putin and Robert Fico met in China to address the war in Ukraine, regional security and energy relations between Russia and Slovakia.
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The Indonesian government confirmed the delivery of nine to ten liquefied natural gas cargoes for domestic demand in September, without affecting long-term export commitments.
The Egyptian government signs four exploration agreements for ten gas wells, allocating $343mn to limit the impact of the rapid decline in national production.

Hungary receives over 5 bn m³ of Russian gas via TurkStream in 2024

Hungary has imported over 5 billion cubic metres of Russian natural gas since January via TurkStream, under its long-term agreements with Gazprom, thereby supporting its national energy infrastructure.
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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico plans to meet Vladimir Putin in Beijing before receiving Volodymyr Zelensky in Bratislava, marking a diplomatic shift in his relations with Moscow and Kyiv.
U.S. regulators have approved two major milestones for Rio Grande LNG and Commonwealth LNG, clarifying their investment decision timelines and reinforcing the country’s role in expanding global liquefaction capacity.

Hokkaido Gas readies 2027: LNG tender and volumes

Hokkaido Gas is adjusting its liquefied natural gas procurement strategy with a multi-year tender and a long-term agreement, leveraging Ishikari’s capacity and price references used in the Asian market. —
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Korea Gas Corporation commits to 3.3 mtpa of US LNG from 2028 for ten years, complementing new contracts to cover expired volumes and diversify supply sources and price indexation.
The three European powers activate the UN sanctions mechanism against Iran, increasing pressure on the country's oil exports as Tehran maintains high production despite Western measures.

Bangladesh finalises memorandum with Aramco for LNG supply deals

Petrobangla plans to sign a memorandum with Saudi Aramco to secure liquefied natural gas deliveries under a formal agreement, following a similar deal recently concluded with the Sultanate of Oman.
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CTCI strengthens its position in Taiwan with a new EPC contract for a regasification unit at the Kaohsiung LNG terminal, with a capacity of 1,600 tonnes per hour.
Exxon Mobil forecasts sustained growth in global natural gas demand by 2050, driven by industrial use and rising energy needs in developing economies.

Capstone secures 5.8 MW order in Mexico with major food manufacturer

Capstone Green Energy received a 5.8-megawatt order for its natural gas microturbines, to be deployed across multiple food production facilities in Mexico through regional distributor DTC Machinery.
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Private firm Harvest Midstream has signed a $1 billion acquisition deal with MPLX for gas processing and transport infrastructure across three western US states.
Sempra Infrastructure and EQT Corporation have signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas purchase agreement, consolidating Phase 2 of the Port Arthur LNG project in Texas and strengthening the United States’ position in the global LNG market.