December 2021

The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The private OCP pipeline has resumed operations in Ecuador following an interruption caused by heavy rains, while the main SOTE pipeline remains shut down, continuing to impact oil exports from the South American country.

McDermott awarded major offshore contract by BRAVA Energia in Brazil

McDermott secures contract worth up to $50 million with BRAVA Energia to install subsea equipment on the Papa-Terra and Atlanta oil fields off the Brazilian coast.
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The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
Saudi Aramco increases its oil prices for Asia beyond initial expectations, reflecting strategic adjustments related to OPEC+ production and regional geopolitical uncertainties, with potential implications for Asian markets.

Liberian-Flagged Bulk Carrier Attacked in Red Sea, Israel Strikes Back in Yemen

A bulk carrier operated by a Greek company sailing under a Liberian flag suffered a coordinated attack involving small arms and explosive drones, prompting an Israeli military response against Yemen's Houthis.
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The Canadian government is now awaiting a concrete private-sector proposal to develop a new oil pipeline connecting Alberta to the Pacific coast, following recent legislation intended to expedite energy projects.
Petrobras is exploring various strategies for its Polo Bahia oil hub, including potentially selling it, as current profitability is challenged by oil prices around $65 per barrel.

Azevedo & Travassos acquires Petro-Victory to strengthen its Brazilian onshore portfolio

Brazilian producer Azevedo & Travassos will issue new shares to buy Petro-Victory and its forty-nine concessions, consolidating its onshore presence while taking on net debt of about USD39.5mn.
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Major oil producers accelerate their return to the market, raising their August quotas more sharply than initially expected, prompting questions about future market balances.
Lindsey refinery could halt operations within three weeks due to limited crude oil reserves, according to a recent analysis by energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, highlighting an immediate slowdown in production.

Czech Republic hit by massive power outage disrupting the economy

A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.
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French greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a global slowdown in reductions forecast for the full year, according to Citepa, an independent organisation responsible for national monitoring.
The flow of crude between the Hamada field and the Zawiya refinery has resumed after emergency repairs, illustrating the mounting pressure on Libya’s ageing pipeline network that threatens the stability of domestic supply.

Gabon reactivates deep offshore blocks to stem oil decline

Libreville is intensifying the promotion of deep-water blocks, still seventy-two % unexplored, to offset the two hundred thousand barrels-per-day production drop recorded last year, according to GlobalData.
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The African Export-Import Bank extends the Nigerian oil company’s facility, providing room to accelerate drilling and modernisation by 2029 as international lenders scale back hydrocarbon exposure.
Petronas begins a three-well exploratory drilling campaign offshore Suriname, deploying a Noble rig after securing an environmental permit and closely collaborating with state-owned company Staatsolie.

Glencore in talks with London over future of insolvent Lindsey oil refinery

Swiss commodities trader Glencore has initiated discussions with the British government regarding its supply contract with the Lindsey refinery, placed under insolvency this week, threatening hundreds of jobs and the UK's energy security.
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Facing an under-equipped downstream sector, Mauritania partners with Sonatrach to create a joint venture aiming to structure petroleum products distribution and reduce import dependency, without yet disclosing specific investments.
Dalinar Energy, a subsidiary of Gold Reserve, receives official recommendation from a US court to acquire PDV Holdings, the parent company of refiner Citgo Petroleum, with a $7.38bn bid, despite a higher competing offer from Vitol.
The anticipated increase in the tax deduction rate may encourage independent refineries in Shandong to restart fuel oil imports, compensating for limited crude oil import quotas.
Petro-Victory Energy Corp. starts drilling of the AND-5 well in the Potiguar Basin, Brazil, as the first phase of an operation financed through its strategic partnership with Azevedo & Travassos Energia.

UK urged to accelerate electricity price reforms

The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
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The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.

Port of Corpus Christi expands capacity for large oil tankers

The Texan Port of Corpus Christi has completed major widening and deepening work designed to accommodate more supertankers, thus strengthening its strategic position in the US market for crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
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BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust is offering its interest in Prudhoe Bay, North America’s largest oil field, as part of its planned dissolution, assisted by RedOaks Energy Advisors for this strategic asset transaction.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."

Mauritius launches international tender for floating power plant

Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
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Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.
Indonesia has unveiled its new national energy plan, projecting an increase of 69.5 GW in electricity capacity over ten years, largely funded by independent producers, to address rapidly rising domestic demand.

CNOOC partners with KazMunayGas to explore the Zhylyoi subsoil area

CNOOC Limited’s Hong Kong subsidiary and KazMunayGas have concluded a nine-year exploration and production contract covering nine hundred and fifty-eight square kilometres in Kazakhstan, sharing investment and operations equally.
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Donald Trump announced that the United States will no longer oppose Chinese purchases of Iranian oil, immediately triggering a drop in global crude oil prices and profoundly reshaping international energy trade partnerships.
Research firm S&P Global Commodity Insights lifts its outlook for the fourth straight year, betting on three point five mn barrels per day from 2025 despite lower prices.

Enbridge Considers Adding Capacity to Export More Oil to Gulf Coast

Enbridge plans to expand its infrastructure to increase oil transportation from the American Midwest to the Gulf Coast, anticipating rising exports and addressing current market logistical constraints.
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US commercial crude inventories significantly decline by 3.1 million barrels, widely surpassing initial forecasts and immediately pushing international oil prices higher.
The UK could have hydrocarbon reserves twice as large as current official estimates, according to Offshore Energies UK, highlighting the impact of fiscal policies on forecasts and the economic future of the North Sea.

Eni, BP and TotalEnergies partially evacuate Iraq; Lukoil maintains operations

Following US strikes in Iran, international energy companies partially evacuate their teams from Iraq as a precaution, while Lukoil maintains its entire personnel on southern oilfields.
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Chinese independent refineries remain cautious amid rising Iranian crude prices driven by escalating Iran-Israel tensions, potentially threatening access to the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Gazprom, affected by a historic $6.9bn loss in 2023, is offering Pakistani state-owned firm OGDCL its petroleum assets in Nigeria to strengthen its presence in Asia’s energy market, according to Pakistani sources.