Paul Messad

The United Kingdom is replacing its exceptional tax with a permanent price mechanism, maintaining one of the world’s highest fiscal pressures and reshaping the North Sea’s investment attractiveness for oil and gas operators.
Pakistan confirms its exit from domestic fuel oil with over 1.4 Mt exported in 2025, transforming its refineries into export platforms as Asia faces a structural surplus of high- and low-sulphur fuel oil.

Canada reforms Energy Efficiency Act to align policy with digital markets

The Canadian government introduces major legislative changes to the Energy Efficiency Act to support its national strategy and adapt to the realities of digital commerce.
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Quebec becomes the only Canadian province where a carbon price still applies directly to fuels, as Ottawa eliminated the public-facing carbon tax in April 2025.
New Delhi launches a 72.8 bn INR incentive plan to build a 6,000-tonne domestic capacity for permanent magnets, amid rising Chinese export restrictions on critical components.

Long-term contracts reshape electricity market risk over 30 years amid volatility

The rise of CfDs, PPAs and capacity mechanisms signals a structural shift: markets alone no longer cover 10–30-year financing needs, while spot prices have surged 400% in Europe since 2019.
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Turkish company Aksa Enerji has signed a 20-year contract with Sonabel for the commissioning of a thermal power plant in Ouagadougou, aiming to strengthen Burkina Faso’s energy supply by the end of 2026.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium resumed loadings in Novorossiisk after a Ukrainian attack, but geopolitical tensions persist over Kazakh oil flows through this strategic Black Sea corridor.

Berlin plans to acquire 25.1% of TenneT Germany by early 2026

Germany plans to finalise the €5.8bn ($6.34bn) purchase of a 25.1% stake in TenneT Germany to strengthen its control over critical national power grid infrastructure.
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Hungary increases oil product exports to Serbia to offset the imminent shutdown of the NIS refinery, threatened by US sanctions over its Russian majority ownership.
Faced with falling oil production, Pemex is expanding local refining through Olmeca, aiming to reduce fuel imports and optimise its industrial capacity under fiscal pressure.

Petrobras cuts investment to $109 bn in new five-year plan

Brazil’s state oil company will reduce its capital spending by 2%, hit by falling crude prices, marking a strategic shift under Lula’s presidency.
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TotalEnergies has finalised the sale of its 12.5% stake in Nigeria’s offshore Bonga oilfield for $510mn, boosting Shell and Eni’s positions in the strategic deepwater production site.
The Ghanaian government is implementing a reform of its energy system focused on increasing the use of local natural gas, aiming to reduce electricity production costs and limit the sector's financial imbalance.

Belgrade begins legal procedure to seize Moscow-controlled Serbian refinery

Serbia is preparing a budget law amendment to enable the takeover of NIS, a refinery under US sanctions and owned by Russian groups, to avoid an imminent energy shutdown.
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On the 50th anniversary of its independence, Suriname announced a national roadmap including major public investment to develop its offshore oil reserves.
Nigeria’s Dangote refinery selects US-based Honeywell to supply technology that will double its crude processing capacity and expand its petrochemical output.

Baghdad maintains oil output by isolating sanctioned Russian assets

Iraq secures production by bypassing US sanctions through local payments, energy-for-energy swaps, and targeted suspension of financial flows to Lukoil to protect West Qurna-2 exports.
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Restarting Olympic Pipeline’s 16-inch line does not restore full supply to Oregon and Seattle-Tacoma airport, both still exposed to logistical risks and regional price tensions.
Faced with tightened sanctions from the United States and European Union, Indian refiners are drastically reducing their purchases of Russian crude from December, according to industry sources.