Oil

The Rapid Support Forces have taken Heglig, Sudan’s largest oil site, halting production and increasing risks to regional crude export flows.
The rehabilitation cost of Sonara, Cameroon’s only refinery, has now reached XAF300bn (USD533mn), with several international banks showing growing interest in financing the project.

China’s oil imports reach two-year high

China imported 12.38 million barrels per day in November, the highest level since August 2023, driven by stronger refining margins and anticipation of 2026 quotas.
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The United States reaffirmed its military commitment to Guyana, effectively securing access to its rapidly expanding oil production amid persistent border tensions with Venezuela.
Sanctioned tanker Kairos, abandoned after a Ukrainian drone attack, ran aground off Bulgaria’s coast, exposing growing legal and operational risks tied to Russia’s shadow fleet in the Black Sea.

Washington will oversee the sale of Lukoil stations until April 2026

The United States is temporarily licensing Lukoil’s operations outside Russia, blocking all financial flows to Moscow while facilitating the supervised sale of a portfolio valued at $22bn, without disrupting supply for allied countries.
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Libya’s state oil firm NOC plans to launch a licensing round for 20 blocks in early 2026, amid mounting legal, political and financial uncertainties for international investors.
European sanctions on Russia and refinery outages in the Middle East have sharply reduced global diesel supply, driving up refining margins in key markets.

La Serbie anticipe un choc économique après la mise à l’arrêt de sa raffinerie

L’arrêt de la raffinerie de Pancevo, frappée par des sanctions américaines contre ses actionnaires russes, menace les recettes fiscales, l’emploi et la stabilité énergétique de la Serbie.
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Oil prices climbed, driven by Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure and the lack of diplomatic progress between Moscow and Washington over the Ukraine conflict.
Chevron has announced a capital expenditure range of $18 to $19 billion for 2026, focusing on upstream operations in the United States and high-potential international offshore projects.

ExxonMobil shuts down steam cracker in Singapore and redirects assets to China

ExxonMobil is shutting down its oldest ethylene steam cracker in Singapore, reducing local capacity to invest in its integrated Huizhou complex in China, amid regional overcapacity and rising operational costs.
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Brazil, Guyana, Suriname and Argentina are expected to provide a growing share of non-OPEC+ oil supply, backed by massive offshore investments and continued exploration momentum.
The revocation of US licences limits European companies’ operations in Venezuela, triggering a collapse in crude oil imports and a reconfiguration of bilateral energy flows.

Bourbon secures five-year contract with ExxonMobil for Angola’s Block 15

Bourbon has signed an agreement with ExxonMobil for the charter of next-generation Crewboats on Angola’s Block 15, strengthening a strategic cooperation that began over 15 years ago.
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Faced with tighter legal frameworks and reinforced sanctions, grey fleet operators are turning to 15-year-old VLCCs and scrapping older vessels to secure oil routes to Asia.
Reconnaissance Energy Africa completed drilling at the Kavango West 1X onshore well in Namibia, where 64 metres of net hydrocarbon pay were detected in the Otavi carbonate section.

CNOOC launches production at Weizhou 11-4 oilfield in South China Sea

CNOOC Limited has started production at the Weizhou 11-4 oilfield adjustment project and its satellite fields, targeting 16,900 barrels per day by 2026.
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The Adura joint venture merges Shell and Equinor’s UK offshore assets, becoming the leading independent oil and gas producer in the mature North Sea basin.
A Delaware court approved the sale of PDV Holding shares to Elliott’s Amber Energy for $5.9bn, a deal still awaiting a U.S. Treasury licence through OFAC.
Faced with oversupply risks and Russian sanctions, OPEC+ stabilises volumes while preparing a structural redistribution of quotas by 2027, intensifying tensions between producers with unequal capacities.
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 becomes structural fuel oil exporter, disrupting Asian market balance

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.
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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.

Hungary doubles oil shipments to Serbia amid US sanctions on refinery

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.
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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.
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.

TotalEnergies sells Bonga stake for $510mn to Shell and Eni

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.
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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.
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.

Serbia’s Pancevo refinery faces shutdown as US sanctions cut crude supply

Serbia’s only refinery, operated by NIS, may be forced to halt production this week, weakened by US sanctions targeting its Russian shareholders.
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Glencore's attributable production in Cameroon dropped by 31% over nine months, adding pressure on public revenues as Yaoundé revises its oil and budget forecasts amid field maturity and targeted investment shifts.
The profitability of speculative positioning strategies on Brent is declining, while contrarian approaches targeting extreme sentiment levels are proving more effective, marking a significant regime shift in oil trading.

ConocoPhillips, Repsol and Santos revive Alaskan oil with Nuna and Pikka

Alaska is set to record its highest oil production increase in 40 years, driven by two key projects that extend the operational life of the TAPS pipeline and reinforce the United States' strategic presence in the Arctic.
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TotalEnergies increases its stake to 90% in Nigeria’s offshore block OPL257 following an asset exchange deal with Conoil Producing Limited.
TotalEnergies and Chevron are seeking to acquire a 40% stake in the Mopane oil field in Namibia, owned by Galp, as part of a strategy to secure new resources in a high-potential offshore basin.