China
News
January 11, 2022
China doubled down on imports of Iranian and Venezuelan crude in 2021, taking the most from the U.S.-sanctioned regimes in three years, as refiners brushed off the risk of penalties to scoop up cheap oil.
News
January 04, 2022
China slashed its fuel export quota by more than half in the first batch of allocations for 2022, highlighting the nation’s strategy of progressively limiting overseas sales.
News
January 25, 2021
The cat-and-mouse games that avoid detection and sanctions include ship-to-ship transfers, shell companies and silenced satellite signals. But there’s another aspect to the dodge. It involves “doping” the oil with chemical additives and changing its name in the paperwork so it can be sold as a wholly different crude without a trace of its Venezuelan roots.
News
January 25, 2021
With the U.S. campaign of “maximum pressure” now over, Iran’s oil customers may be growing a little bolder.
News
January 25, 2021
Iraq pledged to cut output in January and February after pumping more than its OPEC+ quota last year, and Libyan guards halted some crude exports after a pay dispute. Crude was also buoyed by a renewed climb in global equity markets as investors focused on the prospect of additional stimulus.
News
January 20, 2021
Traders have piled into oil this year, with output cuts from Saudi Arabia helping drive prices to the highest since February.
News
January 15, 2021
China National Offshore Oil Corp. has for years drilled in waters far from its borders, and within 200 miles of countries including Vietnam and the Philippines. The activity amounts to the oil giant acting like a “bully” for China’s military to intimidate its neighbors, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement announcing the move, which restricts access to U.S. technologies without specific permission.
News
January 11, 2021
There have been signs across the oil market of traders expecting tighter supplies following the Saudi cuts. The shape of the Brent futures curve returned to backwardation earlier this week, meaning more immediate prices are trading at premiums.
News
January 08, 2021
Democratic wins in elections in Georgia mean the party is poised to take control of the Senate, House and presidency, spurring a broad move higher in financial markets. That came after Saudi Arabia pledged earlier in the week to cut production by 1 million barrels a day in February and March.
News
January 08, 2021
“Opening the shale revolution to the world through the export ban lifting helped shift the global oil market psychology from supply scarcity to abundance,” said Karim Fawaz, director of research and analysis for energy at IHS Markit. “It unshackled the U.S. industry to keep growing past its domestic refining limitations.”
News
January 06, 2021
Temperatures across much of Europe and Asia are well below normal and forecasters expect them to stay there for most of January. The chill is supporting oil prices, which are holding above $50 a barrel, while the profit from turning crude into diesel climbed in Europe to the most since August in recent weeks as consumers -- many stuck working from home because of a resurgent virus -- burn more heating fuel.
News
January 06, 2021
Even after Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on almost everything else, the new year begins with surging growth for renewable energy.
News
January 05, 2021
Futures in New York gained toward $48 a barrel after dropping the most in 2 weeks on Monday. Discussions will restart on Tuesday after a majority of members, including Saudi Arabia, opposed Russia’s proposal for another supply hike.
News
January 04, 2021
Talks between OPEC and its allies will continue for a second day after most members, including Saudi Arabia, opposed Russia’s proposal for another output increase in February, following the 500,000 barrels a day being added this month.
News
January 04, 2021
A decline in the dollar is boosting the appeal of commodities that are priced in the currency, while as investors return to their desks at the start of the year, crude has emerged as a favored trade to hedge against a rise in inflation.
News
January 01, 2021
China’s Ministry of Commerce said the country would take necessary action to protect the rights of Chinese companies, and that it hoped the two countries could work together to create a fair and predictable environment for businesses and investors.
News
January 01, 2021
It’s the first time Baghdad has sought a prepayment deal, in which oil is effectively used as security for a loan. It’s also the latest example of China lending to struggling oil producers via state-controlled trading companies and banks.
News
December 19, 2019
One of China’s top liquefied natural gas buyers offered to sell a cargo on the cheap – and in the throes of winter – a fresh sign of the massive oversupply that has weighed on the market.
News
December 17, 2019
China is breaking records for crude oil imports, and isn’t likely to stop soon as new refineries ramp up and hopes grow that the easing of trade tensions with the U.S. will bolster the economy.
News
December 13, 2019
Crude is poised for a modest gain this week due to the positive sentiment around the trade deal, having surged by more than 7% last week as OPEC and its allies announced a surprise production cut.
News
December 05, 2019
The demand slowdown has pushed LNG prices in Asia lower by almost 40% this year, a slump also aided by China’s rising domestic output of the fuel.
