Crude oil
Saudi Arabia stays top crude supplier to China in 2022, Russian barrels surge
Russia remained China's second-largest source of crude oil in 2022, following repeat top supplier Saudi Arabia, as Chinese refiners snapped up low-cost Russian barrels while Western countries shunned them after the Ukraine crisis.
U.S. crude stockpiles post surprise large build
U.S. crude oil stockpiles last week posted a large build that took analysts by surprise, as inventories in the Cushing, Oklahoma, storage hub gained while the market continued to recover from a winter storm last month.
Germany's Schwedt refinery to get non-Russian oil via Gdansk in January
Germany has received confirmation that commercial crude oil deliveries for the PCK Schwedt refinery are expected in the Polish port of Gdansk in January, the economy ministry told Reuters.
Europe boosts Russian diesel buying ahead of ban set to rock market
European traders are rushing to fill tanks with Russian diesel as the clock runs down on a Feb. 5 European ban expected to tighten supplies, re-draw global shipping routes and increase price volatility.
Exxon prepares to start up $1.2 B Texas oil refinery expansion
Exxon Mobil Corp in coming days will sharply boost gasoline and diesel production at its Beaumont, Texas, refinery, people familiar with the matter said, completing a $1.2 B expansion first considered nine years ago.
China demand optimism sets oil on track for strong weekly gain
Oil prices rose on Friday and were on track to gain over 7% on the week due to solid signs of demand growth in top oil importer China and expectations of less aggressive interest rate rises in the United States.
Venezuela earmarks a third oil cargo to Chevron under U.S. license
Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA has assigned a third crude cargo to Chevron Corp under a U.S. authorization that restarted exports to the United States after a nearly four-year pause.
French refinery, metro strikes loom in clash over pension reform
France's CGT trade union called for strikes in the refinery sector against plans to make people work longer before they can retire and Paris metro unions said they would do "everything they can" to stop the pension reform.
Nghi Son refinery to shut for 55 days from August 25 for maintenance
Vietnam's largest refinery, Nghi Son, will be shut down for 55 days starting August 25 for major maintenance.
Crude oil prices forecast to decline beginning in the second half of 2023
In the EIA's January 2023 Short-Term Energy Outlook, it was forecast the Brent crude oil price (the global benchmark) will rise from an average $81 per barrel (b) in December 2022 to average $83/b in the first quarter of 2023.
- ITT to acquire SPX Flow for > $4.77 B, expanding leadership in highly engineered components and adjacent flow technologies 12/5
- MOL Group introduces eco-friendly Bag-in-Box packaging for lubricants 12/5
- Addis Energy secures $8.3 MM to scale its transformative approach to low-cost ammonia production 12/5
- World Fuel Services supplies cruise line with waste-based biofuels 12/5
- Chevron announced $18 B-$19-B CAPEX budget for 2026 12/5
- Russia and India sign deal to build urea plant in Russia 12/5

