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The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is likely to grant additional LNG bunker supplier licenses to one or more companies by the end of 2024 to boost LNG fuel supply amid firm demand, industry sources said. According to a source, a single new LNG

Genoa-based Fratelli Cosulich is diversifying its bunker barge fleet to include methanol- and biofuel-ready vessels, and plans to expand its LNG barge fleet further as it gets ready for shipping’s multi-fuel future, its head of marine energy Guido Cardullo told S&P Global Commodity Insights this

The energy ministries of Israel and Cyprus are in talks “on issues of mutual interest and possible cooperation” after a report that they are close to signing a contract for Israel to provide Cypus with natural gas via pipeline, marking Israel’s first gas sale to

Global oil demand will decline faster than expected in the coming decades — creating a likely supply surplus — as electric vehicles continue to erode oil use in road transport, while biofuels and hydrogen deflate the need for oil in the aviation and shipping sectors,

Most of the big North American natural gas midstream operators were projected to report higher revenues for the third quarter compared to the second quarter and higher revenues year over year. Seven of the 10 largest midstream companies by market capitalization will likely report higher

Dutch shipping company Amasus has returned to bound4blue to order another suction sail system, poised to be the largest of its kind to be installed on a general cargo ship, the companies said Oct. 22 amid ongoing maritime decarbonization efforts. The 22-meter unit, a wind-assisted

India scrapped the Minimum Export Price (MEP) of $490/mt on non-basmati white rice under HS Code 1006 30 90, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said Oct. 23. Market participants hailed the MEP removal as a significant advantage for Indian non-basmati rice exports. They expect

Learning from past winter storms that raised gas supply concerns in different parts of the US, gas utilities are using more firm transportation contracts on pipelines and adopting more risk-averse supply plans heading into the coming winter, officials with the American Gas Association said Oct.

The US soybean sector needs assurances that the export and biofuels markets will remain viable, and a return to the 2016-20 (Trump) regime could increase overall market uncertainty, said Mac Marshall, independent strategic advisor, in an interview to S&P Global Commodity Insights. “Exports – increasingly

Latin America’s steel industry must strengthen its trade defense to shield off unwanted imports and boost its intraregional trade to grow, speakers in the opening sessions of Latin American steel association Alacero’s annual event in Buenos Aires said Oct. 29. Stronger defense will help finance

The 2024 presidential election presents the US energy commodities sector with a big dose of uncertainty about the regulatory, tax and climate policies ahead in the next four years. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has promised deregulatory steps that aim to stamp out

Geopolitical risks are top of mind for oil companies’ CEOs concerned about global energy security as two wars in the Middle East and a standoff between the US and China risk flaring up, the heads of energy majors said during the ADIPEC conference Nov. 4.

In the US elections on Nov. 5, Republican Senator Ted Cruz fought off his Democratic challenger in Texas, while the North Carolina and New Hampshire governors are projected to hand off their offices to their respective parties, according to preliminary results in three key down-ballot

Global LNG market participants braced for near-term volatility after former US President Donald Trump was elected to a second term, with prices softening in the immediate wake of the race being declared. LNG prices in Europe and the value of LNG traded free on board

Term contractual supply of November-loading barrels of Singapore ex-wharf low sulfur marine gasoil, with 0.1% sulfur, were inked at differentials of around minus $1/b against benchmark FOB Singapore 10 ppm sulfur gasoil cargo assessments, traders said. The differentials were mostly above the $1.50/b-$1.80/b discounts for

Biden administration officials have asked the European Commission to ensure imports of LNG that meet US regulations on methane emissions will satisfy new European standards for imported fuels, according to a letter obtained by S&P Global Commodity Insights. The letter was dated Oct. 28 —

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Oct. 8 the long-awaited Fuel of the Future program into law, which promises to unlock investments worth Real 260 billion ($46.9 billion) and prevent the emissions of 705 million metric tons of CO2 by 2037. The green

Crude oil futures jumped in Asian mid-morning trading on Oct. 10 as supply risks from the Middle East conflict and Hurricane Milton’s impact supported fundamentals in the near term. At 11:56 am Singapore time (0356 GMT), the ICE December Brent futures contract rose 54 cents/b

Almost 2.3 million Florida electricity customers remained without service around 3:30 pm ET Oct. 11 in the wake of Hurricane Milton, and utilities warned that repairs could take several days, which would tend to weaken energy demand and prices. “Due to the extensive wind and

This report is part of the S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore , metallurgical coal, copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap. We also explore what

The US Supreme Court has denied requests from electric utility trade groups for an emergency stay of a final Environmental Protection Agency rule requiring 90% carbon capture at existing coal-fired power plants and new gas-fired generators by 2032. In a brief Oct. 16 order, Justice

Mercedes-Benz inaugurated Europe’s first integrated mechanical-hydrometallurgical lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Kuppenheim, Germany, which uses the technology of Primobius to recover cobalt, nickel, lithium and other materials for making new battery modules, Primobius said Oct. 22. Primobius, a 50-50 joint venture between German engineering company

The European Parliament expressed concern for the European steel industry due to unfair competition from China and rising energy costs during an Oct. 23 plenary debate on tackling the steel crisis. Speakers emphasized the need for a comprehensive steel action plan to ensure the industry’s

A growing number of tankers involved in Iran and Venezuela’s illicit oil trade appear to be swapping their cargoes off West Africa, according to ship tracking data, as the US tightens its grip on sanctions-busting by Tehran. For the first time in over than a

Ukraine is set to miss its target of having 13.2 Bcm of gas in its underground storage sites by Nov. 1, with just 12.5 Bcm currently in stock and storage levels having plateaued, data compiled by S&P Global Commodity Insights showed Oct. 28. Storage levels

The US is the fifth-largest exporter of rice globally. S&P Global Commodity Insights interviewed Peter Bachmann, president of USA Rice to get his insights into the outlook for US rice and how global factors can have an impact on the industry. Following is a Q&A

The EU is in a “strong position” to keep gas supplies and prices stable this winter, with gas storage sites more than 95% full, EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson said Oct. 31. In a statement, Simson said the EU had surpassed its target of 90%

British Columbia ports head toward a lockout Nov. 4 as negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association come to a halt. The ILWU had served Nov. 1 a 72-hour strike notice followed by the BCMEA

The Asian sustainable aviation fuel’s cost of production closed higher in October, with the Platts-assessed used cooking oil-based SAF rising $25.27/mt, or 1.51%, on the month to close at $1,693.72/mt Oct. 30 and palm fatty acid distillate-based SAF surging $71.55/mt, or 4.17%, to $1,787.11/mt over

Post-electoral protests in Mozambique are threatening the country’s thermal coal exports, leading to delays in shipment loadings and deliveries, market participants said Nov. 7. Since the conclusion of the Mozambican presidential elections toward the end of October, which saw Daniel Chapo emerge as the winner,

(Latest update Nov. 12, 2024) The Platts global bunker fuel cost calculator shows how Platts price assessments for methanol, ammonia, LNG, bioblends and conventional oil-based fuels can be used to calculate the cost of marine fuels around the world, taking into account the EU Emissions

Premiums for calendar year 2025 gas and LNG contracts versus 2026 contracts and beyond have shot up in the week since the US presidential election, with Donald Trump’s victory seemingly injecting more volatility into a market already weighing stronger near-term demand signals, supply security concerns

China’s steel and iron ore spot market prices retreated in early October from a late September surge, as the National Development and Reform Commission indicated no further stimulus during its Oct. 8 press conference, disappointing market expectations. Platts-assessed domestic rebar and hot-rolled coil spot prices

After spells of bearish signals pressuring net-long positions in the European natural gas futures markets, hedge funds have been increasing their net-long position, according to Intercontinental Exchange data, with traders expecting this to add to the looming bullish signals this winter. The number of positions

The European aluminum industry needs swift action to keep the region competitive in the wake of high energy prices, expensive raw materials and increased global competition, Paul Voss, director general of industry body European Aluminium told S&P Global Commodity Insights in an interview at the

Several South Korean corn buyers returned on Oct. 16 with a flurry of both tender and private deals for December 2024-January 2025 arrivals after more than a month of silence, sources reported. South Korean buying groups MFG, NOFI, and KFA Incheon all concluded deals on

Brazilian trade body GECEX, part of the Development, Industry, Commerce and Services Ministry, announced Oct. 17 it was doubling import tariffs on imports of steel wires and ropes, as well as various types of iron and steel construction goods “to strengthen [the] Brazilian industry.” Imports

The Supramax segment in the Continent and Baltic Sea regions endured a trading week that remained weak, mainly caused by fewer cargoes, which led to subdued levels for the week of Oct. 14-18. The market experienced sluggish activity for the week, and prices seemed to

While the renewable energy market continues to grow amid what is thought to ultimately be a transition away from oil and natural gas, demand for energy continues to mount and should increase by double-digits between now and 2040, Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said Oct.

European natural gas storage auction prices for 2025 capacity point to potential supply risks over coming months that continue to provide support to season-ahead contract prices, tightening the next summer-winter spread significantly. France’s Storengy, the country’s largest storage operator with a technical capacity of 95.4

This is the third of a three-part series on LNG sanctions evasion and the shadow fleet, focusing on the ecosystem of services needed and the emergence of global hubs that form parallel marketplaces. The full ecosystem needed to circumvent sanctions on Russian LNG has yet

A Donald Trump victory in the upcoming presidential election could lead China to seek “improved relations” with the US by potentially boosting agricultural imports, Duane Lowry, founder of agriculture risk management consultancy Crop Production Science, said in an interview with S&P Global Commodity Insights. “The

The EU will offer its support to the planned development of the Vertical Gas Corridor project as part of efforts to diversify gas supplies, with US LNG expected to play a pivotal role in boosting energy connectivity across the region, an EU official with knowledge

The Biden administration has asked a federal appeals court to set aside an order for the US Department of Energy to lift its “pause” on issuing LNG export approvals, arguing that a challenge by Republican-led states against the permitting suspension should also be dismissed for

One month after the three-day International Longshoreman Association port strike in the US , South America-based chemical commodity traders said Nov. 5 that chemical markets were still seeing logistics issues, with US-origin product shipments delayed and customers requesting to cancel purchases while waiting for prices

The European aluminum industry is preparing for the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, due to take effect in 2026, with some concerns it may lead to further primary aluminum production capacity closures. European Aluminium Director Climate Change & Energy Emanuele Manigrassi told S&P Global Commodity

The European Commission announced Nov. 12 the launch of a new Methane Abatement Partnership Roadmap, pledging to accelerate reductions in methane emissions associated with the production and consumption of fossil fuels. The joint initiative, set in motion at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference in

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, has corrected the Alumina FOB Australia assessment for Nov. 14, 2024. Symbol Name Assessment ($/mt) MMWAU00 Alumina FOB Australia 765 The assessment appears in the Platts price database under the above-mentioned code. For comments and questions, please contact

Weaker arbitrage opportunities for LNG have emerged due to a narrowed price spread between the Asian and European markets, prompting some cargoes originally destined for Asia to redirect towards Europe. Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed the DES Northwest European marker for November

Turkey’s corn importers will pay a lower duty of 5% on the next 1 million t of the feed grain that enters the country, the government stated Oct. 10 in its Official Gazette, relaxing the standard 130% rate until the end of the year. The

Russian exporters are adapting to a new reported minimum price floor for wheat exports, coupled with a mandate that restricts sales exclusively to them, a strategy aimed at deterring low-priced sales and eradicating the practice of intermediaries reselling Russian grains. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture

The Italian rice harvest has been delayed by three weeks due to unfavorable rainy weather, pushing up rice prices to record highs. Over the past year, Arborio prices have surged by 48%, rising from Eur744 per metric ton on Oct. 13, 2023, to Eur1,450/mt on

This report is part of the S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Metals Trade Review series, where we dig through datasets and digest some of the key trends in iron ore , metallurgical coal , copper, alumina, cobalt, lithium, nickel and steel and scrap. We also explore

The volume of thermal coal derivatives traded and cleared by brokers affiliated to the London Energy Brokers Association reached this year’s highest level in September as prices remained volatile in the Atlantic region, according to LEBA data Oct. 22. The total derivatives volume traded and

Ontario Minister of Energy and Electrification Stephen Lecce has launched a plan to invest further in nuclear, hydro and gas power generation, as part of a goal for the province to meet future demand and grow its energy exports. “Ontario will position itself to not

Russian gas supply to Asia has continued to grow with expectations that it would increase further as Europe diversifies its energy mix away from Russian pipeline supply, however, Russia-Europe LNG exports have climbed to record highs this year so far, S&P Global Commodity Insights data

Platts JKM, the benchmark price reflecting LNG delivered to Northeast Asia, is projected to correct to a more reasonable level, aligning with bearish fundamentals in the region, following a five-day streak of increases. Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed the December JKM price

BP has received approval from the Western Australian government for a pivotal plan to convert its Kwinana refinery site into a renewable energy hub as part of a A$580 million ($386 million) investment. BP will transition the 250-hectare Kwinana Industrial Area site into an energy

Carbon capture, storage and utilization projects in North America face a degree of uncertainty due to potential regulatory changes, election outcomes, and the pathway for cost reductions, among other factors, S&P Global Commodities Insights analysts said Oct. 30. The US and Alberta are rated as

Lithuania’s natural gas consumption was recorded 31% higher year-on-year in the period January-September 2024, at some 12.2 TWh (1.1 Bcm), with cooler weather and lower gas prices prompting the upturn in demand, transmission system operator Amber Grid said on Nov. 4. This compares to gas

Former US President Donald Trump was elected to a second term, promising to strip back regulations, encourage US energy production and impose tariffs to push manufacturers to locate in the US. The Associated Press called the race early Nov. 6, after Trump was projected to

German energy industry association BDEW has called for urgent legislative initiatives still to be approved in 2024 before parliament dissolves in January after the ruling three-way coalition collapsed late Nov. 6. The sector fears months of energy policy gridlock in Europe’s biggest economy. “The current

The share of G7-linked crude tankers in Russia rebounded to a seven-month high in October, supported by recent Russian crude weakness as their operators found trade opportunities without breaching the price cap. Data from S&P Global Commodities at Sea and Maritime Intelligence Risk Suite showed

The US Congress should pass a short-term tax package before the end of 2024 to ensure energy and biofuel industry stability, 36 groups representing fuel retailers, energy marketers and biofuels producers said in a letter to US lawmakers sent late Nov. 13. The combination of

Gas demand in Great Britain this winter is expected to be flat on weather-corrected demand from the previous winter at some 39 Bcm, gas grid operator National Gas Transmission (NGT) said Oct. 8. In its annual winter outlook, NGT said it expected an increase in

The price of Platts parboiled 5% STX CFR Cotonou rice has dropped to $561 per metric ton, marking its lowest level in the last 10 months from Jan. 16 to Oct. 9, influenced by India’s recent export duty cuts, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights,

The Indian government has begun discussions to develop a post-2025 roadmap to further raise the ethanol blend in gasoline from 20%, said Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas in an industry event on Oct. 14. Talk of raising the blend target has

Major miner BHP Group booked mixed production results for the first quarter of its 2025 financial year, with iron ore and copper improving and steelmaking coal and nickel falling year over year. “BHP had a strong start to the 2025 financial year, with production up

The daily coal haul by Mongolian trucks to China rebounded in mid-October after heavy rain disrupted logistics in early September, leading to higher availability of metallurgical coal supplies in China, sources said Oct. 21. In the week to Oct. 18, the number of trucks bringing

Ambuja Cements, an arm of Adani Group, announced Oct. 22 that the company will acquire 46.8% stake in the Orient Cement for an equity value of Rupee 8,100 crore ($963.4 million) or share value of Rupee 395.40/share ($4.8/share), the company said in an Oct. 22

Renewables are set to play a “bigger role” in the longer run in China’s energy landscape, with such sources already contributing to a sizeable coal-to-gas switch, Yaoyu Zhang, Assistant CEO and Global Head of LNG and New Energies at the company said Oct. 22 at

Looming winter risks coupled with uncertainty over supply in the next few months have sparked spot buying for liquefied natural gas across the West and East Mediterranean hubs despite spot prices being ‘out of the money’ versus contract prices. Gas storages across Europe remain healthy,

State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp. has developed plans to rely on LNG, reduced flaring of gas, renewables and a refocus of the country’s giant Al-Zour refinery to achieve its goal of attaining net-zero emissions by 2050, 10 years before the country, a KPC source told S&P

China has initiated dispute settlement proceedings against the European Union at the World Trade Organization to safeguard its interests in the electric vehicle industry, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce said at a press conference Oct. 30, referring to the EU’s decision to impose

The current US elections are seen pivotal for the agriculture sector, as the new President assumes office amid low prices and falling farm incomes. The outcome is set to be decisive for trade with China and the future of agricultural sustainability in the US. Click

Lithuania’s natural gas consumption was recorded 31% higher year-on-year in the period January-September 2024, at some 12.2 TWh (1.1 Bcm), with cooler weather and lower gas prices prompting the upturn in demand, transmission system operator Amber Grid said on Nov. 4. This compares to gas

Norway’s pipeline gas exports to landed markets in Northwest Europe rebounded in October after having fallen sharply in September due to heavy maintenance, an analysis of S&P Global Commodity Insights data showed Nov. 6. Deliveries amounted to 9.56 Bcm in October, up from just 6.4

The Indian government may push for sweet sorghum as an alternative to sugarcane to diversify ethanol feedstocks, amid ongoing volatility in sugarcane availability, an official from the Indian Institute of Millets Research told S&P Global Commodity Insights on Nov. 11. According to the official, the

Led by the US, Western governments have tightened sanctions on Russia, Iran and Venezuela amid escalating geopolitical conflicts, often targeting the countries’ oil exports to choke off their main revenue streams. In response, OPEC+ producers are amassing tanker capacity to bypass the trade restrictions and

The full implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will be delayed by a year to December 2025, the European Parliament confirmed Nov. 14. The EUDR stipulates that traders and importers to the EU must ensure that their products such as cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil

The average traded daily gas prices in the Baltic region and Finland fell together in September, data published Oct. 8 by Lithuania-based regional gas exchange GET Baltic showed. All three market areas traded on the exchange — Finland, Lithuania and the joint Estonia-Latvia market —

China’s state-owned Sinomine Resource Group partially suspended petalite mining recently at its Bikita lithium project in Zimbabwe due to multi-year low lithium prices, but industry sources said Oct. 11 that this development is unlikely to impact China’s lithium chemical markets. Sinomine partially halted petalite mining

US-headquartered miner Peabody has flagged Asia as the top target destination for its new premium hard coking coal for steelmaking, produced from its Centurion project in the Bowen Basin in Queensland, Australia, the company said in a conference call in the early hours of Oct.

US-based Alcoa Corporation anticipates improved performance in its alumina segment in the fourth quarter, CFO Molly S. Beerman said Oct. 16 during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Alcoa projects 2024 alumina segment shipments to reach 12.9 to 13.1 million mt, up 200,000 mt from previous

The term of the new US president, who would assume office after the Nov. 5 elections, is expected to see increases in US marketing year 2024-25 agricultural output amid low prices and declining seasonal average farm incomes. The Platts assessments from S&P Global Commodity Insights

The European Commission’s second mid-term gas supply and demand matching round under the AggregateEU mechanism — which had been due to launch on Oct. 21 — has been pushed back but is still set to take place before the end of 2024. In a note

The French gas system is able to ensure that both domestic market and export demand are met this winter even in the event of cold temperatures, grid operators GRTgaz and Terega said Oct. 23 in their latest winter outlook. The TSOs said that various simulations

The Danish Energy Agency has conceded it is no longer technically possible for Denmark to meet the EU-mandated gas storage filling target of 90% by Nov. 1 and has informed the European Commission of its position. The delayed restart of production at the Tyra gas

Israel launched strikes against targets in Iran following the crude futures close late Oct. 25. Crude futures had settled higher on expectations that Israel would respond to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile attack, potentially escalating conflict in the Middle East. NYMEX December WTI had settled up

A second Donald Trump presidency could push up tanker rates in the Middle East and the US Gulf while ushering in great uncertainty over Russia-related trades, some analysts recently said based on the former president’s stated views on sanctions and energy. The Republican candidate is

Volumes traded for the scrap futures contracts on the London Metal Exchange, which settle basis the Platts assessment, increased week on week. Weekly LME scrap futures trading volumes in the week to Oct. 31 increased slightly to 281,910 mt, up from 218,830 mt in the

Limitations of feedstock availability coupled with growing demand are expected to keep bio-LNG premiums in Rotterdam elevated versus their fossil fuel counterpart in Northwest Europe, sources said. Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed the first Rotterdam bio-LNG assessment at $24.43/MMBtu. This was a

Strong power demand and an unusually hot summer have driven Japan’s coal imports to a 20-month high, as the country turns to additional suppliers to meet energy needs. In September, Japan imported 15.90 million mt of coal, marking a 17.35% year-on-year increase, according to the

The US Department of Agriculture has reduced its global wheat export forecast by 1.2 million mt to 214.67 million mt for the marketing year 2024-2025 (June-May), according to its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report released Nov. 8. Exports are seen 3% lower year

(Latest update: Nov. 12, 2024) Related content: G7 crude tankers return to Russia as Urals trades close to price cap Russia, one of the world’s largest oil suppliers, has increasingly turned to non-Western firms to transport its crude to overseas buyers during its ongoing war

The US State Department announced Nov. 14 that the US would impose sanctions on 26 companies, individuals, and vessels associated with Al-Qatirji Co., a business alleged to be facilitating the sale of Iranian oil to Syria, where the company is based. Al-Qatirji Co. had previously

The fourth-quarter premium for imported primary aluminum to Japan reached a 2024 high Oct. 7 on tight supply despite low demand, S&P Global Commodity Insights data showed. Platts assessed the Q4 premium for imported primary aluminum at $175/mt plus London Metal Exchange cash, CIF main

Natural gas prices for the UK NBP month-ahead contract have climbed to a robust premium versus Europe’s benchmark, the Dutch TTF hub, as market participants eye higher temperature-related winter demand and a need to secure LNG cargoes in a competitive market. Platts, part of S&P

US-headquartered miner Peabody has flagged Asia as the top target destination for its new premium hard coking coal for steelmaking, produced from its Centurion project in the Bowen Basin in Queensland, Australia, the company said in a conference call in the early hours of Oct.

The UK government said Oct. 17 it has blacklisted 22 oil and LNG tankers involved in Russian energy trade, in its “largest package of sanctions to date” against shadow tankers. The ships include 18 oil tankers totaling 2.2 million dwt that have lifted up to