Dec 2012

Asian countries are some of the world's largest importers, with Japan holding the largest stockpile in the region

IEA member rules include an obligation to have oil-stock levels at a certain point, however there seem to be loopholes

Reduced output, weak demand and lower Iranian exports all weighed on fundamentals

US independent ConocoPhillips is nearing a deal with India’s state-backed Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to explore and develop shale-gas resources in the Asian nation

Senex Energy has hit gas at its Kingston Rule-1 exploration well in Australia’s Cooper basin, the country’s most promising unconventional gas play

Europe must improve its infrastructure and develop a clear fiscal and regulatory framework for shale gas or the nascent industry will not succeed, the head of Breitling Oil and Gas, a US-based exploration company, said

The UK plans to lower its corporation tax as part of a drive to encourage investment needed to develop the country’s shale gas industry

In a sign of further downstream integration of the US gas market, Sasol is moving ahead with plans to build a multi-billion dollar gas-to-liquids (GTL) and ethane cracker complex in Louisiana

Stung by the rejection of its $6-billion bid for Canada’s Progress Energy, Malaysian state oil company Petronas has offered to increase the size of a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on Canada’s west coast in the hopes it can still win approval from federal regulators

New Orleans-based mining giant Freeport-McMorRan has made a bold foray into the US energy sector with a pair of blockbuster deals worth $20 billion

Argentina has agreed to a significant increase in price for natural gas produced at new projects in a boost for recently nationalised YPF and the prospects for development of the Vaca Muerta shale play

Japan’s economy is in crisis as the cost of increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports – necessary to help power generation companies make up for the loss of nuclear capacity – has pushed the country to its first trade deficit in 31 years

The LNG export project in Australia has faced high labour costs, poor productivity, logistical challenges, bad weather and a strong Australian dollar

Jeff Rubin’s new book says high oil prices are killing economies. But his thesis is let down by some muddled thinking

Global oil production rose to 90.9 million barrels a day in October

Crude prices found support at the end of November from a surprise draw in US crude stocks, an upward revision of US GDP growth and encouraging Chinese manufacturing data

As Kabul offers the oil industry exploration acreage in the north of the country, Richard Devine and Ana Severova* look at the legal and other challenges facing potential investors

The challenge facing the European refining sector is more severe than many have feared, argues Robert Turner from PwC, whose role in the Petroplus insolvency gave him an opportunity to explore the perspectives and risk appetite of the different players in the sector

The reports findings are expected to swing government policy in favour of commercial LNG exports

Asian state-run companies will take over Canada's Nexen and Progress Energy

Cartel likely to focus on El-Badri's successor rather than on changing output quotas

Independent oil storage operators are adding new capacity at the world’s key refining and trading hubs to accommodate growth in long-distance flows

Some say the construction of oil storage terminals in Johor, Malaysia, will strengthen the “Greater Singapore hub” – but others say new capacity will spoil the fun

The Rotterdam oil storage business has strengthened on the growth in long-distance trade

Cartel sticks to status quo, keeping production levels - and El-Badri - in place

Storage operators in the US have seen their speculative and, now, logistical businesses trimmed – but some are benefiting from rising US exports

To reach its potential, Iraq’s oil sector must overcome many obstacles

The company has agreed to pay $1.63 billion for BHP Billiton's 10% share in the LNG venture

Baghdad’s politics are a threat to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s energy ambitions. Can the Kurds transcend Iraq’s dysfunction?

The UK will allow hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to resume, but it will introduce more stringent environmental controls for the process, the government has said

The region of Kurdistan holds promising large natural gas reserves

Switzerland struggles to adapt to increased regulation and transparency rules

Australia’s demand for refined products is increasing as its refined sector contracts. This could see the country overtake Indonesia as Asia-Pacific’s major products importer

Oepc cannot afford to let oil prices sink but it can scarcely afford to let them rise any higher. It is a conundrum for the group, which, for all the cash flowing its way now, finds itself in a tricky spot.

Thanks to project delays, stalling output growth and a steep drop in its share price, despite healthy third-quarter results, the UK company faces its trickiest time yet

High-cost heavy-oil belt production may lose out to cheaper US unconventional output