Jul 2016

In the second of a six-part series, our trader keeps his eye on the weather

Petrochemical supplies are still rising but demand growth is less certain than it was

Liquified natural gas from Australia is central to Japanese plans to reinforce its energy security

In a period of weaker oil prices, can the UK’s offshore cope with Brexit too?

Gabon, at least, doesn’t think Opec is finished – it just rejoined the group, hoping for a seat at the top table

A deal to unite the eastern and western NOCs could lift output quickly – or crumble in a battle over revenue

Far from hitting a 2.2m b/d output target this year, Nigeria’s entire onshore production is now at risk

Hit hard by the oil-price collapse, Algeria’s energy sector and economy are struggling with political inertia, giving investors little to cheer

The oil sands pipeline debate is rearing its head again, making things awkward for Canada’s new prime minister

American producers are allowed to export their crude oil these days, but shipments are hardly going gangbusters

Lukoil’s move for Bashneft suggests the company is at last ready to use its cash pile and challenge Rosneft

Fuel stocks are easing and margins rising, though the rally might be short

Analysts think the worst is over and a rough floor has been established, for now

Asia’s big markets aren’t growing. New ones are needed

Damage spreads across supply chain

Slow-moving legislation, political risks and the weak oil price have damaged West Africa as an investment destination. Senegal may be the exception

Natural gas is cheap, abundant and cleaner than other fossil fuels. It’s the fuel for India, says the oil and natural gas minister, Dharmendra Pradhan

Policies to control emissions should push merchants to use liquified natural gas as a fuel. Delaying the switch will cost them

Unable to rely on neighbours’ supplies, Jordan wants renewables, gas and kerogen to secure its energy

Supply and demand might come back into line this year, but without the kind of price rises the industry hopes for

No one in the UK’s Leave camp had a real energy plan. So what now?

Nigeria planned to clean up its oil sector and increase production, but the optimism is fading

Nigeria’s government is pressing on with plans to liberalise key parts of the economy. The downstream is a priority

A recent IPP deal suggests Abuja may have a way to come good on promises to provide power to the people

After some offshore problems, the country’s upstream should see significant growth in the coming months

Relative stability and promising geology may yield another new frontier in the region

The coup has not affected oil and gas flows, but the purge and new instability will expose the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline to more danger and hurt Ankara’s broader import-export project

Yemen’s energy sector is trying to emerge from al-Qaida’s rule and a broader civil conflict. It is a slow process

Rarely has Saudi policy, across all spheres, been less predictable. Its reaction to a spate of terror attacks inside the kingdom may worsen this

Japan’s energy economy is pulsating – under the weight of its past, imprisoned by imports, and a desire to innovate

Once Australia has digested its massive liquified natural gas building programme, costs could fall and productivity rise

Major new investment in Tengiz cannot mask deeper problems in Kazakhstan