Asia

About 300 South Korean workers were released on Friday after being held for a week in an extensive U.S. Immigration raid in Georgia at a site of a battery-project. Officials, including the chief of staff to the president, cheered as workers wearing masks disembarked a chartered flight at Incheon Airport. Seoul had been in intense negotiations for a week to secure their release and return them after they were arrested in handcuffs. This shocked many South Koreans, who are a close ally of the United States. South Korean companies have struggled for years to obtain the proper visas needed for...

The differentials between dated Brent and Urals crude were unchanged Thursday, amid quiet trading. Market participants are expecting Washington to increase pressure on India to stop purchasing the Russian grade. The nominee of Donald Trump for Ambassador to India, said that Washington and New Delhi are "not that different" in tariffs. He also said that Trump has been very clear about India's need to stop buying Russian crude oil. India is the biggest buyer of Russian Urals crude oil seaborne cargoes. OPEC data released on Thursday showed that Russian oil production rose in August by 50,000 barrels per day to...

The Russian authorities announced on Thursday that they had reopened Krasnodar's main airport, which is one of the biggest cities in southern Russia. Flights were suspended in 2022 for security reasons after the beginning of the Ukraine war. The transport ministry stated that it had solved outstanding security issues. It said the reopening would help local businesses and residents, and provide access to resorts on the Black Sea and Azov Sea coastline. Rosaviatsiya (the aviation watchdog) said that Krasnodar Airport, which had been completely overhauled, would receive its first flight regularly from Moscow when an Aeroflot plane is due to...

Adani Ports and Logistics has issued orders that show the Adani Group in India has stopped accepting vessels sanctioned by Europe, the U.S. and Britain. Adani has not yet commented. Adani operates 14 ports and has issued several orders with similar content. The order read: "To protect the legal and commercial interest of the Port, it is our intention to not accept sanctioned vessels." India, which is the largest buyer of Russian oil by sea, has tightened up its surveillance on vessels and transactions that involve Russian supplies. After the U.S. and EU imposed sanctions on vessels, traders, and companies,...

Major Feedmill Group and Cargill Agri Purina, both South Korean buyers, purchased approximately 130,000 metric tonnes of animal feed corn at an international auction on Thursday. MFG is believed to have bought about 63,000 tonnes at a cost and freight estimate of $232.10 per ton plus an additional $1.25 for port unloading. Trading house Agrex was thought to be the seller. Origin was not mandatory, but it was expected that the product would be sourced either from South America or South Africa and arrive in South Korea by January 5. Traders said that MFG and its member Cargill Agri Purina...

Poland shoots down drones It was the first time that a NATO member fired shots in Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Poland reported that 19 objects entered its airspace as part of a Russian air strike on Ukraine. It said it shot down any that were a danger. Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, said that he activated Article 4 of NATO's Treaty. This allows members to demand consultations from their allies. Tusk said, "We're dealing with a provocation of a very large scale." "We are prepared to repel such provocation." "The situation is grave, and there's no doubt that...

The local mayor of Wyryki, in eastern Poland, told TVP Info that a drone or other similar object hit a residential building but no one was hurt. Poland destroyed drones which entered its airspace on Wednesday during a Russian attack on western Ukraine. The NATO member called the incursion an "act of aggression". TVP Info reported that Wyryki Mayor Bernard Blaszczuk said, "I received a call at 6:45 am from a worker in the office saying something had fallen." "A drone, or missile, definitely hit the rooftop; we don’t know at this time... He said that the police were providing...

According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Poland closed four airports, including the main Chopin Airport at Warsaw, on Wednesday after Russia launched drone attacks near the border with neighbouring Ukraine. In a posting on X, the Polish armed forces stated that military aircraft were activated in order to ensure safety of airspace. However, there was no confirmation from the command as to whether any airports were closed. The military's operational control posted on X that "Polish aircraft and allied aircraft operate in our airspace while ground-based radar reconnaissance and air defence systems have been brought up to the...

The maritime agency NABSA announced on Tuesday that U.S. grains trader Bunge will finish loading 30,000 metric tonnes of Argentine soymeal destined for China by Wednesday. This is the first time such a cargo has been loaded. Bunge sent a soybean meal shipment to China in July. Last month, the company diverted the sale from China to Vietnam due to "commercial reasons." According to NABSA’s daily port activity reports, the Sumatra ship will be loaded at T6 terminal which Bunge jointly operate with Argentina’s AGD, in the port city of San Lorenzo north of the agricultural hub city of Rosario....

Two traders with knowledge of the situation said that the crude oil loadings at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's (CPC's) marine terminal in Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka, near Novorossiisk, have remained steady so far this month at 1.6 million barrels a day, according to a preliminary export schedule. The revised CPC Blend loading plan for September has not changed from the provisional schedule as the expected disruptions to exports due to an oil spill at the mooring port did not occur. CPC suspended its operations on August 29 due to an accident that occurred during a loading process and a spill of oil...

Israel's military announced on Monday that it intercepted a Yemeni drone after sirens were heard near Eilat. A day earlier, Yemen's Houthis had launched a drone at an airport in the vicinity of southern Israeli city. The military announced that sirens sounded later on Monday in the Negev region after another drone had been detected. The military did not reveal what happened to the drone. Israel's Ramon Airport, near Eilat, has resumed its operations after a drone fired from Yemen hit the arrivals area on Sunday. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, the Houthis, backed by Iran have launched...

Israel's Airports Authority reported on Sunday that an Israeli drone, launched from Yemen, struck the arrivals area at Ramon Airport in the Red Sea town of Eilat. The airport said that takeoffs, landings and other operations were suspended. It was working hard to get back to normal as quickly as possible. On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it was looking into the crash of an unmanned drone launched from Yemen which fell near the airport. The Israeli military stated that the incident is being reviewed without providing any details about the impact. The Israeli military did not say if...

Azerbaijani figures showed that the country's oil exports through the Baku, Tbilisi, and Ceyhan pipelines fell by 5.3% between January-August, down from the previous year. The route had been contaminated with contaminated oil. In July, organic chloride contamination was found in Azeri BTC crude shipments. This caused several days of delays in loadings at Turkey's BTC Ceyhan Terminal. BP operates the Azeri Chirag and Guneshli Oilfields. The BTC pipeline runs through Georgia into Turkey. Azerbaijan shipped 24.6 million tonnes of oil in the first eight month of this year, with 74.7% of that going through the BTC. This is according...

JERA will investigate the possibility of liquefied gas from the Alaska LNG Project, JERA and Glenfarne announced, while talks continue to sign binding contracts for the $44 billion project. Glenfarne, which assumed the role of lead developer in the Alaska LNG Project in March, has already signed preliminary agreements with Taiwan's CPC, and Thailand's PTT. However, firm deals are yet to be finalized. Glenfarne announced in a press release that it had signed a letter-of-intent with JERA to sell 1 million tons of LNG per year from the project for a period of 20 years on a "free-on-board" basis. In...

Sources said that the differential between Urals and Brent crudes in Russia remained unchanged, but that exports of this grade were revised upwards for September due to lower domestic refining. Two industry sources and calculations show that Russia revised its September crude export plans from western ports up to 2.1 millions barrels per day, an 11% increase over the initial schedule. This is due to drone attacks on domestic refining plants reducing local demand for crude. PLATTS WINDOW On Wednesday, there were no bids or offers made on Urals, Azeri BTC Blend or CPC blend in the Platts Window. The...

Energy developer Glenfarne has agreed to supply Japan's largest power generator JERA with 1 million metric tons LNG per year for 20 years. This is a significant advance for the $44 Billion Alaska LNG Project, which had been criticized for its high cost. Glenfarne aims to make a final investment decisions (FIDs) on the Alaska LNG pipeline by the end of 2025, and for the LNG export components in 2026. Glenfarne, which acquired a 75% stake in the Alaska LNG Project in March and assumed the role of lead developer, has already signed preliminary agreements that cover more than half...

Two sources who have direct knowledge of this matter said that a group of investors, led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners, is in discussions with lenders in order to secure financing of up to $10 billion for Aramco’s Jafurah deal. Two sources claim that banks, including JPMorgan, and Japanese lender Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation are in discussions to participate in this transaction. They declined to name the individuals because it was not public information. Aramco BlackRock JPM and SMBC all declined to comment. Aramco will lease the development and usage rights of gas processing facilities located around the Jafurah Gas...

U.S. officials have said that solar-powered highway infrastructure, including chargers, weather stations at roadside, and traffic cameras, should be scanned to detect rogue devices, such as hidden radios, secreted within batteries and inverters. The Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation issued the advisory late last month amid an escalating campaign by government officials to address the use of Chinese technology on America's transport infrastructure. The four-page note on security, which was reviewed, stated that undocumented radios were found "in certain power inverters manufactured by foreign manufacturers and BMS," meaning battery management systems. The note was not reported...

A senior executive of Malaysian state oil company Petronas stated on Wednesday that Southeast Asia was well positioned to export its biofuels into other markets, such as Europe, as the production capacity in the region exceeds demand. Ahmad Adly Alias told the APPEC Conference in Singapore that by 2030, Asia's annual sustainable aviation fuel production capacity is expected to reach 4,000,000 metric tons. He said that "this surplus positions ASEAN to be a viable net-exporter into markets such as Europe." Ahmad Adly stated that Asia's strength lies in the availability of feedstocks, increased production capacity, and an accelerating demand. He...

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has issued a safety warning to airlines on Tuesday, citing an alarming number of incidents involving lithium batteries. The FAA has recommended that airlines implement risk mitigation strategies. This includes clear messaging about potential fire risks associated with lithium batteries carried by crew and passengers, and reviewing firefighting training and procedures. The FAA reported that 50 incidents of lithium-ion batteries causing extreme heat, smoke or fire have occurred in the U.S. this year. Some of these have caused accidents or injuries. A cell phone that was being used by a passenger on an American Airlines flight...

Argent LNG, a U.S. energy company, has signed a deal to supply 5 million metric tonnes of gas per year with Enerji Piyasalari Isletme AS in Turkey. The move is aimed at supplying U.S. natural gas to Europe and possibly Syria. Argent LNG is building a liquefied gas export facility in Louisiana. In January, it signed a nonbinding agreement with Bangladesh to supply up to 5,000,000 metric tons annually of this fuel. This was the first significant U.S. LNG deal since U.S. president Donald Trump started his second term. The press release stated that "the company has committed to an...

Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Japan hired Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultancy, to assess the proposed 800-mile Alaska gas pipeline project and LNG plant. This is a sign of its support for the $44billion project pushed by U.S. president Donald Trump. One of the sources said that the assessment could ease concerns of potential Japanese investors and off-takers about a project which has been stalled for decades because of cost and logistical issues. It is not clear what the scope of the Wood Mackenzie deal is, nor if any report that results from it will be public....

Ukraine's Energy Ministry said that Russian forces attacked a thermal power plant in the Kyiv area as part of a nighttime attack. This caused localised blackouts, and gas shortages. The strikes came a day following the largest air strike by Moscow in its three-and a-half-year war against Ukraine. The ministry posted a message on Telegram saying that the goal was to "cause even more hardship for the peaceful population in Ukraine", and to leave Ukrainian homes and hospitals, kindergartens, schools and other institutions without heat and light. On Monday, rescuers and technical workers were on the scene. The Russian defence...

Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Japan hired Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultancy, to assess the proposed 800-mile Alaska gas pipeline project and LNG plant. This is a sign of its support for the $44billion project pushed by U.S. president Donald Trump. One of the sources said that the assessment could ease concerns of potential Japanese investors and off-takers about a project which has been stalled for decades because of cost and logistical issues. It is not clear what the scope and cost of this deal will be, nor if any report that results from it will be...