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Druzhba restarts as the end of driving season approaches
The oil prices fell on Thursday due to the lower demand for fuel in the United States at the end the summer travel period and the restarting of Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba Pipeline. Brent crude futures dropped 46 cents or 0.7% to $67.59 at 12:04 pm. ET . U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) were down 57c, or 0.9% at $63.58 per barrel. The long Labor Day weekend in the United States ends summer driving. The U.S. gasoline demand is expected to fall, even though crude oil supplies are rising due to OPEC+'s plan to increase September output by 547,000 bpd. Ritterbusch and Associates stated in a report that the mismatch would cause oil inventories rise. They said that as the summer fades into the fall and the gasoline demand drops, refiners will switch to the cheaper winter grade product. After a disruption caused by an attack on Russia by the Ukrainians last week, Russian crude oil supplies to Hungary have resumed through the Druzhba Pipeline. This was announced Thursday by MOL (Hungarian Oil Company) and Slovakia's Economy Minister. After President Donald Trump doubled the tariffs on Indian imports, they could reach 50%. Tony Sycamore, IG's market analyst, said that India is likely to continue buying crude oil from Russia in the near future. This should help limit the impact of new tariffs on the global supply. Official data released on Wednesday showed that U.S. crude inventory levels fell more than anticipated last week. This was a sign of a strong demand and helped to support prices. The data released on Wednesday led to a 1% increase in both crude benchmarks. Russia and Ukraine also intensified their attacks on the energy infrastructure of each other. Ukraine officials reported that Russia had launched a massive drone strike on the energy and gas transportation infrastructure in six Ukrainian regions over night, Wednesday. The attack left more than 100,000 Ukrainians without electricity. (Additional reporting from Sam Li in Beijing, Siyi Liu and David Gregorio in Singapore. Editing by Louise Heavens and Ros Russell)
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Sources say that the Ust-Luga port in Russia will operate at only half its capacity this September due to pipeline damage.
Two industry sources said that the Ust-Luga oil terminal in Russia will only be able to export 350,000 barrels of oil per day, which is about half its normal capacity, due to damage caused by Ukrainian drones on pipeline infrastructure. This disruption shows that recent Ukrainian attacks on key energy facilities have caused Russian exports to be affected and could lead to supply disruptions. Drone strikes in Russia's Bryansk Region earlier in August caused problems at the Unecha pumping stations. Unecha is an important transit point for crude oil heading to Ust-Luga. The Druzhba Pipeline, which supplies Belarus to Slovakia and Hungary, was also affected by the strikes. Slovakia announced on Thursday that the first supplies through the pipeline had resumed. Sources did not specify the pipeline that was damaged, but confirmed that repairs were underway. However, there is no timeline set for complete restoration. Sources said that the fall in Ust-Luga's capacity would result in a diversion of oil to Russia's Primorsk & Novorossiisk port. This could help limit export losses. The Russian authorities have not commented publicly on the extent of damage or the impact on export plans. Transneft declined to comment. Mark Potter, Editor (Reporting)
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White House dismisses Surface Transportation Board member who regulates railroads
A White House spokesman confirmed that Robert Primus was fired as a Surface Transportation Board member. He did not agree with the agenda of U.S. president Donald Trump, the spokesman added. White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated that Robert Primus was fired from his post because he did not agree with President Donald Trump's America First agenda. The Administration plans to nominate in a short time new members who are more qualified to the Surface Transportation Board. Trump is purging bureaucrats from agencies that are not in line with his agenda. The railway regulators are evaluating the proposed $85 billion merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Primus said earlier that he had rejected an email sent by the White House that terminated his position. He deemed it to be "legally invalid", and that "it would weaken the Board, and adversely impact the freight rail system in a manner that could ultimately harm consumers and the economy." In a social media post, he stated, "With all this in mind, my plan is to continue to discharge the duties I have as a Board member and, if prevented from doing so I will explore my options in court." The White House statement didn't address the proposed merger, or the legal questions surrounding termination. Surface Transportation Board has not responded to an earlier request for comments. Trevor Hunnicutt, Harshita Menaktshi and Mark Porter edited the article.
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Aurora and McLeod software partner to manage autonomous truck shipments
Aurora Innovation and McLeod Software announced on Thursday that they will integrate their self-driving trucks platform into McLeod Software’s Transportation Management System in order to increase adoption. McLeod TMS and Aurora's API will integrate to allow customers to manage their autonomous shipments. Aurora's president, Ossa Fischer, said that by meeting customers where they already are with their TMS, it is easy to take advantage of the safety and efficiency advantages of autonomous trucks. As other autonomous trucking startup companies like Plus and Waabi try to capture the market, they are also developing their own technologies. McLeod is currently beta testing Aurora's integration and plans to make the feature available to customers in 2019. The road to commercialization for self-driving cars, particularly trucks, is long and includes regulatory approvals, hours of testing, and large capital investments. Aurora began commercial driverless operations in Texas earlier this year -- an open state to self-driving technologies -- by using its flagship Aurora Driver technology for long-haul trucks. McLeod offers software for managing trucking logistics, freight brokerage management and more than 1,200 clients. (Reporting and editing by Sahal Muhammad in Bengaluru, Zaheer Kachwala from Bengaluru)
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ADNOC sells 3% of its logistics and services unit through a bookbuild offer
ADNOC, the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates, announced on Thursday that it would sell an approximately 3% stake in its Logistics and Services unit via a bookbuild offer. ADNOC announced that it would offer up to 222,000,000 shares of ADNOC L&S to institutional and professional investors in the UAE. The deal will increase ADNOC L&S’s free float from 22% to 22%, and “enhance trading liquidity” of the shares. ADNOC L&S was created in 2016 and exports crude oil from Abu Dhabi, as well as refined products, dry bulk, liquefied gas, and other natural gases to over 100 customers in more than 50 countries. ADNOC, who owns 81% of the company, raised $769 millions in its initial public offering (IPO) in 2023. This deal follows other secondary share offers in ADNOC units, including its gas business, which raised $2.84billion in February, in one of the largest share sales in recent Middle East history. ADNOC didn't disclose the offer price of ADNOC L&S shares. They closed Thursday up 2.3%, at 5.43 dirhams each ($1.48). According to LSEG, the stock has risen by around 1.5% over the past year. ADNOC stated that the final number of shares offered and the price will be determined after the closing of the bookbuilding. The settlement is expected to occur on or about September 3. First Abu Dhabi Bank was one of the banks that were appointed as joint global coordinaters and joint bookrunners.
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The competition and bottlenecks are to blame for the decline in profits of TAP, a Portuguese airline
The net profit of the Portuguese flag carrier TAP in its second quarter fell by 42.5% compared to a year earlier, as costs increased much faster than revenues due to fierce competition on its main markets, and airport congestion at home. TAP, which has been partially privatised, posted a profit of 43.9 million dollars between April and June. This period included this year's busy Easter Week. TAP suffered a first-half loss of 70.7 millions euros, which is almost three times higher than the same period in last year. The airline's quarterly revenues grew 1.7%, to 1.13 billion Euros. Passengers carried increased 4.5%, to 4.3 millions. The increase in operating costs was 5.6%, to approximately 1 billion Euros. This is due to an increase of 18.3% in employee costs and a 9.2% rise in traffic costs. TAP reported that foreign exchange losses offset a decrease in interest costs. In a recent statement, TAP's Chief Executive Luis Rodrigues stated that the airline was operating "in a highly-competitive environment" with "one of most challenging operational summers for many years". This is due to severe border controls at Portugal airports affecting operations. Portugal, like many other European nations, has tightened border controls in response to a backlash from the public against immigration. This has led to long queues, and even flight delays. TAP expects that the competitive pressures on key markets will continue in the months to come. Portugal has relaunched its long-delayed TAP privatisation in July. It aims to sell a stake of 44.9%, with 5% more to be offered to TAP staff. Lufthansa and British Airways' owner IAG, as well as Air France-KLM, have expressed interest in the project.
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China's major airline companies remain in the red for first half due to low fares and oversupply
The earnings reports of China's largest airlines released on Thursday revealed that the two carriers had narrowed first-half losses, but were still in the red, as a surplus capacity kept fares down. This underscored the fragility and post-pandemic recovery of the industry. Air China, the country's flagship carrier, reported a net profit of 1.8 billion Yuan ($252million) for the six-month period ending June. This is 35% less than the 2.78 billion Yuan loss a year ago. China Southern Airlines, based in Guangzhou, recorded a loss 1.5 billion yuan. This is 64% less than a 4.21 billion loss during the same period of 2024. Carriers have blamed their losses on an imbalance in supply and demand, price-conscious travellers and the competition of China's expanding high-speed rail system. Geopolitical uncertainties and a slow recovery in premium international traffic also hurt revenue. The summer is usually a time of relief for airlines. Early July marks the start of school holidays, which kicks off a two-month peak sales period. As of August 24, according to Flight Master, the average price for domestic tickets departing in July or August was 788 yuan (about $110), down 3.7% compared to last year, and 10.6% lower than 2019 levels. Analysts say that yields are still low, despite the fact that international capacity is 93% higher than it was pre-COVID. Li Hanming is an independent aviation analyst based in the United States. He said that the second half of this year will be challenging for China's major airlines. Li stated that "the underlying issues are still unresolved." Due to the lack of long-haul flights to North America and Asia, China faces a significant oversupply, and fierce competition, on its domestic and intra-APAC short-haul international flights. China's three largest carriers are still losing money, and have been for some time. They are the last to benefit from the COVID recovery. China Eastern Airlines will report its results on Friday. Last month, the Shanghai-based airline issued a profit warning. It forecast a deficit in the first half of between 1.2 and 1.6 billion Yuan as opposed to a loss last year of 2.77 billion Yuan. In June, the Communist Party anti-corruption watchdog announced that Liu Shaoyong, former chairman of China Eastern, was being investigated for "serious violation". The report did not give any further details. China Eastern has yet to comment on these allegations. Liu was the leader of the airline between 2009 and 2022. He was also in charge when the flight MU5735 crashed in March 2022. 132 people were killed. China's aviation regulator is yet to release a final report on the cause of the crash. This has re-opened scrutiny over corporate governance in the sector.
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Europe gas markets escape hectic LNG summer storage race: Bousso
Gas traders in Europe have been racing against time to fill up depleted storage facilities before winter. As demand on Asian markets is waning, Europe will see a spike in liquefied gas imports. This will give traders and governments more breathing space. It was a niche concern to ensure that European gas supplies are at maximum levels before the cold weather arrives. But it has become a political necessity after Russia's invasion of Ukraine 2022, which led to a sharp reduction in pipeline gas imports. The EU implemented rules in that year that have since been relaxed, requiring that storage reach 90% capacity each November. These measures created price distortions and disrupted the supply, leading to a frantic scramble to get supplies. This year, there is no rush to buy. Gas Infrastructure Europe's (GIE) data shows that European storage capacity is at only 76%, or approximately 85 billion cubic meters, as of 25 August. This is down from 92% one year ago, and the 10-year-average of 80.5%. According to Kpler data, the region's LNG imports dropped from an annual peak of 11 million metric tonnes in March to an estimated 7.4 million tones in August due to a weaker regional market and stronger purchases from Asia. This is similar to the spike in Asian LNG imports in August, when they reached 26 million tons. In February, this had dropped to 21 million tons. The Asian market is expected to be significantly slower during the remainder of 2025, due to large inventories in China and other import nations. This will free up LNG volumes to Europe. The increase in LNG imports will help to offset the decrease in regional supplies due to seasonal maintenance being completed on several Norwegian gas fields until late September. Storage is set to reach 90% easily by the start the heating season, in October. No scrambling needed. SUPPLY BOOM The summer LNG storage filling frenzy will not return to Europe for at least five years. According to LSEG, the global LNG capacity will increase from 550 bcm last year to 649 bcm by 2026 and 890 bcm by 2030. According to LSEG, the growth was primarily driven by the United States. Exports to the United States in the first seven month of 2025 were up 22% compared to a year ago, to 83 bcm. This is due to the start-up of several large Gulf Coast LNG liquefaction plants, including Venture Global’s Plaquemines. According to current projections, while the supply and demand are expected to be roughly equal this year, there will be a glut in 2026 of up to 200 bcm. A large disparity between supply and demand will inevitably lead to a reduction in LNG production. The United States is likely to be the first to cut back, as its producers are more price sensitive than those in other regions. CONSUMER IMPACT The weather will have a significant impact on gas prices in Europe during the winter months. Last winter, for example, was much colder than previous ones, causing a huge draw in inventories that pushed up prices. The oversupply on the market is good news for the consumers. They will benefit from the relatively low LNG price that has been in place for several years. This could stimulate the industrial activity in Africa. This market dynamic may allow European leaders to also breathe a sigh if relief. They could achieve their dual goal of reducing their reliance on Russian supplies of gas while also lowering the energy bills of their citizens. You like this column? Check out Open Interest, your essential source for global commentary on financial markets. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on LinkedIn, X.
Tracking data reveals that a tanker in China is using a Russian Arctic LNG 2 cargo berth sanctioned by China.
Data from Kpler and LSEG showed that a tanker carrying liquefied gas from Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 facility moored on a southern Chinese import terminal on Thursday after loading in a Russian storage site in June.
The first cargo to arrive from the Arctic LNG 2 Project would be if the LNG tanker discharges at the terminal. Western sanctions are targeting the project because of Russia's conflict with Ukraine.
According to LSEG data and Kpler, the Arctic Mulan LNG Tanker sat idle off the coast of Egypt between February and April, before traveling through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, and Bab al-Mandab Strait, in early May.
On June 3, it sailed east, through Southeast Asia, before heading north and reaching the Koryak floating-storage unit (FSU), located in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. It then sailed to the south, where it loaded LNG before docking at China's Beihai LNG Terminal in southern Guangxi Province on August 28.
The operator of the Beihai LNG Terminal, PipeChina, did not respond immediately to a comment request.
Go Katayama, Kpler analyst, said: "While discharge has not yet been confirmed, it appears that this is the first Arctic LNG 2 shipment since loading began in August 2024."
The timing of the sale may coincide with President Putin's visit to China. However, it is unclear who will be buying. Next week, Russian President Vladimir Putin is among a number of foreign heads of government and state who will attend a military display in Beijing to commemorate the formal surrender of Japan at the end of World War Two. U.S. sanctions also apply to the Arctic Mulan tanker, which is registered to owners and managers of a number of LNG vessels. The move targets Russia's oil revenues.
Equasis, a shipping database, lists Skyhart Management Services with an address registered in India as the ship or commercial manager of Arctic Mulan. Ownership of the tanker is registered by Zinnia International Co, with the same address listed as Skyhart.
I was unable find any contact details for Skyhart or Zinnia.
Rystad Energy analyst Jan Eric Fahnrich stated that the tanker's visit to China was primarily a test for Washington's stance regarding sanctions, due to China's almost non-existent spot demand for LNG.
He said that the reaction of U.S. President Donald Trump will determine whether or not this transaction is a one-off, or if it opens up the Northern Sea Route to a number vessels heading east.
Arctic LNG 2, owned by Novatek, a Russian company, is set to be one of the largest LNG plants in the country, with a target production of 19,8 million tons per annum.
Sanctions have clouded its prospects, despite the fact that it has loaded several cargoes on sanctioned tanks in the last year.
According to Kpler, last year eight cargoes from Arctic LNG 2 were loaded onto sanctioned LNG ships, of which four were discharged in the Koryak FSU. Kpler data shows that only Arctic LNG 2 cargos have been delivered to the Koryak FSU. Five cargoes from the project have already been loaded this year. The sanctioned tankers are currently travelling east along Northern Sea Route. Two of them are north of Russia and the other three near the Koryak FSU.
(source: Reuters)