Latest News
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Sources claim that Trafigura has flooded LME Malaysia with aluminium.
Three sources with knowledge of the matter said that Trafigura had delivered large quantities to London Metal Exchange-approved warehouses in Malaysia to take advantage of a financial agreement. Sources said that they did not know the details of the deal, which could have been incentives or rent deals. Trafigura has declined to comment. On October 30, the LME-registered warehouses at Port Klang in Malaysia saw an increase of nearly 100,000 metric tonnes in their stock of aluminium. The total now stands at 366,850 tonnes. Sources said that Trafigura had put the majority of this aluminum on LME warrants, which are title documents that confer ownership. Metal on LME warrant rent is much higher than metal stored in storage without warrant. The companies that offer metal for rent do not need to own the metal. Instead, they receive a portion of the rent paid by new owners as long as the metal remains in the warehouse. Aluminium rent is 56 cents per ton in Port Klang, or $56,000 a year for 100,000 tons. Sources said Trafigura would also be able to benefit from incentives. If the metal is waiting to leave the warehouse, LME allows operators the option to charge for rent up to 80 days. The incentive is calculated based on the free-on-truck rate (FOT), and the potential rent. Incentives for owners of metals to place it on LME warrant rather than offer it to the market would need to be higher to reflect the supply, demand, and costs, including freight and taxes. Typically, consumers buy metal in contracts that include both the physical market premium and the LME benchmark. If they are short on metal, they can also purchase it from the physical market. (Reporting and editing by Alexander Smith; Pratima Deai)
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After Russian strikes, Ukraine imports gas from Greece via the Balkans to keep its system running
Ukraine has resumed imports of gas from a pipeline which runs from the Balkan Peninsula to Greece to keep its heating systems and electric system running throughout the winter, after extensive damage caused by intensified Russian airstrikes. In October, Russia intensified its strikes against Ukraine's gas industry, causing it to lose at least half of the country's own production and force Ukraine to import 4 billion cubic meters of additional gas to compensate. According to data from Ukrainian gas transit operator, Ukraine is expected to receive 1.1 mcm of gas via the Transbalkan route Wednesday after importing 0.78 mcm of gas on Tuesday. The Transbalkan route connects Ukraine with LNG terminals in Greece via Moldova, Romania, and Bulgaria. ExPro, a Ukrainian energy consultancy, said that Greek DEPA Commercial and D.Trading (a subsidiary of Ukraine’s largest private energy company DTEK) had booked the capacity to import gas to Ukraine from Greece with a daily quantity of 0.6 millions cubic metres. Ukraine imports approximately 23 mcm per day, which includes nearly 10 mcm each from Hungary, 8 mcm each from Poland, and 5 mcm each from Slovakia. Transbalkan routes were not operated in September or October and only July and August prior to this. Gas transit costs were high across all four countries, including Ukraine. ExPro stated that tariff reductions by Moldovan operators and Romanian operators helped to boost bookings of capacity in November. Long Recovery Gas pipelines must maintain high pressure, and the Transbalkan route import is one element that will help the Ukrainian system stay operational when the domestic production cannot pump enough gas in the pipes. Oleksandr Kharchenko said that Russian attacks damaged a large number of gas compressions, which complicated the restoration of Ukraine's power system. Kharchenko said in a television briefing that the compressor stations had been destroyed. "We won't be able to restore 30-40% (of the destroyed capacity) for the heating season." He said that gas compressors are very expensive and not available anywhere in the world due to the high demand. "The (Gas) Production has been Affected, and Restoring the Compressors is Not a Matter of Months." Kharchenko said that the restoration of production would take between 15 and 18 months. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Peter Graff
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Tesla's German auto sales fell by more than half in October, as EV sales grew across the board
The German road traffic agency KBA reported on Wednesday that Tesla's German sales volume had more than halved from the same period last year. However, sales of battery-electric vehicles were up overall. KBA reported that Tesla sold 750 vehicles in Germany in October. This is a 53.5% decrease from the previous year. Teslas were sold at a 50.4% lower rate in January-October, to 15,595 cars, than the same period a year ago. KBA said that the number of electric vehicles registered in October increased by 47.7% to 52.425 units. Tesla's sales in October fell in several European countries, including Spain and the Netherlands. The latest indication that the U.S. electric car maker continues to struggle on the continent is the drop in sales in October in Spain. The German agency said that sales of electric vehicles manufactured by BYD in China increased ninefold from October 2013 to October 2014, and have reached 15,171 units.
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Pembina Pipeline will supply LNG to Malaysian PETRONAS for 20 Years
The Canadian company Pembina Pipeline announced on Wednesday that it would supply Malaysia's PETRONAS with 1.0 million tonnes of liquefied gas per year. Cedar LNG Project for 20 Years The agreement marks an important milestone in the $4 billion Cedar LNG Project and reinforces Canada's efforts to become a global supplier of LNG to Asia. The company stated that it would give PETRONAS an additional outlet to export natural gas for its Canadian upstream investments, while also providing Pembina a stable and long-term revenue source. Cedar, a joint-venture between Haisla First Nation, an Indigenous community, and Pembina would produce 3.3 millions tons of timber per year after its completion in 2028. Canada, the sixth largest natural gas producer in the world, has not been able to build a strong LNG industry as other gas-producing countries have. (Reporting and editing by Vijay Kishore in Bengaluru. Katha Kalia is based in Bengaluru.
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Source: October's oil production in Kazakhstan is down 10% from September
According to industry sources and calculations, Kazakhstan's crude production excluding condensate gas fell 10% to 1,69 million barrels a day last month, but was still higher than the OPEC+ output quota. Industry sources claim that the Central Asian Republic has exceeded quotas repeatedly, angering some OPEC member countries. OPEC+ is a group of producers, including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and others led by Russia. Kazakhstan's OPEC+ production quota in October was 1.556 million bpd. The decline in production was largely due to maintenance on its largest oilfield - the Tengiz oilfield operated by U.S. major oil company Chevron Tengizchevroil. Sources said that maintenance was carried out from the beginning of the month until the 24th October, resulting in a reduction in the output to 725.400 bpd from September's 963.830 bpd. Tengizchevroil and the energy ministry did not respond to comments immediately. Source: Kazakhstan's total production of crude oil and condensate of gas, a form of light oil in the country, dropped to 8.016 millions metric tons (from 8.345 in September) in October. (Reporting and Editing by David Goodman).
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Nine injured after driver rams pedestrians in west France
In a Facebook post, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez revealed that a driver rammed pedestrians and bicycles on the French island of Oleron, off its Atlantic Coast, on Wednesday. The driver injured several people, before being arrested. Arnaud Larraine, local prosecutor and Sud Ouest reporter, said that the 35-year old suspect shouted, "Allahu akbar" (Arabic, "God Is Greatest"), when he was arrested by the police. French media reported that the motive of the attack was still unclear, and the office of the prosecutor for anti-terrorism is not responsible for the investigation at this time. The prosecutor’s office was not available for immediate comment. Thibault Brchkoff, mayor of Dolus-d'Oleron told BFM TV that at least nine people had been injured by the suspect's vehicle in different areas of the island. Nunez reported that two of the victims were in intensive-care - later, some French media said it was four. Le Parisien reported that investigators were investigating the possibility of the suspect being mentally disturbed. Local newspaper Charente Libre, and other French media, citing Mayor of Saint-Pierre d'Oleron Christophe Sueur, reported that the man had been known to the police for petty crimes, including driving drunk. Charente Libre newspaper identified the suspect as "Jacques G", and stated that he is French. The newspaper did not give any sources. It did not cite its sources.
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Sources say that Mexico's Asur is the leading bidder for Motiva Latin American Airports.
Two sources familiar with the negotiations said that Mexico's Grupo aeroportuario del sureste (Asur), the largest bidder for Motiva's airports, was the Mexican group. Motiva Infraestrutura de Mobilidade (formerly CCR), a Brazilian company, announced in May that it had started the sale process to shift its focus back on its core business of highway concessions. Sources say that Mexico's Asur outbid Spanish operator Aena as well as Argentina's Corporacion America Airports for Motiva’s 17 Brazilian airports, international hubs, and the capital of Ecuador, Quito, Costa Rica’s San Jose, and Curacao. One source said that Asur valued the assets around 5 billion Reis ($925m), excluding the debt. In its annual report, the group said that its airports will serve around 45 million passengers by 2024. Aena and Motiva refused to comment on the transaction. Asur and CAAP declined to comment on the sale. Last week, during the third quarter earnings call, Motiva CEO Miguel Setas stated that the group expects to announce the sale of assets by the end of 2025. Motiva maintains and manages a network that includes highways, airports, passenger transport services and subways. In the first nine months 2025, adjusted earnings before interest taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), for Motiva's Airports business, rose 15% to reach 912 million reais. ($1 = 5.4039 Reais) (Reporting from Andres González in London and Luciana Madry in Sao Paolo, with additional reporting by Kylie Madry and Alexander Smith).
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Canada - November 5
These are some of the most important stories in selected Canadian newspapers. These stories have not been verified and we cannot vouch for the accuracy of these stories. THE GLOBE AND MAIL India and China have imposed steep tariffs of 30% and 100% on Canadian yellow peas. This has crippled exports to Canada’s two biggest markets, and prompted farmers to call for Ottawa to resolve the trade disputes. The first federal budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney encourages private sector investment with targeted incentives and infrastructure expenditures. However, it falls short on sweeping regulatory or tax reforms. Business leaders are now looking for bolder actions amid economic uncertainty and U.S. Trade pressures Maple Corp, a telehealth provider, has acquired Beyond ADHD, a New Brunswick-based startup, to expand virtual care services for Canadians suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. The acquisition is part of Maple Corp's efforts to increase its service offerings in response to the growing demand and limited access to public health care. Financial terms have not been disclosed. NATIONAL POST Ottawa's agreement with graphite mining company Nouveau Monde is designed to counter China's dominance of battery-grade graphite, by securing the domestic supply and enabling niche market sales. It could be a template for Canada's larger critical minerals strategy. The federal budget for 2025 in Canada has opened the door again to airport privatisation. It proposes lease extensions and incentives to attract private investment, while allocating C$55.2 (about $39.36 million) to safety upgrades at regional airfields beginning in 2026. ($1 = 1,4024 Canadian Dollars) (Compiled from Bengaluru Newsroom)
Where are the barrels of oil? IEA gap deepens confusion over looming glut: Bousso
The International Energy Agency (IEA) continues to predict a significant oil supply glut, but the uncertainty surrounding the location of nearly 1.5 million barrels of crude oil per day is putting this forecast into question. Since months, the oil market has been unable to find a direction. Prices have remained in a tight range as traders tried to understand starkly divergent projections of supply and demand from IEA and OPEC. The IEA has predicted a severe glut of oil this year and in the next year due to increased global production. The Paris-based agency's latest report, released on Tuesday provided an even more pessimistic outlook. It forecast a surplus in 2025 of 2,35 million barrels a day and 4 million bpd, or nearly 4%, of global demand, next year. OPEC on the other side expects that global oil supply will closely follow demand until 2026.
This difference is remarkable, as it has never been seen before in the history of the largest commodity market in the world.
Missing Barrels
On Tuesday, the murky picture of crude oil became even more muddy when the IEA reported that it had been unable to account 1,47 million bpd in its global balances. This is the equivalent of 1,4% of the annual demand. The IEA's "unaccounted balance" for July was 850,000 bpd or 370,000 bpd overall for the second-quarter.
This 1,47 million bpd number is a huge blind spot that has significant implications for global supply and demand. According to the IEA, supply exceeded demand by 2,04 million bpd during August. This means that, theoretically, oversupply can grow to 3.5 millions bpd, or even shrink to 500,000 bpd. This is a big difference which could have an impact on crude oil prices.
The IEA calculates the global oil balance using data from official government sources as well as private companies and analysts who provide figures on production, consumption and exports.
Due to the size of the oil market, it is not uncommon for forecasters' calculations to be "holes". This can be due to the delays in reporting by government agencies and the absence of certain data sets.
In fact, the IEA updates its historical data regularly. In its May monthly report, the agency revised upwards significant amounts of recent oil demand. This included increasing 2024 oil usage by 350,000 barrels per day, turning a reported surplus into a deficiency.
The sheer magnitude of missing barrels reported by the IEA in its August report should cause traders and investors to pause. This is especially true because it comes at a moment when the market has already been trying to make sense out of forecasters' wildly different projections.
Barrels that disappear
The IEA stated that the discrepancy in August "may be due to the delay of reporting data or the lack of data for non-OECD nations."
It will take some time to fully account for the missing barrels. It is reasonable to believe that the missing barrels are due in part to two factors which have confounded the crude market for the past year: the trading and stockpiling of China.
The first question is how much oil sanctioned is being traded. According to Kpler, the volume of crude oil transported by sea last week reached 1.25 billion barrels. This is the highest level since the Covid-19 Pandemic began. Oil held at sea, or "oil in water", has never been greater.
This buildup on the seas could be a precursor for a dramatic increase in storage overland - and a significant global surplus. The picture is further complicated by the fact over a quarter (25%) of the oil in the water comes from countries that are under western sanctions, namely Russia, Iran and Venezuela. The majority of oil produced by these countries is transported in so-called "shadow" fleet tankers, which evade western sanctions and often hide their location by turning off satellite transponders.
The IEA may have missed some barrels because it is difficult to track the movements of oil by sea.
CRUDE HARDING
There is also the issue of China's huge oil storage volumes.
According to the IEA's forecast, global observed inventories – oil in storage and on vessels – grew by 225,000,000 barrels from January to August, reaching the highest level for four years.
China, as the world's biggest oil importer, is clearly responsible for a large portion of the increase in inventories. Beijing, however, does not publicly disclose the size of its oil storage capacities or changes to inventories. In the absence government data, traders use secondary sources to estimate China's rapidly growing storage network. According to the IEA, Chinese crude stockpiles rose by 110,000,000 barrels between April 2025 and August 2025. This estimate is based on data provided by satellite analytics firm Kayrros.
It is possible, given the lack firm data, that China's crude stock has increased by much more, and this could account for another part the IEA missing barrels.
The IEA's mysterious missing barrels may indicate that the task of calculating production, consumption and exports in the vast global oil market will become even more difficult as geopolitics continue to obscure large portions of the market.
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(source: Reuters)