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Bloomberg News reports that Sinopec is in negotiations to purchase China's largest jet fuel distributor.
Bloomberg News reported that the world's biggest refiner in terms of capacity, Sinopec Group, is in negotiations to purchase China National Aviation Fuel Group, the country's dominant distributor of jet fuel. The report cited people familiar with the talks as saying that the talks are still ongoing. There is no deadline or certainty about a deal. However, if the negotiations were to be completed, Sinopec will take over the assets and operations of CNAF. China Aviation Oil (Singapore), CNAF’s Singapore-based unit responsible for importing jet fuel into China, announced last week that its parent company CNAF would be undergoing a restructuring of the corporate structure with another conglomerate. China's demand is decreasing for gasoline and diesel due to the electrification of trucks and the use cheaper natural gas. However, demand for aviation fuel has grown significantly as a result of passenger and cargo traffic. Sinopec's spokesperson declined to make any comments. CNAF didn't immediately reply to an email request for comments sent after office hours. Could not confirm the Bloomberg story immediately. (Reporting and editing by David Goodman, Louise Heavens, and Dagmarah Mackkos)
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A man charged with attempted murder on 10 counts after a knife attack on a UK train
British police announced that a British man, 32 years old, was charged on Monday with 10 counts for attempted murder in relation to a knife attack which occurred on a train last Saturday. The incident was already not treated as terrorist-related by the officers. In the stabbing incident on the train, eleven people were injured. One of them is a member from the train crew. He remains hospitalized in a critical condition but in stable health. This person was injured while trying to stop those accused of stabbing other people. The attack on a London bound train that stopped in Huntingdon, about 80 miles north-east of London, shocked and angered the nation. Both Prime Minister Keir starmer and King Charles sent their condolences to those who were affected. The Crown Prosecution Service in Britain said Anthony Williams, 32 was charged with eleven counts of attempted killing, one count for assault causing actual bodily injury and two counts for possession of a knifed article. British Transport Police reported that ten of the attempted murder allegations were related to the attack on the train, and the eleventh was linked to an incident in a London station earlier the same day. Williams, a native of Peterborough, in eastern England will appear before Peterborough Magistrates Court on Monday evening, according to the police. They added that the charges had been brought following a review, amongst others, of CCTV footage taken from the train. The Transport Minister Heidi Alexander confirmed Monday that the man had not been known by security services. She refused to comment whether the mental health services knew him. By late Sunday, five of the injured were discharged from hospital. (Reporting and editing by Kate Holton, William James and Sarah Young)
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Statnett, a Norwegian company, will invest up to 20 billion dollars in the power grid by 2030
Statnett, Norway's transmission systems operator (TSO), announced on Monday that it will invest more than twice as much in the next 10 years to meet the growing demand for electricity and protect the grid from climate and security threats. Statnett plans to invest 150-200 billion Norwegian crowns (15-20 billion dollars) over the next 10 years. This is more than twice the amount it spent in the previous 10 year period. Elisabeth Vardheim, CEO of the company, said that investments are driven by a need to upgrade current lines, as well as plans for electrification and business development, as well as new industries driving applications for grid connection. She added, "We'll build more than ever before, but we can't do everything at once." NEED TO PROTECT AGAINST EXTREME WEATHER, MILITARY THREATS Vardheim stated that the cost inflation, lack of resources to complete planned works, and a strained supplier market all require strict prioritisation. Statnett has published its ten-year plan for system development twice since 2023. The latest version gives greater attention to security and preparedness, according to the company. Statnett stated that extreme weather conditions, digitalisation, and an older grid have all contributed to a more fragile power system. Statnett said that it was also considering measures to ensure supply in the event of a more serious scenario, such as a war on Norwegian soil. The Norwegian Crown is worth $1. (Reporting and editing by Terje Solsvik).
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BP will sell US onshore pipeline assets worth $1.5 billion
Sixth Street, an investment firm, has agreed to buy a minority stake in BP's U.S. Onshore Pipeline Assets in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Basins for $1.5 billion. The sale was part of a divestment program worth $20 billion that BP is running until the end of 2027 to reduce its debt. It comes at a time when BP is reviewing its oil and natural gas portfolio, and cutting costs. UBS analyst Josh Stone described the announcement as a "small-positive" that is expected to reduce BP's leverage rate by about 1% with a net profit impact of between $100 million and $200 million. BP is under pressure from investors, and activist investor Elliott became its target after a disastrous foray into the renewables sector hit profitability. After the sale, BP’s U.S. Onshore Oil and Gas business, bpx, will own 51% of the Permian assets, and 25% of the Eagle Ford assets. BP will report its third-quarter results in November. Reporting by Shashwat awasthi from Bengaluru, additional reporting by Shadia nasralla and editing by Subhranshu sahu and Jan Harvey
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Athens International Airport's nine-month net profits fall 4.8% due to higher costs
Athens International Airport's (AIA) net profit for the nine months ended on Monday fell by 4.8% despite an increase in passenger traffic. Rising operating costs, as well as a higher variable concession fee, offset modest revenue increases. The main gateway operator in Greece reported that the net profit for nine months ended September 30 was 185.8 millions euros (216.7 million dollars), down from 195.1million euros a year ago. AIA reported that operating expenses increased 14.1% on an annual basis to 180.1 millions euros. This was due to a higher Grant of Rights fee and increased staffing to meet the demand. Minimum wage increases, higher electricity costs and higher maintenance provisions were also factors. The total revenue and other income increased by 3.5%, to 526.9 millions euros. This was supported by a 6.7% increase in passenger traffic to 26.2 million and adjustments to airport charges. AIA reported that revenue from air activities increased by 2.5%, to 397.5 millions euros. Non-air revenues grew 6.7%, to 129.5, thanks to retail growth, despite disruptions to car parking. The tourism industry is the main economic driver in Greece, accounting for over a quarter. $1 = 0.8575 Euros (Reporting and Editing by David Goodman, Conor Humphries and Antonis Pothitos)
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PostNL's losses increase amid dispute over Dutch mail delivery obligations
Dutch postal group PostNL announced a larger than expected operating loss for the third quarter on Monday. It cited growing pressures on its domestic mail operations, as volumes are declining and revenues are concentrated on a few large customers. The company and the Dutch government are at odds over the costs of letter delivery across the country, as the number or letters and parcels sent is declining. The company's request for temporary assistance from the Dutch government, and its subsequent appeal, were both rejected. PostNL's normalised losses before interest and tax grew to 24.5 million euros in the third quarter from 18 million euros one year ago. The company polled analysts who expected a loss in the region of 17 million euro on average. Vincent Karremans, Minister of Economic Affairs, announced in October that PostNL will be permitted to extend the personal mail delivery time in the Netherlands from 2027 to three days. This plan was originally scheduled for 2028 or 2030. The two-day delivery plan announced in June will begin in July 2026. PostNL CEO Pim Berendsen, however, said that the proposal was not sufficient to cover the costs for fulfilling the EU mandated universal postal service in the Netherlands, and repeated his call for a urgent change in Dutch postal regulations. Early September, the company asked to be relieved of its obligation to provide nationwide delivery after its last bid for state assistance was rejected. Berendsen stated in the earnings report that PostNL is expecting a decision soon on its funding request for 2025 and 2020 and Karremans response to its withdrawal. The group said that its normalised annual operating result will be similar to last year's, when it reported profit of 53 millions euros.
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Minister says that the counter-terrorism police are unaware of the identity of a suspect in a UK train stabbing.
Transport Minister Heidi Alexander revealed on Monday that a 32-year old British man suspected of stabbing several passengers in a train on the east coast of England had not been known by security or counterterrorism services. Alexander stated that the attack, which was described by police as not being terrorism, left 11 people wounded, including one member of the crew, who is still in critical but stable condition in hospital. By late Sunday, five of the injured were discharged from the hospital. Alexander, speaking to Times Radio Monday, said that authorities had not flagged the suspect who was arrested for attempted murder before the attack. Alexander stated that the man was unknown to both security services and counter-terrorism police. She could not comment if he had been known by mental health services. British Transport Police reported that officers responded within 8 minutes of receiving the first call for help. The scene was a knife and CCTV footage, reviewed by detectives, showed that a member of the train crew intervened to stop the attacker. Alexander stated that "he literally put himself into danger." There are people alive today who will thank him for his actions. The suspect was apprehended after the emergency stop of the train at Huntingdon (about 80 miles north-east of London). Authorities have said that they are not looking for anyone else involved in the incident.
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AviLease, owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, plans to issue a 5-year USD bond
AviLease is a jet leasing firm that has been mandated by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which manages a $1 trillion fund, to issue a bond in U.S. dollars for five years, according to IFR, a fixed income news service. In September, it was reported that the company had begun discussions with banks about a debut bond. It could also tap into global debt markets by the end of the calendar year. AviLease has appointed Citigroup, MUFG and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank as global coordinators. They are also active bookrunners and leading managers, along with BNP Paribas First Abu Dhabi Bank HSBC, Mizuho and BNP Paribas. IFR reported that Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait and BSF Capital as well as Credit Agricole and Emirates NBD Capital were joint passive bookrunners, and Riyad Capital, Natixis and SNB Capital were joint lead managers. It said that investor calls will be held on Monday and Tuesday. AviLease was established in 2022 to help PIF build a domestic leasing giant. In 2023, AviLease bought Standard Chartered Aviation Finance for $3.6 billion. (Reporting and editing by Ros Russell; Rachna uppal)
Bousso: The escalating war against Russia has a big impact on the oil industry in ROI.
Western oil companies have seen their profits soar as a result of the increasing attacks on Russia's energy industry, both in terms of economics and literally. This has helped to alleviate concerns about a possible supply glut and boosted profit margins for global refiners. Since July, waves of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's vast refinery and export terminal network have severely impacted the country's refined fuel exports such as fuel oil and diesel. According to Kpler, Russia's seaborne refinery product exports dropped by 500,000 barrels a day in September from their highs of 2025 to 2 million bpd. This is the lowest level for over five years. The reduced Russian exports has boosted global refinery margins. This is good news for energy giants such as Shell, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and France's TotalEnergies. They operate together nearly 11 million barrels per day, or over 10% of the global refining capability.
The fourth quarter saw a combined 61% increase in profits from refinery operations compared to the previous quarter. This contributed largely to the 20% increase in their overall profits.
Exxon, America's largest oil company, reported that its earnings in the energy products division rose more than 30% quarterly to $1.84 Billion, mainly due to strong refining margins, "due supply disruptions", the company stated on Friday.
BP is expected to report its results on Tuesday and will also benefit from the positive trends in global refining. Refining margins, which are a measure of BP's global operations, increased by 33% in just three months, from July to September. This figure has risen to $15.1 per barrel in the current fourth quarter. The increase in refining earnings is expected to offset the decline in oil prices, as it appears that the market has entered a period of oversupply. The oil majors have also benefited from the volatility created on the energy markets by Western sanctions, and other geopolitical conflict. These trading desks are able to generate large profits by quickly responding to changes in demand and supply dynamics.
Shell, the largest oil trader in the world, does not reveal the profits of its division. Shell reported that higher trading and refining profits boosted adjusted earnings by $706m in its Chemicals and Products division in the third quarter, compared to the previous three month.
BENEFICIAL BANKS Refining margins will likely remain high in the short term due to recent efforts by Western governments to press Moscow to end its war in Ukraine. In July, the European Union announced that it would ban imports from January 2026 of fuels made with Russian crude oil. The EU wants to close a loophole that existed in previous sanctions packages, which allowed refiners to use Russian crude oil at discounted prices to make diesel and jet fuel and then sell it to Europe.
The EU's ban on Russian crude, approved informally earlier this month by the European Union, puts Western oil majors at an advantage, as non-Russian products, including refined products made from non-sanctioned Russian crude, will be in greater demand.
Western energy giants received another pleasant surprise when U.S. president Donald Trump sanctioned Russia’s two largest oil companies on October 22, which account for 5% global crude supply, and 3.3 millions bpd in crude and refined products exports. This is roughly half the total of Russia’s crude and refined products.
As buyers of Russian crude oil and products, especially in India and Turkey scrambled for alternative supplies, the sanctions increased oil prices and margins.
The combination of Western sanctions and drone strikes in Ukraine could lead to a price surge similar to the one that occurred in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of 2022. This would result in record profits for oil majors.
Most likely not. Today's oil market is better supplied and equipped to adapt to sanctions. This is especially true given the growth of the "shadow fleet" tankers, which have been able circumvent Western sanctions in order to sell Russian crude oil.
The targeting of Russia's gas and oil industry will continue to benefit Western oil majors who enjoy large-scale upstream production, as well as extensive refining and trade operations. Want my weekly column, plus energy insights and links trending stories delivered to your inbox each Monday and Thursday? Subscribe to my Power Up Newsletter here. You like this column? Open Interest (ROI) is 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.
(source: Reuters)