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JPMorgan among banks providing financing for Kuwaiti oil pipeline stake deal
Three people familiar with the matter said that JPMorgan, two Kuwaiti banks and HSBC are joining forces to form a $6 billion financing consortium for prospective buyers of a stake in Kuwait Oil?Corporation?s crude 'oil pipeline network. KPC is in discussions with potential investors about a stake sale of its crude oil pipelines, estimated at $7 billion. The U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has thrown the process into doubt. State energy company said it had suffered "severe material damage" to some of its operating units following drone attacks. The company did not say which units were affected. Two of the sources stated that the company pushed back the deadline for the preliminary bids from April 7 to April 28, after investors requested more time because the?conflict was rapidly evolving. On April 8, the United States and Iran announced a ceasefire. One source said that investors are looking for guarantees to protect them from the risk of disruptions in the flow of goods through Kuwait's pipeline system and the Strait of Hormuz. TERMS OF THE LOAN According to the sources, the loan JPMorgan is offering for the KPC stake deal will have a tenure of 20 years and an indicative price of 170 basis point over the Secured overnight Financing rate. National Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait Finance House and others are also involved in the loan. The people declined to give their names as this matter is not public. One person described the price as competitive, given the current market conditions in the region. HSBC and JPMorgan declined to comment. They are advising KPC in this process. KPC, NBK, and KFH declined to comment on requests for comments. Three banks have joined HSBC which had reported that it was the lead underwriter on this transaction. The'stake sale' was launched just before the joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, on February 28, and Iranian attacks against Israel, U.S. base and Gulf States. Kuwait's central banks responded to the conflict by relaxing a number of regulatory requirements for local lenders. They also loosened liquidity standards, including coverage ratios and net stable funding rates, and raised lending limits in an effort to maintain credit flow and support economic stability. The KPC transaction is the latest of a series?of fundraisings for pipelines by Gulf oil companies. The KPC pipeline network links Kuwait's oilfields with export terminals in the Arabian Gulf.
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Two people killed in train crash on the outskirts of Indonesian Capital
Officials said that at least 'two' people died when two trains collided late Monday in the city of 'Bekasi. It is located near Jakarta, Indonesia. The collision occurred in Bekasi station between a commuter train and a long distance train, according to the spokesperson for?the commuter train operator Karina Amand. She added that "we're focusing on evacuating both passengers and crew". Franata Wibowo, spokesperson for a local train operator, confirmed to a broadcaster Kompas TV at least two deaths. Could not confirm the death count immediately. We are trying to evacuate the victims as soon as possible to the nearest hospital. Franata confirmed that two victims had died at the hospitals. Karina stated that the cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Witnesses reported that at least 20 ambulances were seen in Bekasi, and?rescuers of Indonesia's rescue agency were also present to assist passengers. Reporting by Ananda Terasia and Ajeng Dinar, Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Alex Richardson
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Finnair gains from SAS withdrawal and Middle East disruption
Finnair has reported that it is experiencing a rise in 'transit traffic' on its Asian routes, as rival SAS reduces some of their'services. Other airlines are also struggling with Middle East -related disruptions. Scandinavian Airlines, the largest airline in the Nordic region, will make Copenhagen its hub in 2024 after a post pandemic restructuring where the Swedish government sold its shares. Air France-KLM has now considered a controlling interest. This overhaul has resulted in a reduction of direct long-haul flights from Stockholm Arlanda Airport, despite Sweden's being the largest economy within this region. It has also pushed more passengers to transit through Finnair's hub at Helsinki instead of Copenhagen. Finnair's Chief Sales Officer Christine Rovelli stated that "as they (SAS), have rearranged the flights to focus on Copenhagen, we have (...) noticed a shift from some of their destinations they have stopped servicing onto our own networks." Rovelli stated that Finnair has 19 long haul?destinations this year from Helsinki, while SAS only flies 11 destinations from Stockholm. High?Hedging The Iran War has caused fuel prices to soar and disrupted travel in the Gulf, as well as on long-haul routes that stop there. SAS increased ticket prices and canceled 1,000 flights just in April. Finnair's first-quarter operating results improved by 47 million euros (40 million euro) after it hedged over 80% of fuel during the first two quarters, and 69% throughout the rest of the calendar year. Rovelli stated, "The Middle East situation has helped us increase demand for our flights, but it's controversial." Finnair's revenue from Asian routes increased by nearly 15% between 2024 and 2025. Finnair is also upgrading its 'European fleet' after struggling through the pandemic, and the closures of Russian airspace. This was supported by an extensive state recapitalisation. Rovelli stated that SAS's decision to abandon the three-hub model?spanning Copenhagen Oslo and Stockholm also created growth opportunities for Finnair?Norway. Norwegian is the main airline at Oslo Gardermoen Airport. It has no international routes. Rovelli stated that the decision by Sweden and Norway to "give up their national holdings" in airlines has only reinforced Finnair's argument for remaining independent. She said, "We are very happy to remain independently and we fully anticipate success in doing so." Finland owns a 55.7% share in Finnair. Finnair is a member of the Oneworld alliance.
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Source: Ukraine will take action against Israel if a grain ship docks
Israel could face a legal and diplomatic response from Kyiv, according to a Ukrainian diplomatic source. If it allows a vessel bringing?grain?from the Russian-occupied Ukraine?to dock at?the port?of Haifa? The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that earlier the Panormitis vessel, which was carrying grain from occupied Ukrainian territories that Kyiv considers stolen, was awaiting permission to berth in Haifa. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "If the ship and its cargo are not rejected, we reserve the right to use a full suite of diplomatic -and international legal-responses." Israel's Foreign Ministry did not respond immediately to a comment request. Haaretz reported Sunday that four shipments of grain from the occupied Ukraine have already been unloaded into Israel this year. The source stated that "the practice of laundering stolen goods is unacceptable and Israel has basically shrugged our demands in regards to the previous vessel." The source added that Kyiv had been tracking the vessel and warned that docking it would have a negative impact on bilateral relations between Ukraine & Israel. (Reporting and editing by Ros Russell. Additional reporting by Alexander Cornwell, Jerusalem)
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Rio Grande extends its LNG facility construction in Texas for three years
Rio Grande LNG 'has requested a three-year Extension from the U.S. Federal Regulatory Commission 'to?construct a export facility in Texas. In a Friday filing with the energy regulator, the company said that it needed time to complete certain projects and to make the Port of Brownsville liquefied?gas export facility operational by 2031. Rio Grande LNG, a?facility under construction owned by NextDecade with a capacity to?export 48?million tonne per year of super-chilled natural gas. Rio Grande has announced that construction on all five LNG trains is moving forward at the Rio Grande Terminal. Workers have been mobilized and are completing building activities across the site. The construction of trains 1-3 should be completed in the first quarter of?2029 and the remainder by the second of?2031. The five-train terminal is an important part of the company's LNG export ambitions on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Rio Grande expects to finish all authorized project facilities by November 22nd 2031. (Reporting and editing by Leroy Leo, Maju Samuel, and Pranav Mathur from Bengaluru)
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European budget airline Wizz upbeat on summer demand, jet fuel supply
Wizz Air’s CEO said that the European budget carrier's summer schedule will be 17% bigger this year. Growth is focused on the Balkans and Caucasus, despite concerns about jet fuel supplies and costs related to the Iran War. Jozsef Varradi, a reporter at a press briefing, said: "We're much stronger this year on summer bookings than last year." This was after airlines such as easyJet and TUI had announced recent?drops? in forward bookings. They also issued profit warnings. Analysts are uncertain about the longer-term outlook for European airlines as jet fuel hedges begin to run out in coming months. Varadi stated that Wizz Air had 70% of its fuel requirements covered for the summer and would be receiving 35 new 'Airbus aircraft in 2026. He said that the Hungarian airline would renew its hedges this summer when they expire in order to?protect itself against price volatility. Tankers were enticed to go to the U.S. for jet fuel at a $1,500 price per metric ton, according to Varadi, to make up for any shortfalls in Middle East jet fuel. (Reporting and writing by Joanna Plucinska; editing by Kate Holton, Alexander Smith and Sarah Young)
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Russian superyacht passes through the blocked Strait of Hormuz
Shipping data revealed that a superyacht associated with Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov, who is sanctioned, sailed the Strait of?Hormuz Saturday. It was one of?very, very few vessels? to pass through the blocked shipping lane in the?heart of U.S.Iran conflict. Nord, a 142-meter (465 foot) yacht valued at over $500 million, left a Dubai Marina on Friday around 1400 GMT, crossed the Strait on Saturday and arrived in Muscat on Sunday morning. The multi-deck vessel's route is unclear. Iran has restricted the flow of traffic through the Strait since?February. The strait is responsible for around a fifth of the world’s oil supply. Mordashov's representative declined to comment Monday. Washington and Tehran have maintained an uneasy ceasefire, which has seen only a handful of mainly merchant vessels pass through the important waterway at Gulf's entrance. This is a fraction of what was an average 125-140 'daily passages' before the Iran War began on February 28. As a countermeasure the U.S. imposed a port blockade on Iran. Russia and Iran have been long-time allies, and they've become even closer in the last few years. This is thanks to a 2025 agreement that boosted intelligence and security collaboration. Abbas Araqchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, arrived in Russia on Monday to meet Vladimir Putin after talks with mediators over the weekend in Pakistan and Oman. Mordashov is known to be close with Putin but is not listed as the owner of Nord. Shipping data and Russian corporate documents from 2025 show that the vessel was registered in 2022 to a Russian company owned by Mordashov's wife. This company is registered in Cherepovets (Russia), where Mordashov’s steelmaker Severstal also is. Mordashov is one of a number of Russians who were sanctioned after the Russian invasion of Ukraine by the United States of America and European Union for their "links" to Putin. According to Superyacht Times, the Nord is one of the world's largest yachts. It has 20 staterooms and features a swimming-pool, a helicopter pad, and a sub. (Reporting and editing by Alessandra Prrentice and Ros Russell Additional reporting and writing by Anastasia Lyrchikova, Jonathan Saul and Gleb Stolyarov)
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Airline cancels flights due to Middle East conflict
The global air travel industry is still severely affected by the Iran War. Many people are unable to fly when they planned, after major Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha, and Abu 'Dhabi were closed. The latest flight information is listed below alphabetically: AEGEAN AIRLINES The largest airline in Greece will resume its flights to Tel Aviv on April 28. Heraklion, on April 30, and Rhodes and Larnaca, on May 21. Thessaloniki-Tel Aviv flights are cancelled up until June 26. Flights to Riyadh, Amman and Dubai will resume on May 21. The flights to Beirut have been cancelled until June 26. Flights to Dubai will be suspended until June 29. Erbil, Baghdad and Erbil are also affected until May 2. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has announced that flights to Tel Aviv are cancelled until May 31, 2019. Dubai flights are cancelled until 24 October. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until September 7. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv till May 31. AIR FRANCE-KLM Air France has suspended Tel Aviv flights to Beirut, Dubai, and Riyadh until May 3. KLM suspends flights to Riyadh and Dubai until the 14th of June. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended its flights to Dubai, Riyadh and cargo freighter service to Dubai and Riyadh up until May 31, and until June 30, respectively. In April, the airline will increase passenger flights from Hong Kong to London, Paris, and Zurich to meet the increased demand for travel to Europe. It intends to continue operating all scheduled flights after June. The U.S. carrier cancelled flights between New York and Tel Aviv, and has delayed the start of its Atlanta to Tel Aviv route till September 5. The launch of the Boston-Tel Aviv flight, originally scheduled for late October, was delayed until further notice. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES Israel's carrier announced that it will continue to expand its operations and, from April 27, operate flights to around 40 active gateways. All flights to Dubai have been cancelled until May 31, 2019. EMIRATES The UAE airline announced that it will be operating a reduced flight schedule and flying to over 100 destinations. ETIHAD AERWAYS The UAE carrier has announced that it operates a commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi to around 80 destinations. FINNAIR The Finnish airline has cancelled all flights to Doha until July 2 and continues to avoid the airspaces of Iraq, Iran Syria, and Israel. The airline will only resume its Dubai flights by October. British Airways, owned by IAG, will reduce flights to the Middle East once services resume. Jeddah will be permanently dropped as a destination. From July, it plans to reduce the number of flights to Dubai, Doha and Tel Aviv from two daily flights to just one. Riyadh will be reduced from two daily flights in mid-May to just one. The changes will be in effect until the end of the summer season on October 24. One Dubai service will resume on October 16th. Iberia Express, the Spanish low-cost carrier of IAG, has canceled flights to Tel Aviv until May 31. KUWAIT AIRWAYS On April 26, the airline will resume flights to 17 destinations out of Kuwait International Airport after the authorities reopened Kuwait's airspace. Jazeera Airways is another Kuwaiti carrier that has resumed service from Kuwait to nine destinations after temporarily moving operations to Saudi Arabia. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines has suspended its scheduled Tokyo-Doha and Doha-Tokyo flight until May 31, and Doha-Tokyo until June 1. The Polish airline has suspended flights to Tel Aviv till May 31. The airline also cancelled flights from March 31 until May 30, and from June 30 to 30 to Riyadh. The airline will operate its winter route from Dubai to?October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa and other airlines, including Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, have suspended flights from Dubai and Tel Aviv to Dubai until May 31. Flights to Abu Dhabi and Amman, Beirut Dammam, Riyadh Erbil Muscat Tehran, Riyadh Erbil, Brussels Airlines, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Edelweiss have been suspended until May 31. Eurowings, a low-cost carrier, has suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut until May 11, Erbil and Beirut until May 14, and Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman to?October 24. ITA Airways has extended the suspension of flights from Tel Aviv, Riyadh, and Dubai to May 31. MALAYSIA AIRLINES Malaysian Airlines has suspended all flights to Doha through June 14. NORWEGIAN AIR The low-cost carrier has pushed back the planned launch of its Tel Aviv & Beirut services until June 15. PEGASUS Pegasus Airlines, Turkey's national airline, has cancelled all flights to Iran, Iraq, Amman Beirut, Kuwait Bahrain Doha Dammam Riyadh Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharjah and Abu Dhabi until June 1. QANTAS Australia's national carrier has added flights to Rome, Paris and other European destinations to meet the increased demand. The number of flights to Paris will rise from three to five weekly return flights, and the Perth to Singapore service will go from daily to ten flights per week. A new schedule for flights will be implemented gradually from mid-April until late July. QATAR AIRWAYS From May 1, the carrier will resume daily flights from Damascus to Bahrain, Kozhikode and Kozhikode. Qatar Airways has announced that it will expand its international flight network from June 16 to more than 150 destinations. ROYAL MAROC The Moroccan carrier has announced that flights to Doha and Dubai have been cancelled until 30 June. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended its Singapore-Dubai suspension flight until May 31 and added?services' on the Singapore London Gatwick route until late October 24, while also adding?services' on the Singapore Melbourne routes until late March. TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights from Dubai to May 21. WIZZ AIR Low-cost carrier suspends flights from Europe to Amman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi until mid-September. All flights to Medina are suspended indefinitely. (Compiled by Josephine Mason and Jamie Freed. Elviira Loma, Tiago Branao, Agnieszka Olesska, Bernadette HOG, Boleslaw LaSocki, Romolo Tosiani. Editing by Sumana Nady, Joe Bavier Mark Potter Milla Nissi -Prussak Susan Fenton Rod Nickel
Bousso: The energy market is in a twilight area because of the ceasefire between Iran and ROI
The Iran war ceasefire will bring much-needed relief to the economies that have been hit by the worst energy crisis in history. But hopes of a quick return to normal oil and natural gas flow from the Middle East are most likely misplaced. U.S. president Donald Trump agreed on Tuesday to a ceasefire for two weeks, provided that Iran halted its blockade of gas and oil shipments through 'Strait of Hormuz', the narrow waterway which typically handles?one fifth of the global oil trade. Abbas Araqchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, said Tehran would "halt counter-attacks" and ensure safe passage of vessels traversing the strait.
Uncertain is the exact time frame in which the ceasefire will be fully implemented. Iran continued to attack Israel and Gulf states shortly after Trump announced the deal, highlighting its fragility. In its sixth week of fighting, the war has already claimed over 5,000 lives in nearly a dozen different countries. It has also severely damaged regional infrastructure including oil and gas installations. The financial markets welcomed the news. The Nikkei index in Japan rose 5%, reaching a new high. Brent crude fell 13%, to $95 per barrel, by 0300 GMT. Traders priced in an easing of the supply risk.
QUICK RELIEF VAULT
The temporary ceasefire and reopening the Hormuz Strait would allow Middle Eastern exporters of oil to move significant volumes that have been trapped in the Gulf since hostilities started, providing immediate relief to global energy markets.
Kpler, a firm that provides analytics services, estimates that around 200 tankers are presently containing 130 million barrels crude oil and 46 millions barrels refined fuels in the region. Another 1.3 millions tonnes of liquefied gas is also stuck on vessels waiting for safe passage.
The disruption was particularly severe for Asia, where 60% of its gas and 80% of its oil imports come from the Middle East. Following the abrupt cuts in fuel deliveries, several countries were forced to reduce industrial production and ration supplies. These trapped volumes could therefore be released to ease the greatest pressure on Asian economies and energy systems.
The problem is not just clearing up the backlog. It is one thing to get tankers out of Gulf, but it's another to convince shipowners and chartered vessels to return.
The unprecedented blockade on Hormuz caused a severe disruption to global shipping markets, as it reduced tanker availability and pushed freight rates up to record levels. Shipowners will likely be extremely cautious when reentering the area during what, at best is a shaky, time-limited ceasefire. They fear that their vessels and crews may once again get trapped if hostilities return.
This caution will also constrain any attempts to restore normal export flows.
OIL PRODUCTION IN LAG
Kpler reports that Middle East oil exports via Hormuz fell by 13 million barrels a day (bpd), which is equivalent to 13% of the global demand. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were able to divert some shipments via alternative routes. However, regional producers had to close down an estimated 7.5 millions bpd production in March. This included 2.8 million bpd for Iraq and 1.9million bpd for Saudi Arabia.
As things stand, it is unlikely that much of this production will return quickly.
It can take several weeks to restart oilfields in the Middle East. Saudi Aramco, the UAE's Adnoc and other national oil companies may hesitate to restore production until they have more clarity about the duration of the ceasefire.
Repairs to refineries, fields, and export terminals that have been damaged by drone and missile strikes could take months or even years. A shortage of skilled workers and specialised equipment could also slow down restoration efforts in the region.
It is important that producers do not restart refineries and fields if they are unsure of the availability of tankers to transport crude oil, diesel, and jet fuel.
If Washington and Tehran agreed to a permanent cessation in hostilities, which led to a full reopening the Strait of Hormuz and oil and gas trade could return to normal operations. Even in this more optimistic scenario, however, the war will likely leave lasting scars to global supply.
According to Saul Kavonic of MST Marquee, who is the head of energy analysis, in the medium-term, oil markets could be 3 to 5 millions bpd tighter than pre-war expectations over the next several years due to damage done to export infrastructure, and the need to "rebuild depleted inventory",
The two-week-old ceasefire that is now in place risks becoming a temporary fix to what has become a global energy crisis of unprecedented proportions unless the warring sides reach a more firm peace agreement. The opinions expressed are those of Ron Bousso a columnist at. This column is great! Open Interest (ROI) is your new essential source of global financial commentary. Follow ROI on LinkedIn and X. Listen to the Morning Bid podcast daily on Apple, Spotify or the app. Subscribe to the Morning Bid podcast and hear journalists discussing the latest news in finance and markets seven days a weeks.
(source: Reuters)