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El Nino could increase gas exports from Argentina to Brazil according to OLACDE's executive
A representative of the 'Latin American and 'Caribbean 'Energy Organization' (OLACDE), said that the El Nino phenomenon could cause Argentina's natural-gas sales to 'Brazil' to increase in the spring months in the Southern hemisphere. A strong El Nino will increase rainfall and frequency in Argentina. This would allow for greater use of hydroelectric power plants. The phenomenon will cause drought in western Brazil. This will require more natural gas to produce electricity at thermal power plants. Guido Maiulini of the strategic advisory department told Friday that Argentina may be able to export surpluses due to El Nino's impact on the Parana River. OLACDE is a regional organisation of 27 countries. Maiulini didn't estimate the amount that?gas sales, which are currently done ad-hoc, could increase. For the first time last year, Argentina exported gas to Brazil through Bolivian pipelines from its Vaca Muerta shale. REGIONAL GAS MARK Argentina is developing Vaca Muerta, located in the western part of the country. This area holds the second largest unconventional gas reserves worldwide and the fourth largest oil reserves. According to OLACDE a greater regional integration of gas is possible due to Vaca Muerta’s unconventional?resources? and?unmet demands in certain markets. OLACDE estimates that expanding regional trade would require an investment of $18 billion for infrastructure in 'Brazil and Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay. This includes a new gas pipeline connecting the Argentine province Santa Fe with 'Brazil Porto Alegre' and modifications to an existing pipeline linking Argentina to Bolivia. Maiulini said Argentina is currently negotiating with Brazil new gas export deals using pipelines located in Bolivia. (Reporting and writing by Eliana Razewski, Leila Miller, Editing by Rod Nickel).
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UN agency: UN evacuation plan for ships stranded in Gulf underway
The United Nations shipping agency announced on Tuesday that an evacuation plan is in place to allow hundreds of ships with 11,000 seafarers stuck?in?the Gulf to sail through the Strait of Hormuz. This follows the agreement between Iran and the U.S. to end hostilities. A spokesperson for the United Nations said, "We've started to contact the ships in order to begin the evacuation." The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) spokesperson said that the evacuation would begin as soon as possible. The IMO stated that it had?secured the necessary safety assurances and verified conditions for safe sailing. In a press release, IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez stated that "this?large-scale?operation will be carried out closely in cooperation with Iran and Oman as well as all other coastal'states' in the region. The United States, too, are involved." Oman's Defence Ministry said in a separate advisory that the evacuation process, under the IMO Plan, which has been discussed for months, would be phased. It said that "given the elevated collision risk in the current climate,?a gradual and managed evacuation of vessel traffic was required." The Omani Ministry said that the "so-called Traffic Separation Scheme" was not safe to use at the moment and two temporary routes north and south could be used as evacuation routes. The advisory from the Ministry stated that "parties coordinated by IMO will contact each vessel individually to inform them of the?transit date they have been assigned." The scheme adopted by the IMO in '68 established routes through Iranian - and Omani waters. The waters surrounding Hormuz are a major risk due to floating mines. (Reporting and editing by Gareth Jones, Andrew Cawthorne and Jonathan Saul)
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Nord Stream 2 pipeline owner sues EU over Russian gas ban
A public document revealed that the owner of the Gazprom controlled Nord Stream 2 pipeline has filed a lawsuit against the European Union at the second highest court in the bloc, attempting to overturn the EU's phase-out of binding gas imports from Russia. In response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU passed a law requiring all Russian gas imports to cease by late 2027. This would cut off all ties with Europe’s former largest supplier. The ban prevented the revival of the Nord Stream System - two double pipes under the Baltic Sea built by Russia's Gazprom state-controlled company to deliver 110 billion cubic meters of gas to Germany annually. Both structures were damaged by an explosion that occurred in August 2022. Russia accused Ukraine of the attack. Kyiv denied any involvement. Nord Stream 2 AG (the Swiss entity that owns a pipeline of the same name) has filed a suit before the EU General Court to overturn the EU ban. They claim that the EU ban is effectively securing the pipeline. Gazprom owns Nord Stream 2 AG. The applicant argues that the regulation essentially denies it the ability to use its pipeline commercially. The lawsuit stated that this is de facto expropriation, without compensation. Gazprom didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Both the European Parliament's and the Council of the EU's spokespeople declined to comment on the lawsuit. Nord Stream 2 is completed. However, Germany halted it just before Russia invaded Ukraine. The pipeline never began to operate. Nord Stream 1 has been delivering gas to Germany since more than a decade. The EU enacted its Russian gas embargo using a law which?required the approval of a strengthened majority of EU member countries. This was done to override?opposition by Hungary and Slovakia. Nord Stream 2 AG argued in its lawsuit that the Russian gas embargo was a sanction like measure that required approval from all EU member states. The lawsuit was filed on April 27th and published last week in the official journal of the EU. After the explosions, only one of the four pipelines - a part of Nord Stream 2 - remained intact. This month, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the pipeline could begin pumping gas "tomorrow." Before 2022, the EU will import around 40% of its gas. This dropped to 13% in the last year. (Reporting and additional reporting by America Hernandez, editing by Philip Blenkinsop & David Gregorio; Additional reporting by Kate Abnett)
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TotalEnergies CEO: We must invest in Gulf pipelines so as to avoid Hormuz.
By America Hernandez PARIS, June 23. CEO Patrick Pouyanne told an energy conference held in Paris that TotalEnergies must 'prioritise' the construction of pipelines to?export gas and oil?from the Middle East without having to send ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Pouyanne was asked to share his lessons learned over the past three-months of the Iran crisis, as Total is the major oil company most exposed to the Middle East. The Iran war has crippled the waterway that carries a fifth of the world’s oil to global markets. "The Strait of Hormuz is a real threat. We must act." "There is only one way to ensure that it does not remain a danger: we must invest into pipelines in order to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, this is our absolute priority," said he. Pouyanne also mentioned other export routes through Syria, Abu Dhabi and Iraq. Pouyanne explained that if you were in Iraq, and needed to reach the sea you could either go through Kuwait or Saudi Arabia or head towards Syria or Turkey. He said that Total found oil in Iraq in 1929 and built a?Iraq to Syria pipeline in just six years. The?world's biggest tanker of the time transported the oil across the Mediterranean, to a refinery in southern France. He added, "If our predecessors were able to do it 100 years ago, I think we should be able to do it again today."
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TSA: US agencies have confiscated more than 300 drones in the vicinity of World Cup sites
The Transportation Security Administration announced on Tuesday that U.S. agencies have seized more than 300 drones in the vicinity of FIFA 'World Cup venues, since the tournament started on June '11. Air traffic controllers must give specific permission for all aircraft operations on match days, including drones. This is within a three nautical mile radius and up to 3,000 ft above the ground around stadiums. The FBI field office in Miami said that it issued tickets to 49 drone operators for unauthorized flights, and confiscated 54 drones. The Federal Aviation Authority?has banned drones from overflying matches and fan gatherings in the United States. Drones are prohibited at?fan gatherings within a radius of one nautical mile and up to 1,000 feet above ground level. FAA officials said that drone operators who violate restricted airspace can be fined up to $100,000 and face criminal charges, as well as the confiscation of their drone. FBI teams are also stationed at World Cup stadiums in order to "detect and disable" unauthorised drones. Last year, Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to strengthen U.S. Defenses against threatening drones. Homeland Security Department also installed new counter-drone defense systems at the U.S. Mexico border in Texas. A man plead guilty last year after he was accused of violating defense airspace by flying a drone above a National Football League post-season game in Baltimore, in January 2025. Separately, Massachusetts?man charged with illegally?flying drone near the end line of April 2024 Boston Marathon. This prompted law enforcement officers to seize the drone mid-air. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
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Gulf oil tanker prices nearly double as Middle East producers increase exports
Shipping data and sources indicate that oil tanker operators have made record profits this week after almost doubling the cost of hiring vessels to travel through the Strait of Hormuz or the wider Gulf region. This is due to the increasing demand for the waterway as it slowly begins to pick up. The strait's traffic has been relatively low since Iran lifted the effective blockade after agreeing on a 60-day truce with the U.S. last week. Meanwhile, talks are continuing to reach a permanent agreement to end the war. The number of vessels passing through Hormuz has dropped to a fraction of what it was before the conflict started on February 28. According to market estimates, up to 100 tankers are still stuck in the Gulf with their cargoes, adding to an already tight supply of vessels, as Middle Eastern producers increase exports. According to ship brokers, and other industry sources, the rates for hiring a vessel outside of the Strait?Hormuz are now $190,500 per day, up from $106,500 one week earlier. The prices also increased outside the Gulf area. According to ship brokers and industry sources, the average daily earnings of very large crude carriers have increased by over $50,000 in the last week for cargoes that need to pass through Hormuz. Ship broker Clarksons stated that "tanker owners were preparing for a surge in Middle East crude cargoes over the next few weeks. They are encouraged by the fact spot TCEs, or earnings (averaged more than $100,000/day) despite the drop in cargo volume following the U.S. Iran hostilities." In a statement, it stated: "This shows that the supply of (tankers) is extremely tight. A reopening of Hormuz will further tighten capacity." FLURRY OF TENDERS FROM MIDDLE-EAST PRODUCERS Middle Eastern producers have been offering crude in a frenzy of tenders, especially Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. They are encouraging buyers to load from within the Gulf and this is boosting demand for tankers. Sinokor, one of the largest operators of supertankers in the world, did not reply to a comment request. The group's Belgium B supertanker, the last vessel to enter the Gulf and load cargoes for the group on Monday, was heading towards terminals in Iraq. Ship tracking data from MarineTraffic revealed this on Tuesday. Insurance industry sources say that while tanker rates are up, war risk insurance costs have fallen in the last five days, to about 3% of a ship's value, from around 5% a week earlier, excluding discounts. It would be a reduction of hundreds of thousands in insurance costs for ships. After months of supply disruptions, buyers in India, such as the country's largest refiner Reliance have sought crude from this region. Reliance has not responded to a comment request.
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Europe Inc. adapts to the heatwave with cool boxes and dawn starts
Companies are trying to protect their workers and keep operations running as temperatures in Europe reach above 40 degrees Celsius. They also want to take advantage of the soaring demand that could be a relief. DHL, the German logistics giant, has provided its delivery staff in Germany with "cool boxes", which contain reusable cooling towel, water-activated arm coolers, and UV-protective collar guards. Construction firms have shifted their working hours so that they start earlier and end before the hotter part of the day. Retailers are struggling to meet the demand for portable air conditioners and fans. DHL stated that "extremely high temperatures pose a special strain when physically demanding work", adding that workers should drink lots of fluids, wear sunscreen, and seek shade wherever possible. In France, 40 people have drowned recently as a weather system brought hot air from the Sahara northwards. The people were trying to avoid temperatures above 41 degrees Celsius in Bordeaux and Poitiers. In the north, some schools have closed or altered their timetables. Scientists have linked the most dramatic increase in temperatures to climate change on Europe. According to Climate Monitor, it was the continent that had temperatures Monday far above their?historic norm. Where to escape the heat? Coping strategies have become a part of everyday work for many workers. "I keep drinking water to hydrate myself because the heat is unbearable," said 58-year-old Madrid electrician Vladimir Yepes. Even when we're not in the sun, temperatures continue to rise. The 60-year-old accountant Juan Antonio Casas said that the temperature in his air-conditioned office was bearable but it would be "horrible" to go outside. The Central Association of the Construction Industry in Germany said that road construction crews and outdoor employees are most at risk from extreme heat. Heribert Joris is the head of the association's social and collective negotiation policy. France's association for farm cooperatives reported that some silos are organizing night shifts in order to receive grain, because local authorities have prohibited afternoon harvesting due to the increased risk of fire. SALE OPPORTUNITY for SOME Heat has produced winners and losers. Currys, a British electrical retailer, said that sales of fans increased nearly 3,000% in comparison to the previous weekend before the heatwave. Air-conditioning units also increased 330%. AO World Finance chief Mark Higgins stated that the heat in Britain - which experienced record temperatures also in May - had boosted demand sooner than normal. Higgins stated that the UK had experienced a spike in hot weather through May. This is earlier than what we normally experience during the year. When it's hot, air conditioners and fans are in high demand. This surge is indicative of a wider shift on a continent that has historically been less dependent on air conditioners than other regions, such as North America. Climate change is causing more frequent droughts, heatwaves, and floods. This will increase the economic costs for most people. In a study conducted by the University of Mannheim in collaboration with economists at the European Central Bank, it was found that extreme weather could cost the European Union EUR126 billion (USD143.46 billion). Southern Europe is particularly vulnerable, and the public authorities are forced to respond. Madrid has increased the number of "climate refuges" to provide respite for vulnerable residents. Some have paid a high price to cool their homes. Yandri is a 28-year old plumber from the Spanish capital who said that he sleeps in the air conditioning all night. You will see the bill. He said, "It's going to be a big bill."
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Oman and Iran continue talks to manage navigation in Strait of Hormuz
Oman and Iran agreed?on?Tuesday to continue discussions regarding the?future management of navigation?in?the Strait of?Hormuz.?Including maritime services and costs associated with it. In a statement released after the talks in Muscat the two countries announced that a working group comprising their respective foreign ministries will be formed to continue the discussion and they will consult with other littoral states and relevant parties. This move seems to be a fulfillment of a memorandum of understanding that was signed last week, which calls on Iran to have talks with Oman and the other Gulf coastal states about the future management of maritime services and navigation in the strait. The strait is a vital waterway to global oil supply. The agreement was announced after a visit from Iranian Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. They met Oman Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, and spoke with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Albusaidi. Oman and Iran have reaffirmed in a joint statement their commitment to ensuring safe passage along the waterway, while maintaining sovereignty over their own territorial waters. Since the U.S. and Israeli war began against Iran in February, the Strait has been closed to commercial shipping. After Iran began blocking the strait, the United States blocked Iranian ports. Oman and Iran have reaffirmed that they are committed to making the Strait of Hormuz a safe and open route for international traffic and to promoting maritime security, freedom and stability in the region. (Reporting and editing by Aidan Lewis, Timothy Heritage and Jana Choukeir)
Feeding Gaza: Traders run onslaught of bullets, bombs and kickbacks
Mohammed describes a shipment job from hell.
I get screwed on every delivery, the Gazan trader informed . He stated he has to hand over more than $14,000 for each truck of food he brings into the besieged enclave to pay sky-high transport expenses, kickbacks to intermediaries and security from looters. That's up from $1,500-$ 4,000 before the war began in October.
It's hardly worth my while. But I require food, my neighbours require food, the whole of Gaza requires food.
Mohammed said he doesn't like it, but he's required to hike prices of some fresh food like dairy items, fruit and chicken to 10 times their normal worth just to break even, though he understands this puts them out of reach of many hungry Gazans.
He and 17 other individuals interviewed , most of them traders and aid employees in Gaza with direct knowledge of the supply situation, described a chaotic system that frequently makes it too hazardous or costly for entrepreneur to import food, even as aid agencies alert of the growing risk of famine.
A lot of the people requested their complete names be withheld to speak freely about delicate matters, with traders like Mohammed saying they feared reprisals by regional gangs or being blacklisted by the Israeli armed force for speaking up.
The bulk of the cash spent on importing food goes on swelling trucking costs, according to the people talked to.
Chauffeurs in Israel have increased their rates by as much as threefold due to the fact that of attacks by Israeli protesters on trucks heading towards Gaza, they said. Cargoes likewise frequently have to wait for days, either near their departure points in the occupied West Bank or the Kerem Shalom border crossing from Israel into southern Gaza to be examined by Israeli soldiers and authorized to go into the enclave, they included, even more increasing expenses.
Once the items finally make it into Gaza, the sources told , the hairiest part of the journey begins.
Another trader, Hamuda, who imports pickled vegetables, poultry and dairy products from the West Bank, stated he either pays off regional criminal gangs or employs his own armed males to stand on top of the cargoes and fend off looters.
It's anywhere from $200 to $800 for this. It's worth it for a cargo that can be worth as much as $25,000, he stated. The guys I. hire are pals or relatives, I require about 3-5 per truck.
Meanwhile, none of the private-sector goods have made it to. northern Gaza, where aid firms state appetite is most intense,. because the Israeli armed force has closed that location off to their. commercial deliveries, all eight traders said.
2 help workers validated the only food readily available in. northern Gaza is help, with no industrial items for sale. The. Israeli military didn't talk about the accessibility of food for. sale in the north, a location dominated by Gaza City and its. environs.
The military, which manages coordination of aid in Gaza,. says it lets enough food in from Israel and Egypt for the entire. population. It acknowledged aid agencies face troubles in. transporting food once it has entered through crossing points. consisting of Kerem Shalom, without defining what the obstacles. were.
Dispersing help in Gaza is a intricate job considered that it is. an active war zone, a spokesperson told . Israel is. dedicated to allowing humanitarian help to get in Gaza for the. advantage of the civilian population ... it will facilitate it. while sticking to operational factors to consider on the ground.
The military stated Palestinian militant group Hamas, Gaza's. ruling group, was exploiting humanitarian infrastructure for. its military needs, without elaborating.
Hamas denied exploiting help and stated it doesn't interfere. with food deliveries. It validated that traders were employing. armed guards to protect their deliveries however stated none of those. males were linked to Hamas.
Our utmost goal is to relieve the suffering of our. people, said Hamas federal government spokesperson Ismail al-Thawabta.
' TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF LAW'
Getting food to the Gaza Strip's mostly displaced population. of 2.3 million has been beleaguered by bureaucracy and violence since. war broke out on Oct. 7, when a Hamas attack on towns in. southern Israel activated an Israeli bombardment and invasion. that has desolated the seaside area.
There are two main tracks of food entry: global help,. which is largely U.N. or U.N.-distributed products of. non-perishables, like rice, flour and tinned items and has made. up the bulk of imports throughout the war; and business. shipments, which include fresh fruit and vegetables important to fending off. malnutrition.
The Israeli military enabled commercial food deliveries from. Israel and the occupied West Bank to resume in May after its. assault on Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah - an essential gateway. from Egypt - considerably decreased the flow of U.N. help to the. ravaged Palestinian territory.
, which reported the business resumption, is likewise. the first news outlet to information the occurring expenses and mayhem. faced by Gazan traders that have actually hindered their efforts to import. fresh food for sale in the enclave's markets and stores.
Attacks on food trucks have risen given that Israel introduced its. May 7 Rafah offensive, which has actually deepened the chaos in Gaza by. scattering the 1.5 million individuals who had been sheltering in. tent camps there, according to the traders and help employees.
The U.N. materials that are still getting through to Gaza,. via Kerem Shalom or northern crossings, are even more vulnerable. to criminal gangs because, unlike personal businesses, U.N. agencies can't pay for armed protection, according to 6 aid. employees associated with coordinating food shipments. One approximated. that about 70% of the food trucks were being assaulted.
We are faced with a near total breakdown of law and. order with truck chauffeurs being routinely threatened or. assaulted, Philippe Lazzarini, head of U.N. relief company. UNRWA, told . Far a lot of trucks have actually been looted.
The difficulties faced by aid agencies imply the commercial. track has started to comprise a bigger proportion of food going into. Gaza, though the circulation remains erratic, according to the 8. traders interviewed.
They stated private-sector supplies has made up between 20. and 100 trucks a day - each carrying up to 20 tonnes of food -. because the Rafah assault was released. During this period,. Israeli military information reveals approximately 150 aid and commercial. food trucks a day have gone into in overall.
That is well short of the 600 trucks a day that the U.S. Company for International Development says is needed to attend to. the threat of famine.
The business food being available in is likewise costly, and little. replacement for global help that has actually already been spent for. by donor countries and organizations, according to the 6 aid. workers.
Some items have actually increased at least 15-fold in expense, said. Majed Qishawi, of the Norwegian Refugee Council in Gaza. Fundamental. items ... have actually disappeared from the market since of an extreme. drop in aid and commercial trucks arriving.
ISRAELI PROTESTERS ATTACK
Traders explained a long and perilous process to provide. food from their providers in Israel and the West Bank to their. designated destinations in Gaza, a 100-mile journey at the majority of, with. difficulty looming far before items reach the war-torn enclave.
Numerous Gaza-bound freights, transferred by Israeli drivers. or by Palestinian drivers who have consent to work in Israel,. were obstructed or assaulted by Israeli protesters in May in a spree. of violence which triggered Washington to sanction one involved. group with links to Israeli inhabitants. The protesters stated they. were preventing supplies from getting to Hamas.
Israeli drivers in specific have actually hiked their transportation. costs due to the fact that of the attacks - in some cases by 3 times, stated. another trader, Samir. A $1,000 trip can cost $3,000.
Cargoes then often get stuck in lines of trucks before they. can enter Gaza, with long waits costing importers about $200 to. $ 300 per day per truck, he added.
The hold-ups are triggered by a general stockpile in getting food. into Gaza, according to the 18 sources interviewed who also. consist of Palestinian and Western officials.
couldn't individually verify the logjam at the Gaza. border as Israel mostly bars reporters from Gaza and its. crossing points.
The traders and help employees stated that for two weeks at the. start of June, the Israeli military suspended all entry for. industrial items while a stockpile of humanitarian aid was. cleared. One trader shared a text message from an Israeli. military planner for materials into Gaza on June 9 informing. him that industrial circulations were on hold up until additional notice,. though could not confirm its credibility.
The industrial track opened up again around the Muslim Eid. al-Adha vacation start on June 15, individuals said.
BRIBES & & DEFENSE RACKETS
Once food cargoes are permitted to cross into Gaza, the items. are filled onto different trucks with regional drivers to be. dispersed to vendors in the enclave, the traders stated.
They are now in a battle zone.
Stretches of road in Rafah and the southern city of Khan. Younis that were thought about relatively safe before the Rafah. invasion are now infamous for attacks, the traders stated.
Three of the help workers stated truck lootings were an everyday. occurrence while Hamuda, the trader, approximated that about 6. times as many trucks are being raided now compared to. before the Rafah attack.
Some trucks are attacked for freights bring rarer. commodities such as meat or fresh fruit, Hamuda stated. Lots of. others are assaulted by gangs who have actually secretly organized to. smuggle items inside food shipments, specifically tobacco.
One Gazan trader shared a photo of cigarettes smuggled. inside a hollowed-out watermelon, though couldn't validate. its credibility.
Another challenge is continuous Israeli operations, according to. the traders who stated they have no military official to contact. in genuine time while their trucks are inside Gaza.
If a road is closed by combating or bombardment, they have no. method of figuring out a safe option, or relaying this. information to their motorists who are typically outdoors mobile phone. protection, they added.
3 traders said that last month they started paying larger,. better-connected Gazan entrepreneurs who have routine coordination. with the Israeli military to protect the entry of their cargoes. and protection for their trucks to their destinations.
The traders, who decreased to recognize the middlemen, stated. this service alone can cost approximately $14,000 to get the goods to. their location safely.
One of the traders, Abu Mohammed, stated he had to weigh up. just how much he could offer his cargo for. After treking my prices to. make up for the transportation costs, possibly I make a couple of. hundred dollars. Perhaps I break even, he said.
I also run the risk of losing everything, he added. If the delivery. is ransacked, my cash's been lost..
(source: Reuters)