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Turkey's Iran gas pipeline contract is nearing its expiration date, but no extension talks have yet taken place.
The long-term contract between Turkey and Iran for the?import of natural gas is due to expire within the next few months. Both countries could discuss a possible extension. However, no?negotiations have yet been initiated, according to the Turkish energy minister. The agreement expiring in July calls for a delivery of 9,6 billion cubic meters of gas per year. However, actual flows are often far below the agreed amount. Turkey imported 7,6 bcm of gas from Iran in 2012, which accounted for 13% total imports. Data from regulators shows that the pipeline's contracted volume was last reached in 2022. According to our forecasts, we might need this gas pipe or the flow of gas from Iran for the supply security of Turkey. No negotiations are currently underway. I believe?they're busy with so many other things. We could sit down and discuss an extension," Alparslan Bayraktar said to reporters at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, a southern Turkish province. Bayraktar, in reference to the Iran War, said: "But we haven’t started a discussion during the current conditions in the region." Bayraktar said that Turkey is also seeking to diversify its natural gas supply, including by using Russian liquefied?gas. Ankara issued a licence to BOTAS, a pipeline operator in Russia, for long-term LNG imports. This was reported by local media this month. BOTAS has been granted a 10-year licence by the regulator. This license was only given to countries where Turkey had long-term LNG contracts. These include Algeria and Oman. When asked about LNG imports from Russia, Bayraktar replied that Turkey has not yet started to import LNG. Turkey imports Russian gas through the BlueStream and TurkStream pipelines. Together, these two pipelines account for approximately 35% of Turkey's overall gas mix. Tuvan Gumrukcu, Can Sezer and Tuvan Gumrukcu (Reporting). Huseyin Haatsever wrote the article. Editing by Louise Heavens, Mark Potter and Mark Potter
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Ship tracking data shows five LNG-loaded Qatari vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz.
Ship-tracking data on Saturday showed that five vessels loaded with LNG?from Ras Laffan in Qatar are approaching the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels would have been the 'first?to successfully transit LNG cargoes in the waterway after the U.S./Israel war against Iran started on February 28. Iran reopened Friday the Strait of Hormuz, which carried before the war a fifth the world's LNG traffic. This was after a separate ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States, reached on Thursday between Israel and Lebanon. On Saturday, a convoy of oil tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz. The data from the analytics firm Kpler showed that the vessels Al Ghashamiya Lebrethah Fuwairit Rasheeda Disha had moved to the east towards the Strait?Hormuz. The first four tanks are owned by QatarEnergy while?Disha, a chartered vessel by India's Petronet, is controlled by?Petronet. QatarEnergy didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. "We see five vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz. The five vessels were loaded at Qatar's Ras Laffan plant. Two of the five vessels are bound for Pakistan, while two others may be headed to India, and one has no known destination, said Laura Page at Kpler, who manages LNG Insight. "In addition, two ballast Adnoc ships enter the Gulf of Oman to moor near Fujairah. The vessel movements are in line with flaring data, which indicates that multiple trains have been restarted at Ras Laffan’s north site as well as UAE’s Das Island plant", she added. Qatar is the second largest LNG exporter in the world, with most of its shipments going to customers in Asia. The Iranian attacks have impacted 17% of Qatar’s LNG export capacity. Repairs are expected to take three to five more years to complete.
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UK's Cooper calls for full resumption of ship traffic through Strait of Hormuz
Yvette Cooper, British Foreign Secretary, said that despite a ceasefire between the 'Iran War' and 'the Strait of Hormuz war being declared on Saturday there had been no return to normal operation. She urged Tehran to allow full global shipping to resume. Cooper said on the sidelines of an Antalya diplomatic forum that "we are in a crucial diplomatic moment. A ceasefire is now in place, but we do not yet have a normal passage through strait." On Saturday, a convoy of tanks crossed the strait. This was the first significant movement of ships through the waterway since the U.S. launched its war against Iran on February 28, The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran announced on Saturday that Tehran has agreed to "a managed?passage of limited number of oil tankers and other commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz". The strait would remain under Iranian control as long as the U.S. did not guarantee full freedom of movement for vessels traveling to and from Iran. Cooper stated that the U.S. - Iran?truce must develop into a lasting peaceful, and added that restoring the shipping along the waterway is urgent for the 'global economy. She said: "We need to open the Strait of Hormuz... as this will help all of our economies around the world, which are currently held hostage." Cooper stated that more than 50 countries have backed efforts in support of freedom?of?navigation, and over a dozen are prepared to provide maritime assistance, including demining, reassurance,?for ships, after the conflict is resolved. She said there was "considerable?work?to be done" to make the ceasefire a lasting settlement and called on all sides to maintain the truce. (Reporting and editing by Jonathan Spicer; Louise Heavens, Emelia Sithole Matarise, and Tuvan Gumrukcu)
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Ukraine strikes Baltic Sea port, Volga river industrial sites
Overnight, Russian local governors reported that Ukrainian drones had struck two industrial cities along the 'Volga River, as well as a port on the Baltic Sea near St Petersburg, which exports petroleum products. Governor Alexander Drozdenko announced that a fire was extinguished in the Vysotsk port, where a terminal operated by Lukoil handles the export of diesel fuel, vacuum gas oil, and naphtha. Vyacheslav Federischev, the governor of Samara region, confirmed that industrial targets were attacked in Syzran and Novokuibyshevsk. These cities are located around 1,800 kilometers (1,118 miles), to a southeast of Vysotsk. He didn't name the oil refineries, but both cities are home to oil refineries which have been repeatedly hit during?the?war in _Ukraine.
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American Airlines rejects merger talks United Airlines
American Airlines announced 'on Friday' that it is not interested in a merger between United Airlines, and that no such talks have taken place. This has diminished the prospects of a deal that could reshape the industry but would be subject to tough scrutiny by regulators. The combination of two major U.S. network providers would be the biggest consolidation in over a decade. It would further tighten a domestic market that is already dominated by 4 similar-sized players. The regulators, unions and consumers would be'very concerned about the increased fares and decreased competition. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby discussed the possibility of merging with American Airlines during a meeting that he had with U.S. president Donald Trump in late February. The meeting took place three days before the U.S. - Israel war against Iran, which sent jet fuel costs soaring. Airlines have since raised fares and fees in order to offset the higher costs. American Airlines said in a press release that while changes to the airline industry may be needed, a merger with United would have a negative impact on competition and consumers. This is in conflict with the Trump Administration's approach towards the industry and the antitrust laws. United Airlines and White House didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. The White House previously stated that it had no opinion about a possible United Airlines merger with American Airlines. (Reporting by Megavarshini G. Somasundaram in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
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Tickets for public transport to World Cup matches are $150 at Soccer-New Jersey
Tickets for round-trip public transit to the World Cup games in New Jersey are now $150. They were previously less than $15 on an average day. Tickets for World Cup matches can cost thousands of dollars due to the increase of more than 10 times in transit fares. The CEO of World Cup New York/New Jersey's host committee stated on Friday that "we expect public transportation to sell out because it will be the fastest, most efficient way to get to a?stadium." This service will offer round-trips between New York City and the MetLife Stadium via trains and shuttles. World Cup ticket holders will have access to 40,000 non-refundable seats, which go on sale May 13th. The stadium can hold up to 80,000 people. SHUTTLE SERVICE FIFA will operate a shuttle bus service from Manhattan to the stadium. The round-trip cost will be $80, several times more than the regular price. It will transport up to 10,000 people. Tickets will be available on Friday. New Jersey Transit CEO Kris Kolluri explained that the increased prices were due to the increase in passengers and the cost of World Cup security. Kolluri explained that "all consumer protection triggers?that normally trigger a violation?do not apply to us because we are seeking reimbursement for the money we spend, and secondly, we aren't a for profit company." Other transportation options will be limited, such as ride-sharing, because the public parking lots around the stadium, which can normally hold more than 20,000 vehicles, will close on game days. The host committee has said that it will manage the traffic to reduce congestion around the stadium. It gave a location where cars could be dropped off, which is a 20 minute walk from the stadium. Penn Station, Manhattan, will be closed for other passengers four hours prior to and following the Games. The MetLife Stadium is hosting eight World Cup matches, including the final.
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CORRECTED: Airlines cancel 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 to their destinations as 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 has cancelled flights from Tel Aviv to Beirut and Tel Aviv to Amman. It cancelled flights from Erbil to Baghdad and Dubai to June 29. AIRBALTIC AirBaltic, a Latvian airline, has announced that flights to Tel Aviv are cancelled until May 31. Dubai flights are cancelled up until October 24. AIR CANADA The Canadian carrier has canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai and other destinations until September 7. AIR EUROPA Spanish Airlines has canceled 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, Dammam and Dubai until May 17, and until June 14. CATHAY PACIFIC Hong Kong Airlines has suspended its flights to Dubai, Riyadh and cargo freighter service to Dubai and Riyadh up until June 30, and until May 31, respectively. In April, the airline will add extra flights to London and Paris, as well as 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 all New York-Tel Aviv flight and has delayed the start of its Atlanta to Tel Aviv route till September 5. The launch of the Boston-Tel Aviv flight, originally planned for late October has been postponed until further notice. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES Customers who had planned to leave Israel between April 18 and May 1 have been denied access to their flights, including return flights. From April 13, the number of destinations will be increased to 30 and then gradually increase throughout the month. EMIRATES Emirates Airlines has announced that it will be operating a reduced flight schedule to more than 100 locations. ETIHAD AERWAYS The UAE carrier said that it operates a commercial flight schedule from Abu Dhabi to around 80 destinations. FINNAIR The Finnish airline has cancelled all Doha flights up until July 2 and continues to avoid airspace in 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 is no longer a destination. The plan is to reduce the number of flights to Dubai, Doha, and Tel Aviv to one per day starting in July. Riyadh will be reduced from two daily flights down to just one starting in mid-May. The changes will apply until the end of the summer season on October 24. One Dubai service will restart on October 16. Iberia Express, the Spanish low-cost carrier of IAG, has cancelled all flights to Tel Aviv until May 31. JAPAN AIRLINES Japan Airlines suspends scheduled Doha-Tokyo and Tokyo-Doha flight schedules until May 10. Japan Airlines has also announced additional flights between Tokyo, London and Doha on April 25. The Polish airline has suspended flights to Tel Aviv till May 31. The airline also cancelled flights from March 31 until May 30 to Beirut and Riyadh. The airline will operate its winter route from Dubai to October. LUFTHANSA GROUP Lufthansa and Swiss Airlines have suspended flights from Dubai and Tel Aviv to October 24, and Amman, Beirut and Dammam to Riyadh. Lufthansa Cargo will be the same except for Tel Aviv, which is suspended until April 30. ITA Airways has extended its suspension of flights from and to Tel Aviv and Riyadh till May 10. Flights from and to?Dubai have been suspended until May 31. Eurowings, a low-cost airline, plans to suspend its flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut through April 30, and to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Amman until October 24. MALAYSIA AIRLINES Malaysia Airlines has suspended all flights to Doha till June 14. NORWEGIAN AIR The low-cost carrier has delayed the launch of Tel Aviv and Beirut flights 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 May 1. ROYAL MAROC Moroccan airline cancels flights to Doha until June 30, and to Dubai until May 31, 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 be increased 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 will be implemented gradually for flights starting in mid-April, and running until late July. QATAR AIRWAYS The airline said that it would be expanding its international flight networks, offering services to 150 destinations from June 16th. SINGAPORE Airlines In response to increased demand, the carrier has extended the suspension of Singapore-Dubai flights until May 31 and added services on Singapore-London Gatwick (late March) and Singapore-Melbourne (late March-October 24). TURKISH AIRLINES SunExpress, Turkish Airlines joint venture with Lufthansa has cancelled flights from Dubai to April 30. 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 Olenka, Bernadette HOG, Boleslaw LaSocki, Romolo Tosiani. Editing by Sumana Nady, Joe Bavier Mark Potter and Milla Nussi-Prussak
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New Jersey offers $150 tickets on public transportation for World Cup games
The cost of round-trip tickets for World Cup games in New Jersey is now $150. This is up from $15 on an average day. The increase of more than 10 times in transit fares can add thousands of dollars to the cost of World Cup match tickets. The CEO of World Cup New York/New Jersey's host committee stated on Friday that "we expect public transportation to sell out because it's the fastest and most efficient way to get to the stadium." Service will include round-trips from New York City to the MetLife Stadium by trains and shuttles. Tickets are?nontransferable and refundable. Tickets will only be sold to World Cup ticket holders on May 13th. On game days, parking lots that can normally hold more than 20,000 cars will not be open. The MetLife Stadium is hosting eight World Cup matches, including the final.
Tracking data from vessels shows a convoy of tankers crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
Data showed that a?convoy of 8 tankers crossed the Strait of?Hormuz Saturday. Some ship owners expressed their?hopes' that Tehran would allow them to leave the Gulf in a?short?ceasefire period during the Iran war.
MarineTraffic reported that the group, which included a very large crude carrier (VLCC), oil product and chemical tanks and liquefied propane gas (LPG), was passing through Iranian water south of Larak Island. From the Gulf, more tankers could be seen.
Since the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia launched their 'war on Iran' at the end February, Tehran has closed the Strait and forced all Gulf oil producers to cut production.
Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, which carried before the war a fifth?of world oil trade. This follows a separate ceasefire, brokered by the U.S., on Thursday, between?Israel? and Lebanon.
Some ship owners said they may try to take advantage of the opportunity to leave Gulf as long as the ceasefire is in place. All asked to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the situation.
Since yesterday afternoon, several ships have been seen approaching the strait before turning around. This indicates that the passage is still restricted.
A spokesperson for Iran's Revolutionary Guards stated in a statement released on Saturday: "Following previous agreements reached in negotiation, the Islamic?Republic of Iran acted in good faith and agreed to the controlled passage?of a?limited?number of commercial vessels and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz."
International Energy Agency said that the closure of the Strait resulted in a 'largest ever supply loss' - 10 million barrels per day of oil and a 20% reduction in global liquefied gas supplies.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq, and Kuwait, top Gulf producers, say that they need a constant inflow and outflow, and an unrestricted flow through the Strait, to be able resume their steady oil export operations. (Reporting and writing by Bureaus; editing by William Mallard, Emelia Sithole Matarise)
(source: Reuters)