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Oil prices steady as investors focus on Ukraine war and US tariffs against India
The oil prices were stable on Wednesday after they had fallen in the previous session. Investors weighed the new U.S. duties on India, which is the third largest crude consumer in the world. Brent crude futures increased 1 cent at $67.32 per barrel at 0354 GMT. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) were up 8 cents to $63.33. After starting the week at a high of two weeks, both contracts dropped over 2% by Tuesday. Vandana Insights, a provider of oil market analyses, said that there is a lot of uncertainty about how to resolve the Ukraine crisis, and this will likely lead to volatility in crude, but only within a small range. Hari said that the market was not yet ready to include a significant supply risk premium. Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy, said Tuesday that he would be a part of the U.S. Meet Ukrainian representatives Washington has also been in contact with Russia to try and end the conflict. The traders are unsure about the direction of the market due to the U.S. plan to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports on Wednesday at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT), bringing the total to 50% and making it among Washington's highest tariffs. The President Donald Trump said that the increased charges were due to India's increasing purchases of Russian oil, which increased after Russia's invasion in Ukraine. Western sanctions forced Russia to reduce its cargoes. Indian refiners curtailed their Russian crude purchase following U.S. tariffs announcements and stricter European Union sanctions against Russian-backed Indian refinery Nayara Energy. Last week, sources from the company said that Indian Oil and Bharat petroleum, both state-owned refiners, have resumed purchasing Russian crude for September and October. Indian Oil, India's largest refiner, said that it would continue to purchase Russian crude oil depending on economics. Some analysts have questioned the impact of higher U.S. Tariffs on Indian purchases. The secondary tariff was not enough to stop India buying Russian oil. Market participants will closely monitor Russian oil flows into India to determine the impact of secondary tariffs, if any. This was stated by Warren Patterson, ING's head of commodity strategies. As a result of the war in Ukraine, the oil market is affected in other ways. Drone attacks by the Ukrainians on Russian refineries have cut their operations and forced them to export crude that they can't process. After the attacks of last week, Russia revised its crude oil export plans from western ports in August by 200,000 barrels a day from the original schedule.
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Trump's timeline for his attempts to destroy the US wind and Solar energy industries
U.S. president Donald Trump used his second term at the White House as a means to stymie the development of wind and sun energy facilities, which were an important part of former president Joe Biden's energy and climate agenda. This is the timeline of his administration's actions to unravel federal funding for clean energy projects. January 20, 2019 Trump suspended new wind energy leasing and permitting on federal lands, waters and pending federal review. This was a significant shift in U.S. Energy Policy, which had under Biden been focused on the decarbonization of the U.S. Electricity Grid by 2035. April 17, 2019 Construction was stopped on Equinor’s offshore wind project near the New York coast by the Trump administration, claiming that it had not been properly analyzed. A month later, Interior secretary Doug Burgum permitted work to resume in an apparent compromise reached with the state, which would have seen the Constitution Natural Gas Pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York, cancelled, revived. May 14, Interior Department announced it would take action to reverse a Biden-era regulation that had reduced fees for solar and winds projects on federal land, increasing costs for the developers. July 4, 2014 Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, a massive spending and tax package that ended wind and solar energy subsidies years earlier than expected. Analysts, project developers and manufacturers predicted that the legislation would reduce the amount of renewable energy installed in the United States over the next decade. It also said it would kill jobs and investment within the clean energy manufacturing industry, which supports them. July 17, 2017 Interior Department has announced new layers of approval for solar and wind power projects on federal land. This includes top-level officials' signatures. August 6, 2008 Interior Department cancels Biden Administration's approval for the 1,000 megawatt Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, citing community opposition and legal deficiencies. August 7, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will end a $7-billion grant program that aimed to expand solar power to low income communities. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that his agency does not have the authority to administer this program since the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. August 15, 2015 The Treasury Department has released rules that will make it more difficult for wind and solar project owners to claim tax credits under the OBBBA. These changes were made in response to a July executive order Trump gave to the agency directing it to restrict eligibility for tax credits. August 18, Brooke Rollins, Agriculture Secretary, said that her agency will no longer support solar and wind projects on productive farmland. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a day later that it would increase scrutiny of certain solar and wind energy projects, but did not end all support from the agency for clean energy projects in U.S. farmland. August 21 Commerce Department began an investigation of imported wind turbine parts, citing potential national security threats. According to Wood Mackenzie, about two-thirds the value of an average U.S. Wind Turbine is imported. August 22 The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has ordered Danish company Orsted, which is already 80% complete on the wind farm near Rhode Island's coast, to cease work. BOEM cited concerns about national security that were not specified. August 25, The administration announced that it would revoke US Wind's approvals of its offshore wind project near the Maryland coast in the next few weeks. The U.S. Department of Justice made the statement in a filing in a lawsuit against the government's approval of the planned facility. (Reporting and editing by Stephen Coates; Nichola Groom)
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Trump's actions to demolish the US wind and Solar energy industries
U.S. president Donald Trump used his second term at the White House as a means to stymie the development of wind and sun energy facilities, which were an important part of former president Joe Biden's energy and climate agenda. This is the timeline of his administration's actions to halt federal funding for clean energy projects. January 20, 2019 Trump suspended new wind energy leasing and permitting on federal lands, waters and pending federal review. This was a significant shift in U.S. Energy Policy, which had under Biden been focused on the decarbonization of the U.S. Electricity Grid by 2035. April 17, 2019 Construction was stopped on Equinor’s offshore wind project near the New York coast by the Trump administration, claiming that it had not been properly analyzed. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who had been in contact with the state, allowed construction to resume a month later. This was an apparent compromise that saw the Constitution Natural Gas Pipeline from Pennsylvania to New York, which had been cancelled, revived. May 14, Interior Department announced it would take action to reverse a Biden-era regulation that reduced fees for solar and renewable energy projects on federal land, increasing costs for developers. July 4, 2014 Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law, a massive spending and tax package that ended wind and solar energy subsidies years earlier than expected. Analysts, project developers and manufacturers predicted that the legislation would reduce the amount of renewable energy installed in the United States over the next decade. It also said it would kill jobs and investment within the clean energy manufacturing industry, which supports them. July 17, 2017 Interior Department has announced new layers of approval for solar and wind power projects on federal land. This includes top-level officials' signatures. August 6, 2008 Interior Department cancels Biden Administration's approval for the 1,000 megawatt Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho citing legal defects and community opposition. August 7, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will end a $7-billion grant program which aimed to increase solar energy in low-income areas. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin stated that his agency does not have the authority to administer this program since the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. August 15, 2015 The Treasury Department has released rules that will make it more difficult for wind and solar project owners to claim tax credits under the OBBBA. These changes were made in response to a July executive order Trump gave to the agency directing it to restrict eligibility for tax credits. August 18, Brooke Rollins, Agriculture Secretary, said that her agency will no longer support solar and wind projects on productive farmland. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a day later that it would increase scrutiny of certain solar and wind energy projects, but did not end all support from the agency for clean energy projects in U.S. farmland. August 21 Commerce Department began an investigation of imported wind turbine parts, citing potential national security threats. According to Wood Mackenzie, about two-thirds the value of an average U.S. Wind Turbine is imported. August 22 The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has ordered Danish company Orsted, which is already 80% complete on the wind farm near Rhode Island's coast, to cease work. BOEM cited concerns about national security that were not specified. August 25, The administration announced that it would revoke US Wind's approvals of its offshore wind project near the Maryland coast in the next few weeks. The U.S. Department of Justice made the statement in a filing in a lawsuit against the government's approval of the planned facility. (Reporting and editing by Stephen Coates; Nichola Groom)
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US consolidates USDOT IT systems and moves FAA staff to USDOT headquarters
According to a memo obtained by the, the U.S. Transportation Department announced on Tuesday that it would move Federal Aviation Administration Headquarters staff out of their current Washington building and consolidate other agency systems and IT. The FAA Headquarters staff will move into the building that houses the U.S. Transportation Department's headquarters in Washington. The Department also announced that it would begin retiring legacy systems, while embracing new technologies, as it strives to "streamline processes, consolidate administration functions, and modernize infrastructure in order to better serve American citizens." The FAA or USDOT didn't immediately respond to questions about how many employees might be affected. The Trump administration is consolidating office space and reducing the size of federal employees. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy informed employees that the initiative will be named 1DoT in order to "enhance Department of Transportation efficiency, accountability and operational excellence." USDOT informed Congress last month that it will lose just over 4,100 workers, falling from 57,000 employees to 52,862. The FAA, on the other hand, will shed 2,137 employees and fall from 46,250 down to 44,208. Duffy said last month that he was unsure if the Department would be conducting layoffs. Duffy added that the department will rehire in some areas, if necessary. "We're happy with where we are right now but will continue to evaluate where we stand in terms of our staffing requirements." (Reporting and editing by Stephen Coates; David Shepardson)
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US cancels another $175 Million in California High-Speed Rail Projects
After canceling $4 billion of federal grants in July for California's ambitious, but long-delayed, high-speed railway project, the U.S. Transportation Department announced on Tuesday that it will cancel $175 million of funding for four projects. The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it would withdraw funding from grade separations, overcrossings, design work, and the construction of a high-speed train station in Madera. California sued in July to contest the withdrawal of funds, calling it illegal. The USDOT has threatened to revoke $33 million of safety funding to California after it claimed that the state was not following federal regulations requiring truckers to be able speak English. The funding cuts represent another obstacle to the 16-year-old effort to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco with a train trip lasting three hours, a project which would provide the fastest passenger rail service available in the United States. The California High-Speed Rail Authority declined to comment immediately, but Newsom stated in July that the termination of grants was motivated by "petty political retribution" and President Trump's personal animus towards California and the High-Speed Rail Project, not facts on the ground. California voters approved the first $10 billion bond in 2008. Since then, more than 50 major structures have been built, including overpasses under-crossings, viaducts and bridges. The cancellation of funding marked the latest confrontation between a Republican president and a Democratic Governor widely considered as a top contender for the Democratic Party's nomination to the White House in 2028. Both men disagreed on a range of issues, from the transgender athlete and electric cars to the use National Guard troops at Los Angeles protests or even egg prices. San Francisco to Los Angeles was originally supposed to be finished by 2020 at a cost of $33 billion. The projected cost of the project has risen from $89 billion to a staggering $128 billion. Service is now expected to begin in 2033. The state challenged a previous decision by Trump to revoke federal grants worth $929 million during his first term, in 2019. This led to a settlement under Democratic President Joe Biden in June 2021, reversing the amount. (Reporting and editing by Leslie Adler, Stephen Coates, and David Shepardson)
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Canadian Pacific joins Buffett to reject railroad consolidation and narrow merger prospects
Two major rail operators pulled out of the merger race that has gripped industry in the last month. This has reshaped the competitive landscape, and raised the stakes on the proposed $85 billion union between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Canadian Pacific Kansas City, along with Warren Buffett's BNSF Railway BNSF Railway, publicly rejected any consolidation of the rail industry in the near future on Tuesday. This move reduces the likelihood that a $85 billion merger proposed last month by top U.S. railroad operator Union Pacific with Norfolk will lead to further corporate marriages. The merger will create the first east-west U.S. rail operator and reshape the movement of goods across the nation, from grains to automobiles. The merger sparked concerns over market concentration, and heated speculation that rivals might need to combine forces in order to stay competitive. REGIONAL DUOPOLY In recent decades the U.S. railroad industry has undergone significant mergers, going from dozens to just six major class 1 railroads. Four major U.S. carriers dominate the U.S. rail freight industry - two are located in the west, and two are in the east. This means that shippers only have two options when it comes to the origin point. Union Pacific, a major railroad company in the West, has proposed joining Norfolk, a railroad with ties to the East. Initially, it was speculated that the two other U.S. railroad operators – BNSF Railway (in the west) and CSX (in the east) – could merge in order to remain competitive against a giant coast-to-coast. The game has changed dramatically in recent days. BNSF, backed by Buffett, dropped out first. In the United States, two large Canadian railroads also operate. Canadian Pacific would be the only company with a trinational network that could merge with CSX. The announcement on Tuesday left CSX with no viable partner to merge large. RISE IN REGULATORY RISE Union Pacific's plan to purchase Norfolk and expand coast-to-coast faces increased regulatory risks. If this were the only transaction being reviewed by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board regulators will be more concerned if this is the only deal under review by the U.S. Last month, expectations were very different. Board officials were preparing to review megamerger proposals when Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern announced they were in discussions last month. It is anticipated that the review will take between 17 and 22 months. The Canadian Pacific Canadian Pacific issued a statement in which it said that additional consolidation was not necessary. It also warned against a merger across the continent, saying this could "trigger a permanent restructuring" and "an unnecessary surge of rail mergers." In a statement, CEO Keith Creel stated that "any major rail merger presents unique and unprecedented risk to customers and rail employees as well as the wider supply chain." Berkshire Hathaway confirmed that Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway vice chairman Greg Abel had met privately on August 3 with CSX CEO Joseph Hinrichs, but they made it clear they weren't pursuing a merge, Berkshire said in an email following a CNBC article. The two companies instead announced a new coast-tocoast intermodal service, signaling their preference for operational co-operation over consolidation. CEO Creel stated that "many of the benefits claimed in support of transcontinental fusions can be obtained through new and expanded industrial partnerships." He said that Canadian Pacific continues to pursue opportunities such as the recently announced collaboration between CSX and the Southeast Mexico Express, which links the U.S. Southeast with Mexico. Canadian Pacific shares the same stance as BNSF which, on Monday, also ruled out participation in a merger, citing similar concerns over industry disruption and regulatory uncertainties. Union Pacific is a dominant force in the western two thirds of the U.S., with Norfolk's 31,400-km (19,500-mile) network which primarily spans the eastern states. Norfolk said Union Pacific will pay a $2.5 billion termination fee in cash if the contract is terminated under certain circumstances. CSX announced on Tuesday that it is continuing to investigate additional options for improving transcontinental service. The company stated that the board and management of CSX are committed to exploring all possible opportunities to increase shareholder value. This is illustrated by the recent intermodal service contract with BNSF. (Reporting and editing by Dawn Kopecki, Richard Chang and Sabrina Valle from New York)
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US FAA funds system for preventing accidents involving runaway aircraft
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday that a system had been installed at Philadelphia International Airport to stop an airplane from taking off. The FAA granted $8.5 million for the first Engineered Material Awaiting System at the airport, which is a system of 2,000 tiles that are designed to stop an aircraft overrunning traveling up to 70 knots. The system is designed to stop an overrunning aircraft traveling at speeds up to 70 knots by using a crushable material that's installed and compressed by the landing gear. At a Tuesday press conference, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Park said: "This process decelerates the aircraft and stops it for safety." Over 60 US airports have 117 systems, which are installed in areas where the excess land is not enough to extend beyond runways. Philadelphia was the 21st busiest U.S. Airport last year, with 31 million passengers. American Airlines accounted for two-thirds. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that the system would allow for the use of the 5,000 foot long runway by business jets, smaller commercial aircraft, and to ensure the runway met agency standards. It will also help increase the capacity. Bedford stated that this is a win-win situation. We can now be confident that if there is a refused takeoff, the arrestor system ensures passenger and crew safety. The project involved demolition of an existing service road, the installation of utilities, storm water management, and ground settlement monitoring. Bedford said that the system was not cheap. It's an expensive upgrade, but it adds incremental capacity by taking essentially unusable space. In December, a crash of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-8 in South Korea killed 179 people after the plane belly-landed at Muan International airport and skidded away from the end of runway. It exploded in a fiery fireball when it slammed against a wall. There have been questions raised as to why there wasn't a system in order to prevent planes from overrunning the runway and hitting the wall. (Reporting and editing by Nick Zieminski, David Shepardson)
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US waives sanctions against Serbian NIS Oil Company owned by Russians
A Serbian official, who did not want to be identified, said that the United States had for the sixth consecutive time delayed sanctions against the Russian-owned Serbian oil company NIS. NIS operates the sole oil refinery of the Balkan nation. The official stated without further explanation that the waiver would be valid for a month. The Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury placed initial sanctions on Russia's petroleum sector on 10 January, and gave Gazprom a 45-day deadline to sell its NIS holdings. Requests for comment from the U.S. Treasury Department were not immediately responded to. NIS, of which Gazprom owns 44.9%, Gazprom 11.3%, and the Serbian Government 29.9%, operates Serbia's only refinery in Pancevo just outside Belgrade. Gazprom Neft, in an effort to avoid sanctions, transferred to Gazprom a stake in NIS of approximately 5.15% on the 26th February. The Pancevo plant has an annual production capacity of 4.8 millions tons, which covers the bulk of the Balkan countries' needs. Sanctions could threaten its crude supply via Croatia's Janaf. (Reporting and editing by Edward McAllister, Mark Porter and Aleksandar Vasovic)
Oil prices remain stable as the market waits for US tariffs to impact India
The oil prices on Wednesday were not much different from the previous session. This is because the market was waiting for the massive new U.S. duties on India, which is the third largest crude consumer in the world, to be imposed in response to India's purchases of Russian supplies.
The U.S. will impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports on Wednesday at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT), bringing the total to 50% and making it one of Washington's highest tariffs.
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has stated that India's increased purchases of Russian oil are due to Western sanctions forcing Russia to reduce its prices following Russia's invasion in Ukraine.
Brent crude futures increased 2 cents per barrel to $67.24 at 0133 GMT while West Texas Intermediate crude futures were unchanged at $63.25.
After starting the week at a high of two weeks, both contracts dropped over 2% by Tuesday.
In a Wednesday note, Daniel Hynes said that investors are still on edge because additional tariffs against India as a result of its purchases Russian crude loom over the market.
Indian refiners curtailed their Russian crude purchase following U.S. tariffs announcements and stricter European Union sanctions against Russian-backed Indian refinery Nayara Energy.
Last week, sources from the company said that Indian Oil and Bharat petroleum, both state-owned refiners, have resumed purchasing Russian crude for September and October. Indian Oil, India's largest refiner, said that it would continue to purchase Russian crude oil depending on economics.
Some analysts have questioned the impact of higher U.S. Tariffs on Indian purchases.
The secondary tariff was not enough to stop India buying Russian oil. Market participants will closely monitor Russian oil flows into India to determine the impact of secondary tariffs, if any. This was stated by Warren Patterson, ING's head of commodity strategies.
As a result of Ukrainian drone attacks against Russian refineries, their operations are cut back and they must export crude that cannot be processed.
Three people with knowledge of the situation said that Russia revised its crude oil export schedule from western ports in August by 200,000 barrels a day from the original schedule following the attacks last week. (Reporting and editing by Christian Schmollinger; Sudarshan Varadan)
(source: Reuters)