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After a drone attack, Kazakhstan has rerouted its oil exports.
Five industry sources have confirmed that Kazakhstan will divert additional crude oil through the Baku, Tbilisi, and Ceyhan pipelines in December, after its main route for export, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium cut capacity due to damage caused by a Ukrainian drone strike. CPC, which transports over 80% Kazakhstan's oil and manages more than 1% global supply, temporarily halted its operations on Saturday, after an mooring near Russia's Novorossiisk Port was damaged. CPC resumed loadings Monday using the single point mooring that is currently operational. This allowed exports to continue with a lower capacity. The third SPM is scheduled for repair at CPC's Terminal. CPC has been reported to be rushing to complete the maintenance ahead schedule. Two sources have confirmed that Kazakhstan will increase shipments to BTC from the Caspian Sea Port of Aktau in December to 188,000 metric tonnes (47,000 barrels/day), an increase of about 30% compared to November. Tengizchevroil will supply 170,000 tonnes and the Kashagan oil field 18,000 tons. The port's capacity and oil quality standards in Aktau limit the volume of oil that can be transported through BTC. Kazakh producers can also export crude oil to Russia via Novorossiisk, Ust-Luga and the Druzhba Pipeline. However, these routes have lower margins because they are dependent on the capacity and capabilities of Russian pipeline operator Transneft. Sources said that the Russian pipeline system has been stretched to its limit after drone attacks on its refineries, export facilities and export terminals, which leaves little room for additional Kazakh flows. According to a source, producers could add up to 140,000 tonnes of Urals crude oil in December. The NCOC consortium that operates Kashagan and the Kazakhstan Ministry of Energy did not respond when asked for comment. TCO declined comment. TCO resumed BTC oil exports in November, after suspending them for a month in August because of excessive organic chlorides found in the Azeri BTC. Askhat Khasenov said in October that KazMunayGas was in discussions to increase BTC oil shipment to 2.2 millions tons by 2026 from 1.2million tons this year. Kazakh crude oil reaches Baku, Azerbaijan, by tanker, mainly from Tengiz, Kashagan, and BTC fields. It then flows through BTC into Turkey's Ceyhan Port. Reporting by. (Editing by Louise Heavens, Mark Potter and Mark Potter).
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Delta Air reports $200 million loss due to US Government Shutdown
Delta Air Lines announced on Wednesday that it expects the shutdown of the US government, which ended in late January, to have a $200-million impact on its fourth quarter profit before taxes. The carrier stated that the loss in profitability is about 25 cents a share. It added that the growth of travel bookings has returned to expectations after the end of the shutdown. The 43-day government shutdown affected flights, and thousands of air traffic control operators and other staff were forced to work without pay. JetBlue announced earlier this week that Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, and cancellations due to the shutdown, had impacted its operational performance by one point for the third quarter. Delta stated that the demand for December quarter was "healthy", and that trends are strong for early 2026. The company will present at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer & Retail Conference in the afternoon. (Reporting and editing by Shash Kuber in Bengaluru, Anshuman tripathy from Bengaluru)
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Romania destroys maritime drones in Black Sea
The Ministry of National Defence announced on Wednesday that the Romanian military had destroyed a drone maritime that was posing a danger to navigation in the Black Sea. This comes amid growing concerns over the risks associated with shipping in this area due to the conflict in Ukraine. The ministry stated that the drone found 36 nautical miles east of Constanta was a Sea Baby. The Sea Baby drone is a maritime one developed by Ukraine. Un spokesperson for the Romanian Ministry of Defence declined to identify the country from which the drone originated, but confirmed that it was a Sea Baby. At the time of publication, the Security Service of Ukraine refused to comment. Concerns about the safety of shipping on the Black Sea after attacks on Russian-linked tankers, including some claimed by Ukraine. Insurance rates To rise in an important body of water for shipping grain, oil or oil products. The Defence Ministry released a statement saying that "the intervention team was given approval to neutralize an identified object in accordance with operational procedures currently in place. At around 1:00 pm, the drone maritime was destroyed through controlled detonation." Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed Black Sea safety A Turkish Foreign Ministry Source said that Ankara had expressed its alarm over the attacks on Wednesday. Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey are working together to defuse mines that have been floating in the Black Sea since Russia invaded Ukraine 2022. The Romanian Navy has reported that since the start of the war, around 150 mines were discovered and destroyed. Reporting by Alan Charlish and Anna WlodarczakSemczuk; additional reporting by Luiza llie and Tom Balmforth. Editing by Sharon Singleton.
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Spain plans to cull wild boars after the outbreak of swine flu
Catalonia, a region in Spain, has pledged to reduce its wild boar populations, including through increased cullings, following the detection of African swine in several animals near Barcelona, in what is the first outbreak in Spain since 1994. This has put at risk the exports of pork from Spain, Europe's largest producer. The meat accounts for about a quarter (3.5 billion euros) of the EU's total output, with exports of around $4.05 billion per year. Two wild boars were first confirmed dead from the disease in the Collserola mountains outside Barcelona last week. Since then, seven other boars have been confirmed to be infected in the same region. Officials in Spain have stated that they expect to see more positive cases. The virus is harmless for humans but spreads quickly among wild boars and pigs. No farms have been infected so far. The Catalan regional leader Salvador Illa stated that local authorities have been working to reduce wild boar populations for some time due to their threat to public safety, but the recent outbreak shows the need to speed up the effort. Illa, who is in Mexico on an official trip, told reporters on Tuesday night that there were too many wild boars. "We have intensified and activated this task. We have contacted all hunting associations, and we are looking for proven and technically acceptable methods to achieve that." Overpopulation of boars The COAG farm association said that Spain's wild-boar population had grown by 550% over the past 30 years because of a lack effective control measures. Catalan public television has compiled data showing that there are approximately 1,000 wild boars living in the Collserola mountains, with 9.2 boars to every square kilometer. This is down from 17.4 boars in 2021-22, when the population was at its peak following the COVID-19 epidemic. This reduction was partly achieved through culling, as well as other measures. Officials believe the virus spread when a wild boar ate food contaminated by the virus. This could have been a sandwich that was brought in from outside Spain, perhaps by a trucker who stopped at a nearby gas station. "We have some of the most biosecure farming in Europe, but we're paying for a wild boar who ate a sandwich," COAG Official Jaume Bernis stated. After the outbreak, the Spanish government said that it had intensified its efforts to ensure international buyers' trust by working to obtain export certificates. Spain and Canada are still in negotiations with Canada on similar terms. China and Britain agreed to allow pork exports originating from non-affected areas. Luis Planas, the Agriculture Minister, told reporters that he will fight to resume exports "certificate-by-certificate and country-by country". (Reporting and editing by Joan Faus, Emma Pinedo and Jan Harvey).
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After Russian attacks on Turkish ships, Turkey talks about Black Sea security with NATO
Sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed Black Sea Safety on Wednesday. This was after Ankara had expressed concern over attacks on Russian-linked tankers – some of which were claimed by Ukraine. Ankara has condemned the attacks against vessels linked to Moscow in Turkey's exclusive zone economic off its Black Sea coast. Besiktas Shipping in Turkey, a company that has been involved with Russia for many years, halted its operations due to security concerns after the attacks. Ukraine, which is attacking Russia's oil exports while Moscow bombards the power grid in its country, has claimed responsibility for an attack last week by drones flying over water on two empty tanks heading to a Russian port. UKRAINE DENIES LINK TO TANKER IN INCIDENT Kyiv has denied any connection to a second incident that occurred on Tuesday, in which a Russian flagged tanker carrying sunflower oil claimed it was attacked by drones off the Turkish coast. A tanker of Besiktas Shipping, which also conducted business with Russia, was damaged by external impacts near Senegal. No one has claimed responsibility. Fidan and Rutte discussed, at a NATO summit in Brussels, issues related to the Black Sea and negotiations to end a nearly four-year conflict, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry official. The source did not provide any further details. The Turkish government has condemned the attacks against shipping and urged "all parties" involved to stop them. An official from Turkey said that this includes the Ukrainian authorities. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has reacted by threatening to cut off Ukraine's sea access. He also said that Moscow would intensify its strikes against Ukrainian vessels and facilities as well as move against oil tankers from countries who help Ukraine. FIDAN AND COUNTERPARTS Discuss Security in Black Sea, Trade According to a source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Fidan met in Brussels with his Romanians and Bulgarians counterparts to discuss navigational security in the Black Sea. Source: The trio stressed free trade, critical infrastructure security and safe sea routes. After the meeting, the person stated that "the need to adhere to the navigational safety of the Black Sea as well as adherence to the international legal rules...was stressed". Ayhan Zytinoglu said that targeting merchant ships within Turkey's exclusive zone of economic activity is "a dangerous escalation in the war in Ukraine" at an Istanbul forum on Wednesday. According to a report from his office, Tayyip Erdoan told French President Emmanuel Macron that Turkey is trying to revive ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul in a phone call. (Reporting Tuvan Gumrukcu Additional Reporting Jonathan Spicer Editing Peter Graff & Bernadettebaum)
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Polish Army to Protect Power Grid Infrastructure
A new agreement, signed on Wednesday amid growing concerns over Russian drone attacks, will see the Polish Army helping to protect transformer stations in Poland by sharing information and conducting joint exercises. According to the agreement, the Polish power grid and army chief of staff will also help the military buy equipment like anti-drone system. However, the agreement did not give any information about the funding for such cooperation. NATO member Poland is a key ally in the fight against Russia invasion of Ukraine. Since 2022 there has been a wave of sabotage, arson and other crimes, culminating with drone incursions and a train explosion in September. Warsaw said that the incidents were examples of Russian "state terror" and raised the level of threat on certain railway lines. Russia denies involvement. Drone incursions have brought to light the challenges of protecting over 16,000 km of high-voltage transmission lines, and 110 transformer stations that are key nodes of the electricity distribution system managed by PSE. "Aside from critical nodes, it's also a question of our position in Europe and that Poland connects the Baltic System with the rest on the continent. Grzegorz Onikimowski, PSE's chief executive told a press briefing that this part of the infrastructure needs special attention. PSE, along with its Baltic counterparts, has been requesting funds from the European Union to better protect facilities that are vulnerable. Polish grid has already strengthened its own armed protection to protect the vital elements of system and the cable that connects it with Lithuania. The agreement reached on Wednesday is a step in the right direction to strengthen grid defences. This agreement will allow joint drills between PSE security teams and the army in order to prepare the military for safe entry into the grid infrastructure. According to the CEO of the grid, they will work together more closely so that the military's need to fly low and wind farm connection permits do not conflict. The two will also share information about similar dangers to those of the September drone incursions. (Reporting and editing by Gareth Jones.
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Source: Ukraine shuts down pipeline that sends Russian oil to Hungary, Slovakia
A source from Ukraine's GUR intelligence service said that Ukraine had hit the Druzhba pipeline in Russia's Tambov central region. Calculations show that this was the fifth Ukrainian attack against the pipeline that supplies Russian oil into Hungary and Slovakia. Hungary and Slovakia are still buying energy from Russia even though other European Union countries have cut off ties with Russia following its invasion in Ukraine in 2022. Ukrainian media reported that remote-controlled explosives had been used in the attack. Slovak and Hungarian oil companies said on Wednesday that oil supply through Druzhba Running As normal. No comments were made by Russia. Ukraine has attacked the pipeline three times this year: once in March, two in August, and once in September. Kyiv claims that its attacks on energy targets are a response to Russia's continuing attacks on Ukraine. They aim to undermine Moscow’s overall war effort. (Reporting and writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing and editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Andrew Heavens, Andrew Cawthorne)
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Hungary challenges EU decision to phase-out Russian energy imports
Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's Foreign Minister, said that the country will appeal a European Union ruling on the phase-out of Russian energy sources before the EU Court of Justice. As part of an effort by the European Union to reduce its decades-long dependence on Russian energy, members have agreed that Russian gas imports will be phased out by 2027. Hungary and Slovakia were against the decision. Slovakia also weighs its legal options in relation to the EU order. Both countries still rely heavily on Russian gas and oil and are afraid that cheaper alternatives could damage their economies. Szijjarto stated during a Facebook broadcast that "accepting and implementing the Brussels order is not possible for Hungary." He claimed that the move was in violation of the EU founding document, and that it was a sanction measure disguised as a trade policy. Szijjarto stated that Hungary will formally take the matter before the EU's highest court after the final decision is made in Brussels. HUNGARY AND SLOVAKIA could join forces Szijjarto stated that he spoke with his Slovakian colleague about the issue and they agreed to coordinate. The Slovakian government, which, like Hungary, has maintained open relations with Russia, despite the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, discussed Wednesday its legal options but did not reveal what it would do. Last month, it had indicated that it would consider legal means and said much would depend on the way the European Commission met guarantees given to Slovakia in this year regarding possible shortages or prices spikes. We have enough legal grounds to file a lawsuit. "We agreed to present in the near future how the European Commission has met its commitments," Slovak Premier Robert Fico stated on Wednesday. Slovakia gained the assurances when it obstructed an EU package of sanctions against Russia that requires unanimity in the bloc. However, the energy phase-out plan is a legislative one and requires only a majority of support from members. Hungary and Slovakia have no way to block approval.
Data shows that Freeport Texas plant will take in more natgas on Wednesday following an outage.
Freeport LNG’s export plant in Texas is on track to receive more natural gas Wednesday, a sign one of its liquefaction train has been returned to service following a Tuesday shutdown. LSEG data as well as regulatory filings indicate.
In the past, changes in its operations caused price fluctuations in the global gas market.
Gas prices in the U.S. typically fall when flows to Freeport decrease due to a reduced demand for fuels from the export facility. Prices in Europe usually rise due to the drop in LNG supply available on global markets.
The futures prices in America were up about 3 percent on Wednesday, and are on track to close at their highest level in 35 months thanks in part to Freeport's return of its liquefaction trains.
The prices in Europe were near a 18-month low, though this was not always due to Freeport.
Freeport informed Texas environmental regulators of the Tuesday shutdown of Train 1 due to a reduction in gas flow. Freeport officials did not respond to requests for comment.
LSEG reported that gas flows into Freeport are on track to hit a five-month peak of approximately 2.0 billion cubic foot per day (bcfd), up from 1.7 bcfd Tuesday. This compares to an average of 1.9 billion cubic feet per day over the previous seven days.
Three liquefaction plants at Freeport can convert about 2.4 billion cubic feet per day of gas to LNG.
A billion cubic feet of natural gas can supply five million U.S. households for one day. (Reporting and editing by Louise Heavens, Alexander Smith, and Scott DiSavino)
(source: Reuters)