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Study shows that the majority of Indian districts are at high risk for heatwaves.
A study found that nearly 60% of Indian districts, which are home to about three quarters of the country's population, face an "extremely high" risk of extreme heat. The rising temperatures at night and the increasing humidity also compound the impact on health. The report, released on Tuesday, by the New Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water think tank analysed climate, infrastructure, and health data to calculate a score for heat risk. The study revealed that "roughly 57 percent of Indian districts, which are home to about 76 percent of India's population, currently face a high or very high heat-related risk," with New Delhi, the capital, having the highest heat-related risk. This study is being released as parts of North India continue to experience heatwaves and extreme heatwave conditions. Scientists say that climate change has exacerbated the trend of soaring temperatures in South Asia, which affects billions of people every year. The study also highlighted a rise of relative humidity in north India, even in traditionally arid areas, which worsens the heat stress on human bodies by slowing down the sweating process and making it more difficult to release heat when temperatures soar. The study recommends that states share heat action plans and consider other factors like humidity or demographics when planning heat risk. India's northwestern and east parts experienced more than double the normal number of heatwaves days between March 1 and 18 last year. (Reporting and editing by Conor Humphries in New Delhi, Surbhi Misra in New Delhi, Sakshi Dayal)
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Fuel traders in Nigeria are struggling to get gasoline from the refurbished refineries of state, they claim
Six months after being declared operational, Nigerian fuel dealers are still struggling to get gasoline from the newly renovated state-run refineries, they claim. This leaves them dependent on imports and Dangote Oil Refinery, which is privately owned. Nigeria has spent $2.4 billion to revive its long-mothballed Port Harcourt and Warri refining plants in the Niger Delta. This is to reduce the reliance on imported refined product. The first phase of refurbishment was completed in December 2024. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, a group of fuel traders, said that its 6,700 members are still dependent on imports, and the Dangote Refinery is Africa's largest, but has yet to reach maximum production capacity. Port Harcourt's refinery, which was previously Nigeria's biggest, produced no gasoline in March, according to the data of the regulator. The Dangote refinery produced 20.62 million litres in the same month, and imports added another 25.19 millions litres. This is equivalent to 92% Nigeria's 50-million-litre-per day gasoline market. Port Harcourt continues to refine diesel. NNPC which operates Port Harcourt refineries and Warri refineries did not reply to a comment request on the cause of the lack in gasoline supply. PETROAN said that there should be transparency about the state of refineries. They added in a press release that Nigerians wanted to "know the exact date of completion of the revamp project". The newly appointed NNPC Chief Executive Officer fired the heads of Nigeria's state-owned refineries on April 30th, about a month following his appointment. According to the National Bureau of Statistics data, Nigeria spent 9.63 billion dollars on gasoline imports in the past year. This is more than double the 7.51 trillion dollars spent in 2023. The authorities are hoping to reduce this bill by converting the product locally.
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Next week, Macron will visit Vietnam to discuss satellites and nuclear power
Officials said that Emmanuel Macron, the French President, is expected to discuss infrastructure and energy with Vietnam's top leaders during a visit to the ex-colony next week. During this state visit dozens of agreements may be signed. A larger tour through Southeast Asia includes the first visit to Vietnam in almost a decade by a French President. Macron will arrive in Hanoi, Indonesia, on 25 May, and then finish his tour in Singapore on 30 May, when he speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue - Asia's premier defence conference. The Elysee Office of Macron said that dozens were being prepared for signing during the visit. An official familiar with the discussions said that 30 pacts are being discussed ahead of Monday's signing ceremony. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam did not respond to a comment request. Vietnam, a country that relies heavily on exports, is attempting to readjust its model of growth to be more focused on government spending. Massive investments are planned in transportation, communications, and energy. Macron has visited the region recently, following in the footsteps of leaders from China, Japan, and other European nations. This is a sign that Southeast Asia holds strategic importance, especially in light of global uncertainty regarding supply chains and trade. SATELLITES AND ENERGY A contract is being negotiated for the replacement Earth-observation satellite built by Airbus Defence, which was launched in 2013. Un official stated that a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding on this could be signed during Macron’s visit. Another official confirmed that satellite talks were in progress. Airbus has not responded to a comment request, but in the past they have said that they were working on replacing the satellite of Vietnam. The Elysee has not commented on this particular agreement. The two officials stated that France was also interested in discussing energy cooperation. They expect to see progress on renewables projects within the EU-backed Just Energy Transition Partnership. One source said that nuclear energy would also be discussed, but no agreements were expected. Vietnam is relaunching its nuclear energy programme to help meet the growing demand for energy from its expanding economy. Officials have stated that Russia and Japan seem to be leading the nuclear talks currently. France, South Korea, and the United States also discussed possible collaboration with Hanoi. The Vietnamese government reported that talks with the U.S. and trade negotiations progressed this week. France is interested in plans to build a high-speed connection between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The project, estimated at $67 billion, would be the largest infrastructure project for Vietnam. Reporting by Francesco Guarascio and Elizabeth Pineau, Hanoi & Paris; Additional reporting from Phuong Nguyen, Hanoi; Editing done by Alex Richardson
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Source: Arctic LNG 2 begins production at the second train.
Sources familiar with the situation said that despite not being able to sell any liquefied gas from its first train, Russia's Arctic LNG 2 facility, which is under U.S. sanction, had started production on its second train. Novatek, a Russian energy company, declined to comment. The plant, located on the Gydan Peninsula that protrudes into the Kara Sea, was set to be one of Russia's biggest LNG plants. It would have a production of 19,8 million metric tonnes per year in three trains. Novatek started production at Arctic LNG on December 20, 2023. However, it is behind schedule with the delivery of cargoes due to a shortage of ice class gas carriers and Western Sanctions over Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Sources claim that Arctic LNG 2's production train 1 has been closed since October 11 due to sanctions which have prevented any sales. Satellite images suggest that Arctic LNG 2 restarted production at the end March. Russia's businessmen and officials have shown cautious optimism about the prospects for sanctions to ease after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in January. This could lead to closer relations with Vladimir Putin. Novatek is said to have been lobbying with two separate sources to try and rebuild U.S.-Russian relations. (Reporting and writing by Marwa Rashed; editing and proofreading by Barbara Lewis).
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Yemen's Houthis declare a'maritime ban' on Israel's Haifa Port
Houthis, who are allied with Iran in Yemen, announced on Monday a "maritime blocade" of Israel's Haifa Port in response to Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza. In a televised speech, Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the group, said that "all companies with ships in this port or headed to this port" are hereby informed that the port is now on the list of target ports as of the date of this announcement. Houthis continue to fire missiles on Israel, including Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. They claim to be in solidarity with Palestinians living in Gaza. However, they have agreed not to attack U.S. vessels. Most of the missiles fired by this group against Israel were intercepted. Israel responded by carrying out several strikes, including on May 6, which damaged Yemen's airport in Sanaa. Several people were killed. (Reporting and editing by Jaidaa Taka and Muhammad Al Gebaly)
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CEO of the busiest US port says that tariffs will not lead to a cargo boom.
The chief of the busiest U.S. Port does not expect the imports to surge after the tariff truce last week between Washington and Beijing, which temporarily reduced the duty from 145% to 30%. Gene Seroka is the executive director at the Port Los Angeles, which is also ranked No. In a Monday briefing, Gene Seroka, executive director of the port that is also No. Seroka, a port official, said that reservations for cargo ships heading to the port would see a slight increase in Asia. He said that the rise in tariffs is more likely to be due to importers buying up cargo manufactured before the U.S. implemented the 145% tariffs on July 1st, than it will be to new orders which may not be ready by the end of the 90-day respite period. Los Angeles' port and Long Beach, which is adjacent to it, handle 31% of the sea trade in the United States and serve as a barometer of economic activity. The ports handle everything from toys, auto parts and apparel to raw cotton and pet food. The United States, its largest maritime trading partner, imposed 145% import duty on China on April 9, resulting in a sharp decline in bookings. Imports in May reflect the 145% increase. Marine Exchange of Southern California reported that during the first 15 of this month, only 74 container vessels arrived in the ports of Los Angeles, and Long Beach. This is 11 less than normal. Seroka declined to give a forecast. Mario Cordero, the CEO of Port of Long Beach, said that he expects a drop of more than 10% in May imports. Retail demand accounts for almost half of the container shipping volume. Importers will pass on tariffs to consumers, increasing prices. Walmart, America's largest retailer, and a major user of container shipping services, announced that it will raise prices at the end May and reduce orders for products consumers won't pay more for. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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US DOE begins issuing orders on LNG export permits that are pending
After releasing its final report on the effects of future exports, the U.S. Department of Energy said it would begin to approve or reject pending permits for liquefied gas exports. In 2024, the administration of U.S. president Joe Biden halted any approvals of LNG exports pending the results of a study that would determine whether increasing LNG exports might harm the environment or increase gas prices due to a higher demand for gas from LNG plants. The U.S. is the largest LNG exporter in the world. Triple your export capacity The 2024 study confirms the knowledge that our nation has always held -- LNG is good for our economy, our allies and our national security," Tala Goudarzi, U.S. principal assistant secretary of DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management said on Monday. Energy Transfer's Lake Charles plant, which is expected to produce 16.5 million tons of metric tonnes per year in Louisiana and Cheniere Energy’s midscale 8- and 9-unit facility in Texas are two projects that have been proposed and await DOE approval. Reporting by Curtis Williams, Houston; Editing and production by Chris Reese & Richard Chang
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Sources say that energy investor Five Point is targeting $2 billion in revenue from the sale of Northwind pipelines.
People familiar with the situation said that the private equity owner of Northwind Midstream has been exploring the possibility of selling the Permian Gas Infrastructure Operator. Any deal is expected to value the Permian gas infrastructure operator at approximately $2 billion, including debt. Five Point Infrastructure has been working with Piper Sandler's investment bankers on the sale, which is still in its infancy and could attract interest from other midstream companies and buyout funds as well as infrastructure and buyout funds. They warned that no deal was guaranteed and any agreement might be at a different price. The people spoke under condition of anonymity in order to discuss private discussions. Five Point declined comment. Northwind and Piper Sandler declined to comment. Northwind Midstream, a company formed by Five Point, was founded in 2022. Since then, it has built a network of pipelines, compression stations, and a treatment plant in the northern part Delaware Basin in New Mexico. The company is primarily focused on treating and moving so-called "acid gas", a natural gas that contains sulfide of hydrogen and high levels of carbon dioxide. Before the natural gas is used commercially, it must be cleaned of chemical compounds. Northwind's sale is just the latest effort by private equity investors to sell the energy infrastructure networks that they have built in recent years to support the growing U.S. production of shale gas. Publicly listed pipeline operators are promoting dealmaking because they want to increase their capacity after having spent the last few years paying off debt and improving stock prices. Investment firms have also been a major player in the asset market. They have raised billions to purchase energy infrastructure that offers a steady return from fees for moving oil and natural gas.
Estonian broadcaster ERR reports that Russia has released a tanker oil from detention in the Baltic Sea.
The Russian government has released an oil tanker owned by Greece that was detained on Sunday in Russian waters after leaving an Estonian harbor. It has now resumed its voyage towards Rotterdam (the Dutch port), reported the Estonian public broadcaster ERR on Tuesday.
A review of LSEG's ship tracking data revealed that the Liberia flagged Green Admire was en route in the Baltic Sea with Rotterdam listed as its destination on Tuesday.
The Estonian Foreign Ministry reported on Sunday that the vessel had used a navigation channel to cross Russian territorial waters before being detained.
Estonia's Foreign Minister has stated that Russia's actions against the Green Admire were likely a reaction to a campaign conducted by the Estonian Navy to inspect tankers which transport millions of barrels Russian oil across the Baltic Sea. (Reporting from Stine Jacobsen).
(source: Reuters)