Softer spot LNG prices see demand gain, contrast with contract pain
Lower spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia have yet to drive a significant boost in demand for the super-chilled fuel, although there is an increase in appetite from price-sensitive buyers such as India and China, columnist Clyde Russell writes.
China’s booming air con use lifts mid-year power emissions
China’s power sector emissions during the hottest months of the year have jumped by more than half since 2015 due to soaring use of air conditioners to keep homes, offices and factories cool during summer.
China lithium boom slows as sagging prices batter high-cost miners
A slump in the price of lithium, a key raw material in electric car batteries, is dragging on China’s mining of the ultralight metal which together with a costly extraction process is prompting a reassessment of output growth and new project plans.
Azeri oil firm which took Russian funds redeems US bank loans early
Azeri oil firm Socar has redeemed a $1.3 billion syndicated loan led by U.S. banks Citi and JP Morgan two years ahead of schedule, around the time the Azeri firm received a loan of a similar amount from Russian oil firm Lukoil, three banking and trading sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
A $35 bln gas reunion tracks a topsy-turvy market
Top U.S. natural gas producer EQT’s old management weathered an activist investor outcry, squeaked through an expensive deal, and spun off its pipeline division – only to be ejected by the executives they bought out. Now, new management is putting the pieces back together, on Monday striking a merger with that spinoff, Equitrans Midstream. It’s a sign of how a shifting energy market has upended assumptions behind Wall Street-driven deals, according to Breakingviews.
