On a more pragmatic note, Nuttall suggested that “And from an energy perspective, it makes it a necessity to make it a national priority to build out more pipelines both to the east coast and west coast, to diversify the customer base. If we had the ability to circumvent the U.S. refineries, we would not be in this situation as a country.”
Canada is the biggest supplier of heavy crude to American refiners, exporting it at a rate of close to 4 million barrels daily, which makes it the biggest exporter of crude oil to the U.S. in general. Mexican crude oil exports north of the border are much smaller, at less than half a million barrels daily, but they still comprise the second-largest share of foreign oil in U.S. refiners’ mix. That fact may have played a role in Trump’s willingness to negotiate new trade deals quickly before the tariffs kick in and retaliation begins.
TotalEnergies SE has signed a “physical” power purchase agreement (PPA) with STMicroelectronics, a semiconductor specialist, for a renewable energy supply. TotalEnergies said in a media release that in January it started delivering renewable electricity to STMicroelectronics sites in France under a 15-year contract. The overall volume to be delivered under the contract is 1.5 terawatt hours (TWh).
EIR stated in the release that buyers looking beyond the Permian are likely to consider a wide range of options, including more mature, established areas like the Williston Basin and Eagle Ford and emerging opportunities like the liquids window of the Utica.
West Texas Intermediate edged down below $73 a barrel after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated that the planned tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China will start as soon as Feb. 1. Crude had earlier declined as much as 1.1% after Reuters reported the measures would be delayed until March 1 and may allow for exemptions, assuaging concerns about supply disruptions.
SLB noted that the EPCIC award follows a cost-reduction phase for Hafslund Celsio’s project, during which efficiency improvements, such as layout optimization, were identified. The project will utilize SLB Capturi’s modular Just Catch 400 unit. SLB said the space-efficient Just Catch design creates a feasible and cost-effective solution by minimizing on-site footprint, installation, and outfitting requirements.
The Deepsea Atlantic semi-submersible drilling rig will continue serving the Norwegian energy giant Equinor ASA until the end of the second quarter of 2027. Odfjell Drilling Ltd said in a media release that the unit will continue operating under previously agreed terms until the middle of the third quarter of 2026.
Iraq’s parliament passed a long-awaited plan to boost payments to oil companies in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, a step toward resuming exports from the area that were halted almost two years ago.
While Chevron’s upstream earnings rose in Q4 from a year earlier, primarily due to the absence of charges from decommissioning obligations for previously sold assets in the Gulf of America, the downstream business posted a loss of $248 million, compared to earnings of over $1.1 billion for the same period of 2023.
Goldman Sachs analysts predict Brent crude prices could temporarily surge to $93 per barrel if sanctions successfully curb oil exports from Iran and Russia by a combined 1 million barrels per day (bpd). In a note shared by Zerohedge on X, the bank outlined a scenario where Iran faces persistent supply disruptions while Russia experiences temporary setbacks, tightening global crude markets. With geopolitical tensions already pressuring supply chains, traders are watching for any policy shifts that could exacerbate the squeeze.