China’s biggest state-held energy firms are following the demand trends in the world’s top crude oil and natural gas importer.
After decades of growth, Chinese demand for transport fuels is peaking as electric vehicles and LNG-powered trucks are seizing market share from gasoline and diesel. But natural gas demand is only going up, and it’s expected to continue growing for decades.
Japan’s Terra Drone has signed an MoU with Saudi Aramco to develop innovative drone, robotics and AI-driven solutions for the oil and gas sector, the company said on Thursday.
The partnership aims to enhance safety and operational efficiency while supporting Saudi Arabia’s localisation efforts. The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration in research and development, technology piloting, and workforce training, aligning with the country’s broader economic goals.
Global infrastructure investment company Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and its institutional partners have agreed to buy all assets of Colonial Enterprises for approximately USD 9 billion, Brookfield announced on Thursday.
OPEC+ agreed to make a larger than expected oil supply hike in May, adding the equivalent of three monthly tranches from its previous plan to revive output.
The group led by Saudi Arabia and Russia will add 411,000 barrels a day to the market next month, according to a statement posted on the OPEC website. The decision followed a conference call between ministers on Thursday that was focused on member countries that had been consistently exceeding their quotas, delegates said, asking not to be identified as the talks were private.
Aker BP ASA has extended its alliance agreement with SLB (Schlumberger Limited) and Stimwell Services Ltd. for another five years. The alliance formed in 2019 has supported Aker BP’s operated assets in meeting production targets.
Aker BP said in a media release the alliance will work on further accelerating and boosting oil production.
Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract to supply an integrated package of equipment for a new Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) being built for ship owner DOF.
The new 110-meter OSV, with a capacity to accommodate 164 people, is designed by MMC Ship Design and constructed at CRIST shipyard in Gdynia, Poland. The vessel will operate offshore Newfoundland, known for its harsh environmental conditions.
bp Trinidad and Tobago (bpTT) today confirms its Cypre development has safely delivered its first gas.
bp’s Juniper rig, offshore Trinidad
Cypre is one of bp’s 10 major projects expected to start up worldwide between 2025 and 2027, announced as part of bp’s reset strategy to grow the upstream. Production from Cypre will make a significant contribution towards the 250,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) combined peak net production expected from these 10 projects.
In a bid to bolster investment and competitiveness within Africa’s oil and gas sector, national oil companies (NOCs) in Nigeria and Angola are progressing with long-anticipated initial public offerings (IPOs). These IPOs are poised to attract significant global investment, providing much-needed capital to enhance production capabilities, improve infrastructure and foster long-term growth. This move reflects a broader trend of African nations seeking to modernize and diversify their energy sectors, signaling a shift toward greater transparency and accountability in state-owned enterprises, while also positioning the continent as a more attractive investment destination in the global energy market.
The latest round of US sanctions on Iran, which now targets Chinese so-called ‘teapot’ oil refineries—small, independently owned facilities—signals a growing determination to tighten the economic noose around the Tehran administration. With potential consequences reaching far beyond Iran itself, these moves could reshape geopolitics, disrupt the global economy and send shockwaves through energy markets.
While there is not yet a “maximum pressure” situation—where Iranian oil exports could drop from 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to near zero—Washington is stepping up efforts to push Tehran back to the negotiating table for a new nuclear deal. However, escalating pressure could drive oil prices higher, conflicting with US President Donald Trump’s goal of lowering energy costs to fight inflation, as he promised in his January inauguration speech. Rystad Energy’s data on oil trade flows shows that almost all Iranian crude exports make their way to China, so achieving effective maximum pressure would require cooperation from the Chinese government.
The mothballed Nord Stream gas pipelines from Russia to Germany may return to service at some point as Europe’s industry would need some Russian gas to stay competitive, TotalEnergies’ chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said on Wednesday.
“I would not be surprised if two out of the four (came) back to stream, not four out of the four,” Patrick Pouyanne said at an industry event in Germany’s capital city, Berlin, as carried by Reuters.
“There is no way to be competitive against Russian gas with LNG coming from wherever it is,” the executive added.