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Brent crude futures fell $1.31, or 1.7%, to $80.05 a barrel by 11:18 a.m. EDT (1518 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $1.34, or 1.7%, to $75.55 a barrel. A stronger greenback reduces oil demand, making crude more expensive for investors holding other currencies. Oil prices remained on course for a weekly gain of more than 2%, after supply disruptions in Libya and Nigeria heightened concerns that the markets will tighten in coming months. Separately, Shell suspended loadings of Nigeria's Forcados crude oil owing to a potential leak at a terminal.

Persons: Brent, Dollar, John Kilduff, John Evans, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Sudarshan, Katya Golubkova, David Evans, Mark Potter, Louise Heavens, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Again, U.S, Shell, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, Libya, Nigeria, Bengaluru, London, Singapore, Tokyo

☆ Brent oil hovers above $81 after supply disruptions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Natalie Grover | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

On Thursday some oilfields in Libya were shut down because of a local tribe's protest against the kidnapping of a former minister. Separately, Shell suspended loadings of Nigeria's Forcados crude oil owing to a potential leak at a terminal. With the "market in thrall of a ‘tightening’ narrative", any more outages will push the oil price to levels that not even the most ardent bull would have predicted for the second half of the year, Evans added. Both Brent and WTI futures were down slightly at 1207 GMT, with Brent 9 cents lower at $81.27 a barrel and WTI down 11 cents at $76.78. Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's biggest oil exporters, this month agreed to deepen oil cuts in place since November last year, providing further support to crude prices.

Persons: John Evans, thrall, Evans, Brent, Craig Erlam, Natalie Grover, Sudarshan Varadhan, Katya Golubkova, David Evans, Mark Potter Organizations: Shell, Brent, International Energy Agency, Organization of, Petroleum, National Australia Bank, U.S ., U.S . Federal, OANDA, Thomson Locations: Libya, Nigeria, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, London, Singapore, Tokyo

Both Brent crude futures and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures , were trading slightly lower. Separately, Shell has suspended loadings of Nigeria's Forcados crude oil due to a potential leak at a terminal. Protests in Libya alone could take away more than 250,000 barrels of oil per day from the market, ANZ Research said. Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's biggest oil exporters, agreed this month to deepen oil cuts in place since November last year, providing further support to crude prices. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Thursday upgraded its oil demand forecast for 2023, adding it expected demand to grow 2.2% in 2024.

Persons: Brent, Edward Moya, Sudarshan Varadhan, Katya Golubkova, Jamie Freed, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Kim Coghill Organizations: Shell, Brent, . West Texas, ANZ Research, OANDA, of, Petroleum, National Australia Bank, U.S ., U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: Libya, Nigeria, SINGAPORE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, TOKYO

Separately, Shell has suspended loadings of Nigeria's Forcados crude oil due to a potential leak at a terminal. Protests in Libya alone could take away more than 250,000 barrels of oil per day from the market, ANZ Research said. Saudi Arabia and Russia, the world's biggest oil exporters, agreed this month to deepen oil cuts in place since November last year, providing further support to crude prices. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Thursday upgraded its oil demand forecast for 2023, adding it expected demand to grow 2.2% in 2024. U.S. consumer prices rose modestly in June at the smallest annual increase rate in more than two years as inflation continued to subside.

Persons: Edward Moya, Katya Golubkova, Jamie Freed, Muralikumar Organizations: Shell, Brent, . West Texas, ANZ Research, OANDA, of, Petroleum, National Bank of Australia, U.S ., U.S . Federal, Thomson Locations: Libya, Nigeria, SINGAPORE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, TOKYO

☆ 7 Republican AGs write to Target, say Pride month campaigns could violate their state’s child protection laws
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Lucy Kafanov | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Republican attorneys general from seven states signed a letter Wednesday to Target (TGT), warning clothes and merchandise sold as part of the retail giant’s Pride month campaigns could violate their state’s child protection laws. Nineteen states have passed laws restricting it. And more than 1 in 5 of Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+ – so we’re also their future. In May, Target said it was removing some products celebrating Pride Month after the company and its employees became the focus of a “volatile” anti-LGBTQ campaign. Target said it removed from shelves “items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.”Target did not have comment on the letter.

Persons: Theys, Katya ’, It’s, ” Jay Brown, HRC’s, Gen, we’re, Target Organizations: New, New York CNN, AGs, Rights, Training, Research, CNN, Human Locations: New York, Indiana , Arkansas , Idaho , Kentucky , Mississippi , Missouri, South Carolina

The Fed's fight to lower inflation "has a long way to go" Powell said on Wednesday in testimony prepared for delivery to the House Financial Services Committee. Providing some support for prices earlier, analysts polled by Reuters said they expected U.S. crude oil and product inventories to have declined last week. However, an expanded poll now predicts a small build in crude oil stockpiles. Official U.S. oil inventory data from the American Petroleum Institute will be released later on Wednesday and the Energy Information Administration's report will follow on Thursday. Price gains were also capped as British inflation defied expectations of a slowdown, data showed on Wednesday.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Brent, Powell, Price, Craig Erlam, Shariq Khan, Rowena Edwards, Katya Golubkova, Trixie Yap, Emelia Sithole, David Goodman, Chris Reese Organizations: . West Texas, Financial Services Committee, Analysts, Reuters, American Petroleum Institute, Energy, Bank of England, OANDA, Thomson Locations: BENGALURU, U.S

☆ Oil holds steady ahead of Powell's congressional testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Rowena Edwards | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices stabilised on Wednesday ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's congressional testimony later in the day and as data showing British inflation remained sticky raised the possibility of a hawkish Bank of England policy decision this week. The main market focus is on Fed officials due to speak later in the day, with Chair Powell's congressional testimony on the economy on Wednesday and Thursday the highlight. However, should Powell prompt a hawkish return of rate cut expectations, the U.S. dollar could see some support, ING strategist Francesco Pesole said in a note. A stronger U.S. dollar is bearish for oil as it makes commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies. Oil prices drew some support from a possible drawdown in U.S. crude stocks, with Reuters poll among five analysts estimating that crude stockpiles fell by about 400,000 barrels on average in the week to June 16.

Persons: Jerome, Brent, Craig Erlam, Powell, Francesco Pesole, Rowena Edwards, Katya Golubkova, Trixie Yap, Emelia Sithole, Louise Heavens Organizations: Federal, hawkish Bank of, . West Texas, Bank of England, U.S, ING, Reuters, American Petroleum Institute, Energy, Administration, Thomson Locations: bank's Washington, U.S, Tokyo, Singapore

June 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices rebounded early on Wednesday, recovering after two straight sessions of losses, as expectations of hawkish Fed talk later in the afternoon and possible U.S. crude stock draws in outweighed China demand worries. Concerns about demand recovery in China, the world's top oil importer, limited price gains as its economy struggles. "The only reason why I think prices are not climbing (steadily) yet is because the data from China is still unclear. "As for the Fed (meeting), that is also uncertain but with latest inflation data coming in a 4%, they have room to be dovish," Galimberti added. Looking to boost growth, China on Tuesday cut its benchmark loan prime rates (LPR) for the first time in 10 months, with a smaller-than-expected 10-basis-point reduction in the five-year LPR.

Persons: Brent, Powell, Jerome Powell, Claudio Galimberti, Galimberti, Katya Golubkova, Trixie Yap, Sonali Paul, Kim Coghill Organizations: Fed, . West Texas, ANZ Research, Market Committee, U.S . Federal, Federal Reserve, Reuters, American Petroleum Institute, Energy, Administration, Thomson Locations: China, Washington, U.S, Tokyo, Singapore

NEW YORK, June 20 (Reuters) - Oil futures fell about 2% in choppy trading on Tuesday on forecasts for slower growth of oil demand in China, the world's second-biggest oil consumer, and disappointment with the size of cuts in China's key lending rates. "Oil traders may need to see a materialised strong economic rebound in China to improve their outlook on oil demand," said Tina Teng at CMC Markets in Auckland. Higher interest rates ultimately increase borrowing costs for consumers, which could reduce oil demand by slowing economic growth. A stronger dollar makes crude more expensive for holders of other currencies, which can reduce oil demand. On the supply side, Iran's crude exports and oil output have hit new highs this year despite U.S. sanctions.

Persons: Brent, Edward Moya, Tina Teng, Thomas Barkin, Scott DiSavino, Noah Browning, Katya Golubkova, Andrew Hayley, David Goodman, Matthew Lewis Organizations: YORK, . West Texas, CMC Markets, China, Administration, Customs, . Federal Reserve, Richmond Fed, U.S ., Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Auckland, Russia, New York, London, Tokyo, Beijing

☆ Oil rises as Chinese economic indicators offer mixed picture
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Noah Browning | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for July was down 3 cents from Friday's close at $71.75. The more active WTI crude contract for August delivery was up 10 cents from Friday at $72.03 per barrel. There was no settlement in the WTI contract on Monday due to a public holiday in the United States. "Oil traders may need to see a materialised strong economic rebound in China to improve their outlook on oil demand," said Tina Teng, a markets analyst at CMC Markets in Auckland. Higher interest rates reduce appetite for spending and can drive down oil demand.

Persons: Brent, Tina Teng, Katya Golubkova, Andrew Hayley, Kim Coghill, Jason Neely, Louise Heavens Organizations: . West Texas, CMC Markets, China National Petroleum, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: China, United States, Auckland, Russia, Moscow, Tokyo, Beijing

TOKYO/BEIJING, June 20 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Tuesday after China cut benchmark lending rates less than some expected, sowing further concern over the oil demand outlook in the world's largest crude importer. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for July was down 99 cents from Friday's close at $70.79. The more active WTI crude contract for August delivery was down 71 cents from Friday at $71.22 per barrel. "The rate cuts ... were widely expected, hence it did not offer a bullish push to the oil markets," said Tina Teng, a markets analyst at CMC Markets in Auckland. "Oil traders may need to see a materialized strong economic rebound in China to improve their outlook on oil demand," Teng said.

Persons: Brent, Tina Teng, Teng, Jerome Powell, Katya Golubkova, Andrew Hayley, Jamie Freed, Tom Hogue Organizations: . West Texas, CMC Markets, European Central Bank, . Federal, Organization of, Petroleum, OPEC, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, BEIJING, China, United States, Auckland, Russia, Moscow, OPEC, Nigeria, Iran, Venezuela, Tokyo, Beijing

Companies NK Rosneft' PAO FollowJune 19 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Monday as questions over China's economy outweighed OPEC+ output cuts and the seventh straight drop in the number of oil and gas rigs operating in the United States. "(China's) economy is navigating through powerful headwinds," said PVM oil analyst Tamas Varga. In recent weeks global road traffic has been declining, said Jorge Leon, Rystad Energy's senior vice president, which may also point to slowing growth and drag on oil prices. Iran's crude exports and oil output have hit record highs in 2023 despite U.S. sanctions, according to consultants, shipping data and a source close to the matter, adding to global supply when other producers are limiting output. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia this month agreed on a new oil output deal and the group's biggest producer, Saudi Arabia, also pledged to make a deep cut to its output in July.

Persons: Brent, Tamas Varga, Jorge Leon, Rystad Energy's, Leon, Nia Williams, Ahmad Ghaddar, Katya Golubkova, Emily Chow, David Goodman, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: NK Rosneft, West Texas, of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, China, Europe, Russia, Saudi Arabia, British Columbia, London, Tokyo, Singapore

☆ Oil falls on China growth uncertainties
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies NK Rosneft' PAO FollowLONDON, June 19 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Monday as questions over China's economy outweighed OPEC+ output cuts and the seventh straight drop in the number of oil and gas rigs operating in the United States. Brent crude fell 17 cents, or 0.2%, to $76.44 a barrel by 0944 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude lost 31 cents, or 0.4%, to $71.47. "(China's) economy is navigating through powerful headwinds," said PVM oil analyst Tamas Varga. The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by eight to 687 in the week to June 16 for the lowest total since April 2022. , , . Iran's crude exports and oil output have hit record highs in 2023 despite U.S. sanctions, according to consultants, shipping data and a source close to the matter, adding to global supply when other producers are limiting output.

Persons: Brent, Tamas Varga, Ahmad Ghaddar, Katya Golubkova, Emily Chow, David Goodman Organizations: NK Rosneft, West Texas, Reuters, of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: United States, China, U.S, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tokyo, Singapore

A number of major banks have cut their 2023 gross domestic product growth forecasts for China after May data last week showed the post-COVID recovery in the world's second-largest economy was faltering. The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by 8 to 687 in the week to June 16, lowest since April 2022. , , . Earlier this month, OPEC+ had agreed on a new oil output deal. The group's biggest producer Saudi Arabia also pledged to make a deep cut to its output in July. Reporting by Katya Golubkova in Tokyo and Emily Chow in Singapore; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brent, Tina Teng, PBOC, Edward Moya, Moya, Igor Sechin, Sechin, Katya Golubkova, Emily Chow, Tom Hogue Organizations: NK Rosneft, U.S, West Texas, People's Bank of China's, CMC Markets, Reuters, of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, United States, China, U.S, Russia, OPEC, Saudi Arabia, Tokyo, Singapore

☆ Japanese companies team up for battery storage project to fuel clean energy expansion
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 7 (Reuters) - Japan's Itochu Corp (8001.T) said on Wednesday it has jointly established a power storage company with Osaka Gas Co (9532.T) and Tokyo Century Corp (8439.T), as the country's expansion in renewable energy drives demand for storage capacity. Batteries are central to Japan becoming carbon neutral by 2050, as they are critical for storage of renewable energy to smoothen output fluctuations. The project will have capacity of 23 megawatt hours and output of 11 megawatt, for which Itochu would provide storage batteries and construction, Osaka Gas would trade the power and Tokyo Century would do business management. Japan is targeting over $24 billion in investments both from the public and private sectors to develop domestic battery production capacity of 150 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030, including for electric vehicles, and global production by Japanese companies of 600 GWh. Reporting by Katya Golubkova; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Itochu, Katya Golubkova, Rashmi Organizations: Itochu Corp, Osaka Gas Co, Tokyo Century Corp, Osaka Gas, Thomson Locations: Osaka prefecture, Japan, Osaka, Tokyo

The G7, the European Union and Australia agreed to impose a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil and also set an upper price limit for Russian oil products to deprive Moscow of revenues for its invasion of Ukraine. The IEA, which provides analysis and input to the G7 on energy, does not see the enhanced enforcement of the price caps affecting the global oil and fuel supply, Birol told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the summit. According to Birol, the price cap reached two main objectives: it did not trigger tightness in the markets as Russian oil continued to flow but at the same time Moscow's revenues were reduced. But there are some loopholes, some challenges for the better functioning of the oil price cap," Birol said. "There is no determination of any time frame there, but I think the main issue is because of the reliance of especially European countries on Russian gas almost for decades.

☆ UK's Sunak says China poses world's biggest security challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Katya Golubkova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"China poses the biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity. They are increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad," Sunak told reporters after the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Sunak said Britain and other G7 countries would pursue a common approach to reduce the challenges posed by China. Sunak also said Britain would start training Ukrainian pilots this summer to support its air force in its war with Russia. At the three-day summit the G7 signalled to Russia their readiness to stand by Ukraine for the long term.

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 21 (Reuters) - Potential allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets were a message to Russia not to expect to succeed in its invasion of Ukraine even in a prolonged conflict, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday. "The training of the pilots is a longer project," Scholz told reporters before leaving the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Discussions with Kyiv were ongoing and no Ukrainian pilots were now being trained in France, the official said. The official said training a person from scratch to operate a NATO-made warplane could take as long as four years, while an experienced pilot used to Ukrainian jets would need four to nine months. We are in a counteroffensive stage and this training won't be ready in the coming weeks, but for the long term," the official said.

G7 members - the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Canada - are grappling with the immense challenges posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China, notably over Taiwan and economic security. The communique was issued shortly after the French government aircraft that brought Zelenskiy to Hiroshima touched down. Zelenskiy will hold bilateral meetings with G7 leaders, but significantly also the leaders of India and Brazil, two countries that have not distanced themselves from Moscow. He is due to hold a session on Sunday with the G7 before a broader session with the Global South attendees. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Hiroshima summit comes as G7 members are faced with the immense challenges posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China. The G7 nations are looking to "de-risk, not decouple" from China, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in Hiroshima. In a draft of the final communique seen by Reuters, G7 leaders agreed that China's status as the world's second-largest economy meant they had to continue to cooperate. U.S. President Joe Biden told G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports joint allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, in a significant endorsement for Kyiv. Reporting by Reuters G7 team in Hiroshima; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Meloni to leave G7 a day early to tackle Italy flood crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attend a meeting during the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan May 20, 2023 Ukrainian Presidential Press... Read moreHIROSHIMA/ROME, May 20 (Reuters) - Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set to leave the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima a day earlier than scheduled to lead the response to flooding which hit the north of her country this week, two sources said on Saturday. Torrential rains devastated the eastern side of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, killing 14 people, causing billions of euros worth of damage and hitting agriculture particularly hard. Italy's government will hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday to decide on measures to help people to cope with the emergency. Earlier in the day, Meloni thanked the G7 leaders and everyone from other countries who had expressed solidarity with Italy and those affected by the flooding. Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Angelo Amante, writing by Gianluca Semeraro, editing by Gavin Jones and Giles ElgoodOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The April meeting of G7 climate ministers eventually agreed, despite tussles between Japan and European nations, that gas investments "can be appropriate to help address potential market shortfalls" following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the disruption it has caused in global energy markets. Saturday's G7 leaders statement at their summit in Japan's Hiroshima changed the language - eventually formulated by Germany, sources say - to include gas investments again, with the G7 saying it was "necessary to accelerate the phase-out of our dependency on Russian energy". DEFENDING THE STANCEGerman government officials rejected that criticism, saying investments are needed to get away from Russian gas and find a replacement. The G7 pledged to achieve a net-zero emissions goal by 2050 and to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Max Lawson, head of inequality policy at activist group Oxfam, said the G7 had maintained a loophole for new fossil gas investments using the Russian military conflict with Ukraine "as an excuse."

☆ EU's Michel calls for 'stable and constructive' cooperation with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Katya Golubkova | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday it was in the EU's interest to maintain "stable and constructive" cooperation with China, as the Group of Seven countries met to consider China's "economic coercion" and other concerns. The EU wants to "de-risk to reduce over-dependencies and diversify to address unfair practices", Michel told a briefing in Hiroshima. "Stable and constructive relations with China is in our mutual interest," he said. Michel called on China to use its influence over its neighbour to end the war in Ukraine. "We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression," Michel said.

Summary U.S. crude stockpiles rise 5 mln bbl -EIAReuters poll forecast 900,000 bbl U.S. crude drawdownIEA predicts demand will outpace supply by 2 mln barrels per dayTOKYO, May 17 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled up about $2 on Wednesday as optimism over oil demand and U.S. debt ceiling negotiations outweighed worries about abundant supply. West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude settled up $1.97 or 2.8% to $72.83. President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to reach a deal soon to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid an economically catastrophic default. The International Energy Agency on Tuesday predicted demand would outpace supply by 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the second half of the year, with China making up 60% of oil demand growth in 2023. Markets are in a "wait-and-watch mode" over the outcome of the debt ceiling negotiations, said Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights.

Japan's insistence on continuing to rely on gas may delay reaching global climate change goals, especially as its energy companies reap large profits from their investments in the sector, climate activists say. "But I think Japanese companies will generally hesitate to be involved in gas projects in the future, especially those with long lead times. Japan's support for gas clashes with findings that new investments in gas, which is mainly composed of the greenhouse gas methane and produces CO2 emissions when burned for energy, would undermine climate goals. But, gas investments have been lucrative for Japan's energy companies resulting in record profits. But, Japan's stated intention to lower its carbon emissions may mean these gas investments carry some risk.

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