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The project is expected to cost 83.7 billion yuan ($12.2 billion), partner Panjin Xicheng Industrial Group said in a statement on WeChat on Sunday. Construction at the complex will start in the second quarter after the project secures the required administrative approvals, Aramco said. Before the pandemic, Aramco signed two other initial agreements for refinery-petrochemical investments in China. The other is with Shandong Energy that includes a potential crude supply agreement and chemical products offtake deal, as well as exploring collaboration on an integrated refining and petrochemical complex in China. Earlier in March, Saudi Aramco also broke ground on a $7 billion project to produce petrochemicals from crude oil at its South Korean affiliate S-Oil Corp's (010950.KS) refining complex in the port city of Ulsan.

[1/2] Staff members chat behind Chinese and U.S. flags displayed at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) in Beijing, China September 4, 2021. REUTERS/Florence LoBEIJING, March 23 (Reuters) - China has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus with the United States, Shu Jueting, a commerce ministry spokesperson, said on Thursday, despite signs that China is continuing to reduce its reliance on American exports. She said this was needed to "create the conditions for enterprises from both sides to expand trade cooperation and reduce the trade deficit through dialogue". The goods trade gap with China widened $29.4 billion to $382.9 billion in 2022. Trade tensions between the United States and China have been simmering ever since the US-China Phase One Trade Deal expired at the end of 2021.

☆ Venezuela president names PDVSA head Tellechea as new oil minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Deisy Buitrago | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File PhotoCARACAS, March 21 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday named the head of state oil company PDVSA, Pedro Rafael Tellechea, as the new oil minister, a day after his predecessor resigned amid an extensive corruption investigation focused on the company. Former minister Tareck El Aissami resigned on Monday after the arrest of several government officials and judges in connection with graft investigations. Sources with knowledge of the issue said more than 20 lower-level PDVSA officials have also been detained over recent days. Tellechea has been head of PDVSA since January and ordered an audit into heavy losses suffered last year as tankers left the country without proper payments being made for cargo. It is not the first time the government has promised a crackdown on alleged PDVSA corruption.

REUTERS/Florence LoBEIJING, March 20 (Reuters) - Chinese state energy giants have made a number of multi-billion dollar investments in Russia, one of China's top oil and gas suppliers, across various stages of the energy supply chain. Below are the main investments by the Chinese government, key state-owned energy companies and their listed vehicles, based on company releases and Reuters reports. 2005: Sakhalin-3 Veninsky oil projectRussian oil giant Rosneft (ROSN.MM) and Sinopec (600028.SS), agreed to jointly explore the Sakhalin-3 Veninsky block during a visit by China's then-president Hu Jintao to Moscow in 2005. It became China's first energy project in Russia. 2019: Arctic LNG 2In 2019 China's CNOOC Ltd (0883.HK) and PetroChina agreed to buy a combined 20% stake in the $25.5 billion Arctic-2 liquefied natural gas project led by Novatek.

☆ Adani Group suspends work on $4.2 bln project in India's Gujarat - PTI
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 19 (Reuters) - Adani Group has suspended work on a 349 billion rupee ($4.2 billion) petrochemical project at Mundra in India's western Gujarat state as it focuses on consolidating operations and addressing investor concerns after the Hindenburg shortseller report, according to the Press Trust of India. Adani Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for a comment. On Jan. 24, Hindenburg Research alleged stock manipulation and improper use of tax havens, and flagged concerns over debt levels at the company, which Adani has denied. India's top court has since asked market regulator SEBI to investigate Adani Group for any lapses related to public shareholding norms or regulatory disclosures. read more($1 = 82.5200 Indian rupees)Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline WongOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

March 14 (Reuters) - U.S. senators reintroduced a bipartisan bill on Tuesday that would allow nationwide sales of gasoline with a higher blend of ethanol year-round, as a second heavy-weight oil trade group appeared ready to back the idea. Year-round sales of E15 have been long sought by the biofuel industry and corn farmers, who would benefit from the increased market. The American Petroleum Institute (API), one of the largest U.S. oil trade groups, has supported the bill since it was introduced last autumn. On Tuesday, another top U.S. oil group, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), signaled it could support a national standard. In response to their request, the EPA in early March proposed to allow year-round E15 sales in those states.

☆ Union says Lyondell misled it about possible Houston refinery buyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HOUSTON, March 11 (Reuters) - The United Steelworkers union (USW) said in a letter to members it was misled by Lyondell Basell Industries (LYB.N) about possible buyers for the company’s Houston refinery, which the company has set for permanent closure late this year. The letter was sent on Friday to members who work at the Lyondell refinery. According to the letter, the union said it would contact government officials about the would-be buyers of the refinery and take further actions involving union members in the future. Offers made on the refinery when Lyondell was weighing a possible sale in 2021 fell short of the refinery's value, he said. Sources familiar with the matter said Kinder Morgan Inc (KMI.N), which operates a terminal near the refinery, approached Lyondell about a possible sale.

RIYADH/DUBAI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) (2010.SE), one of the world's biggest petrochemical companies, said on Tuesday its fourth-quarter net profit slumped 94% on lower average sales prices. The company posted a net income of 290 million riyals ($77.28 million) in the three-month period ended Dec. 31, down from 4.97 billion a year earlier. SABIC's shares fell 4% to 88 riyals in early trade in Riyadh following the results. Demand from China, which ended its strict pandemic-related controls in early December, could return in the second quarter or second half of 2023, SABIC's acting Chief Executive Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh said. Net income attributable to shareholders for the year 2022 was 16.53 billion riyals, down 28% from the previous year.

☆ Manchester United stock sinks 13.5% on a report that it's probably worth billions less than what its owners want to sell it for
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Manchester United stock fell as mush as 13.5% after a report suggested that it's worth billions less than the club's owners are seeking. A Financial Times analysis indicated that United's value is likely to be around $1.6 billion. The club's owners, the Glazer family, reportedly want at least $6 billion, per The Athletic. But an analysis by the Financial Times suggested the team's value is much lower — likely around $1.6 billion. The $1.6 billion valuation may ignore the intrinsic value of owning one of the sport's most notable franchises and brands as well.

☆ Dow said it was recycling our shoes. We found them in Indonesia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +19 min

While the sample was small, the fact that none of these shoes made it to a Singapore recycling facility underscores weaknesses in the system. Dow said these builds will use the 10,000 kilograms (22,000 pounds) of recycled shoe material that have been produced through the Singapore recycling project so far. Reuters had dropped those shoes into a Dow recycling bin at a Singapore community center in September, three months earlier. Recycling flopsThis is not the first novel recycling scheme launched by Dow that hasn’t lived up to its billing. In its Jan. 18 statement, Dow said the shoe recycling partners are “energized by the common vision of sport championing a greener and more sustainable Singapore.” Dow did not comment on the Journal of Consumer Psychology study.

☆ Major Gulf bourses drop on Fed's hawkish tone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Md Manzer Hussain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 23 (Reuters) - Major Gulf bourses closed lower on Thursday as investors remained cautious after the U.S. Federal Reserve's minutes from latest meeting reinforced a hawkish tone, although the Egyptian index bucked the trend. Most Gulf currencies are pegged to the U.S. dollar, while Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar usually mirror U.S. monetary policy changes. With steepest intraday decline since Jan. 17, the index witnessed losses in almost all sectors, led by financial and energy stocks. The gulf region's largest lender Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA) declined 2.1% and Qatar Islamic Bank (QISB.QA) plunged 9.6%, the sharpest intraday slide since March 2020 as the stock traded ex-dividend. Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) rose 1.4%, snapping its previous session losses.

☆ Column: Europe's industry to feel the sting of high & rising carbon costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

EU carbon credit pricesTwo-thirds of Europe's emissions stem from just three sectors: energy supply (24.2%), domestic transport (20.7%) and industry (20.7%), according to European Environment Agency (EEA) data from 2020, the latest available. Industry accounts for 25% of Germany's total energy consumption, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), so any successful retooling of Germany's energy systems will likely set trends across Europe. That would mark a 42% drop in only 8 years, and compares to an 18.7% reduction in total emissions from 2010 to 2022. However, given the expected shuttering of Germany's remaining coal plants and least efficient gas-fed power stations, the energy sector's target may be reachable. Germany industry energy use by power sourceCertain sectors are banking on the roll-out of clean hydrogen for use as a fuel instead of natural gas.

☆ Exclusive: State-backed Chinese fund buys stake in energy trader Mercuria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Julia Payne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Feb 22 (Reuters) - A subsidiary of China's CNIC Corp has bought a minority stake in Swiss-based global energy trader Mercuria, sources familiar with the matter said. China's top oil producer CNOOC was in 2022 preparing to sell its stakes in assets in Britain, Canada and the United States. The CNIC subsidiary bought the stake of just under 5% in Mercuria last year, the sources said. The unit that bought into Mercuria is focused on China's energy transition and provides a foothold for Mercuria in the country as the Geneva-based trader seeks to expand its presence in clean energy sources. Founded in 2004, Mercuria is among the top five global oil traders, moving around two million barrels per day of crude oil and refined products.

☆ China's Xi calls for early resolution of Iran nuclear issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China, February 14, 2023. Iran's President Website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERSBEIJING, Feb 14 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for the early and proper resolution of the Iran nuclear issue while expressing his support for the Islamic Republic in safeguarding its rights and interests, according to Chinese state media. China will continue to "participate constructively" in talks to resume negotiations on implementing the Iran nuclear agreement, Xi told Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi in talks in Beijing. In September, the United States imposed new sanctions on companies involved in Iran oil exports, including five based in China. Washington said it would continue enforcing sanctions on Iran's oil and petrochemical sales so long as Tehran continues to accelerate its nuclear program.

☆ Moscow's decades-old gas ties with Europe lie in ruins
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Vladimir Soldatkin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Washington has long criticised Germany's policy of reliance on Russian energy, which until last year, Berlin had said was a means to improve relations. In October, he mooted an idea of a gas hub in Turkey to divert the Russian gas flows from the Baltic Sea and North-West Europe. The 20-year supply deal is worth about $30 billion in current gas prices. In Europe, gas prices hit record levels and international oil prices shortly after the special military operation began spiked close to their all-time high. Domestic gas prices are regulated by the government and there have been discussions about liberalising the gas market, a sensitive issue for Russian households.

☆ Nokia, Kyndryl extend partnership for private 5G factory networks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Nokia (NOKIA.HE) and Kyndryl (KD.N) have extended their partnership for three years after clocking up more than 100 customers for automating factories using 5G wireless networks, following their first tie-up a year earlier. "We grew the business significantly last year with the number of customers and number of networks," Chris Johnson, head of Nokia's enterprise business, told Reuters. The companies said some customers were now coming back to put private networks into more of their factories after the initial one. In Dow Chemical's petrochemical processing plant in Texas, the private wireless network increased worker safety, enabled remote audio and video collaboration, personnel tracking, and vehicle telematics, the companies said. The size of the global private 5G network market is expected to reach $41.02 billion by 2030 from 1.38 billion in 2021, according to a study by Grand View Research.

☆ U.S. Sanctions Nine Companies for Moving Iranian Oil Products
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctioned nine companies for allegedly helping move Iranian petroleum products and petrochemicals valued at hundreds of millions of dollars to buyers in Asia via a previously sanctioned Hong Kong company. Three companies in Malaysia and Singapore are among those facing sanctions, Treasury said Thursday. The companies were allegedly involved in the sale and shipment of products on behalf of Triliance Petrochemical Co., a Hong Kong-based broker that was added to the sanctions list in 2020. “Iran [is] increasingly turning to buyers in East Asia to sell its petrochemical and petroleum products, in violation of U.S. sanctions,” said Brian E. Nelson, a Treasury undersecretary. Officials are considering new sanctions on Chinese surveillance companies over sales to Iran’s security forces.

☆ The world is creating more single-use plastic waste than ever, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —The world is producing a record amount of single-use plastic waste, mostly made from polymers created from fossil fuels, despite global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and carbon emissions, according to a new report released Monday. The second Plastic Waste Makers Index, compiled by the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, found the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021, which was 6 million metric tons more than in 2019, when the first index was released. In recent years, governments around the world have announced policies to reduce the volume of single-use plastic, banning products like single-use straws, disposable cutlery, food containers, cotton swabs, bags and balloons. Many countries have banned single-use plastic plates and cutlery. In the developing world, it’ll lead to people who would not otherwise have any work, having work making sure there’s no plastic waste going into the ocean, there’s no plastic waste on streets, there’s no plastic waste poisoning wildlife,” he said.

☆ This startup helping fashion cut down on fossil fuels with dyes made of vegetal waste just raised $3.7 million. Here's the 15-slide pitch deck Ever Dye used to raise the cash.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A startup hoping to help fashion cut its reliance on fossil fuels just raised $3.7 million. Take a peek at the 15-slide pitch deck Ever Dye used to raise the funds from Nordic firm Maki.vc. Traditional, synthetic dyes rely on chemicals that are derived from fossil fuels, take hours to apply, and require high temperatures. Ever Dye's process also uses less water because it doesn't require as many washes in between, Palacci added. The company uses minerals for its colors, starting with black, red, and blue.

☆ Analysis: India's EV dawn fans expectations fuel demand may peak early
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Mohi Narayan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Currently, around 90% of Indian petrochemical demand is met by China, he said, so a shift by Indian refiners towards domestic chemical needs could dramatically change supply dynamics. Indian refiners are investing billions of dollars to raise petrochemical capacity. Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), the country's top refiner, is raising petrochemical capacity at its Panipat refinery by 13% and building new plants linked to its Paradip and Gujarat refineries. India's state refiners, which dominate fuel retailers, plan to set up EV charging facilities at more than 22,000 fuel stations and highways by 2024. About 40% of India's fuel demand is for diesel, which is mostly used by trucks.

☆ Reported tornado causes damage east of Houston
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Strong winds damaged commercial buildings, homes and power lines in nearby Pasadena, a city southeast of Houston. Utility poles and power lines were downed, and several vehicles, including a trailer, were damaged or flipped over in a parking lot. A home is damaged in Pasadena, Texas, where a tornado was reported to have passed Tuesday. In Baytown, there were downed power lines and damage to homes and businesses, but no reports of serious injuries, said Baytown spokesperson Jason Calder. People cross under downed power lines where a tornado was reported on Jan. 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas.

☆ U.S. oil refining margins hit 3-month high as plant outages rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Shariq Khan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 24 (Reuters) - U.S. oil refining margins on Tuesday hit a three-month high and are likely headed higher, analysts said, as unplanned refinery outages weigh on already-tight fuel supplies. The outages have pushed up gasoline prices in Texas and Oklahoma this year ahead of what is expected to be a heavier than usual turnaround season for refineries. The rising prices and margins are unusual for this time of year, when travel falls. Average gasoline prices in Texas hit about $3.07 a gallon on Tuesday, up almost 44 cents from a month ago, according to the AAA motor group. A diesel producing unit at PBF Energy's (PBF.N) Chalmette, Louisiana, refinery was shut following a fire on Saturday.

☆ Hate fast fashion? You can compost this new streetwear clothing line
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fast fashion is big business, but it is also a big polluter, responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions. Roughly 70% of the $3 trillion fashion industry is comprised of articles made from synthetics or petrochemicals. While some companies are claiming sustainable clothing lines, there is a very wide variance in what that means. For some the carbon reduction is in the manufacturing, while for others it is in the clothing itself. They're all made from 100% plant-based nutrients like recycled cotton, hemp, plant-based leather and coconut fiber, according to the company.

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Jan 19 (Reuters) - BASF (BASFn.DE) investors said that oil and gas business Wintershall Dea's exit from Russia, though painful, clears the way for plans to take it public and for BASF to focus on its chemicals operations. Portfolio manager Arne Rautenberg of mutual fund company Union Investment, among the 10 largest BASF shareholders, welcomed BASF drawing a line. "This step will facilitate an IPO of Wintershall Dea," said Cornelia Zimmermann, a corporate governance specialist at mutual fund group Deka Investment. BASF said last year that the oil and gas company's exposure in Russia was the reason for it to hold off on plans to take Wintershall Dea public. Before the Ukraine war, Russia had accounted for roughly half of WD's global oil and gas output.

☆ China's oil refinery runs fall for first year since 2001
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Chen Aizhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Refiners processed 675.9 million tonnes of crude oil last year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Tuesday, or about 13.5 million barrels per day (bpd). This is just down from 14.5 million bpd in November and the record of 14.8 million bpd in June 2021. Fourth-quarter refined fuel exports, including diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel and marine fuel oil, surged 61% over a year-ago period to 18.3 million tonnes. Crude oil production remained firmly above the 4 million bpd mark, a level regarded by the state-dominated sector as strategic to ensure domestic supply security, as companies stepped up developing more challenging reservoirs. Last year's output was up 2.9% from 2021 at 204.67 million tonnes, or 4.1 million bpd, with December output up 2.5% on the year at 16.87 million tonnes.

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