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The data defied expectations from eight analysts polled by Reuters for a 900,000-barrel drawdown in crude inventories and a 1.2 million-barrel drop in gasoline stocks. U.S. government data on oil inventories is due on Wednesday. Media reported that Russia's Energy Ministry said the nation's oil output reduction almost reached targeted levels in April. Saudi Arabia, which pledged to cut production by 500,000 bpd from May, has informed buyers in Asia that it will supply full crude oil volumes requested for June. The wildfires forced oil and gas producers to shut in at least 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), or 3.7% of the country's production.

☆ Saudi Aramco to supply full oil volumes to Asia in June, but some seek less
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SINGAPORE, May 10 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco has told customers in North Asia they will receive full volumes of crude oil that they have requested in June, several sources with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday. But, some Chinese refiners have requested for lower supply volumes in June, said the sources. Saudi Aramco cut its official selling prices for all crude grades to Asia for June-loading cargoes amid lower refining margins. The falling profit margins have prompted refiners to seek cheaper oil from other suppliers such as Russia, or even consider lowering operational rates. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, will reduce production by 500,000 bpd under the cuts.

[1/2] Oil tanker Kerala, chartered by Chevron, is loaded in the Bajo Grande oil terminal at Maracaibo Lake, in the municipality of San Francisco, Venezuela, January 5, 2023. To back up its license application, Chevron last year signed an oil-for-debt swap with Venezuela's state-run PDVSA. The initial exports have rapidly drained the ventures' oil inventories, which had built up for years. Chevron plans to continue pushing up heavy crude output mainly at oilfields in eastern and western Venezuela belonging to its Petropiar and Petroboscan projects, according to the sources. GOLDEN TICKETChevron's license broke a four-year U.S. prohibition on Venezuelan oil exports to the United States designed to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

☆ Refiners Have a Lot Riding on Summer Driving Season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jinjoo Lee | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Marathon Petroleum sees weakening margins in Asia and Europe as a bullish sign for U.S. crack spreads. Photo: David Ryder/Bloomberg NewsThe business of turning crude oil into fuel is still very lucrative for U.S. refiners, but recent declines in pump prices and refiner profitability elsewhere are casting a cloud over their outlook. The plunge has been especially notable for distillates, which are used for diesel and jet fuel. Ultralow sulfur diesel is roughly $2.21 a gallon in New York Harbor, down 33% year to date. Distillate cracks on the Gulf Coast—the spread between the price of crude oil and the price of distillate product—have declined to $18.41 a barrel, down 70% year to date.

This was down from March's 27.6 million bpd, which in turn was lower than February's 29.4 million bpd and the 29.13 million bpd in January. Asia crude oil imports vs Brent priceINDIA SLOWS IMPORTSThis could extend to other major buyers in Asia, with the region's second-biggest importer India showing signs of moderating crude appetite in April. Imports were estimated at 4.60 million bpd in April, down from the eight-month high of 5.02 million bpd in March. Russian crude is also winning against Saudi oil in China, with April arrivals of 2.10 million bpd beating out the 1.73 million bpd from the Middle East's top exporter. The overall view on Asia's imports is that April showed a loss of momentum after a strong start to the year.

The company did not specify how much it expects its second-quarter refining margin, a key profit metric for refiners, to be. The company posted operating profit of 375 billion won ($281.6 million) for the first quarter ended March, versus 1.6 trillion won a year earlier. In March, Ford Motor, which uses batteries from SK On, recalled 18 electric trucks due to a battery cell manufacturing defect. SK On currently has battery joint ventures with Ford and Hyundai Motor Group in the United States. Shares of SK Innovation were trading up 0.5% in morning trade, versus a 0.3% fall in the broader KOSPI index (.KS11).

☆ Russia's oil and gas budget revenue drops sharply in April
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Budget income from oil and gas sales reached 647.5 billion roubles ($8.3 billion) last month, compared to 688.2 billion in March and 1.798 trillion roubles in April 2022, it said. Subsidies from the budget to the refining companies from the oil reverse excise tax rose by 38 billion roubles to 79.3 billion roubles in April, while the same payments to oil refineries under the "damping mechanism" rose to 107.2 billion roubles from 96.7 billion roubles in March. At the same time, profit-based tax revenues from oil producers fell last month to 185.4 billion roubles, from 220.6 billion roubles in March. Russia's mineral extraction tax (MET) and export duty revenues rose in April from March by 6.5%, or 36.4 billion roubles, and by 13.5%, or 6.8 billion roubles, respectively. The finance ministry has budgeted for a 23% reduction in oil and gas revenues this year to 8.95 trillion roubles.

☆ Phillips 66 joins rivals to beat profit estimates as refining margins soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Arunima Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A general view of the Phillips 66 refinery, as seen from the corner of Fifth Street and California Street in Rodeo, California, the oldest oil refining town in the American West, U.S. December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brittany Hosea-Small/File PhotoMay 3 (Reuters) - U.S. refiner Phillips 66 (PSX.N) beat Wall Street estimate for first-quarter profit on Wednesday, joining rivals in gaining from elevated margins on sustained fuel demand amid tight crude supplies. Realized margins soared 91% to $20.72 per barrel in the first quarter from a year earlier, Phillips 66 said. "We ran above industry-average crude utilization, successfully executed major turnarounds and increased market capture to 93%," Phillips 66's CEO Mark Lashier said in a statement. The Houston-based refiner reported adjusted earnings of $4.21 per share for the three months ended March 31, compared with average analyst estimate of $3.56, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ Marathon Petroleum beats profit estimates as strong demand boosts margins
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Arunima Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Marathon Petroleum Corp FollowMay 2 (Reuters) - Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N) topped Wall Street profit estimates on Tuesday as sustained fuel demand and tight crude supplies boosted its margins, prompting the top U.S. refiner to expand its share buyback programme by $5 billion. Pandemic-era closure of facilities and demand recovery have lifted refiners' margins, further bolstered by tight crude supplies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a jump in jet fuel demand owed to a travel boom. Marathon refining and marketing margin soared 70.8% to $26.15 per barrel for the January-March quarter, compared with a year earlier. "With operating costs in line with expectations and stronger utilization, Marathon Petroleum captured stronger refining margins, notably on the U.S. Gulf Coast and in the Midwest," Third Bridge analyst Peter McNally said. Marathon returned $3.5 billion to investors through share buybacks and dividends in the first quarter, and repurchased $1.2 billion of shares last month.

☆ Marathon Petroleum posts bumper profit on high demand, tight supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Marathon Petroleum Corp FollowMay 2 (Reuters) - Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N) posted a bumper profit on Tuesday, benefiting from higher margins on sustained fuel demand and tight crude supplies, and announced an additional $5 billion share repurchase authorization. Pandemic-era closure of facilities and demand recovery have boosted margins for refiners, with crude supplies also coming under pressure after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Strong demand for refined products has also helped the company, with jet fuel recently sprinting higher while diesel demand fell. Refining and marketing margin was $26.15 per barrel for the January-March quarter, compared with $15.31 per barrel for the first quarter of 2022. Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru Editing by Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoNEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. government could delay a decision on giving electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers tradable credits under a renewable fuel scheme, due to concern about legal challenges to the plan, two sources familiar with the matter said. Most credits generated under the RFS are for blending liquid fuels such as ethanol made from corn into gasoline. Adding credits for power generated from renewable gas and then used for charging EVs would take the program in a new direction. The EPA initially proposed adding EVs to the program when it outlined the mandates for blending biofuels for 2023-2025. The delay in finalizing the EV credit program may mean more volume is available for other renewable fuel pools under the 2023-2025 mandate, including blending for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year recommended adding EVs to the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which incentivizes oil refiners to blend biofuels. The EPA under the Biden administration is now testing the legal limits of the liquid fuel program by extending it to EVs. The EPA has proposed granting EV manufacturers tradable credits based on the amount of renewable electricity that makes it on the grid. Renewable gas producers and EV manufacturers like Tesla have been jockeying to gain the most benefits from the new credits. The November proposal foresaw EV manufacturers could generate as many as 600 million credits in 2024 and 1.2 billion of them by 2025.

☆ As oil output peaks, US Gulf of Mexico makes room for carbon capture
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Some companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), have been dumping assets in the Gulf, the nation's primary offshore source of oil, and are instead targeting capturing and storing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases underground. The region, soon could became contested ground for oil, carbon sequestration and renewable energy, say analysts. The gain reflects a flurry of new platforms from Shell (SHEL.L), BP (BP.L), Chevron (CVX.N) and others, budgeted before the pandemic hit global demand and made companies reduce investments. Reuters GraphicsAt this week's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), which annually attracts more than 50,000 people, nearly a quarter of the presentations will involve offshore wind, renewables, carbon capture and energy transition, say organizers. Oil development will still dominate the basin, but should coexist with CCS and renewables such as offshore wind and solar.

HOUSTON, April 28 (Reuters) - Chevron Corp (CVX.N) has stepped up sales of Venezuelan crude oil to rival U.S. refiners, adding PBF Energy Inc (PBF.N) and Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N) to its list of customers for the crude, vessel tracking and loading schedules showed. Chevron, the last big U.S. oil producer still operating in U.S.-sanctioned Venezuela, has increased exports of the crude since January. So far in April, it has loaded about 148,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil at Venezuelan ports, with cargoes going to at least three other U.S. refiners, besides Chevron's own refinery. In mid-April, Chevron sold about 550,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude to PBF for its 185,000-bpd Chalmette refinery, near New Orleans, U.S. Customs data on Refinitiv Eikon showed. Chevron has sent Venezuelan crude to its 369,000-bpd Pascagoula, Mississippi, refinery and this month shipped a cargo to a Bahamas oil-storage terminal, PDVSA's schedules showed.

India's crude imports from Russia are expected to reach a record high in April as Asia's second-biggest oil buyer increasingly turns away from its traditional suppliers in the Middle East. As Russian oil was increasingly sanctioned and shunned by European buyers and some in Asia, such as Japan, the steep discounts on offer led to India's refiners buying increasing volumes. The Middle East's share of India's imports likely dropped to 39.8% in April, according to Refinitiv, down from the 12-month average of 56%. While the buying of Russian crude is fairly broad-based among India's refiners, the biggest buyer is Reliance Industries (RELI.NS), which operates a 1.24 million bpd refinery complex in Jamnagar. Kpler data shows that this complex is expected to receive 20.87 million barrels of Russian crude in April, or about 30% of the total volume of India's imports.

☆ Oil dips 2% on economic woes and stronger dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An oil pumpjack pulls oil from the Permian Basin oil field on March 14, 2022 in Odessa, Texas. Oil dropped 2% on Tuesday after two sessions of gains as deepening concerns of an economic slowdown and a stronger dollar outweighed hopes of higher Chinese demand and lower U.S. crude stocks. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped $1.69, or 2.2%, to settle at $77.07. A stronger dollar pressures oil demand by making the commodity more expensive for buyers holding other currencies. Gold prices also were flat as the dollar strengthened, while U.S. stocks fell as weak earnings fanned economic fears.

☆ Oil prices settle higher on optimism about fuel demand in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais said finger-pointing and misrepresenting the actions of OPEC and OPEC+ was "counterproductive." Oil prices settled higher on Monday, reversing losses as investors grew optimistic that holiday travel in China would boost fuel demand in the world's largest oil importer. China's bumpy economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic has clouded the oil demand outlook, though Chinese customs data on Friday showed record volumes of imports in March. "There's a lot of optimism around Chinese holidays as it relates to jet fuel demand, the first genuine numbers on Chinese demand construction," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho. "Planned output cuts by the OPEC+ alliance and a strong demand outlook from China could provide a fillip to prices in the coming days", said independent oil analyst Sugandha Sachdeva.

☆ Oil prices slide on uncertainty over global economic outlook, rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Florence Tan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, April 24 (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped on Monday as concerns about rising interest rates, the global economy and the outlook for fuel demand outweighed support from the prospect of tighter supplies on OPEC+ supply cuts. Weak U.S. economic data and disappointing corporate earnings from the tech sector sparked growth concerns and risk aversion among investors, CMC Markets analyst Tina Teng said. China's bumpy economic recovery post COVID-19 also clouded its oil demand outlook, although Chinese customs data showed on Friday that the world's top crude importer brought in record volumes in March. China's imports from top suppliers Russia and Saudi Arabia topped 2 million barrels per day (bpd) each. In the United States, energy firms last week added oil and natural gas rigs for the first time in four weeks, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co (BKR.O) said.

☆ Russian oil slashes OPEC's share of Indian market to 22-year low
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Nidhi Verma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

OPEC's share shrank as India, which in the past rarely bought Russian oil due to high freight costs, is now the top oil client for Russian seaborne oil, rejected by Western nations following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. India's oil importsIndia shipped in about 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian oil in 2022/23, the data showed, about 23% of its overall 4.65 million bpd imports. Higher intake of Russian oil boosted the share of Commonwealth of Independent States (C.I.S.) India's oil imports from various regionsIn March, India shipped in nearly 5 million bpd of oil, marginally higher than the previous month, with Russian oil accounting for about 36% of overall imports, the data showed. "OPEC's output cut decision is helping Russia as well," said Haq, adding the planned supply cut has lifted global oil prices and at the same time narrowed the discounts for Russian oil against Brent and Dubai benchmarks.

☆ Russian sales of weapons to India are being held up by a dispute over which currency to use
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jason Ma | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Deliveries of Russian weapons to India have been on hold due to a currency dispute. Russia is the top supplier of weapons to India, which uses the Su-30 fighter and T-90 tanks. Meanwhile, Russia won't take Indian rupees because of exchange-rate volatility, the report added. Russia is the top supplier of weapons to India, which uses the Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets as well as T-90 tanks, among other Russian-made arms. Last month, India complained that Russia isn't delivering weapons it owes because it's throwing everything at Ukraine.

☆ China's big refineries crowd out teapots for discounted Russian oil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummarySummary Companies Hengli, Shenghong join Russian oil purchasesChina's April Russian oil imports likely to exceed March recordTeapots turn to cheaper Iranian oil, diluted bitumenSINGAPORE, April 21 (Reuters) - Chinese state oil giants and major private refiners are sweeping up more Russian crude, supporting prices and forcing smaller independents to seek out cheap alternatives such as Iranian oil, according to trade sources and shipping data. Shenghong imported a Urals crude cargo of about 720,000 barrels in March and 1 million barrels in April, Kpler showed. China's overall Russian crude imports, including pipeline and ships, rose to a record 9.61 million tonnes, or 2.26 million barrels per day (bpd) in March, customs data showed on Friday. TEAPOTSSmaller Chinese independent refineries, known as teapots, snapped up almost all of the ESPO supplies between November and January when others steered clear of Russian oil around the start of the European Union ban on Dec. 5. With the return of big buyers, price-sensitive teapots are looking for alternatives such as Russian Arctic grades, Iranian and Venezuelan oil.

☆ Oil rises but post weekly loss as economic uncertainty weighs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Erwin Seba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) rose 50 cents to $77.87 per barrel. Survey data from the euro zone and Britain lifted oil prices on Friday. In India, refiners' crude oil processing stayed near record peaks in March, provisional government data showed, catering to solid seasonal demand in the world's third biggest oil consumer. Oilfield services giant SLB (SLB.N) beat Wall Street estimates for first-quarter profit, as elevated crude prices and tight supplies increased demand for its services. However, economic uncertainty and the prospect of rising interest rates continued to hang over oil markets.

Crude imports in March were 12.37 million bpd, while domestic output was 4.30 million bpd, giving a combined total of 16.67 million bpd. Subtracting the refinery throughput leaves 1.56 million bpd that likely flowed into either commercial or strategic inventories. The question for the oil market is what does it all mean for the outlook for crude oil demand in China? There is nothing inherently wrong with OPEC+'s forecast for global oil demand growth of 2.32 million bpd in 2023, or the 2 million bpd forecast from the International Energy Agency. By building stockpiles now, they can reduce crude imports later in the year if they deem prices to be too high.

West Texas Intermediate U.S. crude fell 33 cents, also 0.4%, to $80.53 a barrel. In Europe, European Central Bank officials are also wary of inflation and suggesting interest rates must keep rising. Meanwhile, the economy of top crude oil importer China grew by a faster-than-expected 4.5% in the first quarter, while the country's oil refinery throughput rose to record levels in March, data showed. ,Adding more pressure on oil benchmarks is Asian refiners continuing to seize Russian crude in April. India and China have snapped up the vast majority of Russian oil so far in April at prices above the Western price cap of $60 per barrel, according to traders and Reuters calculations.

April 19 (Reuters) - Oil drifted lower on Wednesday as the market weighed potential interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve that could slow growth and dampen oil consumption, offsetting falling U.S. inventories and strong Chinese economic data. The U.S. Federal Reserve likely has one more interest rate rise in store to fight inflation, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the economy of top crude oil importer China grew by a faster-than-expected 4.5% in the first quarter, while the country's oil refinery throughput rose to record levels in March, data showed. ,Adding more pressure on the oil benchmarks is that Asian refiners continues to seize Russian crude in April. India and China have snapped up the vast majority of Russian oil so far in April at prices above the Western price cap of $60 per barrel, according to traders and Reuters calculations.

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