Oil
Crude Oil Prices Retreat From Week Highs
WASHINGTON – Oil prices on Thursday lost some of the gains made earlier in the week, with WTI retreating from a four-month high, but both benchmarks retained support from the cold weather in the U.S. and resultant stock declines.
Brent crude for March delivery on London’s ICE futures exchange traded down 49 cents, or 0.5%, at $108.30 a barrel. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in March traded down 67 cents, or 0.7%, at $ 99.70 a barrel.
WTI slid overnight to below the $100 per barrel after having achieved a four-month high of $101.4 on Wednesday.
The price differential between Brent and WTI, also called the spread, “narrowed for a time to less than $8 per barrel, putting it at its lowest level since October 2013,” said Commerzbank in a note to clients.
The contraction was triggered by a U.S. Department of Energy report that showed a sharp decline of 2.7 million barrels in stockpiles at Cushing, Okla.
Geopolitical tension continued to support prices, especially that of the exportable European benchmark Brent crude.
In Libya, pipelines from the Libyan Wafa oil field went offline while also supplies from the El Sharara field appear to be under threat of shutdown, wrote JBC Energy analysts in a note to clients.
Iraq was shaken by a series of bomb attacks, while in Nigeria militants killed 51 in a town raid. In Venezuela, where soaring consumer prices have given rise to public discontent in the recent past, two protesters participating in an antigovernment rally were killed.
“These developments serve as a reminder that while attention is easily fixated on events happening within the MENA region, plenty of risks also loom in countries further afar,” JBC wrote.
But the latest report from the Paris-based energy watchdog, the International Energy Agency, noted that while oil markets rallied in January as bitterly cold U.S. weather pushed up demand for heating fuels, average benchmark prices weakened month-on-month.
Refinery maintenance season will also soon put some downward pressure on prices by lessening demand, the IEA said.
The ICE’s gas oil contract for March delivery fell $1.75 to $917.75 a metric ton. Nymex gasoline for March delivery fell 227 points to $2.7404 a gallon.
– WALLSTREET JOURNAL
Oil
FG Introduces New Incentives To Revitalize Nigeria’s Oil & Gas Industry
In a strategic move to revitalize Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Federal Government has unveiled two key fiscal incentives aimed at attracting investment and enhancing energy security.
The announcement was made by Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Wednesday.
The first initiative, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Modification Order 2024, introduces critical exemptions for essential energy products and infrastructure, including Diesel, Feed Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric Vehicles, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure, and Clean Cooking Equipment.
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These exemptions are designed to reduce living costs for Nigerians, promote energy security, and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy alternatives.
The second initiative, the Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Oil & Gas Production, offers new tax relief options for deep offshore exploration projects.
This measure aims to position Nigeria’s deep offshore basin as a premier destination for international oil and gas investments, boosting the country’s appeal to foreign investors.
These reforms are part of a broader set of policy initiatives, known as Policy Directives 40-42, endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The directives reflect the administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable development in the energy sector and enhancing Nigeria’s competitive edge in the global oil and gas market.
Business
Tinubu set to approve ExxonMobil-Seplat oil deal, expands CNG bus initiative
By Yemie Adeoye
NIGERIA’s President Bola Tinubu has announced that the protracted ExxonMobil-Seplat upstream oil divestment will be formally approved by the Minister of petroleum within a matter of days, just as he announced his government’s intention to expand the Compress natural Gas, CNG buses initiative.
The President who stated this during his Independence day nationwide broadcast stated that the move is in line with his administration’s commitment to free enterprise, free entry and free exit in investments which is the hallmark of his administration investment policy.
“Fellow compatriots, our administration is committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of our regulatory processes. This principle guides the divestment transactions in our upstream petroleum sector, where we are committed to changing the fortune positively. As such, the ExxonMobil Seplat divestment will receive ministerial approval in a matter of days, having been concluded by the regulator, NUPRC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. This was done in the same manner as other qualified divestments approved in the sector.”
The President also seized the opportunity to plead with Nigerians to be patient with his administration’s reform policies. “As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel”.
“Our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
Fellow Nigerians, while we are working to stabilise the economy and secure the country, we also seek to foster national unity and build social harmony and cohesion. Our economy can only thrive when there is peace”. he enthused.
Oil
ExxonMobil To Invest $10bn In Nigeria’s Deep-Water Oil Operations
As part of the administration’s push to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed support for ExxonMobil’s plan to invest $10 billion in the country’s deep-water oil sector.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, during a meeting with ExxonMobil executives at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Shettima called the investment “a clear testament to the administration’s economic reforms and investor-friendly policies.”
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This announcement follows news that international maritime company DP World intends to develop a multibillion-dollar port project in Nigeria.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, shared the development in a statement on Wednesday. He quoted Shettima as saying: “ExxonMobil’s potential investment aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for a more investment-friendly Nigeria.
We are committed to fostering an environment that supports such transformative projects.”Shettima also discussed the administration’s broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business, highlighting the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which aims to simplify bureaucratic processes, enhance transparency, and offer fiscal incentives to attract global investors.
“Our administration has taken bold steps to unify the exchange rate, remove fuel subsidies, and implement tax reforms. These measures, though challenging in the short term, are intended to create a stable and predictable business environment in the long term,” he added.
On the oil and gas sector, Shettima mentioned that the government is revising the fiscal framework for deep-water operations to attract investment while ensuring fair returns for the Nigerian people.