Regional News

Bloomberg Oil held gains above $50 a barrel before US government data forecast to show crude stockpiles extended declines, trimming a glut. Futures rose as much as 0.5 percent in New York after climbing 9.6 percent the previous six sessions. Inventories probably fell by 3.3 million barrels last week for a fifth weekly drop, according to a Bloomberg survey before …

SINGAPORE / Reuters Indian refiners are outperforming their competitors in South Korea and Thailand as they have ramped up output from new fuel and chemical capacities to meet rising domestic demand that could further lift their earnings over the next two years. Asia is adding net refining capacity of 360,000 barrels per day (bpd) this year, according to Wood Mackenzie, …

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia is considering a flexible tax system for state-owned oil company Aramco that wo- uld increase royalty payments when crude prices rise, accor- ding to people familiar with the deliberations. Riyadh is mulling a proposal from Saudi Aramco to replace the current fixed royalty on revenues, the same people said, asking not to be named discussing government policies. …

Bloomberg Oil traded near $50 a barrel in New York as efforts by Venezuela’s president to seize more power raised speculation the US could step up sanctions. Futures were little changed after surging 8.6 percent last week. The US is said to be considering increasing sanctions against Venezuela’s oil industry, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the …

Bloomberg There’s a new model emerging for growth-starved utilities looking to profit from America’s solar and wind power boom. American Electric Power Co. is using it for a $4.5 billion deal that’ll land the US utility owner a massive wind farm in Oklahoma and a high-voltage transmission line to deliver the power. NextEra Energy Inc.’s Florida unit is using it …

Bloomberg Three years into the biggest oil downturn in a generation, industry bosses see the recovery slipping further from view. It could easily take until the end of the decade for better times to return to an industry that’s already endured a longer slump than most people expected, according to Total SA Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne and Weatherford International …

Bloomberg Big Oil is starting to beat the crude-market slump as the industry rediscovers how to make money at lower prices. Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc are forecast to more than double second-quarter profit from a year earlier, far outstripping the 8 percent gain in benchmark Brent crude, according to analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Chevron Corp. …

Bloomberg TransCanada Corp. said it still expects commercial support for its controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, tamping down speculation that it was having trouble finding customers for the long-delayed line. Keystone XL, which was rejected by the Obama administration before being revived by President Donald Trump this year, would boost TransCanada’s dividend growth, the company said in a statement. Media …

Bloomberg The Trump administration may have to reconsider its proposal from earlier this month to curb biofuel use after a US appeals court in Washington ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t have the authority to cut quotas while citing inadequate domestic supply. The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel comes amid conflicting legal challenges to actions taken by the …

Bloomberg Caution lights are flashing for the oil industry. Facing lower-than-expected commodity prices, drillers from ConocoPhillips to Hess Corp. to Statoil ASA have slashed their capital spending plans in recent days, as companies lay out their plans to cope with oil prices stuck below $50 a barrel. The budget cuts won’t necessarily mean less oil or natural gas on the …