Energy Intelligence Briefing articles from January 2006

Energy Intelligence Briefing archives from January 2006

Gazprom restores EU's Ukraine flows, but not image.
January 3, 2006... LONDON -- Russia's state-run monopoly Gazprom restored gas flows to European Union countries to normal levels early Tuesday, after economy ministries and gas customers in Central and Western Europe reported a 30%-40% drop in pipeline pressures...

Iraq cuts contracts as export volumes continue slide.
January 5, 2006... NEW YORK -- Iraq is trying to cut its oil supply contracts with foreign buyers in order to avoid long delays that have affected export shipments lately and now threatens the cash-strapped nation with millions of dollars in demurrage claims,...

Global demand bounces back to life, but only just.
January 9, 2006... NEW YORK -- Global oil demand began growing again in November and even more so in December, according to initial soundings from EIB's sister publication Oil Market Intelligence, after shrinking year-on-year in October for the first time since...

Nigerian politics dominate West African oil trade.
January 20, 2006... LONDON -- After a dizzying week of explosions in the Niger Delta that sent the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) crude oil futures prices up towards $67 per barrel, Nigeria and prices have settled into a pregnant pause. While the jury is out...

OMI sees link between "missing barrels" and contango.
January 23, 2006... NEW YORK--The world continues to face a dichotomy between relatively loose global balances and surging prices as geopolitical concerns centered on Iran and Nigeria feed the price bulls, notes the latest issue of EIB's sister publication Oil...

North Sea oil physicals out of step with futures prices.
January 24, 2006... LONDON -- Even though North Sea Brent may sit at the heart of the international crude oil pricing system, developments in North Sea loadings recently seem well divorced from the upward course of oil futures prices. Storms and some technical...

Opec runs on autopilot and collects windfall profits.
January 27, 2006... DUBAI -- For almost a year, Opec has been running on autopilot, pumping well above its self-imposed output ceiling of 28 million barrels per day--and the consensus among ministers ahead of the group's meeting in Vienna Tuesday is that they...

Opec favors status quo, ignores Hawks' calls for cuts.
January 30, 2006... VIENNA -- With oil prices so high, Opec appears near certain to leave its output ceiling unchanged at a meeting in Vienna Tuesday. Despite an expected dip in second-quarter demand for crude, Iran and Venezuela were the lone Opec hawks to have...

Opec sees balanced market and holds output steady.
January 31, 2006... VIENNA -- Opec confirmed Tuesday it would keep oil output steady to feed a growing world economy, even though it believes markets are well supplied and stock levels comfortable. Amid near record prices and heightened geopolitical tensions over...