Connect with us

Business

Oil Prices Rise on U.S. Storm and Global Supply Concerns

Published

on

Oil

Oil prices climb as U.S. winter storm disrupts output, Kazakhstan supply remains low, and OPEC+ policies support crude markets amid geopolitical risks

adron lemon friday

Oil prices rose on Wednesday amid renewed supply concerns after a severe U.S. winter storm disrupted crude output and exports, while ongoing production shortfalls in Kazakhstan and geopolitical tensions bolstered the market.

Also read: Meristem Tips Oil, Banking Stocks to Gain From Rising Crude Prices

Brent crude futures briefly touched their highest levels since late September before easing slightly in early European trading.

By mid-morning, Brent was modestly lower but remained near multi-month highs, with U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) following a similar trend.

Both benchmarks surged roughly three per cent in the previous session as traders weighed tightening supplies against broader macroeconomic factors.

A powerful winter storm over the weekend forced substantial shut-ins in key U.S. oil-producing regions, with crude output losses estimated at up to two million barrels per day, or nearly 15 per cent of national production.

Exports from Gulf Coast ports fell to zero before a partial rebound, highlighting the disruption to logistics and refining operations.

Supply pressures were compounded by slow recovery in Kazakhstan, where the Tengiz oilfield remains below normal output following a fire and power outage.

Analysts expect reduced output to persist into early February, tightening global supply despite the Caspian Pipeline Consortium resuming full capacity at its Black Sea terminal.

Traders are also watching the upcoming February 1 OPEC+ meeting, where delegates are expected to maintain a pause on production increases for March.

The alliance has frozen output hikes through the first quarter to support prices amid soft demand forecasts.

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East further underpin market sentiment.

A U.S. aircraft carrier strike group has been deployed to the region, raising concerns over potential supply disruptions from major producers.

On the demand side, a Reuters poll indicated that U.S. crude and gasoline stockpiles likely rose in the week to 23 January, while distillate inventories, critical for heating fuel, were expected to decline.

Also read: Refined Oil Drives UK–Nigeria Trade to £8bn in 2025

Official government data is due later in the day, with traders closely monitoring signs of emerging deficits or surpluses.

73 / 100 SEO Score

Business

Cement costs more in Nigeria than Kenya, Togo, FCCPC finds

Published

on

FCCPC

Cement price manipulation is under investigation by the FCCPC after a three-month study found Nigerian prices were high despite surplus capacity

(more…)

adron lemon friday

71 / 100 SEO Score
Continue Reading

Business

Heirs Life Names Pastor Jerry Eze Independent Non-Executive Director

Published

on

Heirs

Heirs Life appoints Jerry Eze as an Independent Non-Executive Director to strengthen financial inclusion, consumer trust and insurance adoption (more…)

75 / 100 SEO Score
Continue Reading

Business

Shoreline Group secures US$200 million Afreximbank Facility

Published

on

By

Shoreline Group today announced that African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has approved a US$200 million facility in favour of Shoreline Power Company Limited and co-borrowers including Arkad S.p.A., Shoreline’s majority-owned engineering and construction platform.
Approved in June 2026, the facility was arranged and provided by Afreximbank as sole mandated lead arranger and lender. It provides bonding and working-capital capacity for Arkad’s delivery of the Hassi Bir Rekaiz project and supports Shoreline and its affiliates in developing further pipeline and infrastructure
projects in Nigeria and other permitted jurisdictions.
“This is a defining transaction for Shoreline and Arkad. We built Arkad as an African- sponsored engineering platform capable of competing at the highest level, and it is now delivering against a billion-dollar energy contract. Afreximbank’s US$200 million commitment gives the platform the financial strength to match its engineering capability and pursue further major infrastructure mandates. It demonstrates that African enterprises can assemble the capital, capability and partnerships required to compete for infrastructure at international scale.”
Hassi Bir Rekaiz Phase 2a Arkad holds 44 per cent of the approximately US$1 billion EPCCS-1 contract awarded by Groupement
Hassi Bir Rekaiz (GHBR) to an unincorporated consortium led by Egypt’s Petrojet, which holds 56 percent. EPCCS-1 covers engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and start-up for the Phase 2a central processing facility and related infrastructure at the Hassi Bir Rekaiz field in Algeria’s Berkine
Basin.
GHBR is the joint operating entity for the licence, held by Sonatrach with 51 per cent and Thailand’s PTTEP with 49 per cent. The project includes a new crude oil processing facility with capacity of 31,500 barrels per day, facilities for associated gas and produced-water treatment, approximately 217 kilometres
of pipelines and the brownfield modifications required to integrate existing Phase 1 infrastructure.
The facilities are designed to support later expansion to 63,000 barrels per day under Phase 2b.
“This financing addresses the instruments that determine whether an EPC contractor can execute at scale: performance guarantees, advance payment guarantees and working capital through the project cycle. Hassi Bir Rekaiz is a demanding scope, combining a new central processing facility, associated treatment systems, pipelines and brownfield integration. With Petrojet, and with the support of Shoreline and Afreximbank, Arkad is focused on disciplined delivery against the project’s safety, quality and schedule requirements.”
The transaction was structured under Afreximbank’s Engineering, Procurement and Construction Initiative, which supports African engineering and construction firms with the financial instruments required to compete for and execute large infrastructure contracts. Afreximbank also supported the Arkad-Petrojet partnership through its EPC twinning work at the Intra-African Trade Fair held in Algiers
in 2025.
According to Afreximbank, the transaction is its first support for a Sub-Saharan African contractor undertaking a major infrastructure project in North Africa. For Shoreline, it demonstrates a practical model for combining African ownership and capital with established international engineering andindustrial capability.

adron lemon friday

41 / 100 SEO Score
Continue Reading

Trending News