By Paul Homewood
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Today’s round up of the news you won’t get from Roger Harrabin:
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Despite US sanctions and a European Parliament resolution, Russian pipe-laying ship Fortuna has started work in Danish waters ahead of the resumption of construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which would bring Russian gas to Germany under the Baltic Sea.
“The laybarge Fortuna has started works in the construction corridor in the Danish EEZ, ahead of the resumption of the Nord Stream 2 construction. All works are performed in line with relevant permits,” a spokesman for Nord Stream 2 told New Europe on January 25.
He referred to the notice to mariners by the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA). “The authorities announced construction works from January 15 onwards, including preparatory works and tests before pipelay works start,” he said.
MEPs passed a resolution on January 21 calling on the EU to immediately stop the completion of Nord Stream 2. MEPs also underline that the EU should no longer be a welcoming place for Russian wealth of unclear origin,” the European Parliament said in a press release.
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The German government said it will not abandon the Nord Stream 2 project, despite US sanctions and calls by the European Parliament to impose EU measures against the Russian-backed gas pipeline project over the Navalny case.
“There is no direct connection between the Navalny case and Nord Stream 2,” government spokesman Steffen Seibert said in Berlin on Monday (25 January), adding that the attitude of the government to the project has not changed.
While Madame Merkel is saying “Up Yours”, it’s business as usual in China and India:
China’s raw coal production increased by 0.9 percent year on year in 2020, while its coal imports augmented 1.5 percent, statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed.
A total of 3.84 billion tons of raw coal were manufactured in China last year, reporting a year-on-year expansion of 90 million tons, according to the NBS statistics.
In December alone, the raw coal production increased 3.2 percent from a year ago to 350 million tons, 1.7 percentage points higher than the upsurge seen in November.
Oil demand from China has been one of the few bright spots for a global petroleum industry severely impacted by a long-term global supply glut and the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The world’s second-largest economy hunger for energy keeps growing despite the global COVID-19 pandemic and a resultant sharp decline in global economic activity during 2020. Data from China’s General Administration of Customs show oil imports for January to November 2020 grew by 9.1% year over year to an average of 13.5 million barrels daily. The top five suppliers of crude oil to China during the period were Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Brazil, and Angola.
The government may give a ‘Make in India’ push to oil and gas explorers, as it is considering a proposal to almost halve cess [tax on oil]on domestic crude oil to encourage exploration activity and allow Covid-hit oil producers to protect their margins.
And the Mullahs are already taking advantage of Biden’s weakness:
LONDON (Reuters) – Iranian oil exports are climbing in January after a boost in the fourth quarter despite U.S. sanctions, three assessments showed, in a sign that the end of Donald Trump’s term as U.S. President may be changing buyer behaviour.
Iran’s exports have shrunk since Trump in 2018 withdrew the United States from a nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed sanctions. New President Joe Biden has said if Tehran resumed compliance with the deal, Washington would too.
Figures from SVB International and two other firms that estimate Iranian supply by tracking tankers indicated exports are rising.
SVB International estimated Iranian crude exports increased to 710,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December from 490,000 bpd in October, and that shipments and production so far in January were moving up.
“Iran and customers are expecting an easier approach from the Biden administration,” said Sara Vakshouri of SVB. “Iran has already started increasing its production and exports in anticipation of negotiations with the U.S.”
Meanwhile Harrabin frets about a tiny coal mine in Cumbria!
via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
January 28, 2021 at 08:00AM
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