Saudi Aramco has sealed a sponsorship deal with FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, through 2027, after winning a bidding process last October in which it was the only sponsorship candidate, the Associated Press reports. With the new deal, Aramco becomes a “Major Worldwide Partner of FIFA”, which gives it sponsorship rights for FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 and Women’s World Cup 2027. “Through this partnership with FIFA we aim to contribute to football development and harness the power of sport…

Saudi Aramco has sealed a sponsorship deal with FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, through 2027, after winning a bidding process last October in which it was the only sponsorship candidate, the Associated Press reports. With the new deal, Aramco becomes a “Major Worldwide Partner of FIFA”, which gives it sponsorship rights for FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 and Women’s World Cup 2027. “Through this partnership with FIFA we aim to contribute to football development and harness the power of sport…

Saudi Aramco has sealed a sponsorship deal with FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, through 2027, after winning a bidding process last October in which it was the only sponsorship candidate, the Associated Press reports. With the new deal, Aramco becomes a “Major Worldwide Partner of FIFA”, which gives it sponsorship rights for FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 and Women’s World Cup 2027. “Through this partnership with FIFA we aim to contribute to football development and harness the power of sport…

When the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia met on April 22 at the Kremlin, it wasn't Nagorno-Karabakh, Ukraine, or Iran that took center stage. It was the 50th anniversary of a Soviet railroad construction project. The occasion for the visit, at least officially, was to mark the 1974 start of construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) railway in the Russian Far East. The project was headed by Heydar Aliyev, in his role as first deputy chairman of the Soviet Union's Council of Ministers. Fifty years later that Aliyev's son -- Ilham Aliyev,…

Energy firms held by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky have reported core earnings of $7.8 billion (7.3 billion euros) for 2023, Reuters reported on Thursday.   The energy assets of Kretinsky’s EP Corporate Group include the flagship energy holding EPH, which reported today core earnings – or earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) – of $3.85 billion (3.6 billion euros). This was down by 17% compared to the record EBITDA from 2022, when oil and gas prices surged following the Russian…

Energy firms held by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky have reported core earnings of $7.8 billion (7.3 billion euros) for 2023, Reuters reported on Thursday.   The energy assets of Kretinsky’s EP Corporate Group include the flagship energy holding EPH, which reported today core earnings – or earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) – of $3.85 billion (3.6 billion euros). This was down by 17% compared to the record EBITDA from 2022, when oil and gas prices surged following the Russian…

The mining world is all aquiver this morning at talks of a potential mega-deal from BHP to buy up London-listed miner Anglo American. Metals miner Anglo has been seen as a potential takeover mark since its share price took a sharp dive last year on the back of weak production forecasts. But just hours after the news was confirmed by Anglo this morning, its share price has jumped by more than 12 per cent, effectively erasing the losses of the last 12 months. So what do analysts think Anglo has to offer BHP? Principally, the play would make BHP’s…

Hertz Global Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: HTZ) has raised the number of electric vehicles it plans to sell this year as it is cutting its EV fleet to reduce losses that have weighed on the car rental giant’s earnings. In the first quarter, Hertz upsized its EV disposition plan by 10,000 vehicles, for a total of 30,000 EVs intended for sale in 2024. Most of these EVs will be Teslas. The company incurred a $195 million charge to vehicle depreciation to write down the EVs held for sale which were remaining in inventory at quarter-end to fair value…

Hertz Global Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: HTZ) has raised the number of electric vehicles it plans to sell this year as it is cutting its EV fleet to reduce losses that have weighed on the car rental giant’s earnings. In the first quarter, Hertz upsized its EV disposition plan by 10,000 vehicles, for a total of 30,000 EVs intended for sale in 2024. Most of these EVs will be Teslas. The company incurred a $195 million charge to vehicle depreciation to write down the EVs held for sale which were remaining in inventory at quarter-end to fair value…

In a move that could reshape Europe's energy landscape, the European Commission is poised to propose new sanctions targeting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. According to Reuters sources close to the matter, the proposed measures will include a ban on shipments within the EU and sanctions on three Russian LNG projects. The European Commission's decision comes amid growing concerns over Europe's reliance on Russian energy, particularly in the wake of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. While the EU imposed a ban on Russian seaborne oil…

Russian pipeline operator Transneft has warned Kazakhstan’s oil companies that ship crude to Germany via Transneft’s Druzhba pipeline that the customers of the Kazakh firms have until June to pay for metering services or risk a halt to supplies, trading sources told Reuters on Thursday. In early 2023, as Russian crude flows via the Druzhba pipeline dropped off, crude oil from Kazakhstan started flowing via the Russian pipeline network to Poland for further delivery to Germany. In December 2022, Kazakhstan’s…

The Arab oil embargo from 1973 is a painful memory for those who lived through it. It was the reason for creating the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the United States and the International Energy Agency as means of, if not shielding oil-consuming countries, then at least cushioning any future blow. The U.S. shale revolution changed all that, and it changed it radically. The U.S. has gone from a top importer to the top producer, even as it continues importing quite substantial amounts of crude. The rate of production, made possible by shale projects,…

Hess Corporation (NYSE: HES) reported on Thursday much higher-than-expected net income for the first quarter of 2024 amid soaring oil and gas production, as the planned acquisition by U.S. supermajor Chevron drags on. Hess Corporation posted a net income of $972 million, or $3.16 per share, in the first quarter of 2024, compared with net income of $346 million, or $1.13 per share, in the first quarter of 2023. The rise in profits reflects higher production volumes in the first quarter of 2024, Hess said. The earnings per share (EPS) of…

As the global renewable energy capacity increases, so does the amount of waste from end-of-life equipment from solar, wind and other renewable energy activities. If we don’t address this problem soon it could become a whole new threat to the environment and human health. While a transition away from fossil fuels to alternative green energy sources is helping the world to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, it is important to consider the implications that new energy activities may have on the environment. …

Oil prices have held steady week on week despite a significant inventory build in U.S. crude two weeks ago, which was countered by a draw in U.S. crude stockpiles for the week ending April 19th. Next to this, traders have become less concerned about a potential supply disruption in the Middle East.  The crude inventory build at the middle of the month triggered fears that oil demand could be weakening; however, Standard Chartered estimates that global inventories will increase by only 74,000 barrels per day in the month…

While U.S. and European automakers struggle with weaker demand for electric vehicles, China is churning out a growing number of small and cheap EVs that are taking over the domestic car market and other markets in Asia. Affordability has been a key driver of consumer choices when buying a car. The average consumer in the U.S. and Europe has yet to afford an EV manufactured by a Western carmaker. That's not the case in China, where generous government subsidies have helped EV manufacturers make many models priced on par or even lower than gasoline…

Investments in the energy transition are falling way short of what is needed for its success. The fresh warning comes from BlackRock, which said annual investments in the shift away from hydrocarbons need to almost double from their current record levels. But it’s getting less likely this would ever happen. In a new edition of its Investment Institute Transition Scenario, the bank said that moving the transition forward would require more money from both public and private sources and that, for its part, would require “alignment between…

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will visit Hungary, Serbia, and France on a high-profile tour in early May, marking his first trip to Europe since the pandemic. Here's what to watch. Finding Perspective: The trip will be rich in symbolism and comes at a crucial time with Russia advancing on the battlefield in Ukraine, escalating trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels, and potential fallout from November's U.S. election. Against this backdrop, Xi will be looking to repair some of the damage done to the relationship with Europe since his last trip…

Via Metal Miner New China tariffs may soon change the country’s steel market tactics. China continues to sit on a stockpile of steel, and it has no idea what to do with most of it. The exception, however, seems to be dumping it into foreign markets for cheap under the guise of “exportation.” China remains unable to use the bulk of this steel for its own infrastructure needs due to a decline in consumption and a stagnating economy. Therefore, export seems to be the best way out. This is especially beneficial as steel production…

With election-year prices at the pump a key campaign factor for U.S. presidential hopefuls, new projections indicate that the typical spring price spikes, which culminate in the Memorial Day driving weekend, will fall back earlier than previously anticipated. According to AAA, the nationwide average price for a gallon of gasoline on Wednesday was $3.66, down from 3.667 on Tuesday, and the same as a week ago, despite the springtime surge that generally precedes Memorial Day weekend and the peak driving season.  GasBuddy’s Patrick…