Monday, February 28, 2011

Gazprom Ups Italian Gas Supplies 30% Due to Libya Unrest: Source

Platts, Moscow, Feb 28, 2011
Gazprom has increased its daily Russian gas deliveries to Italy by around 30% after unrest in Libya led to the shutdown of the 11 billion cubic meter/year Greenstream pipeline [please see map below -- D.R.] last week, a source close to Gazprom said Monday.

The source told Platts it was unclear how long the gas supplies would remain at an elevated level.

Gazprom's deliveries reached 81.1 million cu m/day on Thursday, up from a daily average of 63 million-65 million cu m on weekdays and 54 million-55 million cu m at weekends, Russian news agency Interfax reported Friday, citing Italy's gas grid operator Snam Rete Gas.

Snam Rete Gas was not available for comment.

Last Tuesday Eni, Italy's main gas supplier and the parent of Snam Rete Gas, announced it had shut down Greenstream.

Greenstream, which is a joint venture between Eni and the National Oil Corporation of Libya, exported around 9.4 billion cu m of gas to Italy in 2010.

It runs from Mellitah in Libya to Gela in Sicily, Italy.

According to the European Commission, 30% of Italy's gas supplies come from Russia, with Libya typically supplying around 11%. Thirty-three percent of the country's gas imports come from Algeria and 9% from Norway.

The increase in Russian supplies to Italy is likely to be temporary, according to a research note by investment company Alfa Bank.

"There could be other positive implications for Russia, as the incident is likely to underscore the country's reputation as a reliable gas supplier and could ease concern over Russia's large share of European gas markets," the note said.

Within Europe, Libya only delivers gas to Italy and Spain [to Spain in the form of LNG -- D.R.]. Libyan gas represents 1.5% of Spanish [gas] imports. [Full story]

(The c. 520-kilometer---323-mile---Greenstream submarine pipeline came online in 2004. For information on Libya's oil and gas profile, please see my post here.)

                                                                       Source: ENI, here

Sunday, February 27, 2011

U.S. Crude Oil Imports from Top 15 Countries, Dec 2010 and Full Year 2010 -- EIA

by Aaron and David Rachovich

U.S. Crude Oil Imports (thousand barrels per day), Dec. 2010

Rank
Country
Dec 2010
Nov 2010
Year 2010
Dec 2009
Year 2009
1.
Canada
2,064
1,975
1,972
2,104
1,943
2.
Mexico
1,223
1,229 
1,140
1,063
1,092
3.
Saudi Arabia*
1,076
1,119
1,080
870
980
4.
Nigeria*
1,024
806
986
1,020
776
5.
Venezuela*
825
884
912
772
951
6.
Iraq*
336
340
414
325
449
7.
Angola*
307
263
380
266
448
8.
Brazil
271
188
254
181
295
9.
Algeria*
262
379
325
336
281
10.
Colombia
220
489
338
179
251
11.
Ecuador*
192
188
195
86
181
12.
Russia
158
85
252
168
230
13.
Kuwait*
125
170
195
160
180
14.
UK
124
80
120
67
103
15.
Argentina
85
35
29
33
53
Top 15 countries
8,292
8,230
8,592
7,630
8,213
OPEC**
4,180
4,170
4,532
3,834
4,355
All Countries
8,631
8,608
9,163
8,170
9,013

*OPEC member.
**OPEC total includes also imports from Libya. In December 2010, e.g., the U.S. imported 32,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Libya. In 2009 (Feb, Mar, Apr, Jul and Aug), the U.S. imported small quantities of crude from Qatar. In 2009 (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul and Aug) and 2010 (May and Sep only), the U.S. imported small quantities of crude from the UAE.
Source: Energy Information Administration (EIA), Feb 25, 2011, here.

(Canada remained the largest exporter of crude in December 2010, exporting 2,064 thousand barrels per day to the United States, which is an increase from November. The top five exporting countries---Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela---accounted for 72 percent of United States crude oil imports in December 2010. For all of 2010, U.S. crude imports amounted to 9,163 thousand barrels per day, up 150 thousand barrels per day, or some 1.7 percent, from 2009---please see table above. Nigeria overtook Venezuela to become fourth-largest crude supplier, on an annual basis, to the U.S. in 2010---please see table above. Also, please see EIA's previous report, here -- D.R.)