The natural gas market in North America is fretting about over-supply. But in another one of the world’s key natgas centers, the problem is exactly the opposite this week. The place is Western Europe. Where unexpected events may have tipped natgas into shortage — pushing prices higher. On Monday, the government of the Netherlands announced … Read more

Strange and unsettling developments emerging late last week — from one of the world’s key oil-producing countries. Venezuela. The Venezuelan government Friday issued a decree that, for the first time, allows the country’s military to take direct involvement in natural resources projects. The government will do this by creating a new military company. Which is … Read more

Libya’s largest oil field survived a scare. Production at Sharara dipped after an armed group invaded, but then recovered. Donald Trump lifted resource development. The U.S. Interior Department is repealing Obama-era environmental rules. China’s zinc imports soared. A 31% jump in H1 2017 imports could help propel prices even higher. OPEC production hit a year high. July output rose, casting doubt on the recent … Read more

Critical news for developers of bulk commodities across Europe and Asia this week. China and London are now connected by rail. The China Railway Corporation said this week it has launched the first-ever direct rail freight service between China and London. With a train leaving Yiwu station to embark on an 18-day, 7,400-mile journey that will cover the … Read more

Two items generated a lot of feedback from Pierce Points readers last week: the continued rise of the lithium mining sector, and big moves made by China’s Silk Road infrastructure fund in Asia. And over the weekend, more critical developments emerged on both of these fronts. In lithium, it was the possible sale of a control position in one … Read more

A few offhand comments last week may show a massive new plan underway in global copper investment. One that could see major consumer China take the metals world by surprise. Reuters reports that high-level Chinese officials gave some strong hints of such a move at an industry conference last week in the southwestern city of … Read more

Major news in the gold market over the weekend. With the world’s largest gold-consuming nation reaching an agreement to resume metal sales for the first time in nearly three weeks. That’s in India. A critical gold consumer globally, where buying had been idled since the beginning of March by a nation-wide strike by the jewelry sector. … Read more

Glencore outbid China on coal. The major miner stepped in with an 11-hour offer on Rio Tinto’s Australia mines. India’s new taxes spurred gold buying. Buyers are snapping up bullion ahead of the July 1 imposition of a 3% sales duty. A Libya deal torpedoed the oil price. The country will restart 160,000 b/d of output, just as OPEC is trying to cut. South Africa, … Read more

Big developments this week on a new challenge quickly rising for the energy industry… and beyond. Climate change reporting. ExxonMobil lost a key decision in an ongoing climate change battle Wednesday. When a New York judge ordered the oil giant to turn over correspondence from its executives on potential impacts of changing temperatures on the company’s business. … Read more

One of the biggest energy stories this year has been Russia’s Rosneft buying India’s Essar Oil — giving the Russian company a firm grip on one of the world’s biggest emerging oil and gas markets. And this past week, that story got more complex. With Rosneft striking another big deal — drawing in another heavyweight … Read more