In this week’s newsletter, we will take a quick look at some of the critical figures and data in the energy markets this week.
We will then look at some of the key market movers early this week before providing you with the latest analysis of the top news events taking place in the global energy complex over the past few days. We hope you enjoy.
Seoul Mates in Energy: U.S. Powers Up South Korea
– The official visit of South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung to the US marked one of the highlights of Trump’s tariff deals as the two sides formally upheld South Korea’s $100 billion commitment to buy US-origin energy over the next four years.
– South Korea is already the largest buyer of US crude in Asia, ramping up imports every year since 2020 and reaching 460-470 kbd currently – such a pace of imports would equate to $12-14 billion per year, or half the promised commitment.
– South Korea’s imports of US LNG peaked in 2021 at 8.9 million tonnes and have been on a declining trend since, as the country’s importers prefer shorter-haul options from Australia and Qatar.
– Similarly, 2018 marked the peak of coal shipments from the United States to Korea at 3.7 million tonnes, dropping to a mere 1.4 million tonnes last year and staging a gradual recovery since.
Market Movers
– Canada’s leading oil producer Cenovus Energy (NYSE:CVE) agreed to buy oil sands peer MEG Energy (TSE:MEG) for $5.7 billion in a cash and stock deal, sending Cenovus’ stock up almost 8% on Friday.
– Norway’s state oil firm Equinor (NYSE:EQNR) delayed development drilling at the UK’s largest untapped oil field Rosebank to Q1 2026 after the UK government demanded additional emissions documentation.
– US upstream firm Crescent Energy (NYSE:CRGY) agreed to purchase peer shale producer Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) in an all-stock deal worth $3.1 billion, adding some 70,000 b/d of oil production to its portfolio.
– Japan’s leading gas importer Tokyo Gas (TYO:9531) is reportedly in talks with US LNG developer Venture Global (NYSE:VG) to buy 1 million tonnes of LNG per year from the Calcasieu Pass 2 facility, starting from 2028.
Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Russia-Ukraine has been dominating oil headlines recently, even if President Trump’s involvement has notably declined over the past week as Kyiv’s European allies discuss security guarantees with their US counterparts. Drone strikes on Russian refineries have had minimal impact on oil prices, with ICE Brent futures correcting back to $68 per barrel.
Putin Wants US Majors Back. Russian and American officials have reportedly discussed the return of US oil majors to Russia as part of a wider post-Ukraine diplomatic arrangement, with Moscow offering ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) to re-enter Sakhalin I and sell equipment to the Arctic LNG 2 plant.
Donald Trump Demands Chinese Magnets. Further escalating of the US-China trade war, Donald Trump stated that China ought to provide the United States magnets as soon as possible, hinting at inadequate rare earth exports lately, absent which the White House will slap a 200% tariff on Beijing.