PetroChina Third Quarter Net Beats Estimates

PetroChina Co.’s third quarter profit growth outpaced gains by rival China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. as higher crude oil prices helped counter refining losses at Asia’s biggest company by market value.

Net income rose 7.8 percent from a year earlier to 37.4 billion yuan ($5.9 billion), PetroChina said yesterday. That surpassed the 33.3 billion yuan mean estimate of six analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sinopec, as China Petroleum is known, said profit increased 3 percent to 20.2 billion yuan.

PetroChina, which gets almost three times the operating income from energy exploration than Sinopec, benefitted more from higher oil prices as it boosted output to meet demand in the world’s second largest economy. Chinese energy companies are adding oil and gas assets from Australia to North America to curb losses from selling fuels at state controlled prices.....Read the entire article.


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Phil Flynn: The Good, The Bad And The Bullish And Bearish

It was easy to get caught up in all of the exhilaration as oil rallied strong in the glow of a global bailout frenzy. Promises of re-capitalization of European banks by the French and the Germans and word that a Chinese sovereign wealth fund was buying shares of faltering Chinese banks, eased the markets darkest fears causing a run out of the safe haven dollar and a run in to the euro.

The oil of course dutifully rallied as the risk appetite came back and the VIX fear index fell. Yet despite the fact that it was bailout mania that drove most of the commodity complex, we would be remiss not to point out other bullish factors that were at play in a marvelously bullish day.

For oil there was a lot of bullish news and bullish speculation surrounding Saudi Arabian production. Private forecasters are reporting that Saudi production is falling perhaps by as much as 4% as they seek to take back that extra oil they pumped to replace lost Libyan crude. Also were reports that the Saudis have put on hold their plans to expand production capacity and that was also a potential long term supportive story the crude complex.

What is more OPEC just lowered their global demand forecast by 180,000 barrels per day and at the same time, is warming they are staying alert to market imbalance risk. In other words, if oil prices fall too hard they will take steps to cut production even further. Ah, yes the OPEC boys doing their part to screw up the global recovery.

Even sugar for the ethanol traders had a big news. Floods in Thailand, one major sugar producer and worries about the smaller than expected Brazilian crop shot sugar back above 30. Dow Jones said that strong ethanol demand in Brazil could reignite a rally in sugar futures before the front-month contract expires next March. That is of curse assuming the Europe does not fall on its face again.

Copper soared again on the hope for an improving economic outlook but also as reports of violence at the world's third largest copper mine in Indonesia. Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold Inc says that is continuing to produce and ship copper concentrates at reduced levels from its Indonesian mine while violence broke out and at least one death was reported. In the meantime copper traders are looking for a surge in copper demand from China as they expect that they will be looking to replenish stockpiles. Of course if the economy slows it might not happen.

Jean Claude Trichet in Brussels EU is warning of large scale systemic risk that could impact even the larger countries in the EU! Wow, who knew? Those concerns of course are another reason why the market is wondering whether all of that exuberance was justified. Earnings season begins today and the world is waiting on Slovakia to pass its partipation in the larger EU bailout fund. That's right, Slovakia. The market is worried that a "no" vote could crash the global markets.

In the mean time, mergers and acquisitions in the oil patch could be exploding. Yesterday China raised eyebrows with a major accusation play in the Canadian oil sands. Chinese owned Sinopec signed an agreement to purchase Canadian oil and gas exploration and production company Daylight Energy. Now the question is whether or not the Canadians will approve the deal. Stay tuned!


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The Chinese are Rockin....Repsol to Sell Brazil Assets to Sinopec for $7.1 Billion

In one of the largest Chinese oil acquisitions to date, Spain's Repsol Friday announced the sale of 40% of its Brazilian assets to China Petrochemical Corp., or Sinopec Group, for $7.1 billion. The joint venture, valued at $17.8 billion overall, guarantees Repsol key funding to explore vast and coveted offshore oil fields in South America's biggest economy.

The transaction is also another sign of China's growing prominence on the international energy scene, as it expands its access and ownership of raw materials needed to back the country's economic expansion. The biggest oil takeover by a Chinese firm to date has been Sinopec Group's $7.2 billion acquisition in 2009 of Addax Petroleum Corp., based in Switzerland, only slightly more than the venture announced Friday.

The joint Brazilian operation stands as one of Latin America's largest foreign controlled energy ventures, as it will develop some of the world's most important exploratory discoveries in recent years, Repsol said in a filing with the stock market regulator. Repsol will have controlling interest in the joint venture with a 60% share. At the center of the deal is Repsol's holdings in the coveted subsalt area offshore Brazil, which had been anticipated to constitute a long term cashcow for the Spanish oil giant.

The subsalt play is exceptionally expensive because the oil is found in water depths of more than 2,000 meters and several thousand meters further under the sea bed below layers of sand, rocks and salt. Repsol has said previously that bringing its Brazilian subsalt oil finds into production could cost between $10 billion and $18 billion. Friday's deal eliminates the need for an initial public offering of its Brazilian stake they company had contemplated, Repsol said. "With this new investment, Repsol Brasil is fully.....Read the entire article.


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The Chinese Oil Demand Teaser

One day China’s oil demand is bad and the next, good. Welcome to another mystery from The Middle Kingdom. Yesterday oil prices were pressured on reports of bulging inventories in China and weak demand. Platts reported that Chinese oil demand in August slid 5.4% from July. Platts said that China's implied oil demand totaled 33.02 million metric tons in August versus 34.92 million metric tons in July. Oil refiners in China are reporting that demand is still weak. Reuter’s news reported that Chinese oil company Sinopec had sales of refined oil products still lower than one year ago. Reuters says that despite a moderate inventory draw in August, China's diesel inventories had been building up faster than gasoline had in past months, reflecting the slower consumption for the main transportation fuel used by Chinese industry and trucks.....Read the entire article

PetroChina Profit Tops Analyst Estimates, Acquisitions Planned

PetroChina Co., the world’s most valuable company, posted profit that beat analysts’ estimates on record earnings from oil refining after the government raised fuel prices and China’s economic recovery spurred demand. Second quarter net income rose 26 percent to 31.5 billion yuan ($4.6 billion), derived by subtracting earnings for January to March from first half figures announced in Hong Kong yesterday. The Beijing based oil producer and refiner joins China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., known as Sinopec, in reporting higher profit. The gains contrast with earnings declines at Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc after the global recession cut U.S. and European consumption. PetroChina, Sinopec and Cnooc Ltd., the nation’s biggest oil companies, this week pledged.....Complete Article

Sinopec’s Net Surges on Fuel Prices; Beats Estimates

China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Asia’s biggest refiner, said first-half profit rose more than four fold, beating estimates, after the government eased curbs on fuel prices and the nation’s economic recovery spurred demand. Net income increased to 33.2 billion yuan ($4.86 billion), or 0.381 yuan a share, from a restated 7.7 billion yuan, or 0.057 yuan a share, a year earlier, Sinopec, as China Petroleum is known, said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange today. That compares with a 27 billion yuan median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of four analysts. The gain contrasts with earnings declines at Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s biggest oil companies, after.....Complete Story

Sinopec Closes China's Largest Overseas O&G Acquisition for $7.5B

China Petrochemical Corporation ("Sinopec Group") announced that the acquisition of Addax Petroleum Corporation ("Addax") was successfully completed after nearly six months of due diligence and negotiation. Sinopec Group signed the acquisition agreement at an offer price of CAD 52.8 per share on June 24, 2009. It was approved by the Chinese regulatory authorities on August 6th. All pre-requisite conditions have been satisfied, hence Sinopec Group announced the successful closing of this transaction today. Addax Petroleum Corporation is an independent oil producer, established in 1994 and headquartered in Switzerland.....Complete Story

China Cashes In On Overseas Shopping Spree

The second largest energy consumer, China is quickly becoming one of the most significant energy players in the world. Increasingly in need of fossil fuels to power its burgeoning economy, China's state owned oil companies have sought to acquire oil and gas access rights beyond its borders, snapping up additional reserves that span both hemispheres. Already this year both offshore oil and gas producer China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC)and refining heavyweight China Petrochemical Corp. (Sinopec) have purchased international assets that will bulk up its already hefty cache of petroleum resources. Respectively, the two companies have acquired stakes in overseas portfolios that include blocks in West Africa and the Middle East.....Complete Story

Chinese Oil Majors Collect Stake in Angola's Block 32 for $1.3B

Marathon announced that its subsidiary, Marathon International Petroleum Angola Block 32 Limited, has entered into a definitive agreement with CNOOC International Limited (CNOOC), and Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation (SINOPEC) under which CNOOC and SINOPEC will purchase an undivided 20 percent participating interest in the Production Sharing Contract and Joint Operating Agreement in Block 32 offshore Angola. The transaction has a total value of $1.3 billion, excluding any purchase price adjustments at closing, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2009.....Complete Story

Today’s Stock Market Club Trading Triangles

China Increases Diesel, Gasoline Prices to Help Oil Refiners

China, the world’s second biggest energy consumer, will increase fuel prices by as much as 11 percent today, allowing the nation’s refiners to pass on climbing crude oil costs. Prices for gasoline and diesel will rise by 600 yuan ($87.80) a metric ton, the National Development and Reform Commission said yesterday, the third increase this year. Jet fuel costs will rise by 620 yuan a ton. China’s consumer prices fell for a fourth month in May.....Complete Story

Natural Gas Falls, More Rigs For Baker Hughes, Sinopec In Iraq

"Natural Gas Falls as U.S. Inventories Build in Mild Weather"
Natural gas futures fell for a fifth day in New York as a government report tomorrow may show that weak demand, prompted by mild weather and the recession, is pushing U.S. stockpiles toward a record high. Gas inventories probably increased 101 billion cubic feet last week, based on the median of 15 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The five year average increase for the week is 84 billion cubic feet. Storage levels rose to 2.557 trillion cubic feet.....Complete Story

"Is Rig Count About to Rebound? Scenarios for The Future"
Last week Baker Hughes reported that their rig count for active rigs in the United States increased by 23 rigs to 899 active rigs. While this count increased from the prior week, compared to a year ago, the rig count is down by over 1,000 rigs marking one of the worst downturns in the industry history. Our favorite chart shows the rig count for 2000-2009 compared to the rig count of 1973-1983. The similarities are stunning, but even more.....Complete Story

"Sinopec Buys Addax, Gains Reserves in Africa, Iraq’s Kurdistan"
China Petrochemical Corp. will gain reserves in Iraq’s Kurdistan and West Africa upon completing its C$8.3 billion ($7.2 billion) bid for Addax Petroleum Corp. The Chinese company, known as Sinopec Group, is the country’s second-biggest oil producer. It agreed to pay C$52.80 a share in cash for Addax, the Geneva-based company said in a statement yesterday. That’s 47 percent more than Addax’s closing price in Toronto on June 5.....Complete Story

Crude Oil Falls as Equities Extend Losses, Daniel Bruno's Crude Oil Call

"Crude Oil Falls as Equities Extend Losses, Dollar Rebounds"
Crude oil fell, erasing earlier gains, as U.S. equities dropped and the dollar rebounded from intraday lows, reducing the appeal of commodities as an alternative investment. Oil retreated from gains of 3 percent, as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped as much as 1.3 percent. The U.S. currency strengthened to $1.3832 against the euro after touching $1.3933, the weakest level since May 21. “We started the day out with the idea that we’d have both a weaker dollar and a higher.....Complete Story

"Sinopec Plans 1st Deep Water Well in South China Sea"
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. is aiming to drill its first deepwater well next year in the South China Sea, ending a moratorium on exploration in waters close to acreage disputed by Vietnam, two company officials said Tuesday. The company, known as Sinopec, has begun a 3D seismic survey in an area of 1,250 square kilometers in the Qiongdongnan basin and drilling at the best prospects will follow, said the officials, declining to be named.Sinopec has a license to explore more than 8,000 sq km in the Qiongdongnan basin, including some blocks in territorial waters claimed by Vietnam.....Complete Story

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"Analyst Daniel Bruno: Crude Oil Poised to Break $79, Head to $93"
Crude oil is poised to break $79 and rise to at least $93 a barrel by late August, according to technical analysis by fund manager Daniel Bruno, reaffirming a prediction he first made in December. “Crude held above $70 a barrel support yesterday, which is a good sign,” said Bruno, the head of CEO Capital Management in New York and a chartered market technician. “If crude maintains $70, there could be a breakout above $79 by the end of June.” Bruno on Dec. 23 called for crude to rebound from below $40 a barrel up to $93. He said yesterday in a telephone interview that crude was.....Complete Story

Today’s Stock Market Club Trading Triangles

Crude Oil Industry Headline News

"Oil Rises, Rebounding From Two Week Low, on Signs of Stronger Fuel Demand"
Crude oil rose, following a rally in the stock market, and as a government report showed U.S. fuel consumption increased....Complete Story

"Chevron Reports New Discovery in Gulf of Mexico That May Rival Jack Find"
Chevron Corp., the second biggest U.S. oil company, made an oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico that may rival the 500 million-barrel Jack prospect found in 2004....Complete Story

"US Lawmakers Preparing to Draft New Offshore Drilling Laws"
Federal lawmakers are gearing up to legislate a new offshore drilling plan that could restrict development in major areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, but allow some acreage previously closed to access to be opened for exploration....Complete Story

"China's Sinopec Takes A Close Look at Mexico's Oil Patch"
China's Sinopec Group is the first integrated oil company to test the waters in Mexico after Congress passed an energy reform last fall....Complete Story

"Apache Won't Resort to Layoffs at This Time"
Oil and gas producer Apache Corp. will hold on to its employees despite the fact that energy price and profits have plummeted in recent months....Complete Story