Indian LNG importers are delaying long-term deals, seeking lower prices as a surge in global supply is anticipated. Major buyers like Gail India and Bharat Petroleum are pushing for more flexible contracts, hoping to benefit from new projects coming online. This strategy could be rewarded if prices fall, impacting India's energy mix goals.
INTERNATIONAL Feed Atom
Libya signed a 25-year oil development agreement on Saturday with France's TotalEnergies and U.S.-based ConocoPhillips, involving more than $20 billion in foreign-financed investment, Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah said.
India can leverage its growing energy demand to negotiate better oil and gas supply deals, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Friday, as its refiners continue seeking alternatives to Russian oil.
Daily crude oil production by OPEC member countries rose by 105,000 barrels in the final month of 2025, reaching 28.564 million barrels per day in December, according to the organization’s latest report.
Indian Oil Corp (IOC) buys 7M barrels of crude for March: 2M Buzios from Brazil’s Petrobras, 3M from Abu Dhabi (Murban + Upper Zakum), 2M Angola grades (Hungo/Clove via Exxon) — accelerating shift away from Russian oil amid tighter sanctions & lowest Russian imports in 2 yrs.
Venezuelan crude shipments under a $2 billion supply agreement with the United States have reached roughly 7.8 million barrels, but logistical bottlenecks, pricing resistance from buyers and storage overhangs are slowing progress and delaying a full reversal of output cuts.
India’s state-run Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) has awarded one-year import tenders for Iraqi and Omani crude oil, awarded to trader Trafigura, as Indian refiners increase spot market purchases from the Middle East to partially offset reduced reliance on Russian oil.
ADNOC Gas has signed a long-term sales and purchase agreement with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) for the supply of liquefied natural gas, in a deal valued at between $2.5 billion and $3 billion over a 10-year period.
Crude oil prices have retreated after a brief spike driven by speculation over potential U.S. military action against Iran. Brent and WTI benchmarks hit multi-month highs amid tensions, but they quickly gave way as the market refocused on fundamentals: the world simply has too much oil.
The United States is moving as quickly as possible to grant Chevron an expanded license for oil production in Venezuela, allowing the company to pay the government in cash rather than crude and export 100% of its output, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Reuters on Friday.
U.S. oil executives are hesitant to pour billions into Venezuela’s battered industry, insisting on ironclad legal and financial guarantees from Washington before backing Trump’s plan to revive production after Maduro’s capture. Talks ongoing ahead of White House meeting.
U.S. forces seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers—one flying a Russian flag—in the Atlantic, intensifying Trump’s push to dominate Venezuelan oil flows after capturing Maduro. China slams it as “bullying” as prices drop on expected supply surge.
Trump says Venezuela’s interim authorities will transfer 30–50 million barrels of sanctioned crude to the U.S., to be sold at market price with proceeds controlled by his administration — a move tied to the recent U.S. operation that captured Nicolás Maduro and framed as benefiting both countries.
India has bought ~€144bn of Russian crude since Feb 2022, becoming Russia’s second-largest buyer after China, CREA says. Total Russian fossil fuel export revenues now near €1tn—continuing to bankroll Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
India’s Reliance Industries, once the top buyer of Russian crude, says it expects ZERO Russian oil deliveries in January & none received in past 3 weeks—signaling a sharp drop in India’s imports amid tougher Western sanctions & push for US trade deal.
The United States could raise tariffs on India if New Delhi does not meet Washington’s demand to curb purchases of Russian oil, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, escalating pressure on the South Asian country as trade talks remain inconclusive.
Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA has asked several joint ventures to reduce crude oil output as exports remain paralyzed and storage fills up, adding stress to an already fragile oil sector and deepening pressure on the interim government.
Trump said after Maduro’s removal that major U.S. oil companies are ready to invest billions to revive Venezuela’s battered oil sector, though analysts warn restoring production will require massive, long-term investment despite the country’s vast reserves.
Venezuela’s state oil producer PDVSA says production and refining continue normally, with no damage reported after a U.S. military strike that captured President Nicolás Maduro, sources told Reuters.
India has ordered refiners to report weekly oil purchases from Russia and the U.S. as it expects Russian imports to drop below 1 mbpd while negotiating a trade deal with Washington to ease 50% U.S. tariffs over its continued buying of discounted Russian crude.
