Connect with us

Economy

Supply Surplus Worries Weaken Oil Prices

Published

on

crude oil prices

By Adedapo Adesanya

Oil prices were lower on Tuesday as investors braced for a supply surplus due to potential plans by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) for a larger output hike next month and the resumption of oil exports from Iraq’s Kurdistan region via Turkey.

Brent crude futures lost 95 cents or 1.4 per cent to trade at $67.02 a barrel and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declined by $1.08 or 1.7 per cent to sell for $62.37 a barrel.

At its meeting next Sunday, OPEC+, which pumps about half of the world’s oil, may speed up production increases in November from the 137,000 barrels per day hike it made for October, as its leader, Saudi Arabia, pushes to regain market share.

Eight members of OPEC+ could agree to raise production in November by 274,000-411,000 barrels per day , or two or three times higher than the October increase.

According to some sources, the increase could be as big as 500,000 barrels per day.  Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported that OPEC+ was considering accelerating its increases by 500,000 barrels per day. However, OPEC in a post on X said it rejected media reports for plans to raise output by 500,000 barrels per day, calling them inaccurate and misleading.

Market analysts noted that such a strategy could significantly squeeze margins for high-cost US shale producers, potentially forcing them to scale back the record-level output they’ve maintained.

Meanwhile, crude oil have started flowing through a pipeline from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq to Turkey for the first time in two-and-a-half years, after an interim deal broke a deadlock. As a result, additional supplies are weighing on market prices.

The market has remained cautious in recent weeks, balancing supply risks, which mainly arise from Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian refineries, with expectations of oversupply and weak demand.

Also, President Donald Trump won Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s support for a US-backed Gaza peace proposal, but the stance of Hamas was uncertain.

This could possibly see shipping traffic through the Suez Canal return to normal following a Gaza peace deal, which would remove a significant portion of the geopolitical risk premium.

The market is also watching a potential risk of a US government shutdown has raised demand concerns

The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the US fell by another 3.674 million barrels in the week ending September 30. This is on top of last week’s 3.821 million barrel draw. So far this year, net crude oil inventories are have swung to a loss this week of 2.22 million barrels.

Official data from the US Energy Administration (EIA) will be due later on Wednesday.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Economy

All On Invests $1m in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited to Strengthen Cold-Chain Infrastructure in Off-Grid Markets

Published

on

All One Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited

All On, an impact investing company focused on expanding access to renewable energy solutions in Nigeria, has announced a $1 million investment in Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, a provider of solar-powered refrigeration and cold chain infrastructure.

The investment will support Eja-Ice’s manufacturing and operational scale-up as the company enters its next phase of growth. It is expected to enable the expansion of its cold-chain solutions and improve access to reliable cooling services for households, small businesses, and institutions operating in off-grid and weak-grid environments.

Access to dependable cold storage remains a significant constraint across Nigeria, particularly in coastal and rural communities where limited energy infrastructure contributes to post-harvest losses and income instability for small-scale agro-producers.

By delivering energy-efficient refrigeration systems, Eja-Ice is helping to address these challenges while supporting the preservation of perishable goods and strengthening local value chains.

“All On’s investment in Eja-Ice reflects our approach of supporting solutions that improve energy access while enhancing livelihoods, reducing costs, and enabling businesses to grow. Strengthening cold-chain infrastructure is an important step towards building more resilient local economies and expanding opportunities in underserved markets,” the chief executive of All On, Ms Caroline Eboumbou, commented on the investment.

Eja-Ice’s integrated cold-chain model allows for greater control over product design, operational efficiency, and service delivery, ensuring that its solutions are tailored to the needs of underserved markets. The company’s systems are already supporting micro enterprises, cooperatives, and community-level infrastructure, particularly in areas where reliable electricity remains limited.

Also commenting, the founder and chief executive of Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited, Mr Yusuf Bilesanmi, said, “This capital raise is a huge step forward in our vision to power homes and businesses with products designed, assembled, and optimised right here on the continent. It’s not just about access to electricity—it’s about dignity, productivity, and opportunity for the over 600 million people across sub-Saharan Africa who are still off-grid.”

Through this investment, All On continues to advance its mission of closing Nigeria’s energy access gap by supporting the renewable energy ecosystem and businesses that deliver sustainable, market-driven solutions.

All One Eja-Ice Nigeria Limited $1m

Continue Reading

Economy

First Holdco Lists N45bn Private Placement Shares on Stock Exchange

Published

on

first holdco subsidiaries

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Shares of First Holdco Plc worth N45.0 billion issued through a private placement have been listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited.

A circular issued by the Head of Issuer Regulation Department of the NGX Regulation Limited, Mr Godstime Iwenekhai, disclosed that the equities were admitted for trading at the stock market on Monday.

According to the notice, the additional shares brought for listing to rank pari passu with existing shares of the organisation were 1,021,334,544 units.

These stocks were sold to one of the company’s major shareholders at a unit price of N44.06, amounting to N45.0 billion.

The total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco, as a result of this listing, are now 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each.

“Trading licence holders are hereby notified that an additional 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each of First Holdco Plc were on Monday, June 22, 2026, listed on the daily official list of Nigerian Exchange Limited.

“The additional shares listed on NGX arose from the company’s private placement of 1,021,334,544 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each at N44.06 per share.

“With the listing of the additional shares, the total issued and fully paid-up shares of First Holdco Plc have now increased to 45,475,027,677 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each from 44,453,693,133 ordinary shares of 50 Kobo each,” the disclosure stated.

Continue Reading

Economy

AA Rano, Nipco, Matrix, Others Secure Q3 Petrol Import Permits

Published

on

Petrol Import Bill

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has approved fresh import licences for petrol and diesel for the third quarter of 2026 (July – September) to prevent potential supply shortages in the domestic market.

According to a report by global energy intelligence firm, Argus Media, the latest approvals were issued to major downstream operators amid declining fuel stock levels and concerns over reduced petrol production at the 700,000 barrels per day Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Lagos.

The move comes as Nigeria continues to balance increasing local refining capacity with the need to guarantee adequate supplies of petroleum products across the country.

According to the Argus report, domestic firms, including AA Rano, AYM Shafa, Bono Energy, Nipco, Matrix Energy and Pinnacle Oil, received permits to import Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, during the July-September period.

The publication further reported that the same companies, with the exception of Nipco, were granted approvals to import Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel. The fresh approvals follow an earlier batch of petrol import permits issued by the regulator in May, covering about 720,000 metric tonnes.

Quoting a regulatory source, Argus noted that many of the companies granted the latest approvals were among those that had received permits in previous rounds. “These are some of the same ones that previously received the PMS permits,” the source was quoted as saying.

It was also claimed that AA Rano and Matrix Energy each received approvals to import 180,000 metric tonnes of petrol. AYM Shafa received approval for 120,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle Oil received a permit covering 150,000 metric tonnes.

For diesel imports, Argus reported that AYM Shafa obtained a permit for 60,000 metric tonnes, while Pinnacle secured approval for 45,000 metric tonnes. The report stated that the import approvals were issued only recently, after being delayed from an initial target date of June 15.

Continue Reading

Trending