Oil prices rose on Friday and finished in the plus for the second week in a row amid a decline in US inventories and improved demand prospects due to the easing of anti-coveting restrictions in China.
The price of February futures on ICE Futures Exchange in London was $81.57 per barrel by 7:15 am on Friday. Those contracts fell by $1.22 (1.5%) to $80.98 a barrel at the close of trading on Thursday.
The price of WTI futures for February at electronic trades of NYMEX grew by that time by $0.71 (0.92%) to $78.2 per barrel. By closing of previous trades the cost of these contracts has gone down by $0.8 (1%) to $77.49 per barrel.
Trading activity in the oil market declined sharply before the holidays, adding to its volatility, Bloomberg noted.
“Traders seem to be ready for the vacations,” said Ed Moya, chief oil market analyst at Oanda. – The most important factor for the market remains the situation in China, and the optimism that the lifting of restrictions will continue and the demand for oil will increase, remains.”
Market participants are also following the news from the U.S., where natural gas production is falling due to difficult weather conditions in key production regions which were hit by a snowstorm. According to Bloomberg, gas production in the states on Thursday fell to less than 96 billion cubic feet, compared with 100 billion feet on Wednesday.
Ukrzaliznytsia has reported that four international flights were delayed by more than two and a half hours due to the accumulation of trains on the Polish border.
In particular, with the delay arrived: 715/716 Peremyshl – Kyiv (+7:13), 31/32 Peremyshl – Zaporizhzhia (+3:58), 705/706 Kyiv – Peremyshl (+2:37) and 89/90 Peremyshl – Kyiv (+2:30).
In addition, due to lack of voltage in the overhead system as a result of shelling on the Marganets – Nikopol section, UZ has changed the route of three trains: №62 Odessa – Kharkiv, №120 Lviv – Zaporizhzhya, and №276 Kiev – Zaporizhzhya-1. They will pass from station Krivoy Rog Main through Verkhovtsevo, Dnepr Main, Sinelnikovo-2, Sinelnikovo-1, Zaporizhzhia-1, Sinelnikovo-1 without going to stations Apostolovo, Nikopol, Chortomlyk, Marganets, Dneprobut-2.
Train No. 62 Odessa – Kharkiv will further pass through Pavlograd-1 and Lozovaya, bypassing Novomoskovsk Dneprovsky.
Ports of “Big Odessa” on Thursday sent 221 thousand tons of agricultural products in the framework of the “Grain Initiative”, said the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.
“Today a caravan of five ships left the ports of “Big Odessa”, which will deliver 221 thousand tons of agricultural products to Africa, Asia and Europe, including the bulk carrier Sea Bridle with 25 thousand tons of agricultural products for Libya,” the Ministry noted.
According to him, since the beginning of the grain corridor 12 ships with 305 thousand tons of Ukrainian grain to this African country.
The Ministry noted that there are 29 vessels in the ports, involved in the “grain initiative”. More than 1 million tons of Ukrainian agricultural products are loaded on them.
“Grain corridor” is also moving two vessels for the loading of 89 thousand tons of agricultural products.
At the same time in the Bosporus 92 vessels are waiting for their turn to be inspected by the SCS. Over the past day, seven ships received approval for further movement after the inspection.
According to the information of the Ministry of Infrastructure, at least 12 inspections per day are required for continuous movement through the grain corridor.
A total of 574 vessels have left the ports of Greater Odessa since August 1, which exported 14.6 million tons of Ukrainian food to Asia, Europe and Africa.
Ukraine in January-November this year reduced ferroalloys exports in physical terms by 48 percent year-on-year to 318,760,000 tonnes.
According to the statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), in monetary terms ferroalloys exports fell by 42.7% to $532.263m.
In addition, during this period, Ukraine imported 20,288 thousand tons of these products, down 64.2% compared to January-November 2021. In monetary terms, imports decreased by 56.3% – to $70.760 million.
As reported, Ukraine in 2021 increased the export of ferroalloys in volume terms by 6.9% compared to 2020 – up to 668.539 tons, in monetary terms, their exports rose by 58.2% – to $ 1 billion 43.880 million, with major exports to Turkey (19.87% exports in monetary terms), Italy (13.51%) and China (11.28%).
In addition, in 2021, Ukraine imported 59.569 thousand tons of these products, which is 75.6% more than in 2020. In monetary terms, imports rose by 84.5% – to $177.616 million. Imports were carried out mainly from Brazil (16.93%), Norway (15.72%) and Kazakhstan (15.1%).
Stakhaniv and Zaporizhia ferroalloys plants (NWF and ZZF) were organized by PrivatBank (Kiev) until the nationalization of the financial institution. Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant is controlled by EastOne Group, created in the fall of 2007 as a result of restructuring of Interpipe Group, as well as Privat Group.
The State Property Fund (SPF) has prepared the privatization of the Ust-Dunaysk Commercial Seaport, which will be the first sale of the seaport since Ukraine’s independence, the SPF website reported on Thursday.
According to the report, the auction will be held on January 17 at Prozorro.sale. The starting price of 60 million UAH.
“This year, Ust-Dunaysk began to play a crucial role in global food security. (…) It has great potential for the development of Ukrainian food exports. This requires investments that private business can bring,” commented Rustem Umerov, head of the Fund.
The State Property Fund noted that since the beginning of the port operation in war conditions it has transshipped 153 thousand tons of grain for export. In addition, Ust-Dunaisk handles imported cargo, such as salt and rice.
Since April 1, the port has handled 58.3 thousand tons of imported consumer goods.
At the same time in January-September 2022 Ust-Dunaisk received 848 thousand UAH of net profit. In January-November, it paid more than 9 million UAH of taxes to the budgets of all levels.
The port itself consists of three assets: a port in Vilkovo, Odessa region, port point “Kilia” in the city of the same name and a base of service of special ships lighter carriers on the island of Shabash.
Direct loading-unloading operations are carried out in port point Kiliya, located at 54th km of the Danube River. Passport depths at the pier – 3 meters, actual – 1.5 meters.
As reported, on November 11, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to expand the water area of three seaports on the Danube: the port in Izmail, Reni and the port of Ust-Dunaisk.
Ukraine in January-November this year, exports of coke and semi-coke in physical terms decreased by 98% compared to the same period last year to 3,856 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS), in monetary terms, exports of coke and semi-coke during this period fell by 97.6% to $1.011 million.
Ukraine imported 340,451 thousand tons of coke and semi-coke in January-November 2022, down 50.4% from January-November 2021. In monetary terms, imports fell by 42.1% to $168.885 million.
As reported, Ukraine in 2021 increased the export of coke and semi-coke in volume terms by 3.3 times compared to 2020 – up to 194.535 thousand tons. In monetary terms, export of coke and semi-coke during this period rose in 4.8 times – up to $ 41.838 million. The main exports were carried out in Kazakhstan (29.03% in monetary terms), Turkey (20.06%) and Algeria (15.77%).
Ukraine imported 789.903 thousand tons of coke and semi-coke last year, which is 2.1 times more than in 2020. In monetary terms, imports increased 4.3 times – up to $351.238 million. Imports were carried out mainly from Russia (65.48% of supplies in monetary terms), the Czech Republic (20%) and Poland (8.45%).
As a result of the war, a number of mines and coke and chemical plants were located in territories temporarily outside of Ukraine’s control.
