European Union (EU)

CBI: Quarter of UK power plants face closure

Independent business lobby group the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned the latest draft of the European Union Directive for Industrial Emissions could force at least a quarter of the UK’s power plants to close, which would raise a major…

Romania bans OTC emissions trading to combat fraud

Romanian authorities have banned European Union carbon emissions allowances (EUA) in the over-the-counter derivatives market to prevent EUA tax fraud, after ruling that these contracts are now classed as equity securities and therefore can only be bought…

Market fears two-tier EU ETS post-2012

Following a lack of collective will to determine a binding agreement at the Climate Change conference in Copenhagen (Cop15), analysts say the West may take steps to either ban or restrict most Chinese certified emissions reduction (CER) credits in the…

Iraq adopts new pricing for US crude

Somo, the Iraqi state-owned oil marketing firm, has followed in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait by adopting the Argus Sour Crude Index (ASCI) to benchmark price sales of US-bound crude from April onwards.

Eni, Oxy & Kogas seal Iraq deal

Three major oil and gas companies have sealed a deal with Iraq’s South Oil Company and Missan Oil Company that is set to increase production by 1 million barrels per day (bbl/d) over the next six years.