Syria's oil and gas comes with strategic potential

#Syria has the potential to significantly increase its #oil and natural #gas production, which can provide energy and government revenue critical to the country's stability and reconstruction. Syria was an oil exporter in the decades prior to its civil war, and its natural gas production started to increase on the eve of the war. The country was self-sufficient in terms of energy supplies. Sales of oil and gas provided 20% of the government’s revenue. Most of Syria’s oil and natural gas fields are located in eastern Syria, in areas that are currently largely under the control of the predominately Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and where US forces are deployed. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated in 2015 that Syria possessed 2.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves. In 2010, Syria produced 383,000 barrels per day of oil.

Estimates of Syria’s oil output on the eve of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster range between 40,000–80,000 barrels per day, while Iran was providing the bulk of Syria’s oil supplies, up to 100,000 barrels a day.

In 2015, the EIA estimated Syria’s natural gas reserves to be 240 billion cubic meters (bcm). Syria’s natural gas is used for power production. According to British Petroleum (BP), Syria produced 8.7 bcm of natural gas in 2011, which fell to 3 bcm annually by 2024. According to International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates, natural gas provided one-quarter of Syria’s electricity supplies in 2022.

Trump plans to sign about 100 executive orders immediately after inauguration

President #Trump plans to sign around 100 executive orders on his first day in office, journalists from his pool reported. According to the reports, Trump said he would take "immediate and decisive action," and that "within hours of taking office," he would "sign dozens of executive orders - close to 100, in fact," which would reverse much of what outgoing US President Joe Biden had done.

Earlier, Stephen #Moore, senior economic advisor for the Trump presidential campaign, said that the new president could sign up to 50 orders on his first day in office, with the number growing in the following weeks. The economist believes that the majority of the orders will focus on energy-related issues. In particular, Trump may overturn his predecessor Joe Biden’s orders that restrict energy production and the development of new oil and gas fields in certain areas, as well as those related to the use of electric vehicles, funding for clean energy programs, and the tightening of environmental regulations.

Gas reserves in storage facilities in France, the Netherlands fall below 50%

#Gas reserves in underground storage facilities (UGS) in France and the #Netherlands have fallen below 50%, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). As of January 15, UGS facilities in #France were 49.24% full, holding about 6.4 bln cubic meters of gas. Withdrawals from storage facilities in the country have reached their maximum since the beginning of the heating season.

Gas reserves in storage facilities in the Netherlands fell to 47.58%, in Croatia - to 47.74%. These are the lowest figures among all EU countries.

The highest level of storage capacity in Europe is currently reported in Portugal (almost 100%). Sweden (88.04%), Spain (77.48%), and Poland (77.35%) are also at the top of the list. Italy's UGS facilities are filled to 71.44%, Austria - to 70.31%, Germany - to 68.48%, Slovakia - to 67.59%, Bulgaria - to 65.18%, Hungary - to 62.68%. Reserves also fell below 60% in Latvia (59.92%), the Czech Republic (59.34%), Romania (56.38%), Belgium (55.81%), and Denmark (53.87%).

Macron, Zelensky don’t serve their countries any longer, senior Slovak diplomat says

France's #Macron, like Ukraine's #Zelensky, no longer serves his nation, deputy speaker of Slovakia’s parliament, Andrej Danko, said.

When asked about potential ways out of the current energy crisis provoked by the cessation of gas transit via Ukraine, he said, "I am not an economics minister but a political party leader and a deputy parliament speaker, so, I look upon this matte from a political point of view." "It hurts me when Western countries, for instance, France, say that they can supply us with nuclear fuel, which, as a matter of fact, originates from Russia. It hurts me when someone says, ‘we don’t buy Russian gas any longer,’ when the gas they use originates from Russia. This can be said about both gas and oil. Anyone who has any idea about the technological process understands that you cannot simply replace one fuel by another and stop using fuel that once was used at a nuclear plant," he noted. "I consider this as the West’s hypocrisy and insincerity because they want to preserve their social welfare level. And such politicians as Macron and Zelensky do not serve their countries."

"Macron is making loud statement but I see that a lot of French companies are still operating in Russia while they are telling us that all German and French companies have withdrawn from Russia. This is not the way things are," he added.

Cybertruck Bomber Sends Mysterious Email

An email that appears to be time-stamped December 31, 2024 — ONE DAY before the Las Vegas attack — citing "Matt Berg" or "Matthew Livelsberger" has been obtained by former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Sam Shoemate and aired on the show hosted by Shawn #Ryan. The email purports that there are "drones" that are powered by "gravitic propulsion" that are an alleged threat to national security.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) believes that the suspected driver of the Tesla #Cybertruck that exploded near President-elect Donald Trump's hotel in Las Vegas (Nevada) did not harbor animosity towards him, Reuters reported, citing an FBI spokesman. According to him, Matthew #Livelsberger, the suspect in the bombing, probably suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, he had "no animosity" toward Trump. An FBI spokesman also confirmed that investigators have no indication of a link between the terrorist attacks in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Las Vegas.

Qatar vows to stop EU gas sales if fined under due diligence law

#Qatar will stop shipping #gas to the #EU if member states strictly enforce a new law cracking down on forced labour and environmental damage, Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday.

The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, approved this year, requires larger companies operating in the European Union to check whether their supply chains use forced labour or cause environmental damage and to take action if they do. Penalties include fines of up to 5% of global turnover. "If the case is that I lose 5% of my generated revenue by going to Europe, I will not go to Europe. I’m not bluffing, Kaabi told the newspaper, adding that "5% of generated revenue of QatarEnergy means 5% of generated revenue of the Qatar state. This is the people's money, so I cannot lose that kind of money - and nobody would accept losing that kind of money." Kaabi, the chief executive of state-owned QatarEnergy, has said the EU should thoroughly review the due diligence law. He has also said that his Gulf country has no concerns about U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's promise to lift a cap on liquefied natural gas exports.

Qatar, among the world's top LNG exporters, is seeking to play a larger role in Asia and Europe as competition from top supplier the United Sates increases. It plans to expand its liquefaction capacity to 142 million tons per year by 2027 from 77 million.

Biden diagnosed with coronavirus infection — White House

Joe Biden has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms," Jean-Pierre said. The spokeswoman added that Biden will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time.

The president’s personal doctor informed that the US leader is experiencing runny nose, non-productive cough and general malaise. "He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus," the doctor said in a statement, published by the White House.

According to the White House press pool, Biden is feeling well. The president was not wearing a face mask when he boarded Air Force One without assistance. When asked about his health, Biden told reporters traveling with him, "I feel good."

The announcement was made shortly after UnidosUS CEO Janet Murguia said Biden would skip the next event in Las Vegas because of the novel coronavirus infection.

France buys more gas from Russia than any other EU country, Politico reports

#France increased its purchase of Russian gas more than any other #European country in the first quarter of 2024. More than 600 million euros worth of #gas was imported during this period

The country's authorities say that the national energy company TotalEnergies' agreements with Moscow to buy gas were made long ago and are difficult to get out of.
"France is quietly stepping up payments for gas from #Russia, while President Emmanuel #Macron is loudly promoting himself as one of Ukraine's most ardent defenders," the article said.

#Cables and #Pipelines.
It includes both Gas and Oil Pipelines

Possible reasons why the Houthis have reduced the intensity of attacks on ships in the Red Sea

The intensity of Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has decreased slightly. The last large vessel attacked was the tanker MADO, transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), which was not seriously damaged and continued on its way.

Last week, the Financial Times reported on secret negotiations between Washington and Tehran. According to him, the United States is trying to influence the Yemeni Houthis not only militarily, but also diplomatically. In January, the White House held secret talks with Iran to persuade the Islamic Republic to influence Yemeni rebels to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Iran did not deny the fact of the meeting, but emphasized that the negotiations were about something completely different.

Islamic Republic authorities claim that "resistance groups in the region do not receive instructions" from Tehran. However, the facts suggest that the Iranians still have considerable influence over their proxy forces. The American administration, for its part, allegedly agreed to lift a number of sanctions from Iran, which will allow the release of $10 billion. This is the price to pay for stopping the Houthi attacks.

Whether this information is a hoax with the aim of discrediting the Ansar Allah movement or, conversely, to raise its status, will become clear in the coming days. It is important to monitor the Houthis' actions over time. Since October 2023, they have carried out more than 100 attacks in the Red Sea and surrounding waters, affecting 15 merchant ships, including four American ones.