Hungary’s MOL Group has completed repairs to a main crude processing unit that suffered major damage resulting from a late-2025 fire at its 8.1-million tonnes/year (163,000-b/cd) refinery along the Danube River in Százhalombatta, near Budapest. Repair-related construction works amounting to 18 billion forints (Hun.; US$57.1 million) were completed as of Sept. 22 on the refinery’s atmospheric-vacuum distillation (AV-3) unit, paving the way for the unit’s gradual restart once construction equipment is removed, MOL said in a release. Completed according to schedule, the year-long comprehensive repair project entailed the demolition and rebuilding of the unit’s reinforced concrete structure, as well as restoration works on all unit equipment impacted by the fire, including related control and electrical systems, the operator said. Alongside mechanical repairs, the project also included: Installation of 27 new, high-capacity pumps. Replacement of 8 km of piping. Installation of 100 km of electrical cables. With construction activities now wrapped, MOL said the refinery is preparing for the unit’s gradual restart following a series of next steps that will include: Flushing of unidentified unit systems. Executing pressure tests. Performing functional tests of the process control and safety equipment. Connecting of all associated auxiliary power supplies. Coordinating operation of the repaired AV-3 unit with associated plants of the refinery. Once all preliminary restart activities and complementary operational safety inspections and tests have been completed, crude throughputs will be reintroduced into the unit for phased restart of production activities beginning in October, MOL said. Requisite repairs to AV-3 follow a fire that broke out in the unit on Oct. 20, 2025, which led to a temporary shutdown of the refinery and a 50% drop in crude distillation capacity at the site following the incident, according to the operator’s 2025 annual report to investors. While plants not affected by the fire were quickly

Oil, fundamental analysis Several factors whipsawed crude prices this week with WTI seeing a $12/bbl  Hi/Lo spread. Varying accounts of flowing oil, ongoing infrastructure attacks, and sparse diplomatic efforts provided a great deal of market uncertainty. WTI’s High was Monday’s $101.10/bbl for October while the Low was Wednesday’s $88.70. October Brent crude hit its High on Thursday at $108.25/bbl with the low on Tuesday at $97.35. WTI is down on the week while Brent is essentially flat. The WTI/Brent spread has blown out to $11.70. Analysts attribute this anomaly to a possible US diesel export ban making the domestic crude less desirable. Saudi Arabia reported that flows in their East-West pipeline have resumed. However, Houthi rebels continue their strikes against Saudi Arabia which now includes attacks near Riyadh. The Yemeni-based rebel group has also targeted Saudi Aramco facilities at the port of Yanbu, the terminus for the East-West oil pipeline where it is loaded for export. The Kingdom’s military has been able to intercept several missiles launched by the Houthis. France has promised to send varied aid to help protect this key port and refinery there. Both the Saudis and Oman have appealed to Washington to keep the economic and military pressure on Iran even if the Iranians wish to start diplomatic talks again. Qatar is proposing that negotiations begin again as soon as next week in Oman. Some sources are indicating that Iran would consider opening the Strait of Hormuz if the US would rollback the naval blockade. This despite the strong words of defiance spoken by the leaders of both Iran and Israel at the UN this week. Even with the continuing attacks, an estimated 5.5 million b/d of oil has been moving out of Yanbu and from UAE’s Fujairah port in the Gulf of Oman. However, that

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) today announced the opening of the Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) Core Laboratory Infrastructure for Market Readiness (CLIMR) Technology-Specific Topics lab call, making up to $41 million available to advance the commercialization of promising technologies in five priority areas. The final funding amount is based on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget and is subject to FY 2027 Congressional appropriations.   The lab call creates new opportunities for industry, entrepreneurs, investors, universities, nonprofits, and other organizations to engage with DOE National Laboratories, plants, and sites and help move DOE technologies from research and development toward the marketplace. National Laboratories can submit proposals to DOE, and organizations interested in participating as potential project partners can add their information to the Teaming Partner List.  The CLIMR lab calls serve the TCF mission by strengthening the lab-to-market pipeline, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that federally funded research delivers tangible benefits to the nation’s economy and energy security.    This lab call advances President Trump’s energy dominance agenda by leveraging American science and innovation to strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. Connecting DOE technologies with private-sector expertise, capital, manufacturing capabilities, and market insight helps accelerate commercialization, strengthen domestic industry, and ensure that more American innovations are developed and deployed in the United States.  “President Trump’s agenda is about ensuring America leads not only in producing energy, but also in developing and commercializing the technologies that will strengthen our economy and national security,” said DOE Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Commercialization Anthony Pugliese. “This lab call is an opportunity for American companies, entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators to work alongside our National Labs to move promising technologies into the marketplace. By bringing

Aker BP ASA increased the projected size of a recent North Sea discovery following results of an apprasial well. The operator and its license partners are now considering profitability and whether the discovery could be tied back to Aker BP-operated Symra field. Well 16/1-EA-4 H was drilled by the Deep Sea Nordkapp drilling rig in 116 m of water from the subsea template on Symra field as a horizontal appraisal wellbore about 200 km west of Stavanger. It was the 11th exploration well in production licence 167, which contains the Verdandi and Lillefix discoveries. The well was drilled to 1,864 m TVD subsea. It was terminated in the Heimdal formation from the Palaeocene. The objective was to prove reservoir rocks from the Palaeocene in the Heimdal formation, as well as to confirm the extent of the reservoir and presumed oil-water contact. The well encountered a 14-m gas column and a 44-m oil column in sandstone layers in the Heimdal formation. The gas-oil contact was encountered at 1,776 m subsea. A total of 1,515 reservoir m were drilled horizontally through the oil zone in the Heimdal formation with moderate reservoir quality. Data acquisition has been carried out, which included obtaining fluid samples and pressure points. The well has been permanently plugged. Results from the appraisal well increase the projected discovery size. Prior to drilling, the companies presumed that the discovery was 0.6–1.9 million std cu m oil equivalent (4-12 million bbl). Preliminary calculations after drilling amount to 1.3–2.4 million std cu m oil equivalent (8-15 million bbl). Aker BP is operator at PL 167 (50%) with partners Equinor Energy AS (30%) and DNO Norge AS (20%).  

Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) on Sept. 18 unanimously approved final steps to adopt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2024 methane standards for existing oil and gas operations, even as the Trump administration moves to reconsider the Biden-era rules. With the approval, Colorado became the first state to fully adopt the existing-source methane standards under the 2024 rule. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) developed the regulatory proposals, while the AQCC, an independent regulatory commission within CDPHE, adopted them. The process began in February 2025 with requirements to phase out natural-gas-emitting pneumatic controllers and other equipment. In February 2026, the AQCC added requirements for instrument-based leak detection and repair at oil and gas well sites, including low-production sites. The latest action finalizes requirements for closed-vent systems, covers, and enclosed combustion devices. Colorado’s new rules go beyond EPA’s baseline in some areas, including by extending closed-vent-system and cover requirements to all storage tanks covered by the state’s regulations. Its continuous-monitoring requirements for certain enclosed combustion devices also apply more broadly than EPA’s requirements. Federal methane regulations remain in flux. In March 2025, EPA said it would reconsider its 2024 oil and gas rules and has since finalized technical revisions to some provisions while developing additional amendments. Colorado’s state requirements can continue to apply to oil and gas operations in the state even if EPA weakens or changes the federal standards.

HOUSTON—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in coordination with the White House National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC), the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted G20 Energy Ministers at the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial in Houston, Texas, from September 14–16, 2026. Under President Trump’s leadership, the U.S. recentered G20 conversations on affordability, reliability, and security—affirming the essential role of hydrocarbons, nuclear energy, and advanced technologies in delivering energy abundance and driving economic prosperity. G20 Energy Ministers reached consensus on four outcomes: advancing energy access and closing the clean cooking gap, supply chain security, infrastructure development, and water resilience.  The outcomes reflect the significant progress following nearly a year of dialogue with the G20 to support the commonsense solutions that President Trump has championed to increase access to affordable, reliable, and secure energy; speed the development of critical infrastructure; and reduce vulnerabilities in energy supply chains. Under U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s leadership, G20 Energy Ministers endorsed a clean cooking access declaration to support affordable, reliable, and scalable solutions for closing the clean cooking gap—including the use of liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, which has accounted for roughly 75% of global gains in clean cooking access since 2010.  This declaration can help mobilize greater attention and resources for the two billion people still living without access to clean cooking, so they can breathe cleaner air at home and spend less time collecting traditional biomass for fuel.  Building on this achievement, Secretary Wright and Corporate Council on Africa President and CEO Florie Liser hosted a side event on clean cooking that convened G20 representatives alongside private sector executives. The event examined how stronger public-private partnerships can accelerate access to clean cooking solutions, particularly across Africa, to help translate this year’s G20 commitments into action. “Energy is the essential ingredient that enables everything we do,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “A highly energized society brings health, wealth, and opportunity. The consensus reached in Houston advances cooperation to expand the affordable, reliable, and secure energy, infrastructure, and supply chains needed to support prosperity, resilience, and opportunity throughout the world.” The investments and agreements announced in Houston demonstrate how the U.S. energy abundance agenda is fostering job creation, expanding economic opportunity, strengthening U.S. and global manufacturing partnerships, and advancing the energy infrastructure that will power the