QatarEnergy, Excelerate Energy Sign 15-Year Supply LNG Deal 

QatarEnergy and US-based Excelerate Energy signed on Monday a 15-year agreement to supply 1 million metric tons per year (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be delivered to Bangladesh for 15 years from January 2026. (QNA)
QatarEnergy and US-based Excelerate Energy signed on Monday a 15-year agreement to supply 1 million metric tons per year (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be delivered to Bangladesh for 15 years from January 2026. (QNA)
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QatarEnergy, Excelerate Energy Sign 15-Year Supply LNG Deal 

QatarEnergy and US-based Excelerate Energy signed on Monday a 15-year agreement to supply 1 million metric tons per year (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be delivered to Bangladesh for 15 years from January 2026. (QNA)
QatarEnergy and US-based Excelerate Energy signed on Monday a 15-year agreement to supply 1 million metric tons per year (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be delivered to Bangladesh for 15 years from January 2026. (QNA)

QatarEnergy and US-based Excelerate Energy signed on Monday a 15-year agreement to supply 1 million metric tons per year (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to be delivered to Bangladesh for 15 years from January 2026.

The deal is the latest in a series state-owned QatarEnergy has with European and Asian partners tied to its massive North Field expansion project, which is expected to lift Qatar's LNG production to 126 mtpa by 2027 from 77 mtpa now.

Qatar, among the world's top LNG exporters, is already the largest supplier of LNG to Bangladesh.

It views natural gas as a transition fuel that will be needed far into the future.

"This new agreement will further strengthen our relationship with Excelerate while also supporting the energy requirements of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and its stride towards greater economic development," QatarEnergy Chief Executive Saad al-Kaabi said in the statement.

Al-Kaabi told Reuters last month QatarEnergy expected to agree long-term LNG supply deals in Asia and Europe, with several imminent.

Excelerate will buy 850,000 mtpa of LNG in 2026 and 2027, then 1 mtpa from 2028 to 2040, QatarEnergy said. It will be shipped to floating storage and regasification units in Bangladesh.

Daniel Bustos, Excelerate Energy's executive vice president and chief commercial officer, said in September the company was in advanced talks to supply long-term LNG to Bangladesh.



IEA Ready to Go if Further Oil Stocks Release Needed, Chief Says

A pumpjack operates after sunrise in Kern County, which has a long history of oil production, in California's 22nd Congressional District on October 16, 2026 near Bakersfield, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
A pumpjack operates after sunrise in Kern County, which has a long history of oil production, in California's 22nd Congressional District on October 16, 2026 near Bakersfield, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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IEA Ready to Go if Further Oil Stocks Release Needed, Chief Says

A pumpjack operates after sunrise in Kern County, which has a long history of oil production, in California's 22nd Congressional District on October 16, 2026 near Bakersfield, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
A pumpjack operates after sunrise in Kern County, which has a long history of oil production, in California's 22nd Congressional District on October 16, 2026 near Bakersfield, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

The International Energy Agency is ready to go if a further release of oil from members' emergency oil reserves is needed, the agency's top official said on Tuesday.

The IEA decided last week to accelerate the release of oil remaining from a record emergency reserves release pledged in March, including more than 20 million barrels of diesel as soon as possible to boost supply ‌and cool ‌soaring prices.

"If it is needed...and if ‌our ⁠countries consider it’s ⁠time to push the button, as the International Energy Agency, we are ready to go,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said at a conference in London organized by the Financial Times, when asked about the prospect of an additional release.

The timeline for the ⁠release of 20 million barrels of ‌diesel depends on individual countries, ‌he said, without giving a specific timeframe.

"How much is ‌released and when depends on the countries, depends on ‌the situation of winter markets," Birol said.

War in Iran and conflict in Ukraine have disrupted oil supplies, sending diesel prices to record highs in many markets and turning ‌the fuel that underpins trucking, agriculture and industry into a political and economic ⁠concern.

"We’re trying ⁠to front-load those diesel deliveries,” Birol added.

Brent crude oil rose to more than $111 a barrel on Tuesday, a five-month high. European benchmark diesel futures were trading at $1482.25 per metric ton, up almost 4% since the IEA’s decision on Thursday.

The IEA coordinates industrialized nations' releases of oil from emergency stocks. In March, countries had pledged to release more than 400 million barrels of crude and oil products as prices soared.

Members have so far released 80% of the 400 million barrels, Birol said.


Kurdistan-focused Oil Firms Gulf Keystone, ShaMaran Agree $601 Million Merger

An oil field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Reuters)
An oil field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Reuters)
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Kurdistan-focused Oil Firms Gulf Keystone, ShaMaran Agree $601 Million Merger

An oil field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Reuters)
An oil field in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Reuters)

UK-listed Gulf Keystone Petroleum said on Tuesday it will merge with Norway's ShaMaran Petroleum in a $601 million all-share deal, creating one of the largest oil producers in Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Under the agreement, ShaMaran shareholders will receive 0.07533958 Gulf ⁠Keystone shares for ⁠each ShaMaran share held.

Following completion of deal, shareholders of each company will own about 50% of the combined ⁠company.

Gulf Keystone intends to move its primary listing to Euronext Oslo Børs' main list and eventually discontinue its London listing, the company said.

The merger comes as dealmaking among Middle East-focused oil companies gathers pace, supported ⁠by ⁠higher oil prices stemming from the Middle East war.

Gulf Keystone's London-listed peer Genel Energy is competing with Norway's DNO to acquire Capricorn Energy, Reuters reported.

Gulf Keystone, Genel, DNO and ShaMaran all operate in Iraq's oil-rich Kurdistan region.


Macron Secures 200,000 Tons of Extra Diesel Per Month from UAE, Bahrain

France's President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with the UAE president at Qasr al-Watan presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on October 19, 2026. (Photo by Benoit Tessier / POOL / AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with the UAE president at Qasr al-Watan presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on October 19, 2026. (Photo by Benoit Tessier / POOL / AFP)
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Macron Secures 200,000 Tons of Extra Diesel Per Month from UAE, Bahrain

France's President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with the UAE president at Qasr al-Watan presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on October 19, 2026. (Photo by Benoit Tessier / POOL / AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron attends a meeting with the UAE president at Qasr al-Watan presidential palace in Abu Dhabi on October 19, 2026. (Photo by Benoit Tessier / POOL / AFP)

French President Emmanuel Macron has secured the delivery of an additional 200,000 tons of diesel per month from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain during a tour of the Gulf, the French presidency said Tuesday.

He obtained commitments for around 100,000 tons per month from the Emirates, while an additional 100,000 tons monthly will be secured during a stop in Bahrain later in the day, AFP quoted the Elysee Palace as saying.

With the addition of deliveries from Saudi Arabia, France has commitments for 295,000 tons per month, representing just over 10 percent of its consumption, the presidency added.

Kuwait has also given "very clear commitments" to deliver diesel and kerosene to the French overseas territories of Mayotte and Reunion in the Indian Ocean, the French presidency said.

Talks are underway with countries in the region to bring down maritime insurance prices so that companies can ship greater quantities through the strait at lower cost, the palace said.

"In this way, we are strengthening our energy security with these long-term commitments from our partners," it added.