New Iran nuclear deal may lead to quick increase in oil production
Of all the geopolitical scenarios perennially judged most likely by the world’s governments to escalate into global nuclear war between the superpowers, a military conflict between the Arab states of the Middle East and Israel has always been at or near the very top of the list. For a long time, the threat of such conflict was held in check by the U.S.’s longstanding deep relations with several of the Middle East’s major Arab states, most notably Saudi Arabia, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. These relationships no longer exist as they did, with the shift of these states towards China and Russia over the past five or six years.
Grand Tortue Ahmeyim natural gas project reaches 90pc completion
As the first phase of the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project reaches 90 percent completion, and first gas targeted for the end of fourth-quarter of 2023, Mauritania and Senegal are already looking ahead to the next stage, which is expected to commence between 2024 and 2025.
According to Lehbib Khroumbaly, Advisor on Upstream Sector at the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines of Mauritania, the Ministry plans to start phase 2 in 2025, “and we expect total completion in 2027,” he told Energy Capital & Power in an exclusive interview.
GTA is located 120 km offshore at a water depth of 2850 meters, making it one of the deepest subsea projects in Africa.
Punjab sets rice cultivation target
In a significant move to enhance rice production, the Punjab government has announced a target of cultivating rice across 5 million acres of land this year.
Secretary of Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo unveiled this plan during the inaugural meeting of the Rice Management Group held at the Civil Secretariat on Wednesday.
Secretary Sahoo emphasized utilizing all available resources to achieve this production milestone. He highlighted that rice caters to the nation’s population’s nutritional needs and serves as a crucial source of foreign exchange earnings.
Iron ore price slumps as China production cuts spark fears of demand drop
Dalian and Singapore iron ore futures slipped on Monday as traders became cautious of faltering demand after China’s top steelmaking hub Tangshan ordered local steel mills to reduce production as part of efforts to improve air quality.
The municipal government of north China’s Tangshan asked the 11 A-class steel mills to take initiative to cut production, while mills rated as B-class or below need to suspend 50 percent of their sintering equipment over July 1-31, analysts at consultancy Mysteel said in a note.
There were no statements on the websites and WeChat accounts of Tangshan’s relevant governments. The municipal bureau of ecology and environment did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
Morocco’s wheat and barley production set to surge after lengthy drought
Morocco is gearing up for a significant boost in wheat and barley production, with a forecasted increase of 62 percent in the 2023-24 marketing year compared to the previous season.
The positive outlook follows the end of a prolonged drought that gripped the country’s agricultural sector.
Morocco is expected to produce approximately 3 million tonnes of common wheat, 1 million tonnes of durum wheat, and 1.3 million tonnes of barley during the upcoming year, according to data from the Global Agricultural Information Network, published by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.
While the figures indicate a significant improvement from the drought-stricken years, the projected wheat output is still below historic averages due to the prolonged impact of the recent dry spells.
Recognizing the importance of revitalizing the agricultural sector, the Moroccan government has recently introduced various measures to support domestic agriculture.
India coal production rises 8.4pc to 223 million tonne in April-June
India’s coal production grew 8.4 percent during the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24 to 222.93 million tonne (MT), the Ministry of Coal said in a statement on Monday.
According to the data released by the ministry, the country’s coal production stood at 205.65 MT during the same period in the previous fiscal year.
“Coal India Limited (CIL) has recorded an impressive growth of 9.85 percent, with production reaching 175.35MT in FY 2023-24 as compared to 159.63 MT during the same period the previous year.
How the finest Darjeeling tea is losing its steam due to climate change
For the past two centuries, hand-picked brews from the rolling hills of India’s Darjeeling area have been tantalising tea connoisseurs around the world, but the aromatic “champagne of teas” is slowly losing its steam as it faces the brunt of climate change.
At an elevation ranging between 600m and 2,000m near the third tallest mountain in the world, Kangchenjunga, India grows the world’s most premium tea in the steep hills of Darjeeling, in the eastern state of West Bengal.
The panoramic view is dotted with cotton clouds, pine trees and hordes of tea workers – mostly women, carrying huge cane baskets on their backs, meticulously hand-picking tender shoots – just two leaves and a bud.
Rising temperatures could mean less milk production in dairy cows
In Vermont and Northern New York, dairy farms play a big role in the local economy.
But research shows that as global temperatures continue to rise, we could see milk production drop here at home.
Dairy cows are particularly sensitive to heat stress, and the USDA estimates the dairy industry could bear more than half the cost of those effects.
At the Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, New York, fans will be on throughout the summer in an effort to protect the health of the dairy cows.
“We have a few days of hot, hot weather, and then it cools off at night, and then it’s hot again, so really our cows never get to adapt,” said Katie Ballard, Director of Research at Miner Institute.