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Australia is considering reserving a part of the domestic gas production for domestic market, as the Ministries of Resources and of Energy plan to review some policies, including gas supply, pipeline access, and price transparency by February 2021. The Australian government has long resisted against such gas reservation policies, considering that they would distort prices and would affect new production in the long term. However, it has come under pressure to boost gas supply and cut prices after wholesale gas prices tripled over the past five years, following the start up of LNG exports from eastern Australia. The gas reservation policy would only apply to future developments and would not affect Western Australia.

In 2017, the government introduced the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism, which requires the Ministry of Resources to decide every year whether to limit LNG exports from Queensland to avoid local gas shortage. The government now plans to review this mechanism.

Unicredit has agreed to sell Ocean Breeze Energy, the owner of the 400 MW BARD Offshore 1 wind park in the German part of the North Sea, to Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) for an undisclosed amount. The offshore wind park consists of 80 wind turbines rated 5 MW each and was commissioned in 2013. …

Codelco, a Chilean state-owned copper mining group, has sold its 37% stake in the 2 bcm/year Mejillones LNG terminal in Chile to Ameris Capital AGF Fund for US$193m. The proceeds from the sale will support Codelco’s investments in mining activities. The LNG import terminal, which was commissioned in 2010, is controlled by Engie, which owns a 63% stake in GNL Mejillones.

Equinor has entered into an agreement with the Argentina energy group YPF Luz to acquire a 50% stake in Luz del León, which is currently building the 120 MW Cañadón León wind power project in the province of Santa Cruz in Argentina. Equinor will provide an equity contribution of US$30m for the US$190m project, which will be operated by YPF Luz.

The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into the proposed acquisition of the Polish integrated oil and gas company Lotos by its rival PKN Orlen, considering that the merger may reduce competition in fuels supply in Poland and in neighbouring countries. It will take a decision on the transaction by 13 December 2019. …

The Brazilian oil and gas regulator ANP has approved an order raising the minimum percentage of biodiesel to be blended to diesel from the current 10% to 11%. The measure will be implemented as of 1 September 2019 and is expected to boost biodiesel production to a record high. …

India’s largest oil and gas producer, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), is investing INR 830bn (US$11.7bn) in executing 25 exploration and production (E&P) projects in India, of which 15 projects will monetise around 180 Mtoe of hydrocarbon resources. The group plans to invest more than INR 329 bn (US$4.6bn) in financial year 2019-2020 ending in March 2020, i.e.