Venezuela Stops Oil Shipments To Europe As Alternatives To Russian Energy Dry Up

The writing is on the wall for Europe in terms of this coming winter – It’s going to get ugly. With natural gas imports from Russia cut by 80% through Nord Stream 1 along with the majority of oil shipments, the EU is going to be scrambling for whatever fuel sources they can find to supply electricity and heating through the coming winter. Two sources that were originally suggested as alternatives were Iran and Venezuela.

Venezuela Stops Oil Shipments To Europe As Alternatives To Russian Energy Dry Up

Related:

Venezuela: Oil Production Declines as Shipments to Europe Suspended

Caracas’ oil operations were affected by mechanical disruptions caused by alleged attacks against oil facilities. On July 16 a natural gas pipeline explosion and a power outage interrupted PDVSA’s supply to its main crude production and export hub, the José Antonio Anzoátegui industrial complex in eastern Venezuela.

With the operational disruption depleting Venezuela’s lightest oil grade stocks, Iran recently began to increase its supply of 29.5°API blend, a lighter alternative to Venezuela’s 16°API Merey, in order to boost fuel production and free domestic upgraded blends for exports.

However, anonymous sources revealed that Caracas might suspend crude cargoes to Europe while the industry recovers from recent setbacks. PDVSA is reportedly negotiating the terms of the oil-for-debt agreements with Eni and Repsol to receive fuel while still settling long-standing debts owed to the two companies.

Neither Venezuela’s Oil Ministry nor PDVSA has issued statements confirming the alleged halted shipments to Europe or the renegotiation of the swap deals.

The climate bill could short-circuit EV tax credits, making qualifying for them nearly impossible

The U.S. Senate passed a far-reaching climate, energy and health care bill on Aug. 7, 2022, that invests an unprecedented US$370 billion in energy and climate programs over the next 10 years – including incentives to expand renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The climate bill could short-circuitEV tax credits, making qualifying for them nearly impossible

Russian operative used U.S. activist groups to spread propaganda, feds say

A Russian operative backed by the Kremlin meddled in United States politics for seven years and recently tried to undermine American support for Ukraine by recruiting local activists to spread pro-Moscow propaganda, the Justice Department announced Friday.

Russian operative used U.S. activist groups to spread propaganda, feds say (archived)

The timing is suspicious, considering they knew about the alleged connections since before ‘Russiagate.Are they going after the Texit leader, next, or just going to ignore it (not saying that any of them should be gone after but it just adds to my suspicions)?! A message to the antiwar/anti-imperialist movement?!

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ROK and the US – Words and Facts

After the text about the President of the ROK at the NATO summit was published, part of the audience questioned whether the ROK, despite its loyalist statements, was in fact in no particular hurry to do Washington’s bidding. This question is best answered by a combination of words and facts.

In another important development, on July 20 Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho openly stated that South Korea should be cautious when deciding whether to join the US Chip 4 or Fab 4 technology alliance initiative, as the potential implications could affect not only the country’s semiconductor industry, but also the economy as a whole. The framework, which in addition to the US and the ROK also includes Taiwan and Japan, is designed to counter China’s growing influence in global supply chains for advanced high-tech products, as well as to increase American production capacity and capabilities in this area.

ROK and the US – Words and Facts

H/T: THE NEW DARK AGE

Previously:

South Korea’s new president playing dangerous game with Pyongyang

China getting rid of US debt holdings amid Washington DC’s escalatory actions and overall US decline

This year marks exactly 50 years since the establishment of ties between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. US President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972 and initiated an unprecedented thaw in relations, the first ever between a Communist power and a leading capitalist one. It was a very unusual occurrence, especially as the (First) Cold War was reaching its zenith precisely at that time. Although Mao Zedong himself and Nixon paved the way for the establishment of this relationship, it was only after Deng Xiaoping took power that the modern Sino-American relationship grew and in many ways shaped the economic and geopolitical realities of our time.

China getting rid of US debt holdings amid Washington DC’s escalatory actions and overall US decline

Related:

US debt held by China drops to lowest in 12 years

Speaking at a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged that the recent battle with inflation could tip the country into another recession.

The Fed’s Inspector General Clears Jerome Powell of Wrongdoing in the Trading Scandal, One Day After Five Senators Accuse Him of Hampering the Investigation

By Pam Martens and Russ Martens, July 15, 2022

Yesterday afternoon, Mark Bialek, the Inspector General of the Federal Reserve, released a memorandum clearing Fed Chair Jerome Powell and former Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida of wrongdoing in the trading scandal that has engulfed multiple officials of the Federal Reserve.

The Fed’s Inspector General Clears Jerome Powell of Wrongdoing in the Trading Scandal, One Day After Five Senators Accuse Him of Hampering the Investigation

Related:

Senators on Senate Banking Committee Accuse Fed Chair Powell of Hampering Trading Scandal Investigation

Mitch McConnell says the labor shortage will be solved when people run out of stimulus money because Americans are ‘flush for the moment’

Mitch McConnell says the labor shortage will be solved when people run out of stimulus money because Americans are ‘flush for the moment’

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McConnell’s Wife’s Family Business Appears on Trump Admin’s List of Companies That Received Most PPP Money

So says the man who’s wife received a PPP loan! 🙄