During the period from July 12th to 18th, 2025, the following international news occurred:
1. Tight Supply and Rising Prices Expected in Global Gas Market for Second Half of Year
After a temporary dip influenced by Middle East tensions, international LNG spot prices have rebounded. The global natural gas market is projected to maintain tight conditions in the second half, primarily due to limited new production capacity (with minimal increments from Canadian projects) and sustained high demand in Europe (H1 imports increased 23% year-on-year). With Asian demand expected to recover alongside China's consumption rebound, coupled with Europe's storage replenishment pressure, gas prices may remain consistently above H1 levels. Extreme weather events could further exacerbate supply-demand tensions.
2. Household Gas: Cameroon Plans to Import 60,000 Tons to Avoid Shortages in Second Half of Year
The Cameroonian government plans to import 60,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in two batches through the Oil Price Stabilization Fund (CSPH) to alleviate domestic supply pressures. In 2023, the country's LPG demand reached 150,000 tons, with only 20% (30,000 tons) produced locally and the rest dependent on imports. Due to the shutdown of the national oil refinery, Cameroon now fully relies on imported refined oil. In 2023, household gas imports cost 39.7 billion CFA francs (approximately $69.09 million). The government has allocated 43.6 billion CFA francs (approximately $75.88 million) in 2024 to subsidize this sector to address potential shortages in the second half of the year.
3. US LNG firms merge to scale up small-site proposition
U. S. small-scale LNG companies United Energy LNG and Power LNG have merged to form a new entity, United Energy LNG (UE LNG), establishing a scalable LNG platform in North America. The company plans to invest $240-$270 million to construct 3 small-scale LNG production facilities in Texas, Kansas, and other places, with an annual production capacity of 540,000 tons. Financing is expected to be completed by 2026, with operations commencing in 2027. By 2028, the company aims to establish a nationwide LNG supply network in the U.S., targeting the U.S. natural gas market for 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually, valued at over $3 billion.
4. Zelenskyy Announces Norway's Commitment to Help Ukraine Cover €1 Billion Gas Shortfall
Following a meeting with Norway's Prime Minister on June 2, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Norway's pledge to assist in addressing Ukraine's potential €1 billion ($1.08 billion) natural gas supply gap that Ukraine may potentially face, to address winter shortages. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has damaged Ukraine's natural gas infrastructure, reducing production by nearly 50%. Norway has previously provided over $4.5 billion in aid to Ukraine, and this new cooperation this time also includes strengthening air defense and investments in defense industries.
5. Qinghai Oilfield: Symphony of Steady Production in Oil, Gas and New Energy
Qinghai Oilfield has anchored its annual production targets, achieving "half-year hard targets" in oil and gas equivalent output in the first half of the year, with new energy production reaching 53% of the annual plan, realizing coordinated development of oil & gas and new energy. Daily crude oil output remains above 6,000 tons, demonstrating significant results in mature well management; daily natural gas production has increased to 16.2 million cubic meters, with accelerated and more efficient capacity building. Meanwhile, new energy business developed rapidly, with multiple demonstration projects completed, including photovoltaic power stations connected to the grid ahead of schedule, cumulatively generating 345 million kWh. This establishes a new paradigm for integrated oil-gas-new energy development.
6. European Gas Prices Rise as Traders Monitor Surging Global Demand
European natural gas prices continued to rise this week, with the Dutch near-month futures contract reaching €35.10/MWh. Despite sufficient current supply, regional demand spikes—driven by heatwaves in North Asia, cold snaps in South America, and low wind output in Germany—have fueled market tightness concerns. Traders are closely tracking Europe's winter storage refill progress and global demand shifts for price impact assessment.
7. Kahramaa installs more than 988,000 smart electricity and water meters across Qatar
Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) has made significant progress in its smart meter project, announcing the installation of 988,000 smart energy and water meters nationwide, including 528,000 smart energy meters and 460,000 water meters. The project comprises 12 sub-projects, with plans to achieve full smart energy meter coverage by the end of 2025 and complete smart water meter deployment by 2027. The new meters enable real-time usage monitoring, prepaid functions, and remote data transmission, automating billing through a centralized platform to reduce manual meter reading and enhance utility management efficiency.
8. Saudi NWC unveils $400 million water and wastewater initiatives in Jazan
Saudi Arabia's National Water Company (NWC) has initiated 19 water supply and drainage projects in Jazan region, with a total investment exceeding 1.5 billion riyals (approximately $400 million). The projects include laying 1,203 kilometers of water supply and drainage pipelines, constructing a water supply station with a daily capacity of 60,000 cubic meters, and building a pumping station capable of handling 185,000 cubic meters per day, along with supporting wastewater treatment plants. These initiatives aim to expand service coverage, strengthen the water supply system, enhance environmental protection, ensure water security, and support Saudi Vision 2030 goals.
9. Canadian-Indonesian collaboration to explore smart water metering pilot in Jambi City
City water utility Perumdam Tirta Mayang has signed a letter of intent with Canada's GHD to collaborate on a smart water metering pilot project, leveraging Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI 2.0) to enhance water data management. Supported by the Canadian government, the project will upgrade 100,000 mechanical meters in Jambi to digital smart water meters with real-time data capabilities, aiming to improve operational efficiency, reduce water loss, promote water conservation, and enhance customer service. GHD will assist in evaluating technical solutions to advance digital water management.
10. Rising main monitoring delivers actionable data
UK’s Anglian Water has implemented real-time monitoring of wastewater pressure mains by deploying a pressure monitoring system (PIPEMINDER-ONE) since 2017. Integrated with the RADAR cloud platform, it automatically issues pipe burst alerts, detects fractures, analyzes asset performance, and pre-identifies equipment failures—enabling rapid response and delivering over $40,000 in annual energy savings. A new £100 million investment will expand the monitoring network to enhance pollution prevention capabilities.