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Eni profit falls due to dip in oil prices

Q2 net profit fell by 18% to $637 million.

Emirates NBD H1 profit $3.40bn

Total income rose by 12 percent in the same period.

ADIB H1 pre-tax profit $1.08bn

Q2 pre-tax net profit increases by 14 percent.

AstraZeneca to invest $50bn in US

Bulk of funds to go into a Virginia manufacturing center.

UAB net profit up by 50% for H1

Total assets increase by 11 percent.

US tells oil majors it needs more supply

Oil prices rose in recent days, but on Wednesday they plunged sharply. Creative Commons
  • Oil prices are in the midst of the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused demand to collapse
  • The prices have now surged, contributing to a wave of inflation that has damaged Biden's approval ratings

With oil prices high and Americans paying more for gasoline, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Wednesday called for oil companies to increase production and offset the spike in pump prices.

The surge in energy costs is a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Washington and its European allies to impose tough sanctions on Moscow, including a US ban on Russian oil imports announced on Tuesday.

“We are on war footing. We are in an emergency and we have to responsibly increase short-term supply where we can right now to stabilize the market and to minimize harm to American families,” Granholm told the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

“In this moment of crisis, we need more supply.”

The United States is a major oil and gas producer, though President Joe Biden has taken steps to curb drilling in parts of the country to encourage increased focus on renewable energy.

But amid the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic — which caused demand to collapse — fuel prices have surged, contributing to a wave of inflation that has damaged Biden’s approval ratings.

Last week, Biden announced the United States would release 30 million barrels from the strategic petroleum reserve, half of the emergency release coordinated by countries in the International Energy Agency.

Oil prices nonetheless continued to rise in recent days, but on Wednesday they plunged sharply, with the key West Texas Intermediate crude dropping about 11 percent.

The price of gasoline has also been climbing for drivers in the United States, with the American Automobile Association reporting the average price hit $4.25 a gallon Wednesday, up from $3.47 a month ago.