Tag: Oil

The Moms Co. Baby Gift Set for New born | Baby Kit with Baby Bath Set | Natural Baby Wash, Baby Lotion, Massage Oil and Diaper Rash Cream

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Our Baby Must Have box is designed with products needed to look after the baby’s delicate skin in those early days. Includes 4 Natural products with USDA-Certified Organic Actives. ☘ What's In: ❤ Natural Baby Wash (200ml): Our Tear-Free Wash with Coconut based mild cleansers gently clean while oils like Avocado, Organic Chamomile and Organic Aloe Vera gel help soften and soothe your baby's delicate skin. ❤ Natural Baby Lotion (200ml): A combination of Organic Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter with oils that deeply nourish. ❤ Natural Massage Oil (100ml): A blend of 10 powerful oils and Natural Vitamin E that help nourish, relax and strengthen baby's bones and muscles with regular. ⛔ What's Out: Our mineral oil free lotion is sulphate and paraben free, and made without SLS, SLES, DEA/TEA, Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fragrances, PEGs and many other potentially harmful chemicals ✓ Safe For: Baby from 0 months ✓ Certified Toxin Free and Made Safe by Safe Cosmetics Australia ✓ Australia Allergy Certified ✓ Dermatologically tested
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.2 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm; 500 Grams
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ 7 March 2018
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Quantum International Pvt. Ltd.
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07B9YB18H
Item model number ‏ : ‎ BMH_1
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ India
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Quantum International Pvt. Ltd., Vedic Cosmeceuticals Pvt. Ltd.
Packer ‏ : ‎ Vedic Cosmeceuticals Pvt. Ltd.
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 500 g
Item Dimensions LxWxH ‏ : ‎ 10.2 x 10.2 x 10.2 Centimeters
Net Quantity ‏ : ‎ 4.00 count
Generic Name ‏ : ‎ Baby Care
USDA-CERTIFIED ORGANIC OILS GENTLY PROTECT – Carefully chosen ingredients to be safe from Day 1, Organic Carrot Seed Oil , Red Raspberry Seed Oil and Pongamia Glabra Seed Oil provide natural sun protection and reduce skin redness while Shea Butter moisturises, soothes and keeps baby skin soft
HYPOALLERGENIC, MILD & GENTLE CARE FOR BABY SOFT SKIN – TheMomsCo. Range of Baby Skin Care products are all Clinically Tested to be Hypoallergenic, Mild and Gentle for Baby’s Soft Sensitive Skin.
THE MOMS COMPANY BABY CARE RANGE IS MADE WITHOUT COMPROMISE – Unlike other natural sunscreens that may contain hidden chemicals, our lotion for sun protection is also Australia-Certified Toxin Free, Made Safe and Australia Allergen Certified, so you never have to worry about getting only the safest moisturising solutions for your baby
NATURE IN, TOXINS OUT : THE MOMS CO. SULPHATE FREE AND PARABEN FREE PRODUCTS CONTAIN NO HARMFUL OR SYNTHETIC INGREDIENTS – Our toxin free, sulphae free and paraben free baby shampoo from our range of best baby products is made without Mineral Oil, Sulphates (SLS, SLES), Parabens, DEA/TEA, Phenoxyethanol, Synthetic Fragrances, PEGs and many other potentially harmful chemicals.

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February 22, 2023
365 days of war in Ukraine — by the numbers

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Russia’s year-long war in Ukraine has led to thousands of casualties, millions of refugees and billions of dollars in damages to the country’s economy, environment and infrastructure.
At home, Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing the narrative of a just war against the West and crushing dissenting voices, while his country’s economy feels the bite of sanctions — though their effect has been more nuanced than expected. Yet, despite their proclaimed support for Ukraine, some European countries have been reluctant to cut ties with Moscow.
Across the EU, citizens have been hurt by skyrocketing energy prices, and all the while trade flows with Russia have transformed in a matter of months.
Here are 12 months of war summed up, in figures and charts.

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#days #war #Ukraine #numbers
( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

February 21, 2023
Russian nuclear fuel: The habit Europe just can’t break

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Europe is on track to kick its addiction to Russian fossil fuels, but can’t seem to replicate that success with nuclear energy a year into the Ukraine war.
The EU’s economic sanctions on Russian coal and oil permanently reshaped trade and left Moscow in a “much diminished position,” according to the International Energy Agency. Coal imports have dropped to zero, and it is illegal for Russian crude to be imported by ship; only four countries still receive it by pipeline.
That’s compared to the bloc getting 54 percent of its hard coal imports and one-quarter of its oil from Russia in 2020.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to turn off the gas taps while the EU turned increasingly to liquefied natural gas deliveries from elsewhere caused the reliance on Moscow to tumble from 40 percent of the bloc’s gas supply before the war to less than 10 percent now.
But nuclear energy has proved a trickier knot for EU countries to untie — for both historical and practical reasons.
As competition in the global nuclear sector atrophied following the Cold War, Soviet-built reactors in the EU remained locked into tailor-made fuel from Russia, leaving Moscow to play an outsized role.
In 2021, Russia’s state-owned atomic giant Rosatom supplied the bloc’s reactors with 20 percent of their natural uranium, handled a quarter of their conversion services and provided a third of their enrichment services, according to the EU’s Euratom Supply Agency (ESA).
That same year, EU countries paid Russia €210 million for raw uranium exports, compared to the €88 billion the bloc paid Moscow for oil.
The value of imports of Russia-related nuclear technology and fuel worldwide rose to more than $1 billion (€940 billion) last year, according to research from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). In the EU, the value of Russia’s nuclear exports fell in some countries like Bulgaria and the Czech Republic but rose in others, including Slovakia, Hungary and Finland, RUSI data shared with POLITICO showed.
“While it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions from what is ultimately a time-limited and incomplete dataset, it does clearly show that there are still dependencies on, and a market for, Russian nuclear fuel,” said Darya Dolzikova, a research fellow at RUSI.
Although uranium from Russia could be replaced by imports from elsewhere within a year — and most nuclear plants have at least one-year extra reserves, according to ESA head Agnieszka Kaźmierczak — countries with Russian-built VVER reactors rely on fuel made by Moscow.
“There are 18 Russian-designed nuclear power plants in [the EU] and all of them would be affected by sanctions,” said Mark Hibbs, a senior fellow at Carnegie’s Nuclear Policy Program. “This remains a deeply divided issue in the European Union.”
That’s why the bloc has struggled over the past year to target Russia’s nuclear industry — despite repeated calls from Ukraine and some EU countries to hit Rosatom for its role in overseeing the occupied Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and possibly supplying equipment to the Russian arms industry.
“The whole question of sanctioning the nuclear sector … was basically killed before there was ever a meaningful discussion,” said a diplomat from one EU country who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The most vocal opponent has been Hungary, one of five countries — along with Slovakia, Bulgaria, Finland and the Czech Republic — to have Russian-built reactors for which there is no alternative fuel so far.
Bulgaria and the Czech Republic have signed contracts with U.S. firm Westinghouse to replace the Russian fuel, according to ESA chief Kaźmierczak, but the process could take “three years” as national regulators also need to analyze and license the new fuel.
The “bigger problem” across the board is enrichment and conversion, she added, due to chronic under-capacity worldwide. It could take “seven to 10 years” to replace Rosatom — and that timeline is conditional on significant investments in the sector.
While Finland last year scrapped a deal to build a Russian-made nuclear plant on the country’s west coast — prompting a lawsuit from Rosatom — others aren’t changing tack.
Slovakia’s new Mochovce-3 Soviet VVER-design reactor came online earlier this month, which Russia will supply with fuel until at least 2026.
Russia’s nuclear energy was not initially included in EU sanctions over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine | Eric Piermont/AFP via Getty Images
Hungary, meanwhile, deepened ties with Moscow by giving the go-ahead to the construction of two more reactors at its Paks plant last summer, underwritten by a €10 billion Russian loan.
“Even if [they] were to come into existence, nuclear sanctions would be filled with exemptions because we are dependent on Russian nuclear fuel,” said a diplomat from a second EU country.
This article has been updated with charts depicting Russia’s nuclear exports.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

February 21, 2023
India, Iraq explore ways to diversify trade from oil to non-oil sectors

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New Delhi: India and Iraq on Monday discussed ways to further increase and diversify trade from oil to non-oil sectors, while stressing the importance of expanding economic partnership and technology engagement.
The two sides held wide-ranging talks during the second round of the India-Iraq Foreign Office Consultations in Baghdad where the Indian delegation was led by Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV & OIA), while Iraq’s delegation was led by Hisham Al Alawi, Undersecretary for Political Planning Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iraq.
Sayeed also called on Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil Hayyan Abdul Ghani, Iraq’s Minister of Trade Atheer Dawood Salman, Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasem Al Araji and Iraq’s President of Sunni Awqaf Board Mesh’an Al Khazraji, and discussed a range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Both the sides noted the warm and friendly traditional relations, and comprehensively reviewed the current status of bilateral relations in all fields including political, economic, defence, security, trade and investments, development partnership, scholarship programme and capacity building, cultural relations and people-to-people contacts, the statement said.
Detailed discussions were held on further strengthening of the bilateral relations and the future direction of the growth of bilateral cooperation, the statement said.
Both sides expressed their satisfaction about the bilateral trade, which exceeded USD 34 billion for 2021-22 and discussed ways and means to further increase and diversify trade from oil to non-oil sectors, it said.
The Indian and Iraqi sides noted the importance of expanding economic partnership and technology engagement.
They also noted opportunities for investment, particularly in the fields of oil and gas, infrastructure, healthcare, power, transport, agriculture, water management, drugs and pharmaceuticals, ICT, and renewable energy.

They urged business community to engage closely for mutual benefit.
A sizeable number of candidates from Iraq have been benefiting from our capacity-building programme, including ITEC and higher education scholarships. Both sides are keen to enhance the level of economic engagement and people-to-people exchanges.
The secretary (CPV & OIA) also announced that an artificial limb fitment camp (Jaipur Foot) will be organised in Iraq soon, the MEA said.
Sayeed interacted with the Indian community, Indian and Iraqi business leaders and Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation and Indian Council for Cultural Relations alumni from Iraq.
He also inaugurated the newly-constructed Indian Consular Application Centre (ICAC) in Baghdad which will facilitate Indian and Iraqi nationals, seeking visas and consular services.
Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing the upward momentum in the relationship through exchanges of regular visits and consultations, and agreed to hold the next India-Iraq Joint Commission Meeting at Oil Ministers’ level in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date, the statement said.
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#India #Iraq #explore #ways #diversify #trade #oil #nonoil #sectors
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 20, 2023
Liz Truss: UK should have ‘done more earlier’ to counter Vladimir Putin

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LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss argued the U.K. should have “done more earlier” to counter Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric before he invaded Ukraine, and said the West depended on Russian oil for too long.
Truss — the U.K.’s shortest-serving prime minister who resigned amid market turmoil last year — was speaking in a House of Commons debate about Ukraine, her first contribution in the chamber as a backbencher since 2012. She has been increasingly vocal on foreign policy since leaving office.
The former prime minister, who as served foreign secretary for Boris Johnson before succeeding him in the top job, recalled receiving a phone call at 3.30 a.m. on the morning of the invasion, and told MPs: “This was devastating news. But as well as being devastating, it was not unexpected.”
Truss praised the “sheer bravery” of Ukrainians defending their country, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Cabinet for not fleeing the country in the aftermath. “I remember being on a video conference that evening with the defense secretary and our counterparts, who weren’t in Poland, who weren’t in the United States,” she said of Ukraine’s top team. “They were in Kyiv and they were defending their country,” she added.
But while Truss argued Western sanctions had imposed an economic toll on Putin’s Russia, said urged reflection. “The reason that Putin took the action he took is because he didn’t believe we would follow through,” she argued, and said the West should “hold ourselves to high standards.”
Ukraine, she said, should have been allowed to join NATO.
“We were complacent about freedom and democracy after the Cold War,” she said. “We were told it was the end of history and that freedom and democracy were guaranteed and that we could carry on living our lives not worrying about what else could happen.”
Truss urged the U.K. to do all it could to help Ukraine win the war as soon as possible, including sending fighter jets, an ongoing matter of debate in Western capitals despite Ukrainian pleas.

And the former U.K. prime minister said the West should “never again” be “complacent in the face of Russian money, Russian oil and gas,” tying any future lifting of sanctions “to reform in Russia.”

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

February 20, 2023
India reaps pricing benefits of crude oil imports from Russia

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Chennai: In the case of oil imports, India till now is on a firm path of sourcing the product cheaply from Russia since the latters invasion of Ukraine.
This is much against the wishes of the western powers who want to bring down the Russian economy by curbing its oil revenue.
However, the Indian government has categorically said that it would source what it needs from where the price is advantageous.
The government also said its three oil marketing companies are not buying crude from Russia but only the private companies are the ones who are buying, refining and shipping out.
According to reports, India’s exports of petroleum products shot up to $78.58 billion for the period April 2022 to January 2023, from $50.77 billion shipped out during the previous year corresponding period.
Fueled by the imports of crude oil, India’s imports from Russia went up by about 384 per cent to $37.31 billion during April 2022-January 2023. As a result, Russia became India’s fourth largest import partner up from 18th position in 2021-22.
The soaring oil imports from Russia have prevented India from paying for the commodities in Rupees.
Queried about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the Indian oil sector, Sweta Patodia, AVP, Analyst, Moody’s Investors Service told IANS: “Crude oil and international fuel prices have surged following the Russia-Ukraine war. Net realized prices for the oil marketing companies in India, however, have not increased at the same pace which has resulted in significant marketing losses for them.

“While the marketing losses were steep in the first half of the fiscal year, it has narrowed since then.”
According to Patodia, the EU imposed price cap on Russian crude purchases will have an impact on the overall crude oil market but any assessment of specific impact will be speculative.
On the Russian announcement of cutting down oil production following the price cap, Patodia said: “Reduction in oil production from Russia, if not met by a corresponding increase in production from other producers or demand moderation, will reduce the overall supply relative to demand and may strengthen the crude oil prices.”
According to a recent credit rating report by ICRA on Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the latter’s subsidiary OVL’s assets in Russia were impacted due to geopolitical issues and normal operations in these are expected to resume shortly.
Moody’s in a research report last March said ONGC, Oil India, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) have invested in upstream oil and gas assets in Russia.
According to Moody’s import bans and international sanctions on Russia may constrain the future cash flow-generating capacity of these assets and lead to impairment losses for the companies.
Indian companies, however, have not announced an exit from their Russian investments. An immediate impairment in the value of investments will be limited, especially in the current oil price environmentChennai, Feb 18 (IANS) In the case of oil imports, India till now is on a firm path of sourcing the product cheaply from Russia since the latters invasion of Ukraine.
This is much against the wishes of the western powers who want to bring down the Russian economy by curbing its oil revenue.
However, the Indian government has categorically said that it would source what it needs from where the price is advantageous.
The government also said its three oil marketing companies are not buying crude from Russia but only the private companies are the ones who are buying, refining and shipping out.
According to reports, India’s exports of petroleum products shot up to $78.58 billion for the period April 2022 to January 2023, from $50.77 billion shipped out during the previous year corresponding period.
Fueled by the imports of crude oil, India’s imports from Russia went up by about 384 per cent to $37.31 billion during April 2022-January 2023. As a result, Russia became India’s fourth largest import partner up from 18th position in 2021-22.
The soaring oil imports from Russia have prevented India from paying for the commodities in Rupees.
Queried about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the Indian oil sector, Sweta Patodia, AVP, Analyst, Moody’s Investors Service told IANS: “Crude oil and international fuel prices have surged following the Russia-Ukraine war. Net realized prices for the oil marketing companies in India, however, have not increased at the same pace which has resulted in significant marketing losses for them.
“While the marketing losses were steep in the first half of the fiscal year, it has narrowed since then.”
According to Patodia, the EU imposed price cap on Russian crude purchases will have an impact on the overall crude oil market but any assessment of specific impact will be speculative.
On the Russian announcement of cutting down oil production following the price cap, Patodia said: “Reduction in oil production from Russia, if not met by a corresponding increase in production from other producers or demand moderation, will reduce the overall supply relative to demand and may strengthen the crude oil prices.”
According to a recent credit rating report by ICRA on Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the latter’s subsidiary OVL’s assets in Russia were impacted due to geopolitical issues and normal operations in these are expected to resume shortly.
Moody’s in a research report last March said ONGC, Oil India, Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) have invested in upstream oil and gas assets in Russia.
According to Moody’s import bans and international sanctions on Russia may constrain the future cash flow-generating capacity of these assets and lead to impairment losses for the companies.
Indian companies, however, have not announced an exit from their Russian investments. An immediate impairment in the value of investments will be limited, especially in the current oil price environment.
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#India #reaps #pricing #benefits #crude #oil #imports #Russia
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 18, 2023
‘No contradiction’ in India remaining US partner & its buying crude oil from Russia: US

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New Delhi: By driving a hard bargain with Russia in procuring crude oil at the lowest price possible, India is furthering the policy of G7 and Washington is “comfortable” with New Delhi over its approach in addressing issues relating to energy security, a top Biden administration official said.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey R Pyatt said there is “no contradiction at all” in India remaining one of the key global partners of the US and the country’s increasing procurement of discounted crude oil from Russia.
The comments are the first clear articulation of the Biden administration’s position on India’s increasing procurement of discounted crude oil from Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
Asked whether the US will impose secondary sanctions on Indian banks if they use the Rupee-Rouble mechanism set up by India and Russia for bilateral trade, the top diplomat chose not to speculate on it but said Washington’s sanctions are only aimed at punishing Moscow.
The US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy also said the Indian companies are “very successfully” negotiating the price for Russian crude oil which enabled Indian refiners to then put the product on the global market at a “very competitive and profitable price”.
Pyatt, during his February 16-17, visit to New Delhi, said India is a critical partner for the US on everything around energy transition and both sides are looking at an array of options to significantly expand the collaboration including in areas of green hydrogen and civil nuclear energy.
“Our experts assess that India right now is enjoying the discount of about USD 15 a barrel in the price that it is paying for its imports of Russian crude. So India, by acting in its own interest, by driving a hard bargain to get the lowest price possible, is furthering the policy of our G7 coalition, our G7 plus partners in seeking to reduce Russian revenues,” Pyatt said.
“I think that is how we look at this. We have a very good dialogue with the government of India on these issues,” he said.

“But I think what is very important for everybody to understand is that this is not a temporary state of affairs. There is going to be no return to business as usual with Russia as long as Vladimir Putin continues to choose this course of aggression,” Pyatt said.
India, the world’s third-largest crude importer after China and the US, has been snapping discounted Russian oil after many Western countries shunned it as a means of punishing Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
Also, the G7 (US,UK,Germany,France,Italy,Japan,Canada) imposed a cap on the oil price that came into effect in December and stopped countries from paying more than USD 60 a barrel to Russia for oil procurement with an aim to stop Moscow profiting from its oil exports.
Pyatt, who served in Ukraine as US ambassador said Russian President Putin has not only lost his major market in Europe through his action, but he has also spurred the Europeans to double down their investment in the clean and most secure energy sources.
“So, we are very comfortable with where India is on these issues, but most importantly we are strongly committed to a close dialogue with the Indian government on this and I will continue that dialogue in my discussions,” he said.
To a question on whether he sees any contradiction in India remaining one of the strongest global partners of the US and its increasing procurement of crude oil from Russia, Pyatt said he does not think so.
“No contradiction at all. To the contrary, we see India as a really critical partner for the United States on everything around both energy transition and also energy security,” he said.
“We understand that energy security has been disrupted by the actions of Putin and…have to work together to build a more resilient system and to deal with the consequences of Moscow’s actions,” he added.
On apprehensions among Indian banks to use the Rupee-Rouble mechanism Pyatt only said the Biden administration has not sanctioned third countries.
“I don’t want to get into too much of a speculative scenario …but what I want to be clear is that our policy has been focused on punishing Russia, trying to change Russia’s behaviour. We have not sanctioned third countries as part of this effort. I will leave it there for now,” he said.
“I am very comfortable with the status of the US-India conversation on this question of Russian crude oil,” Pyatt said.
The US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy pointed out the cost of Russian aggression on the globe, especially in countries like India.
“This disruption, I am fully aware, is imposing a cost not just on Europe but globally, but especially in countries like India. You see the effect on commodity prices and rising prices of fertilisers. Huge swings have taken place in the price of crude oil which affects every farmer,” Pyatt said.
“The US has worked very closely with our partners to build a structure through the G7 price cap mechanism intended to reduce the resources which Vladimir Putin gets from his oil and gas, which he uses to pay for the brutal war of aggression, but at the same time to keep that product on the global market,” he said.
Pyatt said the US recognises that India, as an energy importer, is severely affected by the disruption.
“We have to remember why this happened. It happened because of one man and I think we also see an important role for India in the context of ensuring that this can never happen again,” he said.
The US Assistant Secretary of State also said the policy of the G7 is working.
“You can see it is working in the growing Russian deficits,” he said
The Indian government has been vehemently defending its oil trade with Russia, saying it has to source oil from where it is the cheapest.
Pyatt also accused Putin of weaponising Russian energy resources through his actions.
“He has lost Russia’s traditional largest market for oil and gas in Europe. Everybody talks about European dependence on Russian oil and gas but they forget the other side of the coin which is Russia’s dependence on Europe. That market is gone,” Pyatt said.
“We cannot lose sight of the fact that the only reason that the world has gone through this huge disruption is one man’s obsession with denying the reality of a sovereign Ukrainian state,” he said.
“Let’s remember how we got here. We got here because 12 months ago, Vladimir Putin chose to invade a sovereign country because he denied its existence,” the US diplomat said.
“He has caused untold suffering of innocent civilians. He has been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainians including women and children. He tried to systematically destroy the Ukrainian energy grid,” Pyatt said.
The senior diplomat said the crisis has created an incentive, particularly in places like Europe, to accelerate the energy transition.
“It is important to understand that Putin thought he could bring Europe to its knees by holding back gas resources, (but) that has failed and now that it has failed, he cannot play that card again. We have to make sure that he is never in a position to do that to anybody else,” Pyatt said.
The diplomat said the US and its G7 partners have put in place very rigorous sanctions against Russia not only against its product but also against the technology that the country uses.
He also cited an assessment by the International Energy Agency that by the end of 2030, Russia’s oil and gas revenues will decline by half because of Putin’s actions.
Pyatt served as US Ambassador to Ukraine from 2013 to 2016.
He has also served at the US Embassy in New Delhi in different positions – Deputy Chief of Mission from 2006 to 2007, Political Counselor from 2002 to 2006, and Political Officer from 1992 to 1994.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 17, 2023
Science Museum sponsorship deal with oil firm included gag clause

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The Science Museum in London signed a sponsorship contract containing a gagging clause with the Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor, agreeing to take care not to say anything that could damage the firm’s reputation, it can be revealed.
The agreement, a copy of which was obtained by the Guardian and the investigative journalism organisation Point Source, concerned sponsorship of the museum’s current Wonderlab exhibition.
It stated that the Science Museum and its trustees must take reasonable care to “not at any time” during the exhibition term “make any statement or issue any publicity or otherwise be involved in any conduct or matter that may reasonably be foreseen as discrediting or damaging the goodwill or reputation of the sponsor”.
The inclusion of the so-called non-disparagement clause has led to accusations of greenwashing from environmental groups.
Equinor was known as Statoil until it changed its name in 2018. This month it was accused of “profiteering” from the energy crisis and higher household bills after posting record annual earnings of £62bn.
During the fourth quarter of 2022 it produced the equivalent of 2,046m barrels of oil a day. It has oil and gas assets in the North Sea, Brazil, Algeria, Angola, Nigeria and Tanzania.
Equinor and the Science Museum declined to reveal how much the oil company paid to sponsor the Wonderlab exhibition.
Environmental groups claim the Science Museum has lost its ability to honestly discuss the true impact of the oil and gas sector on the environment because of gagging clauses it has signed with big businesses.

In 2021, two prominent scientists refused to allow their work to be included in the Science Museum’s collection after it was revealed that the institution had signed a similar contract with Shell.
Steve and Dee Allen, global plastic pollution researchers, say the museum’s deals with fossil fuel companies such as Shell and Equinor mean it is no longer a credible scientific institution.
Commenting on the latest revelations, Steve Allen said: “Scientists cannot support these gagging clauses. It’s simply not tenable, because our job is to report how the world really is, to the best of our knowledge. We have to tell the whole truth, not just what is acceptable to the oil and gas industry.
“Even if the Science Museum completely cut its ties to the oil and gas industry today, I think the damage done to the institution’s credibility is going to take a very long time to repair.”
Robin Wells, a spokesperson for the campaign group Fossil Free London, said: “The idea that it is still acceptable for public institutions like the Science Museum to accept undisclosed amounts of money from big oil and gas companies like Equinor is very disappointing.
“The corrupting influence of oil and gas companies on public discourse about climate change has been repeatedly demonstrated over past decades.”
Dr Chris Garrard, a co-director of the campaign group Culture Unstained, said: “These clauses are deeply troubling, particularly when it comes to deals with unethical companies like fossil fuel companies, because it undermines the independence and integrity of public institutions.”
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While museums routinely state that large corporate sponsors do not exert any editorial influence over exhibitions, in 2015 the Guardian revealed that Shell had tried to influence the presentation of a climate change programme it was sponsoring at the Science Museum.
Internal documents showed that the oil company raised concerns that part of the programme created “an opportunity for NGOs to talk about some of the issues that concern them around Shell’s operations”.
A spokesperson for the Science Museum said: “At all times the Science Museum retains editorial control of the content within our exhibitions and galleries, and this is asserted clearly and unambiguously in all contracts we sign.”
On the use of gagging clauses, the spokesperson said the museum had decided “to no longer include them in new agreements”.
Equinor said: “The clause you are referring to is a standard clause included by the museum in the contract – it is not something we have asked to be included.”
It said that although its name remained attached to the Wonderlab exhibition on signage and on the Science Museum website, the term of the sponsorship agreement ended in March 2022.
Equinor supplies about a quarter of Britain’s gas, and it hopes to develop the Rosebank field to the west of Shetland, despite opposition from climate protesters. A final investment decision on the UK’s largest undeveloped oilfield is expected this year.
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )

February 16, 2023
Oil prices rise modestly as traders assess Russian output cut

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New York: Oil prices eked out modest gains as market participants weighed Russia’s plan to cut its oil production.
The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for March delivery rose 42 cents, or 0.53 per cent, to settle at $80.14 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for April delivery added 22 cents, or 0.25 per cent, to close at $86.61 a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on Friday announced that the country plans to cut its oil production by 500,000 barrels per day in March.
Novak said the aim of the cut is to improve the market situation, reiterating the country will not comply with any Western price cap.
Traders also awaited US inflation data as the US consumer price index for January is set for release on Tuesday.
For the week ending Friday, the WTI advanced 8.6 per cent, while Brent rose 8.1 per cent, based on the front-month contracts.
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#Oil #prices #rise #modestly #traders #assess #Russian #output #cut
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 14, 2023
7 die of asphyxiation while cleaning oil tank in AP factory, FIR registered

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Kakinada: Seven workers of an edible oil packaging factory in a village in Kakinada district were asphyxiated on Thursday when they got into an oil tank to clean it, police and district officials said.
The incident occurred at G Ragampet near here at around 8:30 AM when one of the labourers entered the tank to clean it.
He accidentally slipped and fell into it. In order to save him, seven other people entered the tank. Seven of them were asphyxiated while one of them survived.
Five of the deceased workers were from Paderu and two were from Peddapuram, police said.
The factory has been sealed and a case registered against it under IPC section 304A (death due to negligence), Kakinada District Collector Krithika Shukla told media.
She said a four-member committee headed by Joint Collector has been constituted to conduct an inquiry into the mishap and submit a report within three days.
The panel is currently going through the documents and the approval the factory had for running the oil packaging facility. Strict action will be initiated against those responsible for the lapses, officials said.
An ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh has been announced by the state government for the kin of victims while the factory also has been ordered to provide compensation, an official release said.

Post-mortem was underway and it will ascertain the cause of deaths, officials said.
An eyewitness told media that one person first entered the tank and the other followed as he did not come up.
Family members of the victims alleged that the factory management did not provide proper security gear to the workers.
Following the incident, a group of people held a protest demanding Rs 1 crore compensation be given to families of each of the deceased.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 9, 2023