Kuwait is actively pursuing pipeline routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz as ongoing tensions have effectively choked off the Persian Gulf’s primary oil export artery. Sheik Nawaf Al-Sabah, Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corp. (KPC), the state-owned oil producer, disclosed the initiative during a conference in Washington on Tuesday. According to Sheik Nawaf, […]
Continue Reading
In a significant sign that Gulf crude is once again finding its way to market, Kuwait is offering at least 4 million barrels of its main export-grade crude to Asian refiners—the first such sales to the region since the Iran war erupted in late February 2026. The volumes are loaded onto two very large crude […]
Continue Reading
The global oil tanker industry is riding an unprecedented wave of profits fueled by the ongoing Iran conflict, but shipowners are already bracing for a sharp reversal. According to a new Financial Times report, tanker owners are warning of a potential market crash if the Strait of Hormuz reopens or as broader market forces take […]
Continue Reading
The U.S. naval blockade of Iran, enforced since mid-April 2026, is delivering a measurable blow to Tehran’s oil-dependent economy. Iranian crude and condensate exports have plummeted from nearly 2 million barrels per day (bpd) earlier this year to below 300,000 bpd in May, according to trade intelligence firm Kpler. At conservative Brent prices around $90 […]
Continue Reading
Houston, TX – June 6, 2026 – U.S. oil-directed drilling rigs posted their sixth consecutive weekly gain this week—the longest upward streak in domestic exploration since mid-2022—pushing the Baker Hughes oil rig count to 431. The increase comes as higher crude prices, fueled by ongoing disruptions and geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, continue […]
Continue Reading
As the world grapples with the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis—triggered by the 2026 Iran conflict and resulting in the near-closure of a chokepoint carrying roughly 20% of global oil trade—energy security has never been more critical. North Dakota is positioning itself for a dramatic encore: a second Bakken boom powered by enhanced oil recovery […]
Continue Reading
U.S. forces conducted a maritime interdiction and boarded the stateless supertanker MT Davina (also known as Lenore) overnight in the Indian Ocean, the Pentagon and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) confirmed on June 5, 2026. The vessel, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) capable of carrying up to two million barrels of oil, was operating as […]
Continue Reading
US military surveillance has documented nearly 1,000 commercial vessel transits through the Strait of Hormuz in the roughly two months since the US-Iran ceasefire took effect on April 8, 2026. The figure, shared by an official familiar with US Central Command operations, exceeds private-sector estimates that rely primarily on ship transponders (AIS data). Military analysts […]
Continue Reading
The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is being drained at a record pace under the current administration, with projections showing it could hit operational minimum levels as early as August 2026—faster than the Biden-era releases of 2022. At the same time, California is staring down a severe refined-product crunch, with jet fuel and diesel inventories […]
Continue Reading
In a stark warning delivered at S&P Global’s Middle East Petroleum & Gas Conference in London, Vitol board member Tom Baker pulled no punches: “In Europe and I think in the US, everyone is kind of asleep at the wheel and just carrying on life as normal.” Vitol, one of the world’s largest independent oil […]
Continue Reading