In a significant sign of cautious normalization amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and at least two LNG tankers have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz this week, with cargoes bound for key Asian buyers in China and India. The vessels operated in “dark mode” — transponders switched off to […]
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In a notable development underscoring shifting global energy trade flows amid ongoing Middle East tensions, a cargo of crude oil drawn from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is heading to California for the first time ever, according to ship-tracking firm Kpler. The shipment involves approximately 460,000 barrels of Bayou Choctaw Sweet crude destined for […]
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Global energy markets have enjoyed an uneasy calm in recent weeks despite the ongoing conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude has traded in a relatively contained range around $95–110 per barrel rather than exploding past $150 as many initially feared. The reason? China has dramatically slashed its crude […]
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Alaska is experiencing a genuine renaissance in its oil and gas sector. After decades of declining production that saw output fall from a peak of nearly 2 million barrels per day two decades ago to below 600,000 barrels per day in recent years, the state is poised for a significant rebound. Record-breaking lease sales, major […]
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Russia is capitalizing on elevated global oil prices triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict, pushing crude export volumes near 2026 highs while redirecting flows to key Asian buyers—most notably India. According to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, Russia’s four-week average crude shipments reached 3.66 million barrels per day (bpd) in the period ending May […]
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Stu Turley here from the Energy News Beat Podcast. For years on this show, we’ve been hammering home a core truth: energy policy is destiny. Affordable, reliable, abundant energy drives manufacturing, jobs, investment, and GDP growth. Ideological Net Zero pursuits that ignore reality — spiking costs, killing baseload power, and forcing deindustrialization — deliver the […]
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In a recent appearance on Squawk Box Asia, veteran commodities strategist Jeff Currie (Co-Chairman of Abaxx Markets) delivered a stark warning that resonates deeply with current market dynamics. He described an emerging “rare earth moment” — a qualitative shift where markets have been neglecting the physical world (“atoms”) in favor of financial narratives and tech […]
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Oil markets are gripped by a classic battle between headline optimism and physical reality in late May 2026. Brent crude has traded in a volatile $90–$110+ range (recently around $98/bbl as of May 25), well above pre-crisis levels near $60–70, after spiking as high as $126 earlier in the conflict. The driver remains the 2026 […]
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Even the most optimistic reopening of the Strait of Hormuz won’t deliver a quick fix. Physical barrels tell a far harsher story than paper futures. Art Berman (@aeberman12) nailed it in his May 25, 2026, post: There is no clean, modelable “successful reopening” of the Strait of Hormuz. Even in the wildly optimistic scenario, the […]
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In the shadow of the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran — marked by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the largest oil supply disruption in modern history — Saudi Arabia stands out as a clear winner. While many Gulf producers face sharp production cuts, export halts, and economic contractions, the Kingdom under Crown […]
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