Category: Financial Crisis

Middle East Escalation Meets China’s Return: Dual Chokepoints, Record Tanker Rates, and an Upward Spiral in Crude and Products

Clark Savage4

The Middle East energy map tightened sharply over the past week even as China resumed heavier crude buying. Houthi forces seized key Red Sea positions including Mocha and Perim Island, tightening control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and targeting Saudi-linked vessels. Drones originating from Iraq struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, prompting a precautionary shutdown of […]

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WTI has crossed $100 as the market begins to price the scenario Goldman Sachs flagged months ago: not just a constrained Strait of Hormuz, but a simultaneous threat to the Red Sea exit that Saudi Arabia has used as its remaining seaborne outlet.

Clark Savage37

Brent settled above $101 on Wednesday, September 9, and WTI followed through the $100 level on Thursday morning in a sharp rally. Physical benchmarks had already been there. Dated Brent has held above $100 since September 3. Murban, DME Oman, the OPEC basket, and the Indian basket were already trading over that threshold. Futures are […]

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Minister to meet Jaguar Land Rover boss as thousands of job cuts expected due to Net Zero

Clark Savage61

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will meet Jaguar Land Rover chief executive PB Balaji and Unite general secretary Sharon Graham early this week to discuss thousands of expected job cuts at Britain’s largest carmaker. JLR has opened a voluntary redundancy program for salaried and management staff as it targets £1.7 billion in savings over two years. […]

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What Is the Reason for the 1000% Increase in Power costs to Consumers?

Clark Savage62

American electricity customers are facing sticker shock that goes far beyond ordinary inflation. In the nation’s largest grid region, PJM Interconnection—serving 65 million people across 13 states and Washington, D.C.—capacity prices have risen from roughly $29 per MW-day in the 2024/2025 auction to $270, then $329–$333 per MW-day in subsequent auctions. That is an increase […]

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UK refineries are being killed off by high carbon costs. How U.S. Blue States are following the same playbook

Clark Savage46

Britain’s downstream oil sector is shrinking in real time. Two refineries closed in 2025—Grangemouth in April and Lindsey in August—leaving only four operating sites: Fawley, Humber, Pembroke, and Stanlow. Liquid fuels still account for 47 percent of UK final energy consumption. There are no scalable near-term substitutes for diesel in freight, agriculture, and construction or […]

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