Russia is pushing more crude onto the water just as Saudi Arabia’s last reliable bypass around the Strait of Hormuz goes dark.

The question in Washington is whether President Trump will treat that extra Russian oil as a problem to sanction—or as barrels he can use to keep gasoline and diesel from becoming a midterm disaster. That is the market story of September 15, 2026. It is also a political story. Prices jumped because Saudi’s safety valve […]

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Aramco Refinery Fires via Satellite: Saudi Export Lifeline Under Strain After a Month of Attacks

NASA fire-detection satellites and open-source thermal data captured two intense fires at the Aramco complex in Yanbu on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, each radiating roughly 40 megawatts of heat—far above the 5–10 megawatts typical of a routine flare. The detections, highlighted in reporting shared by Chris Martenson quoting Mario Nawfal, come as Yanbu has […]

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EPA poised to scrap power plant carbon standards: a reliability and energy-security reset as demand surges

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Administrator Lee Zeldin is expected to formally rescind the Biden-era carbon pollution standards for fossil fuel-fired power plants, completing a multi-year rollback of greenhouse-gas rules that the administration argues threatened grid reliability and raised costs. Reports indicate the announcement is timed for a G20 energy ministers meeting in Houston […]

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

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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Russia Hits Odesa Again as Black Sea Shipping Disrupted

Russian forces launched another large missile-and-drone barrage on Ukraine’s Odesa region overnight September 11–12, 2026, hitting residential buildings, energy infrastructure, and the port complex that once moved the bulk of Ukraine’s grain and oilseed exports. Ukrainian officials reported at least 11 people killed and 96 injured nationwide, including a five-month-old infant in Odesa. Air defenses […]

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