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Energy

Found 96 articles

Energy

Chinese Demand Slump Erodes Premiums for Iranian and Russian Crude

Weakening appetite from China’s independent refiners has pushed Iranian flagship oil prices into a rare discount against ICE Brent for the first time in two months. The shift signals a cooling in the world’s largest import market as teapots struggle with mounting financial losses and swelling domestic stockpiles.

Energy

KEPCO Secures $1.4 Billion Saudi Cogeneration Contract

A $100 billion unconventional gas development has drawn a major South Korean player into the Saudi desert, as state-run utility KEPCO clinches a $1.4 billion deal to build and operate the Phase 2 cogeneration facility at the Jafurah field, marking a significant expansion of the Kingdom’s industrial energy infrastructure.

Energy

South Korea Escalates Jet Fuel Exports to Nine-Month Peak

A surge in crude imports and lucrative arbitrage opportunities into the U.S. West Coast have driven South Korean refineries to ramp up production, pushing jet fuel exports in May to their highest levels since August. The rebound marks a significant recovery from the supply volatility seen earlier this spring.

Energy

Moscow Acknowledges Production Drop Amid Refinery Drone Strikes

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has confirmed that the nation’s crude oil output has fallen since the start of 2026, marking the first official admission that persistent Ukrainian drone strikes against domestic refinery infrastructure are actively suppressing the Kremlin's ability to maintain its previous production levels.

Energy

Dangote Refinery Plans Massive Expansion to Rival Global Giants

Nigeria’s Dangote refinery has broken ground on a second crude processing unit, a move set to add 700,000 barrels per day to its capacity. By 2028, the sprawling Lekki complex aims to reach 1.4 million barrels daily, transforming billionaire Aliko Dangote’s project into a dominant force within the global fuel market.

Energy

Iran’s Oil Exports Hit Six-Year Low Under Naval Blockade

With daily crude shipments plunging to 209,000 barrels in May, Iran faces a critical supply bottleneck as U.S. naval enforcement effectively severs its primary export routes. This collapse marks a sharp decline from the 1.34 million barrels per day recorded just one month prior, signaling the most severe restriction since 2020.

Energy

Why U.S. Oil Shocks No Longer Trigger Recessions

The memory of 1970s gas lines and stagflation still haunts economic policy, yet the structural reality has shifted. A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston suggests that domestic shale production has decoupled oil price spikes from the widespread employment collapses that once defined energy crises.

Energy

India Deepens Energy Ties with Venezuela Amid Import Surge

Indian energy firms are moving to expand their footprint in Venezuela’s oil sector, according to Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The announcement follows a meeting in New Delhi with Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez, signaling a strategic pivot to restore historical energy cooperation between the two nations.

Energy

Drone Attack on Oman Terminal Shakes Oil Markets

A drone strike targeting the Mina Al Fahal oil terminal has disrupted loadings, shattering the perception that Oman remained a safe haven from regional instability. The incident, which pushed Brent crude to $95.37 per barrel, underscores the fragility of energy supply chains as hopes for a broader ceasefire in the Persian Gulf evaporate.

Energy

Japan Pivots Back to Nuclear Power to Secure 2050 Energy Supply

Faced with volatile LNG prices and a heavy reliance on imported hydrocarbons, Japan is charting a course to commission up to 14 new nuclear reactors by 2050. The proposal marks a dramatic policy shift for a nation that largely abandoned atomic energy following the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Energy

Norway Avoids Offshore Energy Strike After Pay Deal

A potential work stoppage at Norway's offshore energy installations vanished early Friday morning after trade unions and industry representatives secured a wage agreement. The settlement prevents a strike that threatened to disrupt operations for Western Europe’s largest oil and gas producer during a period of heightened global supply sensitivity.

Energy

EU Dismisses Fears of Impending Jet Fuel Shortages

Despite the disruption of Middle Eastern supply lines following the outbreak of war in Iran on February 28, European officials insist the continent faces a price crisis rather than a fuel scarcity. EU Sustainable Transport and Tourism Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas confirmed no shortages are expected for the coming period.

Energy

Malaysia Oil Output Drops as Global Prices Surge

A 5.5% decline in Malaysia’s crude and condensate production left the nation with 43 million barrels in the first quarter of 2026. While raw output slumped, regional energy markets face heightened volatility, forcing the government to rely on strategic buffers to navigate the ongoing supply disruption across Southeast Asia.

Energy

Trump Administration Opens Arctic Refuge to Oil Bidding

The Bureau of Land Management is auctioning drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain today, marking the first time the protected region has been opened to oil and gas exploration after the administration stripped away existing legislative restrictions.

Energy

Badenoch Calls Labour’s North Sea Drilling Ban Economic Self-Sabotage

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has branded the Labour government’s permanent ban on new North Sea oil and gas licenses “utter madness,” arguing the policy cripples national energy security while forcing the UK into unnecessary dependence on foreign imports to meet its domestic energy demands.

Energy

India Pivots to E85 Fuel to Curb Reliance on Crude Imports

With the world’s third-largest crude importer facing severe supply volatility, New Delhi has debuted an 85% ethanol fuel blend. This shift, accompanied by the rollout of flex-fuel passenger vehicles from Maruti Suzuki, marks a strategic attempt to decouple the national economy from a fragile dependence on Middle Eastern oil shipments.

Energy

Australia Moves Closer to Unlocking 344-Million-Barrel Dorado Field

The Dorado offshore project, Australia’s largest untapped oil reserve, is moving toward a 2027 investment decision as regional energy instability forces a rethink of domestic supply. With 344 million barrels of oil equivalent sitting in the Bedout Basin, the field has transitioned from a stalled asset to a strategic security imperative.

Energy

US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Set for 40-Million-Barrel Surplus

Energy Secretary Chris Wright expects the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to emerge from the current Middle East conflict larger than before. By structuring emergency releases as loans rather than outright sales, the Department of Energy anticipates recouping an additional 40 million barrels once the repayment terms, which include hefty premiums, conclude.

Energy

Middle East Energy Crisis Complicates Bank of England Rate Path

The escalating energy crisis triggered by Middle East instability has left Bank of England policymaker Swati Dhingra unable to commit to a future interest rate trajectory. With crude prices surging and shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked, the central bank’s inflation outlook has fallen into deep uncertainty.

Energy

Asian Coal Markets React to Indonesian Export Curbs

Benchmark coal prices across Asia have hit a two-year high, fueled by Indonesia’s decision to centralize commodity exports under a state-owned entity. The move, which introduces new technical regulations for coal, palm oil, and ferroalloys, threatens to delay shipments just as energy demand reaches a seasonal peak.

Energy

Oil Prices Surge as Iran-Israel Conflict Escalates

Brent crude surged 3.45% to $96.30 per barrel on Monday following a direct ballistic missile exchange between Iran and Israel. The market volatility reflects deep-seated anxiety that the recent violence has crippled fragile diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening a broader regional collapse.

Energy

OPEC+ Increases Output Targets Amid Ongoing Hormuz Blockade

OPEC+ members agreed to raise collective crude production by 188,000 barrels per day for July, a move that persists despite the severe logistical paralysis caused by the conflict between Israel, the U.S., and Iran. This decision brings the group’s total planned output increases since April to nearly 600,000 barrels daily.

Energy

Saudi Arabia Aggressively Cuts Crude Prices as Asian Demand Slumps

Saudi Arabia has slashed official selling prices for crude exports across Asia, Europe, and the United States, marking a second consecutive month of reductions. As demand cools in key markets, state oil giant Aramco is attempting to align its pricing with a weakening spot market and narrowing regional premiums.

Energy

Israeli Airstrikes Hit Iranian Petrochemical Infrastructure

A 5% surge in oil prices followed Israel’s direct strike on a petrochemical plant in southwestern Iran early Monday, marking a volatile escalation in regional hostilities. The attack on the Mahshahr facility signals a collapse of the fragile April 8 ceasefire and challenges ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the United States.

Energy

China Secures Majority of Global Low-Carbon Industrial Funding

Thirteen of the 19 industrial projects to secure low-carbon funding over the past six months are located in China, according to data from the Mission Possible Partnership. This concentration of capital underscores a widening gap in global energy transition progress, as U.S. project momentum continues to decline.

Energy

China Stalls Refining Expansion as Hormuz Disruptions Mount

Persistent instability in the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a sudden retreat in Chinese energy expansion, forcing the postponement of 500,000 barrels per day in refining capacity. This shift marks the first significant downstream fallout from the conflict to hit the Asian market, as supply uncertainty erodes refining profitability.

Energy

Inpex LNG Workers Escalate Stoppages Amid Global Supply Fears

Escalating a long-running dispute over pay and working conditions, employees at Inpex’s Australian LNG export facilities have voted to double daily work stoppages to eight hours starting June 11. The Offshore Alliance union’s move intensifies pressure on the Japanese energy firm, threatening further disruptions to global liquefied natural gas supplies.

Energy

Red Sea Shipping Ban Pushes Brent Crude Toward $95

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have declared a total ban on Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea, triggering a sharp spike in energy markets. The move threatens the primary alternative route for global crude exports, as traders scramble to assess the risk of a widening conflict across the Middle East’s most vital maritime corridors.

Energy

Eurozone Fuel Sales Plunge Amid Geopolitical Price Spike

A 3.5% drop in Eurozone automotive fuel sales during April marks the sharpest decline in two and a half years. As the conflict involving Iran disrupts oil markets and drives pump prices to new highs, European motorists are fundamentally altering their driving habits and accelerating a broader shift toward electric transportation.

Energy

China Ramps Up LNG Imports as Middle East Supply Crisis Deepens

China is importing record volumes of liquefied natural gas, securing up to 10 additional cargoes monthly to offset the sudden loss of Qatari supply. As summer heat waves approach, the world’s largest importer is aggressively outbidding global rivals to stabilize its energy reserves following the destruction of the Ras Laffan complex.