The export availability of crude oil from Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan continues to increase after the pipeline from northern Iraq to the Turkish Mediterranean coast resumed flows on Saturday, one of the foreign companies operating in Kurdistan said on Monday.  UK-listed Gulf Keystone Petroleum confirmed that crude oil exports from its operated Shaikan field in Kurdistan via the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline commenced on Saturday, September 27, 2025.  “Export volumes are expected to reach full capacity in the next…

Iran has slammed what it called "failed diplomacy" after a last-minute diplomatic push failed to stop the United Nations from officially reimposing sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program. Britain, France, and Germany -- the European 3 (E3) forces leading the move -- announced that the so-called snapback sanctions had been reimposed on Iran as of September 28. Iran is already reeling under the weight of sanctions from the United States, and the rial, Iran's currency, immediately fell to a record low 1.12 million rials against the dollar. The…

Brent Crude prices failed to hold onto the $70 per barrel handle for more than a day, dipping by 2% early on Monday as the market focused on imminent supply increases. As of 7:28 a.m. EDT on Monday, Brent Crude prices were down by 1.74% at $68.87, after hitting $70 per barrel on Friday, the highest level in nearly two months.  The U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, slipped below $65 per barrel and traded down by 2.02% at $64.36. More supply to the market, coming from Iraq’s semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, and possibly more barrels from…

Saudi Arabia is expected to raise slightly the price of its flagship crude grade loading for Asia in November, to reflect stronger Middle Eastern oil benchmarks, refining sources told Reuters in a survey released on Monday.  The world’s top crude exporter will be tempted to increase its prices amid stronger international benchmarks in recent weeks, but it would also be careful not to hike the price too much amid ongoing discussions about the 2026 term supplies with customers, according to some of Reuters’ sources.  Saudi Arabia…

Saudi Arabia is expected to raise slightly the price of its flagship crude grade loading for Asia in November, to reflect stronger Middle Eastern oil benchmarks, refining sources told Reuters in a survey released on Monday.  The world’s top crude exporter will be tempted to increase its prices amid stronger international benchmarks in recent weeks, but it would also be careful not to hike the price too much amid ongoing discussions about the 2026 term supplies with customers, according to some of Reuters’ sources.  Saudi Arabia…

Occidental Petroleum is reportedly in talks to divest its petrochemicals division, OxyChem, in a deal that could be worth up to $10 billion and would create one of the largest independent petrochemicals companies in the world. The Financial Times wrote, citing unnamed sources in the know, that the deal could be wrapped up within a few weeks unless it hits a snag at the last moment, with the sources saying the talks could still fall through. “The identity of the buyer could not immediately be established,” the FT also noted. Oxy has…

We are in the final innings of the third quarter, and energy markets remain tepid amid bearish sentiment. Brent crude for November delivery was trading at $69.45 per barrel at 8.45 am ET on Friday, more than $10/bbl below the current year’s peak at ~81/bbl, while WTI crude was changing hands at $65.05 per barrel compared to the January peak of $78.71 per barrel. Oil prices have mostly traded ~15/bbl lower in 2025 compared to the previous year, primarily due to oversupply fears due to OPEC+ accelerating the unwinding of production cuts, coupled…

Rising crude supply from OPEC+ and South America and a marked increase in longer-haul routes have hiked freight rates for supertankers, the so-called very large crude carriers (VLCCs) capable of transporting up to 2 million barrels of oil, to levels last seen nearly three years ago. Tanker owners and shipbrokers expect the strength in the supertanker market to spill over to smaller-sized vessels such as Aframaxes and Suezmaxes and continue into the fourth quarter of the year. In recent weeks, VLCC rates on the benchmark Middle East-to-China route…

Are microreactors the future of nuclear energy? Someday, nuclear reactors the size of shipping containers could power your hometown, but a huge number of regulatory hurdles will have to be cleared before nuclear power starts popping up in your backyard – and public buy-in will be critical. After decades of relatively little change in nuclear power technology, there is currently a flurry of nuclear energy innovation taking place around the world. Scientists are looking into how to make nuclear power production more efficient, cost-effective,…

Porsche AG shares fell almost 10% last week—the steepest drop since its 2022 debut—after the carmaker scaled back its electric-vehicle ambitions. The stock is down nearly 30% this year and will fall out of Germany’s benchmark DAX index. Parent company Volkswagen also slid 8.4%, its sharpest drop in more than two years, according to Bloomberg. The 911 maker scrapped plans for a battery-powered luxury SUV and will instead expand its lineup of combustion-engine and hybrid cars. The shift triggered a €1.8 billion hit to operating…

As the dominant producer of enriched uranium, Russia became the world’s main supplier of the fuel needed to power nuclear energy projects, as many countries find it difficult to decrease their dependency on Moscow for the fuel. Russia supplies around 40 percent of the world’s enriched uranium, followed by China (17 percent), France (12 percent), the U.S. (11 percent), the Netherlands (8 percent), the U.K. (7 percent), and Germany (6 percent). Shifting dependence away from Russia has been very difficult, as alternative supplies simply…

Like financial services, advertising and marketing have been at the forefront of the net-zero push, making emission reduction commitments and demonstrating a readiness to pressure the energy industry to decarbonize. Also, like financial services, ad and marketing firms are backpedaling from net zero and eager to get Big Oil’s business. The Financial Times reported this week that advertisers are going the way of bankers in rephrasing their decarbonization messaging on websites and rediscovering the energy industry as a client - a well-paying…

The clean energy transition is well underway around the world, at what many experts estimate to be an unstoppable velocity. While political shifts in the United States are pulling the emergency break on clean energy policy mechanisms, the international energy sector is plowing full-steam ahead. “This is no longer a distant promise: it is happening now, at a pace and scale that was unthinkable even five years ago,” writes Reuters, “and it is being driven not just by advanced economies but increasingly by developing ones.”…

For decades, Trinidad and Tobago has relied on oil production to bring in revenue to the small Caribbean state. However, as its oil reserves begin to dwindle, the outlook is less certain, despite ongoing investment in new auctions for further exploration. The country is now at a crossroads, as the government decides whether to support more invasive exploration practices or to shift to alternative energy sources and pursue economic diversification. In recent years, the neighbouring South American state of Guyana has attracted attention from oil…

Poland has reopened its border with Belarus after a nearly two-week closure tied to the Zapad-2025 joint military exercises held by Russia and Belarus, with Beijing playing a quiet but crucial role in the decision. Within the first few minutes of September 25, passenger vehicles resumed crossing at Terespol–Brest and trucks at Kukuryki–Kazlovichy, while freight rail reopened via Kuznica Bialostocka–Hrodna, Siemianowka–Svislach, and Terespol–Brest. The move followed an order by Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski…

While much of the world is looking to phase out its coal production, United States President Donald Trump has put coal back on the energy agenda, with big plans to reinvigorate ageing coal facilities. Despite concerns over the impact of ongoing coal use on human health and the environment, Trump views fossil fuels as the most stable energy source to boost U.S. energy security, which could lead to consumers paying more for their energy bills over the coming years. Upon entering office in January, Trump declared an energy emergency, and he has since…

Scientists are getting closer and closer to unlocking the intricate dance of quantum physics to revolutionize the way we produce energy. As the computing industry threatens to run out of energy on the back of the artificial intelligence boom, scientists are racing to bring quantum computing into reality as a means of solving critical energy security dilemmas while also turning computing technology on its head. We know that the potential of quantum physics and quantum computing is massive within the energy sector, but there is still a lot that we…

Uzbekistan evidently is on a fast-track to gain membership in the World Trade Organization. Tashkent’s application could win acceptance by the spring of 2026, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iveala said in an interview with Uzbek television. Gaining membership in the WTO involves what can be a lengthy process of negotiations. It took China, for example, 15 years for its application to be approved. Technically, Uzbekistan’s accession process dates back to 1994, but Tashkent only demonstrated a serious intent to meet WTO requirements…

While the world is watching the UN General Assembly discussions on Gaza-Israel, hybrid warfare in Europe (drones) and Trump, global oil markets are showing increased instability, as Ukrainian drones are destroying key oil and gas infrastructure inside of Russia. Over the last few weeks, a tsunami of reports has been published about a possible oil glut in the coming months or years, supported by OPEC-8 decisions to increase the export ceiling. However, reality in the market shows a different picture. Until now, no real crude oil price crash is showing;…

Washington is making it clear to New Delhi: any path forward on a U.S.–India trade deal runs through Russia’s oil fields. In recent talks, U.S. trade negotiators told Indian counterparts that curbing purchases of Russian crude is critical to lowering America’s punitive tariffs and unlocking a deal, sources told Reuters on Friday. India is pushing back. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal called the negotiations “constructive,” but New Delhi is making room for strategic wiggle; officials have floated substituting Russian…