California lawmakers this weekend passed Senate Bill 237, a sweeping measure designed to revive in-state crude production in response to declining refining capacity, rising import dependence, and widespread concern about gasoline prices. The new law allows up to 2,000 new oil well drilling permits per year in Kern County beginning January 2026, with the explicit objective of pushing California oil producers to supply close to 25% of the crude used by the state’s refineries. According to the California Energy Commission, the state produces…

Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries on Sunday, igniting another oil price rally. The drones hit Russia’s Kirishi refinery in northwestern Leningrad region, intensifying weeks of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Operated by Surgutneftegas, the giant refinery has a capacity to process 17.7 million metric tons of crude per year (355,000 barrels per day), making it one of Russia’s three largest refineries by output. Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to impose fresh…

Whether or not the incursion of at least 19 Russian drones into Poland on the night of 9 September was deliberate or not, NATO’s response will provide the Kremlin with a clear indication of whether it can continue to escalate military aggression against its security members without meaningful consequences to it. This is particularly useful information for Moscow to know, as the four-yearly ‘Zapad’ joint Russia-Belarus military exercises began on 12 September and are due to end on the 16th of this month. The last time the exercises…

The European Union could phase out all Russian natural gas purchases within a year, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said earlier this month. In fact, he said, the EU could switch from Russian gas to U.S. LNG in as little as six months. Yet there is a problem with this, and it is a pretty serious one: prices. Some are calling the EU hypocritical; others are justifying it in its continued purchases of Russian energy. It is an awkward situation that is likely to become even more awkward. In 2024, the EU made headlines for something its leadership…

China has far outpaced the United States in clean energy spending, manufacturing, and innovation. And now, thanks to cheap and abundant Chinese solar panels and wind turbines, a growing number of emerging economies are joining the ranks of nations outpacing the United States in the clean energy transition.  “To China’s delight,” writes the Conversation, “the US has simply stopped competing to be the world’s clean energy powerhouse.” While the Trump administration has reversed policies incentivizing clean…

U.S. motorists are getting a reprieve at the pump just as the shift to cheaper winter gasoline begins, with GasBuddy data showing the national average price falling 3.6 cents over the last week to $3.12 per gallon. Diesel also eased 2.6 cents to $3.658. The slide comes as refineries ramp up supply and seasonal regulations loosen, setting the stage for further declines. “While gas prices fell in more states than they rose last week, the West Coast continues to face challenges, with Oregon and Washington seeing some of the largest increases…

U.S. motorists are getting a reprieve at the pump just as the shift to cheaper winter gasoline begins, with GasBuddy data showing the national average price falling 3.6 cents over the last week to $3.12 per gallon. Diesel also eased 2.6 cents to $3.658. The slide comes as refineries ramp up supply and seasonal regulations loosen, setting the stage for further declines. “While gas prices fell in more states than they rose last week, the West Coast continues to face challenges, with Oregon and Washington seeing some of the largest increases…

As global oil majors become more selective with their investments and prioritize shareholder returns, Middle East national oil companies (NOCs) continue to play a pivotal role in global energy security amid shifting market dynamics and the energy transition. Leveraging their low breakeven costs, strong domestic bases, and strategic ambitions, they are well-positioned to meet growing international demand for energy. With non-OPEC+ supply growth slowing and upstream investment hurdles mounting, these NOCs are expanding capacity and scaling international…

ExxonMobil has moved to strengthen its hand against climate-focused investor campaigns by introducing an auto-voting system for its massive retail shareholder base, Reuters reported on Monday. The plan, approved under a “no-action” letter from the SEC, will allow individual investors to opt in and have their votes automatically aligned with management recommendations unless they explicitly choose otherwise. The company is targeting its so-called “mom-and-pop” shareholders, who collectively hold about 40% of Exxon’s…

By Metal Miner The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) moved sideways, dropping a slight 2.3%. This comes as the US automotive market, manufacturers in particular, are facing a one-two punch of rising costs and potential shortages in their metal supply chains. A big reason for this is steep tariffs on steel, aluminum and other inputs, which are driving up raw material costs. How Are Tariffs Driving Up Costs for the US Automotive Market The US government has expanded its metal tariff (initially 25%) to a hefty 50% on a broad range of imports,…

Ukraine is restricting imports of diesel from India due to India’s continued purchases of Russian crude, which holds about a third of total Indian oil imports. Effective October 1, Ukraine will restrict imports of Indian diesel and will check samples of the diesel in laboratories to detect the presence of components typical of Russia’s crude grades, according to Ukrainian energy consultancy Enkorr cited by Reuters. Indian diesel accounted for about 18% of all Ukrainian diesel imports in August, according to Enkorr.   Ukraine has…

Ukraine is restricting imports of diesel from India due to India’s continued purchases of Russian crude, which holds about a third of total Indian oil imports. Effective October 1, Ukraine will restrict imports of Indian diesel and will check samples of the diesel in laboratories to detect the presence of components typical of Russia’s crude grades, according to Ukrainian energy consultancy Enkorr cited by Reuters. Indian diesel accounted for about 18% of all Ukrainian diesel imports in August, according to Enkorr.   Ukraine has…

Just two months after Canada became an LNG exporter with the launch of LNG Canada, the federal government is betting big on the export facility in British Columbia by including its expansion in the five major projects to diversify Canada’s energy exports and make it a conventional and clean energy powerhouse. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last week the first list of five major projects of national importance, with LNG Canada Phase 2 the first on the list. These projects will be referred to the newly created Major Projects…

Ukraine’s latest drone strike has forced the shutdown of a major processing unit at the Kirishi refinery near St. Petersburg, in what industry sources describe as the most damaging attack yet on Russia’s northwest energy hub. Reuters reported today that operations at the 355,000-barrel-per-day facility, which handles roughly six percent of Russia’s refining capacity, have been curtailed after fires broke out over the weekend. The Kirishi outage comes on the heels of a separate Ukrainian strike on the Primorsk oil terminal, where…

Ukraine’s latest drone strike has forced the shutdown of a major processing unit at the Kirishi refinery near St. Petersburg, in what industry sources describe as the most damaging attack yet on Russia’s northwest energy hub. Reuters reported today that operations at the 355,000-barrel-per-day facility, which handles roughly six percent of Russia’s refining capacity, have been curtailed after fires broke out over the weekend. The Kirishi outage comes on the heels of a separate Ukrainian strike on the Primorsk oil terminal, where…

After Israel’s attack on a Hamas meeting in Doha, Qatar, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed regret over the incident and directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar. When Qatari officials heard that news, they probably wondered, Why bother? Qatar is a Major Non-NATO Ally of the U.S. and a major customer for American defense equipment. In recent years Doha provided financial support to Hamas (with U.S. and Israeli connivance), mediated U.S.-Taliban peace talks, hosted America’s Afghan…

A recent piece in New Scientist has reminded me that it is a myth that humans, if they are wise and clever enough, can learn to "manage" the biosphere. The piece is about the unfortunate trade-off between pollution reduction and global warming. It has been known for some time that successful efforts to reduce air pollution have resulted in fewer particles in the atmosphere, particles that reflect sunlight back into space. This reduction has actually accelerated global warming even as it has improved air quality and reduced illness and death. The…

Elon Musk bought on Friday shares in Tesla worth about $1 billion, a regulatory filing showed on Monday, just over a week after Tesla’s board proposed an unheard of $1-trillion pay package for the Tesla CEO if the EV maker reaches major production, innovation, and market capitalization goals.  Musk bought the Tesla shares indirectly through a revocable trust on Friday, a week after Tesla proposed “a super ambitious incentive package for a pioneering, ambitious and unique CEO”. This package could be worth about $1 trillion…

For decades, electricity planners have urged an expansion of the high-voltage transmission network. Deregulation was supposed to provide incentives to build more lines. It really did not. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission devised a bizarre plan that did encourage a lot of spending, but obviously not enough, despite over-the-top economic incentives. The electric industry boasts about how much it has increased transmission spending. So, where are we? The USA has roughly 200,000 miles of high-voltage transmission in place. The Department of…

Azerbaijan’s state oil company Socar is close to signing a deal to buy privately-held Italian refiner Italiana Petroli, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources.  The Brachetti-Peretti family, owners of Italiana Petroli, which controls one of Italy’s biggest gasoline station networks, have agreed to sell the company to Socar, with the signing of the deal expected imminently, according to Reuters’ sources.    In June this year, Reuters reported that Socar is in competition with Gunvor, one of the world’s…