The United States has cemented its position as the world's leading exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) over the past couple of years, thanks to surging natural gas demand in Europe and Asia. U.S. LNG exports hit a record 111 million tons in 2025, surpassing 100 million metric tons for the first time, driven by high utilization and new capacity additions from projects like Plaquemines LNG. But this could be just the beginning of the U.S. LNG boom: the EIA has predicted that U.S. LNG export capacity will more than double by 2029, with an estimated…

The tax on carbon Europe introduced at the beginning of the year may have some surprising knock-on effects. The higher cost to producers for exporting goods that were produced using carbon-intensive methods to Europe may drive some to clean up operations. In India, some producers are exploring the potential for transitioning to green steel to reduce emissions and cut export costs to one of its biggest markets. India is one of the world’s main steel producers, and it has become a major supplier of the metal to the European market. India achieved…

Decarbonizing the world’s energy systems is necessary to prevent the world from warming more than 2º celsius over pre-Industrial averages – the cap that scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change – but achieving this kind of sweeping change introduces a litany of other economic and environmental drawbacks.  Utility-scale renewable energy projects are integral to any viable pathways toward decarbonization of the global economy, but the massive size of these developments presents a number…

The United Kingdom has big ambitions for its wind energy, already ranking at around sixth globally for its wind energy capacity. Having developed significant onshore and offshore wind capacity, the government aims to work more closely with the rest of Europe to establish the world’s largest ‘clean energy reservoir’. There is roughly 15.7 GW of operational onshore wind power in the U.K., with capacity increasing by around 739 MW in 2024 thanks to the development of projects such as the Viking (443MW), Kype Muir Extension (67.2MW),…

India imports 85% of the oil it consumes. A third of that comes from Russia—or used to come from Russia, until last November, when President Trump’s administration sanctioned the top exporters. Now, Washington is doubling down on cutting India’s oil link with Russia, but it may prove tricky for the world’s second-largest importer of oil. “Even though India has reduced its purchase of crude oil from Russia in recent months, it is unlikely to cease all purchases immediately, which could be disruptive to India’s…

Several automakers are investing heavily in robots in a bid to further automate operations in the future. It does not seem to matter that the current generation of humanoid robots works at a slower pace than humans, as automakers still view these machines as more cost-efficient for their factories. While Elon Musk invests heavily in Tesla’s Optimus Robots, Hyundai has big plans for incorporating robots in its United States operations in the coming years. A recent estimate by Barclays suggests that the current humanoid robot market has a value…

On January 20, the United States Department of Energy released a report on the first year of Donald Trump's second term called “PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT” which touted a return to global energy dominance and a reversal of the “Biden energy subtraction agenda.” But on the ground in energy-industry states, the story is a lot more complicated.  A groundswell of anti-renewable sentiment has cropped up in rural and red areas of the United States in recent years, echoed and crystallized by the Trump campaign but certainly…

United States President Donald Trump pursued an electoral campaign that focused on fossil fuel expansion and the reining in of renewable energy projects. Trump has regularly dismissed climate science as fearmongering, suggesting that the U.S. does not need to expand its green energy and cleantech sectors; rather, the country should focus on pumping more oil and gas to boost energy security. However, a recent assessment suggests that Trump may have been misinformed when setting the U.S. energy agenda. On 30th January, a federal judge ruled that…

Russia’s oil exports came under renewed scrutiny in early February after U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington had agreed a trade deal with India that would cut tariffs on Indian goods from 50% to 18% in exchange, besides other concessions, to an end to Russian crude imports. The prospect of losing one of Moscow’s largest post-2022 buyers triggered Russian concerns over export revenues and budget stability. Yet available trade data points in the opposite direction. The numbers are clear: for Russia, hope now speaks Chinese. January…

The European Union is preparing to take a much bigger swing at Russia’s oil trade, and this time Brussels is aiming less at optics and more at the plumbing that actually keeps barrels moving. The European Commission has proposed what would be its broadest sanctions package yet against Russian crude exports, targeting not just ships or buyers but the services that make seaborne oil trade possible in the first place. The plan would ban European firms from providing shipping, insurance, financing, and other maritime services for Russian crude…

China’s solar generating capacity is poised to exceed coal for the time this year, the China Electricity Council said in a report this week. The country, long dependent on coal, should get about half of its installed generating capacity from solar and wind by the end of 2026, whereas coal’s use is expected to fall to about one-third of the total. More specifically, the electricity council puts total coal capacity at about 1,333 gigawatts by Dec. 31. Solar ended 2025 at 1,200 GW and has averaged 270 GW of growth each year for the past…

Washington moved to tighten the screws on Iran’s oil trade again on Friday, rolling out a fresh batch of sanctions aimed squarely at the shadow fleet that keeps Tehran’s barrels moving when they’re not supposed to be. The State Department announced sanctions on 15 entities, two individuals, and 14 vessels tied to the illicit trade in Iranian crude, petroleum products, and petrochemicals. The targets were designated under Executive Order 13846, part of the Trump administration’s revived maximum pressure framework, and are…

The oil and gas sector is continuing to consolidate after years of ‘merger-mania’, with ramifications for the entire energy sector and wider economy. But a recent report reveals that the spate of mergers and acquisitions that has characterized the fossil fuels industry over the last decade is not as widespread as it may seem, but rather concentrated among a few key players.  A newly released report from the consulting firm Bain & Co found that, within the oil and gas sector, “fewer companies are doing more of the deals…

Argentina, Guyana, and Brazil are poised to lead Latin American oil production growth in 2026, even though the possible return of Venezuelan barrels poses questions for the region’s long-term capital expenditure strategy. While the supermajors continue to flag Venezuela as difficult to underwrite on a long-term basis, traders and players like Trafigura and Hillcorp are increasingly drawn to near-term, structured opportunities in the country, signaling a possible rebalancing of portfolios. Although legal uncertainties persist and institutional…

The total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States rose by 5 this week, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday, bringing the total rig count in the US  to 551 this week, down 35 from this same time last year. The number of active oil rigs rose by 1 to 412 during the latest reporting period, according to the data. This is 68 below this same time last year. The number of gas rigs rose by 5, reaching 130, which is 30 more than this time last year. The miscellaneous rig count slipped by 1 and now…

TotalEnergies is expanding its exploration portfolio offshore Namibia with acreage north of a block where a major oil discovery has been made, as the supermajor looks to boost activity in the new global exploration hotspot. TotalEnergies on Friday announced it had signed agreements to buy a 42.5% operated interest in the PEL104 exploration license offshore Namibia from Eight Offshore Investments Holdings and Maravilla Oil & Gas. Upon completion of the transaction, TotalEnergies will be the operator of the license, which lies north of the PEL…

TotalEnergies is expanding its exploration portfolio offshore Namibia with acreage north of a block where a major oil discovery has been made, as the supermajor looks to boost activity in the new global exploration hotspot. TotalEnergies on Friday announced it had signed agreements to buy a 42.5% operated interest in the PEL104 exploration license offshore Namibia from Eight Offshore Investments Holdings and Maravilla Oil & Gas. Upon completion of the transaction, TotalEnergies will be the operator of the license, which lies north of the PEL…

Iranian and US officials have started a round of high-stakes diplomacy in Oman in what is seen as a last-chance effort to avert a major military escalation in the Persian Gulf. US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has spearheaded talks for President Donald Trump aimed at ending conflicts from the Gaza Strip to Ukraine, is leading an American delegation in the February 6 talks with Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Tehran's main face on the international diplomatic front, and several other senior Iranian officials. Though the lineups may be set, the…

U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Oman cooled oil markets, pushing Brent back to $67 and setting up volatility as vague outcomes leave sentiment hostage to headlines. Friday, February 06, 2026 The start of US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman has had a placating effect on oil markets, with ICE Brent sliding back to $67 per barrel, set for a more than 5% weekly loss after a stellar string of gains in January. The complete vagueness of the meeting’s agenda and the lack of public commentary on the outcome thereof could amplify sudden price moves next…

Japan’s trading company Mitsui & Co is in an advanced stage of talks with QatarEnergy to buy a minority stake in one of Qatar’s mega expansion projects, anonymous sources with knowledge of the development told Reuters on Friday.   Qatar’s state firm QatarEnergy is undertaking the world’s biggest LNG expansion project with multiple phases of expanding the export capacity of the offshore North Field, the world’s largest non-associated natural gas field, which Qatar shares with Iran. Mitsui is close to buying…