Geopolitical risk raced back into oil markets last week with Israel's strikes on Iran, and Donald Trump's uncertainty about how he will react is only going to create more volatility in oil prices.Friday, June 20th, 2025 The unpredictable nature of the Israel-Iran conflict has seen Brent bounce in a wide range of $70.56 to $79.04 per barrel this week, set for a slightly bearish closing around $77 per barrel after the Trump administration pushed out the timeline of its potential involvement in the Gulf. US Federal Reserve decisions, OPEC+ policy,…

Refiners in Asia have asked for additional oil supply under term contracts this summer as the conflict between Israel and Iran is hiking premiums for spot supply, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources in the oil trade industry. As hostilities escalate, spot premiums for oil supply from the Middle East jumped this week to the highest level in four months, to more than $3 per barrel. Meanwhile, the official selling prices (OSPs) that Middle Eastern exporters set for their term supply for loading the following month are currently lower than the…

Crude oil prices climbed sharply last week as the conflict between Israel and Iran worsened, raising fears that global oil supplies could be affected. The situation quickly became one of the most closely watched issues in the oil market, pushing prices to their highest levels since January. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude both rose nearly 7% over the week, as investors responded to the growing threat of disruptions in the Middle East. The jump in prices came after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets.…

Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Russia is signaling a desire to re-enter the global energy conversation on new terms, with Russian sovereign wealth chief Kirill Dmitriev floating the idea of U.S.–Russia–Saudi cooperation to stabilize oil markets. This proposal is less about near-term supply dynamics and more about geopolitics—specifically, Putin’s attempt to reassert relevance amid declining influence in Syria, stagnation in Ukraine, and growing dependence on non-Western partners. By adopting language that echoes Donald…

European diesel prices rallied for a fifth straight session, driven by mounting anxiety that critical Middle East shipping lanes could be choked off. The conflict between Israel and Iran has raised alarm bells across the EU, which has become increasingly dependent on fuel shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz since losing access to Russian supplies.  "Supply-security fears are driving the surge in European diesel prices," Eugene Lindell, head of refined products at energy consultancy FGE NexantECA, told Bloomberg. "Many importers are rushing…

Russia is preparing to sell off chunks of its most prized state-owned companies in a desperate bid to raise cash—reviving an old strategy with a history of smoke, mirrors, and self-dealing. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed Friday that firms in the energy, transport, and finance sectors are on the chopping block as Moscow scrambles to fund a ballooning war budget and entice private capital in a post-sanctions economy. Though no names were dropped, this is the same playbook that’s repeatedly floated Rosneft and other energy giants…

Russia is preparing to sell off chunks of its most prized state-owned companies in a desperate bid to raise cash—reviving an old strategy with a history of smoke, mirrors, and self-dealing. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed Friday that firms in the energy, transport, and finance sectors are on the chopping block as Moscow scrambles to fund a ballooning war budget and entice private capital in a post-sanctions economy. Though no names were dropped, this is the same playbook that’s repeatedly floated Rosneft and other energy giants…

Father and son, Albert and Gordon Huddleston, part of the Texas oil dynasty of H.L. Hunt, are expected to become even richer if a rumored $8-billion deal with Mitsubishi Corp goes through. Albert and Gordon Huddleston are descendants of Haroldson Lafayette Hunt, who founded and grew the family oil business in the 1930s and 1940s with hundreds of producing wells in East Texas. Reports emerged earlier this week that Mitsubishi Corp. is about to acquire the shale and pipeline assets of Aethon Energy Management, founded by Albert Huddleston, who is…

Father and son, Albert and Gordon Huddleston, part of the Texas oil dynasty of H.L. Hunt, are expected to become even richer if a rumored $8-billion deal with Mitsubishi Corp goes through. Albert and Gordon Huddleston are descendants of Haroldson Lafayette Hunt, who founded and grew the family oil business in the 1930s and 1940s with hundreds of producing wells in East Texas. Reports emerged earlier this week that Mitsubishi Corp. is about to acquire the shale and pipeline assets of Aethon Energy Management, founded by Albert Huddleston, who is…

China saw its shipments of rare earth magnets to foreign markets crash by 53% in May to the lowest level for any month since February 2020, according to data from the General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. At the beginning of April, China announced it would curb its exports of dysprosium, gadolinium, scandium, terbium, samarium, yttrium, and lutetium. These so-called “heavy” and “medium” rare earth elements are mostly used in automotive applications, including rotors and motors and transmission…

China saw its shipments of rare earth magnets to foreign markets crash by 53% in May to the lowest level for any month since February 2020, according to data from the General Administration of Customs cited by Reuters. At the beginning of April, China announced it would curb its exports of dysprosium, gadolinium, scandium, terbium, samarium, yttrium, and lutetium. These so-called “heavy” and “medium” rare earth elements are mostly used in automotive applications, including rotors and motors and transmission…

Israel is in control. The U.S. is not, because it currently has no foreign policy to speak of. It is entirely reactionary, which means what happens next is impossible to predict. It will be based on mood, age, and ego, not foreign policy. This is an Israeli war, the end game of which is to ensure there can be no U.S.-Iran diplomacy. And back in Washington, this war is also a tool of self-destruction for the Republican party, divided now like never before and pulling Trump in two different directions–the war-mongering allies in the Senate…

The government of Mozambique is ready to lift the force majeure imposed on TotalEnergy’s LNG project in the country as soon as the company applies for this, the country’s energy minister said. Noting that the security environment in the area had improved considerably, Estevao Pale said that “We, as government, are doing everything that we can to be able to resume the project,” adding that “We are working together with all partners on the project to create the security conditions favourable to restart the project.”…

Crude oil prices could rise by between 15% and 20% from pre-war levels in case of disruption of 1.1 million barrels daily in production, Citi analysts have said, putting Brent crude’s wartime price at between $75 and $78 per barrel. If the supply disruption is larger, above 3 million barrels daily, Brent crude could hit $90, the bank also said. Earlier today, Brent topped $77 per barrel, with ING the latest to say it could top $120 per barrel in the case of a supply disruption. Citi, however, does not believe supply disruption would have…

Crude oil prices were set for another weekly gain today, the third in a row, as Israel and Iran continued to bomb each other with no sign of willingness on either side to switch to diplomacy. At the time of writing, Brent crude was trading at $77.04 per barrel, with West Texas Intermediate at $75.67 per barrel as the latest war in the Middle East entered its second week. The benchmarks dipped slightly from Thursday. The hostilities have pushed tanker rates sky high, along with vessel insurance, with many shippers choosing to avoid the Strait of…

Big Oil firms expect global oil demand to stop growing at some point early next decade. But the decline will be very slow and gradual and will look more like a plateau than a downward spiral.     The world’s biggest international oil and gas companies have started to acknowledge that demand growth could slow or stop within a decade. But these firms keep pumping oil and gas more than they did earlier this decade as they expect that oil demand – regardless of a peak – isn’t going anywhere.  Big Oil’s…

One of President Trump’s top priorities when he took office was to remove generous subsidies for things like wind and solar power that, critics have argued, are a drain on federal coffers. The panic that this intention caused in transition industries suggested it would be an easy job. It’s not. A lot of the subsidy billions have gone into Republican-led states. The warnings have been coming in for months. A lot of the companies that have taken advantage of IRA funds for energy transition projects have done so in red states. Toyota,…

Kazakhstan and China have moved to deepen their strategic partnership, with the two allies set to sign 60 agreements worth up to $25 billion at the China–Central Asia Industrial and Investment Cooperation Forum in Astana. Kazakhstan has identified China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) as a key strategic partner for building nuclear power plants, and will sign a cooperation agreement with China on nuclear energy. This partnership also includes joint research on transboundary uranium ore belts straddling the two countries. According to…

Today, the world is filled with conflict. Part of the problem is oil limits, but there are many other issues as well: Resources such as coal, lithium, and copper are also becoming more expensive to extract. Fresh water is often inadequate for the world’s rising population. Debt levels are very high. Complexity is very high. An adequate standard of living is becoming unaffordable for many people. The increasing world population leads to a need for more food and more paved roads. These symptoms strongly suggest that the world economy is headed…

Crude prices are technically higher today, but the market mood feels anything but bullish. WTI is clinging to $75.60 (+0.61%), but that masks a sharper intraday reversal that saw prices tumble from above $77 earlier in the session. Brent is faring better at $78.85 (+2.80%), and is missing the sharp pullback seen in the US benchmark.  Much of the morning rally was driven by the drumbeat of possible U.S. military involvement in the Israel-Iran war. But once the White House clarified that President Trump hasn’t made a decision—and…