A month ago, any analyst suggesting international oil prices could soar all the way to $200 per barrel would have been laughed out of the studio. Now, some are beginning to acknowledge that this is a real possibility, and with good reason. Oil and fuel exports from the Middle East stood at 25.13 million barrels daily in February, Reuters reported this month, citing data from Kpler. By mid-March, this had plummeted by close to two-thirds, to 9.71 million barrels a day. Vortexa has even more worrying figures, putting the February daily average at…

China has offered to provide Taiwan with stable and reliable energy supplies if the island agrees to a peaceful reunification. Beijing claims that Taiwan would have better protection for its energy and resource security  under a "strong motherland," including affordable, cleaner and more stable energy supplies."We are willing to provide Taiwan compatriots with stable and reliable energy and resource security, so that they may live better lives," Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters. China continues to…

Asian countries have been criticized for years for not ditching coal fast enough. They were vindicated this month when the Middle East war cut off 20% of global LNG flows overnight after Qatar, Asia’s key term LNG supplier, shut in production and exports. China, India, South Korea, Japan, and the whole of Southeast and South Asia are using the coal buffers they have created in recent years. Their insistence that diversification and energy security are more important than headline emission reductions is paying off as spot LNG prices in Asia…

China could come out on top – or at the very least vindicated – as a result of the United States’ and Israel’s war in Iran. As the world reels from skyrocketing oil prices and general energy market volatility, China is reaping the rewards of the huge energy stockpiles that it has been hoarding for years in case of just such a crisis. China’s ‘supergrid’ could not only buffer the world’s second-largest economy from energy market fallout, it could make China a major economic winner at the end of the…

Donald Trump and crew view renewable energy as an expensive fraud. British industrialists claim that the UK’s green goals make the country too expensive. New York politicians see green energy fueling an affordability crisis. We have argued, on the other hand, that proponents of renewables should push them not because they are greener but rather because they are more economical and less risky than the alternatives. Not everywhere every time, but enough of the time. So, who is right? When customers do see the benefits, is that failure due to…

The production of microchips may be negatively affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, due to supply chain disruptions, particularly of helium, which is key to semiconductor manufacturing. Some unexpected industries are being hit hard by the Iran war, as several supply chains are being severely disrupted, not just oil and gas. This could lead to severe delays in the production of microchips unless agreements can be reached between key powers to stop conflict and free up key trade routes. Helium is an essential component of semiconductor…

When nations go to war, the military-industrial complex springs into action. Relatively obscure tungsten is often on the front lines.A combination of tight supply, Chinese export restrictions, and heavy demand from military spending, including the current war with Iran, has jolted tungsten prices by 557% since last February, a far bigger increase than commodity stars like gold, silver, copper or oil. The exceptionally hard, scarce metal withstands extreme temperatures, making it essential for applications ranging from lighting and electronics to…

Canada’s federal government and the oil-producing province of Alberta aren’t expected to reach a deal on carbon pricing by their self-imposed April 1 deadline amid complicated negotiations, sources in the industry have told Reuters. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney last year rolled back some of the climate policies of Justin Trudeau as the new government sought to prioritize economic growth and energy exports amid strained relations with the United States under President Trump.   Canada’s federal government…

Canada’s federal government and the oil-producing province of Alberta aren’t expected to reach a deal on carbon pricing by their self-imposed April 1 deadline amid complicated negotiations, sources in the industry have told Reuters. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney last year rolled back some of the climate policies of Justin Trudeau as the new government sought to prioritize economic growth and energy exports amid strained relations with the United States under President Trump.   Canada’s federal government…

Canada’s federal government and the oil-producing province of Alberta aren’t expected to reach a deal on carbon pricing by their self-imposed April 1 deadline amid complicated negotiations, sources in the industry have told Reuters. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney last year rolled back some of the climate policies of Justin Trudeau as the new government sought to prioritize economic growth and energy exports amid strained relations with the United States under President Trump.   Canada’s federal government…

China could come out on top – or at the very least vindicated – as a result of the United States’ and Israel’s war in Iran. As the world reels from skyrocketing oil prices and general energy market volatility, China is reaping the rewards of the huge energy stockpiles that it has been hoarding for years in case of just such a crisis. China’s ‘supergrid’ could not only buffer the world’s second-largest economy from energy market fallout, but it could make China a major economic winner at the end of…

Inflation expectations are currently trending north, driven by the unraveling oil price shock, with a roughly 70% surge in crude oil prices this year driven by the Middle East war, intensifying fears of a renewed inflation spurt. The U.S. one-year inflation swap rate has recently surged above 3%, marking its highest level since late 2025. A recent Bank of America survey found that 45% of fund managers now expect higher global inflation over the next year, a sharp rise from just 9% a month ago. The survey indicates that market participants expect…

Inflation expectations are currently trending north, driven by the unraveling oil price shock, with a roughly 70% surge in crude oil prices this year driven by the Middle East war, intensifying fears of a renewed inflation spurt. The U.S. one-year inflation swap rate has recently surged above 3%, marking its highest level since late 2025. A recent Bank of America survey found that 45% of fund managers now expect higher global inflation over the next year, a sharp rise from just 9% a month ago. The survey indicates that market participants expect…

Energy interests are helping to fuel fresh efforts aimed at normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations. Meeting on the sidelines of a gathering sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, along with his minister for infrastructure, Davit Khudatyan, talked with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to explore a variety of energy-related connectivity issues.  “We discussed infrastructure and energy issues that will contribute to lasting peace and stability in our region; within…

Saudi Arabia's oil exports through its Yanbu port on ‌the Red Sea are projected to reach a record high of 3.8 million barrels per day in March after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran virtually cut off exports via the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The Kingdom can pump up to 7 million barrels per day through its East?West pipeline, of which 5 mb/d are available for export.  Saudi Arabia has been using drag-reducing agents (DRAs) to speed up oil flows to Yanbu and mitigate loss of exports through Hormuz. DRAs are friction-reducing…

Saudi Arabia's oil exports through its Yanbu port on ‌the Red Sea are projected to reach a record high of 3.8 million barrels per day in March after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran virtually cut off exports via the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The Kingdom can pump up to 7 million barrels per day through its East?West pipeline, of which 5 mb/d are available for export.  Saudi Arabia has been using drag-reducing agents (DRAs) to speed up oil flows to Yanbu and mitigate loss of exports through Hormuz. DRAs are friction-reducing…

Crude oil inventories in the United States increased by 6.2 million barrels during the week ending March 13, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Wednesday. The increase brings commercial stockpiles to 449.3 million barrels according to government data, which is still 1% below the five-year average for this time of year. The EIA’s data release follows API’s figures that were released a day earlier, which reported that crude oil inventories saw a surprise build of 6.556 million barrels…

Oil and natural gas markets surged after Iran signaled it could retaliate against key regional energy infrastructure following reported strikes on its upstream assets. Brent crude climbed as much as 6% to $10.56 per barrel, while Europe’s gas benchmark jumped nearly 8%, highlighting mounting fears of supply disruption. Tehran said U.S. and Israeli forces targeted the South Pars gas field and associated facilities in Asaluyeh. The strike marks a significant escalation, representing the first direct attack on Iran’s upstream production…

Oil and natural gas markets surged after Iran signaled it could retaliate against key regional energy infrastructure following reported strikes on its upstream assets. Brent crude climbed as much as 6% to $10.56 per barrel, while Europe’s gas benchmark jumped nearly 8%, highlighting mounting fears of supply disruption. Tehran said U.S. and Israeli forces targeted the South Pars gas field and associated facilities in Asaluyeh. The strike marks a significant escalation, representing the first direct attack on Iran’s upstream production…

Oil and natural gas markets surged after Iran signaled it could retaliate against key regional energy infrastructure following reported strikes on its upstream assets. Brent crude climbed as much as 6% to $10.56 per barrel, while Europe’s gas benchmark jumped nearly 8%, highlighting mounting fears of supply disruption. Tehran said U.S. and Israeli forces targeted the South Pars gas field and associated facilities in Asaluyeh. The strike marks a significant escalation, representing the first direct attack on Iran’s upstream production…