April was indeed the cruellest month for decades for Iraq’s crude oil production, with an average of 1.389 million barrels per day (bpd) over the period. This compares to a monthly average of 3.47 million bpd from January 2002 to the end of March this year, and an average of over 4.1 million bpd in the three months leading up to the onset of the U.S./Israel-Iran War on 28 February. The last time oil production fell to the current level in the country was in the early 2000s, during and immediately following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Even…

The closed Strait of Hormuz has created a major fertilizer shock and threatens food security in developing nations as sulfur and phosphate exporters from the Middle East struggle to ship supply to the global markets. Since the Iran war began, supply from the Middle East has crashed, forcing fertilizer producers to reduce output and leading to major price spikes in these markets. SABIC and Ma'aden, two Saudi chemicals giants, have tried to re-route part of their shipments from the ports on the Red Sea that do not need the Strait of Hormuz to ship…

Iraq’s Deputy Minister of Oil, Ali Maarij Al-Bahadly, along with many other individuals and businesses, was last week included by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in sanctions targeting the exploitation of Iraq’s oil sector to benefit Iran and Iran-aligned militias. These moves by OFAC are part of a ramping up of pressure on Iraqi entities that continue to deal with Iran, effectively bankrolling its current regime and the activities of its military, political, religious, and terrorist…

China installed much less solar power capacity in April from a year earlier as the domestic solar market continues to adjust to a change in policy following record-high installations and a major glut in recent years. Chinese developers added just 9.52 gigawatts (GW) of new solar power capacity last month, per official data from China's National Energy Administration cited by Bloomberg. The new capacity compares to the massive 45 GW solar expansion in April 2025, when companies rushed to install gigawatts ahead of a major policy change in the pricing…

I think most energy analysts would have been shocked to learn that roughly three months into a total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, oil would be trading at just over $100 a barrel. I certainly expected prices to be significantly higher by now. The physical math seems indisputable: take that much supply off the market, and prices should respond quickly and decisively. Oil prices have risen sharply, to be clear. But we are still short of the levels seen following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, or of the all-time highs set just before…

Malaysia has secured its fuel supply until the end of July, state energy firm Petronas has assured the economy ministry, as Southeast Asia is reeling from the worst supply disruption in the history of oil markets. Malaysia's Economy Minister Akmal Nasir told a regular briefing on Monday that one of Southeast Asia's biggest economies has secured energy supplies through the end of July and power reserves are enough to meet the current surge in electricity demand. "Petronas has given its assurance that the country's oil supply stock is sufficient…

Two liquefied natural gas carriers and a supertanker have traversed the Strait of Hormuz over the past couple of days, with the LNG vessels heading for Pakistan and China, and the tanker, loaded with Iraqi crude, is en route to China. According to a Reuters report, the vessels used the route that Iran has told all ships to use from now on. The LNG carriers are loaded with Qatari gas, the report said, citing data from LSEG and Kpler. At least one of the vessels was loaded in late March. The supertanker carrying Iraqi Basrah crude loaded its cargo…

Oil prices plunged in early Asian trade on Monday following reports over the weekend that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was in its final stages. At the time of writing, both oil benchmarks had fallen by more than 5%, with Brent breaking back below $100 to trade at $98.27, while WTI fell to $91.63. Optimism around a deal was tempered somewhat on Sunday when President Trump posted on social media that he had informed his representatives "not to rush into a deal". A senior U.S. administration official then added that, while progress had been…

Europe could face a critical shortfall in natural gas stocks if shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz persist for another 1-3 months, senior executives at Norwegian energy giant, Equinor ASA (NYSE:EQNR), have warned. Europe entered the current summer refill season with severely depleted gas reserves, with gas stores only 28% full following a prolonged winter. Europe’s storage levels are currently at 35-37%, significantly below the 50% seasonal norm, increasing the risk that the continent will miss its usual 90% target at the beginning…

Coal is inarguably one of the big winners from the energy flow disruption in the Middle East. Consumption is up strongly as gas becomes hard to come by and expensive to buy. Power supply security has overtaken any emission concerns. Yet it is not only in power generation that coal has regained popularity. Coal is also increasingly being used as feedstock for chemicals, notably fertilizers. Recently released data from China showed that coal production in the world’s top consumer had dipped in the first four months of the year. Imports were…

As Statista's Tristan Gaudiaut details below, according to the IEA Global EV Outlook 2026, published on May 20, global sales of electric cars, including plug-in hybrids, surpassed 21 million units last year, more than doubling since 2022, when annual sales first exceeded 10 million. As the chart shows, EVs now account for roughly one in four passenger car sales globally, meaning their market share climbed to 25 percent in 2025, up from just 2 percent in 2018. You will find more infographics at Statista This rapid growth has…

Australia’s energy producers are calling for state and federal support in faster approvals of new projects and fiscal stability. These could help the world’s third-biggest LNG exporter grow its overseas markets amid the expected years-long turmoil in the global gas market in the wake of the Iran war. Producers want long-term predictability in taxation, as well as faster permitting processes and environmental reviews from the state and federal governments. As a whole, the industry seeks clarity and certainty that would incentivize producers…

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States will not “rush” into a nuclear agreement with Iran, stressing that negotiations remain ongoing and that both sides must take the time to “get it right” as talks continue over the future of the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s uranium program. “Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon…

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States will not “rush” into a nuclear agreement with Iran, stressing that negotiations remain ongoing and that both sides must take the time to “get it right” as talks continue over the future of the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s uranium program. “Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon…

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States will not “rush” into a nuclear agreement with Iran, stressing that negotiations remain ongoing and that both sides must take the time to “get it right” as talks continue over the future of the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s uranium program. “Our relationship with Iran is becoming a much more professional and productive one,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “They must understand, however, that they cannot develop or procure a Nuclear Weapon…

Heat pump uptake is on the rise in Europe, as consumers take their energy bills into their own hands. Europe, which already experienced high gas prices and energy shortages after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, is now experiencing widespread energy shortages and soaring prices due to the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, sparked by the February U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran. While governments across the region have been investing in the deployment of more renewable energy capacity in recent years, most consumers still rely heavily on gas for heating…

Norway, well known for its oil and gas production, has ramped up its fossil fuel output in recent weeks to fill the gap following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing energy trade disruptions. While some countries are grateful to Norway for helping alleviate oil and gas shortages, environmentalists have critiqued the move, suggesting that more of a focus must be placed on increasing the region’s renewable energy capacity. Norway appears to have taken on the role of “Europe’s saviour” as it stepped in to replace…

Kyrgyzstan has taken sweeping action to clamp down on companies suspected of circumventing Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Kyrgyz Justice Ministry has announced that 50 companies will be forced to suspend their activities after they had been flagged by Western partners. "After they report risks, we study them and respond. For example, the United States and the United Kingdom have made allegations regarding 51 companies," Deputy Prime Minister Daniyar Amangeldiev told state news agency…

Home solar power installations have risen significantly in recent decades, as consumers look to drive down their electricity bills and make their energy use more sustainable. Now, with oil and gas prices soaring due to geopolitical challenges, more households are being attracted to solar installations. Solar photovoltaic (PV) uses electronic devices, also called solar cells, to convert sunlight directly into electricity. Solar PV is highly modular, meaning that smaller-sized solar home kits and rooftop installations with around 3-20 kW of capacity…

Strife-torn Colombia is facing a severe energy crisis at a critical juncture. Global supply of natural gas is heavily constrained due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. strikes on Iran. This could not come at a worse time for Colombia, with the Andean country experiencing a massive surge in demand for natural gas at a time when domestic production is declining. The rapidly growing supply shortfall was filled by costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, the future of which now appears uncertain. These events are weighing heavily…