October WTI crude oil futures are trading at $101.26 early Friday, up $10.04 or 11.01% for the week so far. The contract traded as low as $90.87 before reaching $104.46, its strongest level since May. Last week, the market was testing whether escorted cargoes and alternate routes could keep enough Gulf oil moving to reduce the war premium. This week, tanker attacks increased around the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi energy facilities came under attack, and the supply threat spread toward the Red Sea. WTI did not break $100 because every Middle East barrel…

Crude oil prices are poised for further increases and the trending trajectory is higher, as global inventory drawdowns have accelerated and China is back to buying significantly higher crude oil volumes than in the spring, Energy Aspects founder and market intelligence director, Amrita Sen, told CNBC on Friday. The intensified shipping risks in the Middle East with tanker attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and the Houthi threat in the Red Sea are hampering crude oil supply to Asian refiners. If Hormuz cancellations and delays persist, the only option…

China is on track to import roughly the same volumes of crude oil in September as it did in August, extending the trend of recovering shipments just as crude oil prices soared to above $100 per barrel again. Kpler’s preliminary vessel-tracking data puts Chinese crude imports at about 7.2 million barrels per day (bpd) for September, about the same as in August, Nikkei Asia reports. The September-arriving crude cargoes were bought at prices well below $100 per barrel, but the gradual recovery of Chinese purchases from the decade-low in June…

China is on track to import roughly the same volumes of crude oil in September as it did in August, extending the trend of recovering shipments just as crude oil prices soared to above $100 per barrel again. Kpler’s preliminary vessel-tracking data puts Chinese crude imports at about 7.2 million barrels per day (bpd) for September, about the same as in August, Nikkei Asia reports. The September-arriving crude cargoes were bought at prices well below $100 per barrel, but the gradual recovery of Chinese purchases from the decade-low in June…

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slumped to single digits on Thursday, down from a 10-day average of 15 vessels that transited the chokepoint in both directions, Reuters reports, citing preliminary vessel-tracking data by Kpler as of early Friday. Only seven vessels, two outbound and five inbound, transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, per the data, which tracks only ships with positioning systems switched on. Dark transits are believed to be much higher as vessel operators and commodity buyers prefer to switch off their…

Demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Southeast Asia has found a new major driver apart from the years-long efforts to switch away from coal-fired power generation. The AI boom and the data center construction in Asia are set to materially change Southeast Asia’s LNG demand outlook with a significant upside, as combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGT) remain the most reliable 24/7 power provider for hyperscalers amid relatively immature renewable energy-plus-batteries across the region, analysts at Wood Mackenzie say. As a result of the higher…

U.S. President Donald Trump has undertaken the most aggressive federal intervention in the critical minerals and rare earth sectors ever since he returned to the Oval Office, announcing a flurry of deals as Washington desperately tries to counter China’s dominance in minerals that are powering the energy transition and AI boom. The deals included a hodgepodge of equity and debt packages with dozens of rare earths companies, with MP Materials (NYSE:MP) and U.S. Rare Earths (NASDAQ:USAR) some of the key beneficiaries. Last month, Trump unveiled…

Mexico’s government is slashing financial assistance for the state energy major by as much as 70% despite Pemex’s continued struggle to pay down debt and boost production. The decision rests on expectations that the company will benefit from the oil and gas price rally spurred by the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Per a Bloomberg report from this week, the government of Mexico sees Pemex posting a rare cash surplus of some 95 billion pesos, or around $5.63 billion, as a result of the oil price rally. Based on those expectations,…

OPEC now expects global oil demand growth to jump from just 380,000 barrels per day this year to 2.36 million bpd in 2027—a more than sixfold increase in the space of a year. The cartel trimmed its 2026 demand-growth forecast in its September Monthly Oil Market Report, putting total consumption this year at 105.84 million bpd. For 2027, OPEC raised its forecast, with global demand expected to reach 108.19 million bpd. The swing is especially stark in China. OPEC expects Chinese oil demand to grow by only 10,000 bpd this year, leaving consumption…

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Copper future and related stocks plunged on Thursday morning after a Reuters report said that the White House's "copper tariff plan stalls amid affordability concerns." The Trump administration has yet to decide whether to impose tariffs on refined copper, sending copper prices around the world to record highs this summer as physical copper flooded US warehouses. The report from the outlet: The White House has not yet made a decision on refined copper tariffs as officials juggle concerns that higher prices for the red metal could…

US natural gas production is projected to reach a record high of 111.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2026, up from 107.6 bcfd in 2025, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). By 2027, domestic supply is expected to hit 115.9 bcfd. But that’s only half the story. Over the next two years, US natural gas supply and demand will both rise to record levels, the EIA states in its Short-Term Energy Outlook. Domestic gas consumption is projected to rise from a record 91.9 bcfd in 2025 to 111.7 bcfd in 2026 and 115.9 bcfd…

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has raised its forecast for U.S. crude oil production in 2027 to 14.3 million barrels per day, up from 14.2 million bpd in August and 14.0 million bpd in July. For 2026, EIA is still calling for 13.8 million bpd, unchanged from its July and August forecasts. That would top the 13.7 million bpd record set in 2025. U.S. production averaged 13.7 million bpd during the first half of this year, up 300,000 bpd, or 2%, from the same period last year. Most of that increase came from the Permian and the U.S. part…

The U.S. Energy Information Administration has raised its forecast for U.S. crude oil production in 2027 to 14.3 million barrels per day, up from 14.2 million bpd in August and 14.0 million bpd in July. For 2026, EIA is still calling for 13.8 million bpd, unchanged from its July and August forecasts. That would top the 13.7 million bpd record set in 2025. U.S. production averaged 13.7 million bpd during the first half of this year, up 300,000 bpd, or 2%, from the same period last year. Most of that increase came from the Permian and the U.S. part…

Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are introducing new procedures for foreign visitors. Some local observers believe the moves are connected to a fresh influx of Russians amid rumors that the Kremlin may order a general military mobilization. A Kyrgyz government decree outlines plans to implement a tracking system to ensure foreigners adhere to migration rules. Those who violate length-of-stay requirements will be barred from returning for a set period, as determined by the number of days a citizen of a given country can stay in Kyrgyzstan…

Crude oil inventories in the United States saw a decrease of 400,000 barrels during the week ending September 4, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Thursday. The decrease brings commercial stockpiles to 424.1 million barrels, according to government data, which are now on par with 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 had fallen by 300,000 barrels in the…

Several countries worldwide have been working to reduce methane leaks, with some states making significantly more progress than others. The establishment of the Global Methane Pledge in 2021 at the COP26 climate summit has helped accelerate cleanup efforts; however, many countries are still falling behind on their methane-cutting pledges. Now, one of the world’s biggest methane polluters – Turkmenistan – is aiming to plug its mega leaks, which would help reduce global methane emissions and could encourage other countries to do…

Senegal will offer to local and foreign investors as many as 109 oil and gas blocks, Energy and Petroleum Minister, El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, has said. Only four out of the West African country’s 113 oil and gas blocks are currently contracted, the official told a local TV channel. “The remaining 109 will be put on the market,” the minister said, as carried by Reuters. “The president’s plan is to create local leaders in the energy, oil and gas sectors,” Diouf added. [GooglePreferredSource] Several oil and…

Senegal will offer to local and foreign investors as many as 109 oil and gas blocks, Energy and Petroleum Minister, El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, has said. Only four out of the West African country’s 113 oil and gas blocks are currently contracted, the official told a local TV channel. “The remaining 109 will be put on the market,” the minister said, as carried by Reuters. “The president’s plan is to create local leaders in the energy, oil and gas sectors,” Diouf added. [GooglePreferredSource] Several oil and…

Outside Pecos, Texas, Chevron is getting ready to build a power plant to solve a problem the Permian Basin has been stuck with for years, which is that it produces far more natural gas than anyone nearby is willing to pay for.  Chevron's subsidiary, Energy Forge One, signed a 20-year agreement with Microsoft in June to build a gas-fired plant beside a data center campus, ramping up to roughly 2.67 gigawatts. The final investment decision is due by the end of this year, with power flowing in 2028. One deal in one county doesn't make a trend,…