Guyana’s swift appearance as the world’s newest petrostate, along with heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas, has brought the spotlight firmly back on South America’s oil industry. The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently identified Brazil, Guyana and Argentina among the top five non-OPEC oil producers, which are driving global production growth. All three South American nations are experiencing significant oil booms, placing them among the continent’s top producers. Brazil, Argentina and Guyana are all…

Massive energy demand growth from data centers is incentivizing an “all of the above” approach to energy security. The AI boom is driving investment in previously overlooked and underfunded alternative energy sources, including geothermal. While the carbon-free form of energy production provides just 0.4% of the United States energy mix for now, many experts believe it’s about to take off thanks to bipartisan support, advancements in geothermal technologies, and rapidly changing energy market realities.  “It’s…

Kuwait is grappling with relentless heat, aging infrastructure and unplanned power outages, prompting major investments in grid reliability. Today, renewables account for less than 1% of Kuwait’s electricity generation, but the country aims to grow that to 15% by 2030, with natural gas serving as a crucial transitional fuel. However, Rystad Energy analysis shows this lofty target could be out of reach. Our current projections estimate renewable capacity will only reach 3.3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, just 7% of Kuwait’s power generation,…

It’s tempting to think carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a fossil-era fantasy, dead in the water, expensive, and politically questionable. But scratch the surface of today’s CCS landscape and you’ll find a surprising story: serious technology advances, growing interest from heavy emitters, and scalable infrastructure emerging across sectors where decarbonization options are slim. Infrastructure is stacking up There are now 41 commercial-scale CCS facilities in operation globally, with more than 350 projects actively in development.…

Plains All American Pipeline is grappling with a crude quality scare on its Permian-to-Corpus Christi system, raising questions for both refiners and exporters at the Gulf Coast’s busiest hub. A notice seen by Reuters and dated September 11 warned shippers that crude exceeding 75 parts per million of mercaptans — sulfur compounds that can damage equipment and affect product quality — has been showing up at multiple origin points. Plains said beginning October 1 it will impose a $0.50 per barrel fee on off-spec deliveries across…

Plains All American Pipeline is grappling with a crude quality scare on its Permian-to-Corpus Christi system, raising questions for both refiners and exporters at the Gulf Coast’s busiest hub. A notice seen by Reuters and dated September 11 warned shippers that crude exceeding 75 parts per million of mercaptans — sulfur compounds that can damage equipment and affect product quality — has been showing up at multiple origin points. Plains said beginning October 1 it will impose a $0.50 per barrel fee on off-spec deliveries across…

Nuclear plants could come online faster in a new deal between the UK and the US aimed at boosting growth in the sector and bolstering energy security. Under plans set to be signed off during US president Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK this week, the time for a nuclear project to get a licence will be cut from four years to two, while access to the UK energy market will be widened for US companies. Alongside the plans, Maryland-based X-Energy struck a deal with the UK’s Centrica to build up to 12 advanced modular reactors in Hartlepool,…

Ram has abandoned plans to launch an electric pickup truck, according to a Sept. 12 statement from Stellantis. “As demand for full-size battery-electric trucks slows in North America, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will discontinue development of a full-size [battery-electric] pickup,” the company stated. In December 2024, the company stated that it planned on launching its Ram 1500 battery-electric pickup in the first half of 2025. As part of the latest decision, Ramcharger, a pickup truck featuring an electric…

Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth recently addressed the company’s dual strategy of expanding traditional fossil fuel operations while simultaneously investing in emerging low-carbon technologies. In an interview with The New York Times, Wirth described the company's approach as a pragmatic response to ongoing global energy demand, pushing back against predictions from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that oil demand will peak by the end of the decade. Wirth, who has been with Chevron for more than four decades and has led the company…

Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth recently addressed the company’s dual strategy of expanding traditional fossil fuel operations while simultaneously investing in emerging low-carbon technologies. In an interview with The New York Times, Wirth described the company's approach as a pragmatic response to ongoing global energy demand, pushing back against predictions from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that oil demand will peak by the end of the decade. Wirth, who has been with Chevron for more than four decades and has led the company…

Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth recently addressed the company’s dual strategy of expanding traditional fossil fuel operations while simultaneously investing in emerging low-carbon technologies. In an interview with The New York Times, Wirth described the company's approach as a pragmatic response to ongoing global energy demand, pushing back against predictions from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that oil demand will peak by the end of the decade. Wirth, who has been with Chevron for more than four decades and has led the company…

US President Donald Trump has said NATO countries should stop buying Russian oil if they want Washington to tighten sanctions on Moscow -- but achieving this could be time-consuming and challenging. Only three NATO nations currently import Russian crude: Hungary, Slovakia, and Turkey. Of the three, Turkey is the big one. "According to our data, (Turkey) is the third largest Russian oil importer globally," Petras Kanitas, a Vilnius-based analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), told RFE/RL on September 15. "Turkey buys…

Russia’s oil producers may have to reduce output as intensified Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged critical export and port infrastructure. Beijing Tightens the Tap on Oil Products with Third 2025 Export Quota - Keeping the markets on their toes for longer than anticipated, the Chinese government has at last announced the remaining tranche of clean oil product exports quotas for 2025, to the disappointment of many.     - The third export quota batch was announced at 8.395 million tonnes, notably lower than the 9 million…

Russia’s oil producers may have to reduce output as intensified Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged critical export and port infrastructure. State pipeline firm Transneft, which handles more than 80% of all the crude oil pumped in Russia, has warned producers that it may have to accept lower volumes on its system, industry sources close to Russian oil producers told Reuters on Tuesday.   Transneft has already restricted in recent days the storage options on the system for the producers, according to the sources. The reason is the intense…

Russia’s oil producers may have to reduce output as intensified Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged critical export and port infrastructure. State pipeline firm Transneft, which handles more than 80% of all the crude oil pumped in Russia, has warned producers that it may have to accept lower volumes on its system, industry sources close to Russian oil producers told Reuters on Tuesday.   Transneft has already restricted in recent days the storage options on the system for the producers, according to the sources. The reason is the intense…

Russia’s oil producers may have to reduce output as intensified Ukrainian drone attacks have damaged critical export and port infrastructure. State pipeline firm Transneft, which handles more than 80% of all the crude oil pumped in Russia, has warned producers that it may have to accept lower volumes on its system, industry sources close to Russian oil producers told Reuters on Tuesday.   Transneft has already restricted in recent days the storage options on the system for the producers, according to the sources. The reason is the intense…

The European Commission will address critical grid bottlenecks in European electricity infrastructure in a bid to avoid spiking power and energy costs, European Commission President Ursula?von der Leyen said on Tuesday.  “Let us be clear – our energy prices remain still too high, too volatile, and too disparate across Europe. In some Member States, electricity costs three times more than in others. And many price spikes could be avoided, if energy could flow more freely to where it is needed,” von der Leyen said at a conference…

The Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) remained sideways, with a 1.87% decline from July to August. Meanwhile, the price of copper saw some notable upticks from August to September, as well as some significant drops. The USGS Recommends Copper for Critical Minerals List Despite being mostly spared from tariffs in months past, the copper market has not lost the attention of the U.S. In its draft list, the U.S. Department of the Interior/U.S. Geological Survey recommended copper be added to the country’s catalog of critical minerals. The move…

California lawmakers this weekend passed Senate Bill 237, a sweeping measure designed to revive in-state crude production in response to declining refining capacity, rising import dependence, and widespread concern about gasoline prices. The new law allows up to 2,000 new oil well drilling permits per year in Kern County beginning January 2026, with the explicit objective of pushing California oil producers to supply close to 25% of the crude used by the state’s refineries. According to the California Energy Commission, the state produces…

Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries on Sunday, igniting another oil price rally. The drones hit Russia’s Kirishi refinery in northwestern Leningrad region, intensifying weeks of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Operated by Surgutneftegas, the giant refinery has a capacity to process 17.7 million metric tons of crude per year (355,000 barrels per day), making it one of Russia’s three largest refineries by output. Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to impose fresh…