News
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…
While energy prices stayed steady in February, the numbers show that they were already on the rise even before the United States waged war on Iran. As the Strait of Hormuz begins its third week of closure to its myriad political adversaries, extending what was already the single largest disruption to global oil trade in history, we can expect to see skyrocketing energy prices over the coming weeks and months. And that means that we can expect political disruptions that last a whole lot longer. As the United States and Israel continue a bombardment…
In just over two weeks since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, more than 12 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) of Middle East oil and gas production has been taken offline, including 7 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude supply – equivalent to roughly 7 % of total global liquids demand. Iraq has been hit hardest, with over 60% of its pre-conflict volume curtailed. Still, the more alarming reality is that the worst is likely yet to come. Rystad Energy analysis shows that in a worst-case…
Asia is the biggest market for liquefied natural gas. Asia is also the destination of up to 90% of Qatari and Emirati LNG—or was, until this month. With the shutdown of Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG complex and the Strait of Hormuz traffic disruption, Asia is facing a lot of energy supply pain. QatarEnergy announced a complete halt to LNG production after Iranian drone strikes hit facilities at Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City on March 2. A force majeure declaration followed on QatarEnergy exports. The move started a…
Colombia’s natural gas production is spiraling ever lower, with the hydrocarbon sector impacted by tax hikes and leftist President Gustavo Petro’s reforms aimed at weaning the country off its dependence on fossil fuels. This forced Bogota to significantly boost costly liquified petroleum gas (LPG) imports to meet domestic demand and ensure the stability of Colombia's electricity grid. Those imports are straining government finances and the economy at a time of fiscal crisis. Nonetheless, U.S. President Donald Trump’s intervention…
