Oil prices jumped nearly 10% in Monday's early session after Iran launched a barrage of retaliatory missiles and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday. And, it could get worse: JPMorgan Chase has warned that Brent crude oil prices could spike to $120 per barrel if the conflict leads to sustained disruption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Whereas the Strait of Hormuz has not officially been closed, it is experiencing a de…

South America’s largest economy, Brazil, is on track to be a top 5 global oil producer. During 2023, Brazil received an offer to join the OPEC+ price cartel, but it took until early 2025 for the government in the capital Brasilia to accept membership. This signaled a significant change in government strategy, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva seeking to make Brazil the world’s fourth-largest petroleum producer by the end of the decade. By joining OPEC+, Brazil can access considerable strategic resources to assist with…

Last month’s announcement that Devon Energy and Coterra Energy are merging to create a $58-billion giant is the latest mega-deal in the U.S. shale patch, signaling smaller public companies are seeking multi-basin, multi-year increases in drilling opportunities. In early February, Devon Energy and Coterra Energy announced a definitive agreement to merge and create a premier shale operator in an all-stock transaction, implying a combined enterprise value of about $58 billion. The deal creates a company with a significantly increased position…

Average U.S. gasoline prices climbed above $3 per gallon on Monday for the first time since November, as escalating conflict with Iran rippled through global energy markets and pushed crude and fuel prices sharply higher. According to Reuters, retail gasoline crossed the $3 threshold as Brent crude surged more than 5% to nearly $77 per barrel, with prices briefly topping $80 in early trading. Tehran’s retaliation following U.S. and Israeli strikes has disrupted oil and fuel shipments across the Middle East, particularly through the Strait…

Average U.S. gasoline prices climbed above $3 per gallon on Monday for the first time since November, as escalating conflict with Iran rippled through global energy markets and pushed crude and fuel prices sharply higher. According to Reuters, retail gasoline crossed the $3 threshold as Brent crude surged more than 5% to nearly $77 per barrel, with prices briefly topping $80 in early trading. Tehran’s retaliation following U.S. and Israeli strikes has disrupted oil and fuel shipments across the Middle East, particularly through the Strait…

When it comes to the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) and now artificial superintelligence (ASI) (sometimes called artificial general intelligence), I feel as if we've been transported onto the set of the 1983 film "WarGames." In the film teenage hacker David Lightman stumbles onto the military's most sensitive war scenario planning computer while believing he has simply found a soon-to-be-released game called "Global Thermonuclear War" on the server of a computer game company.  Lightman activates the game which ultimately makes personnel…

Sábado, 28 de febrero de 2026.- Protesta de los trabajadores frente a la sede principal del Ministerio del Trabajo. Aumento salarial y respeto a sus derechos laborales reclamaron los trabajadores el jueves 26, en la mañana, frente al Ministerio del Trabajo, en Caracas. ...

The Strait of Hormuz is back in the headlines. Again. Roughly a fifth of globally traded oil passes through that narrow maritime corridor between Oman and Iran. And once more, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have turned this chokepoint into a pressure valve for the entire global economy. Insurance premiums spike. Tankers hesitate. Traders hold their breath. Politicians rush to microphones. And Europe wonders why its energy bills are rising. There is something profoundly frustrating about this moment, not because it is surprising, but because…

Chevron has declared force majeure at Israel’s Leviathan natural gas field after the government ordered a temporary suspension of production on security grounds, marking the second time in less than a year that hostilities with Iran have disrupted Eastern Mediterranean gas flows. Israel’s energy ministry directed operator Chevron to shut in Leviathan following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory action across the region. Partner NewMed Energy said the suspension followed guidance from security authorities,…

Chevron has declared force majeure at Israel’s Leviathan natural gas field after the government ordered a temporary suspension of production on security grounds, marking the second time in less than a year that hostilities with Iran have disrupted Eastern Mediterranean gas flows. Israel’s energy ministry directed operator Chevron to shut in Leviathan following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and subsequent retaliatory action across the region. Partner NewMed Energy said the suspension followed guidance from security authorities,…

REalloys (NASDAQ: ALOY) and a small number of other North American companies are doing what the rest of the Western world failed to do for three decades: They are breaking China’s "kill switch" on the U.S. defense supply chain. While the U.S. defense sector has long been reliant on international processing for these materials, REalloys has established itself as the only North American facility currently producing the specialized alloys essential for high-performance magnets used in advanced defense systems.China’s dominance isn't in…

What has been happening in the Middle East when it comes to markets won’t affect only headlines but could reshape the structure of the oil market from the physical barrel to the far end of the derivatives curve. As tensions escalate, physical traders are going to have to rethink their physical routes, and will have to recalibrate the forward curve - opposite to equity markets, oil markets use the forward curve to hedge, not spot. Because of that, you will also see a repricing of volatility, adjusting skew, and deployment of option structures…

China’s power sector is undergoing a visible transformation. Electricity demand rose by 5% between 2024 and 2025, reaching 10,368 TWh, yet coal-fired generation declined by 113 TWh to 6,294 TWh in a year, reducing its share in the power mix. The entire increment in electricity demand was absorbed by nuclear and renewable sources, whose combined output rose by 617 TWh. On paper, this reflects a decisive shift away from coal and toward low-carbon energy. In practice, however, coal is not disappearing from China’s industry – it is…

Winter in the Mid-Atlantic region is certainly winding down, and March is always an unpredictable month. Early next week, a fast-moving Alberta Clipper is forecast to bring yet another round of wintry weather to the region before a spring warm-up arrives by mid-month. Marko Korosec, lead forecaster at SWE, wrote in a new weather note that the Alberta Clipper is set to spread snow, ice, and freezing rain from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic beginning Sunday and continuing through Tuesday. Korosec continued: A new winter storm will set the stage…

A consortium led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and U.S. gas giant EQT Corp. (NYSE:EQT) have agreed to acquire global power utility, AES Corp. (NYSE:AES), for $15 per share in cash, totaling an enterprise value of approximately $33.4 billion. The deal, which includes major pension and investment funds, represents a ~40% premium for AES shares and includes the assumption of debt with a cash equity value of $10.7 billion. AES will continue to operate as a utility, with regulated businesses in Ohio and Indiana expected to…

A consortium led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and U.S. gas giant EQT Corp. (NYSE:EQT) have agreed to acquire global power utility, AES Corp. (NYSE:AES), for $15 per share in cash, totaling an enterprise value of approximately $33.4 billion. The deal, which includes major pension and investment funds, represents a ~40% premium for AES shares and includes the assumption of debt with a cash equity value of $10.7 billion. AES will continue to operate as a utility, with regulated businesses in Ohio and Indiana expected to…

JPMorgan Chase has warned that Brent crude oil prices could spike to $120 per barrel if a full-scale conflict in the Middle East leads to a sustained disruption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, estimating that Gulf producers can only sustain normal production for roughly 25 days if the Strait is completely blocked, after which saturated storage would force a total shutdown of regional production.  Oil prices were surging on Monday, with Brent crude for April delivery up 8.7% to trade at $79.28 per barrel at 9.00 am ET while the corresponding…

The world’s biggest maritime insurers and insurers’ clubs are ending war risk coverage for vessels transiting the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, following the escalation of the conflict in Iran.  As of midnight London time on March 5, most major insurers will terminate war risk coverage, various circulars from the insurance clubs say.  The American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association issued on Sunday a Notice of Cancellation in respect of war risks exposures within the Persian/Arabian Gulf…

The world’s biggest maritime insurers and insurers’ clubs are ending war risk coverage for vessels transiting the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, following the escalation of the conflict in Iran.  As of midnight London time on March 5, most major insurers will terminate war risk coverage, various circulars from the insurance clubs say.  The American Steamship Owners Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association issued on Sunday a Notice of Cancellation in respect of war risks exposures within the Persian/Arabian Gulf…

Qatar’s state-owned energy giant QatarEnergy has stopped all liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, shutting down the country’s entire LNG output after Iranian drone strikes hit its major facilities at Ras Laffan and Mesaieed. The shutdown removes roughly 20% of the world’s LNG supply from the market and sends ripples through already volatile global energy markets. QatarEnergy said in a statement on its website Monday that “due to military attacks on QatarEnergy’s operating facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City…