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…

Donald Trump and crew view renewable energy as an expensive fraud. British industrialists claim that the UK’s green goals make the country too expensive. New York politicians see green energy fueling an affordability crisis. We have argued, on the other hand, that proponents of renewables should push them not because they are greener but rather because they are more economical and less risky than the alternatives. Not everywhere every time, but enough of the time. So, who is right? When customers do see the benefits, is that failure due to…

The production of microchips may be negatively affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, due to supply chain disruptions, particularly of helium, which is key to semiconductor manufacturing. Some unexpected industries are being hit hard by the Iran war, as several supply chains are being severely disrupted, not just oil and gas. This could lead to severe delays in the production of microchips unless agreements can be reached between key powers to stop conflict and free up key trade routes. Helium is an essential component of semiconductor…

When nations go to war, the military-industrial complex springs into action. Relatively obscure tungsten is often on the front lines.A combination of tight supply, Chinese export restrictions, and heavy demand from military spending, including the current war with Iran, has jolted tungsten prices by 557% since last February, a far bigger increase than commodity stars like gold, silver, copper or oil. The exceptionally hard, scarce metal withstands extreme temperatures, making it essential for applications ranging from lighting and electronics to…

Canada’s federal government and the oil-producing province of Alberta aren’t expected to reach a deal on carbon pricing by their self-imposed April 1 deadline amid complicated negotiations, sources in the industry have told Reuters. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney last year rolled back some of the climate policies of Justin Trudeau as the new government sought to prioritize economic growth and energy exports amid strained relations with the United States under President Trump.   Canada’s federal government…

Canada’s federal government and the oil-producing province of Alberta aren’t expected to reach a deal on carbon pricing by their self-imposed April 1 deadline amid complicated negotiations, sources in the industry have told Reuters. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney last year rolled back some of the climate policies of Justin Trudeau as the new government sought to prioritize economic growth and energy exports amid strained relations with the United States under President Trump.   Canada’s federal government…

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, but it could make China a major economic winner at the end of…

Inflation expectations are currently trending north, driven by the unraveling oil price shock, with a roughly 70% surge in crude oil prices this year driven by the Middle East war, intensifying fears of a renewed inflation spurt. The U.S. one-year inflation swap rate has recently surged above 3%, marking its highest level since late 2025. A recent Bank of America survey found that 45% of fund managers now expect higher global inflation over the next year, a sharp rise from just 9% a month ago. The survey indicates that market participants expect…

Energy interests are helping to fuel fresh efforts aimed at normalizing Armenian-Turkish relations. Meeting on the sidelines of a gathering sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, along with his minister for infrastructure, Davit Khudatyan, talked with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to explore a variety of energy-related connectivity issues.  “We discussed infrastructure and energy issues that will contribute to lasting peace and stability in our region; within…

Saudi Arabia's oil exports through its Yanbu port on ‌the Red Sea are projected to reach a record high of 3.8 million barrels per day in March after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran virtually cut off exports via the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The Kingdom can pump up to 7 million barrels per day through its East?West pipeline, of which 5 mb/d are available for export.  Saudi Arabia has been using drag-reducing agents (DRAs) to speed up oil flows to Yanbu and mitigate loss of exports through Hormuz. DRAs are friction-reducing…

Saudi Arabia's oil exports through its Yanbu port on ‌the Red Sea are projected to reach a record high of 3.8 million barrels per day in March after the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran virtually cut off exports via the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The Kingdom can pump up to 7 million barrels per day through its East?West pipeline, of which 5 mb/d are available for export.  Saudi Arabia has been using drag-reducing agents (DRAs) to speed up oil flows to Yanbu and mitigate loss of exports through Hormuz. DRAs are friction-reducing…

Crude oil inventories in the United States increased by 6.2 million barrels during the week ending March 13, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Wednesday. The increase brings commercial stockpiles to 449.3 million barrels according to government data, which is still 1% below 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 saw a surprise build of 6.556 million barrels…

Oil and natural gas markets surged after Iran signaled it could retaliate against key regional energy infrastructure following reported strikes on its upstream assets. Brent crude climbed as much as 6% to $10.56 per barrel, while Europe’s gas benchmark jumped nearly 8%, highlighting mounting fears of supply disruption. Tehran said U.S. and Israeli forces targeted the South Pars gas field and associated facilities in Asaluyeh. The strike marks a significant escalation, representing the first direct attack on Iran’s upstream production…

Oil and natural gas markets surged after Iran signaled it could retaliate against key regional energy infrastructure following reported strikes on its upstream assets. Brent crude climbed as much as 6% to $10.56 per barrel, while Europe’s gas benchmark jumped nearly 8%, highlighting mounting fears of supply disruption. Tehran said U.S. and Israeli forces targeted the South Pars gas field and associated facilities in Asaluyeh. The strike marks a significant escalation, representing the first direct attack on Iran’s upstream production…

Oil prices surged sharply on Wednesday as the Iran conflict continued to disrupt flows through the Persian Gulf, with the global benchmark pulling decisively away from U.S. crude as the Brent-WTI spread widened to roughly $10 per barrel, signaling mounting stress in seaborne supply markets. Brent crude climbed to about $108.40 per barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded near $98.50, according to pricing on Oilprice.com, pushing the spread to its widest level in months and well above its typical $2-$5 range.  The divergence reflects…

Iranian authorities have confirmed that the country's powerful security chief, Ali Larijani, has been killed, the highest profile official to die since Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of US and Israeli air strikes on February 28. Ali Larijani was killed along with his son Morteza, his deputy Alireza Bayat, and several bodyguards, the Secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement late on March 17. Larijani was secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. The council's statement came about…

Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to a massive US-Israel bombing campaign has wreaked havoc on world energy markets and sent oil prices soaring. Things could get even worse, experts say, if passage through the Bab al-Mandab Strait -- another crucial shipping route in the Middle East -- is also disrupted. A choke point off Iran's coast, the Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and global markets via the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Likewise, Bab al-Mandab is a narrow passage for ships entering…

Just as the U.S. faces depletion of the rare earth metals it needs to feed its military machine, REalloys Inc. (NASDAQ: ALOY), one of the key players in rebuilding America’s critical raw materials supply chain, says it has successfully demonstrated a new process for producing rare earth fluorides without hydrofluoric acid—one of the most hazardous chemicals traditionally used in rare earth processing. The breakthrough targets an urgent stage in the production of rare earth metals, the materials that ultimately feed the permanent magnets…

The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States rose by 6.556 million barrels in the week ending March 13—a surprise build of significant magnitude. In the week prior, US crude oil inventories shed 1.7 million barrels. Analysts had expected a draw of 600,000 barrels in the current reporting period. Inventories in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) have stayed at 415.4 million barrels for multiple weeks in a row as of the week ending March 13. This is 310.1 million barrels shy of maximum…

The Trump Administration has already used up most emergency options to rein in the soaring international crude oil prices, which have pushed up U.S. gasoline prices by $0.80 per gallon from a month ago. The U.S. last week tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) as part of a record-high reserves release announced by the International Energy Agency. The Trump Administration also issued a one-month waiver allowing buyers to purchase sanctioned Russian oil on tankers without repercussions. It also promised, two weeks ago, risk insurance and escort…