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,…

Soaring LNG prices due to the Strait of Hormuz blockage are prompting economies to shift to alternative energy sources, pushing coal demand to a another record high this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a new report on Thursday. The surge in LNG prices have pushed markets including China, India, Japan, South Korea, and even Europe, to rely more on coal-fired capacity for electricity generation, the IEA said in its new Coal Mid-Year Update 2026. The Middle East is not a major exporter of coal, so global coal shipments weren’t…

Soaring LNG prices due to the Strait of Hormuz blockage are prompting economies to shift to alternative energy sources, pushing coal demand to a another record high this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a new report on Thursday. The surge in LNG prices have pushed markets including China, India, Japan, South Korea, and even Europe, to rely more on coal-fired capacity for electricity generation, the IEA said in its new Coal Mid-Year Update 2026. The Middle East is not a major exporter of coal, so global coal shipments weren’t…

A Russian drone attack targeted a border crossing between Ukraine and Moldova, killing two people and injuring three others, while Russian drones also struck in Kyiv, as Moscow continues its campaign of near-continuous strikes across Ukraine. The Russian attack on the Starokazache–Tudora border crossing in Ukraine's Odesa region on September 9 damaged checkpoint infrastructure, vehicles, and buildings, sparked a major fire, and forced the evacuation of 16 people, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported. Moldovan authorities condemned…

HSBC has hiked its Brent Crude forecast for 2026 to $90 per barrel from $80 as the Strait of Hormuz crisis is tightening markets while no clear path to de-escalation is in sight. The oil markets are unlikely to rebalance until the middle of 2027, HSBC analyst Kim Fustier wrote in a note, as cited by The Wall Street Journal. The bank’s base-case scenario for the coming weeks and months is a fragile form of understanding between the United States and Iran which would be susceptible to breakdowns and uncertainties, including in terms of shipping…

HSBC has hiked its Brent Crude forecast for 2026 to $90 per barrel from $80 as the Strait of Hormuz crisis is tightening markets while no clear path to de-escalation is in sight. The oil markets are unlikely to rebalance until the middle of 2027, HSBC analyst Kim Fustier wrote in a note, as cited by The Wall Street Journal. The bank’s base-case scenario for the coming weeks and months is a fragile form of understanding between the United States and Iran which would be susceptible to breakdowns and uncertainties, including in terms of shipping…

TotalEnergies has made a new discovery offshore Angola and has bought operated interest in two new exploration blocks close to operating hubs as the international majors are returning to exploration in Angola’s waters to take advantage of existing infrastructure. TotalEnergies on Thursday said that the Acacia-5 discovery in Block 17 would see first oil achieved just three months after the discovery was made in June 2026. This would be done through a fast-track development using the available capacity on the nearby Pazflor FPSO. Acacia-5 is…

The oil and gas supply shock amid the Middle East conflict has accelerated cumulative global investments in clean hydrogen to above $130 billion across more than 570 projects, as energy security has become a key driver of uptake alongside industrial growth and decarbonization targets, the Hydrogen Council said in a new report on Thursday. Total committed investment has topped $130 billion for 6.9 million tons per annum (mtpa) of capacity, the industry-led association said in its Global Hydrogen Compass 2026 report. Moreover, operational capacity…

For months, crude oil prices have been constrained by reports of improving tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Even after the June ceasefire between Iran and the United States collapsed, tankers moving in and out of Hormuz have been moving at rates higher than in the spring. This has now changed with the latest escalation in the chokepoint, sending Brent crude above $100 per barrel on Wednesday morning. For months, analysts have been warning that Brent crude could surge to over $100 per barrel and stay there for an extended period of time.…