Nuclear batteries are not a new invention, but they’ve fallen out of commercial favor since the 70s, when they were used in pacemakers. Nuclear batteries were an ideal solution for these medical devices due to their longevity, but were ultimately eliminated due to governmental unease about radioactive isotopes walking out into the world untracked and unreturned. Now, a new generation of scientists is working on the return of the nuclear battery, but this time with a much broader variety of applications. The science behind nuclear batteries…

Back in 2019, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines famously banned DreamWorks’ and Pearl Studio’s joint film Abominable from cinemas for featuring a scene with a map of China's controversial U-shaped nine-dash line, China’s symbolic claim to sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea. China’s territorial claims to roughly 90% of the South China Sea, including the Paracel and Spratly Islands, encompasses both naturally formed and artificial islands, as well as areas China deems "historic waters". However, a 2016…

ExxonMobil has decided it’s time to play teacher. In its freshly minted Global Outlook, the U.S. supermajor offered a chapter called “Lessons from Europe”—and the grading isn’t pretty. The EU’s climate policies, Exxon argues, are a cautionary tale of what happens when governments push through decarbonization with heavy regulation and magical thinking. The report claims that Europe’s “high-regulation, high-cost” climate crusade has hobbled industry, pushed up energy prices, and weakened public…

ExxonMobil has decided it’s time to play teacher. In its freshly minted Global Outlook, the U.S. supermajor offered a chapter called “Lessons from Europe”—and the grading isn’t pretty. The EU’s climate policies, Exxon argues, are a cautionary tale of what happens when governments push through decarbonization with heavy regulation and magical thinking. The report claims that Europe’s “high-regulation, high-cost” climate crusade has hobbled industry, pushed up energy prices, and weakened public…

ExxonMobil has decided it’s time to play teacher. In its freshly minted Global Outlook, the U.S. supermajor offered a chapter called “Lessons from Europe”—and the grading isn’t pretty. The EU’s climate policies, Exxon argues, are a cautionary tale of what happens when governments push through decarbonization with heavy regulation and magical thinking. The report claims that Europe’s “high-regulation, high-cost” climate crusade has hobbled industry, pushed up energy prices, and weakened public…

The fuel loading and gas processing complex at the Ust-Luga port on the Russian Baltic Sea that was damaged in a massive Ukrainian drone attack could take several months to repair, market sources told Reuters on Thursday. The complex, operated by Russian energy firm Novatek, was hit by a Ukrainian drone strike this weekend. That’s the second time Ukraine has attacked – and damaged – the Ust-Luga port. Alexander Drozdenko, the Governor of the Leningrad Region in Russia, said on Sunday that at least 10 drones had attacked the port…

One of OPEC’s major oil producers, Iraq, has been tackling an ongoing energy crisis, which plunged the country into darkness in August. Despite being one of the world’s biggest oil powers, years of political turmoil, the mismanagement of public funds, and the neglect of the country’s energy infrastructure have resulted in a nationwide energy crisis, with almost daily blackouts. Meanwhile, stricter sanctions on Iranian electricity are hitting Iraq’s power sector hard, showing the need for investment in greater long-term energy…

The Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, was hit by a "massive" Russian air strike early on August 28, causing multiple deaths, while senior Ukrainian leaders were making a diplomatic dash to drum up support ahead of talks with US officials in New York later this week. Authorities in Kyiv reported that the drone and missile strike killed at least eight people and injured dozens at several sites in the capital, as air-raid sirens blared across Ukraine early on August 28, including in the west, far from the front lines. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy…

Energy trading activity remains seasonally thin in the ongoing summer season, with traders turning their focus towards broader macroeconomic news and away from fundamentals. Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivered his August speech at Jackson Hole, which reinforced expectations of a 25-basis point cut in interest rates in September. The latest government data revealed that the U.S. labor market has lost momentum while inflation remains elevated. However, commodity experts at Standard Chartered have predicted that downside economic…

Today, an additional 25% tariff on all Indian exports to the United States should come into effect, making the total tariff owed by importers of Indian goods around 50%. The additional tariff aims to discourage Indian energy importers from buying Russian oil. And it could hurt the U.S. economy—although U.S. oil producers would welcome the price change. Russia has emerged as the largest single supplier of crude oil to India, which imports some 85% of the oil it consumes. Because of that, it is quite partial to a good bargain. Russian crude…

Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project lifted production to record levels in late August as summer ice conditions opened the Northern Sea Route, allowing additional cargoes to reach Asia, according to Bloomberg data reported by LiveMint. Output topped 25 million cubic meters on August 25-26, averaging nearly 15 million cubic meters for much of the month. The figures mark the strongest operational run since the facility began trial shipments earlier this year. The Novatek-led facility, located on the Gydan Peninsula, has faced U.S. and EU sanctions…

U.S. oil and gas supermajor Chevron signed an agreement in principle last week with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for the development of the huge Nasiriyah oil field, plus other oil producing fields and exploration sites. This is the latest in a recent line of top-tier Western firms that have announced a return to Iraq following a collective exodus from the country beginning around seven years ago with ExxonMobil’s withdrawal from the crucial Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP). ExxonMobil itself is currently in discussions with Iraq’s…

Lithium-ion batteries power the world around us. Their prevalence in our daily life is growing steadily, to the extent that lithium-ion batteries now power a whopping 70 percent of all rechargeable devices. From electric vehicles to smartphones to utility-scale energy storage, lithium-ion batteries are increasingly forming the building blocks of innumerable sectors. But despite its dominance in battery technologies, there are some serious issues with lithium supply chains that make it a less-than-ideal model upon which to base our world. Not only…

China boasts leadership in the global push toward clean energy—and rightly so. Its electric vehicle sales are surging and already outselling conventional cars, while no country is close to the massive Chinese investment in renewable energy and storage, and the record-setting additions of solar and wind power capacity. Renewables, EVs, and related supply-chain industries have been contributing a record share of China’s economic growth in recent years. But the green energy boom has led to such overcapacity, fierce price wars, and a race…

Nearly 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity, and the continent’s population is projected to double between 2050 and 2070. This growing demand underscores the urgent need for scalable, reliable energy solutions. As Africa transforms its power infrastructure, utility-scale batteries such as Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are becoming essential. These technologies help stabilize energy supply, manage the intermittency of renewables, and support off-grid systems critical to expanding access. This visualization, via Visual…

US President Donald Trump again played down the likelihood of a quick meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian leaders and raised the possibility of new sanctions on Moscow, although he also said the Ukrainian side is not without blame. "I want to see that [war] end," Trump told reporters on August 26 at the White House. "It's very, very serious what I have in mind, if I have to do it. But I want to see it end." "We want to have an end. We have economic sanctions." "It will not be a world war, but it will be an economic war," Trump said. "An economic…

Russia’s Gazprom Neft reported a steep first-half earnings decline as taxes and weaker ruble realizations squeezed margins across upstream and refining. The producer’s net profit fell 54% year-on-year to 150.5 billion rubles, while the board backed a 17.3-ruble per-share interim payout, according to its first-half results, Reuters reported.  The company said it continued to prioritize project execution across its core oil and condensate hubs, but external headwinds, including export duties, mineral extraction levies, and transport…

Russia’s Gazprom Neft reported a steep first-half earnings decline as taxes and weaker ruble realizations squeezed margins across upstream and refining. The producer’s net profit fell 54% year-on-year to 150.5 billion rubles, while the board backed a 17.3-ruble per-share interim payout, according to its first-half results, Reuters reported.  The company said it continued to prioritize project execution across its core oil and condensate hubs, but external headwinds, including export duties, mineral extraction levies, and transport…

The World Bank appears to be pulling back from involvement in the construction of the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan. According to regional media reports, the bank has paused project funding until Tajik authorities develop a plan to responsibly repay construction-related debts and prove the dam can be commercially viable as a power-generating entity. The bank’s board of directors approved a $350-million development grant in late 2024 for Rogun, which, if completed to full specifications, would become the world’s tallest dam at 335 meters. …

Denmark has summoned the U.S. envoy after intelligence reports of suspected influence operations in Greenland, a mineral-rich Arctic territory central to offshore oil prospects and critical minerals, Reuters reported on Wednesday, describing the effort as an attempt to promote secession.  The development adds urgency to oversight of exploration and mining policy, with Danish officials saying the case could impact licensing timelines and control of future export routes. According to media reports, at least three Americans tied to U.S. President…