News
Before 1 May, the once-mighty Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) had 12 members, but with the departure of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the start of the month, it has 11. These comprise Algeria, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, together accounting for around 33% of the world’s crude oil output, about 46% of its total petroleum traded internationally, and roughly 73% of its proven oil reserves. Back when it was founded in 1960, these…
The 2026 US-Israeli war against Iran delivered one of the sharpest ironies in modern energy geopolitics: while Iranian infrastructure was taking a pounding, it managed to somewhat absorb the relentless airstrikes to its culture, its way of life, and its main target—the economy. However, the already heavily punished Iranian economy took on fresh sanctions and the might of a US naval blockade. During these sanctions and the blockade, Tehran’s oil revenues rose sharply in the critical early months. The regime that Washington sought to…
Last month, we reported that Bridger Pipeline LLC has proposed a giant pipeline with a capacity in excess of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to transport Canadian crude into the United States. Dubbed "Keystone Light" due to its similarities to the Keystone XL project that former U.S. President Joe Biden canceled in 2021, the 36-inch pipeline would span nearly 650 miles (1,050 km) from the U.S.-Canada border in Phillips County, Montana, to Guernsey, Wyoming, and cost approximately US$2 billion. And now U.S. President Donald Trump has given…
Beijing is reversing its curbs on refined fuel exports after halting shipments in the opening days of the U.S.-Iran conflict. This move suggests that Chinese domestic inventories are now at comfortable levels, allowing state refiners to reopen the export spigot, even as much of Asia remains gripped by a fuel shock caused by disrupted Gulf energy flows through the Hormuz chokepoint. There was chatter earlier this week that China's state-owned refiners were applying for government permits to resume fuel exports in May. These include…
