In a significant move strengthening U.S. energy ties with Iraq, ConocoPhillips has agreed to acquire a 42% interest in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited (BP ECKL), the contractor entity overseeing the redevelopment of major oil fields in northern Iraq’s Kirkuk region. BP will retain the remaining 58% majority stake. The deal, announced on July […]
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In a development that echoes broader regional efforts to reduce vulnerability to the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, ExxonMobil is emerging as a key partner in Iraq’s drive for energy self-sufficiency—particularly by ending its costly and geopolitically sensitive dependence on Iranian natural gas. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met directly with ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods in […]
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Yasir Arafat, Co-Founder, CTO, & President, stops by the Energy News Beat podcast On July 4th, 2024—America’s 250th birthday—something extraordinary happened that most people missed. Allo Atomics turned on a brand new advanced nuclear reactor for the first time in 50 years. But here’s what makes this truly revolutionary: they designed, built, and achieved criticality […]
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on July 14, 2026, imposing the country’s first statewide moratorium on new large-scale data centers. The order halts permitting for facilities requiring 50 megawatts (MW) or more of electricity for up to one year while regulators study impacts on the electric grid, water resources, and local […]
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The Refining Capacity Shortage and Demand Destruction Quest Brent crude oil prices surged more than 3% today, breaking above $86 per barrel (reaching $86.06 in early London trading). This extends a sharp ~12% rally since Friday, driven by escalating geopolitical risks across key oil chokepoints and infrastructure. The immediate spark came from Iranian cruise missile […]
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California is escalating its legal and political confrontation with the Trump administration over energy policy. As detailed in a recent OilPrice.com analysis, Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration and state officials are pushing back hard against federal actions favoring fossil fuels, including the reallocation of offshore wind funds, challenges to the California Coastal Commission, and the use […]
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In the aftermath of the 2026 Iran-Hormuz crisis, which severely disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and triggered the largest oil supply shock in decades, oil markets are shifting from acute supply fears to a more structural driver of price support: the urgent need to rebuild depleted inventories and strategic reserves worldwide. A […]
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Chevron Australia has signed a new five-year natural gas supply agreement with Alinta Energy, a major Australian energy retailer and long-standing partner. The deal extends a relationship spanning more than four decades and reinforces domestic gas supply security in Western Australia (WA). Deal Details Under the agreement, Chevron will supply 46 petajoules (PJ) of natural […]
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The AI-driven data center boom is reshaping U.S. energy demand, with hyperscalers (Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and others) pouring hundreds of billions into new facilities that require massive, reliable, 24/7 power. Natural gas—via pipelines, turbines, onsite generation, and supporting equipment—is emerging as a critical bridge fuel due to its dispatchability, speed of deployment, and […]
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The era of ultra-cheap U.S. natural gas appears to be ending. A combination of explosive demand growth from LNG exports and AI-driven data centers, paired with maturing supply dynamics, is poised to push Henry Hub prices higher while potentially flattening the traditional seasonal price swings that have defined the market for decades. Traditional Seasonality Under […]
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