Iran is tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, with new rules requiring ships to obtain permission and secure insurance from Tehran. This move explicitly paves the way for future tolls, even as a fragile U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed earlier this week aimed to normalize flows. […]
Continue Reading
10 big stories on the Energy News Beat Stand Up It is a wild day on the Energy News Beat Stand Up. Make no mistake, time will tell if the Strait of Hormuz is open, but do not underestimate the importance that the Bank of London and Lloyds of London play in opening the Strait […]
Continue Reading
In a timely BNN Bloomberg interview today, Eric Nuttall, Partner and Senior Portfolio Manager at Ninepoint Partners (manager of one of Canada’s largest energy funds), delivered a candid assessment of the global oil market following more than three months of conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Nuttall emphasized that while news of an interim […]
Continue Reading
The recent U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has triggered a wave of optimism in oil markets. Traders are pricing in a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a rapid normalization of supply chains, and a return to lower pre-crisis price levels. Brent crude has already dropped toward $83–$84 per barrel, with WTI near $80–$81, […]
Continue Reading
U.S. commercial crude oil inventories fell for the seventh consecutive week, according to the latest U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Weekly Petroleum Status Report for the week ending June 5, 2026. Commercial crude stocks (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) dropped by 7.2 million barrels to 426.5 million barrels — now about 5% below the five-year […]
Continue Reading
The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and significant LNG volumes flow — has remained effectively closed since early March 2026 following the escalation of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict. Iran has suspended talks and signaled the blockade could become permanent absent major concessions. In a wide-ranging interview with […]
Continue Reading
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its latest Weekly Petroleum Status Report on June 3, 2026, covering data for the week ending May 29, 2026. The report reveals a significant tightening in U.S. petroleum inventories, with a massive combined draw in commercial crude oil and Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) stocks. Analyst Ole S. Hansen […]
Continue Reading
The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is being drained at a record pace under the current administration, with projections showing it could hit operational minimum levels as early as August 2026—faster than the Biden-era releases of 2022. At the same time, California is staring down a severe refined-product crunch, with jet fuel and diesel inventories […]
Continue Reading
U.S. crude oil and petroleum product exports have hit unprecedented levels in recent weeks, even as the Biden-era Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) continues to be drawn down at a record pace to help stabilize global markets amid ongoing disruptions from the Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz blockade. According to the latest data, total […]
Continue Reading
In a notable development underscoring shifting global energy trade flows amid ongoing Middle East tensions, a cargo of crude oil drawn from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is heading to California for the first time ever, according to ship-tracking firm Kpler. The shipment involves approximately 460,000 barrels of Bayou Choctaw Sweet crude destined for […]
Continue Reading