High fuel prices are likely to persist even if crude oil prices ease in the coming months. Global refining capacity remains critically constrained by the ongoing wars involving Iran (including the Strait of Hormuz disruption under Operation Epic Fury) and Russia-Ukraine, according to warnings from the chief executives of ExxonMobil and Chevron. On recent earnings […]
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In late June 2026, President Donald Trump publicly singled out ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and BP, accusing the “big Oil Companies” of failing to lower gasoline prices at the pump in line with falling crude oil costs. In comments to the media and on Truth Social, he argued that with oil prices dropping sharply, Americans should […]
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In this explosive episode of the Energy News Beat Daily Standup, host Stu Turley breaks down ten major stories that expose a widening chasm between what financial markets are signaling and what’s actually happening on the ground in global energy infrastructure. From a $40-50 disconnect between paper oil prices and physical barrel delivery costs, to […]
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ENB Pub Note: This article first ran on America Outloud by Ronald Stein and Mike Ariza, and both have been on the Energy News Beat Podcast and should be followed! This is urgent. With the loss of transportation fuel supplies from Asian refineries resulting from the Iranian War and California’s huge dependency, the 4th largest economy […]
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California’s energy debate often rests on a convenient narrative: gasoline and diesel demand is falling, so aging refineries can—and should—simply close. A recent CalMatters commentary by Ranjit Deshmukh, an environmental studies associate professor at UC Santa Barbara, advances exactly this view. Titled in essence “Aging oil refineries don’t need more public dollars. California should let […]
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The paper oil markets continue to signal relative calm, with WTI futures hovering in the low-to-mid $80s per barrel range in late July 2026, even as the physical markets scream warnings of tightening supplies and stress. Futures traders appear focused on hopes of de-escalation, adaptability of flows, and potential diplomatic pauses. Yet the actual delivery […]
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ENB Pub Note: This article first ran at the Energy Institute at HAAS. We recommend reading their blogs. Breaking down more than two decades of the state’s gasoline price premium. The war is back on, crude oil prices are back up, and the cost of gasoline has reversed its declines of a few weeks ago. Here […]
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In a striking demonstration of how modern warfare has evolved, Ukrainian forces once again reached deep into Russian territory on July 25, 2026, hitting the Antipinsky (Tyumen) oil refinery more than 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The attack sparked a significant fire at the facility in western Siberia, underscoring Ukraine’s expanded long-range drone capabilities […]
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U.S. refiners are operating near full tilt, with utilization rates holding above 96% amid record refining margins, a global diesel squeeze, and disruptions from Russian refinery outages and Middle East tensions. The latest U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Weekly Petroleum Status Report for the week ending July 17, 2026, shows U.S. refineries running at 96.1% […]
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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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