In the wake of the ongoing 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis, a growing number of tankers and commercial vessels are deliberately switching off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders—commonly known as “going dark”—to navigate the world’s most critical energy chokepoint. There is a difference between “Going Dark” and a Tanker in the Dark Fleet” – […]
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In a wide-ranging Bloomberg Surveillance interview aired today, Chevron Chairman and CEO Mike Wirth painted a sobering picture of ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz while signaling that the industry is accelerating plans for alternative infrastructure to reduce reliance on the critical chokepoint. Wirth confirmed that multiple vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz have […]
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In a stark alert to markets, top executives from ExxonMobil and Chevron have highlighted an impending physical oil supply crunch that could drive Dated Brent crude prices sharply higher—potentially to $150–$160 per barrel—within the coming weeks. The warnings center on critically low global inventories of crude and refined products, exacerbated by the ongoing closure of […]
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Energy News Beat – May 28, 2026 U.S. and Iranian negotiators have hammered out a tentative 60-day memorandum of understanding (MOU) to extend a fragile ceasefire and kick-start talks on Iran’s nuclear program — but the deal still needs final sign-off from President Donald Trump. According to Axios reporting, the framework aims to reopen the […]
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The Strait of Hormuz remains the world’s most critical — and most contested — energy chokepoint. Roughly one-fifth of global oil and LNG trade normally flows through its narrow waters. Yet since the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran began in late February 2026, traffic has collapsed to a fraction of pre-war levels, sending shockwaves through […]
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In a significant sign of cautious normalization amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and at least two LNG tankers have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz this week, with cargoes bound for key Asian buyers in China and India. The vessels operated in “dark mode” — transponders switched off to […]
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Global energy markets have enjoyed an uneasy calm in recent weeks despite the ongoing conflict in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude has traded in a relatively contained range around $95–110 per barrel rather than exploding past $150 as many initially feared. The reason? China has dramatically slashed its crude […]
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The global aluminum market is confronting what analysts describe as one of the largest base metals supply shocks in the post-2000 era. Missile strikes tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have damaged key Gulf smelters, while the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created severe logistical bottlenecks. The result: a sharp […]
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Russia is capitalizing on elevated global oil prices triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict, pushing crude export volumes near 2026 highs while redirecting flows to key Asian buyers—most notably India. According to tanker-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg, Russia’s four-week average crude shipments reached 3.66 million barrels per day (bpd) in the period ending May […]
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ENB Pub Note: This article ran on Andrew Korybko’s SubStack and is worth reading. He brings up some interesting points, and Turkey is out for Turkey and should be watched. The Polish-led “cordon sanitaire” that’s taking shape along Russia’s western borders will connect with the Turkish-led one that’s poised to emerge along its southern […]
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