Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated sharply this week with two reported attacks on commercial vessels, underscoring the vulnerability of one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. On June 25, the Singapore-flagged container ship M/V Ever Lovely (operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine) was struck by what U.S. officials described as an Iranian drone […]
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In a sharp and timely appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Street today (June 26, 2026), veteran commodity strategist Jeff Currie delivered a clear-eyed assessment of the oil market’s current dynamics. While acknowledging a near-term surplus, Currie stressed that today’s conditions offer almost no guidance on what lies ahead. Currie, Senior Advisor at the Carlyle Group and […]
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Saudi Aramco has resumed crude oil loadings at its flagship Ras Tanura terminal in the Persian Gulf after a nearly four-month halt, marking a key step toward restoring normal export flows from one of the world’s most important oil hubs. Satellite imagery captured on June 26, 2026, by the European Union’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar satellite […]
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As tensions flare once again around the Strait of Hormuz—with recent incidents including a vessel struck off Oman’s coast and Iranian Revolutionary Guard warnings—Gulf oil producers are racing to secure alternative export routes. While the strait has historically carried nearly 20% of global seaborne oil trade, Iraq is moving decisively to reduce its vulnerability through […]
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Iraq’s Basra Oil Company has directed operators at the giant West Qurna/2 oilfield to suspend pumping operations entirely and slash output to just 50,000 barrels per day (bpd), effective midnight on June 23. The move comes under an ongoing force majeure declaration, explicitly citing the continued absence of available tankers to lift the crude. This […]
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The recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting stranding of over 10 million barrels per day of crude from the Persian Gulf served as a stark wake-up call for import-dependent nations worldwide. In response, countries are racing to expand strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) and commercial storage capacity for both oil and LNG. […]
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This is from an X Post from Jack Prandelli, The Merchant’s News Substack. This is an excellent observation on how the oil markets are changing in real time. I also did not have on my bingo card that North Korea would have benefited from the Ukraine/Russia War, but here we are. Story 1: India just […]
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Oil futures traders appear remarkably calm amid escalating risks in one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. While headlines focus on whether the Strait of Hormuz is “open or closed,” the physical oil market is grappling with far more complex and costly disruptions that futures prices are largely ignoring. A recent analysis from OilPrice.com […]
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In a striking development reported today by energy expert Dr. Anas Alhajji, more than 30 oil tankers carrying Iranian crude—with their AIS transponders visibly active—are currently heading to Asia. These vessels are loaded with over 50 million barrels of crude oil, according to shipping data from Kpler. This visible convoy marks a significant shift following […]
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In a significant development tied to ongoing U.S.-Iran diplomatic efforts, the U.S. Treasury Department has issued temporary waivers suspending key sanctions on Iranian oil exports. This move, reported in connection with a preliminary agreement or memorandum of understanding from recent talks (including the Lake Lucerne Summit mediated by Pakistan and Qatar), allows Iran to resume […]
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