Commercial crude oil inventories excluding the SPR fell 640,000 barrels to 423.4 million barrels. That was a third consecutive weekly draw, but smaller than Wall Street expected. Analysts in a Wall Street Journal survey had looked for a 1.4 million-barrel decline. Commercial crude is now about 1% above the five-year average for this time of […]
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After coordinated IEA releases during the Iran war and earlier drawdowns that were never fully replaced, SPR crude sits at 286.6 million barrels as of the EIA week ending August 28, 2026 — about 40% of authorized 714-million-barrel capacity and the lowest level since the early 1980s. That level already sits inside the band most […]
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In a striking visual that feels pulled straight from a post-apocalyptic film set, the United Arab Emirates has completed the installation of massive metal “cope cages” over key oil and gas storage tanks in Abu Dhabi, with similar structures already in place or under construction near Dubai. These large steel mesh and framework enclosures are […]
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The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a surprise and historically large build in commercial crude oil inventories for the week ending August 7, 2026. Commercial stocks (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) rose by 17.4 million barrels to 424.4 million barrels—the largest weekly increase since January 2023 and well above analyst expectations of a draw […]
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In a forceful move against what he describes as entrenched waste, bias, and politicized science in the energy sector, President Donald Trump has ordered a comprehensive review, suspension, and potential debarment of officials tied to fraudulent climate research and manuals used to justify massive regulatory and litigation costs against American energy producers and taxpayers. The […]
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This risks a tight winter as the injection season winds down, with inventories projected to be just 76% full by late October. According to a Financial Times report citing industry analysis (primarily Wood Mackenzie), Europe faces the prospect of entering the 2026/27 heating season with its lowest natural gas storage levels in at least 15 years. […]
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As much of Europe sweltered under a recent heatwave with record temperatures in parts of Belgium and surrounding countries, staff at the European Commission’s iconic Berlaymont headquarters in Brussels faced a stark reminder of hierarchy. On Friday, June 27, 2026 (or the relevant recent date matching reports), employees on floors 1 through 7 received an […]
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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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In a decisive move to strengthen its energy security amid recent global supply disruptions, the Indian government has directed state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to construct and fill a new underground strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) cavern at Mangaluru in Karnataka. The project, estimated at around $1.6 billion, will add 1.75 million metric tons […]
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TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné recently put it plainly: US LNG cannot fully replace Qatar. Oil markets have substitutes and buffers that can ease pressure. Gas does not — at least not in time for winter 2026-27. This assessment comes amid a rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East. Following Iranian strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan […]
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