In a bold escalation of U.S. policy toward Venezuela, President Donald Trump has ordered a \”total and complete blockade\” of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving the country. The announcement, made via Truth Social, comes amid rising tensions over Venezuela\’s use of shadowy \”dark fleet\” vessels to evade international sanctions and export crude oil, […]
Continue ReadingIn a move that underscores the ongoing ripple effects of Western sanctions on Russia\’s energy sector, at least one independent Chinese refiner—commonly known as a \”teapot\”—has snapped up Russian ESPO crude at a significant discount. The purchase, made late last week, came at a markdown of $7 to $8 per barrel below the ICE Brent […]
Continue ReadingOr is this about the Monroe Doctrine? 1. The Trump administration’s actions against Venezuela, including the capture of a “dark fleet” oil tanker. We discuss whether this is more about oil or a show of force against the Venezuelan government. Stu chimes in that Panama is not renewing their “Belt and Road” initiative with China, […]
Continue ReadingVenezuela, home to the world\’s largest proven oil reserves, has long been a pivotal player in global energy dynamics. However, years of political turmoil, economic mismanagement, and stringent U.S. sanctions have crippled its oil industry, reducing production from peaks of around 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the mid-2010s to roughly 900,000 bpd today. […]
Continue ReadingWasif Latif, Co-Founder, President & Chief Investment Officer at Sarmaya Partners, stops by the Energy News Beat and Energy Impacts Podcasts – With Stu Turley, and David Blackmon for an in-depth look at the global oil and gas financial markets. 1. The performance and investment strategy of the Sarmaya Partners ETF called “Lens”. Wasif Latif, […]
Continue ReadingDavid Blackmon stops by to talk about his Forbes Article and the Geopolitical Issues we face. Today on the Energy News Beat, Stand up Stu Turley and David Blackmon talk about the critical issues around Data Centers, Venezuela, Chevron, and how investors would react. With an oil platform in the Caspian Sea hit by Ukrainian […]
Continue ReadingThe Golden State\’s Fading Oil Legacy California, once a powerhouse in U.S. oil production, is watching its storied industry fade into history. From a peak of 760,000 barrels per day (b/d) in 2000, output has plummeted to just 250,000 b/d in 2025. This decline isn\’t just a matter of exhausted wells; it\’s the result of […]
Continue ReadingENB Pub Note: This is a fantastic article from Giacomo Prandelli, and Stu Turley will be interviewing him next week on the Energy News Beat podcast. This is going to be a great interview, as The Merchant News Substack is packed with fantastic insights from the global energy markets. On a quiet morning off the […]
Continue ReadingIn a dramatic shift for global energy geopolitics, Venezuela finds itself increasingly isolated as its two primary allies, Russia and China, dial back their support for President Nicolás Maduro\’s regime. This development, highlighted in a recent LinkedIn analysis by energy expert Giacomo Prandelli, comes at a time when U.S. pressure is intensifying, raising questions about […]
Continue ReadingIn a significant escalation of the ongoing energy warfare between Ukraine and Russia, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) has suspended oil loading operations at its Black Sea terminal in Novorossiysk following a Ukrainian naval drone attack. The incident, which occurred early on November 29, 2025, marks the latest in a series of targeted strikes on […]
Continue Reading