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 […]
Continue Reading
ENB Pub Note: This article was first published on the Energy News Beat Substack. Head over there to comment. Tough times ahead, and countries are picking sides. The world’s energy system is under simultaneous assault from geopolitics and policy ideology. Critical oil and gas flows through maritime and pipeline chokepoints are disrupted or rerouted at […]
Continue Reading
Tanker traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea has slumped to a multi-month low, underscoring how Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi threats and recent attacks continue to disrupt one of the world’s most critical oil shipping lanes. According to vessel-tracking data, only 11 commodity-carrying vessels—including just seven oil tankers (four […]
Continue Reading
In the escalating conflicts of mid-2026, the world’s most critical maritime energy arteries face simultaneous pressure from military actions, proxy threats, and environmental stresses. The Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Suez Canal, and even the Caspian Sea region have become flashpoints, disrupting flows of oil, LNG, fertilizers, and other commodities. Russian tankers are forced […]
Continue Reading
In a sharp escalation of regional tensions, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces reportedly launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco’s Jazan (also spelled Jizan) refinery complex on the Red Sea coast overnight into July 25, 2026. The strikes came roughly 24 hours after Saudi-led coalition airstrikes targeted Houthi positions in the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, […]
Continue Reading
Saudi Arabia’s carefully constructed workaround for oil exports is hitting severe constraints on two fronts at once: kinetic threats from Yemen’s Houthis and commercial barriers from the London marine insurance market centered on Lloyd’s. The result is a growing bottleneck at the Red Sea that threatens a key remaining outlet for Saudi crude and products, […]
Continue Reading
This article first ran on The Energy News Beat Substack – Head over there to comment. The global oil market is once again being reshaped by simultaneous disruptions across multiple critical maritime and pipeline choke points. As of late July 2026, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal routes, and Caspian-linked export corridors […]
Continue Reading
Rey Trevino, Crude Truth Podcast Host, and President at Pecos Operating, stops by. This was recorded yesterday, and oil has dropped back down several dollars. The volatility will still be around until demand destruction kicks in. We have a wild stand-up with 8 huge stories. It is fun having guests on the stand-up, and Rey […]
Continue Reading
West Texas Intermediate crude hovered near $90 per barrel on July 23, 2026, with Brent trading higher in the mid-to-high $90s amid escalating disruptions across multiple global oil transit routes. Markets are reacting to simultaneous pressures on four critical choke points: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal corridor, and the […]
Continue Reading
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 […]
Continue Reading