Will Iraq leave OPEC, or will OPEC allow Iraq to double exports within six years?

Iraq is pushing aggressively to more than double its oil production capacity, targeting 8–10 million barrels per day (bpd) within six years—up from roughly 4 million bpd before the recent Iran-related regional conflict disrupted Strait of Hormuz shipping. On August 21, 2026, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the goal at the Baghdad Dialog conference and […]

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Offshore Lease Bidding Lower Than Expected in the Second “Big Beautiful” Gulf of America Sale

By Stuart Turley, Energy News Beat The second offshore oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of America under President Trump\’s \”One Big Beautiful Bill Act\” (OBBBA) has wrapped up with significantly lower participation and bid volumes than anticipated. Dubbed \”Big Beautiful Gulf 2\” (BBG2), the auction held by the Bureau of Ocean Energy […]

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Exxon Beats Expectations as Record Production Offsets Lower Oil Price

In a resilient performance amid volatile energy markets, ExxonMobil (XOM) reported fourth-quarter 2025 earnings that surpassed Wall Street estimates, driven by unprecedented production levels that mitigated the impact of declining oil prices. The company\’s focus on high-margin assets in the Permian Basin and Guyana underscored its operational strength, even as broader industry headwinds persisted. This […]

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