The oil market is no longer one price. It is a map. Javier Blas put the new arithmetic on the table in Bloomberg Opinion on September 21: hiring a Very Large Crude Carrier from the Persian Gulf to Asia has jumped twelvefold in a few months to a record $1.1 million a day. Translate that […]
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Oil and liquefied natural gas moving through the Strait of Hormuz over the past two weeks reached a six-month high, U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Saturday, crediting mine clearance, naval escorts, and coordination with Gulf producers, insurers, and shipowners. The same briefing drew a sharp contrast: Gulf partners have moved more than […]
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The U.S. Coast Guard and FBI boarded a Liberian-flagged very large crude carrier bound for Galveston, Texas, and a second energy tanker headed for another Texas port in the Gulf of Mexico after investigators found indications that foreign cyber actors had compromised their networks. Iranian state media claimed hackers seized control of propulsion, navigation, cargo, […]
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NASA fire-detection satellites and open-source thermal data captured two intense fires at the Aramco complex in Yanbu on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast, each radiating roughly 40 megawatts of heat—far above the 5–10 megawatts typical of a routine flare. The detections, highlighted in reporting shared by Chris Martenson quoting Mario Nawfal, come as Yanbu has […]
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Oil prices jumped more than 3% in early Asian trading Monday as weekend attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis and strikes in the Strait of Hormuz compounded an already fragile supply picture. By mid-session, Brent was trading near $107–$109 a barrel and WTI around $102–$104, levels last seen in the spring. The immediate catalyst was a […]
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The Middle East energy map tightened sharply over the past week even as China resumed heavier crude buying. Houthi forces seized key Red Sea positions including Mocha and Perim Island, tightening control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and targeting Saudi-linked vessels. Drones originating from Iraq struck Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, prompting a precautionary shutdown of […]
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The Federal Reserve can raise rates. The Treasury can issue bills. Neither institution can weld a crude distillation unit back together after a drone strike, add inches to a California products pipeline, or refill Gatun Lake. That is the story of September 2026: crude is still findable; diesel is not. The constraint has moved downstream, […]
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What does this mean for the U.S. Diesel and Oil Markets? That is no longer a theoretical risk. With the Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed to most traffic by the U.S.-Iran war and Houthi forces tightening their grip on Bab el-Mandeb, the kingdom’s last high-volume workaround—the East-West pipeline to Yanbu—is under fire. The combination […]
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Brent settled above $101 on Wednesday, September 9, and WTI followed through the $100 level on Thursday morning in a sharp rally. Physical benchmarks had already been there. Dated Brent has held above $100 since September 3. Murban, DME Oman, the OPEC basket, and the Indian basket were already trading over that threshold. Futures are […]
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In early 2026, the global oil market experienced a seismic shift. When geopolitical tensions with Iran escalated, crude prices surged—and Texas responded. In this episode, economist Karr Ingham, oil producer Rey Trevino, and energy journalist Stu Turley break down how a single conflict triggered a cascade of market changes: rig counts climbing for the first […]
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