Iran-backed militias operating from Iraqi territory launched drone attacks targeting oil facilities in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, according to Saudi authorities. The incidents add pressure on the kingdom’s energy infrastructure amid ongoing regional tensions and constraints on its crude oil export routes. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry […]
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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 […]
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OPEC+ is preparing to hit pause on its gradual oil production quota increases after a final bump in September 2026. According to delegates, the group plans to ratify a 188,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) hike for September at a virtual meeting on August 2, completing the current tier of increases, with no further hikes planned for the […]
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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 […]
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In a sharp escalation of regional conflict, Saudi Aramco’s critical oil infrastructure has come under direct assault, with drone and missile strikes hitting key facilities on the kingdom’s eastern and western coasts. Combined with a pullback by major marine insurers at Lloyd’s of London on wartime coverage for Saudi-linked tankers in the Red Sea, these […]
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Less than a month ago, the dominant story in oil markets was a looming glut. Analysts pointed to recovering tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after a brief U.S.-Iran ceasefire, rising non-OPEC supply, and expectations of softer prices. That narrative has been obliterated. Missiles are flying again, key chokepoints are effectively blocked, refined-product markets […]
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In the shadow of the ongoing Iran conflict that has repeatedly disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline (also known as the Petroline) has proven a critical lifeline. Built roughly 40 years ago and restored to a maximum capacity of about 7 million barrels per day (bpd) earlier in 2026, this conduit moves […]
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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 […]
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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, […]
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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, […]
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