EIA Sees Massive Build in US Crude Inventories

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a surprise and historically large build in commercial crude oil inventories for the week ending August 7, 2026. Commercial stocks (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) rose by 17.4 million barrels to 424.4 million barrels—the largest weekly increase since January 2023 and well above analyst expectations of a draw […]

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US Oil and Refined Products Inventories Down

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories rose last week, but Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) draws and sharp declines in key refined products left overall oil and product stocks tighter, according to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Weekly Petroleum Status Report released today for the week ending July 31, 2026. Key Inventory Highlights (Week Ending July 31, […]

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US Crude Oil Inventories Decreased by 7.2 mb to 404.5 mb

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Weekly Petroleum Status Report on July 29, 2026, covering the week ending July 24, 2026. Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) fell by 7.2 million barrels (precisely 7.167 million barrels) to 404.5 million barrels. This marked a sharp draw that far exceeded market expectations […]

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US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Sites Left Inoperable Under Biden Administration — Trump and Energy Secretary Wright Race to Fix the Damage

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the world’s largest emergency crude oil stockpile, is facing serious operational challenges after years of massive drawdowns, deferred maintenance, and mismanagement. One of the four primary storage sites has been left inoperable, equipment purchased with taxpayer dollars was left exposed and unusable, and critical infrastructure repairs were neglected. President […]

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WellDatabase Weekly Rig Report for July 18, 2026: US Rig Count Climbs Up 11 with Strong Horizontal and Oil Activity

The latest WellDatabase US Rig Report (dated July 18, 2026) shows the U.S. active drilling rig count at 567, marking a solid +11 week-over-week (WoW) increase and +37 year-over-year (YoY) gain. This reflects resilient drilling activity amid a stable-to-rising trend over the past 12 months, with the count holding in the mid-to-high 500s range. Key […]

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Anas Alhajji Asks the Right Questions: How Long Can Strong U.S. Petroleum Product Exports Continue Before Causing Domestic Shortages and Price Spikes?

Energy markets are flashing warning signs as U.S. petroleum product exports remain near record highs while domestic inventories tighten amid escalating geopolitical risks in the Middle East. Veteran energy analyst Anas Alhajji (@anasalhajji) highlighted these concerns in his July 9, 2026, Daily Energy Report on X and Substack, posing a series of pointed questions that […]

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MOU violations look like Iran ended their path to a peaceful ending. What does this mean for the oil and gas markets?

The fragile ceasefire and sanctions relief framework between the United States and Iran has collapsed. President Donald Trump’s blunt assessment at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026, made that clear: the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is “over,” the ceasefire is finished, and he has no interest in further dealings with the […]

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Jack Prandelli stops by the Energy News Beat Global Oil and Gas Markets Update

You won’t want to miss this episode with Jack Prandelli from Switzerland. As an international trader and Substack Author, Jack has been on target with his articles on global oil and Gas Markets. Check out The Merchant’s News : https://themerchantsnews.substack.com/ Follow Jack on X @jackprandelli Connect with Jack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prandelligiacomo/ Add Free for our SubStack Subscribers. 1. LNG […]

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China Merchants Stay the Course on VLCCs – What does this mean for the energy markets?

China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) is doubling down on Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), signaling strong long-term confidence in global crude oil trade despite short-term market volatility. In a recent Lloyd’s List report, the Chinese shipping giant dismissed a nearly 40% drop in VLCC spot rates since late June 2026 as a temporary distortion, raising […]

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