In the high-stakes world of global energy markets, two prices for oil exist side by side — but they are telling wildly different stories right now. The “paper” price, reflected in Brent and WTI futures contracts traded on exchanges, sits around $99 per barrel as of April 22, 2026. Meanwhile, the physical price for delivered […]
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The global oil market is facing its most severe supply shock in years. Ongoing disruptions in the Middle East—driven by conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz—have slashed exports by more than 13 million barrels per day (mb/d), triggered massive production shut-ins, and sent inventories plunging. According to the International Energy Agency’s […]
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The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz—now in its seventh week—has triggered the largest oil supply shock in modern history. Roughly 20 million barrels per day (mb/d) of crude and products once flowed through this narrow chokepoint. Today, tanker traffic has collapsed, exports have plunged to a trickle, and Gulf producers have been forced […]
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As of April 20, 2026, U.S.-Iran negotiations remain in a state of high-stakes uncertainty. No final round of talks has been formally confirmed for this week, despite President Trump’s repeated statements that a deal is “very close” and that Iran has signaled willingness to suspend its nuclear program indefinitely in exchange for sanctions relief and […]
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In the energy markets, there’s no single “oil price” anymore — and today’s fractured reality proves it. As highlighted in a sharp analysis posted this morning by commodity trader Jack Prandelli, the spreads tell the real story: Forties (physical) → $134 Dated Brent (physical) → $116 Brent futures → $99 WTI → $87 Canadian crude […]
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The Energy Realities Gang of Irina Slav, Dr. Tammy Nemeth, David Blackmon, and me had way too much fun this morning. What a wild day with Irina Slav, Dr. Tammy Nemeth, David Blackmon and Stu Turley on the Energy realities podcast. We had GREAT questions from the live viewers on YouTube and LinkedIn! Thank you […]
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As U.S. stock futures surge ahead of Monday’s open, signaling yet another leg higher for the major indices, energy markets tell a very different story. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—following Iran’s recent declaration that the vital waterway is “completely open” during the ceasefire—has triggered a sharp plunge in oil prices. This is great […]
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In a sharp escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf, two Indian-flagged vessels—one a VLCC supertanker carrying approximately 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude—were fired upon by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, 2026. The ships, identified as the Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, were forced to […]
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In a fluid and confusing situation that has maritime operators on edge, several tankers and cargo vessels executed abrupt U-turns in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 48 hours after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) signaled a return to tight control of the waterway. While Iran’s foreign minister declared the strait “completely open” […]
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As a record armada of crude oil tankers steams toward the U.S. Gulf Coast to load American barrels—171 vessels en route in April 2026, with 28 VLCCs already fixed for May loadings alone—another surge is unfolding downstream. U.S. crude cargoes transiting the Panama Canal are now exceeding 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the first […]
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