(Oil Price) – The trading arms of some of China’s biggest state-owned oil giants have started selling crude for May loadings in a rare move from the majors that have cut refinery rates in response to soaring oil prices and constrained crude supply from the Middle East. Sinopec, the world’s biggest refiner by capacity, and Sinochem Group have already sold
(World Oil) – Kuwait declared force majeure on shipments of crude oil and refined products as the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz makes it impossible to meet obligations to customers that can’t bring vessels into the Persian Gulf. State-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. notified customers Friday that it was invoking the contractual clause that allows a supplier to miss deliveries,
(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett, MBA – As the United States leverages its LNG and crude oil exports amid geopolitical turmoil, its economic relationship with Asia is coming sharply into focus. Tightening trade balances, tariff dynamics, and energy diplomacy are reshaping ties with China, Japan, South Korea, and India , each driven by their own urgency to diversify
(By Oil & Gas 360) – Queensland’s Taroom Trough is quickly emerging as one of the most closely watched new oil developments in the developed world, not just for its resource potential, but for how aggressively it is being positioned for development. After decades without a major new onshore oil province, Australia may be on the verge of bringing a new
(Oil Price) – Empty supertankers have left Asia en route to the U.S. via the Cape of Good Hope in one of the biggest queue of vessels ever seen at sea, as Asian buyers rush to load U.S. crude to replace part of the supply lost in the Middle East. “Tankers are forming what looks like a fleet, an unbroken line
(BOE Report) – China continued to build the world’s largest stockpile of crude oil in March even as the rest of the world started to draw on inventories to compensate for the loss of millions of barrels from the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. China, the world’s biggest crude importer, had surplus oil of 1.74 million barrels per
(Oil Price) – Japan is readying a $10-billion financial support package for Southeast Asian economies to help them procure crude oil amid the supply shock from the Middle East, Japanese news outlet NHK reports. Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is set to unveil the package on Wednesday at an online summit meeting of the Asia Zero Emission Community plus, or
(BOE Report) – U.S. President Donald Trump warned Tehran not to charge tolls on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, as a mounting global energy crisis prompted Japan on Friday to announce a further emergency oil release. The Iran war has damaged Gulf energy production, stranded tanker traffic, and boosted oil prices by about 50% in the world’s worst energy
(By Oil & Gas 360) – As conflict in the Middle East disrupts traditional flows, Russia is quietly repositioning itself to capture new openings in global energy trade. Officials in Moscow have pointed to the shifting landscape as an opportunity, less about replacing lost barrels and more about redirecting them. When established routes tighten, trade does not stop; it moves.
(By Oil & Gas 360) – Operation Epic Fury was meant to send a clear signal that the United States will act to protect global energy flows when they are threatened. In the immediate sense, it appears to have worked. The operation demonstrated speed and capability, reassured allies, and reminded markets that the U.S. remains willing to intervene when critical
(Investing) – WASHINGTON – Detentions of Panama-flagged vessels by China that followed a Panamanian court ruling raise serious concerns about efforts to undermine rule of law in the Latin American country, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission said last week that it was closely monitoring a surge in detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in
(Oil Price) – Australia’s government intends to consider using emergency powers to protect domestic natural gas supply in case of a shortfall on its east coast in the third quarter of 2026. The potential consideration of using such powers would be part of the steps the Albanese Government is taking to secure domestic gas supplies for Australian households and industry as the Middle
