(Oil Price) – Iranian gunboats made a pointed move in the Strait of Hormuz this week, approaching a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in what U.S. and British maritime security sources describe as a failed attempt to interfere with the vessel’s transit. No shots were fired, the tanker continued on its way, and no damage was reported—but the message was unmistakable. The incident
(Investing) – U.S. President Donald Trump is set to launch a strategic critical minerals stockpile with $12 billion in seed money from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, a Trump administration official familiar with the plan said. The investment marks Washington’s latest attempt to offset what policymakers view as Chinese manipulation of prices for lithium, nickel, rare earths and other critical minerals –
(BOE Report) – Venezuela’s oil exports bounced to some 800,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January under U.S. control, from 498,000 bpd in December, following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and the end of an oil blockade on the country, which has allowed traders to carry most exports, shipping data showed. Washington in December imposed an oil embargo on
(Investing) – Oil prices fell Friday after the Donald Trump administration eased some sanctions on Venezuela’s energy industry, but were still heading for hefty monthly gains on heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. At 08:55 ET (13:55 GMT), Brent oil futures for March fell 0.6% to $69.16 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 0.7% to $64.96 a barrel. While prices fell
(Oil Price) – UK-based supermajors Shell and BP are seeking U.S. licenses to develop gas fields that Trinidad and Tobago shares with Venezuela, the Caribbean island’s Energy Minister Roodal Moonilal said on Wednesday. BP and Shell have sought to develop two separate cross-border gas fields in Venezuelan and Trinidad and Tobago waters, but progress has been slow in recent years due to the
(BOE Report) – The European Union’s competition chief warned on Wednesday that the region was becoming increasingly dependent on liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from the United States and should look at how it can best harness local resources. “We are significantly increasing our dependence on liquefied natural gas imported from the U.S.,” European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera said
(World Oil) – Matador Resources Company said it increased its oil hedging coverage, expanded its Delaware basin acreage position and reported improved well performance from recent development activity in Lea County, New Mexico. The company now has approximately 35%–40% of its expected 2026 oil production hedged using costless collars, with a weighted-average floor price of about $52/bbl and a ceiling near
(Oil Price) – Winter storm Fern has slashed U.S. oil and gas production as operators curtailed output amid the big freeze. Over the weekend, the storm led to producers losing up to 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil production, or about 15% of total U.S. oil output, according to estimates by analysts and traders cited by Reuters. According to estimates by
(Oil Price) – The acquisition of ChampionX helped the world’s biggest oilfield services provider, SLB (NYSE: SLB), raise its North America revenue by 15% in the fourth quarter versus Q3 despite the softer market in the U.S. shale industry. SLB, which completed the acquisition of chemicals and engineering oilfield services provider ChampionX in the third quarter, saw its North America revenue
(Investing) – WASHINGTON – The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on nine vessels of what is known as the shadow fleet and eight related firms, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement, as Washington sought to escalate pressure on Iran over the recent killing of protesters. The Treasury said the vessels and their respective owners or management firms, which
(Oil Price) – The Trump Administration plans to offer U.S. states incentives for building nuclear reactors in exchange for agreeing to store nuclear waste, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. However, a spokesperson for the U.S. Energy Department told Reuters that the story was “false” and that “no decisions have been made at this time,” after POLITICO first reported on the
(Oil Price) – U.S. President Donald Trump supervises the release of funds from sales of Venezuela’s oil, an official at the U.S. Administration told Semafor on Thursday. Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro early this month, President Trump moved to create a fund to hold revenues from sales of Venezuela’s oil. The money is being held in U.S. accounts and released at the
