Crude Oil

Experts have questioned whether some of Donald Trump's most important policy decisions were preceded by timely bets. This is a list. April 7, 2026: Announcement of the IRAN ceasefire. The traders placed a $950 million bet on the oil price falling, just hours before an announcement of a truce between the U.S. LSEG data shows that at 1945 GMT, a total of 8,600 lots were sold for Brent and U.S. 'crude futures. Around 2230 GMT Trump announced a two week ceasefire with?Iran. Crude futures fell by 15% at the start Wednesday's trading session. March 23, 2026: IRAN ATTACK pause. An...

Workers said that Venezuela's refinery network is processing 399,000 barrels of crude per day, or 31%, of its installed capacity, which is 1.29 million barrels a day. This is below the 35% it achieved in February, as state-run PDVSA struggles with keeping units running after they are restarted, South America has seen its oil production and exports increase since signing a landmark supply agreement with the U.S. Government in January. However, limited power services, outages, and the need for major repairs and maintenance have created obstacles to recovering refinery operations. Workers said that in recent weeks the?PDVSA focused on restarting...

The physical oil market is still in a state of turmoil despite a planned two-week stopfire between Iran and the United States. Brent crude oil contracts plunged as much as 16% in the early Asian trade on Wednesday, after finishing at $109.27 on Monday. The sharp drop in prices reflects relief that President Donald Trump's alarming threats against Iran civilisation to be wiped out have been postponed. This also reflects the optimism that crude, refined products and liquefied gas (LNG), may be able to resume and continue through the Strait of Hormuz if negotiations are successful. There is a rule...

Stocks and bonds soared after U.S. president Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire. This brought relief to the markets as they hoped for a return of oil and gas flows through Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced the ceasefire just two hours before the deadline he set for Iran to reopen its strait, or face damaging attacks on civilian infrastructure. Iran has said that it will cease its counter-attacks if the attacks on it stop. After past policy reversals the market rally revived investor talks of the TACO trade - or Trump Always Chickens Out. However, some pointed out that the...

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets After U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran agreed on a two week ceasefire, Europe will be greeted with a sparkling'relief rally' across all assets. This could pave the way for the reopening of?the Strait of Hormuz and a wider resolution. The agreement, reached just hours before Trump set a deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, was a dramatic change from his earlier warnings that "a civilization would die tonight" if he did not get what he wanted. The agreement is conditional...

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, announced on Tuesday that Iran had agreed to a ceasefire lasting two weeks. This was less than 'two hours' before Trump set a deadline for Tehran to open up the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on civilian infrastructure. Oil fell, bonds rose and stocks soared after the ceasefire. It was seen as opening the door to a lasting peace as well as resuming Gulf oil and gas exports. Here are some comments from analysts and investors: JAMIE COX MANAGING PARTNER HARRIS FINANCIAL GROUPS, RICHMOND VIRGINIA Markets had predicted that Trump would be looking for...

After a two week ceasefire, investors cheered the possible return of oil and gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. president Donald Trump announced that he had agreed to suspend the bombings and attacks against Iran for two week and that an agreement on a long-term peaceful solution was being worked out. The global markets are shook since U.S. and Israel launched an attack on Iran at the end of February. This led Tehran to close the Strait o'Hormuz - a waterway that is used to transport one fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas. U.S. crude futures...

U.S. president Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he and Iran had reached an agreement for a two-week ceasefire, less than 2 hours before the deadline he set for Tehran to reopen Strait of Hormuz. Otherwise, he said, it would be subject to widespread attacks?on civilian infrastructure. The 'ceasefire' was seen as opening the door to a lasting peace, and the resumed export of Gulf oil and natural gas. Here are some comments from analysts and investors: ANDREW LILLEY IS THE CHIEF RATES STRATEGIST AT BARRENJOEY IN SYDNEY. "We have a way to go to get back where we were...

U.S. president Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had reached an agreement with Iran to establish a two-week ceasefire, less than 2 hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Oil fell, bonds rose and stocks soared after the ceasefire. It was believed that the ceasefire would pave the way for a "lasting peace" and the resumption in Gulf oil and natural gas exports. Below are some responses from analysts and investors: MARTIN WHETTON HEAD OF FINANCIAL MARKETS STRATEGY WESTPAC SYDNEY This is what always happens. Does this mean people will take on new risks?...

China has again reduced its gasoline and diesel price increases to half of what they usually are. This is to try to reduce the rising oil prices caused by the Iran War and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The oil prices continued to rise after Iran rejected the United States' ceasefire proposal and as a deadline for Tehran, set by U.S. president Donald Trump, to come up with a deal before he was "taken out", grew closer. The NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission) announced that the retail gasoline and diesel prices would increase by 420 yuan and...

U.S. equity indices closed modestly higher on Monday and U.S. crude oil futures settled above $112 per barrel as investors awaited clarity about the prospects for a solution to the conflict in the Middle East. President Donald Trump reiterated his threats to strike Iran until Tehran made a deal by Tuesday night. Iran stated on Monday that it wants to end the war with Israel and the U.S. for good and refused to allow the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened. Trump said that if Iran did not meet the deadline he set for Tuesday night, it could be "taken...

As investors awaited further signals on the U.S. - Iran situation, gold prices fell slightly Monday. By 1:31 pm, spot gold had fallen 0.4% to $4,654.99 an ounce. ET (1731 GMT). U.S. Gold futures closed 0.1% higher, at $4684.70. Iran said that it wants a lasting solution to its five-week war with Israel and the U.S. It has refused to reopen the Strait of Hormuz quickly under the temporary ceasefire, as both nations consider a framework for ending their conflict. Donald Trump said he would rain "hell" down on Iran if a deal was not reached by Tuesday. The focus...

The price of refined fuels has fallen sharply, in line with the declines seen in crude oil after the tentative ceasefire agreement between the United States & Iran. However, the prices remain at levels that indicate a shortage. The prices of gasoil and jet fuel in Singapore, the Asian trading center, all dropped by?double digits on Wednesday amid relief from the market that the 'deal' may lead to the reopening of Strait of Hormuz. The 'ceasefire' and commitment to peace talks announced by the United States in separate announcements looks already to be on its way out. Tehran said it...

An industry source said that other facilities in Saudi Arabia were also targeted in an Iranian attack. An industry source said that the pipeline diverted around 7 million barrels of oil per day (bpd), from the oil heartland of the kingdom in the east to the Red Sea Port of Yanbu, after 'Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. This trapped huge volumes of oil and gas, sending the world energy markets soaring. Sources said that the flow of oil through the pipeline would be affected. Damage was also being assessed. This could worsen what experts call the worst energy...

The physical oil markets are still in a world of pain, despite a planned two-week truce between the United States (US) and Iran. Brent crude oil contracts plunged by as much as 16 % to $91.70 per barrel during early Asian trading on Wednesday, after ending at $109.27 a barrel on Tuesday. The rapid selloff is a sign of relief that President Donald Trump has delayed his alarming threats to wipe out the Iranian civilisation. This also reflects the optimism that crude, refined products and liquefied gas (LNG), may be able to resume and continue through the Strait of Hormuz...

Analysts say that the closure of Hormuz creates a very tight market for oil deliveries in the near future. Data from LSEG shows that the price of North Sea Forties crude has reached a record high. Expert: * Fear over supply is driving physical price higher. (Adds Platts dated Brent assessment in paragraph 8, adds LSEG in paragraph 10) By Alex Lawler LONDON, 7 April - European and Asian refiners have paid record prices of near $150 a barrel for certain crude oil grades. This is far higher than the paper futures price, highlighting the worsening crisis in supply caused...

Analysts say that the closure of Hormuz creates a very tight market for oil deliveries in the near future. LSEG data: North Sea Forties crude reaches a?record-high outright price Expert: * Fear of shortages is driving physical prices up By Alex Lawler LONDON, 7 April - European and Asian refiners pay record high prices of nearly $150 per barrel for a few crude oil grades. This is far higher than the paper futures price, which highlights the worsening crisis in supply caused by the U.S./Israel war against Iran. Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused the Middle East...

Iran attacked Saudi Arabia’s Jubail petrochemical complex on Tuesday, the heartland of the downstream sector in the kingdom, according to a statement from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. However, it wasn't immediately clear exactly what was struck. Jubail is a sprawling city that houses multi-billion dollar joint ventures between Saudi Aramco, the state-backed oil company, and SABIC, its petrochemicals subsidiary. The IRGC stated that the attacks were "in retaliation to enemy crimes?in the attack against (Iran's Asaluyeh petrochemical factories." The exact location of the incident was not immediately known. Video footage confirmed by showed smoke and fires rising in the...

Kang Hoon Sik, the South Korean chief of staff to the president, said that he was traveling to Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to procure crude oil and naphtha due to disruptions in shipping through Strait of Hormuz. Kang will depart on Tuesday evening as the special envoy of President Lee Jae Myung to hold discussions with governments, energy firms, and ship operators in order to ensure that cargoes arrive at 'domestic ports' and to maintain stable supplies of essential goods, such as medical products. He said that South Korea needed to diversify its supply lines urgently, as...

A study found that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the subsequent?surge of global oil prices has brought financial windfalls for Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Other states, however, who lack alternate shipping routes, have suffered?billions of dollar losses. Iran closed the Strait, a route that accounts for a fifth or more of the global oil and gas flows. This was after U.S. airstrikes and Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered a wider conflict. Later, it said that vessels with no U.S. and Israeli connections would be allowed to transit the Strait. Some tankers have managed to...

Oil prices rose more than $4 on Thursday, after President Donald Trump announced that the United States will 'continue to strike iran in the coming weeks, including energy and oil targets, but did not give a timeline for the end of the war. Brent crude futures increased by $4.88 or 4.8% to $106.04 a barrel at 0200 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures rose $4.17 or 4.2% to $104.29 per barrel. Both benchmarks fell by more than $1 on Thursday, before Trump's speech. They also settled lower the previous session. Trump stated in a televised address?to the country that?the...

Fatih Binol, the head of the International Energy Agency, said that oil supply disruptions from the Middle East would?rise? in April. They will begin to?impact? the European economy because the Strait of Hormuz is closed. He added that more than 12 million barrels have been lost due to the attacks by Iran on energy?assets and the restrictions on shipping through Strait since the U.S./Israel war against Iran began. "The loss of oil in April will be double the loss of oil in March. On top of that, the loss of LNG... The loss of?oil in April will be twice as...

Who needs to "search for another safe place" if Warren Buffett doesn't mind Berkshire Hathaway piling up more cash? Berkshire reported ending 2025 as having a massive $373 billion in cash. However, this cash pile appears to be largely intact and legendary chairman of the conglomerate claims that they have moved more money into the cash?pile during the past week. Buffett said on CNBC that they had bought T-bills worth $17 billion this week. He added that, beyond the "one tiny purchase," there was not much else to buy and their cash position was "somewhere near $350 billion." He dismissed...

Brent futures extended gains following a'record monthly % increase in March. Middle East volatility continued to keep markets jittery, despite reports suggesting that the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran could be coming to an end. Brent front-month contract for June rose $1.40 or 1.4% to $105.37 a barrel at 0430 GMT. Brent logged a monthly gain record of 64% in march, according to LSEG's data dating back to June 1998. The U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI), crude futures for the month of May increased by $1.59 or 1.6% to $102.97 per barrel. Brent futures for June delivery recovered some...