Crude Oil








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North America

Crude Oil

Oil reaches $100 per barrel; shares tumble after Gulf shipping attacks, Iran warns

Global?shares dropped on Thursday, as the attacks on oil tankers and the warnings of Iran?shattered the prospects of an impending de-escalation to the Middle East conflict. Oil prices rose around $100 per barrel, and inflation fears were stoked. Wall Street stock indexes fell, 'dragged down by the rising oil price and concerns over?the private credit market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite all dropped by about 1.2%. The STOXX600 pan-European equity benchmark fell 0.66%. The MSCI All-World Index fell by 1.2%. Brent crude futures rose as high as 10.4%, to $101.59 per barrel, before...

Refined Products

Sources say that the Trump administration could relax US shipping regulations to combat the fuel price spike.

Two sources with knowledge of the discussions said that the Trump administration has told U.S. shipping groups and oil companies to prepare for the 'potential waiver' of the century-old Jones Act governing domestic shipping in order to facilitate the movement of fuel across the country. Sources said that the announcement could be made as soon as Thursday. It would aim to combat the'spiking fuel prices' since the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran. The White House has not yet commented. According to the Jones Act?goods transported between U.S. port must be?carried by vessels?that were built in the U.S., are U.S....

Energy Markets

How did US presidents tap strategic petroleum reserves in wartime?

The U.S. will release '172 million barrels' of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This is more than 40% of an overall release that has been coordinated with other allies to help lower soaring prices caused by disruptions in supply due to the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. The sale of?U.S. The?U.S. The U.S. Department of Energy announced that the U.S. withdrawal would start next week and last for about four months. SPR holds approximately 415 million barrels of crude oil, the majority of which are high sulfur or sour, which U.S. refineries can process. The crude oil is...

Oil Storage

US releases 172 Million Barrels of Oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced on Wednesday that the U.S. would release 172,000,000?barrels?of oil?from its strategic 'petroleum -reserve? in an effort to lower oil prices, which have soared because of supply shocks caused by the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran. Wright said that the'release' is part of the 400 million barrels of oil released by the International Energy Agency earlier in the day. Wright stated that the release of the film will start next week, and it will take?about 120 days for delivery. On February 28, the U.S., Israel and other countries began to attack Iran. Iran...

Oil & Gas

McGeever: Higher oil prices cloud Wall Street's optimistic earnings outlook

Even if the Iran War ends soon, U.S. oil prices will be structurally higher this year. Investors may have to reconsider their optimistic 2026 earnings estimates. The consensus oil outlook for 2026 was quite bearish while Wall Street's earnings forecasts were very optimistic. This has not changed. According to LSEG 'data, the full-year earnings growth estimate for 2026 was nearly 16% as of?Friday. This is up from 14% a year ago and 12% a year before. These 'rosy forecasts' assume that oil prices will average $60 per barrel this year, but those expectations have disappeared with the U.S. and Israeli...

Fossil Fuels

How did US presidents tap strategic petroleum reserves in wartime?

Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the U.S. will contribute "a little" to the IEA's plan to release a record number of 400 million.barrels.of oil from various countries' reserves in an effort to control the prices which have risen due to.the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran. In an interview given to local TV in Ohio, Trump didn't?say? how much oil the U.S. will contribute. He said only, "Right now, we will reduce it a bit and that brings down the prices." U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) hold 415.4 million barrels. Most of this is high sulfur crude that U.S....

Oil & Gas

McGeever: Higher oil prices cloud Wall Street's optimistic earnings outlook

Investors might need to reconsider their optimistic 2026 earnings estimates for U.S. corporations, even if Iran's war is over soon. The consensus forecast for 2026 for oil was a bit bearish while Wall Street's earnings predictions were surprisingly optimistic. This has not changed. According to LSEG data as of Friday, the full-year earnings growth estimate for 2026 was nearly 16%. This is up from 14% in 2017 and 12% last year. Those rosy forecasts assumed an average 'oil price' this?year of $60 per barrel – an expectation that vanished into thin air when the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran...

Crude Oil

Trump says a new refinery is planned near the US border.

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, announced plans on Tuesday for a new oil refinery in Brownsville. He thanked Reliance Industries, an Indian energy company, for its contribution to the project. Trump announced the project as U.S. motorists are reacting to the spike in gas prices after the U.S. - Israel war with?Iran. He also made the announcement while Republicans and Democrats prepare for the midterm elections, which could determine the party that controls Congress during the final two years of Trump’s presidency. America First Refining stated in a press release that, once operational, a 168,000 barrel per day (bpd), refinery,...

Crude Oil

WSJ reports IEA is preparing for the biggest release of oil ever

The Wall Street Journal reported that the International Energy Agency had proposed to release the largest amount of oil'reserves ever released in order to counter supply disruptions caused by the war against Iran. Brent futures were trading?up?11 cents or 0.13% at $87.91 per barrel at 0129 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded 7 cents higher, and was last up 0.08 percent at $83.52 per barrel. Both contracts fell immediately after the WSJ article, reversing gains made in WTI. The WSJ reported that the IEA proposed drawdown would be greater than the 182,000,000 barrels of crude oil that IEA members countries...

Energy Markets

US stocks fall, oil prices drop as Wall Street weighs contradictory messages about Iran

After a?U.S. Donald Trump said that the Middle?East conflict could "end soon" despite the fact that?the?U.S. Israel and the United States pounded Iran's airspace with heavy strikes. The U.S. stock market lost momentum, losing early gains and sliding into negative territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.07%. The S&P 500 fell 0.2%. And the Nasdaq composite was little changed. The oil prices have fallen by over 11%. Brent futures LCOc1 dropped $11.16, or 11 %, to settle at $86.70 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 crude oil settled at $83.45 per barrel, down by $11.32 or 11.9%. Both...

Energy Markets

Wall Street ignores the intense airstrikes against Iran as it advances stocks and oil prices

Wall Street stocks recovered and oil prices fell sharply after U.S. president Donald Trump said the Middle East conflict could "end soon" even as the U.S., Israel and Iran pounded Iran with what both the Pentagon and Iranians?said were the'most intense airstrikes ever. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2%; the S&P 500 was up 0.1%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.25%. The STOXX 600 Index in Europe, which had been declining for three trading days straight, recovered some of its earlier gains and finished the day up 1.65%. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index outside Japan increased by around 3.4%....

Refined Products

As the war continues, both low and high income US consumers could be hit by higher gasoline prices, volatile stock, and rising stocks.

The U.S. and Israel war against?Iran is likely to hit consumers hard across the United States' economic spectrum. This could undermine a key component of the economy that was?expected? to boom this year due in part because of a hefty income tax refund, low unemployment and rising asset prices. Analysts felt that both "spurs", of the U.S.'so-called K-shaped economic model, could maintain or even increase spending in the upcoming months. Wealth effects would lead better-off families and service industry workers to spend more, while windfall tax refunds due to 'new exemptions on overtime and tip income, helped hourly workers. Both...

Europe

Crude Oil

After US inflation, stocks drop and the dollar edge up; oil is in focus

?Global shares fell and the dollar remained steady on Wednesday after data showed U.S. Inflation picked up in February as expected.?Most investors focused on?the price of oil and the possibility that the U.S. and Israeli?war 'on Iran? could have a long-term effect on economic growth. The Labor Department reported that the consumer price index increased 0.3% in the month of February. This was in line with expectations and higher than the 0.2% rise in January. CPI increased 2.4% over the past year, matching expectations. The core rate, which excludes energy and food prices, rose at 2.5% in line with predictions....

Crude Oil

Iraq asks KRG for help in piping crude oil to Turkey sources

Two oil officials familiar with the matter said that Iraq asked the Kurdistan Regional Government to pump 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day out of its Kirkuk oilfields into Turkey's Ceyhan port. The officials confirmed that the Iraqi oil ministry had sent the KRG a request in a letter early last week. The Kurdistan Pipeline Company is responsible for the main oil pipeline in Iraqi Kurdistan. It transports crude oil from northern Iraq to a border point where it connects with the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline. Baghdad will pay for the transit fees and Baghdad could increase the shipments based on...

Oil & Gas

Russian oil prices used to tax state revenues exceed budget targets

Calculations showed that the price of Russian crude oil, used to tax the country, has exceeded the budget target?for the first time since Jan 2025?because?of?the rise in global prices due to the Iran War. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, in 2022, Russia has increased its military spending, increasing its deficit. In January-February, it was 3.45 trillion Russian roubles (43.70 billion dollars), or 1.5%. The Iran War, which involved U.S., Israeli and Iranian strikes on Iran, and Iranian strikes against Israel and U.S. military bases, as well as Gulf states has fueled a significant increase in demand for...

Western Europe

Middle East

Energy Markets

Oil prices drop after US grants license to countries to purchase Russian oil that has been stranded on sea for 30 Days

The price of oil dropped Friday morning, after the U.S. granted a license to countries for a period of 30 days to purchase Russian oil as well as?petroleum stranded in the sea. This eased supply concerns. Brent futures fell 71 cents or 0.71% to $99.75 per barrel at 0123 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), was?down 88 cts or 0.92% to $94.85. The license was granted in what Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent described as a move to stabilize global energy markets that were roiled by war in Iran. The license will not resolve the fundamental problem. Yang An,...

Energy Markets

Russell: Crude oil futures are not in line with reality, as the Asia physical market collapses.

Crude oil futures prices'reflect a view of the market that it can successfully navigate through the Iran War, while the prices for physical cargoes or refined products signal an imminent crisis. One of these signals is not the case in the paper oil market. Brent crude futures for the global benchmark ended Wednesday at $91.98 per barrel, an increase of 4.8% over the previous close, but down from the brief spike that occurred on March 9, when they reached $119.50 - the highest price in almost four years. On the physical market, on Wednesday the premium of a physical cargo...

Energy Markets

German economy recovery will only be slightly slowed by the Iran war, according to economists

Three institutes said on Thursday that Germany's economy will only slow a little this year, as long as the energy prices pushed up by?the Iran War?reduce in the months to come. According to its December forecast, the Ifo Institute expects an economic growth of 0.8% in this year. This is based on the assumption that oil prices and gas will only remain high in the short-term. It expects German economic growth to accelerate to 1.2% in next year. The biggest economy in Europe expanded for the first time in three year in 2025, increasing by 0.2% as consumer confidence improved....

Energy Markets

IEA: Middle East conflict will cause the largest ever oil supply disruption.

The International Energy Agency announced on Thursday that the war in the Middle East has caused the largest oil supply disruption ever. This comes a day after the agency agreed to release record volumes from its strategic stockpiles in order to counter shortages and spikes in prices. The IEA stated in its latest monthly report that global supply is expected to fall by 8 million barrels a day in March due to the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow 'channel' along the Iranian coastline - since the U.S. began an airstrike campaign against Iran on February 28,...

Oil & Gas Refining

Refineries run on China teapots to take advantage of lucrative fuel sales

China's independent smaller refiners maintain output to cash in on the surge in domestic fuel price, but may be forced into trimming runs as of late April, when cheap feedstocks from inventories are running out and new deliveries will cost more in this war-induced rally, industry and trade sources reported. The plants in Shandong Province, China, the hub of smaller refineries, known as teapots, that account for roughly a quarter or more of the country's output, keep their run rates constant to maximize fuel sales, which are 20%-30% higher than before Israel and U.S. launched an attack on Iran on...

Crude Oil

What impact could persistently high oil price have on India's fragile economy?

The external balance of India and its government finances may be affected if oil prices remain high for a long time, according to economists. This is because the Iran War will increase the cost of oil imports and the subsidies required to keep key commodities affordable. India is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to an oil shock because it imports almost 90% of its crude and about 50% of its natural gas. India imports more than?half? of its crude from the Middle East where the U.S./Israeli war against Iran has disrupted export flows. India's oil reserves are currently...

Fuel Oil

New York Times Business News - March 12, 2019

These are the most popular?stories from the New York Times business pages. These'stories' have not been verified and we cannot vouch for their accuracy. The International Energy Agency has agreed to release a record number of 400 million barrels from its strategic oil stockpiles in order to combat a rise in 'global crude oil prices' since the beginning of the 'U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration announced it would launch?two new?trade investigations into excess 'industrial capacity' in 16'major trading partners' and forced labor to rebuild tariffs pressure after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out much of Trump's...

Fossil Fuels

OPEC confirms large Saudi oil production increase ahead of Iran War, but holds forecasts steady

OPEC announced?on?? Wednesday that Saudi Arabia increased its oil production sharply in February, ahead of U.S. & Israeli attacks on Iran. It also maintained its forecasts regarding a relatively strong growth in global oil demand this year. Sources familiar with the plan stated in February that Saudi Arabia increased output and exports in preparation for a possible U.S. strike against Iran, which could disrupt Middle?East supply. The attack occurred on February 28, and the ensuing conflict caused oil exports to be disrupted, production to stop and prices to soar. In a report published on OPEC's website, Saudi Arabia informed the...

Crude Oil

Japan will release part of its oil reserves before IEA decision, says PM

Sanae Takaichi, Japan's Prime Minister, said that Japan will release 15 days of private sector oil reserves as well as one month of state oil reserves. This is in preparation for the International Energy Agency's action. She said that to avoid a disruption in gasoline and other petroleum products supplies, Japan would tap its reserves with the G7 and IEA. However, they will start releasing them 'from 16 March. Takaichi, in a broadcast, said that Japan would act before waiting for formal IEA?approval?of a coordinated release of international reserves to ease the global energy'market supply and?demand. It will release reserves...

Crude Oil

The ECB's VP has warned that market volatility can amplify the shocks in the euro zone economy.

ECB Vice-President Luis de Guindos stated on Wednesday that financial market volatility could amplify shocks to the economy. The European Central Bank is expected to consider various scenarios of 'growth and inflation' when determining its policy next week. The fallout of the war in Iran has likely pushed inflation higher, and increased pressure on the ECB to step in and curb price pressures. De Guindos acknowledged that the forecasting process has become "more complex" and the volatility of the markets could have a greater impact on the real economy. He told a Madrid conference that "an amplification of the shock...

Crude Oil

Mike Dolan: The dangers of US oil-driven redistribution

U.S. indexes of the stock market have so far weathered the oil shock this month well because investors are expecting only a slight GDP impact from higher energy prices. This'resilience' masks the fact that income is shifting from households to 'Big Energy, and this could be a very dangerous trend in an election year. As uncertainty continues to rage about the length and extent of the Iran War, the sharp and volatile rises in energy costs have caused oil and natural gas prices to look structurally higher for the coming year. Fertilizer shipments are also being held up in the...

Energy Markets

Iran cracks down on dissent as Iran's military intensifies its air attacks against the combatants in the Mideast war

Iran warned that its state security forces are ready to "finger on the trigger" in the event of any renewed anti-government protests. After a series of heavy bombardments on Tuesday in the region, the combatants continued their assaults on targets?in Israel and Lebanon, as well as the Gulf, early Wednesday morning, as the war entered its '12th day. The war has blocked the Strait of Hormuz and halted the flow of fossil fuels from the oil-rich Gulf. After a surge in crude prices on Monday the stock markets recovered and global energy prices fell as investors betted that U.S. president...