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Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas

What is the risk of nuclear contamination from Israel's attack on Iran?

Israel claims it wants to prevent a nuclear catastrophe in the region, which is home to millions of people as well as producing much of the oil in the world. Israel's military announced that it had hit a Bushehr site on the Gulf Coast, home to Iran’s only nuclear power plant. But later said the announcement was an error. Here are some details about the damage that Israel has caused and what experts have to say about the dangers of contamination and other disasters. What has Israel done so far? Israel has declared attacks on nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan...

Oil & Gas

Trackers report that Iran has adapted to maintaining oil exports in conflict.

Two vessel tracking companies said that Iran maintains crude oil supplies by loading tanks one at atime and moving floating storage closer to China. The country is trying to keep its main source of income while being attacked by Israel. The conflict that erupted between Iran and Israel last week is a new obstacle for Iran. It uses a fleet of shadow tankers to hide their origins and avoid U.S. sanctions imposed in 2018 due to its nuclear program. Iran is the third largest producer of crude oil in OPEC. Most of its exports go to China. The trackers reported...

Oil & Gas

Israel will resume natural gas exports once the military determines that it is safe, says energy minister

Israel's Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced on Wednesday that the country will resume natural gas exports once its military deems it safe. The air battle between Israel & Iran is now in its sixth day. Since June 13, two of Israel's three natural gas fields, Leviathan operated by Chevron and Karish owned by Energean, off its Mediterranean coastline that provides the bulk of the exports to Egypt & Jordan have been closed. The older leaves are still in use Field used mostly for domestic supply. Cohen stated that he had been in touch with Egpyt, Jordan and Jordan regarding the...

Oil & Gas

US withdraws from two more bases in Syria, alarming Kurdish forces

Reporters visiting the region found that U.S. troops have now withdrawn from two additional bases in northeastern Syria. This is part of a larger troop withdrawal, which, according to the commander of U.S. backed Syrian Kurdish Forces, has allowed a resurgence by Islamic State. Reporters who visited these two bases last week found that they were mostly deserted. They were both guarded only by a small number of Syrian Democratic Forces, the Kurdish led military group Washington has supported in its fight against Islamic State since a decade. The razor wire that surrounded the perimeters of the bases occupied by...

Oil & Gas

G7 needs to raise pressure on Russia, von der Leyen says

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that more pressure should be applied to Russia in order to secure a ceasefire. She urged G7 nations intensify sanctions to achieve this goal. The leaders of the largest industrial countries are meeting in Canada’s Rockies, along with European nations. They want to keep the conflict in Ukraine on the minds of U.S. president Donald Trump, despite the fighting between Israel and Iran taking place in the Middle East. The European Union has decided to adopt new sanctions against Russia. However, they have not been able to convince Trump, who...

Oil & Gas

Yemen's Houthis launch ballistic missiles at Israel in coordination with Iran

Yemen's Iran aligned Houthis announced on Sunday that they were targeting Israel in coordination and coordination with Iran. This is the first time a group with an Iran alignment has publicly announced a joint attack with Tehran. In a recent televised speech, Yehya Saarea, the military spokesperson said that the Yemeni group had targeted central Israel's Jaffa in the past 24 hours with a number of ballistic missiles. He added: "This operation was coordinated along with the Iranian army's operations against the criminal Israeli enemies." Earlier, the Israeli military said that sirens had been activated in various areas of the...

Oil & Gas

Overview of Iran's Energy Industry and Infrastructure

Israel launched strikes against Iran on Friday. It targeted its nuclear facilities, missile factories, and military commanders as part of a long-term operation, which it has warned will be prolonged, to stop Tehran from building atomic weapons. According to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company, oil storage and refining plants were not damaged by the attack. Here are some interesting facts about the energy industry of the country, its exports, and the impact that previous Western sanctions had on it. SANCTIONS & OPEC According to OPEC, Iran's oil output peaked in the 1970s. In 1974 it reached a...

Oil & Gas

Oman confirms the next round of US and Iran nuclear talks amid fears about regional risks

The Omani Foreign Minister announced on Thursday that the sixth round of U.S. - Iran nuclear talks would be held in Muscat on Sunday, following Donald Trump's reiteration on Wednesday that Tehran will not be permitted to possess a nuclear device. Trump announced on Wednesday that U.S. personnel was being relocated from the Middle East, because it "could be a dangerous area". U.S. sources and Iraqi ones said that earlier, the U.S. prepared to evacuate its Iraqi Embassy and allow military dependents leave Middle East locations due to increased security risks. The four U.S. sources and two Iraqi ones did...

Oil & Gas

Novak, the Russian oil minister, says that there has been no discussion yet about the OPEC+ increasing their oil production from July.

RIA News Agency reported that Alexander Novak, the Russian prime minister, said on Monday morning that the OPEC+ grouping of major oil producers had not yet discussed raising output by another 411,000 barley per day before its meeting. On May 28, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia will host an online ministerial conference. Novak told RIA that he expected the two to discuss the current market conditions, forecasts, and "adjustments". Eight OPEC+ nations will meet separately, who had committed to voluntary extra cuts in oil production. Three OPEC+ source told us earlier...

Refined Products

Data shows that the share of OPEC oil in India's imports has dropped to a record low.

Data from industry and trade sources revealed that the share of OPEC crude oil in India's imported oil fell to a new record low during fiscal year 2024-25, as refiners continued to gorge themselves on cheaper Russian oil, which was the number one oil supplier for New Delhi for a third consecutive year. India, which is the third largest oil consumer and importer in the world, has been buying Russian oil at a discounted price after the West imposed sanctions against Moscow due to the Ukraine conflict. In the fiscal year ending March 2025, the South Asian nation imported 4.88...

Oil & Gas

Trump warns Iran to give up its nuclear weapons dream or face harsh response

Donald Trump stated on Monday that he believes Iran intentionally delays a deal on a nuke with the United States. He also said Iran must give up any efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, or else face a possible strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities. Trump said to reporters that he believes the Iranians are using us as pawns. He made this statement after U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had met with a senior Iranian government official in Oman, on Saturday. Iran and the United States both said that they had "positive" and constructive" talks in Oman. The second round of...

Oil & Gas

White House warns that Iran will face a 'hell-to-pay' if it develops nuclear weapons

His press secretary warned reporters Friday, ahead of Saturday's talks between U.S.-Iran delegations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump's "ultimate goal is to ensure that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapons" and that Trump believed in diplomacy. However, she added that "all options" are available if diplomatic attempts fail. "He's made it clear to the Iranians and his team of national security will do the same, that all options were on the table and Iran had a choice. The president believes that if you don't agree with President Trump's demands, there will be hell to pay. Leavitt...

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Trump urges everyone to lower oil prices after Iran attack

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, expressed his desire to keep oil prices low on Monday amid fears they could spike after the attack on Iran's nucleonic facilities. "Everyone keep oil prices low, I am watching!" Trump wrote, in capital letters on his Truth Social platform: "You're playing right into the enemy's hands. Don't do it!" Trump then sent a second post to the U.S. Department of Energy encouraging them to "drill baby, drill", and adding, "I'm talking now." Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy secretary responded: "We're working on it!" In a post at X. The energy department was not clear...

Fossil Fuels

US strikes on Iran shattered hopes for nuclear diplomacy

Foreign ministers of Europe's three largest powers met their Iranian counterparts in Geneva on Friday to try to diffuse the tensions over Iran's nuclear program. These hopes were dashed Saturday, when U.S. president Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against Iran's main nuclear sites in support of Israel’s military campaign. Abbas Araqchi - Iran's Foreign Minister - told reporters in Istanbul, Sunday, that it was "inappropriate" to ask Iran to resume diplomacy. He promised a "response", to the U.S. strike. It's not the time for diplomacy. Trump warned that the U.S. would attack other Iranian targets if a peace agreement was not...

Fossil Fuels

What is the risk of nuclear contamination from an attack on Iran?

Donald Trump claimed that Iran's nuclear sites were "obliterated", including the Fordow deep-buried facility, in military strikes carried out overnight. The U.S. also joined Israel's attacks on June 13th. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that the U.S. military attacks on Iran's uranium-enrichment facilities posed limited contamination risks. Which Iranian nuclear sites have been hit so far? The U.S. Military struck sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Trump claimed that Iran's nuclear enrichment sites had been "completely obliterated". These attacks come after Israelis announced attacks on nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan Arak, and Tehran. Israel claims it wants to prevent...

Crude Oil

Power Markets

Nuclear Power

Limitations of the UN's nuclear watchdog in Iran

Since Israel's military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities on 13 June, the U.N. nuclear watchdog that polices the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been unable to conduct inspections in Iran. The International Atomic Energy Agency has a number of inspection powers. IS THE IAEA UNIVERSAL IN JURISDICTION? No. The IAEA has separate agreements with other countries and is only responsible for the 191 signatories of the NPT. Iran is a signatory to the NPT, and is therefore subject to IAEA supervision. This includes inspections to ensure that nuclear material like uranium does not get "diverted", for example to be used...

Nuclear Power

IAEA: US attack on Iran's Isfahan nuclear site has destroyed entrances to tunnels, according to the IAEA

U.S. strikes on the Isfahan complex, which houses Iran's vast uranium-enriched stockpile, caused damage to the tunnels that store a portion of the uranium. The U.N. nuclear watchdog confirmed this Sunday. The International Atomic Energy Agency issued a statement saying that "we have established that the entrances to the underground tunnels on the site were affected." Isfahan is the site where officials have said that a large amount of Iran's highly enriched uranium is stored. Rafael Grossi, chief of IAEA, confirmed in a statement made to the U.N. Security Council shortly after the IAEA's statement that the tunnels were part...

Power Markets

Rosneft's head says OPEC+ can increase oil production by a year

Igor Sechin said that the OPEC+ group, which includes major oil producers around the world, could accelerate its production increases by a year compared to their initial plan. He said the decision of OPEC+ to increase output now looks far-sighted and justifiable in light of the conflict between Israel and Iran. In April, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia shocked the oil markets by agreeing to a larger-than-expected increase in output for May, despite low prices and a slowing of demand. OPEC+ decided to increase prices by more than originally planned. "The...

Nuclear Power

Regime change in Tehran? Putin: Iran consolidates around its leaders

When asked if he agrees with Israeli statements regarding a possible regime change in Tehran, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded on Thursday by saying that Iranian society is consolidating around the Islamic Republic’s leadership. Putin has spoken as Trump Keep the World Guessing As residents of Iran's Capital city began to leave the city after the sixth day of Israel's airstrike, many wondered if the U.S. was going to join Israel in its bombardment of Iranian missile and nuclear sites. Putin said that all sides must find ways to end the hostilities so as to ensure both Iran's rights to...

Power Markets

Russia notes Iran's commitment towards NPT and says Israeli attacks against Iran are illegal

The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned on Tuesday the continued Israeli attacks against Iran and said that a diplomatic solution could only be reached to resolve the conflict regarding Tehran's nuclear program. The ministry posted a statement on Telegram saying that "Israel's continued intensive attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear sites violate international law, create unacceptable threats to the international security of the world and lead to a nuclear disaster ...,"." The report said that the widespread condemnation of Israeli action showed that Israel only found support "from states that are actually co-participants, and who act for opportunistic purposes." The Ministry noted...

Power Markets

Trump calls for Tehran's evacuation as the Iran-Israel conflict enters its fifth week

Israel and Iran attacked one another for the fifth day in a row on Tuesday. U.S. president Donald Trump called on Iranians to leave Tehran citing his country's alleged rejection of a nuclear arms deal. The White House announced that Trump would leave the Group of Seven Summit in Canada a day earlier than planned due to the Middle East crisis. Fox News reported that he would convene the National Security Council. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Trump's early departure is positive because the immediate goal was to get Israel to agree to a truce with Iran. "Iran would...

Power Markets

IAEA Board Resolution declaring Iran in violation of Non-Proliferation Duty

Here are some key passages of a four-page Iran resolution that the 35-nation Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency passed on Thursday, according to diplomats. The text was still classified and only seen by. The Board of Governors ,... (d) Referring to the Board of Governors resolutions of 19 juin 2020..., of 8 june 2022..., of 17 november 2022 ..., of 6 june 2024 ...,, and of 21 november 2024 ...,, which called on Iran to cooperate fully with the Agency, and decided it was essential and urgent for Iran to act in accordance with its legal...

Nuclear Power

IAEA Board declares Iran in violation of non-proliferation obligations

The U.N. Nuclear Watchdog's Board of Governors, which consists of 35 nations, declared Iran in violation of its nonproliferation obligations for the first time since almost 20 years on Thursday. This could lead to a report being made to the U.N. Security Council. The major step represents the culmination of several simmering standoffs between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency that have arisen ever since President Donald Trump, during his first term in office, pulled the U.S. from a nuclear agreement between Tehran and other major powers. That deal then unraveled. Iran is likely to escalate its nuclear program,...

Power Markets

IAEA chief warns Israel against striking nuclear facilities

According to an interview that was broadcast on Monday, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi stated that Iranians warned him about a possible Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. This could lead Iran to become more determined to develop a nuclear weapon. Grossi stated in the interview published on the Jerusalem Post's website and broadcast on i24 TV on Sunday that a strike could have a compounding effect. It would solidify Iran's resolve - I say this plainly - either to pursue obtaining atomic weapons or to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear...

Power Markets

Grossi: Iran's obtaining IAEA documentation is bad and shows poor co-operation.

Rafael Grossi, the chief of the U.N. Nuclear Watchdog agency, said that Iran's purchase of secret documents from the watchdog is a "bad" step and goes against the spirit that should exist between Tehran and the agency. In a confidential report sent to its member states by the International Atomic Energy Agency on May 31, it said that "conclusive proof" had been provided by Iran of Iran's active collection and analysis of Agency documents. The report stated that this "raises grave concerns regarding Iran's collaboration spirit" and could undermine IAEA work in Iran. But Tehran, in a recent statement to...

Nuclear Power

Iran's Khamenei refuses US nuclear demands, vows to continue enriching uranium

Ayatollah Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, said that Tehran would not abandon its uranium-enrichment program, and rejected a U.S. request aimed at ending a decades long nuclear dispute. He said the demand was against Iran's interests. The U.S. proposal to a new nuclear deal Oman, the Middle East envoy of President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, presented a letter to Iran on Sunday. Iran insists on maintaining its uranium-enrichment program on its own soil, and Tehran refuses to send its entire stockpile of highly-enriched uranium abroad - a possible raw material for nuclear weapons. Khamenei...

Power Markets

Trump claims the U.S. is close to an agreement with Iran on a nuclear deal

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that on Thursday the United States is very close to reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran and that Tehran has "sort of" accepted the terms. Trump told AFP that he was in "very serious" negotiations with Iran to achieve long-term stability. Officials said that the latest round of talks between Iranians and Americans to resolve differences over Tehran's nucleus programme ended on Sunday in Oman. Further negotiations are planned. Tehran and Washington both say they prefer diplomacy in resolving the decades-long dispute over nuclear weapons. However, they are deeply divided about several redlines that...