Oil Storage








Asia

North America

Crude Oil

Oil drops with US-Iran Peace Talks in Focus

Oil prices dropped?on Friday, continuing losses from the previous day as investors watched peace talks between Iran and the United States, while economic activity in Europe?shrank dramatically. Brent crude futures fell 82 cents or?0.8%? to $104.20 a barge by 0949 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Futures were down $60 cents or 0.6%?to $97.66. The benchmarks fell around 5.6% to their lowest level in over a week on Wednesday after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that talks with Iran are in the final stages. Tehran is responding to the text sent by the U.S., Iran's ISNA reported on Thursday. The news...

Fossil Fuels

Citi warns that oil could reach $150/bbl if the risks of Hormuz are not mitigated.

Citi said on Tuesday that it expects Brent crude prices to rise to $120 per barrel in the short-term. It stated that oil markets undervalue the risks of a "prolonged supply disruption" and other "tail risks". The bank stated that its 'bull-case scenario' is that Brent prices will reach $150/bbl if the Strait of Hormuz gradually reopens during the third quarter. The oil prices fell on Tuesday, after Vice President JDVance stated that the U.S. had made progress with Iran in their talks. Neither side wanted to see military action resumed. Brent futures for the month of July?settled at $111.28...

Energy Markets

As supply concerns increase, oil prices rise as the fading hope of a quick end to the Iran war reignites supply fears

The price of oil rose by?2% Tuesday, as the hopes of a deal to?end the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran faded. Meanwhile, the stark differences between Washington and Tehran on a proposed peace plan brought supply concerns back into the spotlight. Brent crude futures rose $2 or 1.9% to $106.21 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbed $2.31 or 2.4% to $100.38 at 0726 GMT. Both benchmarks rose nearly 2.8% Monday. U.S. president Donald Trump said Monday that the ceasefire agreement with Iran was "on life support". He cited disagreements on several demands such as the cessation on...

Oil & Gas

Prices of oil rise amid supply concerns as fragile US-Iran negotiations continue

Prices of oil rose by nearly 1% on Tuesday as the talks to end U.S. - Israel's?war on Iran? appeared fragile. Tehran's response?to a Washington proposal highlighted stark differences which have kept supply concerns alive. Brent crude futures rose 86 cents or 0.8% to $105.07 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was up 99 cents or 1% at $99.06 as of 0411 GMT. Both benchmarks rose by nearly 2.8% Monday. U.S. president Donald Trump said on Monday that the ceasefire agreement with Iran is "on life support." He cited disagreements on several demands such as the cessation?of?hostilities across all fronts,...

Energy Markets

Investors weigh Middle East peace prospects as they raise oil prices by $1

Early trade on Thursday saw oil prices rise by about $1, recovering from the sharp losses of the previous day as investors assessed the chances that a Middle East Peace Deal would be successful. Brent crude futures rose 88 cents or 0.9% to $102.15 per barrel at 0032 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose $1.12 or 1.2% to $96.20 per barrel. Both benchmarks fell more than 7% Wednesday, reaching two-week lows amid optimism about a possible ending to the Middle East conflict. They pared their losses however after U.S. president Donald Trump said that it was "too early" to have...

Fossil Fuels

US gasoline prices reach $4.50 per gallon as the summer driving season approaches

GasBuddy data showed that the U.S. average retail price of gas in the United States surpassed $4.50 a galon on Tuesday, for the first time since July 20, 2022. The U.S.-Israeli conflict?with _Iran? was disrupting a significant portion of the global oil supply shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Memorial Day Weekend and the peak driving season of summer are approaching. As President Donald Trump and Republicans campaign for November's midterm elections, rising pump prices present a serious political risk. Analysts say that without a de-escalation of the Middle East, U.S. motor oil prices could surpass previous records....

Oil Storage

Russell: China added crude oil to its massive stocks in March. But the outlook has changed.

China built the largest crude oil stockpile in the world during March, even as the rest of the world began to use up its inventories to make up for the millions of barrels lost due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to calculations based off official data, China, the largest crude importer in the world, had a surplus of 1,74 million barrels a day (bpd). China's excess crude for the first quarter was 1,41 million bpd. This is down from the?record-high of 2.67 millions bpd set in December, but it is up from the 2025 average of...

Energy Markets

Oil prices remain unchanged despite scepticism about US-Iran peace negotiations to ease Hormuz disruption

On Thursday, oil?prices remained unchanged, reversing previous declines. This was due to skepticism about the peace talks between?the U.S. Brent crude futures rose 9 cents at 0427 GMT to $95.02 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures rose 44 cents to $91.73 per barrel. Both benchmarks traded with a wide range on Wednesday, but settled little-changed. U.S. and Israeli war with Iran resulted in the biggest ever disruption of oil and gas supply due to Iran's blocking of traffic through the 'Strait of Hormuz', which typically carries around 20% of world oil and liquefied gas flows. Toshitaka Takawa, an...

Crude Oil

Oil prices remain flat as traders evaluate U.S. Iran talks and the Hormuz closing

Investors assessed the prospects of renewed U.S. Iran talks, and the potential of releasing supply from the Middle East where exports are still restricted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures rose 43 cents or 0.5% to $95.22 per barrel at 821 GMT after dropping 4.6% the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was down 17 cents or 0.2% to $91.11. The contract fell 7.9% in the previous session. The war has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz. This is a major waterway that allows crude oil and refined products to flow out of the...

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...

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....

Europe

Energy Markets

Oil gains after US-Iran ceasefire report

Oil lost gains on Thursday and traded lower briefly. A report by Axios claimed that U.S. officials and Iranians had reached an agreement to extend the ceasefire for 60 days and begin talks about Tehran's nuclear program. Brent crude futures rose 33 cents or 0.4% to $94.62 per barrel at 11:01 am EDT (1501 GMT). ?U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 56 cents (0.6%), to $89.24. Both benchmarks fell a little after the report, before recovering some of their lost ground. Axios, citing U.S. official?and source involved in mediation, reported that the agreement between the U.S. The oil prices have...

Energy Markets

Army says two drones from Russia crashed in Latvia

The Latvian Army reported on Thursday that two drones had entered NATO member Latvia from Russia and crashed. The police told the national broadcaster LSM that one of the drones had crashed into an oil-storage facility in Rezekne. This is about 40km (25miles) away from the border with Russia. The fire was out by the time firefighters arrived. Residents?along with the Russian border received drone alerts at 4:09 am local time (0109 GMT), on Thursday. They were asked to remain indoors. The municipality has announced that all schools in Rezekne will be closed on Thursday. In late March, several stray...

Oil Refineries

The spot crude premium has fallen from its record highs, despite the closure of Hormuz.

Analysts and traders said that spot premiums on physical crude had fallen from the record highs set during the Iran War as refiners were drawing down their inventories and reducing processing to make up for lost Middle East supply. Citi analysts say that since the U.S. and Israel's war?on Iran began on February 28, the global market lost access to 500,000,000 barrels of crude oil and refined products. This sparked a price spike on panic purchases, but has destroyed demand for consumers and refiners. Refiners searched the world for alternatives and paid premiums. Some grades reached record highs earlier this...

Western Europe

Middle East

Energy Markets

IMF, World Bank and others warn that Middle East war strains energy supplies

The heads of the International Energy Agency, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization warned on Friday that the war in the Middle East is straining the global energy supply and affecting vulnerable economies the most. The U.S. and Israel war against Iran has disrupted the trade, rattled the financial markets, and raised 'concerns about global energy supply, especially through Strait of Hormuz. This is a major route for oil and natural gas shipments. Global?institutions stated that the world's economy was resilient. However, the conflict disproportionately affected poorer countries by increasing fuel and fertilizer...

Fossil Fuels

China's oil imports cut and US exports increase wrongfoot the market bulls

Analysts and traders alike predicted a market Armageddon if U.S. - Iran war continued and the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. Five weeks after the peace talks stalled and the strait remained largely closed, oil prices did not rise but instead fell to between $100-$110 per barrel. This fall was caused by several factors: Chinese refiners reduced refining and imports, and used crude oil from their tanks instead. The United States' refiners, traders and producers exported more fuel and oil to the global market to fill the supply gap from the Middle East. The Strait of Hormuz was the route...

Crude Oil

Oil prices rebound on the uncertainty surrounding the Iran peace agreement and inventory reductions

The oil prices recovered on Thursday, after two days of losses. This was due to supply concerns arising from the uncertainty surrounding the end of the Iran War and the U.S. inventory withdrawal which raised fears about the depletion of global stocks. Brent crude futures grew 81 cents or 0.77% to $105.83 a barrel by 0055 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate futures rose 97 cents or 0.99% at $99.23. Both benchmarks fell more than 5.6% after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that negotiations with Iran are in their final stages. He also threatened to launch further attacks against Iran if...

Energy Markets

Singapore's oil products stocks fall to a nine-month-low as US-Iran conflict cuts supply

Official data showed that oil product stocks in Asia’s?oil-hub Singapore have fallen to their lowest levels in nine months, after the U.S./Iran war curtailed Middle East crude and fuel imports. Enterprise Singapore's data shows that combined onshore oil products stocks totaled?44.83 millions barrels during the week ending May 6, which is the lowest level since late July 2025. Last week, stocks of light and middle distillates (gasoline, diesel and jet-fuel) fell while remaining fuel inventories remained at a low level for the past year as Middle East imports remained close to zero. The amount of residual fuel in Singapore storage...

Energy Markets

Hormuz still disrupts shipping, despite lack of progress in US-Iran negotiations

The oil prices continued to rise 'on Thursday, despite the fact that 'peace talks' between Iran and the United States had stalled and both countries maintained their restrictions on trade flowing through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude futures were up $1.37 or 1.3% to $103.28 per barrel at 0410 GMT after Wednesday's settlement above $100 was the first in over two weeks. West Texas Intermediate futures also rose $1.52 or 1.6% to $94.48. The benchmarks for both closed Wednesday more than $3 higher after larger-than expected?gasoline stock withdrawals in the U.S. and the failure of the Iran peace talks....

Oil Storage

South Korea claims to have secured 273 million barrels of crude oil via routes outside Strait of Hormuz

South Korea has purchased 273 million barrels of crude oil from the Middle East and Kazakhstan by the end of this year. Supplies are being routed outside of the Strait of Hormuz. Kang, who was visiting as a presidential special envoy in Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia over the last week, said that Asia's fourth largest economy had also acquired 2.1 million tons of naphtha during the same time period. Kang stated that "in particular, the crude and naphtha obtained this time would be sourced via alternative supply routes, unrelated to the closure of the Strait?Hormuz. This will make a...

Oil & Gas

Japan releases oil stocks after US orders to buy American

Japan will'start releasing oil from their stockpiles? on Monday in order to ease the shock of the?U.S. - Israeli?war against Iran. This is a stark reminder to the oil crisis that occurred half a century earlier, which prompted Tokyo to build reserves. Tokyo announced that it would release 80 million barrels of crude oil to Japan, which is enough to last the nation for 45 days. The war in the Gulf has disrupted supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. The Japanese government has instructed the country's refineries to use the crude oil released, which will reduce national reserves by 17%...

Oil Storage

Oil prices rise as tensions between the US and Iran keep supply risks front-and-center

The price of oil climbed Thursday as investors hoped that U.S. and Iranian talks would avert a conflict which could disrupt supply. However, gains were capped due to a 'build-up in U.S. crude stocks. Brent futures traded at $71.12 a barrel at 0123 GMT, up 27 cents or 0.3%. WTI futures increased by 23 cents or 0.4% to $65.65. Brent rose 8 cents Wednesday while WTI dropped 21 cents. Brent reached its highest level since July 31, and WTI also rose to the highest level since July 31. Both contracts have remained?near these levels, as Washington has deployed military forces...

Refined Products

Oil prices increase on fears of tensions between the US and Iran

Investors worried about the escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S. pushed up oil prices on Thursday morning. Brent crude oil futures were up 34 cents or 0.49% at $69.74 per barrel at 0126 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude climbed 37 cents or 0.57% to $65.00. Both benchmarks closed higher on Wednesday. Brent futures rose 0.87%, and WTI more than 1.05% as investor concerns about U.S. - Iran tensions overshadowed a rise in U.S. oil stocks. After talks with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump stated that the two leaders had not reached a "definitive agreement" on how to...

Energy Markets

The third day of rising oil prices is due to increased concerns about an attack by Iran

The oil prices increased for the third consecutive day on Thursday, as the U.S.?may launch a military strike against a key Middle Eastern producer?Iran which could disrupt the supply of the region. Brent crude 'futures' rose 50 cents or 0.73% to $68.9 a bar by 0216 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude climbed 58 Cents or 0.92% to $63.79 a bar. Both contracts are up about 5% since January 26. They have reached their highest level since September 29. As a result of President Donald Trump's increased pressure to stop Iran's nuclear program, including threats of military strikes, and the...

Refined Products

The Kazakh power outage and Trump's 'armada' remarks about Iran are driving up oil prices.

Prices of oil?recovered?on Friday, after U.S. president Donald Trump renewed his threats against Iran. This sparked fears that military action could disrupt crude supply while outages are occurring in Kazakhstan. Brent crude futures rose by 76 cents or 1.2% to $64.82 per barrel at 1026 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude?was up $75 cents or 1.3% at $60.11. Both benchmarks were set at weekly gains of around 1.1%. Prices rose earlier in the week due to U.S. president Donald?Trump’s actions on Greenland, but fell by about 2% on Thursday after he backtracked on tariff threats and ruled out a military...

Oil & Gas

Oil prices pause gains as Venezuela shipments resume but Iran concerns loom

The market is apprehensive about the possibility of Iranian supply disruptions after deadly unrest in this major Middle Eastern producer. Brent futures traded 9 cents lower or 0.14% at $65.38 per barrel at 0207 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was down 12 Cents, or 0.2%, at $61.03 per barrel. Brent futures ended 2.5% higher Tuesday, while WTI rose 2.8%. Prices for both contracts have risen 9.2% in the last four trading sessions due to the?increasing protests against the fourth largest OPEC producer. U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday urged Iranians to continue protesting, and that help would soon be...