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North America

Crude Oil

Markets watch Ukraine peace talks and Fed rate decision

Investors waited for a decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve on interest rates and watched progress in Russia-Ukraine talks. Brent crude futures rose 7 cents or 0.1% to $62.01 per barrel at 0500 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was trading at $58.32 per barrel, an increase of 7 cents or 0.1%. Suvro Sarkar is a DBS Bank energy analyst and said that the American Petroleum Institute reported a decline in U.S. oil inventories. Oil prices could be supported by the U.S. Fed's rate-cut policy, which is another macro-driver. Citing market sources The API numbers are a good way to...

Oil & Gas

HF Sinclair predicts lower capex for 2026 due to reduced maintenance costs

HF Sinclair forecast capital expenditures for '2026 of $775 million. This is a 11% drop from 'its estimated spending this year. After operating at full capacity in 2022 due to supply shortages resulting from Russia's invasion, U.S. refineries have focused on maintenance. The company's budget would be reduced by $325 million, which is less than the $410 millions it had forecasted for 2025. The independent refiner based in Dallas, Texas, said that it was considering expanding its pipeline system across the Rocky Mountain range and West Coast, to "bolster fuel supplies" for markets such as California and Nevada. The West...

Energy Markets

WTI gains weekly as Fed hopes to boost the market and Venezuela tensions are looming

WTI oil prices are expected to rise by a significant amount on Friday. This is due to the anticipated Federal Reserve rate cut. Also, tensions between the United States and Venezuela have risen, while peace talks in Moscow have stalled. Brent crude dropped 14 cents or 0.2% to $63.12 a barrel at 0400 GMT. The contract remained largely unchanged over the past week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate dipped by 18 cents or 0.3% to $59.49 per barrel. This is despite a weekly increase of approximately 1.6%, and the second consecutive week of growth. The market is weighing the impact of...

Crude Oil

The Fed is hoping to boost the market and Venezuela tensions are looming. Oil prices will rise by 2% this week.

By Colleen Waye WTI oil was heading for a weekly gain of nearly 2% on early Friday trading, supported by escalating U.S. - Venezuela tensions, and stalled Moscow peace talks. This would be the second week in a row of increases. Brent crude was up 6 cents or 0.09% at $63.32 a barrel at the market opening on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 4 cents or 0.07% to $59.71 per barrel. The previous trading session saw both contracts settle up by around 1%. In a survey conducted between November 28 and December 4, 82% of economists expected that the...

Fossil Fuels

Sources say that Motiva Texas refinery will be doing coker work in 2019, and CDU replacements in September 2026.

Motiva Enterprises will perform maintenance on a coker this December and overhaul its large crude distillation system in September 2026, according to people familiar with the plant's operations. The refinery produces 640,500 barrels per day. A Motiva spokesperson failed to respond on Tuesday when asked for comments about the planned maintenance of the Port Arthur refinery in the United States, the largest. Sources did not specify which of the cokers in the refinery would undergo maintenance before the end 2025. Two cokers are available at the refinery. DCU-1 is capable of producing 54,000 bpd, and DCU-2 can produce 110,000 bpd....

Refined Products

Oil prices stable on concerns about geopolitical supply risks

The oil price held steady in the early trading of Tuesday, as participants weighed up risks arising from Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy sites and mounting tensions between the United States and Venezuela. They also pondered mixed expectations regarding U.S. gasoline inventories. Brent crude futures increased 7 cents or 0.1% to $63.24 per barrel at 0427 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude gained 10 cents or 0.2% to $59.42 per barrel. Both benchmarks rose more than 1% Monday, with WTI near its two-week high. In a client note, Saxo analysts stated that oil held gains while traders awaited the...

Crude Oil

Oil prices will be under pressure in 2026 due to the soaring supply

A poll on Friday showed that oil prices will remain low in 2026 as a result of soaring supplies and modest growth in demand. Geopolitical risks may also limit further losses. In a survey of 35 economists, analysts and other experts, it was predicted that Brent crude will average $62.23 per barrel by 2026. This is down from the October forecast of $63.15. According to LSEG, the benchmark has averaged 68.80 dollars per barrel in 2025. The average price of U.S. crude oil is expected to be $59.00 per barrel. This is lower than the $60.23 expectation from last month....

Refined Products

J.P. Morgan estimates that tax breaks and rate cuts could boost India's Nifty50 to 30,000 by the end of 2026.

J.P. Morgan reported on Wednesday that India's Nifty 50 benchmark index could reach 30,000 by the end of 2026. This would represent a 15% increase from its current level, thanks to steady fiscal and monetary policies, which are expected to boost demand. The Nifty, and its counterpart Sensex, are currently at 26,205.3, and 85,609.51, respectively, just short of the record highs reached in September 2024. Earnings have improved against a background of steady growth and benign inflation, and robust domestic flow. According to a poll of economists, the Nifty is expected to reach 28,500 by 2026's end and 28,850 in...

Energy Markets

Oil prices drop on concerns about oversupply while investors focus on Ukraine talks

The oil prices fell on Tuesday, as fears that Russian shipments would remain under sanctions despite the inconclusiveness of talks to end Ukraine's war outweighed concerns about supply exceeding demand. Brent futures dropped 27 cents or 0.4% to $63.10 per barrel at 0500 GMT. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), which is a blend of crude oil from Texas, fell 23 cents or 0.4% to $58.61. The two crude benchmarks both gained 1.3% Monday, as rising doubts over a peace agreement to end the Russia/Ukraine conflict reduced expectations of an unrestricted flow of Russian fuel and crude oil supplies. These are...

Crude Oil

Binh Son refinery in Vietnam increases US oil imports

Two sources familiar with the matter on Tuesday said that Binh Son refinery in Vietnam is expected to purchase 1 million barrels West Texas Intermediate crude oil in January. This will be its second purchase within three months, as it increases imports from the United States. Since Trump threatened to impose tariffs against Vietnamese products in April, Vietnam has sought to purchase more U.S. products to close the trade gap. Vietnam wants to import a variety of U.S. products, including farm produce, liquefied gas, aircraft, and crude oil. Sources said that Swiss trader Mercuria had sold the cargo of 1...

Oil & Gas

Honeywell is chosen by Nigerian Dangote to support ambitious capacity expansion

Honeywell has been contracted by Nigerian oil refinery Dangote to help double the capacity of its refinery to 1.4million barrels per day in 2028. This is the clearest sign yet that the company's plans to become the largest refinery in the world are taking shape. Honeywell's equipment and catalysts will help Dangote process a wider range of crude grades, which is needed to support their planned expansion of output. Dangote also plans to license Honeywell's Oleflex Technology to increase its polypropylene production - a material used in plastic containers and auto parts. The financial terms of the agreement were not...

Energy Markets

Oil prices rise as investors focus on Ukraine and concerns over supply

The oil prices remained unchanged on Tuesday, despite the fact that they had risen in the previous session. This was due to concerns about the supply exceeding demand in 2019. These fears outweighed the worries about Russian shipments remaining under sanctions if the talks to end Ukraine's war are unsuccessful. Brent futures dropped 17 cents or 0.3% to $63.20 per barrel at 0158 GMT. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), which is a blend of crude oil from Texas, fell 12 cents or 0.2% to $58.71. The two crude benchmarks rose 1.3% each on Monday, as a growing doubt about the...

Europe

Refined Products

Oil prices remain unchanged as investors return to Ukraine peace talks

Oil prices were stable on Thursday, as investors focused their attention?back on the Russia-Ukraine talks and watched for any possible fallout after a U.S. seize of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela's coast. Brent crude futures fell 5?cents or 0.08% to $62.16 a barge at 0400 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was down one cent, or 0.02% at $58.45 a barge. The benchmarks were higher on Monday after the U.S. announced that it had seized an oil-tanker off the coasts of Venezuela. Escalating tensions between both countries have raised fears about possible supply disruptions. "So far the seizure hasn't...

Refined Products

US allows transactions with Lukoil fuel stations outside Russia until late April

The Trump administration allowed transactions on Thursday with Lukoil outside of Russia, with a small waiver from sanctions imposed by the U.S. in October because the company's revenue is used to support Moscow's war against Ukraine. A posting on the Treasury Department website stated that the transactions for approximately 2,000 stations in Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as the Americas were authorized until April 29, 2026. In October, President Donald Trump imposed sanctions against Lukoil, one of Russia's largest oil companies. This triggered a rush of buyers to buy its assets, estimated at $22 billion. These...

Energy Markets

Trump proposes a sharp rollback of US vehicle fuel efficiency rules

Automakers and sources have confirmed that the Trump administration will announce on Wednesday a major rollback in fuel economy standards, which former president Joe Biden finalized last summer, as part of its latest push to encourage automakers to offer gasoline-powered vehicles. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will propose a significant reduction in fuel economy requirements for model years 2022-2031. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will also make radical changes to the program, including eliminating credit-trading among automakers. It will also end some credits that were given for fuel-saving technologies. The proposal will be unveiled by President Donald Trump, Stellantis...

Western Europe

Middle East

Crude Oil

Iran raises fuel prices to heavy users in order to curb consumption

State media reported that Iran would raise its price for heavily subsidised gasoline on Saturday. The OPEC member is trying to curb 'rising fuel demands without provoking public anger. The proposal to increase Iran's fuel prices, which are among the lowest in the entire world, has been put off for a long time, reportedly due to fears that it could lead a similar protest wave that was seen in 2019. State television reported that the government would introduce a 'higher rate' of 50,000 Iranian Rials per litre (four U.S. Cents above the 'free market rate") at midnight on Saturday for...

Energy Markets

Prices of oil are up due to tensions between the US and Venezuela, but they will fall by a week's time.

The price of oil rose on Friday, as fears about the U.S. interdicting more Venezuelan tankers heightened supply concerns. However, the prices remained on course for a weekly drop amid optimism regarding a possible Russia/Ukraine peace agreement. Brent crude futures were up 29 cents or 0.5% to $61.57 a barrel by 0115 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude oil was at $57.91 a barrel, an increase of 31 cents or 0.5%. Both benchmarks dropped about 1.5% Thursday. Six sources with knowledge of the situation said that the U.S. was preparing to intercept additional ships transporting Venezuelan crude oil after the...

Crude Oil

OPEC data indicates a close balance between oil supply and demand in 2026. No glut

OPEC data published on Thursday showed that world?oil supply would match demand closely by 2026. This is in contrast to projections made by the International Energy Agency, and others, who predicted a massive glut. The OPEC+ group, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia, and other allies, plans to pause the production increases?in the first three months of 2026 amid predictions of an oversupply. In a report released on Thursday, OPEC stated that OPEC+ pumped 43.06 mn bpd of crude oil in November, an increase of 43,000 bpd over the previous month. The report 'forecasts demand...

Fossil Fuels

Markets focus on Ukraine peace talks as they cap gains due to supply concerns

Investors awaited progress in the Russia-Ukraine talks and concerns about supply exceeding demand. Brent crude futures rose 11 cents or 0.2% to $62.05 per barrel at 0241 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude was trading at $58.38 per barrel, an increase of 13 cents or 0.2%. ING analysts said that while the oil market has moved deeper?into a glut expected, Russian supply is still a concern. ING stated that "while Russian seaborne export volume is holding up well, barrels?are having a hard time finding buyers", adding that Russian oil 'output would start to drop if buyers cannot be found. After...

Refined Products

OPEC oil production slips in November despite an agreed-uplift, survey finds

A survey on Thursday found that OPEC oil production fell in November despite an OPEC+ deal to increase production in the month due to unavailability in some members. This brought the supply of the group even further below their target. According to the survey, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) pumped 28,40 million barrels of oil per day in October, a decrease of 30,000 barrels per days from the total for October. Nigeria and Iraq recorded the largest declines. OPEC+ - a grouping of OPEC, Russia and its allies - has slowed down the rate of monthly production...

Refined Products

Oil prices drop as markets monitor supply signals from Russia and Ukraine

The oil price fell for the second session in a row on Wednesday as traders awaited an outcome from Russia-Ukraine talks that may boost supply. Meanwhile, concerns about a possible surplus increased due to rising inventories. Brent crude was up 2 cents or 0.03% at $62.47 as of 0427 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained 3 cents or 0.05% to $58.67. This "weakness" comes despite the continued attacks by Ukraine on Russian energy infrastructure. A note by ING analysts on Wednesday warned that Moscow could start attacking ships from countries that support Ukraine. Analysts noted that Brent had fallen to...

Energy Markets

Brent prices rise on Ukraine concerns, WTI is disrupted by CME failure

Brent crude oil futures rose Friday, as geopolitical risk remained elevated due to the prolonged Russia-Ukraine talks. Traders also kept an eye on the outcome from Sunday's OPEC+ gathering for any clues on possible output changes. The exchange operator CME group experienced a system failure that resulted in the freezing of U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures. The traders said that they were Inform yourself CME informed Globex just before 0300 GMT that trading on all futures and option contracts was suspended due to an issue with cooling at CyrusOne's data centres. Brent oil is traded on the Intercontinental Exchange...

Refined Products

Oil prices rise as investors wait for peace talks

The oil price steadied Thursday as traders weighed the impact of Western sanctions on Russian supply against the talks to end Ukraine's war. Trading was expected to be thin because of the U.S. holiday Thanksgiving. Brent crude futures increased 9 cents, or 0.1%, to $63.22 a barrel as of 1102 GMT. U.S. West Texas intermediate crude futures increased 19 cents, or 0.3%, to $58.84 a barrel. Steve Witkoff, U.S. ambassador to Russia and other senior U.S. officials will travel to Moscow with Russian leaders next week for discussions on a potential plan to end the nearly 4-year-old conflict in Ukraine....

Oil Storage

Oil prices hold steady after a one-month low due to high supply expectations

Investors assessed the prospects of an oversupply, and the talks about a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. Brent crude futures fell 5 cents, to $62.43 per barrel at 0904 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures rose 1 cent to $57.96. Priyanka Sahdeva, an analyst at Phillip Nova, said: "The market is fundamentally skewed downwards. Investors are increasingly pricing in a 2026 oversupply and there's no compelling demand catalyst to offset that." Brent crude and WTI both settled down 89 cents on Tuesday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy informed European leaders that the U.S. was willing to support a...

Energy Markets

Iran raises fuel prices in limited circumstances

Iran will increase the price of heavily subsidised fuel in certain circumstances, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency on Tuesday. The OPEC member is trying to curb the increasing demand for fuel without provoking public anger. Tasnim reported that "the government has decided, starting in December to charge a rate for refuelling emergency fuel cards at 50,000 Iranian Rials per litre (0.44% of the free market price)" and added that this rate represents 10% of the cost of buying one litre fuel from refineries. Fuel stations accept emergency cards if the driver does not have their smart card. The...

Refined Products

Sources say that India's Russian oil binge will end in December, as sanctions bite.

India's Russian crude oil imports will be at their lowest level in three years by December. They were already higher than they had been for several months in November as refiners sought alternatives to avoid violating Western sanctions. The United States, Britain and the European Union have all tightened sanctions against Moscow in response to the conflict in Ukraine. Washington's most recent measures target top Russian oil producers Rosneft, and Lukoil. The deadline for buyers of Russian oil to end their dealings with these two companies was November 21. Separately the EU set a deadline of 21 January after which...

Crude Oil

Oil prices fall as investors wait for the Ukraine peace talks and U.S. rate cuts

After a drop of around 3% last week, oil prices were a little lower on Monday as investors weighed up the prospects of a U.S. interest rate cut against a Russia-Ukraine agreement that could allow more Russian production through a easing of sanctions. After agreeing to modify an earlier version of the deal that was deemed too favorable to Moscow by critics, the United States and Ukraine are set to resume working on a revised peace plan ahead of a deadline set Thursday by U.S. president Donald Trump. Brent crude futures remained unchanged at $62.56 a barrel at 0458 GMT....