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Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas

Middle East worries drag Gulf markets down; Egypt drops for third consecutive day

The majority of Gulf'stock markets fell Tuesday. Qatar's benchmark continued to fall after the country stopped liquefied natural gas production amid a escalating air war in the area, and Egypt also?fell? for a third consecutive day. Israel expanded its campaign by launching new strikes against Iran and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Iran launched missiles and drones towards Israel, several Gulf States and a British base in Cyprus. QatarEnergy's, a state-owned company in Qatar, whose 82% clients reside in Asia, had planned to declare force majeure for its LNG shipments following Iranian drone attacks against facilities at the sprawling Ras Laffan Complex. Qatar...

Oil & Gas

Middle East worries drag Gulf markets, but energy shares rise in Saudi

The majority of Gulf stock markets fell on Tuesday. The benchmark Qatar index continued to decline after the country stopped?liquefied gas production amid an escalating air conflict in the region. Israel has 'extended' its campaign by launching new attacks on Iran and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel, several Gulf States, and a British base in Cyprus. QatarEnergy's, a state-owned company in Qatar, whose 82% clients reside in Asia, had planned to declare force majeure for its LNG shipments following Iranian drone attacks against facilities at the sprawling Ras Laffan Complex. Qatar's benchmark stock index fell 0.9%,...

Oil & Gas

Trump is 'disappointed' to see that the US-UK relationship has changed.

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that it was "sad" to see the relationship between the United States and Britain "not what it used to be" after Keir Starmer held back on initially committing military support for the strikes against Iran. Trump said that France was more supportive than he expected and that he never anticipated to see these relationships, which were once the "most solid" of all. It's sad to see the relationship has changed from what it was, Trump said in an interview with the Sun on Tuesday. This is his second interview with a British newspaper within...

Oil Refineries

US gasoline crosses the $3-per-gallon mark as a test of Trump's Iran War

Analysts say that the average U.S. gasoline price surpassed $3 per gallon on Monday for the first time since November as the conflict in the Middle East intensified. This is a major test of public support for President Donald Trump's decision against?Iran. Tehran's response to U.S.-Israeli strikes on oil production in neighboring nations and ships in Strait of Hormuz has disrupted the global supply of oil. Brent crude has risen by more than 5%, to almost $77 a barrel. Fuel prices are also rising in line with feedstock costs. As Trump and the Republicans prepare for the November midterm elections,...

Oil & Gas

Telegraph: Trump is'very upset' at Starmer's refusal to allow the use of UK air bases

Donald Trump said he was'very disappointed'?with British Premier?Minister Keir Starmer because he refused to allow the U.S. use of the Diego Garcia Air Base to conduct strikes against Iran, according to an interview with the Daily Telegraph. The?U.S. was initially reportedly denied permission to conduct air strikes from its bases. Starmer said he would accept a request to use its bases for air strikes against Iranian targets. In an interview published Monday, Trump said that Starmer's change of heart took "too much time". He told The Telegraph that "that's probably never happened before" between our countries, and added: "It sounded...

Oil & Gas

Oil prices rise as the Iran conflict escalates and disrupts shipping

On Monday, oil prices rose 7% and reached their highest level in months as Iran and Israel intensified attacks?in the Middle East. They damaged tankers?and disrupted shipments?from the key producing area. Brent crude futures soared to $82.37 in the first trading session after U.S., Israel and other countries launched attacks on Iran, killing its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on Saturday. Brent futures at 0054 GMT were $78.24 per barrel, an increase of $5.37 or 7.37%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude rose by $4.66 or 6.95% to $71.68 per barrel, after reaching $75.33 earlier. This was the highest since June 2025....

Oil & Gas

After the weekend Iran strike, Japanese yens and Swiss francs gain as safe haven currencies

Safe haven currencies like the Swiss franc, Japanese yen and the euro strengthened as currency trading returned after the weekend when the United States and Israel launched their most ambitious attack on Iran since decades, killing the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It dropped by 0.34%, to $1.1776, compared to around $1.18 at the end of New York trading on Friday. The euro fell by 0.5% against the Swiss Franc, to 0.9039. This is its lowest level since 2015. The dollar dropped 0.26%, to 155.65yen. However, the greenback gained against sterling and Australian dollars. U.S., Israeli, and Iranian strikes, as...

Oil & Gas

Barclays predicts Brent could hit $80 per barrel due to tensions between the US and Iran

Barclays stated that Brent crude oil could reach around $80 per barrel in the event a material supply disruption occurs, given that tensions between Iran and the U.S. remain high. The bank stated that "while it is possible that an 'escalation' does not result in a disruption in supply and the risk premium of $3-5/b in oil prices quickly fades, a 1mb/d outage in supply would question the widely anticipated supply glut, and push Brent to $80/b in our opinion." Prices of oil rose by?about 2 percent on Friday as traders prepared for supply disruptions due to the ongoing nuclear...

Oil & Gas

The US Energy Secretary says that Venezuelan oil proceeds are no longer being routed through Qatar.

Chris Wright, the U.S. Energy secretary, said that proceeds from the sale of Venezuelan oil will no longer be routed through an account in Qatar. Instead they are being sent directly to US Treasury Department accounts. The U.S. has taken control of Venezuela's oil exports after Washington and Caracas signed a landmark deal in January. The U.S. has taken control of Venezuela's oil exports as part of a historic deal signed between Washington and Caracas. To protect the money from seizure, it was initially deposited into a Qatari account. Wright, who spoke to reporters in Texas about the?reroute, said that...

Oil & Gas

US wants to forfeit oil tanker, 1.8 million barrels Venezuelan crude oil

The Justice Department announced on Friday that the United States is seeking to forfeit a crude oil cargo of approximately 1.8 millions barrels supplied by Venezuelan PDVSA and an oil tanker, 'Motor.Tanker.Skipper', which was seized by U.S. authorities in December. The Department of Justice filed a complaint in the U.S. The Department of Justice filed a complaint in the District Court for the District of Columbia alleging a conspiracy dating back to 2021 that aimed to facilitate the shipment of petroleum products and their sale to the benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of?Iran. The Justice Department released a...

Oil & Gas

US: Oil sales under US/Venezuela agreement expected to reach 2 billion dollars by the end of February

Chris Wright, the U.S. Secretary of Energy told reporters on Thursday in Texas that sales under the flagship oil supply agreement between Venezuela and the U.S. will reach $2 billion by the end of this month. The U.S. took over Venezuela's oil sales shortly after U.S. troops captured President Nicolas Maduro early in January. Proceeds went to a U.S. supervised fund in Qatar. Since then, Vitol - and Trafigura - have been marketing and distributing the lion's'share' of the OPEC countries' 'oil' under the pact. Meanwhile, partners of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, particularly Chevron, are 'increasing output and shipments....

Oil & Gas

Women who sued Meta and YouTube for social media addiction is expected to testify at trial

As her landmark trial continues in Los Angeles, a California woman will?testify in court? on Thursday about the harm that?using Google's YouTube and?Meta Platforms’ Instagram as a child caused her mental health. Kaley G.M. In court, Kaley G.M. Her lawyers claim that the companies wanted to make money 'by hooking children onto their services, despite their knowledge of how social media can harm their mental health. Kaley G.M. Kaley G.M. This case is part of a global backlash against social-media companies for alleged harms caused to children and teenagers. Australia has banned children under 16 from using such platforms. Other...

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

Kremlin: Putin will convey Arab concern to Iran regarding attacks on oil infrastructure

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Vladimir Putin would 'convey concerns to Iran among Arab leaders about Tehran's attacks on oil infrastructures in the?region, as?the Iran Conflict continued to escalate. Putin made a series of phone calls to four Arab Gulf leaders on Monday, offering to use Moscow’s ties with Tehran – with whom it has a “strategic relationship” – to defuse tensions. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters Tuesday that Putin would "certainly" make efforts to ease tensions at least slightly. "The discussions yesterday with almost all of his interlocutors focused primarily on Putin conveying to his colleagues in...

Fossil Fuels

Middle East tensions and LNG stoppage in Qatar lead to a decline across the Gulf

Qatar led the way in early trading on Tuesday, following its halting of liquefied gas production. Middle East tensions were rising and regional energy shutdowns were weighing on risk sentiment. Inflation fears also increased. Israel has intensified its campaign by launching new attacks on Iran and Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel, several Gulf States and a British air base in Cyprus. This raises concerns about a possible prolonged conflict. Qatar's benchmark stock index fell 1.2%. This was due to a 2.2% decline in the Qatar National Bank. The largest lender in the Gulf by assets. In...

Fossil Fuels

How has the Strategic Petroleum Reserve been used by US presidents during wartime?

Although the U.S. does not plan to sell oil from its Strategic Petroleum?Reserve - the world's largest stockpile of emergency oil - presidents have used it in times of crisis to try to control fuel costs for U.S.?consumers. A U.S.-based source confirmed on Monday that the administration of Donald 'Trump does not have any plans to sell oil from the SPR. Analysts said that if the oil prices continue to increase following the U.S. and Israeli attacks against OPEC member Iran, which killed the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as other top officials, then the administration may take another...

Crude Oil

Mining

Mining

Sources say that global aluminium producers have paused premium offers for Japan Q2 due to the uncertainty in the Middle East.

Four sources who were involved in quarterly pricing discussions said that global aluminium producers had pulled their initial premium offers for Japanese buyers or let them expire as they feared the threat posed by a escalating Middle East war to cargoes passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Japan is a major importer of metals in Asia, and the premiums it pays for primary metals shipments over the London Metal Exchange cash price each quarter set the benchmark for this region. South32 and Rio Tinto both offered Japanese buyers premiums for April-June shipments of $250 and $220 per metric ton, respectively,...

Mineral Resources

Goldman Sachs: The length of the Strait of Hormuz interruption will determine how much aluminium prices rise.

Goldman Sachs stated Monday that the greatest risks for 'aluminium' stem from possible disruptions in export routes and raw material access through the Strait of Hormuz. They noted that the price impact should be minimal if the shipping disruptions last only a short time. The benchmark aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange has risen to its highest level in over a month after the U.S.-Israeli?strikes against Iran. Around 150 ships have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz - the main shipping artery connecting Asia to Europe - after the commander for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on state...

Mineral Resources

Mining minister: Investor interest in Greenland has increased following Trump's threats

Since the emergence of a?U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland, according to a senior Greenlandic government official. Naaja H. Nathielsen, Greenland’s Minister for Business and Mineral Resources, stated that the UK, Canada, and European Union countries have shown the most interest. She said, "On the investor's side, we saw an increase in interest in investing." She said that although Trump expressed an interest in purchasing?Greenland many years ago, it has been "hectic" over the last two months. The Arctic island is a strategically located, mineral-rich autonomous?territory. Trump has 'intensified his rhetoric about gaining control of Greenland...

Mining

REalloys, a rare earths company, receives Pentagon funding

REalloys, a rare earths company, has received a U.S. Department of Defense Contract worth up to $1.7 Million to fund the design of a metal processing facility used to?make magnets and electronic components for weapons. The Ohio-based firm received the contract from Defense Logistics Agency. It aims to process 300 metric tonnes?per annum of heavy rare earths, samarium, and gadolinium to metal form. This would make the company one of the largest U.S. suppliers of these metals. Rare earths are first converted into metals before they can be used in?magnets. China has placed export restrictions on rare earths, critical minerals...

Mineral Resources

Trump's war against Iran is a serious risk to US and European aluminum consumers

The war between the U.S. & Iran is likely to cause a prolonged disruption in Middle East aluminium imports, which will hit European and U.S. consumers the hardest. This is because they are heavily reliant on this region for supply. The U.S.,?Israel and other countries attacked Iran on Saturday in a move which could result in the closure of Strait of Hormuz. This important trade route was disrupted due to Iranian attacks against U.S. military base. The impact of sustained disarray will be significant According to BNP Paribas commodities analyst David Wilson, the Arabian Gulf has around 7 million tons...

Mining

Gold prices rise amid fears of Middle East conflict

Gold as a safe-haven asset gained on Monday due to escalating fears of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East following?U.S. Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran have boosted the price of safe-haven gold. Gold spot gained 2%, to $5,384.41 per ounce, by 1406 GMT, after reaching a session-high of $5,418.50. Prices reached a record high of $5,594.82 in January. U.S. Gold Futures increased 2.9% to $5.397.40 per ounce. David Meger is the director of metals trading for High Ridge Futures. "I believe that it is the uncertainty that will more than likely'support prices. The U.S. and Israeli air war...

Mining

Gold prices rise by more than 2% after strikes against Iran prompt a rush for safe havens

Gold prices rose by more than 2% on Monday as U.S. and Israel strikes against Iran continued - with no end in sight. This stoked fears of a wider geopolitical & economic uncertainty, which sparked a flight into safe havens. Gold spot prices rose 2.1% at 1255 GMT to $5,388.59 per ounce, after reaching a four-week high in the previous session. The metal reached a high of $5,594.82 in January. U.S. Gold Futures increased 3%, to $5404.20 an ounce. Ricardo Evangelista, ActivTrades analyst, said: "We're seeing an increase in'safe-haven assets. This is reflected both in the gains of gold as...

Mineral Resources

Worthington Steel's Plan B in case $2.4 billion Kloeckner bid fallss

Geoff Gilmore, Worthington Steel's chief executive officer, said that the U.S. company would have a 'decent number of other acquisition targets if a $2.4 Billion deal to buy German metals distribution?Kloeckner & Co falls through. Worthington must secure at least 66% of Kloeckner shares by March 12 to seal the deal. Worthington is looking at around 10 targets, including Kloeckner, a German company, that Gilmore has said he's "highly confident" he can achieve. He already secured?53% of Kloeckner from Swoctem, Kloeckner’s largest shareholder, and other tenders. Gilmore said, "We felt that Kloeckner was the best choice for us in terms...

Mining

Worthington Steel's Plan B in case Kloeckner deal falls through

Worthington Steel's Chief Executive said that if a $2.4 bn deal to buy German metals traders Kloeckner & Co falls through, it would still have a number of options to choose from. Geoff Gilmore's comments come just two weeks before the deadline for the 'offer expires, on March 12th. Worthington is required to secure at least 65% of Kloeckner shares in order to seal 'the deal'. Worthington has looked at around 10 targets, including Kloeckner, a German company, and Gilmore, who said he is "highly confident" of achieving his goal. He already secured 53% by Kloeckner's largest shareholder,?Swoctem, as well...

Mining

Gold prices rise as US-Israeli strikes on Iran spur demand for safe-havens

Gold prices rose on Monday, after U.S. and Israel launched a major strike on Iran that killed the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. This heightened geopolitical tensions, and deepened global economic uncertainty. As of 0201 GMT, spot gold was up 1% to $5,329.39 per ounce after reaching its highest level in over four weeks. Bullion prices rose as high as 2% earlier in the session. U.S. Gold Futures increased 1.8% to $5342.80 an ounce. Israel launched new strikes against Tehran on Sunday, and Iran responded by firing more missiles. This came a day following the death of Khamenei which threw the...

Mining

US strikes Iran with B-2 Bombers, Anthropic AI and suicide drones

On Saturday, the United States launched a variety of weapons against Iranian targets, including Tomahawk missiles, stealth aircraft, and low-cost, one-way drones that were modeled on Iranian designs. U.S. Central Command has released photos of Tomahawk missiles and F-18, F-35 fighter planes as well as details about the attacks on Iran in Operation Epic Fury. ARTIFICIAL?INTELLIGENCE According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Pentagon used artificial intelligence tools from Anthropic during its attack against Iran. Anthropic was declared a supply-chain risk by the U.S. a day earlier, suggesting that it poses a national security threat. Donald Trump...

Mineral Resources

Investors look for shelter in gold when the US and Israel attack Iran

Investors are closely monitoring potential safe-haven flows into bullion as a result of the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran. Investors, traders and analysts have reacted to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. EDWARD MEIR, MAREX ANALYST I?think that you will see a sudden spike in the price of gold and oil. This will be a natural reaction to the unexpected onset of hostilities. I think gold could rise by $200/ounce, but then fall over the course the day. Investors are largely uninterested in military conflicts. They are only concerned with whether oil supplies will be disrupted. Once the...