Qatar LNG Under Constraint: Capacity Loss and Export Dislocation Shakes Global Gas Markets
Escalating regional conflict has damaged Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG complex, cutting roughly 17% of its export capacity. The disruption also blocks tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting global LNG trade routes. Repairs to specialized equipment may take several years, leaving Europe and Asia vulnerable to supply shortfalls. Analysts warn tighter markets will lift spot prices and intensify competition for alternative cargoes.
Lithium Demand to Surge Sixfold by 2040, but Zimbabwe’s Role Limited by Refining Constraints
The OECD projects global lithium demand will rise almost sixfold by 2040, driven by electric‑vehicle sales and grid‑scale battery storage. Zimbabwe, Africa’s top lithium producer, currently accounts for about 9% of world output but is expected to fall to 6%...
New Historical Comparison for Silver
Analysts note that silver's recent parabolic rally and abrupt crash closely resemble a previous cycle, most often compared to the 2011 boom‑and‑bust. The price surge was fueled by heightened inflation concerns and expectations of prolonged Fed tightening, while the subsequent...
Fertilizer Cost Increases Resulting From the Iran Conflict
Fertilizer prices in central Illinois surged after the Iran‑U.S.-Israel conflict began on Feb. 28, 2026, with anhydrous ammonia climbing from $828 to $1,123 per ton and 28 % nitrogen solution rising 25% to $543 per ton. The spike translates to more than $20...
Daily Energy Report
Goldman Sachs warned global oil inventories are sliding toward an eight‑year low, now around 101 days of demand and projected to fall to 98 days by the end of May. The decline follows geopolitical shocks, including Iran’s attack on Hormuz...
The War in Iran Is Making Coffee Production More Expensive
The U.S.-Iran war is driving a sharp rise in fertilizer costs, pushing the International Coffee Organization’s price index up 2.3%. World Bank forecasts a 31% jump in fertilizer prices for 2026, with urea soaring 60%, threatening the 2026/27 coffee harvest....
EIA Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update, 5 May 2026
On May 5, 2026 the U.S. Energy Information Administration released its latest gasoline and diesel price update, presenting regional price data for April 20, April 27 and May 4. Nationally, regular gasoline hovered around $3.98 per gallon, while on‑highway diesel climbed to roughly $4.45, marking...
Cocoa’s Recovery Rally Faces a Growing Wall of Supply
ICE Cocoa July 2026 contract closed at $3,596 per tonne, a 4.81% weekly gain, pushing the price above its 50‑day moving average for the first time in months. The rally occurs despite a projected global surplus—ICCO expects a 75,000‑tonne surplus...
Gold: Differences of Opinion
MacleodFinance explains why gold prices have stayed flat despite rising geopolitical risk and oil prices. In Western markets, higher oil fuels inflation and pushes interest rates up, making the cost of holding gold higher and the dollar more attractive. Asian...
Consus Ag Consulting AM Market Brief
Corn, soybeans and wheat slipped overnight as profit‑taking intensified, while crude oil also fell despite constrained Persian Gulf supplies. Traders cite weak long positions and mixed reports of renewed US‑Iran hostilities, keeping a heightened risk premium in the market. A...
Ali Haji of American Tungsten Corp. To Speak on Restoring Domestic Tungsten Supply Amid Growing National Security Concerns
Ali Haji, CEO of American Tungsten Corp., will speak at the Critical Minerals Institute’s Summit 5 in Toronto on May 14, outlining the company’s plan to restore a domestic tungsten supply. He highlighted that China currently dominates the market, supplying roughly 80%...
Gold Dominates Zim’s Exports, Prices Deserve Credit, but a Production Boom Cannot Be Ignored
Zimbabwe’s gold exports surged to US$426.6 million in March 2026, representing 45.8% of total export value and over US$1.38 billion in the first quarter. While record gold prices above US$4,000 per ounce contributed, a structural boom driven by artisanal and small‑scale mining...
Cattle Availability Builds as Processor Leverage Returns
Cattle availability in Australia rose in March, driven by strong yardings and processing in New South Wales and Queensland, but the surge was uneven across states. In April, NSW yardings eased while Queensland continued to climb, concentrating supply in the...
Global Cattle Pricing Update April 2026
The EP3 April 2026 cattle price index shows US heavy‑steer at 769 Ac/kg, far ahead of Argentina (480 Ac/kg), Australia (414 Ac/kg) and Brazil (325 Ac/kg). Australian prices slipped 7% year‑to‑date, while US values rose 2% and both Argentina and Brazil gained 9%. The gap...
This Is Not Temporary Price Pain for Buildings – It’s a Major Structural Shift. Get Set for Big Changes
Australia’s electricity and gas markets are entering a structural price‑volatility phase, pushing building operating costs higher. Daytime solar drives low prices but peak‑evening spikes keep electricity bills among the highest globally, while gas prices have surged, nearly doubling in Melbourne...
Gold's Outlook Remains Neutral-to-Bearish Amid Prolonged US-Iran Stalemate and Neutral Fed
Gold’s price continues to slip as the protracted US‑Iran standoff lifts real yields and strengthens the dollar, stripping the metal of the bullish catalysts that buoyed it earlier in the year. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s confirmed tenure through 2028...
The Rise and Fall of OPEC
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in 1960 by five oil‑producing nations to challenge the dominance of the Western “Seven Sisters” oil majors. Over the next two decades OPEC expanded its membership and, by the 1973 oil...
The Input Spike Leaves a Long Shadow
Input costs for U.S. farmers surged as diesel nearly doubled and fertilizer rose about 80% above pre‑conflict levels, then eased modestly. Because many growers purchased inputs at peak prices, the subsequent price declines do not relieve their cost base. Wheat...
The Grain Rally Farmers Cannot Take at Face Value
Wheat prices have rallied as US winter wheat condition remains weak, with the good‑to‑excellent rating only edging to 31%, keeping a risk premium in place. Rising energy prices—crude, diesel and freight—have pushed fertilizer and transport costs up more than 80%...
Singapore Oil Inflows Throw up Fuel Warning Light for Australia
Since the February 28 outbreak of the Middle East war, global oil logistics have been reshaped, with the Strait of Hormuz bottleneck only now rippling through Asian markets. Singapore’s oil imports have surged, diverting cargoes that would have traditionally passed through...
Oil, Yields Higher on Persian Gulf Escalation, Stocks Down Slightly
Crude oil rebounded above $105 per barrel after reports of an Iranian strike on the UAE and a U.S. naval show of force in the Strait of Hormuz. The surge pushed oil to a peak near $107 before settling around...
DR. NOMI PRINS | The Silver Squeeze Just Got Real!
Silver prices have fallen about 35% from their January peak, yet physical market tightness is intensifying. China set an eight‑year high by importing roughly 790 tons of silver (≈$610 million) in January‑February, while simultaneously tightening export licences for refined metal. The Silver...
Daily Energy Report
Oil prices surged on May 4 as Iran intensified drone and missile attacks on UAE infrastructure and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Brent crude to about $115 a barrel and WTI to $106. The United States responded with...
Consus Ag Consulting Afternoon Wrap Up
Futures opened the week choppy as grains slipped lower while the soy complex posted gains. A more favorable U.S. weather outlook and stronger foreign export flows pressured wheat, especially after India lifted its export restrictions. Feed‑corn sales provided modest support,...
Factory Sector Purchasing Manager Surveys Upstaged By Fresh Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz
World oil prices jumped at the start of the tenth week of the Middle East conflict after Iran reportedly fired on U.S. escort vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. WTI crude rose to about $105.55 a barrel (+3.6%) and Brent...
Gold Buying Prices in Zimbabwe per Gram/ Ounce, 4 May 2026
Fidelity Gold Refinery (FGR) published its May 4 2026 gold buying rates for Zimbabwean producers. The fire‑assay cash price tops the table at $138.70 per gram ($4,314 per ounce) for shipments over 100 g, while sample grades (5–10 g) receive $131.40 per gram. Tiered...
Commodity Market Movers Report - Portfolio Update 03.05.2026
The fund added a long position in sugar, citing Brazil’s shift of cane to ethanol and a strong El Niño forecast that could curb Indian sugar output. Simultaneously, it exited its long gold exposure to tighten risk controls. The moves reflect...
Iron Ore Soars on the Wars
Iron ore futures are racing toward their highest level in two years, propelled primarily by geopolitical tensions rather than fundamentals. Despite a 6% drop in the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) index and construction PMI forecasts that remain below...
THE 1973 OIL EMBARGO PARALLEL & THE $20,000 GOLD BET: Why the End of the Strait of Hormuz Blockade Could...
The piece likens today’s Strait of Hormuz blockade to the 1973 oil embargo, noting that the 1973 equity crash unfolded months after the embargo lifted, while gold prices doubled. It argues that the eventual resolution of the blockade, combined with...
From Research to Action: Critical Minerals in the Mid-Transition
The AFD Group, under the French G7 presidency, is convening a high‑level virtual conference on May 6, 2026 to address the growing uncertainties surrounding critical minerals that power the energy transition. Participants will include government officials, financiers, industry leaders, and researchers from...
The Hormuz Cascade, Tier Two
The Hormuz Cascade, Tier Two, maps how the Hormuz Strait bottleneck will ripple through a dozen supply chains beyond the already‑priced crude, fertilizer, helium, aluminum and auto sectors. The author argues that each downstream industry experiences cost inflation on its...
The Trump Slump
The Trump administration is scrambling for an exit from the two‑month‑old Iran war, hampered by Israel’s demand for seized uranium and Gulf states’ insistence on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. Oil prices have surged above $125 a barrel, and...
Aussie Food Consumers Are About to Get Eaten by Inflation
Australia faces a sharp rise in food prices as the Iran‑Israel conflict threatens the Strait of Hormuz, driving diesel costs and nitrogen‑fertilizer imports higher. With more than 70% of its agricultural output exported, the nation’s reliance on imported fertilizer and...
Gasoline Is 59 Cents From Record High, Diesel Only 19 Cents Away
U.S. gasoline prices are now just $0.59 per gallon below their all‑time peak, while diesel sits a mere $0.19 away from its record high, according to the latest AAA national average data. The surge reflects tighter global oil markets, lingering...
US Met Coal Isn't "Dead" – But The Indices Are
The author argues that US metallurgical coal isn’t a dead market, but the price indices—especially Platts—are. While Argus and McCloskey provide occasional assessments, Platts’ benchmark, which settles most contracts, publishes daily numbers based on infrequent, often weekly, market observations. This...
Russia Now Main Supplier Of Oil To Post-Assad Syria, Despite Pivot To West
Russia has surged to become Syria’s leading oil supplier after the fall of Bashar al‑Assad, with shipments climbing 75% to about 60,000 barrels per day. The increase reflects Damascus’ acute energy shortfall and a pragmatic turn toward Moscow despite a...
Daily Energy Report
The ongoing Iran‑Russia conflict has fractured Asia’s diesel market, creating a two‑tier system where affluent refiners like China and South Korea curb exports while poorer importers scramble for supply. India, needing export revenue, has continued to ship diesel, with March...
Diesel Prices Decline While Gasoline Costs Rise Across U.S. Markets
Diesel prices slipped 5 cents to $5.351 per gallon, while gasoline rose 8 cents to $4.123 per gallon, according to the EIA. The West Coast saw the steepest diesel decline, down 9 cents to $6.53, whereas the Rocky Mountain region...
JPMorgan: 'Exponential' Oil Price Escalation Coming In May; Ignore The Friday Fudge
JPMorgan warned that OECD commercial oil inventories will reach operational minimums between May 9 and May 30, triggering an exponential rise in crude prices. The note cites a cumulative loss of roughly 1 billion barrels of production and an additional 400 million barrels lost...
Gold Flat While Silver Rallies, And CNBC Tries Another Peace Deal Headline
Gold futures held steady at $4,616 per ounce on Friday, while silver futures jumped $2.13 to $76.15. CME silver inventories continued their decline, reaching 315.2 million ounces, the lowest level since November 2024. U.S. silver bullion exports surged to 95...
The Iran War Doesn’t Have to Be a Rerun of ‘That ’70s Show’
The Wall Street Journal op‑ed warns that the Iran‑Israel conflict could push crude to near $100 a barrel, reviving the oil‑price shock that helped trigger the 1970s stagflation. However, the United States now runs a net oil export surplus and...
Inflation Surges, Gas Prices Spike as Trump’s War Batters U.S. Economy
U.S. consumer inflation jumped to 3.5% in March, driven largely by a 21% surge in gasoline prices amid the Iran‑Russia conflict. Pump prices now average $4.30 per gallon, with diesel climbing to $5.50, pressuring household budgets. The Federal Reserve signaled...
Consus Ag Consulting AM Market Brief
The market is in consolidation as traders brace for the weekend and a slate of holidays that curb trading activity. Crude oil prices rebounded overnight, providing a lift to the soy and corn complexes through light technical buying. Wheat futures...
Sugar Recovery Gains Momentum, but Global Supply Expansion Still Caps the Upside
Global sugar production for 2025/26 is projected to reach a record high, driven by output gains in Brazil, India and Thailand. India has approved its full export allocation and signaled no restrictions, adding further supply pressure. In Brazil, soaring gasoline...
Why Abu Dhabi Walked Away From OPEC After Nearly 60 Years
Abu Dhabi announced it will leave OPEC after nearly six decades, citing a "pure policy change" driven by market fundamentals. The move ends a chronic quota dispute that costs the UAE more than $50 billion in foregone revenue as ADNOC expands...
Could China Drive Oil to US$250/ Bbl?
The piece argues that monetary dynamics, not just geopolitics, drive oil prices, citing the 1973 Arab‑Israeli embargo and the 1979 Iranian Revolution as reactions to a weakening US dollar. It links those historic spikes to the collapse of Bretton Woods...
Coffee’s Structural Bearish Shift Deepens Amid Historic Crop Expectations
Research firms now forecast Brazil’s 2026/27 coffee crop above 75 million bags, creating a generational surplus that widens the global imbalance to its widest in six years. Vietnam adds pressure with robusta exports up double‑digits YoY, heading toward a four‑year production...
Comex Silver Grinds to a Halt
Comex silver’s open interest has plunged to under 100,000 contracts, the lowest level in more than 15 years. The drop accelerated after silver breached $40 per ounce and the May contract expired, leaving only about 95,800 contracts open. Market makers...
The Cost of Getting Energy Wrong
The UK’s aggressive net‑zero policy, anchored by subsidies for wind and solar and higher carbon costs, has driven domestic fossil‑fuel capacity down while pushing industrial electricity prices among the world’s highest. By raising the marginal cost of gas‑fired power about...
One Month to Oil at $200
Oil prices are edging toward the $200 per barrel mark, with analysts projecting the level within a month. After a brief overnight dip, Brent futures settled at $114 on April 30, reflecting volatility amid a stalemate in the Gulf region....