Recent Posts
Social•Feb 16, 2026
Bears Dominate Oil Market Narrative After Energy Week
COLUMN: In the oil market, the bears control the narrative — at least for now. (My summary after last week's International Energy Week, the oil trading industry's annual jamboree in London) @Opinion https://t.co/Y3OHEhD4k5
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 16, 2026
Henry Hub Drops Below $3 on Warm Weather, Shale Supply
GAS MARKET: After a cold blast triggered sild price moves, US gas benchmark Henry Hub has fallen back below $3 per mBtu. Warmer temperatures and the irresistible supply force of the US shale revolution behind the pullback.
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 15, 2026
Cuba's Power Generation Falls Below Half Demand.
ENERGY CRISIS IN CUBA: Granma, the mouthpiece of the Cuban regime, says that electricity generation in the island is covering less than half the expected demand. The island is suffering the largest energy shortages since the collapse of the Soviet...
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 14, 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Oil Demand Plummets as Gas Powers Electricity
CHART OF THE DAY: Among the world's top oil consumers, a curious trend. The 2nd largest consumption drop last year ocurred in Saudi Arabia, where demand fell ~60,000 b/d (only South Korea saw a larger drop). The reason? Gas is...
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 13, 2026
OPEC+ Faces March 1 Decision on Production Hikes
OIL MARKET: The core group of OPEC+ countries need to decide on March 1 whether to re-start production increases after the Jan-Mar pause. Some members in the group see scope for resuming the monthly hikes, although conversations haven't started yet....
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 12, 2026
Venezuela's Oil Output Projected Near 1M B/D by 2026
How much oil would Venezuela produce by Dec 2026? (Current output has rebounded to just under 1m b/d)
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 12, 2026
US Energy Secretary Visits Venezuela's Orinoco Oil Belt
Well, I admit that if you have asked me three months ago, certainly I didn't have the following on my 2026 bingo card: "... US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright tours the Orinoco oil belt in Venezuela with the US-installed Venezuelan...
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 11, 2026
Trump Urges Netanyahu to Pursue Iran Nuclear Deal
OIL MARKET: President Trump says he told Israeli Primer Minister Netanyahu that his preference is to cut a deal with Iran. “I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue to see whether or not a deal can be consummated.” https://t.co/VhkfL7QBHF
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 11, 2026
January Outages Cut 3 Million Barrels Daily, 18‑month High
CHART OF THE DAY: If anything characterised January was oil outages: Kazakhstan, Venezuela, and the US (due to weather), plus several others. In total, it adds to nearly 3m b/d, highest in about 18 months, according to the @EIAgov https://t.co/Gb7hmQGvLw
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 11, 2026
Full House for IPWeek Event with Top Finance Leaders
Full house for our #IPWeek event with Alex Grant (Equinor) Daan Struyven (Goldman Sachs) Natasha Kaneva (JPMorgan) Frederic Lasserre (Gunvor) Greg Sharenow (Pimco) https://t.co/CHIdybIycH
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 10, 2026
U.S. Grants License to Revive Venezuela's Oil Production
OIL MARKET: Washington issues a new general license to allow oilfield-service companies to work in Venezuela — it’s a crucial step to boost oil output in the Latin American country. https://t.co/ozdDE2MiMZ
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 10, 2026
BP Finally Admits Debt Exceeds $50 Billion, Not $22 Billion
Regular readers know we at @Opinion had flagged BP had far more debt than the company's prefered metric (~$22 bn). Look at net debt + hybrids + leases + off-balance sheet items and it's >$50 bn. Now, BP acknowledges the issue...
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 10, 2026
BP's Looney and Auchincloss Tenure a Board‑Enabled Disaster
Further thought on BP: Today proves, if ever there was a need of further proof, what a disaster the tenure of Bernard Looney and Murray Auchincloss were for the UK oil major. (...all permited / encouraged by a weak board...)
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 10, 2026
BP Halts $750M Quarterly Buyback Over Mounting Debt
In view of BP's announcement this morning it's cancelling its $750-million-a-quarter share buyback, let me re-publish yesterday's @Opinion note arguing the British oil major couldn't afford it anymore. It comes down to debt -- lots of debt. https://t.co/23vNRD4Nsw
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 9, 2026
Cuba's Fuel Shortage Forces Airport Closures and Hotel Shutdowns
Cuba is running out of oil. The island warned airlines that they wouldn't be able to re-fuel at its 9 major airports from Tuesday for at least one month. The Communist government has closed international hotels to save fuel, too. In...
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 9, 2026
BP Should Halt $750M Buybacks for New CEO
COLUMN: Britrish oil giant BP should suspend its $750 million quarterly share buybacks to give incoming CEO Meg O'Neill (who arrives in April) extra financial breathing room. @Opinion $BP https://t.co/23vNRD4Nsw
By Javier Blas
Social•Feb 9, 2026
Vitol Pushes Global Oil Demand Peak to Mid‑2030s
CHART OF THE DAY: Vitol, the world's largest independent oil trader, shifts its view on global peak oil demand: higher and later. Now, Vitol sees a peak by the "mid" 2030s (previously it anticipated "early" 2030s). Peak demand seen at ~112m...
By Javier Blas