Yttrium Shortage Threatens Aircraft; US Seeks New Sources
Yttrium is obscure and only traded in the thousands of tons each year. But aircraft will fall out of the sky without it. China controls production and has exported very little to the US over the past year. That might finally be changing...
China Boosts May Fuel Exports, Still Below Last‑year Average
China is allowing more exports of jet fuel, diesel and gasoline in May. Were reporting about 500,000 tons. A big improvement but well off the monthly average last year
Whale Oil Fueled Jets, Not Petroleum, Ended Whaling
Until the mid 1970s aircraft turbojet engines were lubricated at least in part with whale oil. Petroleum didn't kill whale hunting. The jojoba did. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz's book "More and more and More" is a showstopper. https://t.co/rm9vKg4UyV
Chinese Interest in Iranian Oil Wanes as Discount Disappears
Chinese refiners are inquiring about Iranian oil, although it's not a wholesale rush given prices are still significantly higher than before the war (the ~$10 discount to Brent is gone). Story link at the end
China's Fuel Export Ban Threatens Australia's Jet Fuel Supply
Note that the Chinese readout doesn't mention energy security at all. Elephant in the room is China's fuel export ban. Australia imported a third of its jet fuel from China last year.
Strait Opening Won’t Quickly Resolve Aluminum Supply Disruptions
The opening of the strait doesn't automatically fix the supply problems. As with oil - aluminium. EGA's is saying its giant aluminum plant could take a year to start back up after the strikes a few days ago. The strikes...
China's EV Surge Cushions Potential Hormuz Oil Shutdown
China imports the most oil via the Strait of Hormuz but is also one of the best placed to weather its closure. EVs are part of that story. Five years ago China targeted 20% of new vehicles in 2025. They...
U.S. Pulls Back: Future Aid Uncertain
"The US wont be there to help you anymore." With all the help they've had so far with the war, will they want more?
China Extends Fuel Export Ban, Offers Minimal Relief
China has extended its fuel export ban for another month to April. There is now talk of letting a small amount of fuel out to countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Maldives. But the shipments would be only ~5%-10%...
China Unlikely to Share Real Food or Energy Aid
"China may offer some ceremonial assistance, but it's highly unlikely, if not wholly improbable, that it will share any substantive amount of its food, energy, or other reserves with other countries," Eric Olander, co-founder, China-Global South Project.
Iraq's Oil Output Falls as Storage Fills, Exports Stall
Oil production in Iraq down again because storage tanks are filling up and the country can't export. https://t.co/tyEDWv8Trb
Major Plastics Feedstock Producer Faces Imminent Shutdown
Look past the jargon and you have a major producer of a building block for plastics preparing to shutdown production soon. It's like financial contagion but its syringes and straws instead of structured derivatives https://t.co/TLVrzqtUVi
Rising Fertilizer Costs Threaten Food Budgets for 500 M
Lots of emphasis on rising fertilizer prices in the US but food is a small part of budgets in the developed world. It's around 40% of the CPI basket in Bangladesh, Thailand, Ghana and Nigeria. That's 500 MILLION people. https://t.co/g5gtlNlsWN...
Tertiary Recovery: Engineers Scrape Last Oil From Reservoirs
Engineers apply technology known as "tertiary recovery", injecting a mix of chemicals into oil reservoirs to "scrape the last grease off a plate"
US Spends $10‑16 B on Munitions in First Four Days
The US spent 10 to 16 billion worth of munitions on the first four days of the conflict. https://t.co/KgFl3jqG7M
US Policy Enables Chinese Firms to Buy Sanctioned Russian Oil
US government policy helps Chinese state owned oil companies buy sanctioned Russian crude wasn't on my prediction list for this year. https://t.co/JFPLk4VSxF
Musk Sources Chinese Gear for US Solar Panel Production
Elon Musk is buying billions of dollars worth of Chinese equipment to make solar panels in the US. Win-win cooperation as the Chinese would say https://t.co/JhBY1haWMq
China's Actions Could Cripple Global Fertilizer Supply
As with fuel, so with fertilizers. If maintained, China will remove a major global fertilizer exporter (second largest in 2024) from the market already slammed by the closure of the Straits https://t.co/ecZOLrSkBL
China Pledges SE Asian Energy Cooperation While Halting Fuel Exports
China telling Southeast Asia it's ready to work together on energy security is a little... strange... given they're also banning all fuel exports (something Beijing has yet to publicly acknowledge) https://t.co/tm36jPLTKT
China’s Fuel Ban Strains Regional Supply, Sparks Contract Disputes
China's fuel export ban last week is already rippling through the region. Bangladesh, which relies on Chinese diesel and jet fuel, has come out and asked Beijing to honour its contracts. Australia imported a third of its jet fuel from China...
Pentagon Secures Lynas Samarium Supply for Defense by Q4
The Pentagon gets a rare earth deal with Lynas - the only reliable source of heavy rare earths outside China. They say they will be producing samarium - the stuff defence needs - by Q4 this year. https://t.co/Cjazr8r8sB
China's Commodity Markets Roiled by Fuel Ban, Iron Ore Dispute
It was a big week for commodities in China. On the iran war we had a refined fuel export ban and a request to access commercial reserves. Meanwhile the China, BHP iron ore saga exploded into life again
China Extends Ban, Halts BHP Iron Ore Purchases
China is expanding its ban on steel mills buying BHP iron ore again, adding another product to the blacklist. They've been negotiating for BHP for ~6 months now and there's no end in sight. This is the second ban in...
China Escalates to Immediate Refined Fuel Export Ban
China has just ordered an immediate ban on refined fuel exports in March to manage any potential domestic fuel shortages. A week ago they asked refiners nicely and just targeted new contracts, so this is a step up
EVs Leap Forward: 777km Range, 12‑Minute Charge
Re-reading the excellent Energy A Human History by Richard Rhodes and I'm struck by how much has changed re: EVs since it was published in 2018. BYD just announced a 777km range battery that charges in 12 minutes. Car's fast...
Nine Vessels Reroute Bauxite, Alumina, Iron Ore Shipments
More vessels are re-routing from the strait carrying bauxite, alumina and iron ore for the region's aluminium and steel industries. We count at least nine with @Kpler data
China’s GM Crops Remain Silent, Limited to Feed
Genetically modified crops are the dog that never barks in China. People are wary and there's very little of it outside animal feed. The next FYP is ambiguous. https://t.co/ixkR3lGCCI
China Approves $4 Gas Price Hike Nationwide
China gives the all-clear for retail gas and diesel prices to rise in its regular price review. State media said it's likely to mean an additional ~RMB25 / US$4 to fill a tank https://t.co/x9kKlWXOn3
China Champions Coal-to-Liquids, a Near‑exclusive Technology
China's National Energy Administration posted last night about the benefits of the coal to liquids industry, where coal is transformed into oil, gas and petrochemicals. It doesn't really exist anywhere at scale bar China and a big plant in South...
Bangladesh Advances Holidays, Shuts Universities to Save Power
Bangladesh brings forward holidays and closes universities to conserve electricity and cut traffic (which also wastes fuel) https://t.co/aw1WmizmA4
Strait Closures Trigger Sulfur Shortages, Slowing Nickel and Copper Output
The longer the Straits are closed, the more we will see unexpected chokepoints emerge. Case in point: nickel refiners in Indonesia and copper miners in Africa might have to slow production for want of sulphur
China's Fertiliser Stockpiles Keep Exports Tight
Fertilisers are rightfully getting a lot of focus now. China looks to be ok (for now). The state has stockpiles and there is material at ports. Exports of urea (nitrogen-based) were already tightly managed and it's hard to see more...
Iran War Urges China to Fast‑track Renewables, Shun Coal
Thinking ahead... does this push China to further speed up the adoption of renewables + batteries and make it even more reluctant to wind down coal. The Iran war is an object lesson in a) American power (which shale has...
China's Rare Earth Export Curbs Still Limit US Supply
Chinese rare earth export controls are still choking off lots of material to the US