Can Iran Keep Pumping? The Blockade’s Impact on Oil Production, Exports, and Storage
The United States has instituted a naval blockade of Iranian ports to halt oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran can maintain its current production level for roughly two months before onshore storage fills, after which output must be trimmed. The move cuts off Iran’s main source of foreign‑currency earnings, raising the prospect of fiscal strain and political pressure on Tehran. Analysts remain divided on how quickly the blockade will translate into measurable production cuts and market effects.
Gas Tax Vital for Democracy
Australian policymakers are debating a gas export levy that currently sits at 25% of revenue, with industry groups warning it could deter investment and push domestic gas prices from the $12 AUD/GJ benchmark (≈$7.9 USD/GJ) to about $15 AUD/GJ (≈$9.9 USD/GJ). The Queensland Resources...
Jet Fuel Import Flows Collapse
The onset of the Middle East war and the near‑shutdown of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz have slashed global jet fuel exports by roughly half. Persian Gulf shipments, traditionally the largest source, have virtually stopped, while China’s de‑facto ban...
Earth Day Document on "Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Work"; Reactions to Takaichi's Yasukuni Shrine Offering; BHP's Deal with CMRG;...
On Earth Day, China’s top leadership issued a new guideline titled “Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction Work at a Higher Level and Higher Quality.” The document outlines five coordinated tasks to deepen energy‑saving measures, accelerate the green transition, and tighten...
Indonesia Talks Energy Transition, But Why Does Coal Still Rule? – by Alan Munandar (Modern Diplomacy – April 21, 2026)
Indonesia’s president pledged at the 2024 G20 summit to retire all coal and fossil‑fuel power plants within fifteen years, but days later his envoy softened the promise to a mere “phase‑down.” Despite the rhetoric, the country added the third‑largest amount...
Greens Gave Iran the Hormuz Stranglehold – by Lawrence Solomon (Financial Post – April 21, 2026)
Lawrence Solomon argues that Europe’s strict anti‑fracking and climate policies have forced the continent to rely on imported oil and gas, giving Iran strategic leverage over the Strait of Hormuz. He points out that abundant shale resources exist worldwide, but...
Question Time: Age of Scarcity and Energy Prices (VIDEO)
Alhambra Research’s Bob Williams examines the emerging "age of scarcity" in a new video, highlighting how constrained energy supplies are driving unprecedented price spikes. He links tighter oil and gas markets to higher inflation, reduced corporate margins, and shifting geopolitical...
The 17-Year Orderbook Nobody’s Tracking — Inside Shipbuilding’s Quiet Supercycle
A veteran LNG shipping CEO warned in December 2025 that the global orderbook of 234 new LNG carriers for 2026‑2030 will fall far short of the 229 million tons of liquefaction capacity slated for completion by 2030, creating a 70 Mt shortfall....
Oil Rises, Asian Stocks Mostly Fall After Trump Extends Ceasefire
President Donald Trump announced an extension of the U.S.–Iran cease‑fire, prompting Brent crude to climb above $100 a barrel and WTI past $90. Asian equity markets slipped, with Hong Kong and Sydney indexes falling more than 1%, while Tokyo and Shanghai...
Daily Energy Report
Global crude floating storage has climbed to its highest level since the summer of 2020, according to Kpler’s weekly data for 2025‑2026. The surge follows the onset of the Iran‑related conflict and the resulting Hormuz Strait bottleneck, which have forced...
67 New EV Chargers Will Be Installed In San Diego
San Diego announced the installation of 67 new public electric‑vehicle chargers at recreation centers, libraries and community hubs, expanding the city’s earlier target of 750‑800 chargers. The grant‑funded stations are expected to be Level 2 units delivering roughly 30‑40 miles of...
Transitioning Voltage Regulator Design From Unidirectional To Bidirectional
The article by Nazzareno Rossetti outlines the shift from traditional unidirectional voltage regulators to bidirectional converters, a change driven by modern energy‑management systems that must move power between electric vehicles, photovoltaics, home batteries, and the grid. It highlights how synchronous...
US EIA Weekly Crude Oil Inventories +1925K vs -1200K Expected
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported crude oil inventories rose by 1.925 million barrels for the week ending April 10, far above the 1.2 million‑barrel draw analysts expected. Gasoline stocks plunged 4.57 million barrels and distillate inventories fell 3.43 million barrels, both exceeding forecasted declines....
What Do You Mean When You Use the Words “US Shale”?
The article argues that U.S. shale cannot be treated as a single, interchangeable asset class because the eleven major plays differ dramatically in hydrocarbon mix, geology, economics, and regulatory environments. It highlights that the Permian Basin supplies nearly half of...
Fuel Prices Decline as Diesel and Gasoline Markets Ease After Volatility
U.S. diesel and gasoline prices slipped this week, with diesel down 21 cents to $5.403 per gallon and gasoline down 8 cents to $4.044 per gallon, according to the Energy Information Administration. Despite the declines, both fuels remain well above...
Exclusive: Octopus Energy Launches Battery-Powered Electricity Plan With Lunar
Octopus Energy has teamed with Lunar Energy to launch a bundled home‑battery offering in Texas. The package pairs a three‑year fixed electricity rate with a 30 kWh battery leased for $45 a month and automatic enrollment in a statewide virtual power...
Kevin Bambrough Is 'All In' On Hydrograph Clean Energy
Kevin Bambrough, the former Sprott asset‑manager who oversaw roughly $10 billion, sat down for a marathon interview to discuss Hydrograph Clean Energy (CSE:HG). He argues the company’s yet‑to‑be‑commercialized graphene technology could generate "billions and billions" of revenue. The hour‑long video has...
Turning Vibrations Into Value - a New Catalyst Converts CO2 Into Useful CO
Researchers at the University of Osaka have created a piezocatalyst that merges single‑atom nickel sites with nitrogen‑doped carbon on a BaTiO₃ piezoelectric scaffold. Under ultrasonic vibration at room temperature and ambient pressure, the material converts CO₂ to CO at a...
Post-Iran Logistics – The Age of the Pipeline Cometh!
Over the past four years, the rise of drone warfare and repeated strikes on energy infrastructure in Russia and the Middle East have upended traditional energy logistics. These attacks have exposed the fragility of maritime routes, prompting a strategic pivot...
LNG Bunkering Prices Surge as Hormuz Disruption Reshapes Market Dynamics
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent LNG bunkering markets into volatility, removing roughly 20% of global seaborne LNG capacity and driving Asian spot prices up more than 140%. While Brent crude rose about 50% to $100 per...
Post-Iran Logistics – Turkmen Piped Gas to China
In the wake of the Iran crisis and the abrupt closure of the Strait of Hormuz, China— the world’s largest oil and gas importer— is reassessing its energy logistics. The loss of roughly 20% of global LNG capacity on the...
Costain Uses Robots to Print 90 Concrete Bases for Teesside Captured CO2 Pipeline
Costain, A E Yates and Hyperion Robotics are 3‑D printing 90 high‑strength concrete bases for a 1.3 km carbon‑capture pipeline across Teesside. The robotic process eliminates formwork, reduces concrete and steel use by 40% and cuts emissions up to 50%, while delivering bases...
Trump DPA Orders Shift Energy Dominance Agenda Into High Gear
President Donald Trump issued five Presidential Determinations under Section 303 of the Defense Production Act on April 20, designating key segments of the United States’ energy infrastructure as essential to national defense. The moves build on his Jan. 20, 2025 Executive...
Invictus Raises $10 Million for Muzarabani Well as Zimbabwe Oil Search Intensifies
Invictus Energy secured A$10 million (≈US$6.6 million) through a share placement to fund the Musuma‑1 exploration well in Zimbabwe’s Muzarabani area. The vertical well will target the Dande Formation, which recent seismic data suggest contains an intact hydrocarbon trap and could hold...
South Africa: Standard Bank Backs Mulilo’s Mercury Battery Storage Project
Standard Bank has led financing for Mulilo Energy’s Mercury battery storage project, achieving financial close on a 76 MW/304 MWh system in South Africa’s Free State. The BESS was awarded under the second bid window of the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power...
Interview with Asharq Bloomberg TV Dubai 22.04.2026
In a 22 April 2026 interview on Asharq Bloomberg TV, The Macro Butler warned that oil prices are as unreliable as central‑bank forecasts because the Strait of Hormuz is effectively shut by a naval blockade. He argued that the apparent stability of...
Revealed: How Big Oil Is Pushing Labour to Drill the North Sea
A Democracy for Sale investigation reveals that Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), representing BP, Shell and other majors, has lobbied Labour officials intensively to overturn the ban on new North Sea drilling and to scrap the energy‑profits windfall tax. The group...
Xi and MBS Phone Call
On April 20, 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marking the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The leaders reviewed existing cooperation, emphasized mutual respect, and discussed regional security,...
How Long Can Iran Keep Hormuz Closed?
Iran can sustain a Hormuz shutdown for roughly three weeks using its on‑shore storage of about 86 million barrels, which is currently 54% full (≈47 million barrels). Four Iran‑linked VLCCs trapped in the strait could add another 8 million barrels, extending the window...
Spoofed Tankers Are Flooding the Strait of Hormuz. These Analysts Are Tracking Them
A surge of spoofed tankers is disappearing through the Strait of Hormuz, prompting analysts to piece together fragmented data to monitor movements. US satellite providers recently restricted high‑resolution imagery of the area, forcing firms like TankerTrackers.com to revive older sources...
Daily Energy Report
China’s oil inventories have surged to a record high as firms tap cheap barrels bought for about $50 per barrel from Iran, Russia and Venezuela, rather than purchasing current imports priced above $100. The rise runs counter to market expectations...
Today’s TACO Tuesday and the Markets
Paul Krugman argues that analysts, including the IMF, model the Hormuz crisis backwards—starting with oil price forecasts instead of physical supply constraints. He contends that real shortages, not price spikes, drive deeper economic disruption. The piece highlights that a sizable...
The Nanoscale Engineering Behind China's Grip on the Green Energy Value Chain
China’s dominance in green‑energy hardware stems from aggressive nanoscale engineering, not just subsidies or scale. By mastering nanostructured silicon wafers, ultra‑thin TOPCon layers, and 2‑5 nm carbon coatings on lithium‑iron‑phosphate cathodes, Chinese firms now control over 80% of solar panel production...
The Hormuz Closure Is Driving a Shortage of Battery Ingredients
The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz has choked the flow of seaborne sulfur, driving up sulfuric acid prices worldwide. As the primary feedstock for refining copper, nickel, cobalt and lithium, the shortage is already prompting output cuts at...
Made in the Shade
The post spotlights a wave of institutional shifts: the Supreme Court’s 2016 “shadow docket” decision on the Clean Power Plan birthed a secretive track now used for over 20 Trump‑era rulings; AI’s accelerating power fuels debate over gene‑editing humans to...
Op/Ed: Oil Shocks Will Keep Coming. High-Speed Rail Can Boost Our Resilience.
Oil price volatility tied to the Strait of Hormuz threatens U.S. security and consumer costs, prompting calls for a resilient, electrified transport network. California is advancing a high‑speed rail system powered by renewable electricity, positioning it as the backbone of...
Federal Judge Breaks Trump’s Permitting Blockade
A federal judge has issued a nationwide injunction that blocks five Trump‑era tactics used to stall federal solar and wind permits. Judge Denise Casper found the actions likely violated the Administrative Procedures Act, striking down an Interior memo requiring Secretary...
Jet Fuel Volatility Continues to Weigh on Airline Profitability, Warns IBA
New IBA analysis shows jet fuel prices remain roughly 54% above pre‑conflict levels, with a brief dip to $94 per barrel after a ceasefire but overall volatility persisting. The firm revised its 2026 global airline EBIT margin outlook down to...
A “Good Neighbor” With a Toxic Legacy
In April 2025 a Chevron‑operated well at the Bishop pad near Galeton, Colorado, suffered a catastrophic blowout, spewing over one million gallons of toxic fluids and benzene plumes that forced evacuations and contaminated the local elementary school. Chevron later donated...
From Handshakes to Shovels in the Ground: How the EU Can Reset Its Minerals Diplomacy
The European Union’s push to secure critical minerals is hampered by a gap between diplomatic agreements and on‑the‑ground investment. While the EU has signed 15 strategic partnerships and launched the Critical Raw Materials Act, China still controls processing for 19...
Mulilo Reaches Financial Close on 380MW Solar PV Project
Mulilo, backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Norfund, has reached financial close on the 380 MW (DC) Beaufort West solar PV project in South Africa’s Western Cape. The facility will export 250 MW (AC) to the national grid via the Droërivier substation...
America’s LNG Dominance Anchors Global Energy Security
The United States now supplies roughly 20% of global LNG and is being asked to increase output after the Iran‑Houthi conflict cut about one‑fifth of world LNG flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called natural gas...
UK Has More EV Chargers Than Gas (Petrol) Nozzles
The United Kingdom now hosts over 118,000 public electric‑vehicle (EV) charging points, more than double the roughly 60,800 petrol‑pump nozzles available nationwide. The number of petrol stations has been falling for decades, stabilising at about 8,500 sites after a steep...
Scoop: New Nonprofit Backs Unique Approach to Geoengineering the Arctic
Former Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researcher Charlotte DeWald has launched the Arctic Stabilization Initiative (ASI), a nonprofit dedicated to evaluating mixed‑phase cloud thinning (MCT) as a geoengineering tool to cool the Arctic. The organization has secured $6.5 million in philanthropic funding...
Bring On the Jet Fuel Shortages
Peter Zeihan warns that even if the Iran ceasefire holds, a months‑long global jet‑fuel shortage is already baked in. The shutdown of medium‑heavy sour crude production in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia—key feedstock for jet fuel—has removed the primary supply...
Ireland’s Fuel Protests Should Accelerate Farm Electrification
The April fuel protests at Ireland’s Whitegate refinery exposed the fragility of the country’s rural energy model, prompting a €755 million (~$822 million) emergency relief package. While agriculture accounts for only 3% of national energy use, 86% of farm energy is still...
How the Aviation Industry Is Turning Captured Carbon and Sunshine Into Jet Fuel
The aviation sector, responsible for about 4 % of global emissions, is turning to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to meet rising demand while cutting its carbon footprint. SAF is produced via Fischer‑Tropsch synthesis, merging captured CO₂ with hydrogen, but the process...
Productivity in the Permafrost
U.S. oil well productivity is entering a slowdown, with some analysts suggesting the cycle may have turned negative. In contrast, Canadian operators continue to post gains, driven by four tailwinds: rising productivity, reduced capital requirements, higher oil prices, and a...
Ukraine Opens a New Front in Africa
Ukraine has escalated its maritime campaign against Russian shipping by deploying armed drones in the Mediterranean and extending operations toward Africa. In December 2025, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian oil tanker Qendil about 250 km off Libya, and three months...
RWE And EMR Transform Fire-Damaged Components Of Scroby Sands Turbine
RWE has partnered with UK recycler EMR to deconstruct and recycle fire‑damaged components from its Scroby Sands offshore wind turbine. Over 140 tonnes of steel, aluminium, copper and composite materials were recovered, achieving a 99% recycling rate and avoiding more than...