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Saturday, March 28, 2026

Activity News

27 Mar 2026

DOE Relocates Headquarters in DC

© DOE

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), announced that DOE’s headquarters will relocate from the James V. Forrestal Building to the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) building. LBJ currently serves as the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Education (ED).The relocation to the LBJ building will save taxpayers over $350 million in deferred maintenance and modernization costs.The LBJ building has been modernized to a Class A building with minimal deferred maintenance.

27 Mar 2026

Russia’s Lavrov Says US Seeking Control of Nord Stream Gas Pipelines

© Oksana / Adobe Stock

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the U.S. has been seeking control over the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea, which were damaged by mysterious blast in September 2022.Explosions that destroyed the pipelines more than three years ago largely severed Russian gas transit to Europe, squeezing energy supplies on the continent although Russia had already largely stopped deliveries.Russia and Western countries have both said the incident was an act of sabotage.

27 Mar 2026

Cyclone Disrupts Australia’s Biggest LNG Plants, Strains Global Market

Gorgon facility (Credit: Chevron)

A powerful tropical cyclone in Western Australia has disrupted production at the country’s two biggest liquefied natural gas plants run by Chevron and Woodside, exacerbating a global supply crunch caused by the conflict in the Middle East.Australia became the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after Qatar shut down production this month following damage to its facilities from Iranian strikes. Global LNG flows out of the Middle East have also been upended by Iran’s blockage of…

26 Mar 2026

Asian Buyers Rush for Russian Oil Amid Supply Disruption

© Kalyakan / Adobe Stock

Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are lining up to buy Russian oil as the Iran war blocks supplies, raising the possibility that demand may exceed supply, several sources including Russia said.Since the war in Ukraine prompted European customers - once the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas - to shun Moscow, India and China have accounted for around 80% of Russian oil exports. Turkey has also been a significant buyer.But in recent weeks…

26 Mar 2026

Maraen Approves $40M Port of Nigg Upgrade After Rebrand

Yoshihiro Hayakawa, CEO and Managing Director of Maraen (Credit: Maraen)

Maraen has approved plans for more than $40 million (£30 million) investment for the upgrades at the Port of Nigg, following the integration of three energy businesses under a new brand.Maraen combines the capabilities of Port of Nigg, Global Energy (Group) and Global Energy Services, after their acquisition by Mitsui & Co. Europe and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) in 2025.The company said a final investment decision has been taken to develop a new heavy-duty quay and roll-on/roll-off capability at the port…

26 Mar 2026

Cadeler Raises Over $200M to Fund Fleet Expansion Plans

Illustration (Credit: Cadeler)

Cadeler has raised approximately $203 million (€175 million) through a private placement to fund planned investments in new offshore wind installation vessels and potential asset acquisitions.The offshore wind contractor said the proceeds will support initial capital commitments for two proposed T-class wind foundation installation vessel newbuilds, as well as the potential acquisition and conversion of a scour protection vessel.According to Cadeler, the private placement was…

26 Mar 2026

Delfin LNG Nears FID as Pipeline Restart Awaits Approval

(Credit: Delfin Midstream)

A final investment decision is expected in the Delfin LNG project offshore Louisiana in the next few weeks, or at most months, according to Eduard Ruijs, head of investment for Vitol, a company that is investing in the project.The 13.2 million metric tons project would have received financial approval sooner had the pipeline to take gas to the proposed floating LNG plant not exploded, Ruijs told Reuters on Wednesday on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference in Houston.The pipeline, which ruptured on February 3, has since been repaired and is awaiting regulatory approval to restart flows.

26 Mar 2026

Iran War Energy Shock Pushes Europe to Rethink Climate Policies

© Aris / Adobe Stock

The European Union may be forced to scale back its flagship climate policies and geopolitical aims as the Iran war drives up energy prices - with lasting consequences for the bloc's energy strategy.The energy crunch sparked by the conflict, now in its fourth week, has rattled Europe, which is heavily dependent on imported oil and gas. Around 8% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) comes from the Middle East through the all-important Strait of Hormuz, which remains mostly blocked.European benchmark gas prices TFMBMc1have jumped more than 60% since the conflict began…

26 Mar 2026

Iran War Sends LNG Prices Soaring, Curbing Asia Demand

© Mike Mareen / Adobe Stock

The Iran war is upending the global LNG outlook as soaring prices, damage to major supplier Qatar's export infrastructure and potential delays to new supply raise doubts about previously expected demand from price-sensitive Asian buyers.Before the war, analysts expected global liquefied natural gas supply to rise as much as 10% this year to between 460 million and 484 million metric tons as new capacity, mainly in the U.S. and Qatar, came online, with demand forecast to grow in tandem.Now…

26 Mar 2026

Oil Rises as Ceasefire Optimism Fades

© Destina / Adobe Stock

Oil rose about 2% on Thursday, clawing back losses from the previous session on concerns that protracted fighting in the Middle East will further disrupt energy flows.Brent futures LCOc1 rose $2.08, or 2.03%, to $104.30 a barrel by 0638 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 were up $1.93, or 2.14%, at $92.25 a barrel.Both benchmarks slumped more than 2% on Wednesday.Iran is still reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war, but has no intention of holding talks to end the Middle East conflict, Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday.U.S.

27 Mar 2026

Baker Hughes to Supply Tech for Offshore LNG Project in Texas

Illustration (Credti: ST LNG)

Baker Hughes has secured a contract to supply gas compression and power generation technology for ST LNG’s proposed 8.4 million tonnes per annum liquefied natural gas export terminal offshore Matagorda in Texas.Under the agreement, Baker Hughes will provide two LM6000PF gas turbine-driven centrifugal compressor trains and three NovaLT16 gas turbine generator packages for the first phase of the project, which is expected to deliver 2.1 MTPA as part of a planned four-phase development.The project, located in U.S.

25 Mar 2026

ClassNK Grants Approval for CO2 Carrier Design for CCS Project

(Credit: ClassNK)

ClassNK has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of a liquefied CO2 carrier intended to support a floating offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) injection facility.The vessel is designed to serve a Socket SPAR unit, a floating injection system being considered for deployment in deepwater environments where subsea pipeline-based CO2 storage is not feasible.The certification confirms the feasibility of the carrier design from regulatory and safety perspectives…

25 Mar 2026

Windcat Amsterdam Debuts as First Elevation CSOV in Europe

(Credit: Damen)

Shipbuilder Damen and Windcat, part of maritime group CMB.TECH, have launched the Windcat Amsterdam, marking the arrival of the first Elevation series commissioning service operation vessel (CSOV) in European waters.The vessel was developed jointly by the two companies and constructed at Damen’s Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam. It is designed to support construction, commissioning and maintenance activities across offshore energy projects.Windcat Amsterdam can accommodate up to 120 personnel and will serve as a floating base for offshore operations…

25 Mar 2026

Mark Offshore Adds Research Vessel Mintis to Support Offshore Renewables

(Credit: Mark Offshore)

Mark Offshore has agreed with Klaipėda University to operate the research vessel Mintis, expanding its fleet and strengthening its position in offshore renewables and subsea support services.Under the agreement, the Lithuanian university has appointed Mark Offshore as commercial and operational manager for the vessel’s activities within the renewables and energy sectors.The addition of Mintis is aimed at supporting offshore wind, marine survey and nearshore energy projects, as…

17 Mar 2026

US Mulls $1B Settlement for Abandoned Wind Farms

Copyright iweta0077/AdobeStock

U.S. officials are drafting agreements to pay nearly $1 billion to oil major TotalEnergies as compensation for the cancellation of leases for wind farms in federal waters off New York State and North Carolina, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.Under the terms of the proposed settlements, the U.S. Interior Department will cancel the leases in federal waters for two projects, known as Attentive Energy and Carolina Long Bay, the NYT said, citing documents.The Justice Department will then pay more than $928 million to TotalEnergies…

17 Mar 2026

BOEM Issues Notice of Intent for Offshore Well Stimulation Work

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed update to the Santa Clara Unit Development and Production Plan, which includes the use of hydraulic fracturing on 16 existing wells at Platform Gilda, located 8.8 miles offshore Ventura County, California.BOEM has deemed the plan complete and is launching an environmental review under the Department of the Interior’s “Alternative Arrangements for NEPA Compliance During a National Energy Emergency,” published on the April 23, 2025.

23 Mar 2026

US Oil Shield Starts Showing Cracks as Iran War Drives Prices Higher

© Lukasz Z / Adobe Stock

U.S. President Donald Trump went into the Iran war convinced that America’s vast oil wealth would insulate the country from the kind of energy shock now battering much of the world. Four weeks into the conflict, that shield is looking fragile.Trump’s wager has only partly paid off. U.S. oil prices have risen less sharply than those elsewhere since U.S.-Israeli air strikes against Iran on February 28 ignited a regional war that rapidly engulfed the Middle East’s energy infrastructure…

23 Mar 2026

IEA Weighs Further Oil Stock Releases as War on Iran Continues

© nsit0108 / Adobe Stock

The International Energy Agency is consulting with governments in Asia and Europe on the release of more stockpiled oil "if necessary" due to the Iran war, Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Monday."If it is necessary, of course, we will do it. We look at the conditions, we will analyse, assess the markets and discuss with our member countries," Birol told the National Press Club in Canberra, at the start of a world tour.IEA member nations agreed on March 11 to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat the spike in global crude prices.

24 Mar 2026

Oil Rises as Iran Denies US Talks, Supply Risks Persist

© namning / Adobe Stock

Oil prices rose on Tuesday on supply fear, as Iran denied it had talks with the United States to end the war in the Gulf, contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump who said a deal could be reached soon.Brent futures LCOc1 rose $2.89, or 2.9%, to $102.83 a barrel at 0710 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 climbed $2.49, or 2.8%, to $90.62.Crude futures dropped more than 10% on Monday, after Trump ordered a five-day delay to attacks on Iran's power plants, saying the U.S.

24 Mar 2026

Saudi Aramco Increases Crude Oil Exports from Yanbu Sea to Compensate for Hormuz Closure

Crude oil exports from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Yanbu port rose to nearly 4 million barrels per day last week, a sharp increase from export levels before the Iran war broke out, shipping data shows.The jump shows that Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil exporter, is making progress on a plan to send crude along its East-West pipeline to Yanbu to keep supplies flowing and offset the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict.Aramco can pump up to 7 million bpd to Yanbu through the pipeline…

25 Mar 2026

Oil Falls on Middle East Ceasefire Hopes, Easing Supply Fears

© corlaffra / Adobe Stock

Oil prices sank about 4% on Wednesday after reports the United States had sent Iran a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, raising prospects of a ceasefire that could ease supply disruptions in the region.Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell $4.17, or 4%, to $100.32 a barrel by 0708 GMT, after declining to as low as $97.57. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 futures were down $3.11, or 3.4%, at $89.24 a barrel, after falling to as low as $86.72.Both benchmarks rose nearly 5% on Tuesday…

25 Mar 2026

Iran to UN: 'Non-Hostile' Ships Can Transit Strait of Hormuz

© vladsv / Adobe Stock

Iran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organization that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, according to a note seen by Reuters on Tuesday.The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipments of about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas through the strait, causing oil supply disruption.The note from Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was sent to the 15-member Security Council and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday.

18 Mar 2026

Offshore Vietnam: Energy Imports Rise as Domestic Production Falls

Copyright Peter Hermes Furian/AdobeStock

Vietnam's domestic crude oil production is expected to decline this decade, according to a government document released this week, increasing the country's reliance on imports as its offshore fields mature and geopolitical tensions threaten global supplies.The new forecasts for dwindling oil output come as Vietnam, a regional industrial hub hosting large manufacturing operations of electronics and garment multinationals, is bracing for oil shortages caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and subsequent export bans from energy suppliers.Crude output is projected to fall to 5.8 million-8.0 milli