Oil Prices Rise 3%, Iran Remains Undecided About Attending US Peace Talks
Oil prices pared gains on Tuesday after briefly climbing above $100 a barrel following an announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump that he was extending a ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.Brent crude futures were volatile, settling up about 3% on Tuesday and then climbing further to rise more than 5% to a session high of $101.15 after reports that U.S. Vice President JD Vance had called off his trip to Islamabad for peace talks with Iran.Prices later retreated…
Oman Battles Fire at Salalah Port After Drone Strike
Oman's civil defence is working on containing a fire in fuel tanks at the country's Salalah port, Oman's state news agency reported on Wednesday, after drones struck oil storage facilities at the port.The state news agency, citing Oman's civil defence, said that containing the fire "might take time", without providing further details.Earlier on Wednesday, Oman's state TV said that drones struck fuel tanks in the port. Oman's state news agency said, citing an energy ministry official…
Maersk Redistributes Bunker Fuel to Ensure Supplies
Container shipping group Maersk said on Wednesday it is redistributing fuel to ensure supplies for its vessels as the Iran war disrupts the flow and storage of maritime fuel in the Middle East.The Danish carrier, one of the world's biggest container shipping groups, has 10 ships stranded in the Gulf. U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have fueled hostilities that threaten one-fifth of the world's oil, which sails out of the region via the Strait of Hormuz - the globe's most important…
Governments Move to Shield Economies as Oil Jumps 25%
Governments scrambled to limit the impact on economies and consumers from the widening Iran war, which fuelled a record surge in oil prices on Monday after key producers cut output and Tehran signalled that hardliners would remain in charge.In a sign of mounting governmental concern over supply disruptions, the Group of Seven finance ministers will discuss the possibility of a joint release of emergency oil reserves in a meeting on Monday, a French government source said.In South Korea…
Kuwait Declares Force Majeure, Cuts Oil Output Amid Gulf War
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation began cutting oil output on Saturday and declared force majeure, adding to earlier oil and gas reductions from Iraq and Qatar as the U.S.-Iran war blocked shipments from the Middle East for the eighth consecutive day.The war has blocked the world's most important oil artery the Strait of Hormuz which is responsible for 20% of global oil and LNG supply. Analysts predict the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will have to also cut output soon as they run out of oil storage.Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) declared force majeure…
Oil Output Cut Across the Middle East
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has disrupted oil and natural gas exports from the Middle East and forced production stoppages from Qatar to Iraq, with Kuwait announcing cuts over the weekend.Analysts predict that the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will also have to cut output soon as they run out of oil storage.Below are the main energy disruptions so far:PRODUCTION SHUTDOWNSIraqi output collapses: the country's oil production from its main southern oilfields has fallen by 70% to just 1.3 million barrels per day (bpd) from 4.3 million barrels per day (bpd) before the war…
Fujairah Bunkering Hit by Fire, Demand Shifts to Other Hubs
Ship refuelling at Fujairah, a major bunkering hub in the United Arab Emirates, has slowed after a fire, market sources told Reuters, while demand at other refuelling hubs, including Singapore, is set to rise.Some bunker deliveries and loadings were on hold for now as suppliers, traders and shippers await more clarity on the situation, while others said that bunkering is still possible.The fire was caused by debris after the interception of a drone by air defenses, according to the Fujairah media office…
Russia's Taman Port Damaged by Ukrainian Drones
Russia's Black Sea port of Taman, which handles oil products, grain, coal and commodities, has been damaged by a Ukrainian drone attack, the governor of Russia's Krasnodar region said on Sunday.Two people were injured as an oil storage tank, warehouse and terminals took damage in Volna village, the site of Taman port, Veniamin Kondratyev said in a post on Telegram.Kondratyev said that more than 100 people were working to put out several fires at the port.Separate strikes on the resort city of Sochi and the village of Yurovka…
Samos Energy Buys Suksan Salamander FSO from Altera Infrastructure
Energy assets investment firm Samos Energy has signed an agreement to acquire the Suksan Salamander floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit from Altera Infrastructure, expanding its offshore asset portfolio in Southeast Asia.The Suksan Salamander FSO is currently deployed on the Bualuang oil field offshore Thailand, which is operated by Medco Energi Thailand. Under the transaction, Samos will take ownership of the vessel and the associated bareboat charter contract following delivery from Altera.As part of the deal…
Oil Prices Fall on Looming Supply Glut
Oil prices fell by more than $1 a barrel on Friday as investors weighed a looming global supply glut, while also keeping an eye on a potential Ukraine peace deal ahead of talks this weekend between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump.Brent crude futures fell $1.13 or 1.82% to $61.11 per barrel by 1:14 p.m. EDT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $1.13 or 1.94% to $57.22.While supply disruptions have helped oil prices rebound in recent sessions from their near five-year low on December 16…
Venezuela Turns to Floating Oil Storage as Onshore Tanks Fill
Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA has started filling tankers with crude and fuel oil and keeping them in Venezuelan waters, as inventories have mounted due to the U.S. seizing Venezuela-linked ships at sea, according to company documents and shipping data.This month, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the Skipper and Centuries tankers in the Caribbean Sea, both fully loaded with Venezuelan crude. The Coast Guard this week was pursuing a third empty vessel that was approaching…
Ottco, Royal Vopak to Establish Joint Venture in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm
Oman Tank Terminal Company (OTTCO), a subsidiary of OQ Group, and Royal Vopak, signed a shareholder agreement to establish a new company in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD). The agreement, concluded during the Duqm Economic Forum 2025, reflects OQ’s continued commitment to expanding its investments in Duqm and supports national efforts to attract foreign investment and strengthen global partnerships.The agreement was signed by Ashraf Hamed Al Mamari, Group Chief Executive Officer of OQ and Chris Robblee…
Iran Maintains Oil Exports During Conflict
Iran is maintaining crude oil supply by loading tankers one at a time and moving floating oil storage much closer to China, two vessel tracking firms told Reuters, as the country seeks to keep a key source of revenue while under attack from Israel.The conflict between Iran and Israel which broke out last week poses a fresh hurdle for Iran, which uses a shadow fleet of tankers to conceal their origin and skirt U.S. sanctions reinstated in 2018 over its nuclear program.Crude exports from Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer, mainly head to China.
US Targets China Oil Storage Terminal in Iran-Related Sanctions
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on Iranian oil trading networks on Thursday, including on a China-based crude oil storage terminal linked via a pipeline to an independent refinery, just days before direct talks between the U.S. and Iran.The sanctions came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will hold direct talks with Iran on Saturday in Oman. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran would be in "great danger" if the talks were unsuccessful.The U.S.
Israel Bombs Houthi-controlled Power Station, Ports
Israeli warplanes bombed a power station and two ports in Houthi-controlled Yemen on Friday in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile strikes against Israel, and pro-Houthi media said at least one person had been killed and nine wounded.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Iran-backed Houthi militia were "paying and will continue to pay a heavy price for their aggression against us".A series of airstrikes targeted the Red Sea port of Ras Issa and six others the major port of Hodeidah…
Oil Falls on Demand Worries, Market Awaits Fed Advice
Oil prices eased about 1% to a one-week low on Tuesday on demand worries following the release of negative economic news from Germany and China, while investors remained cautious ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve decision on interest rates.Brent futures fell 90 cents, or 1.2%, to $73.01 a barrel by 1:36 p.m. EST (1836 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude slipped 86 cents, or 1.2%, to $69.85. That puts both crude benchmarks on track for their lowest closes since Dec. 10 and cut the premium of Brent over WTI to a 12-week low of $3.56 a barrel, based on the February contracts.Analysts have said when Brent's premium over WTI falls below $4 a barrel, it does not make economic sense for energy firms to send ships to pick up U.S. crude, which should result in lower U.S.
Venezuelan Oil Gets More US Buyers as Chevron Steps Up Loadings
Chevron Corp has stepped up sales of Venezuelan crude oil to rival U.S. refiners, adding PBF Energy Inc and Marathon Petroleum Corp to its list of customers for the crude, vessel tracking and loading schedules showed.U.S. Gulf Coast refiners, which historically processed Venezuelan oil, have shown a renewed appetite for the heavy sour crude grade after Chevron late last year received authorization from the U.S. Treasury Department to expand its operations in Venezuela and resume oil shipments to the U.S. after a four-year pause.Chevron, the last big U.S.
Phillips 66 Leases Floating Storage Vessel in Singapore
The Singapore trading arm of U.S.-based refiner Phillips 66 has recently leased a new floating storage vessel along the Singapore and Malacca Straits for storing fuel oil, market sources told Reuters.The 300,000 metric-tons capacity Southern Emperor is the latest addition to 19 existing fuel oil floating storage vessels along the Straits chartered by various market participants, said sources.So far, Phillips 66 has been partially renting the EM Splendour for fuel oil storage.The Singapore and Malacca Straits are a key location for fuel oil storage in Asia, with traders building inventories of
North Sea Floating Oil Storage Jumps to Highest Since Early 2022
Trader Gunvor and French major TotalEnergies have stored North Sea crude in at least four tankers in the past month as on-water stockpiling of the grades hits a 2-1/2 year high, a fresh sign of weak appetite for oil from refiners.At least 2.6 million barrels of North Sea crude grades Forties and Gullfaks have been put in floating storage in Europe, the highest volume since January 2022, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa.Physical oil markets have weakened globally in recent weeks…
Venezuela Resorts to Dark Fleet to Supply Oil to Cuba
Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA has begun using tankers that navigate off radar to supply its closest political ally, Cuba, as a fleet of state-owned vessels that have historically covered the route dwindles, according to documents and ship monitoring services.Cuba and its main oil supplier, Venezuela, for over a decade had exclusively used their own tankers to navigate between the two countries.Delayed maintenance, however, has taken some ships out of service and the emergence…
Hanwha Ocean Gets Bureau Veritas Clearance for FPSO Design
Shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has secured an Approval in Principle (AiP) from certification body Bureau Veritas for its standard Floating Production Storage and Offloading Unit (FPSO) design, which includes the latest developments in advanced digital solutions to support more energy efficient operations.Standard FPSO design of Hanwha Ocean measures 340 meters in length and 62 meters in width, with a crude oil storage capacity of 2.38 million barrels and a production capacity of 190…
Power Outage Hits Port of Rotterdam; Issue Resolved
A power outage in the Rotterdam port area in the Netherlands briefly interrupted operations at one of Europe's biggest oil refineries on Tuesday, the plant's operator BP said.Electricity grid operator TenneT said the problem was solved shortly after 1000 GMT.
MOL and Petrobras Sign Cargo Transfer Vessels Deals
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Brazil’s state-owned energy giant Petrobras have signed a charter contract for cargo transfer vessel (CTV) SeaLoader 2, and agreed to start negotiations for a new CTV shipbuilding contract by the end of 2024.MOL signed the deal through its wholly owned subsidiary, SeaLoading Holding, which owns and operates CTVs.SeaLoading started a CTV agreement with Petrobras for SeaLoader 2 on a trial period in January 2022, and successfully completed more than 30 crude oil offloading operations from Petrobras' FPSOs located in the Santos Basin…