Author: OilPrice.com

Zipcar has reached the end of the road in the UK after its US owner pulled the plug on operations in the run up to the introduction of fresh London Congestion Charges for electric vehicles. The car hire business has begun a formal consultation with emp…

U.S. natural gas futures spiked to their highest levels in nearly three years as models now show a frigid first half of December across the Lower 48. Several forecasters are also warning of a potential polar-vortex-driven Arctic blast event later this …

U.S. natural gas futures spiked to their highest levels in nearly three years as models now show a frigid first half of December across the Lower 48. Several forecasters are also warning of a potential polar-vortex-driven Arctic blast event later this …

Around 100 offshore jobs are set to be cut by oil and gas firm Harbour Energy amid pressure from UK windfall taxes. The company, which is the UK’s largest oil and gas producer, has announced the proposed job losses as part of a review into its operatio…

A plan to merge two FTSE-listed funds to form the UK’s largest infrastructure investment firm has been abandoned after shareholders expressed frustration with the terms of the deal. HICL Infrastructure said it will no longer be proceeding with its plan…

Global geothermal investment is entering a period of accelerated growth, with capital expenditure (capex) expected to climb about 20% annually through 2030, according to Rystad Energy’s latest geothermal economics model. This momentum comes as geotherm…

As industry concerns over an AI bubble mount, the scale of data center ambitions continues to grow. As of mid-October, the US data center pipeline reached 245 GW of planned capacity, driven by a handful of enormous, speculative projects. These projects…

Bolivia’s hydrocarbons sector began the 21st century from a position of strength. Major discoveries, steady foreign investment, and robust exports underpinned national development. However, the 2006 nationalization fundamentally changed sector dynamics…

The Labour government is set to hold fire on pushing through sweeping reforms to nuclear energy due to a legal adviser’s concerns over the “UK’s environmental, trade and human rights obligations”, it has been reported.  The Innovate UK member John Fing…

The US Export-Import Bank, an independent federal agency tasked with helping to facilitate US trade, will invest $100 billion to achieve President Trump’s plan to secure US and allied supply chains for critical minerals, nuclear energy, and liquefied n…

With the US in the midst of a gas demand boom driven by liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects and surge in electricity demand amid the steady buildout of data centers, the Western Haynesville has increasingly garnered attention as a promising source of …

An Armenian $500-million initiative to develop an artificial intelligence and supercomputer hub has taken a major step forward after US regulators approved the transfer of advanced Nvidia chips. The project is being developed by Firebird, an AI startup…

A massive pipeline buildout is sweeping across Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, marking the largest expansion of Gulf Coast natural-gas capacity since the 2008 shale boom, according to Bloomberg. As many as a dozen projects are slated for completion nex…

Turkmenistan is home to over two-thirds of the 25 largest methane emissions sites identified worldwide so far in 2025, according to an academic monitoring initiative. Researchers at UCLA’s Stop Methane Project mapped over 3,100 methane plumes at oil & …

Reclining on stage at the 26th COP summit in his native Glasgow, Alan Jope was at home both literally and spiritually. The Unilever chief executive had spent three years establishing himself as one of the corporate world’s most passionate climate and d…

Azerbaijan is hoping China can play a big role in helping Baku fulfill its ambitions of building a “green energy corridor” to Europe. Azerbaijani officials and representatives of China’s Datang Overseas Investment Co. signed a deal on November 12 cover…

Is AI in a bubble? When will the bubble burst? Are there signs? Well, we don’t have a crystal ball, but there are signs. On the markets, several prominent investors have spoken. Peter Thiel, one of the best-known tech investors, has sold his entire pos…

One week ago we said that “hundreds of billions” of dollars are about to be loaned out to nuclear projects by the US government. Well, the first billion is about to be wired.  The Wall Street Journal reports Constellation Energy has secured a $1 billio…

Reclining on stage at the 26th COP summit in his native Glasgow, Alan Jope was at home both literally and spiritually. The Unilever chief executive had spent three years establishing himself as one of the corporate world’s most passionate climate and d…

One year ago, Goldman’s precious metal analyst Lina Thomas made the case that gold would rise to $3000 by the end of 2025 (it ended up rising more than $1000 higher) as a result of relentless central bank purchases in general, and thanks to China’s rav…

Mining giant BHP has been found liable for a dam disaster under both environmental law and the Brazilian civil code, in a significant ruling handed down by the High Court. The case stems from a deadly dam disaster in Brazil. On 5 November 2015, the Fun…

Iran, having seen its key nuclear facilities blown up by the Israeli and US surprise attacks of last June, and having long been under Washington and Western-led sanctions, could now be signaling a major olive branch. It is telling the West that there i…

Kyrgyzstan is going into low power mode in the hopes of staving off a heating and electricity crisis this winter, precipitated by low water levels in reservoirs used to generate hydropower. In a comprehensive address on the state of the nation’s power …

Another Russian overnight massive drone and missile attack on Ukraine has had some serious spillover effects, as the Turkish flagged LPG tanker “Orinda” carrying thousands of metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas was reportedly struck at the port of I…

China stockpiled crude oil at elevated rates in October, at a daily rate of some 690,000 barrels, up from 570,000 barrels daily in September, Reuters’ Clyde Russell reported today, citing calculations derived from official Beijing data. Refinery throug…

Construction of a key cog in the Middle Corridor trade network known as TRIPP should begin during the second half of 2026, according to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. TRIPP, or the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, is a cent…

Well, someone important finally said it. Craig Albert, head of construction firm Bechtel, credited by the Financial Times for “rescuing” the Vogtle nuclear project in Georgia (we think “finishing“ it would be a better description), told that august pap…

FTSE 100 giant Rolls-Royce said it expects profit for the full-year to be 26 per cent higher than the previous financial year after a hefty boost from its civil aerospace and defence divisions. The Derby-headquartered group is eyeing an operating profi…

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev kicked off a two-day visit November 11 to Russia by exchanging pleasantries in the Kremlin with Vladimir Putin and meeting with students at the prestigious Moscow State Institute for International Relations. Tokay…

To identify the regions generating the most cash for majors, we forecast the group’s top five projects by cumulative free cash flow for the period 2025 to 2030. Two standout regions are the Permian shale play, which dominates the US majors’ portfolios,…

Aluminum prices in the U.S. climbed to new record highs on Monday as domestic inventories tightened sharply, driven by the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs designed to bolster and revitalize America’s industrial base. According to Bloo…

Mergers are back in fashion, especially now that the government no longer objects as much as before. Why do a merger?  Well, the merging parties always say that the merger will strengthen competition (good for the public), lower operating costs (good f…

While the market is finally starting to grapple with the most unpleasant question of who will plug the funding gap needed to build out all the data centers required to make the AI dream a reality, a gap which Morgan Stanley recently calculated would be…

As momentum builds toward COP30, Rystad Energy has analyzed over 400 historical and updated NDCs to assess how well the global energy system aligns with the Paris Agreement goals. Most submissions focus on short-term decarbonization in power, energy, a…

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has declared an oil and gas “emergency” in the North East of Scotland as she pushes the Labour government to overturn its ban on new oil and gas licenses.  Badenoch has pledged to “get Britain drilling again” in a new campaign…

A joint green-energy project involving Azerbaijan and Georgia has cleared an initial European hurdle, and its blueprint for exporting electricity from the Caspian Basin to the EU will now undergo a cost-benefit analysis. The European Network of Transmi…

According to Trump, his big achievement a week ago when he announced the trade truce with China, was getting Beijing to agree to remove export limitations on rare earth minerals, which, as most now know, are so critical for US companies to make everyth…

According to Trump, his big achievement a week ago when he announced the trade truce with China, was getting Beijing to agree to remove export limitations on rare earth minerals, which, as most now know, are so critical for US companies to make everyth…

The US ambassador to the UK has warned Britain’s sky-high energy prices threaten to undermine its status as a major global economy. Speaking at an event at the Savoy Hotel on Wednesday, Warren Stephens described UK energy prices, which are among the hi…

Central Asian leaders are traveling to Washington for a summit with President Donald Trump, carrying a diverse agenda that extends beyond trade topics.  Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was the first regional leader to land in Washington, arriving on…

Natural gas-rich Turkmenistan wants to join a regional green-energy trend. Officials have announced that construction of an energy-efficient power plant on the Caspian shoreline is underway, adding that the facility aims to produce enough electricity t…

The surge in artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure has turned data centers into the fastest-growing source of new electricity demand in North America. Grid operators and policymakers are racing to keep up, and for energy providers, this wa…

In Tashkent’s ongoing effort to find a path to a seaport and expand global trade options, representatives of the state company Uzbekistan Railways have engaged a Pakistani logistics firm to establish a multimodal route connecting Uzbekistan and Pakista…

Gas prices are falling across much of the United States, but Seattle drivers are still paying a premium, according to Fox 13 Seattle. The national average for a gallon of gas is $3.066. In Washington state, the average jumps to $4.388 per gallon. In th…

The decision by Washington to block Iraq from importing gas from Turkmenistan via a swap deal with Iran may prove problematic for Baghdad, but it could reignite interest in building a trans-Caspian pipeline that enables Turkmen gas to flow to Europe.  …

When the PBS reporter asked the energy consultant about electricity prices, you knew he was trying to be fair, you know, both sides of the story. Wasn’t it true that having an AI center in the area might lower electricity prices? Yes, the consultant re…

ExxonMobil Corp. has filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping California from enforcing two new climate-reporting laws, according to Yahoo/Bloomberg.  The company argues the state isn’t just demanding data — it’s trying to conscript corporations into a partic…

The global energy system is witnessing the next greatest transition, standing on the cusp of a new energy era championed by clean electricity and the increased adoption of electrification across the board. Rystad Energy is pleased to announce the relea…

In the ongoing digital transformation of the energy industry, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most discussed — and misunderstood — tools available to operators. While the promises of AI often stretch toward the speculative, the t…

US diplomats intend to set up working groups with their Armenian and Azerbaijani counterparts to accelerate implementation of the US-brokered provisional peace plan signed in August in Washington, according to a state-connected media outlet in Azerbaij…

A government-run survey has cast doubt on Labour’s push for net zero as Brits fear that it would push up living expenses in both the short and long term. The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) own research has suggested that the gover…

Russian officials have potentially opened a new revenue stream to help them generate profits from oil exports needed to keep their war effort going in Ukraine. And it runs through Georgia. Moscow is dealing with growing energy isolation and a wave of U…

US retail power prices have surged 13% since 2022, outpacing the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and driving higher costs for consumers. While many have pointed to rising demand from data centers as the culprit for the increase, Rystad Energy’s analysis sho…

North Sea oil and energy services group Petrofac has appointed administrators, putting thousands of jobs at risk. The company said it took the decision after one of its customers, TenneT, terminated its relationship over a 2GW energy programme in the N…

Global satellite-detected methane emissions from the onshore upstream oil and gas sector ticked up late last year and into the first quarter of 2025, reversing a steady decline since 2020. Rystad Energy analysis, supported by satellite detection, highl…

Central Asian leaders are scrambling to prepare for a snap summit with President Trump in Washington. While critical minerals will undoubtedly dominate discussions, Central Asian officials will also be seeking US help in addressing an array of other pr…

With sales continuing to thrive in many countries, the global market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) surpassed the 10 million annual sales mark for the first time in 2024, with sales up nearly 10 percent compared to 2023. More recently, in May 202…

Tony Blair’s think tank has called for the government to ditch its 2030 clean power target as it urged the Labour government to focus on making electricity cheaper in order to persuade Brits to use it over gas.  In a report published by the Tony Blair …

The Trump Administration is working to outmaneuver China to ensure a US firm gains access to reserves of tungsten in Kazakhstan. The metal is a critical component used in the production of military ammunition and weaponry, as well as in medical equipme…

Annual conventional discovered volumes once averaged more than 20 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per year in the early 2010s, but these have fallen to nearly one-third of that, with analysis by Rystad Energy showing global discoveries have ave…

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are striving to reduce their digital dependence on Russia and tilt their economic attention a bit more to the West. The two countries are moving forward with a plan to lay a fiber-optic cable beneath the Caspian Sea to establi…

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has decided to postpone the adoption of its Net-Zero Framework (NZF) for another year. This delay, while creating additional uncertainty, warrant careful examination of the proposed mechanisms. Prior to the…

We think the concept of the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) as a solution to many of our future energy needs is in the midst of a major bubble or hype cycle.  Think of the latter as an inverted “V”. In the up leg, investors feel great about prospects and p…

Major oil companies are drilling in East Texas again, but not for oil. This time, they’re after lithium for batteries and other rare elements. Chevron and Halliburton announced East Texas projects this summer. Exxon has acreage across the border in Ark…

In Afghanistan, to monitor a pipeline construction project, Turkmenistan’s paramount leader, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, hailed improving bilateral relations with the Taliban government in Kabul, while giving a shout-out to the United States for foster…

Changes in equipment costs, interest rates, and power prices have resulted in a large shift in PPA prices globally in recent years. On the cost side, breakeven prices for solar PV and onshore wind have seen very different trajectories in recent years, …

Here is a funny thing about valuation “bubbles” involving financial instruments. In every individual case, you unavoidably end up asking:  “What were they thinking?” Or stated differently, what causes a significant part of the supposedly rational inves…

The UK is set to become the first European country to welcome Waymo’s driverless taxis but lawyers caution that current laws are fundamentally incompatible with the technology. Last week, Waymo announced its UK launch will start with a small fleet of h…

Don’t get us wrong. We favor a coherent, forward looking national energy policy. One that limits our dependence on foreign resources for reasons of national security, encourages economical use of affordable energy, and helps build a financially strong …

Shadow energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, has claimed that Labour’s net zero targets” are not helping” the UK’s economy. In an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, Countinho linked the government’s climate targets to the ongoing cost of living cri…

Every person in the world generates on average around 8 kilograms of electronic waste per year worldwide. However, there are significant regional differences. As Statista’s Valentina Fourreau shows in the chart below, using data from the latest E-Waste…

The recent increase in gold prices in the United States and around the world has been driven by a confluence of economic, financial, and political factors.  This environment, where gold has outperformed U.S. GDP and the four major U.S. stock markets, b…

Central Asian neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war is undergoing a not-so-subtle shift. Neutrality for Central Asian states during the first three-plus years of the conflict meant keeping Russia happy by keeping Kyiv at arm’s length. But now, Kazakhsta…

Friedrich Merz has called for the creation of a pan-European stock exchange in a move that would help it compete with Asian and US counterparts and eclipse the liquidity offered on London’s ailing bourse. In an address to parliament in Berlin, the Germ…

This year’s International E-Waste Day, celebrated annually on October 14 to raise awareness about the growing problem of electronic waste and promote responsible e-waste management, focuses on the critical resources contained in e-waste. These days, as…

General Motors said on Oct. 14 that it will bear a $1.6 billion loss to scale back its electric vehicle (EV) operations, citing weaker expected demand following recent U.S. policy changes that ended federal EV tax credits and loosened emissions rules. …

After years spent cast as the underbelly of the global economy, mining is undergoing a reputational and financial revival. Ali Lyon explores what’s behind the renaissance, and whether London risks losing its status as the industry’s spiritual home as a…

The record gold rally of the past few months “may have peaked in trendiness”, a top investment bank has predicted despite the precious metal hitting fresh highs on Monday fuelled by Donald Trump’s threat last week to upend trade with China. Deutsche Ba…

The Uzbek government is allocating $100 million to turbocharge the development of the country’s AI sector.  A large chunk of the government funding is intended for initiatives to attract foreign investors to construct data centers in Karakalpakstan, an…

India’s latest gas discovery in the under-explored Andaman-Nicobar Basin could prove to be a valuable stepping stone towards increased domestic upstream production and greater energy security for the country – but whether the basin can become a signifi…

One of the biggest mistakes we made about electrification is that we assumed that the new technologies embracing electricity, like electric vehicles for example, would embrace decarbonization at the same time. We were wrong. In fact, in the US today, e…

Luxembourg is officially joining the ranks of governments investing in Bitcoin.  The country’s Intergenerational Sovereign Wealth Fund (FSIL) will allocate 1% of its total portfolio — over €7 million — to Bitcoin and other crypto, Finance Minister Gill…

The last few months have seen gold soar to record highs above $4,000 amid the so-called “debasement trade,” with investors flocking to the perceived safety of alternates while pulling away from major currencies. It’s a monetary regime change – if marke…

A new report produced by the watchdog group Greenpeace documents how Russia’s environmental policies and practices are causing global harm.  The report, titled Fossil Fuel Empire: The Environment of Post-2022 Russia and the Kremlin’s Threat to Domestic…

Energy prices for consumers across the UK rose again this month.   Ofgem, the energy regulator, set the maximum annual rate for an average household for gas and electricity at £1,755 until the end of the year.  The cap is now over £600 higher than when…

A new survey published by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development offers a strong near-term economic outlook for Central Asian states. But the bank adds that the region is prone to fluctuations in commodity prices, reliance on remittances,…

As the US aims to decouple from Chinese supply chains by doubling down on its domestic oil and gas resources, industries such as offshore wind have faced a barrage of economic challenges, from stop-work orders, to tax break rollbacks and rising inflati…

A newly released report by ChargerHelp! shows that while 64% of Americans now live within two miles of an electric vehicle charging station, nearly one-third of charging attempts fail. Despite charging infrastructure showing 98.7% to 99% uptime rates, …

The Armenian government is playing the field in search of the best deal to construct a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging Metsamor facility. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced during a question-and-answer session in parliament that nego…

U.S. natural gas futures surged 17.3% last week, the largest weekly gain since early May. Goldman Sachs analysts offered context for the rally, noting that the market narrative has shifted “from U.S. storage congestion fears to tightening 2026 supply.”…

A harsh winter awaits Kyrgyzstan. That was Kyrgyz Energy Minister Taalaibek Ibraev’s message to the country, as he recently revealed that the volume of water in the Toktogul Reservoir, which feeds many of the country’s hydroelectric plants, is at its l…

Curtailment has become a very relevant issue in Brazil as renewable penetration grows. In short, curtailment is the forced reduction of renewable generation, which typically occurs when there is too much intermittent generation on the grid and insuffic…

Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange rose above $10,500 a ton – the highest since May 2024 – driven by a mix of investing themes, macro tailwinds, and worsening supply outlook.  Freeport-McMoRan’s (FCX) recent force majeure declaration at Indone…

Once upon a time the promise of Net Zero enjoyed such universal support that a Tory government signed the UK’s Net Zero pledge into law. Today, the Tories say they’d scrap it – while alarm bells are ringing as the costs of the policy become clearer. In…

Uzbekistan has announced a new batch of energy-related deals with US companies collectively worth upwards of $4 billion.  Uzbek Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov told the Uzbekiston 24 TV channel that the government has signed a series of agreemen…

The onshore wind sector has historically witnessed mild growth in Southeast Asia (SEA) since the start of the decade due to a combination of regulatory hurdles, weak grid infrastructure, high costs associated with developing local supply chains, and pe…

Corporations report profits on their books. Those profits may or may not translate into higher stock prices because all earnings are not equal. Investors often talk about high or low quality earnings, a distinction that refers to the reliability and su…

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway – which we have been following and watching take, then increase its stake in Occidential Petroleum for years – has finally tipped its hand at what it’s end game with the company could be. While many had speculated Bu…

Chancellor Rachel Reeves should abolish windfall taxes on oil and gas producers in the North Sea, top industy bosses have said.  In a new report setting out UK businesses’ proposals for the Budget, the Chancellor has been urged to focus on cutting ener…

Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are expanding their visions as they move forward with their respective nuclear energy programs. Tashkent is now striving to build larger reactors than originally envisioned, while Kazakh officials are voicing ambitions to take…

Trump’s Industrial Economy policies just took down their latest scalp, so to speak.  One week after Bloomberg reported that the White House was considering a 10% stake in one of the largest North American lithium mining companies, Lithium Americas, on …

The highly anticipated LNG Canada terminal exported its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on 30 June 2025 from its facility in Kitimat, British Columbia, marking the nation’s entry into the exclusive LNG export club. LNG Canada, a joint ventur…

Recent months have underscored how Canada’s implementation of its tariff rate quota (TRQ) system is reshaping the market for oil country tubular goods (OCTG) and linepipe. The system, rolled out this summer, is already influencing procurement strategie…

On the back of a 45% surge in the price of gold this year, the US Treasury’s hoard of the barbarous relic has surpassed $1 trillion in value for the first time in history. That is more than 90 times what’s stated on the government’s balance sheet and i…

This past June, the US EPA  revised its views on power plant emissions, particularly of coal-fired plants. In short, EPA is now in favor of emissions. OK, we’re kidding, but not by much. The agency proposed to rollback: 1) the Clean Air and Water Act, …

The UK economy grew at a sluggish pace of 0.3 per cent in the second quarter of the year, official data has shown, another major setback for Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ as she hopes to oversee higher growth. The Office for National Statistics left its gr…

Angola’s state oil company, Sonangol, is preparing to list up to 30% of its shares in an initial public offering (IPO) sometime in the next 24 months in what would be a milestone that could reshape not only the company itself but the country’s broader …

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his recent meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, called on the Kremlin to “take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution of the Russia-Ukraine war.” Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, du…

Porsche AG shares fell almost 10% last week—the steepest drop since its 2022 debut—after the carmaker scaled back its electric-vehicle ambitions. The stock is down nearly 30% this year and will fall out of Germany’s benchmark DAX index. Parent company …

Uzbekistan evidently is on a fast-track to gain membership in the World Trade Organization. Tashkent’s application could win acceptance by the spring of 2026, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iveala said in an interview with Uzbek television. Gaining …

Amid all the threats and counterthreats related to warnings NATO is prepared to shoot down Russian aircraft this week, Germany has in a major policy U-turn, called for the European Union to use frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine’s defense. Berl…

China has logged a sharp increase in crude imports from Indonesia in recent months, suggesting Beijing has found “new workarounds” to access Iranian oil despite U.S. sanctions, Bloomberg reports. Chinese customs data show 2.7 million tons of crude from…

Small indicators are starting to appear that ongoing confidence-building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan are having a positive effect on efforts to conclude a lasting peace settlement.  An Azerbaijani media outlet, the Report information agency…

You can add Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Donald Trump’s “highly respected” leader list.  Trump in a couple of blasts from his Truth Social account singled out the Uzbek and Kazakh leaders for praise a…

Shares in London-listed defence firms rallied during early trading on Wednesday after President Donald Trump changed his tune on the Russia and Ukraine conflict. Aerospace firm BAE Systems led the City’s blue-chips with a 1.6 per cent gain to 1,982.50….

The Trump administration is looking to take some equity ownership of another large publicly traded company. The decision comes after the administration began re-evaluating a $2.3 billion loan approved by President Biden for the development of a Nevada …

Shrinking discovered volumes, rising oil and gas demand, and a renewed focus on energy security have driven the global oil and gas industry to refocus on frontier regions in pursuit of new discoveries essential for sustaining long-term growth. The peer…

Tajikistan is almost entirely dependent on international donors to fund 82 government infrastructure projects across a wide range of sectors. International development entities, led by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the UN’s International F…

Imagine hauling in enough platinum, gold, and rare earth metals to bankroll every American’s wildest dreams–or potentially tank the global economy overnight. That’s the high-stakes gamble NASA and a cadre of innovative U.S. startups are wagering on the…

Serbia is a candidate for European Union membership and Hungary has been a full member since 2004, but that hasn’t prevented them from collaborating with Russia to undermine EU cohesion and meddle with efforts to break Europe’s dependency on Russian en…

An Irish energy tycoon has revealed plans to build a new gas storage site in the Irish Sea that would boost the UK’s capacity by over 50 per cent. Tony O’Reilly Jr’s Dcarbonx, which is backed by gas infrastructure behemoth Snam, wants to redevelop a fo…

China has spent up to $13 billion developing fusion energy since 2023 and could commercially replicate star power to generate electricity by 2030, becoming the first nation to master what’s commonly dubbed “the holy grail of energy solutions.” Doing so…

With oil trading just above multi-year lows – despite mounting speculation of peak shale – pessimism on oil prices has never been greater, and earlier this week sentiment hit rock bottom after WTI managed money spec positions hit a record low, the clea…

Greg Jackson’s Octopus Energy has announced the spin-off of its technology arm Kraken to become a standalone business. The group said the move is aimed at “speeding up the platform’s expansion across the globe” and allowing Kraken to “fast-track invest…

Monday saw a brief global outage of Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink impact tens of thousands of people, including Ukrainian military forces across the entire frontline. Despite such occasional hiccups, Ukraine has long successfully reli…

For the third time in as many months, the Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom is turning off the tap to Armenia, claiming a need to repair infrastructure. Some observers believe the Kremlin is instigating the repeated cut-offs as a means of pressuring…

In its quest to gain access to the sea to facilitate exports, Uzbekistan is eyeing the Iranian port at Chabahar, situated in the Gulf of Oman. But even in the exploratory phase, Tashkent is encountering significant obstacles.   Facilitating Uzbek acces…

The US is weighing the creation of a $5 billion mining investment fund, which would mark its largest step yet into direct dealmaking to secure critical minerals, according to a Bloomberg report out this morning. As a result, shares of rare earth compan…

Microsoft has announced its largest ever UK investment, pledging £22bn to expand AI infrastructure and build the country’s largest supercomputer, as president Donald Trump touched down in London for his state visit. The commitment forms part of a wider…

That seemed to be the argument. The academic patiently explained to the TV interviewer that cost of electricity would rise for all consumers because putting those big AI centers into operation would raise costs for the grid, and everyone has to share g…

Kuwait is grappling with relentless heat, aging infrastructure and unplanned power outages, prompting major investments in grid reliability. Today, renewables account for less than 1% of Kuwait’s electricity generation, but the country aims to grow tha…

Nuclear plants could come online faster in a new deal between the UK and the US aimed at boosting growth in the sector and bolstering energy security. Under plans set to be signed off during US president Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK this week, …

Ram has abandoned plans to launch an electric pickup truck, according to a Sept. 12 statement from Stellantis. “As demand for full-size battery-electric trucks slows in North America, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will discontinue …

As global oil majors become more selective with their investments and prioritize shareholder returns, Middle East national oil companies (NOCs) continue to play a pivotal role in global energy security amid shifting market dynamics and the energy trans…

For decades, electricity planners have urged an expansion of the high-voltage transmission network. Deregulation was supposed to provide incentives to build more lines. It really did not. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission devised a bizarre plan …

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have worked out detailed swap arrangements covering water and electricity, aiming to improve agricultural productivity in areas experiencing dry conditions. Under the key agreement signed at a trilateral meeting i…

Toyota’s UK profit has almost been wiped out as the carmaker battled a decline in market share and compliance with the ZEV [Zero Emission Vehicle] mandate. The Surrey-headquartered division has posted a pre-tax profit of £462,000 for the 12 months to 3…

Could Donald Trump become the first US president to visit Central Asia? Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been pushing for it, and, on September 7, Trump seemed to praise Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and briefly float the idea of a visit…

Carbon markets have become increasingly important as a cost-effective pathway for companies and countries to reduce emissions in a world struggling to meet its climate goals. They can mobilize private capital, particularly in developing countries where…

Oil and gas producers worldwide are bracing for a prolonged downturn, with job losses and investment cuts spreading through the industry, according to a new report from Financial Times. ConocoPhillips, Chevron, and BP have all announced large-scale lay…

Anglo American will merge with Canada’s Teck Resources in a $50bn (£36bn) deal, shifting its headquarters to Canada and reducing its London presence in a move criticised by shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith. The Tory MP said it represents a blo…

Rystad Energy’s latest analysis reveals a growing threat to global energy security as the world’s five most critical maritime chokepoints, narrow sea routes that handle the bulk of global oil and gas transit, face escalating risks from conflict, piracy…

In the past decade, plastic pollution has become one of the most visible environmental issues worldwide. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic enter the ocean, affecting marine life, coastal communities, and ecosystems. This visualization, via Visu…

Reports are circulating in Armenia that a US delegation will soon travel to Yerevan to work out the details of a transit corridor that is a key element of the provisional Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal brokered by US President Donald Trump. Armenian n…

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed back Sunday against growing concerns that the U.S. economy is sliding toward a “jobs recession,” defending the administration’s trade policies, tariffs, and fiscal strategy while signaling confidence that growth …

US President Donald Trump significantly pivoted US energy policy with the signing of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), transforming supply chains, redirecting investment flows and solidifying the US government’s support of traditional fuels. The …

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has presided over a multi-day pageant in Beijing and Tianjin staged in part to showcase the strength and unity of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a grouping that China and Russia hope can emerge as a new geopolitical ce…

Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times, California regulators fearing a dramatic drop in gasoline supply placed a five-year pause on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s penalty on oil industry profits Aug. 29. The decision is a blow to Newsom’s legislation ai…

China’s hyper-competitive electric vehicle market means that even top players, such as BYD Auto, are no longer immune, as smaller players continue to gobble up increasing market share. This comes as growth in the world’s largest EV market slowed over t…

Before completing a four-day trip to China on September 3, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev met with Shen Yanfeng, the chair of China’s National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), an indication that Tashkent may be trying to hedge its bets in case a prelimi…

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch will pledge to make North Sea oil a “cornerstone” of the UK economy amid concerns producers have “much more to do” to reduce carbon emissions in the coming decades.  In a speech to the Society of Petroleum Engine…

Cambodia’s solar industry rose quickly but has collapsed just as fast. At its peak in 2023, solar exports to the United States totaled $2.4 billion, making it the country’s largest manufacturing export after garments, footwear, and luggage, according t…

“Drill, baby, drill” is not something you’d expect a ‘climate activist’ to say. You probably wouldn’t hear it from Just Stop Oil. But it is something I think you’ll hear more and more from serious climate commentators.  We need to champion homegrown, s…

US equity futures are flat, with cash markets of course closed for Labor Day holiday, stabilizing after Friday’s selloff in tech stocks amid renewed Nvidia jitters, and setting a steadier tone at the start of a month that could bring plenty of tests to…

The Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector by granting Chevron a specific OFAC license to expand operations represents a cautious recalibration of US policy. Unlike past general licenses, this narrower authorization…

A Trump administration emissary is making an extended visit to Uzbekistan with the apparent aim of advancing the US critical minerals agenda. Paolo Zampolli, the White House’s Special Envoy for Global Partnerships, arrived in Tashkent on August 28 with…

The European Union has signed a deal to import $750 billion worth of liquefied natural gas, oil and nuclear fuels from the United States by 2028. The agreement, announced on July 27 by U.S. President Donald Trump and EU Commission President Ursula von …

In a wide-ranging television interview, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev asserted a key provision of the Trump peace plan for the Caucasus can be implemented quickly. The same cannot be said for the restoration of stable relations between Azerbaijan and…

Over the past year, the world’s biggest banks‘ net zero enthusiasm has quickly and quietly dried up. Top lenders have backtracked, diluted or outright abandoned their environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. The return of President Donald T…

The Bolivian presidential election is poised to have a profound impact on the country’s natural gas sector, with significant implications for its commercial relationships with neighboring Argentina and Brazil. As both leading presidential candidates, f…

Global energy company Natpower is set to dwarf a key Labour investment in battery storage development as it said £1bn would be injected into one of the largest storage sites in the UK.  The new battery storage project on Sembcorp Utilities’ Wilton Inte…

The West has moved fast on Syria in the wake of Assad’s ouster – first lifting most sanctions and now ensuring oil and gas are tapped and get flowing again. The brutal sanctions served to punish the broader Syrian population for many years. It undersco…

Nearly 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity, and the continent’s population is projected to double between 2050 and 2070. This growing demand underscores the urgent need for scalable, reliable energy solutions. As Africa transforms i…

The World Bank appears to be pulling back from involvement in the construction of the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan. According to regional media reports, the bank has paused project funding until Tajik authorities develop a plan to responsibly repay construc…

The Gulf of America (GoA) has witnessed an outstanding 2025 in terms of startup activity. Three new floating production units (FPU) are set to begin operations by year-end, with the potential to drive the basin’s deepwater output to an all-time high of…

The Turkish government is moving quickly to capitalize on new economic opportunities created by US President Donald Trump‘s peace plan for Armenia and Azerbaijan.  Turkish officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on August 22 for a new 224-km rail line…

The U.S. government is overhauling undersea cable rules for the first time since 2001, tightening restrictions to keep companies linked to adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran out of the supply chain, according to Nikkei Asia. The Federal Commun…

Multiple factors have led developers to abandon announced low-carbon hydrogen projects. Strategy pivot is top among them, accounting for 48% of cancelled capacity (24% of project count) and around 6 million tpa of hydrogen capacity. Developers are reco…

Donald Trump has blindsided UK manufacturers by slapping fresh tariffs of up to 25 per cent on more than 400 categories of British goods, from shampoo and children’s highchairs to motorcycles and diggers. Conservative shadow trade secretary Andrew Grif…

A team of Goldman analysts led by Brian Singer reaffirmed his bullish view on U.S. power-sector Green Capex after the IRS recently clarified eligibility rules for solar and wind tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The new “physica…

Officials in Tbilisi are cheering US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Armenia and Azerbaijan, even though the creation of a new transit corridor envisioned under the deal threatens to relegate Georgia to geopolitical and economic irrelevance in …

Summer can be a quiet time in Central Asian capitals, but this August officials in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have launched initiatives designed to get a handle on water-related challenges threatening the region. Uzbekistan has unveiled a…

Via The Cradle Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed 12 cooperation agreements during Pezeshkian’s official visit to Minsk on Wednesday, strengthening ties between the two nations in defiance of US san…

Over the past year, the world’s biggest banks‘ net zero enthusiasm has quickly and quietly dried up. Top lenders have backtracked, diluted or outright abandoned their environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. The return of President Donald T…

Kazakhstan is now richer than Russia.  That is according to the latest data from the International Monetary Fund, showing Kazakh GDP per capita is projected to hit an all-time high of $14,770 this year, compared with Russia’s $14,260. The fresh numbers…

That the Colorado River’s flow has been declining is not new in water circles. Truth is that the states bordering the Colorado divided up the water supply on the basis of a wet year, a century ago, and have been fighting over the diminishing supply for…

After years of ratcheting tensions between nuclear-armed rivals China and India, which actually came to literal blows along their disputed Himalayan border over the last several years – including the deadly 2020 Galwan valley clashes among rival troops…

In Tbilisi, whether you are inching through traffic or weaving down side streets, you cannot escape the same slogan splashed across the backs of some passing cars: “Build Your Dreams.”  That is a branded motto etched onto vehicles made by BYD, China’s …

The U.S. East Coast dodged a massive bullet this week as powerful Category 3 Hurricane Erin passed near the Bahamas on Tuesday morning. Instead of making landfall, Erin is expected to unleash rough surf from Central Florida to Canada before curving out…

With coal accounting for 54% of Asia’s power mix last year, the region faces a significant challenge in meeting its net-zero ambitions. In a bid to cut emissions, several Asian countries are turning to ammonia for power generation, particularly through…

Barack Obama has one. So do Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jimmy Carter. And it seems abundantly clear that Donald Trump is bucking for one too – a Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a sitting US president. Trump has gone on a peace-making offensive…

Texas is preparing to cut off power to data centers during grid emergencies — a sign of just how strained the system has become. Over the Fourth of July, deadly floods swept across central Texas, disrupting infrastructure and causing widespread outages…

The UK’s largest bioethanol plant is to shut, its owner has said, after the government decided not offer the struggling factory an emergency funding settlement after months of fraught negotiations. Vivergo Fuels had been locked in talks over its future…

Rystad Energy’s latest research shows the global amount of discovered, recoverable oil resources has increased by 5 billion barrels over the past year, even though 30 billion barrels were produced globally in 2024. This net increase was driven primaril…

An insurance association has urged its members to assess their exposure to Russian oil as the UK and EU prepare to update their oil price cap regimes. The oil price cap, introduced by the G7, EU, and Australia, aims to restrict Russia’s oil revenues by…

The asymmetrical trade agreement between the EU and the US will further worsen Germany’s recession. Yet neither politicians nor corporate leaders show any willingness to make the sweeping policy changes needed to reverse course. Germany’s economic data…

By Peter Tchir of Academy SecuritiesA few months ago, we started to regularly check in on the Tariff Revenue chart. We look forward to getting the next “large” number in a little less than 2 weeks. In the meantime, this chart has attracted our attentio…

Nuclear has been a core investment theme since December 2020, followed by the launch of “The Next AI Trade” in April 2024 and the introduction of the “Powering Up America” theme shortly thereafter.  We expanded our nuclear coverage yesterday as Goldman…

Countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia are among the most digitally connected in the world, a recent survey by the International Telecommunications Union. The organization’s 2025 Information and Communication Technologies Development Index shows th…

Buckle up. The geopolitical struggle among the United States, Russia and Iran is poised to intensify before any durable peace comes to the Caucasus.  The provisional peace deal signed August 8 at the White House by US President Donald Trump, Armenian P…

Global refining is at a crossroads, as shifting regional demand, mounting sustainability pressures and heightened energy security concerns reshape the industry. Rystad Energy’s research shows that even though there are fewer refineries today, overall r…

Critical minerals startup General Matter announced ambitious plans this week to construct a $1.5 billion uranium enrichment facility at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in McCracken County, Kentucky, as the Trump administration seeks to reduce relia…

US officials keep expressing enthusiasm for expanding trade in critical minerals with Central Asian states. But while Washington talks, China is taking substantive action to expand its hold over Central Asia’s abundant resources.  During her recent Sen…

President Donald Trump has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India after the country’s government imported Russian Federation Oil. In an executive order signed on Wednesday, the White House said it would slap Indian imports with the fresh lev…

China’s biggest solar firms fired nearly one-third of their workforces last year, a Reuters analysis of company filings shows, as one of the industries hand-picked by Beijing to drive economic growth grapples with falling prices and steep losses. Longi…

Glencore has scrapped plans to move its primary listing from London as part of a major overhaul to reverse its declining share price and stuttering production. Boss Gary Nagle confirmed on Wednesday the Anglo-Swiss commodities juggernaut was no longer …

Farmland is one of the oldest asset classes, rivaling precious metals in its ability to preserve generational wealth. Unlike stocks or fiat currencies, farmland and cropland are tangible, finite, and highly productive. As the global population continue…

Oil prices remain jittery today as the market digests yet another sanctions-threat targeting Russia. President Trump is said to be mulling new sanctions on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers if Moscow doesn’t commit to a peace agreement w…

The board of the world’s most valuable carmaker has approved the award of shares to chief executive Elon Musk worth a staggering $29bn (£21.7bn) in efforts to prevent the billionaire from leaving the firm. The new award by Tesla, which amounts to 96 mi…

In 2023, Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes warned that Beijing effectively has the US military’s supply chain by the balls, thanks to America’s reliance on rare earths and other materials which either come from, or are processed in, China.  According to Hayes, R…

China followed by India have been the two biggest wartime buyers of Russian fossil fuels, here defined as any oil, coal or gas purchased after Jan. 1, 2023. Turkey was the third-biggest buyer while the European Union came fourth. The economic bloc has …

Russian energy entities are experiencing financing woes, raising questions about whether Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear energy agency, will be able to fulfill its obligations to build Kazakhstan’s first atomic power plant. Already, financing troubles have c…

Efforts to cut Europe’s energy ties with Moscow have already changed the flow of crude oil. Now, attention is turning to refined products, particularly diesel refined from Russian crude outside of the bloc. The goal is clear: reduce the Kremlin’s reven…

Shares of USA Rare Earth are rocketed higher yesterday afternoon after it was reported that the Trump administration is moving to extend price support mechanisms for U.S. rare earth projects to other companies, broadening a policy that previously focus…

There are signs that western measures and a domestic crackdown on Kyrgyzstan’s traditional banking sector are starting to bite, hindering Russian efforts to evade sanctions. Yet, booming transactions of a Kyrgyzstan-registered, ruble-linked cryptocurre…

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Russia and Ukraine, has freshly warned in newly published comments that oil sanctions will have a serious and hard-hitting economic impact if properly enforced – though they haven’t been up till now, he suggested…

Ecuador’s oil production has plunged to multi-year lows after heavy rains and erosion caused the shutdown of the two largest crude pipelines, potentially costing the country as much as $300 million in lost revenue. On 2 July, Ecuador’s national oil com…

A war of words has erupted between energy providers after an Octopus Energy advert was banned for claiming that households could have a heat pump installed for as little as £500. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint against the …

As part of the U.S.-EU trade deal agreed over the weekend, the EU committed to purchasing a mindblowing $750 billion worth of US energy products over three years ($250 per year) including LNG, oil, and nuclear fuel (again this is very big picture: neit…

Floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) terminals are gaining momentum on the global LNG market, with capacity expected to triple by 2030 according to research from Rystad Energy. Once hindered by technical and operational challenges, FLNG projects are n…

After eight years of talk, regional governments are taking concrete steps toward building a trans-Afghan railroad from doubly landlocked Uzbekistan to Pakistani ports after all three countries signed a framework agreement. The project, first pitched in…

Ok, we are cynical. The current electric utility policy environment is not exactly what you would call a level playing field, fairly balancing corporate and public interests. Quite the contrary. Right now, we have highly profitable (and politically inf…

Just last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu recalled his Israeli negotiating team from Doha – which is certainly not a first instance – as talks broke down, also after the US representative mentioned dissatisfaction with Hamas’ position. On Sunday night, …

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday granted multiple licensing and regulatory approvals necessary for the 800-MW Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan to restart operations later this year. Palisades is now authorized to receive new fuel a…

Ahead of trade talks in Stockholm that are set to begin today, The South China Morning Post reports that, according to sources close to the matter on both sides, the US and China are set to extend their tariff truced by another three months. China and …

President Trump kicks off his golfing holiday in Scotland this evening, and all eyes are on his diary as the trip looks set to become a hub for diplomacy.  Sir Keir Starmer will meet the US President on Monday, with the express mission of pressing for …

Keir Starmer and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi have signed a trade deal worth an estimated £6bn, with the UK Prime Minister hailing the landmark agreement a “historic day” for Britain and India. The trade pact – the result of over three years of…

Tesla shares plunged more than 9% at the cash open on Thursday after CEO Elon Musk lamented the company faced some ‘rough quarters’ ahead on its Q2 earnings call Wednesday evening.  Here is what Tesla reported for Q2: Adjusted EPS 40c vs. 52c y/y, miss…

U.S. natural gas futures fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, hitting its lowest intraday level since late April, as new weather forecasts indicate a much cooler weather pattern unfolding across the Lower 48 for the beginning of August.  …

On Wednesday morning, the accountancy regulator announced that it has launched an investigation into Deloitte over audits related to the FTSE 100 giant Glencore. Glencore is one of the world’s largest commodity trading houses. Its operations span coal …

The total volume of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz stands around a staggering $600 billion. While a blockade of the strait is considered a distant possibility, its closure could ripple across global supply chain networks. In particular, Japan…

Chevron is approaching a production plateau in the Permian Basin—America’s top oil field—and expects this shift to generate billions in free cash flow, according to Bloomberg. The company is cutting back on drill rigs and frack crews as it nears its lo…

India added a record 22 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity in the first half of 2025 – a 57% jump from the 14.2 GW installed during the same period last year. The new capacity includes 18.4 GW of solar, 3.5 GW of wind and 250 megawatts (MW) of…

In late May, President Trump issued four separate Executive Orders (EOs)  with respect to growing the nuclear power industry in the US. As the implementation of these orders begins, several Washington focused publications have written about one emergin…

In late May, President Trump issued four separate Executive Orders (EOs)  with respect to growing the nuclear power industry in the US. As the implementation of these orders begins, several Washington focused publications have written about one emergin…

Azerbaijan is trying to implement a comprehensive plan to overhaul the domestic heating and electricity market, not only expanding renewables’ share of power generation but also implementing liberalization measures. The reforms stand to generate a fair…

Upstream merger and acquisition (M&A) activity experienced a sharp downturn in early 2025, with global deal value plunging 39% from the fourth quarter of 2024 to just $28 billion in the first quarter of 2025 – less than half the $66 billion recorded in…

It remains important for energy traders to closely monitor the Strait of Hormuz and other key critical maritime chokepoints in the region (recall Red Sea events last week, given persistent geopolitical tensions involving Iran and Israel.  Tehran retain…

The International Monetary Fund is upbeat on Uzbekistan’s economic liberalization drive but cautions that much remains to be reformed before Tashkent can realize its goal of qualifying for World Trade Organization membership. Since Shavkat Mirziyoyev a…

Researchers from three respectable universities (Durham, Oxford, and Toronto) just issued a paper that lays out a guide to exploring for underground hydrogen deposits and also claims that the planet’s reserves, theoretically, could supply all energy ne…

U.S. shale drillers are scaling back as crude prices drift into the red zone for profitability, according to Quantum Capital Group’s Dwight Scott. With West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hovering near $65, private operators are seeing diminishing returns on…

Guyana’s government will reduce external borrowing for major infrastructure projects, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said, citing the country’s swelling oil revenues and a growing push for fiscal restraint. Speaking at a press briefing, Jagdeo said new …

Weeks after New Fortress Energy rallied on news of a temporary contract extension for LNG supply to Puerto Rico, Bloomberg now reports the island has idled temporary power plants after the company abruptly halted a critical gas shipment, raising the ri…

Weeks after New Fortress Energy rallied on news of a temporary contract extension for LNG supply to Puerto Rico, Bloomberg now reports the island has idled temporary power plants after the company abruptly halted a critical gas shipment, raising the ri…

As Trump officials signal plans to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)—drained under the Biden-Harris regime—a new report reveals that ExxonMobil has begun drawing from the SPR due to contaminated crude supplies from offshore rigs in the Gulf …

The Middle East is on track to surpass Asia to become the world’s second-largest gas producer in 2025, ranking only behind North America, according to Rystad Energy research and analysis. Gas production in the Middle East has grown by about 15% since 2…

Iron ore futures in Singapore surged toward $100 a ton — the highest since May — fueled by renewed pledges from the Chinese government to curb overcapacity in key industrial sectors. Beijing’s comments have boosted sentiment across ferrous markets.  Si…

The head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Russia’s international assistance agency, has an ambitious plan for the Kremlin soft-power entity to fill development gaps created by the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development. For that to happen, ho…

The UK government has ruled out the introduction of a zonal energy pricing system that would have seen regions closer to renewable energy sources likelier to see lower prices.  Ed Miliband’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has opted to refo…

Amid escalating tension with Armenia stemming from Yerevan’s desire to pivot westward, and lacking the ability to offer economic incentives, Russia is resorting to a traditional tactic to get its way: throw troops at the problem. A memo purportedly wri…

One of Britain’s biggest biodiesel plants is preparing to shut down in the latest blow to the government’s industrial strategy. The Greenergy plant in Lincolnshire, which is thought to produce as much as a quarter of the UK’s biodiesel, on Thursday con…

Henrik Andersen, CEO of Danish wind turbine giant Vestas Wind Systems A/S, has issued a stark warning to European policymakers: without stronger and more cohesive industrial strategies, Europe may lose its edge in renewable energy manufacturing to the …

The FTSE 100 opened 22 points up this morning, despite threats of pharma and metals tariffs with stark implications for major stocks on the blue chip index.  President Trump has said that an announcement is coming “very soon” on pharmaceutical tariffs …

Africa’s upstream oil and gas sector is undergoing a transformative shift. In recent years, majors have scaled back their exposure to mature, non-core assets across the continent, opening the door for a new wave of regional independents, traders, and n…

Relations between the five Central Asian countries and Afghanistan are warming as plans move ahead for new rail links, increased trade and creating opportunities for ordinary Afghans.  Central Asian states are prioritizing bringing Afghanistan back int…

Octopus Energy founder Greg Jackson has accused his opponents of “gaslighting” ahead of an imminent decision by ministers on whether to split up the UK’s power market. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to draw a line under the zonal pricing d…

Back in the dark days of Covid, we wrote a paper that said the electricity industry was spending only a fraction of what it needed to spend to modernize plant and get ready for climate change. Now, more than six years later, industry spending is gettin…

A Greek-operated bulk carrier was attacked in the Red Sea on Monday in the second Houthi strike on commercial shipping in less than 24 hours, stoking fears of a renewed escalation in one of the world’s most critical oil transit corridors, Arab and Isra…

Chevron is preparing for a quick finalization of the Hess Crop. Acquisition, even as the two still await the decision of the arbitration court on Exxon’s right to first refusal on Hess’s stake in the Stabroek Block in Guyana. Reuters reported the news,…

Supermajors Shell and TotalEnergies expect to raise oil and gas production over the next two years from projects they operate in Africa’s top oil producer, Nigeria. Shell sees the start-up of the Bonga North deepwater oil and gas field by 2027, while T…

Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Elon Musk, declaring that Doge, Musk’s cost-cutting body, is “the monster” that “that might have to go back and eat Elon”. On Truth Social on Monday, he continued: “Elon may get more subsidy than any human be…

The precedent for politicized energy policy in the region is well known. The 1973 Arab oil embargo remains the most prominent example of hydrocarbons being wielded as geopolitical leverage. But in the decades since, Gulf NOCs have moved away from direc…

India’s Hindustan Zinc is moving into rare earths, but commercial production could take up to five years, underscoring the hurdles of building a domestic supply chain to challenge China’s grip on the sector. “This (rare earth) is of strategic interest …

Crude oil prices were on course for a modest weekly gain today, buffeted by both headwind and tailwinds, including OPEC+ policy, U.S. job numbers, and anticipation of President Trump’s next move on tariffs. At the time of writing, Brent crude was tradi…

The arbitrators for a dispute between Exxon and Hess Corp. have reached a decision, according to two unnamed sources who spoke to Reuters but did not divulge details about that decision. It remains unclear when the decision will be made public. The dis…

Rumors that the Uzbek government is handing over farmland to Chinese investors keep bubbling up despite repeated and categorical denials from officials, putting Tashkent in an uncomfortable spot. The latest flare up came after a video made the rounds o…

In its last two working days, the Biden administration’s Energy Department signed off on nearly $42 billion for green energy projects – a sum that exceeded the total amount its Loan Programs Office (LPO) had put out in the past decade. The frenzied act…

The UK’s energy regulator has approved a £24bn investment to upgrade the UK’s energy infrastructure as a part of its green transition. The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) move comes as the government renews its push for cleaner energy, de…

Turkmenistan has attracted lots of diplomatic attention this week from both the United States and Russia. The flurry of activity suggests geopolitical jostling is intensifying over the Central Asian state, apparently catalyzed by the recent Iranian-Isr…

The City minister has reaffirmed the government’s ambition for a green transition across the financial services sector, despite the industry pivoting on climate priorities. Speaking at City Week on Monday, Emma Reynolds said: “The UK has a world leadin…

For the third consecutive day, extreme heat across the eastern half of the U.S. has triggered power grid alerts and emergency warnings, highlighting the fragility of current energy infrastructure. Extremely tight power grids reinforce a core part of ou…

UK car production plunged to its lowest level since 1949 last month, as Aston Martin and other British carmakers halted exports to the United States amid president Donald Trump’s escalating trade war. Data released on Friday by the Society of Motor Man…

BYD stock and its U.S. listed ADRs slumped about 3% on Wednesday this week, after it was reported the vehicle manufacturer was cutting production. China’s top automaker is scaling back production at several factories due to rising vehicle inventories a…

BYD stock and its U.S. listed ADRs slumped about 3% on Wednesday this week, after it was reported the vehicle manufacturer was cutting production. China’s top automaker is scaling back production at several factories due to rising vehicle inventories a…

The recent commissioning of Brazil’s largest gas-fired thermal plant is set to raise the country’s annual gas consumption for power generation by at least 6 million cubic meters per day (MMcmd) from July to November – representing a 23% year-on-year ri…

Apple’s position in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape is increasingly precarious. While rivals such as Google, Microsoft and even Samsung have surged ahead by integrating large language models (LLMs) and generative AI into their pr…

For the past few years, Central Asian states focused on settling border disputes and forging stronger trade connections among themselves. Now it seems they are ready to broaden their horizons to include Mongolia, a country with strong cultural and hist…

It is too early to say whether an uneasy ceasefire between Iran and Israel will hold, granting Armenia a reprieve from the ominous strategic implications of the conflict. With the prospect of continued war hanging over Tehran, Armenia may find itself c…

Tariffs on imported goods can have a wide ripple effect on prices, especially in the auto industry where supply chains are global, complex, and highly sensitive to cost changes. In this graphic, Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu reveals how tariffs will im…

President Trump’s tariffs are hitting car buyers hard, with prices expected to rise nearly $2,000 per vehicle, according to consulting firm AlixPartners. The firm estimates that automakers will pass on 80% of the $30 billion tariff cost, adding about $…

New York is going to build the first major new US nuclear-power plant in more than 15 years, in what the Wall Street Journal described as “a big test of President Trump’s promise to expedite permitting for such projects.”  Governor Kathy Hochul told th…

New York is going to build the first major new US nuclear-power plant in more than 15 years, in what the Wall Street Journal described as “a big test of President Trump’s promise to expedite permitting for such projects.”  Governor Kathy Hochul told th…

The FTSE 100 made minor gains on Tuesday but London’s blue-chip stocks rebound was held back by the falling price of oil. The UK’s flagship index nudged up 0.3 per cent in early trading to around 8,783. But significant gains were held back by a slump f…

The government plans to slash industrial energy prices for British manufacturers, enabling them to better compete with key European rivals. Ministers will unveil a multibillion pound package of taxpayer-funded support for the UK’s most energy intensive…

Foreign secretary David Lammy has warned Iran that blocking the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping lane would be a “mistake” after the nation vowed repercussions following the US’ attacks. Lammy told the BBC this morning: “It would be a catastrophic mis…

The UK government is mulling over a change to the law to oil and gas projects in the North Sea in a drive to lower energy bills. Michael Shanks, a minister working under energy secretary Ed Miliband, will be visiting Scotland on Thursday with a decisio…

It was a completely unsurprising surprise announcement.  In a highly unusual statement issued on June 14, a Saturday, Kazakh authorities said they had selected Russia’s state-owned Rosatom to build Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant, binding the co…

Two swallows do not a summer make. Well, okay, Aristotle didn’t put it that way, but we are betting that a lot of utility investors are hoping so. Here’s what happened on the same day. Two news stories.  USA Network, the Gannet news service, reported t…

European diesel prices rallied for a fifth straight session, driven by mounting anxiety that critical Middle East shipping lanes could be choked off. The conflict between Israel and Iran has raised alarm bells across the EU, which has become increasing…

The growth in US power demand is surging to its highest rate in decades, driven first by the electrification of oil and gas production and then by the build out of data centers. While still below the 5-10% growth seen in China, the world’s first “elect…

The UK government has quietly admitted that renewables and other low-carbon technologies essential to the rapid drive to net zero are more expensive than using fossil fuel, City AM can reveal, which has in turn made energy bills higher for Brits up and…

King Charles III’s property firm is to invest up to £400m of fresh capital into the UK’s offshore wind supply chain, it has been announced. The Crown Estate has earmarked £350m for investment into the construction of a new port and supply chain infrast…

Iron ore, widely seen as a real-time barometer of China’s economic pulse, is flashing fresh warning signs. Prices slid for a fourth straight session in Singapore, dropping below $93 a ton and hitting their lowest level in nine months. China, the world’…

Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale play posted significant first-quarter gains in 2025, building on last year’s strong performance, with oil output surging 26% and gas production rising 16% year-on-year, according to Rystad Energy estimates. This growth is …

FTSE 100 oil heavyweights are back in analysts favour after oil prices surged from the intensifying Middle Eastern conflict.  BP and Shell shares have jumped around three per cent in the last week and climbed further as President Donald Trump weighed i…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the G7 summit to agree a trade deal that will remove tariffs on the UK aerospace sector and save carmakers from facing aggressive taxes on exports.  The pair of world leader…

Kazakhstan has taken the meaning of multi-vector foreign policy into a new dimension: to split atoms, Astana has decided to divide a tender, creating deals to build two nuclear power plants when only one had previously been authorized. With Kazakhstan’…

The Arctic is gaining global attention as melting ice unlocks access to vast natural resources. From “ecosystem services” like climate regulation to lucrative mineral and oil reserves, this chilly region’s economic value is surprisingly large. In this …

Tesla’s enigmatic chief executive, Elon Musk, gets a lot of flak, but if there’s one area you would think he’d be untouchable, it’s innovation. Beyond falling out with the US President and colonising Mars, Elon Musk’s next favourite pastime looks set t…

With rising geopolitical tensions and soaring demand for rare earth elements, the UK must invest in midstream critical mineral processing to reduce reliance on China and secure its defence, energy, and technology sectors, says Nitesh Shah I have over 3…

Yesterday, in “What’s Behind The Recent Surge In Platinum, And Will It Continue”, we not only explained in detail what is going on both at the technical and fundamental level, but also answered in the affirmative and why – yes, it the surge will contin…

Kiggans and a nearly identical group of House Republicans wrote to their House colleagues last month seeking positive changes to the clean energy tax credit phaseout plan that came out of committee work on the reconciliation bill. Instead, the House-pa…

The US battery energy storage (BESS) market is booming across the country this year, coming off an already impressive growth streak in 2024. The rapid clip of expansion is partially due to falling battery manufacturing costs, with Rystad Energy predict…

Armenia’s foreign trade turnover fell off a cliff during the first four months of 2025 after the Kremlin changed the rules that govern Yerevan’s imports and exports of Russian gems and precious metals. According to data published by the Arminfo news ag…

Exports to the US – the country the UK trades with the most with – saw its largest monthly decrease in April since records began, official data has shown.  The onset of President Trump’s trade war with some of his closest allies and foes put government…

Oklo is starting to develop a real knack for catching short sellers offsides… In what is one of what we believe will be many similar announcements, Oklo shares surged 29% on Wednesday after the company was named the intended awardee for a Department …

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) on the global stage has resulted in data centers putting immense strain on global power grids, a turnaround from their previous role as minor electricity consumers. As chatbots become a permanent fixture in work…

Weeks after Germany decided to reverse course and ‘re-embrace’ nuclear power following their supreme idiocy on the matter, the UK government announced on Tuesday that it would invest 14.2 billion pounds (US$19.3 billion) to build a new nuclear plant in…

It’s been no secret that Russia has been getting more heavily involved in Iran’s nuclear program, and interestingly at a moment Moscow has offered to mediate between Washington and Tehran on the question of uranium enrichment and a new nuclear monitori…

The world economy is heading for its worst year since the 2008 financial crash, the World Bank has predicted, as most major economies suffered a growth downgrade due to trade tensions sparked by President Trump’s tariffs.  The UN-backed financial insti…