Parvin Faghfouri Azar

Russia’s Nuclear Ambitions in Central Asia

Hoping to drum up some much-needed cash to help fuel the Kremlin’s war effort in Ukraine, Rosatom, Russia’s state-controlled nuclear entity, is hyping atomic energy as a “green” solution to Central Asia’s power problems. But Rosatom’s efforts to assuage Central Asian citizens on the safety and greenness of Russian nuclear …

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Oil Prices Inch up as Gulf Output Disruption Looms Large

Crude oil prices moved higher earlier today on anticipation that tropical storm Francine would disrupt oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. News that Exxon was reportedly cutting production rates at its refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, helped prices move higher. Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources, …

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Oil Down amid Weak Economic Data from US and China

Oil prices declined on Tuesday following weak economic data from China and the US, while growing expectations that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will lower interest rates and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East limited further price falls. International benchmark Brent crude decreased by 0.2% to $71.69 per barrel at …

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European Gas Prices Push Higher as Cold Snap Takes Hold

European natural gas prices edged higher as the season’s first cold snap takes hold, potentially raising demand ahead of the official start of the heating season. Benchmark futures headed toward €38 a megawatt-hour on Tuesday after climbing for three consecutive sessions. Prices are elevated for the time of year and …

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Can Saudi Arabia Actually Afford Vision 2030?

Saudi Arabia has long prided itself on being the lowest-cost oil producer in the world—and has taken maximum advantage of this fact. Now, with ambitious spending plans for a diversified economy, that lowest cost is becoming less relevant. It’s the breakeven cost of oil that matters. And that’s going up. …

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OPEC+ to Begin Oil Production Increase in 2025

The OPEC+ group will begin adding supply to the market in 2025, for the first time since 2022, Jim Burkhard, vice president of research at S&P Global Commodity Insights, said at the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) on Monday. “We think in 2025 for the first time in a couple …

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Morgan Stanley Slashes its Oil Price Forecast again

Just two weeks after lowering its Brent oil price estimate to $80 per barrel for the fourth quarter, Morgan Stanley cut again its forecast, now expecting the international benchmark to average $75 a barrel in the last quarter of the year. Analysts at Morgan Stanley see rising headwinds on the …

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