Uzbekistan and China have set their sights on increasing their trade turnover to $20 billion “in the near future,” following high-level negotiations in Beijing on January 24 between Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Bilateral trade in 2023 hit the $14 billion mark. A statement on the …
Read More »US Oil, Gas Drillers Add 1 More Rig as Production Plummets
The total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States rose this week, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday. The total rig count rose by 1 to 621 this week, compared to 771 rigs this same time last year. The number …
Read More »Libya Eyes Oil Comeback despite Political Divide
Over the last decade, Libya has struggled to get its oil industry back on track due to political disruptions and a lack of foreign investment in the sector. Years of political unrest drove foreign investors out of the market, leaving many oil operations to sit untouched for years and driving …
Read More »Red Sea Shipping Crisis Rekindles Inflation Fears
The Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea have forced many tanker and container ship operators to reroute voyages via Africa, which has increased travel times, delayed goods delivery, disrupted supply chains, and raised shipping costs. The disruption to traffic via the Red Sea/Suez Canal route could continue …
Read More »Fewer Markets are Importing Russia’s Coal
Russia’s reliance on four, mainly Asian, countries to import its coal has increased since some countries implemented sanctions against Russia after it invaded Ukraine, according to Global Trade Tracker data. This trade shift corresponds with increased coal exports from the United States to Europe and EU sanctions that went into …
Read More »Libya Lifts Force Majeure on Sharara Oil Field
Libya’s National Oil Corp. (NOC) announced Sunday the lifting of a force majeure declaration for Sharara, two weeks after pausing production citing a blockade by residents. The NOC did not provide further details besides saying in a statement on its website that it was “declaring lifting of force major and …
Read More »Novatek’s Baltic Terminal Attacked by Long-Range Drones from Ukraine
Ukrainian forces conducted a drone attack on Russia’s largest Baltic port over the weekend. The operation, which used two long-range drones, resulted in a massive fire at Novatek’s gas terminal with all staff evacuated. Four tankers were moored at the port at the time of the attack. They quickly left …
Read More »Europe Moves into a New World after a Crippling Energy Crisis
This month, a cold front swept across much of Europe and giant tankers that carry fuel through the Red Sea were rerouted to avoid escalating violence. That should have pushed gas prices higher. Instead, they just kept falling. Even if it’s a step too far to give Europe the all-clear, …
Read More »Russia Leapfrogs Saudi Arabia to become China’s Top Crude Oil Supplier
Russia leapfrogged Saudi Arabia to become China’s top crude oil supplier in 2023, data showed on Saturday, as the world’s biggest crude importer defied Western sanctions to purchase vast quantities of discounted oil for its processing plants. Russia shipped a record 107.02 million metric tons of crude oil to China …
Read More »U.S. Takes First Oil Price Cap Enforcement Action of 2024
The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has taken its first oil price cap enforcement action of the year, according to a Thursday press release. The enforcement action is against UAE-based shipping company Hennesea Holdings Limited (Hennesea) linked to a price cap violation. Hennesea …
Read More »