Crude oil is set to end another week with substantial losses as markets reel from President Trump’s tariff offensive, despite the fact he pulled the punch at the last second. With one notable exception: China. As Beijing and Washington take turns to up the ante, the outlook for oil and energy in general has gone from bright to really dim. Brent crude is about to end this week relatively unchanged but down by $6 per barrel from a month ago. West Texas Intermediate has slipped below $60 per barrel and might spend some time there. The drop is…

Last week, eight OPEC+ countries unveiled plans to advance their planned phase-out of voluntary oil output cuts by ramping up output by 411,000 barrels per day in May--equivalent to three monthly increments. The announcement of the accelerated unwinding clip comes at a time when U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs on trading partners, deepening the shock to oil markets.  Brent crude for June delivery was up 0.1% to trade at $63.32 per barrel at 9.45 am ET on Friday while WTI crude was flat at $60.12 per barrel. The move confirms…

Via Metal Miner   Construction work is tentatively due to start on a dual-gauge rail line between China and the Republic of Mongolia. Reports indicate that the rail line will increase coking coal transport by up to 30%. Current estimates say the project will begin in April, with completion scheduled for 2028. Dual-Gauge Rail System to Solve Major Problems Mid-February reports noted that the 240-kilometer, dual-gauge line will run from mines at Tavan Tolgoi in Mongolia to the town of Gashuun Sukhait on the border with China. It is important…

California’s last remaining nuclear energy plant is using artificial intelligence to make its processes more efficient. So far, AI is only being used for document retrieval, but lawmakers and community watchdogs are worried about increasing automation in a sector associated with massive potential fallout in the case of nuclear meltdown. The Diablo Canyon nuclear facility in San Luis Obispo on California’s central coast has been in decline for years, and is slated to begin decommissioning in 2029. But the plant is still critically important…

Newly discovered offshore oil and gas deposits in Pakistan’s territorial seas could be brought to surface by Pakistan and Turkey. The two countries this week signed an agreement at the 2025 Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in Islamabad to jointly bid on 40 offshore blocks. A bidding round for the granting of exploration licenses for the blocks, located in the Makran and Indus basins, was announced by the Pakistan government in February. According to News.AZ, Pakistan’s Mari Energies Limited, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited…

Decarbonization in the oil and gas sector has long been a pressing and highly debated topic among stakeholders. With 2025 being a milestone year for emissions targets, the question remains: will it mark a period of downward revisions, a continuation of the current trajectory, or a moment for companies to intensify their efforts? The direction and scale of change will ultimately determine whether these companies can achieve their intermediate emission targets and make meaningful progress towards broader net-zero commitments. This year will be pivotal…

The United States utility-scale battery storage sector has been projected to grow dramatically in 2025, as renewable energy companies look for ways to make their clean energy operations more stable and reliable. However, the recent introduction of tariffs on countries worldwide by the Trump administration, with particularly high tariffs on China, is expected to have a knock-on effect on the energy sector. It could delay the deployment of batteries as companies reconsider spending decisions in the face of higher prices.  The U.S. Energy Information…

Compared to nations in the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, the impact of climate change is moderate so far for the countries of the South Caucasus, according to an expansive study published by the United Nations measuring the impact of global warming on economic development. The UN report, titled Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2025: Understanding the Macroeconomic Implications of Climate Change, sheds light on the “macroeconomic and climate change nexus” that will shape economic development in the coming decades.…

The South Pacific Island of Samoa has been facing an energy crisis as it plunged into darkness this month. Samoa continues to be highly dependent on fossil fuel imports to meet most of its energy needs, including power generation. Much of its power infrastructure is susceptible to severe weather and other challenges, which puts the country at risk of blackouts during cyclones. However, the recent energy emergency has demonstrated that the nation’s power infrastructure is even more vulnerable than previously thought, suggesting the need for…

Not long ago, falling oil prices were widely celebrated in the United States. Cheaper gasoline meant more disposable income for consumers, lower transportation costs for businesses, and a boost to sectors that rely on oil as an input. But in 2025, that simplistic view no longer holds up. The economic equation has changed—dramatically. From Net Importer to Net Exporter In 2005, the U.S. was importing a staggering 12.5 million barrels of oil and finished products per day. At that time, a drop in oil prices translated into major savings on our…

U.S. President Donald Trump insists that American buyers boost purchases of U.S. energy goods to reduce their large trade surpluses with America. Some traditional U.S. energy buyers, such as Japan, South Korea, and the EU, have signaled that they may be willing to buy more American oil, LNG, or coal to appease the President who has fixated on fixing the massive trade deficits America runs with most countries. Higher energy imports from the trade partners could dent some of the U.S. trade deficits, but they will by no means fix or erase these. For…

It appears that the Trump administration’s single-minded pursuit of critical minerals is starting to bear fruit in Central Asia. According to an Uzbek government statement April 9, meetings in Washington involving Uzbek Investment Ministry officials and US business executives yielded several agreements covering the exploration, extraction and processing of minerals in the Central Asian state. The deals also reportedly cover the provision of innovative US technologies to Tashkent, and the training of Uzbek specialists. “The agreements…

The price of gold has climbed to another record high, as anxiety around Donald Trump’s tariff plan and a falling dollar push investors into the traditional safe haven asset. The price of bullion rose 1.5 per cent to break $3,200 (£2,451) per troy ounce for the first time on Friday as equities across Asia fell amid the continued fallout from Donald Trump’s tariff delay. The yellow metal had been caught up in the aggressive sell-off at the height tariff-induced market rout despite its traditional role as a safe haven asset for investors.…

Colombia's oil industry is being rocked by another scandal focused on environmental misdoings, human rights violations, and unreported oil spills. For decades, a "drill at all costs" mentality dominated Colombia’s domestic politics, allowing energy companies, especially national oil company Ecopetrol, to operate with impunity. While that permitted Colombia to become a leading regional oil producer, it led to severe environmental harm and civil conflict. Industry insiders and environmental activists allege Ecopetrol is systematically failing…

The total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States fell this week, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday, following a 2 rig dip in the prior week. The total rig count in the US fell by 7 to 583 rigs, according to Baker Hughes, down 34 from this same time last year. The number of oil rigs fell by 9 to 480—down by 26 compared to this time last year. The number of gas rigs rose by 1 this week to 97 for a loss of 12 active gas rigs from this time last year. Miscellaneous rigs were rose by 1 to…

Has there been a more underrated hero in the climate conversation than natural gas? Once hailed as the darling "bridge fuel" of the Obama era, it’s now regularly flogged by environmental purists who claim that our choice is either solar panels or planetary doom. But a new study from Miami University Ohio just lobbed a pretty compelling truth grenade: switching from coal to gas is cutting carbon emissions. A lot. According to peer-reviewed research, greenhouse gas emissions dropped 7.5% annually as companies swapped coal for natural gas via…

Has there been a more underrated hero in the climate conversation than natural gas? Once hailed as the darling "bridge fuel" of the Obama era, it’s now regularly flogged by environmental purists who claim that our choice is either solar panels or planetary doom. But a new study from Miami University Ohio just lobbed a pretty compelling truth grenade: switching from coal to gas is cutting carbon emissions. A lot. According to peer-reviewed research, greenhouse gas emissions dropped 7.5% annually as companies swapped coal for natural gas via…

After over a year in the making, the takeover of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel was thwarted by former President Joe Biden in January due to security concerns. Now, President Donald Trump is considering whether to revitalise the deal, even as he introduces tariffs on Japanese imports.  In December 2023, Nippon Steel announced it planned to acquire U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion as part of its plan to expand its U.S. assets. It was expected to make Nippon the third-largest global steel producer, contributing around 86 million tons…

The United States could halt Iranian oil exports if it increases pressure on Tehran to ensure that it will never obtain a nuclear weapon, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, told Reuters during a visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The U.S. allies in the Gulf region, which include the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are very concerned by the prospect of an Iran with a nuclear weapon and share the U.S. position that Iran shouldn’t be allowed to have one, Secretary Wright told Reuters. The top U.S. energy official is on a tour in…

The United States could halt Iranian oil exports if it increases pressure on Tehran to ensure that it will never obtain a nuclear weapon, U.S. Secretary of Energy, Chris Wright, told Reuters during a visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The U.S. allies in the Gulf region, which include the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are very concerned by the prospect of an Iran with a nuclear weapon and share the U.S. position that Iran shouldn’t be allowed to have one, Secretary Wright told Reuters. The top U.S. energy official is on a tour in…