Since the Iranian Revolution and overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, the Strait of Hormuz has been a geographic constant as a choke point for which closure has been threatened from time to time but never truly closed. The longstanding assumption of the continued openness of the strait collapsed on February 28, 2026.
Oil prices were set for a sharp weekly fall after the election losses of US President Donald Trump's Republican Party raised hopes of a de-escalation in the US-Israeli war on Iran and a stock market sell-off, though attacks on vessels in the Middle East continue to provide a floor to crude.In a whiplash see-saw session on Friday, Brent crude futures for January were up 26 cents, or 0.3%, at $98.
US natural gas futures held steady on Tuesday as bearish forecasts for milder weather and less demand over the next two weeks than previously expected offset a bullish drop in daily output to an eight-month low.Front-month gas futures for November delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) rose 0.2 cent, or 0.1%, to $3.169 per million British thermal units.
Oil prices jumped over 4% to a 16-week high on Monday after new strikes on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure and attacks on ships in the Middle East compounded energy supply concerns.Brent futures rose $4.68, or 4.5%, to $109.29 per barrel at 10:15 a.m. EDT (1415 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $4.21, or 4.2%, to $104.26.
U.S. natural gas futures rose to a near four-week high on Wednesday, supported by forecasts for hotter weather and firm oil prices, while investors awaited a federal storage report due this week. Front-month gas futures for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 9.6 cents, or 3.5%, to $2.87 per million British thermal units, their highest level since July 24.
Wärtsilä Water & Waste, part of technology group Wärtsilä, has introduced a flexible and modular grease trap product line designed to separate fats, oils and grease from galley wastewater streams onboard merchant vessels, cruise ships and offshore platforms. The solution supports improved wastewater management while contributing to protection of the marine environment by capturing fats, oils
The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Board of Directors announced the appointment of Sang Yi as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective May 4.Most recently, Yi served as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), where he oversaw key programs supporting the nation’s commercial and strategic maritime infrastructure.
Regal Rexnord Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Aamir Paul to serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), commencing no later than July 1, 2026, upon the conclusion of his responsibilities with his current employer, Schneider Electric SE. The Board has also determined that Mr.
Oil prices retreated in choppy trade on Monday, as investors awaited clarity on the status of indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran, wary about sustained supply losses due to shipping disruptions.Brent crude futures were down 0.22% to $108.79 a barrel at 11:49 a.m. CDT (1649 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were trading down 0.08% to $111.45 per barrel.
The United Arab Emirates has told the U.S. and other Western allies it would participate in a multinational maritime taskforce to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.The UAE is trying to push dozens of countries to create a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort shipping, the report added.
Oil loading at the United Arab Emirates port of Fujairah was at least partly halted after a third attack in four days caused a fire at the export terminal, while operations at the Shah gas field remained suspended after an earlier attack.The cascading disruptions threaten to completely sever the OPEC producer's remaining crude export outlet from global markets
Russia's Lukoil is selling its international assets after the U.S. imposed sanctions on the company.Washington refused to approve the sale of assets to Swiss commodity trader Gunvor, throwing Lukoil's operations in disarray and leading to a scramble of potential buyers.The U.S. Treasury cleared potential buyers to talk to Lukoil until December 13.