Electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid sales continue to rise, particularly in regions such as Europe and Asia, as people shift away from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles toward cleaner alternatives. However, there has long been a stigma surrounding high-end EVs and electric supercars, with most consumers sticking to the ICE versions. Now, several well-known automakers are offering hybrid and…
During the first three months or so of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran, the dominant mood on oil markets was that the conflict would end any day now. The brief June ceasefire reinforced that optimism, so it took a while longer for facts to be faced: the war would not end any day now. It might even extend into next year—and this means higher prices for a longer time. The ICE Brent crude futures…
Despite the Iran war and the Hormuz crisis, the Middle East’s low-cost chemicals production is set to retain its long-term advantage over other regions. Near-term shifts in the sourcing of polymers are taking place due to the current constraints in the Persian Gulf’s industrial base, benefiting U.S. chemicals companies. But in the long run, the Middle East is likely to retain its buyers’ base…
After months of elevated energy prices, Europe can expect fuel costs to continue rising through the winter months as demand grows. Ongoing energy trade constraints and threats to energy infrastructure across the Middle East are expected to limit global energy supplies and continue to drive up prices, hitting consumers hard unless governments intervene. The European Union (EU) is thought to have…
The artificial intelligence boom is placing a dangerous strain on the world’s water and energy resources. As hyperscalers build up resource-hungry data centers at a breakneck pace, demand projections for these finite resources are skyrocketing faster than policymakers can keep pace. But a new study from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin suggests that there may be a way to…
Years of underinvestment in Bolivia’s gas industry have left the South American country facing a severe fuel shortage, as energy prices rise ever higher owing to the ongoing war in Iran. The energy shortages and economic crisis follow years of poor decision-making by the government. In 2006, then-president Evo Morales took control of Bolivia’s fossil fuel industry, renegotiating contracts with…
Rystad Energy’s fifth edition of its flagship annual report, Global Energy Scenarios (GES) 2026, finds that global reliance on imported energy is projected to peak by 2034 as energy security concerns accelerate the shift towards electrification. Against the backdrop of two major energy crises in five years, the report highlights how a broader range of rapidly deployable technologies is helping…
More than three decades after Norway opened parts of the Norwegian Sea to petroleum exploration, potentially significant oil and gas resources remain hidden beneath thick layers of volcanic rock. Now, advances in exploration technology and renewed industry interest could bring one of Europe's least explored offshore frontiers back into focus. Norway may still hold substantial undiscovered oil and…
The United States is putting another 17 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve on offer, one day after the IEA accelerated emergency stock releases as governments scramble to get more oil and fuel into a tight market. The Department of Energy issued a request for proposals Friday for an exchange of up to 17 million barrels, part of the 172 million barrels Washington…
A massive wind farm in the state of Victoria, Australia, has been approved by state authorities, paving the way for the project to go to the federal environment minister for final checks. ABC News reports Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny this week signed off on the Warracknabeal Energy Park, five months after its environmental impact report was approved. WestWind Energy plans to build 219…
The total number of active drilling rigs for oil and gas in the United States remained unchanged this week, according to new data that Baker Hughes published on Friday, with the total rig count in the US staying at 603, up 55 from this same time last year. The number of active oil rigs fell by 3, to 459 during the latest reporting period, according to the data. This is 41 above this same time…
Equatorial Guinea will approve a new hydrocarbon law on Monday after crude production collapsed to just 20,000 barrels per day in September, down from roughly 140,000 bpd in 2020. The 120,000-bpd loss has reduced OPEC’s smallest producer to a fraction of its former output and contributed to an economy the International Monetary Fund expects to shrink 1.7% this year. Hydrocarbons Minister Antonio…
Brent holds near $105 as Iranian tanker attacks and multiple geopolitical conflicts keep oil markets on edge. October 16, 2026 Oil prices have been relatively rangebound this week as the current modus operandi of frequent Hormuz transits and frequent Iranian drone attacks found an equilibrium point around $105 per barrel for ICE Brent. Production shut-ins triggered by Hurricane Isaias no longer…
The head of the International Monetary Fund has warned financial ministers that widespread AI adoption could erode tax bases across the world as incomes are squeezed by the technology. Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the IMF, said governments may be ill-prepared for a potential slump in tax revenue brought on by AI’s impact on the labour market. At the fund’s summit in Bangkok,…