US oil output is record high; oil supplies at 42 year low, SPR at 43½ year low; WTI at 16 week high, record diesel prices

US oil prices settled over $100 for the first time in 16 weeks; diesel prices are at an all time high; production of crude from US wells is at a record high; total US oil supplies are  lowest since March 1984 with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve the lowest since November 1982; oil refined was the most one week in seven years, refinery utilization rate was 2nd highest in eight years..

US oil prices rose for a fifth time in six weeks after the US “destroyed” at least eight Iranian oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities forced them to shut down, and Iran fired advanced missiles at U.S. warships in a new escalation of the war…after rising 9.7% to $91.48 a barrel last week after the US launched a new wave of attacks on Iranian infrastructure and shipping and Iran retaliated against US bases and allies in the region and their shipping, the contract price for the benchmark US light sweet crude for October delivery edged higher in early Asian trading on Monday after U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude carriers following Iranian missile attacks aimed at two U.S. warships, and traded at a six-week high, while ​Brent, the international benchmark​, settled 1.1% higher after Iran vowed to strike energy infrastructure across the Middle East in response to further U.S. attacks on its assets, further escalating a conflict that had sharply reduced oil supply from the region…oil prices surged nearly 3% during Asian trading hours on Tuesday after Yemen's Houthis attacked energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, while Iran threatened the US with what it called “economic warfare,” increasing fears that the war would disrupt more oil supplies from the region, and touched a 13-week high in early trading in New York after fresh Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities forced their operations to shutdown​ , and settled $1.55 higher at $93.03 a barrel after the Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities set oil installations ablaze and threatened  a ‌major expansion of the Middle East war…oil prices climbed more than two percent across Asia on Wednesday, as escalating US-Iran tensions continued to roil global energy markets, then extended their rally Wednesday morning in New York, as the recent escalations in the U.S.-Iran war stoked further supply fears, and settled $3.02 higher at $96.05 a barrel after U.S. forces struck five Iranian oil tankers and Iran targeted a U.S. base in Jordan and attacked 10 ships…oil prices extended their gains in early global trading on Thursday after Iran said it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz, putting the spotlight back on the Strait and its role in global energy supplies, but traded slightly lower in London on Thursday morning on profit-taking after the strong ​price rise the previous day, then rallied to top $100 for the first time since May in early New York trading after the EIA reported the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve​ was near a record low and Cushing stocks ​were just off 'tank bottoms' and contined to ralliy to settle $6.43 higher at $102.48 a barrel for an eighth straight gain, the longest streak higher in more than three years, following the news that the Iran-aligned Houthis ​had seized control of Yemen’s port of Mocha on the Bab el-Mandab Strait, further increasing their threat to oil flows through the Red Sea….oil prices extended their climb during early Asian trading on Friday, reaching their highest since May​, as hostilities in the Gulf continued and the prospect of peace ​s​eemed even more remote, but retreated during morning trading in New York as reports that Iran was in negotiations with Gulf states to establish a jointly managed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz weighed on prices, and settled $2.43 lower at $100.05 a barrel, reversing early gains after the Financial Times reported that foreign ministers in the Middle East were trying to work out a temporary deal with Iran to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but still finished 9.4% higher for the week, settling above $100 for the first time in over four months…

meanwhile, natural gas prices finished lower for the first time in five weeks as traders shifted their focus to the Autumn “shoulder season”, when little demand for either cooling or heating is expected….after rising 3% to $2.975 per mmBTU last week on lower production, higher LNG demand, and forecasts for record cooling demand in September, the price of the benchmark natural gas contract for October delivery opened 2 cents lower on Monday and gradually arced lower ​t​hrough the morning, as traders focus​ed on the impending shoulder season and fading cooling demand, and settled 5.9 cents lower at $2.916 per mmBTU​, as electric power demand dropped sharply and fading cooling demand outweighed strong LNG feedgas needs….natural gas prices opened 6.3 cents lower on Wednesday, tumbling overnight as shoulder season conditions took hold, and settled 9.4 cents lower at $2.822 per mmBTU as fading power demand and the approach of milder fall temperatures pressured the market, despite strong LNG feedgas ​demand  and expectations for a relatively lean storage ​r​eport Thursday…natural gas prices started Thursday 4.8 cents lower, moving down overnight as traders looked to easing demand as the season moves deeper into September, then dropped to an intraday low of $2.753 as a bearish storage report hit the wire, before posting a steady recovery in the following hours to settle 1.2 cents higher at $2.834 per mmBTU, supported by lower production and strong LNG feedgas demand, despite fading weather-driven demand and a larger-than-expected storage build...natural gas futures showed little sign of recovery on Friday morning, as traders assessed a bearish storage surprise and seasonal declines in power sector demand, and continued to slump through morning trading, weighed down by seasonally strong production readings and forecasts for waning weather demand, and settled 0.3 cents lower at $2.831 per mmBTU, and thus ended 4.8% lower for the week as rapidly fading power sector demand and the approaching shoulder season outweighed strong LNG feedgas and lower production.

The EIA’s natural gas storage report for the week ending September 4th indicated that the amount of working natural gas held in underground storage rose by 40 billion cubic feet to 3,254 billion cubic feet by the end of the week, which left our natural gas supplies 76 billion cubic feet, or 2.4% below the 3,333 billion cubic feet of gas that were in storage on September 4th of last year, but 148 billion cubic feet, or 5.2% above the five-year average of 3,106 billion cubic feet of natural gas that had typically been in working storage as of the 4th  of September over the most recent five years….the 40 billion cubic foot injection into natural gas storage for the cited week was more than the 35 billion cubic foot injection into storage that the market had been expecting ahead of the report, but it was less than the 69 billion cubic foot of gas that were injected into natural gas storage during the corresponding week of 2025, and also less than the average 52 billion cubic foot injection into natural gas storage that had been typical for the first week in September over the past five years…

The Latest US Oil Supply and Disposition Data from the EIA

US oil data from the US Energy Information Administration for the week ending September 4th showed that despite a big drop in our oil exports, we had we had to pull oil out of our stored crude supplies for the nineteenth time in twenty weeks, and for the 41st time in sixty-seven weeks, in part due to another increase in demand for oil the EIA could not account for…. Our imports of crude oil rose by an average of 53,000 barrels per day to 6,824,000 barrels per day, after rising by an average of 612,000 barrels per day during the prior week, while our exports of crude oil fell by an average of 1,066,000 barrels per day to average 3,417,000 barrels per day, which, when used to offset our imports, meant that the net of our trade of oil worked out to an import average of 3,407,000 barrels of oil per day during the week ending September 4th, an average of 1,119,000 more barrels per day than the net of our imports minus our exports during the prior week... At the same time, transfers to our oil supplies from Alaskan gas liquids, from natural gasoline, from condensate, and from unfinished oils were unchanged from the prior week at 887,000 barrels per day, while during the same week, production of crude from US wells was 85,000 barrels per day higher at a record high of 13,947,000 barrels per day.  Hence, our daily supply of oil from the net of our international trade in oil, from transfers, and from domestic well production appears to have averaged a total of 18,241,000 barrels per day during the September 4th reporting week…

Meanwhile, US oil refineries reported they were processing an average of 17,586,000 barrels of crude per day during the week ending September 4th, an average of 91,000 more barrels per day than the amount of oil that our refineries reported they were processing during the prior week, and the most we’ve refined in one week in seven years, while over the same period, the EIA’s surveys indicated that a total of 233,000 barrels of oil per day were being pulled from the supplies of oil stored in the US… So, based on all that reported & estimated data, the crude oil figures provided by the EIA appear to indicate that our total working supply of oil from storage, from net imports, from transfers, and from oilfield production during the week ending September 4th averaged a rounded 888,000 more barrels per day than what our oil refineries reported they used during the week.  To account for the difference between the apparent supply of oil and the apparent disposition of it, the EIA just plugged a [ -888,000 ] barrel per day figure onto line 16 of the weekly U.S. Petroleum Balance Sheet, in order to make the reported data for the supply of oil and for the consumption of it balance out, a fudge factor that they label in their footnotes as “unaccounted for crude oil”, thus indicating there must have been a error or omission of that amount in the week’s oil supply & demand figures that we have just transcribed.... Since 623,000 barrels per day of demand for could not be accounted for in the prior week’s EIA data, that means there was a 265,000 barrel per day difference between this week’s oil balance sheet error and the EIA’s crude oil balance sheet error from a week ago, and hence the changes to supply and demand from that week to this one that are indicated by this week’s report are somehow off by that much, and therefore not very useful... However, since most oil traders react to the figures in these weekly EIA reports as if they were gospel, and since these weekly figures therefore often drive oil pricing and hence decisions to drill or complete oil wells, we’ll continue to report this data just as it’s published, and just as it’s watched & believed to be reasonably reliable by most everyone in the industry…(for more on how this weekly oil data is gathered, and the possible reasons for that “unaccounted for” oil supply, see this EIA explainer….also see this March 2023 twitter thread from an EIA administrator addressing these ongoing weekly errors, and what they had once hoped to do about it).

This week’s rounded 233,000 barrel per day average decrease in our overall crude oil inventories came as an average of 56,000 barrels per day were being pulled out of our commercial stocks of crude oil, while 178,000 barrels per day were being pulled out of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the twenty-fourth consecutive Iran war related withdrawal from the SPR, including the four largest draws in SPR history, which left the SPR level at 285,360,000 barrels, the lowest since it was initially being filled in November 1982....with both commercial oil and the SPR both down again this week, that left the Total of all US Oil Supplies at 709,429,000 barrels, down 18.5% from 870,774,000 barrels on April 17th, and the lowest since March 30th, 1984….

Further details from the weekly Petroleum Status Report (pdf) indicated that the 4 week average of our oil imports fell to 6,586,000 barrels per day last week, which was still 2.3% more than the 6,436,000 barrel per day average that we were importing over the same four-week period last year, while the four week average of our exports rose to 3,940,000 barrels per day last week, which was 6.4% more than the 3,703,000 barrel per day average that we were exporting last year year at this time... This week’s crude oil production was reported to be 85,000 barrels per day higher at all time high of  13,947,000 barrels per day as the EIA’s estimate of the output from wells in the lower 48 states was 71,000 barrels per day higher at 13,490,000 barrels per day, while Alaska’s oil production was 14,000 barrels per day higher at 457,000 barrels per day...US crude oil production had reached a pre-pandemic high of 13,100,000 barrels per day during the week ending March 13th 2020, so this week’s reported oil production figure was 6.5% higher than that of our pre-pandemic production peak, and was also 43.8% above the pandemic low of 9,700,000 barrels per day that US oil production had fallen to during the third week of February of 2021.

US oil refineries were operating at 97.8% of their capacity while processing those 17,586,000 barrels of crude per day during the week ending September 4th, down from 98.0% the prior week, but still the second highest refinery utilization rate in eight years ….the 17,586,000 barrels of oil per day that were refined that week were the most we’ve refined in one week since August 16th, 2019, 4.6% more than the 16,818,000 barrels of crude that were being processed daily during the week ending September 5th of 2025, and 0.5% more than the 17,495,000 barrels that were being refined during the pre-pandemic week ending September 6th, 2019, when our refinery utilization rate was at 96.4%, which was close to the pre-pandemic normal utilization rate for this time of year…

Even with the increase in the amount of oil that was being refined this week, gasoline output from our refineries was somewhat lower, decreasing by 587,000 barrels per day to 9,308,000 barrels per day during the week ending September 4th, after our refineries’ gasoline output had increased by 73,000 barrels per day during the prior week... This week’s gasoline production was 2.9% lower than the 9,587,000 barrels of gasoline that were being produced daily over the week ending September 5th of last year, and 10.2% less than the gasoline production of 10,360,000 barrels per day seen during the prepandemic week ending September 6th, 2019….on the other hand, our refineries’ production of distillate fuels (diesel fuel and heat oil) increased by 222,000 barrels per day to 5,348,000 barrels per day, after our distillates output had decreased by 9,000 barrels per day during the prior week.  After that big production increase, our distillates output was 2.3% more than the 5,229,000 barrels of distillates that were being produced daily during the week ending September 5th of 2025, and 0.1% more than the 5,341,000 barrels of distillates that were being produced daily during the pre-pandemic week ending September 6th, 2019....

Even with this week’s decrease in our gasoline production, our supplies of gasoline in storage at the end of the week rose for the sixth time in thirty weeks, increasing by 1,269,000 barrels to 206,938,000 barrels during the week ending September 4th, after our gasoline inventories had decreased by 1,173,000 barrels to a 42 week low during the prior week.  Our gasoline supplies rose this week because the amount of gasoline supplied to US users fell by 371,000 barrels per day to 8,551,000 barrels per day, and because our imports of gasoline rose by 94,000 barrels per day to 464,000 barrels per day, and because our exports of gasoline fell by 62,000 barrels per day to 872,000 barrels per day… After fifty-four gasoline inventory withdrawals over the past eighty-one weeks, our gasoline supplies were 5.9% lower than last September 5th’s gasoline inventories of 219,997,000 barrels, and about 5% below the five year average of our gasoline supplies for this time of year…

After this week’s big increase in distillates production, our supplies of distillates rose for the seventeenth time in thirty weeks, increasing by 2,087,000 barrels to 106,274,000 barrels during the week ending September 4th, after our distillates supplies had increased by 796,000 barrels during the prior week... Our distillates supplies rose by more this week even though the amount of distillates supplied to US markets, an indicator of domestic demand, rose by 288,000 barrels per day to 3,678,000 barrels per day, because our exports of distillates fell by 179,000 barrels per day to 1,556,000 barrels per day, and because our imports of distillates rose by 72,000 barrels per day to 185,000 barrels per day... After 28 withdrawals from distillates inventories over the past 60 weeks, our distillates supplies at the end of the week were 11.9% lower than the 20,638,000 barrels of distillates that we had in storage on September 5th of 2025, and were about 13% below the five year average of our distillates inventories for this time of the year…

Finally, even after the big drop in our oil exports, our commercial supplies of crude oil in storage fell for the 14th time in twenty-six weeks, and for the 26th time over the past year, decreasing by 391,000 barrels over the week, from 424,460,000 barrels on August 28th to 424,069,000 barrels on September 4th, after our commercial crude supplies had decreased by 4,450,000 barrels over the prior week….After this week’s decrease, our commercial crude oil inventories were back to the recent five-year average of commercial oil supplies for this time of year, while they were still about 28% above the average of our available crude oil stocks as of the first weekend of September over the 5 years at the beginning of the past decade, with the difference between those comparisons arising because it wasn’t until early 2015 that our oil inventories had first topped 400 million barrels. After our commercial crude oil inventories had jumped to record highs during the Covid lockdowns in the Spring of 2020, then jumped again after February 2021’s winter storm Uri froze off US Gulf Coast refining, but then fell sharply due to increased exports to Europe following the onset of the Ukraine war, only to jump again following the Christmas 2022 refinery freeze-offs, changes in our commercial crude inventories had been less extreme up until the onset of the Iran war, when they were initially built up to a three year high by mid-April, before falling to the lowest in nearly eight years by late July…This week’s decrease was the second in six weeks, and as of September 4th our commercial crude inventories were 0.1% below the 424,646,000 barrels of oil we had in commercial storage on September 5th of 2025, but were 1.2% more than the 419,143,000 barrels of oil that we had in storage on September 6th of 2024, and 0.8% more than the 420,592,000 barrels of oil we had left in commercial storage on September 8th of 2023…

This Week's Rig Count

The US rig count increased by three over the week ending September 11th, as the number of rigs targeting oil was up by one, the count of rigs targeting natural gas was up by two, and miscellaneous rigs were unchanged…for a quick snapshot of this week's rig count, we are again including below a screenshot of the rig count summary table from Baker Hughes...in the table below, the first column shows the active rig count as of September 11th, the second column shows the change in the number of working rigs between last week’s count (September 4th) and this week’s (September 11th) count, the third column shows last week’s September 4th active rig count, the 4th column shows the change between the number of rigs running on Friday and the number running on the Friday of the same week of a year ago, and the 5th column shows the number of rigs that were drilling at the end of that reporting period a year ago, which in this week’s case was Friday, the 12th of September, 2025…

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Twinsburg resumes underground utility work - — The City of Twinsburg will resume right-of-way utility work Wednesday, according to a news release.The city said it will resume utility and right-of-way construction under strengthened requirements, which are designed to improve safety, oversight and communication.The city's announcement comes more than two months after utility workers struck a gas line in neighboring Twinsburg Township, which led to an explosion that destroyed three homes and damaged 36 others. Among several changes, Mayor Sam Scaffide said contractors and subcontractors must now register with the city and provide advance notice before work begins so projects can be "actively managed and monitored" by the city."We looked at our ordinance. We thought we were covered then," he said. "Truthfully, we needed a little bit more bite to it."The updated rules also require utility companies to drill within 10 days of marking gas or other lines in a residential neighborhood and 14 days in a commercial area."You’ve got landscapers going out there on residential properties, you've got homeowners their cutting grass, you've got their kids playing. If they (utility companies) don’t get there in a pretty quick fashion, all the markings could be moved — and that’s when you have these accidents happen," Scaffide said.Green, Kent, Macedonia, Stow, and Streetsboro are among the neighboring municipalities that put moratoriums on underground utility work after the June 25 explosion on Hiram Lane in The Woodlands subdivision. No word on when those municipalities will lift their moratoriums.Scaffide said there have been many calls from contractors to city hall about the work stoppage.      He said the city's new requirements will allow projects to move forward while simultaneously protecting the public from another tragedy.

Crash breaks gas line, closes Mayfield Road in South Euclid | wkyc.com   — A crash in South Euclid Wednesday morning broke open a gas line, prompting road closures and evacuations in the area, according to police dispatch.South Euclid dispatch confirmed police responded around 8:22 a.m. to a crash on Mayfield Road near Plainfield Road. The crash broke open a gas line, and businesses in the area were asked to evacuate, dispatch said. Mayfield Road has since reopened between Warrensville Center Road and Sherbrook Road.

EOG COO Lays Out Why the Ohio Utica Beats the PA Side -- Marcellus Drilling News -- EOG Resources, the biggest acreage holder in the Ohio Utica, sent Chief Operating Officer Jeff Leitzell to the Barclays 40th Annual Energy-Power Conference yesterday (Sept. 9), and he spent a good chunk of his stage time explaining exactly how EOG thinks about our play. We’ve heard some of it before. But Leitzell went deeper on Utica geology than the company usually does on an earnings call — including a north-versus-south distinction that shapes how tightly EOG spaces its wells — and he dropped a fresh well-results number: three inherited Encino wells with 3.5-mile laterals that each came online at more than 35 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). He also confirmed that Ohio’s first in-basin frack sand mine is still on track for a year-end startup, and that the savings from it are not yet baked into EOG’s cost numbers.

Grenadier Makes Ohio Utica Entrance With 20-MMcf/d Wells - Hart Energy -Grenadier Energy III put three wells online in the play this spring. Grenadier Energy III's first wells IP'ed an average of 28.3 MMcfe/d each in Belmont County, Ohio, in the Utica Shale.

Buffett's EGTS Gets FERC OK to Build 550 MMcf/d PA-OH Expansion -- Marcellus Drilling News - Eastern Gas Transmission and Storage (EGTS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy (Warren Buffett’s company), got the last piece of paper it needed yesterday for an important new pipeline project. FERC’s Office of Energy Projects issued a notice to proceed (NTP) on Sept. 10, authorizing EGTS to start building the Appalachian Reliability Project (ARP) — the 550,000 dekatherms/day expansion that will push more Marcellus and Utica gas from western Pennsylvania into Ohio. Even better, the approval comes in roughly six months ahead of the company’s own published timeline.

AR 8-K Filings - Antero Resources Corp SEC 8-K -   Antero Resources reported strong second-quarter 2026 results, with net daily natural gas equivalent production averaging over 4.1 Bcfe/d, 21% higher than a year earlier. Net income attributable to Antero Resources Corporation was $279 million, Adjusted Net Income was $236 million, and Adjusted EBITDAX reached $595 million. Adjusted Free Cash Flow before changes in working capital was $220 million, while cash production expense declined to $2.22 per Mcfe from $2.48 per Mcfe, reflecting a full quarter of HG Energy assets.The company raised 2026 production guidance to 4.15–4.2 Bcfe/d, lowered cash production expense guidance to $2.20–$2.30 per Mcfe, and updated realized price premiums for natural gas and C2 NGLs. It repurchased 1.1 million shares for approximately $38 million during the quarter, leaving about $880 million of remaining authorization. In July 2026 Antero closed $315 million of core Marcellus acquisitions, adding 125 MMcfe/d of net production and 15 net drilling locations, and expects overriding royalty interest reversion and contract optimization to add $60 million of annualized cash flow, or a $0.04 per Mcfe margin uplift starting in the third quarter of 2026.Net Debt rose to $2,614,258 as of June 30, 2026 from $1,187,976 at December 31, 2025, in a period that included the HG Energy acquisition and elevated capital spending. Management also highlighted a sizable hedge position, including 1,390,000 MMBtu/d of NYMEX Henry Hub swaps at $3.90 for July–December 2026 and 1,000,000 MMBtu/d at $3.84 for 2027, which, together with lower costs and liquids diversification, is expected to reduce cash flow volatility.Every 8-K that ANTERO RESOURCES CORPORATION (AR) has filed with the SEC in the last 24 months is listed below, newest first, and each one links through to the document itself with the summary and the scores our analysis gives it. A 8-K covers material events a company has to report between its quarterly reports, so if you follow AR and want that one kind of document rather than the whole filing history, this is the page to keep. The company's other filings, of every form, are on the full AR filings page.

Shell to pay $15M to settle pollution probe at Monaca resin complex - Plastics News  -Shell Chemical has agreed to fix air pollution violations and pay $15 million in penalties and grants to the community to settle a state investigation into its plastics resin manufacturing complex in western Pennsylvania. Shell's polyethylene site in Monaca, Pa., opened in 2022, focused on using feedstock from the Marcellus and Utica shale fields.

Protect PT Tries to Undo Approval for SWPA Gas-Fired Data Center -- Marcellus Drilling News -  Anti-drilling group Protect PT has opened a new front against the biggest gas-fired AI project in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. On Aug. 25, Protect PT and two Upper Burrell residents — Allen Uhler and Guy Fuller — filed a land use appeal in Westmoreland County Court challenging the township supervisors’ approval of TECfusions’ work at the former Alcoa/Arconic research campus. Notably, the appeal doesn’t attack the gas turbines or the Marcellus wells feeding them. It attacks a piece of paper. Or rather, the absence of one.

Blown Gasket, Rolled Truck: Range’s Bad Day in Lycoming County -- Marcellus Drilling News -  -Range Resources had a genuinely rotten 16 hours at its Laurel Hill B well pad in Cogan House Township, Lycoming County, last week. First, a gasket blew on a water filter pod and sent recycled frack water down the pad’s fill slope. Then, while the state inspector was standing there writing that one up, a water truck hauling more of the same stuff drove off the access road and rolled over. MDN obtained both DEP inspection reports, and they tell a more complete story than the headlines indicate.

DEP Issues Violations To 7 More Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners For Abandoning, Not Plugging Wells In 7 Counties - Between August 15 and September 11, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection issued notices of violations to seven more conventional oil and gas well owners for abandoning and not plugging wells in seven counties. The owners and wells are--

• -- Allegheny County, Trafford Boro: D&B Gas Prod LLC: Conventional - Trafford Commerce Center Inc. 1
• -- Armstrong County, Madison Twp.: MGPR LLC: Conventional - M. Douthette (100A) 1
• -- Butler County, Parker Twp.: B & K Partnership: Conventional - Bruce & Kevin Smith 1
• -- Cameron County, Shippen Twp.: Unknown Owner: Conventional - Pardee Estate 3
• -- Cameron County, Shippen Twp.: Unknown Owner: Conventional - Pardee Estate 5
• -- Crawford County, Beaver Twp.: Venro Co.: Conventional - Alvin Coy Jr. 1
• -- Erie County, Millcreek Twp.: David Palotas & Allison Kaverman: Conventional - Padden1;
• -- Erie County, North East Twp.: Ronald W. Stubbe Jr.: Conventional - 11271 Curtis Rd 1;
• -- Greene County, Wayne Twp.: HR McClure - Conventional - JB Coen 14

DEP inspection reports on these wells can be viewed using DEP’s Inspection Reports Viewer. To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

DEP Finds Conventional Well Venting Gas During Investigation Of Leaking Conventional Gas Gathering Line In Unity Twp., Westmoreland County  On August 31, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection investigation of a leaking conventional gas gathering line on Tamarack Trail in Unity Township, Westmoreland County found a conventional well venting gas. The well-- Young Men’s Christian Association of Green 1-- is owned by Mid East Oil Company. DEP said the well owner had not submitted annual production and waste generation reports since 1998 and no well integrity report was submitted for 2025. As part of the investigation, a small area was dug up to locate the gathering line and it was discovered the leaking line appears to run below a People’s Gas retail distribution pipeline. DEP issued multiple violations to the well owner and requested a response by September 20. DEP said it is continuing to investigate the source of the leaking gas gathering line in front of Tamarack Trail. Click Here for August 31 DEP inspection report + photos. DEP returned to the well on September 8 to evaluate the steps needed to secure the well to stop the gas leaking from the gathering line, including having a contractor blow down the well and isolate it from the gathering line DEP also screened several homes along Tamarack Trail and did not detect any gas. DEP is still evaluating the ownership of the well and its operation due to the ongoing gas leak. A new violation was issued for abandoning the well without plugging it.

DEP: Contaminated Water Misting Out Of Storage Tank, Fluid Spill At Expand Operating, LLC Shale Gas Well Pad In Bradford County - On September 8, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection was notified of a contaminated water release at the Expand Operating, LLC Deremer shale gas well pad in Tuscarora Township, Bradford County. The well pad owner notified DEP on September 8 at 8:30 a.m. that on September 7 at 7:50 p.m. a mist of contaminated water was released into the air from a storage tank. Not reported was how long the misting might have been occurring. The owner also said more contaminated water was released into and off secondary containment which looked in inspection photos to have a berm about 1 foot high around the tank. The owner initially estimated the release was about 25 gallons. [Note: If the owner had reported a release of 42 gallons or more, it triggers cleanup requirements under the Act 2 Land Recycling Program.] “The cause of the release was due to the dump line being stuck open which was caused by a technical communication malfunction,” the owner reported. During the inspection, the owner’s environmental consultant was delineating the area of contamination with field measurements and screening contaminating pad materials. A lined dumpster was onsite for disposal of the material, but remediation had not yet begun. Photos sent to DEP after the inspection show a large area on two sides of the storage tank was scraped and contaminated material removed. Multiple violations were issued, but DEP marked them “immediately corrected.” No follow-up actions were requested Click Here for DEP’s inspection report + photos. To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage. Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

PUC Issues $875,000 Penalty In Settlement With Columbia Gas For 2019/2020 Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Violations In Allegheny, Washington Counties - On September 10, the Public Utility Commission approved a joint settlement with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc. related to past pipeline safety violations while completing main line replacement projects in Southwest Pennsylvania.The Commission voted 5-0 to adopt the Recommended Decision of PUC Administrative Law Judge Jeffrey A. Watson – which recommended approval of a Joint Petition for Approval of Settlement filed on March 14, 2025, between the PUC’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E) and Columbia Gas. The PUC action resolves a formal complaint filed by I&E on Nov. 21, 2023, alleging that in 2019 and 2020 Columbia Gas and its contractor, Infrasource, violated state and federal regulations relating to visually unacceptable socket fusions along multiple main line replacement projects in Allegheny and Washington counties.   Gas service line fusion is a permanent method of joining plastic polyethylene (PE) gas pipes using controlled heat to melt and blend the materials into a single, continuous piece.In 2020, I&E launched an investigation as the result of a failed fusion at the company’s Tropical Avenue Project in Pittsburgh.  Subsequent integrity validation digs at the Tropical Avenue Project, as well as at four additional Columbia Gas projects across Allegheny and Washington counties, discovered a much larger number of alleged violations related to fusion work, including--

• -- Failure to identify no less than 220 visually unacceptable fusions and saddle tee fusions on service lines and main lines. These visually unacceptable fusions lacked a complete impression of the cold ring clamp and/or were mitered.
• -- Failure to mark, label, or sign no less than 552 fusions according to Columbia Gas Standards.
• -- Allowing an unqualified contractor employee to perform and inspect plastic fusions.
• -- Failure to properly install no less than 44 saddle tee taps to a gas main line.
• -- Failure to capture and maintain accurate records of the pipeline components and personnel performing work on the pipeline.

Following discovery of these safety violations, the settlement notes that during 2021 Columbia Gas completed replacement of all visually unacceptable fusions at the five locations and discontinued the use of socket fusion as a joining method. Terms of the settlement between I&E and Columbia Gas include:

• -- Payment of a $875,000 civil penalty, which will not be tax deductible nor passed through as an additional charge to Columbia Gas’ customers in Pennsylvania. In addition, the company may not recover the costs associated with the plastic fusion investigations and subsequent remediations for the projects identified in the formal complaint.
• -- Implementation of corrective actions, to include replacement of all visually unacceptable fusions and designed to reduce risk associated with plastic pipe fusions, enhance contractor oversight, assure the production of quality fusions, and enhance knowledge of Columbia Gas’ system.
• -- Amending company procedures to require the submission of a Facility Failure Report for all legacy production joints which are removed following a failure of a legacy plastic fusion visual inspection.
• -- Development of a process to incorporate the findings and locations of visually unacceptable fusions removed from service into the annual Columbia Gas Distribution Integrity Management Program review.
• -- Implementation of a fusion inspection documentation process to be used by Columbia Gas Construction Coordinators when evaluating fusions witnessed in the field.
• -- Company notification to the PUC’s Pipeline Safety Division when a leak occurs at a plastic fusion as soon as practical, but not to exceed the next business day following discovery.

DEP Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board Meets Sept. 16 To Hear Updates On New Methane Control Regulations; Federal Well Plugging Program; Other Issues    The DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board is scheduled to meet on September 16 to hear updates on a variety of program issues, including--

• -- Development of new oil and gas methane reduction regulations - Federal 0000c Rules. Read more here.
• -- Provisions In Fiscal Code Bill related to Attainable Bottom, Utica Shale Waiver  Read more here.
• -- Federal Conventional Well Plugging Program
• -- Well Plugging Subcommittee Update
• -- Draft SOP on Annular Gas Outside Well Casing
• -- New Business Discussion With Seth Pelepki, Deputy For Oil & Gas Management

Click Here for the entire agenda. Individuals interested in providing comments at the meeting should notify Todd Wallace at twallace@pa.gov or 717-783-6395 no later than 24 hours before the meeting.Public comment should relate directly to a topic that is included on the meeting agenda and each commenter will be allowed up to three minutes to provide verbal comment to the board. The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Click Here to join the meeting online.Visit the DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board webpage for available handouts and more information.  Questions should be directed to: Todd Wallace at twallace@pa.gov or 717-783-6395.

28 New Shale Well Permits Reported for PA-OH-WV Aug 31 – Sep 6 -- Marcellus Drilling News -- The Marcellus/Utica region received 28 new drilling permits last week, August 31 – September 6, down from the 39 permits issued two weeks ago. Pennsylvania issued 11 of the new permits. Ohio issued 12 new permits. And West Virginia issued 5 new permits. The drillers who received new permits last week were: EOG Resources,  Expand Energy, Greylock Energy, Northeast Natural Energy, and Range Resources. Bradford County | Carroll County |  EOG Resources | Expand Energy | Greylock Energy | Harrison County | Marion County | Northeast Natural Energy | Potter County | Range Resources Corp | Tuscarawas County | Washington County

Feds Say 1970s Gov't Study of Devonian Shale Birthed Marcellus - Marcellus Drilling News - A new federal advisory report says the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays we all make a living from got their start with a taxpayer-funded government study launched in the mid-1970s — and that somewhere between 70% and 90% of the hydrocarbons in a typical shale reservoir are still down there after the well stops flowing. On Sunday, August 31, the National Petroleum Council (NPC) released American Resources for a Secure Future: A National Cooperative Subsurface Assessment Program, the latest installment in a series of studies U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright asked the NPC to produce. The NPC is a roughly 200-member federal advisory committee to the Energy Secretary, chartered back in 1946. Around 80 experts from industry, state governments, Tribal organizations, universities and the sciences worked on this study, and the full NPC membership voted to approve it.

18.4 Miles of NEPA Pipe: Devon Isn’t Acting Like a Marcellus Seller - Marcellus Drilling News -  - Devon Energy’s Coterra unit is asking Pennsylvania regulators for permission to lay 18.4 miles of 20-inch freshwater pipeline across three Susquehanna County townships — which is a strange thing to spend money on if you’re about to sell the place. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) published the notice in the September 5 Pennsylvania Bulletin, opening a comment window that closes October 5. The project is the Brooks to Forwood Temporary Waterline, running through Springville, Lathrop, and Lenox townships.

Antis Rally to Defend DRBC Frack Ban – They’re Getting Nervous -- Marcellus Drilling News -  - Eight anti-fossil fuel groups gathered on the banks of the Delaware River on September 2 to hold a press conference defending the Delaware River Basin Commission’s ban on fracking. Here’s the part that made us laugh: they already won in July. Republican leadership never even offered the amendment that would have stripped the DRBC of its power to ban drilling. So why hold a rally to defend something that isn’t under attack? Because they’re nervous — and when you read what they’re claiming, you can see why.

3rd Circuit Vacates NJ Water Permit for NESE Pipeline Project -Big Green scored a win yesterday — but not the win they’re telling you they got. On Tuesday, September 8, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit vacated the Clean Water Act Section 401 water quality certification (WQC) that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued last November for Williams/Transco’s Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) project — the $1 billion, 400,000 Dth/d expansion that carries Marcellus gas from Pennsylvania, across New Jersey, under Raritan Bay, and into New York City (see Trump Won: New York & New Jersey Issue Water Permits for NESE Pipe and Radicals Sue NY, NJ to Block NESE Pipeline Water Permits). Read the opinion closely, though, and the court flatly rejected the radicals’ headline argument. It did find, however, that NJDEP wrote a sloppy permit and didn’t show its work. The pipeline isn’t dead. The paperwork is.

Shell Sells R.I. Gas Plant for $715M, Buys Marcellus Plant in NEPA -- Marcellus Drilling News -    Round and round she goes. Yesterday Shell Energy North America (SENA) announced it is doing two deals at once: selling the 609-megawatt (MW) Rhode Island State Energy Center (RISEC) near Providence to Constellation Energy for $715 million, and buying the 169-MW Hunlock Creek Energy Center in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from Castleton Commodities International (CCI). Shell has owned the Rhode Island plant for all of about 20 months. CCI has owned Hunlock Creek for two years. Both deals are expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, pending the usual regulatory blessings.

Sealed Ruling Vacates TVA Kingston Gas Plant EIS, TVA Appeals - Marcellus Drilling News -  A federal judge in Knoxville has thrown out the environmental review behind the Tennessee Valley Authority’s $2.5 billion Kingston gas plant — and almost nobody has seen the ruling, because it’s sealed. We pulled the public docket and found the whole story hiding in TVA’s own court filings. On August 31, U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier granted partial summary judgment to Appalachian Voices, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Sierra Club, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center. The judge vacated TVA’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) for the plant, which is replacing nine coal units at the old Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee — the site of the infamous 2008 coal ash spill.

Dominion’s Back Door to Keep VA Gas Plants Running Past 2045 -- Marcellus Drilling News -  Last week we told you Dominion Energy cleared its first hurdle for the monster 3,000-megawatt (3 gigawatt) Cumberland Energy Center in Cumberland County, Virginia (see Dominion 3 GW Gas Plant Clears First Hurdle in Cumberland, VA). Now the greens have noticed something that’s been staring them in the face since 2020: Virginia’s flagship climate law — the Virginia Clean Economy Act, or VCEA — supposedly bans new fossil fuel plants and orders every existing one shut down by 2045. So how on earth is the state’s biggest utility proposing the second-largest gas plant in the entire country? Simple. The law has a back door, and Dominion has already walked through it once. Canary Media, a green-funded outlet, published a piece Monday wringing its hands about exactly that. We read it so you don’t have to — and frankly, we enjoyed every minute.

Duke Sets 2028 Construction Start for NC Gas Plants, LNG Facility -- Marcellus Drilling News -  Duke Energy just handed Marcellus/Utica producers something more useful than another press release. It handed us a calendar. Back in July we told you Duke had picked its sites: two 1,360-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle gas plants on its Davie County, North Carolina parcel, and the largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility in company history directly across the Yadkin River in Davidson County (see Duke Picks Davie County for 2 Gas Plants, Davidson for LNG Facility). What we didn’t have was a schedule. Now we do.

MVP Co-Owner NextEra Takes 49% of $1.2B South Florida Pipe -- Marcellus Drilling News -  Six weeks after announcing it would sell up to 49% of its $1.2 billion Florida Energy Pathway pipeline (see Chesapeake Utilities Plans $1.2B South Florida Pipe – Ohio Angle), Chesapeake Utilities Corporation (NYSE: CPK) has found its partner — and it’s a name Marcellus and Utica readers will recognize. On September 1, Chesapeake Utilities said its indirect subsidiary Peninsula Pipeline Holdings, LLC sold a 49% minority interest in the Florida Energy Pathway (FEP) to NextEra Energy Resources (NEER). Peninsula keeps 51% and control. The joint venture then hired Peninsula Pipeline Company, Inc. — another Chesapeake Utilities subsidiary — to build, manage, and operate the line.

Atlantic Hurricane Drought Clears Path for US LNG Export Growth --The Atlantic hurricane season hit its climatological peak Thursday without a hurricane to its name, leaving US LNG terminals to run through the riskiest stretch of the year unimpeded, with feedgas deliveries running more than 2 Bcf/d above last year’s pace. NGI chart compares 2026 Atlantic hurricane season cyclone energy with 2005, 2017, 2020, 2025 and the 1991-2020 average. At a Glance:
Atlantic ACE sinks to 1941-era low
Feedgas flows outpace 2025 by 2.3 Bcf/d
El Niño suppresses tropical development

US LNG Feedgas Demand Climbs to Strongest Level Since Spring - A look at the global natural gas and LNG markets by the numbers.  Graphic: NGI North America LNG Export Flow Tracker shows US LNG feedgas at 18.76 million Dth on Sept. 11, 2026, led by Corpus Christi.

• 19.6 Bcf/d: Deliveries to US export terminals reached 19.6 Bcf/d Friday, according to NGI’s Entropic Analytics data, the strongest single gas day since late April. The last seven gas days averaged 19.1 Bcf/d, up from a 30-day average closer to 18.4 Bcf/d that included the tail end of Freeport LNG's summer turnaround at its 16.5 Mt/year Texas terminal and pipeline work that curbed intake at Corpus Christi.
• 2.7 Bcf/d: Feedgas deliveries to Corpus Christi LNG held at roughly 2.7 Bcf/d on the Corpus Christi Pipeline in Friday’s nominations, running the line at about 98% of its 2.75 Bcf/d operating capacity, according to Entropic Analytics data. Scheduled quantities have stayed above 2.6 Bcf/d for 11 consecutive gas days, and six of the pipeline’s 10 strongest gas days this year have landed since Aug. 26. Cargo exports from the Texas facility tracked by Kpler averaged about 0.067 Mt/d over the same stretch, implying total intake closer to 3.6 Bcf/d after accounting for fuel and loss margins. The rate of exports implies around 900 MMcf/d in feedgas is reaching the terminal on the ADCC intrastate line, which does not post interstate nominations.
• 7.31 Mt: US LNG exports transiting the Suez Canal totaled 7.31 Mt in the first eight months of the year, up 42% from 5.16 Mt in the year-ago period, according to Kpler vessel tracking data. Nearly all of the growth came in the first half, when crossings almost doubled year/year to 5.11 Mt. Egypt took 97% of the US volumes moving through the canal, up from 89.4% a year ago, while Jordan fell to 0.21 Mt from 0.54 Mt. Egyptian LNG imports from all sources rose 83% year/year to 9.62 Mt, trimming the US-via-Suez share to 73.6% from 87.9%. US cargoes accounted for 82% of all LNG crossing the canal, down from 88%. US deliveries through the Strait of Hormuz have meanwhile stopped entirely, with no US-origin transit recorded since September 2025 after eight cargoes moved through the waterway in the year-ago period.

Disappointing’ Golden Pass LNG Ramp Trims Winter Natural Gas Demand Outlook -Golden Pass LNG’s Train 1 is drawing about a third of its capacity five months into commissioning, as cuts to first-cycle nominations slow the ramp and trim analysts’ natural gas demand outlooks for this winter and early 2027. NGI Entropic Analytics chart compares Golden Pass LNG first-cycle feedgas nominations with final scheduled deliveries from April-September 2026. At a Glance:
Terminal walks back 46% of nominations
September deliveries sink to 277,000 Dth/d
Aegis flags delays to Trains 2 and 3

White House Weighs Defense Production Act as U.S. Refineries Maxed Out -The White House is considering using the Defense Production Act to add U.S. refining capacity, with American refineries already running at 98% capacity and diesel prices above $6 per gallon for the first time. The proposal was discussed during President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with nearly a dozen U.S. refiners, according to Reuters. No decision has been made, and discussions are expected to continue. Refining executives told administration officials that federal money would produce more barrels faster if it were used to expand existing plants or improve refinery efficiency. Building an entirely new refinery would cost billions and take years. The Defense Production Act gives the president authority to provide financial assistance and direct industrial resources toward materials and capacity considered necessary for national defense. Trump laid the groundwork in April, when he issued a presidential determination declaring domestic petroleum production, refining and logistics capacity essential to national defense. The order authorized purchases, purchase commitments and financial instruments under Section 303 of the DPA to increase that capacity. U.S. refiners have little spare room today. Refinery utilization reached 98% in late August after spending three consecutive months above 95%, the longest such stretch since 2000. That output has become increasingly valuable as refinery capacity disappears elsewhere. Phillips 66 estimated last month that roughly 7 million bpd of refining capacity was offline in Asia and the Middle East, with another 1.4 million bpd unavailable in Russia. U.S. diesel inventories are now 13% below their five-year average. Diesel prices crossed $6 per gallon this week as disruptions in the Middle East and Russia squeezed global fuel supplies. One possible test is already taking shape in Texas. America First Refining plans a 168,000-bpd refinery at the Port of Brownsville, announced in March as the first new U.S. refinery in nearly 50 years. Reuters said it remains unclear whether the project could receive DPA funding.

Federal data shows Enbridge leak is the largest reported oil and gas spill in Wisconsin – WPR  A gas leak that occurred last month on Enbridge’s Line 5 is the largest oil and gas pipeline spill reported in Wisconsin in more than 50 years, according to a WPR review of federal data. WPR analyzed hazardous liquid accident data submitted to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and data submitted by Enbridge and its predecessor Lakehead Pipe Line Company since 1970. The data represents reporting for pipeline facilities used to transport hazardous liquids that include crude oil and natural gas liquids.Federal data indicates the Aug. 25 leak in Iron County that released 31,000 barrels — or 1.3 million gallons — of natural gas liquids is the company’s largest release reported to federal regulators. Line 5 remains shut down.Enbridge has said the leak occurred after a subcontractor’s unoccupied flatbed truck rolled into an open excavation site for a Line 5 valve project, striking the pipeline and releasing mainly propane and butane into the atmosphere.  “The vast majority of the remaining two thousand barrels of liquid initially contained within the excavation site, have now also vaporized and dispersed. Today crews continue working on removing the remaining liquid from the trench,” said Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner in a statement. Environmental groups are urging the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to do more in response to the spill, including demands for an independent investigation and revocation of permits for Enbridge’s $1 billion reroute of Line 5. Evan Feinauer, senior staff attorney for Clean Wisconsin, said he hopes the agency is actively exploring its options.“The number of issues have now started to add up to a point where it’s problematic and concerning about what are other issues that are going to happen as they continue construction, both at the valve site where they had the leak and the other areas as well as on the reroute itself,” Feinauer told WPR.On Friday, the National Wildlife Federation was among nine groups that called on the state to revoke permits for Enbridge’s Line 5 reroute in a letter to Gov. Tony Evers, the DNR and other state agencies. {We call on Governor Evers to use the authority he already has,” the letter states.The governor’s office referred questions to the DNR, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.Groups also said the state must ensure the National Transportation Safety Board is involved rather than solely Enbridge or PHMSA, which is investigating the incident. PHMSA has issued a corrective action order to Enbridge that requires the company to submit the failed section of pipe to a third-party lab for mechanical and metallurgical testing. Enbridge must also submit a third-party analysis on the cause of the line’s failure and whether similar conditions exist elsewhere on Line 5.An NTSB spokesperson said it doesn’t appear the agency is investigating the incident at this time, noting the NTSB does not investigate every pipeline leak or explosion. Environmental advocates also want to see state agencies have a more active role in air, water and groundwater monitoring at the site.In an update, Enbridge said soil and water monitoring plans are in place in addition to plans for testing and properly disposing of soil. The company has said sampling of surface water and a nearby residential well showed no impacts from the leak, and monitoring wells have also been installed at the site. Monitoring has also shown safe air quality outside the evacuation area.

Wisconsin DNR asks Enbridge to halt work on temporary bypass around site of gas leak - WPR The head of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking Enbridge to halt work on building a new stretch of its Line 5 pipeline around the site of a gas leak in Iron County, saying the company lacks state approvals. In a Wednesday letter to Enbridge, DNR Secretary Karen Hyun said Enbridge has added to a growing list of environmental concerns and violations that demonstrate “disregard for the environment, human health, and the statutory authority of the department.” The DNR issued a notice of noncompliance to the company for conducting work on the bypass without state approvals, and the agency said it may consider enforcement action. “Given that Enbridge has made decisions to prioritize restarting Line 5 without the necessary approvals from the department, the department requests that Enbridge halt construction of the bypass so Enbridge can prioritize addressing the unresolved spill at the (natural gas liquids) spill site,” Hyun wrote. “Further, the people of Wisconsin expect and deserve that Enbridge takes the actions necessary to restore the environment and minimize the harmful effects of the discharge, especially with regards to the significant discharge of (volatile organic compounds) to the air,” Hyun continued. Hyun’s letter underscores the state’s continued frustrations with Enbridge after an Aug. 25 gas leak in Iron County. The company has said an unoccupied flatbed truck rolled into an open construction trench and struck the pipeline, releasing 1.3 million gallons of natural gas liquids into the atmosphere. WPR previously reported that federal data shows its the company’s and state’s largest oil and gas pipeline spillin more than 50 years. Enbridge spokesperson Juli Kellner said in a statement that it’s continuing to work with the DNR on permitting, as well as environmental conditions at the site. “Enbridge continues working towards both priorities related to the third-party line strike near Saxon, Wis. — the safe control and remediation of the incident site and completing a temporary bypass to allow the pipeline to return to service, which will help resolve energy supply disruptions,” Kellner said. “Around the clock work on both priorities is being done in parallel.” Kellner said Line 5 is critical infrastructure that delivers energy to millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes region. Rob Lee, an attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates, said in a statement that Enbridge has shown “extraordinary disregard” for Wisconsin environmental laws. “Enbridge cannot simply decide that getting Line 5 back in service is more important than following Wisconsin law,” Lee said. “They’ve been out there moving earth, crossing waterways and disturbing wetlands without permits. They need to stop treating environmental requirements as obstacles to work around and start following the law.” Enbridge notified the DNR on Sept. 4 that the company was considering a temporary bypass around the site to restore service to the pipeline, according to a separate Sept. 9 letter . On Sept. 7, the company told the DNR it was moving forward with construction. The agency had informed Enbridge that permits would be required prior to construction. “Enbridge has been notified on multiple occasions that authorization would be required before commencing construction, but Enbridge has not received said authorization as of this writing,” wrote Kyle McLaughlin, the DNR’s integration services section manager. On Tuesday, DNR staff visited the site and observed matting in wetlands and activities that weren’t covered under the company’s existing construction site stormwater permit. The agency also observed three bridges that had been placed across an unnamed tributary to Spoon Creek, as well as insufficient erosion controls. The agency stressed that written authorization is required before conducting work in wetlands and over waterways. While Enbridge has permits for the Line 5 reroute, the DNR said work on the temporary bypass lies outside of the covered area. The company is required to notify the agency at least 5 business days before changing any plans as part of construction. McLaughlin said the DNR informed Enbridge on three separate occasions that amendments may be eligible under its construction site general permit, but additional documents submitted by the company remain under review. “This proposed work may also require authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iron County, and/or the Town of Saxon. We strongly recommend that you contact them to determine whether other approvals are needed,” McLaughlin wrote. In her letter, Hyun also highlighted additional spills since Enbridge resumed construction on its Line 5 reroute after the company’s temporary halt to reinforce safety practices. The company has had at least five spills of drilling fluid, or frac-outs, since work began. “Based on this pattern of noncompliance demonstrated by Enbridge, my concern over the environmental impacts of Enbridge’s activities over the past weeks has only heightened,” Hyun wrote.

Sapphire Eyeing Southwest, SoCal Growth With Desert Gas LNG Acquisition -Sapphire Gas Solutions said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire small-scale LNG assets owned by Spectrum LNG in the Desert Southwest, where scorching weather has caused natural gas demand and prices to periodically spike this summer. At a Glance:

• Sapphire expands Southwest footprint
• Facility served by North Baja pipeline
• LNG deliveries grow 15% annually

Quebec Agrees to Mediate Utica Drilling Ban Fight with Questerre -  Marcellus Drilling News - For four years, the province of Québec has had one answer for the drillers whose mineral rights it seized: see you in court. Last week that changed — a little. Questerre Energy announced it has signed a mediation protocol with Québec's Attorney General and the province's Ministry of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, agreeing to sit down at a table and talk. Longtime MDN readers know the backstory. Québec sits on top of a big slice of the Utica Shale — yes, the same Utica that runs under Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Canadian LNG Infrastructure Advances at Ksi Lisims, Woodfibre --Infrastructure supporting two British Columbia (BC) LNG projects progressed as construction began on a grid expansion tied to Ksi Lisims LNG and permitting moved forward for Woodfibre LNG’s feedgas system.North American LNG netback prices compared with AECO, SoCal Border, Transco Zone 5 and Waha natural gas forwards. At a Glance:
Ksi Lisims-linked grid construction begins
Ksi Lisims targets year-end FID
Woodfibre feedgas permitting advances

Canadian LNG Developers Gain New Opening With Ukraine Supply Talks --Canada and Ukraine are exploring potential long-term LNG supply agreements as Ottawa expands its push to connect the country’s emerging export sector with European buyers. At a Glance:

• Ottawa expands European LNG push
• Long-term supply talks encouraged
• War damage increases import needs

El Niño Risk Looms as Europe’s Natural Gas Storage Refill Runs Behind Pace - Warmer forecast shifts across both Europe and Asia have tightened the margin between natural gas futures in both basins as thin European storage and Middle East supply risk keep the pull on Gulf Coast cargoes tight. NGI charts compare daily and normal temperatures in Northwest Europe, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo through Sept. 8, 2026.  At a Glance:
Europe outbids Asia for flexible cargoes
Swedish, Finnish nuclear near 60% capacity
El Niño odds top 90%

The Norwegian gas plant that could safeguard Europe from Trump - — Europe was supposed to leave gas facilities like Kårstø behind. Instead, the giant processing plant is at the center of a wider continental shift. Emission reductions are out. Energy security is in. Wars in Iran and Ukraine have upended Europe’s climate and clean energy plans, leaving the continent scrambling to secure gas still needed to generate electricity, heat homes and power factories. European gas storage levels are near historic lows as winter approaches, a potentially ominous sign for continental heating and power bills. Many European leaders are wary of leaning too heavily on America lest their energy needs be used against them in trade and security negotiations with President Donald Trump. (The White House, for its part, says the U.S. has an “abundant and reliable supply” for allies.) “We live in a world where dependencies can and are weaponized,” said Ann Mettler, who worked as adviser to former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. “It’s understandable that the Europeans may have second thoughts.” Which leads back to Kårstø. An industrial warren of pipelines, distillation towers and flare stacks along the Norwegian coast, Kårstø is the largest gas processing facility of its kind in Europe. Though Norway is outside the European Union — and uses little fossil fuels itself — it supplied nearly a third of the bloc’s gas and 14 percent of its crude oil last year. Roughly a quarter of Norwegian gas production passes through Kårstø, much of which is shipped to Europe via pipelines to Belgium, France and Germany. Roughly a quarter of Norwegian gas output passes through the Kårstø gas processing plant. Gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf has flagged over the last decade, but Europe’s newfound focus on energy security has sparked new interest in squeezing the remaining hydrocarbons out of its subsea reservoirs. Climate change is lower on the list of Europe’s priorities, with renewables mainly brought up as a way to protect consumers from spikes in fossil fuel prices. Equinor, which runs Kårstø and is Norway’s top oil and gas producer, embodies the shift underway. Six years ago, when political concerns over climate change reached a peak, Equinor announced a plan to invest in renewable energy and achieve net-zero emissions by midcentury. This year, it dropped a renewable target, though not its net-zero goal, to focus on the Norwegian continental shelf. “All my customers in Europe, they have a transition strategy and they’re working on investing in renewables. But they’re also securing long-term contracts for gas,” Equinor CEO Anders Opedal told POLITICO last week, shortly after signing a 15-year gas supply contract with the German utility Uniper. The beating heart of Norway’s oil industry can be found in Stavanger, a small port city about an hour’s drive south of Kårstø. The city is home to Equinor’s headquarters and one of the world’s largest energy conferences. This year, nearly 70,000 people descended on the city for the Offshore Northern Seas Summit, packing a series of airplane hangar-sized conference halls. Norwegian business and political leaders used the occasion to pitch their country as the fossil fuel supplier Europe can count on — and drum up support for drilling on the continental shelf. When Equinor announced its deal with Uniper on the conference’s opening day, Opedal said it would “contribute to energy security for Europe and, through this contract, Uniper will contribute to demand security, allowing us to continue investing in developing the Norwegian continental shelf.” The message was echoed by Norwegian officials. The government owns a two-thirds stake in Equinor, while its remaining shares are publicly traded. “Our strategy is to be a long-term provider of oil and gas to the European market,” said Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland. “Our target is not in numbers, but it’s to have as high production as possible.” That could be a tall order. It’s unclear how long Norway’s oil and gas reserves will hold out. Norwegian oil and gas production is expected to fall a third by 2050. And that’s in a best-case scenario, according to Torgeir Stordal, who leads the Norwegian Offshore Directorate, the government agency responsible for regulating the continental shelf. The directorate’s baseline scenario assumes production will fall by more than half. Industry executives and political leaders in Oslo say more investment is needed to stave off production declines. They are also hoping technology can help “flatten the curve” — industry jargon for thwarting production declines. On ready display among the hundreds of stalls at ONS were the tools of extraction: frontier-pushing drones, aquatic robots, AI mapping systems, pumps, drills and power generators, decked out in bright polymers and gleaming steel. Any serious hope of slowing the production decline will come from new discoveries on the frontier, particularly in the Barents Sea in Norway’s far north. That will require an increased appetite for risk, enormous expenditure — and attracting young Norwegians to far-flung regions of the country.

Argent LNG Looks to Albania as Adriatic Gateway for US Supply -Argent LNG is extending its strategy into the Adriatic with tentative partnership on a 5 Mt/y LNG import terminal in Albania that could provide another route for US supply into the Western Balkans. At a Glance:

• Albania terminal targets 5 Mt/y capacity
• Argent adds fourth European partner
• Feedgas demand could reach 3.5 Bcf/d

Persian Gulf Tanker Strikes Spike Global Natural Gas Prices - Renewed attacks on tankers in the Persian Gulf over the weekend sent European and Asian natural gas prices higher to open the week, as traders found little reason to expect Middle East LNG supply to recover. Map of Persian Gulf LNG import and export terminals near the Strait of Hormuz, including facilities in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE. At a Glance:

• Weekend strikes push prices higher
• First Qatari LNG crossing since July
• US feedgas highest since April

OPEC oil output falls 900,000 bpd in August OPEC's crude oil production fell by about 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August as disruptions continued to hamper oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, limiting the group's ability to boost supplies, a Bloomberg survey showed. Output from OPEC members fell to 19.91 million bpd last month, according to the survey, after partially recovering in June and July. The decline came after seven members of the OPEC+ alliance agreed over the weekend to keep October production levels unchanged, following a series of gradual output increases aimed at reversing earlier cuts. The drop in OPEC output highlights the impact of geopolitical disruptions on actual oil supplies, even as OPEC+ moves to increase production. It also raises the risk of tighter supplies, potentially providing support to crude prices.

IEA Sees 5.7 Million Bpd Oil Supply Plunge as Gulf Recovery Slips to 2027 - The IEA just took another 1.4 million barrels per day out of its 2026 global oil supply outlook, and it no longer expects normal Gulf flows to return this year, according to a new agency report released on Friday. Global oil supply is now expected to fall by 5.7 million bpd in 2026, or roughly 6%, compared with the 4.3-million-bpd declinethe agency forecast just one month ago. The delayed recovery of Middle Eastern production has pushed the return of normal Gulf supplies into 2027. Global oil stocks fell at a rate of 3.1 million bpd in August, leaving inventories at 7.8 billion barrels, their lowest since 2023. In July, the IEA had put the cumulative inventory loss since the Iran war began at 410 million barrels. Saudi Arabia accounted for a large chunk of August’s deterioration. Saudi crude supply plunged 2.3 million bpd during the month to just 6 million bpd, its lowest level in more than three decades, after attacks hit facilities and shipping routes. OPEC+ production fell 1.8 million bpd to 38.8 million bpd. The shortage is already destroying demand. The IEA now expects global oil consumption to fall by 2.5 million bpd this year, compared with the 1.6-million-bpd contraction it forecast in August. Record fuel prices are forcing consumers to use less, particularly as refinery disruptions tighten diesel and other product markets. Supply is disappearing faster. That puts the IEA nearly 2.9 million bpd away from OPEC on 2026 demand. OPEC said Thursday that it still expects global oil consumption to grow by 380,000 bpd this year. The two forecasters converge in 2027. The IEA expects demand growth of 2.6 million bpd next year, while OPEC sees 2.36 million bpd.

Oil Prices Climb After U.S. Strikes Three Iranian Tankers and Iran Vows Revenge -- Oil prices edged higher in early Asian trade on Monday following another weekend of escalation in the U.S.-Iran war. At the time of writing, WTI was trading at $92.14 per barrel, up 0.72% on the session, while Brent had risen 0.63% to trade at $96.89. On Saturday, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) reported that it had struck three Iranian oil tankers in response to the IRGC targeting two U.S. warships with ballistic missiles. The three tankers hit were M/T Downy, M/T Stark 1, and M/T Kylo, and were struck near Kharg Island, Jask, and in the Gulf of Oman, respectively. Following the attack, Admiral Brad Cooper said the message was clear: “If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours.” On Sunday, Centcom also updated the figures of its naval blockade against Iran, with U.S. forces now having redirected 92 commercial vessels, disabled 3, and boarded 2 since the blockade resumed on July 14. Following the attacks, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that the era of “proportionate responses” is now over, and warned that future retaliations from Iran will be “faster, heavier and more painful.” Meanwhile, Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, suggested that Iran would soon announce a new restricted zone outside the Strait. It remains unclear exactly how much oil is making it through the Strait of Hormuz at the moment. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed over the weekend that more than 9 million barrels per day of oil are being exported via water routes, with pipelines taking another four or five million. Iran’s military has continued to describe the Strait as completely closed to vessel traffic, with the stated aim of ensuring not a drop of oil leaves the region. Independent tanker tracking suggests the reality lies somewhere in between those claims, with TankerTrackers.com estimating that flows averaged about 5.04 million bpd over the latest 28-day period. Even that estimate carries considerable uncertainty as a growing number of vessels have been turning off AIS transponders. Regardless of how much oil is currently getting through, the most recent economic campaign against Iran does appear to be having an effect, with reports of economic pain in the country rising significantly. Whether that will bring Iran back to the negotiating table or result in a more erratic and intense conflict remains to be seen.

Oil prices rise to six-week highs on worsening Middle East conflict -Oil prices rose to a six-week high on Monday as Iran vowed to strike energy infrastructure across the Middle East in response to further U.S. attacks on its assets, the latest escalation in a conflict that has sharply reduced oil supply from the region. Brent crude futures rose $1.03, or 1.1 per cent, to settle at $97.31 a barrel, after hitting their highest point since July 24 at $98.06. Brent futures settled around 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT), about an hour earlier than their usual settlement time due to the Labor Day holiday in the United States. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude, which will not settle on Monday due to the holiday, was up 1.3 per cent, or $1.17, at $92.65 a barrel by 1:45 p.m. EDT. WTI futures earlier rose as high as $93.29, also the highest since July 24. "Strike our assets and you get struck," Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Monday, in what appeared to be a response to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's warning that Tehran's oil fleet was "defenseless". The United States and Iran traded strikes on oil tankers and warships over the weekend, marking a major escalation of the war between the two countries that began when the U.S. and Israel struck Iran on February 28, maritime intelligence firm Marisks said. "Commercial tankers are now being deliberately used as instruments of reciprocal economic pressure, substantially weakening the previous distinction between military confrontation and commercial shipping," Marisks said. Brent rose around 8 per cent last week and WTI gained nearly 10 per cent, after the U.S. and Iran resumed attacks. The war has taken a heavy toll on global oil supply, forcing nations to burn through stockpiles to avoid deficits. In the United States, the largest oil producer and consumer, inventories of gasoline and distillate fuel are substantially below year-ago and five-year seasonal averages, PVM Energy analysts noted. "The current roundup indicates a slightly more dire picture than the last time we took stock a few weeks ago," they said. Regional tensions were also heightened by Israeli strikes on a town in southern Lebanon that killed at least 12 people on Monday, according to the Lebanese health ministry, marking one of the deadliest days of bombardment in recent weeks. Elsewhere in the Middle East, Saudi Aramco's Jazan oil refinery was attacked on Monday and damage was being ascertained, the Financial Times reported, citing two people with knowledge of the matter. A week ago, a Saudi-owned tanker was attacked by Iran, with Saudi Arabia saying two seafarers had died. Oman said on Monday it had evacuated 16 crew members from the tanker. An average of 10 commodity ships transited the Strait of Hormuz per day over the past 10 days, the lowest since May, data from analytics firm Kpler showed on Monday. "If tanker traffic begins to slow materially, the market could price in a much larger supply shock. And there are already signs that this is happening," said Priyanka Sachdeva, head of market insights at Phillip Nova. Goldman Sachs said oil prices may rally as high as $120 a barrel if attacks on shipping rise. Iran will announce a restricted zone outside the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days, said Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates is building alternative routes for its energy exports and trade to ensure they are not "held hostage" by the war between the U.S. and Iran, UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Monday. OPEC+ kept its oil output policy unchanged for October at a meeting on Sunday, the producer group said in a statement, as it needs to agree on new quotas before deciding its next output steps.

Oil prices surge 3%: Why Brent is nearing $100 as Middle East war risks grow  -  Oil prices climbed to multi-week highs on Tuesday as fears of a wider Middle East conflict grew. Brent crude rose to around $99 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained more than 3%, as fresh attacks and threats between Iran and the US raised concerns about oil supplies. Brent crude futures were up $2, or 2.06%, at $99 a barrel by 0800 GMT. WTI was at $94.41 a barrel, up $2.93, or 3.2%. Brent briefly climbed to $99.22 a barrel, its highest level since July 24. WTI also reached $94.60, its highest price since June 8. The rise came after Iran-backed Houthis attacked energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, while Iran threatened the US with what it called “economic warfare.” The fresh developments increased fears that the war could disrupt more oil supplies from the region, according to Reuters. The Strait of Hormuz is at the centre of the oil market worries. Tanker traffic through the key waterway has fallen well below normal levels because of the conflict and growing security risks. Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, told Reuters. Waterer said oil prices are being pushed higher by two main factors: real supply tightness and a geopolitical risk premium. He said the geopolitical risk is currently having the bigger impact on prices. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important oil routes. Before the conflict began in late February, around one-fifth of the world's daily oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the waterway. Shipping through the Strait slowed again at the start of this week after Iran warned that it would retaliate against any new US attacks. This has added to concerns that oil tankers could face further delays or restrictions. Iran also said it would create a new shipping corridor in the Strait of Hormuz. The move suggests that tanker traffic through the waterway could become even more difficult as the conflict continues, according to Oilprice.com. Analysts do not expect oil shipping through the Strait to quickly return to normal. Daniel Hynes, an analyst at ANZ, said a full return to pre-war shipping levels may not happen until late Q1 or early Q2 of 2027. Saudi Arabia was hit by another attack linked to the Iran-backed Houthis. Some operations at Saudi energy facilities were halted after the attacks, which Saudi authorities described as a dangerous escalation. The attacks wounded 73 people, according to Saudi authorities. The latest violence has raised fresh concerns about the safety of energy infrastructure in the world's top oil-exporting country, according to Reuters. Saudi Arabia's Jizan refinery was also targeted. The refinery has a crude processing capacity of around 400,000 barrels per day and has been targeted by Yemen's Houthi forces before, according to Oilprice.com. Iran has also issued new threats against the US Tehran said it had fired an advanced missile at US warships and warned Washington about the consequences of further attacks. Iran's Supreme National Security Council secretary Mohsen Rezaei said the country could respond with a maritime exclusion zone across the Persian Gulf if the US continued what Tehran considers economic warfare, according to Reuters. The latest threats came after new exchanges of missile strikes involving ships in the Persian Gulf. The attacks have strengthened fears that the conflict could continue for a long time instead of ending soon, according to Oilprice.com. The US has also carried out strikes on Iranian oil tankers. On Saturday, US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers, including one near Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export hub. US Central Command said this, according to Reuters. The US strikes followed attacks by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on US warships operating in the region, further increasing the risk of another round of military action. The market is now starting to price in a longer conflict. Analysts are warning that oil supply disruptions could continue into 2027 if the Strait of Hormuz remains difficult for tankers to navigate. Goldman Sachs raised its oil price forecasts because of the expected shipping disruptions. The bank increased its December 2026 forecast by $5, putting Brent at $85 a barrel and WTI at $80. Goldman Sachs also raised its 2027 forecasts to $80 for Brent and $75 for WTI, based on the assumption that Middle East shipping problems will continue into next year, according to Reuters. Oil could remain elevated for the rest of 2026 if the Strait of Hormuz stays under pressure. Waterer said prices are likely to remain high while the waterway remains contested and diplomatic progress stays fragile. Speculators are also becoming more bullish on oil. ING analysts said investors have increased their net long positions in Brent crude as hopes for a quick peace deal have weakened, as per the report by Oilprice.com, citing ING analysts.

American and African Crudes Soar as China’s Oil Imports Rebound September 8, 2026 -- The prices of crudes from Canada, South America, and Africa have jumped in recent weeks as Chinese oil import demand is rising from a decade-low, benchmark prices rally, and Middle East supply remains disrupted.The Djeno crude from Congo, one of the smaller producers in OPEC, is being offered at a premium of $20 per barrel over ICE Brent, anonymous traders told Bloomberg on Monday. That’s up from a $15 a barrel premium two weeks ago, according to the traders.The prices of crudes from Canada, Brazil, and Argentina are also rising amid increased appetite in Asia.Asian crude oil importers, including China, Japan, and South Korea, have turned to buying oil from as far as Argentina to offset supply losses from the Middle East.In recent weeks, refiners in Asia have bought Argentina’s Medanito crude, and at least one cargo of the oil comparable to the U.S. West Texas Intermediate loaded in August, anonymous traders with knowledge of the purchases told Bloomberg last week.China, in particular, is boosting imports of African and American grades, as well as of its favorite ESPO blend from Russia, as Iranian crude supply has rapidly dried up in recent weeks following the re-imposed U.S. blockade on Iran’s oil exports.The world’s top crude oil importer, China, has seen its crude imports rebound from the decade-low level in June as Beijing eased fuel export restrictions and refiners moved to restock and capture fairly decent refining margins.Yet, Chinese crude oil imports, estimated at about 7.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, remain well-below the pre-war levels of 11-12 million bpd, suggesting that China would remain selective in crude purchases amid volatile and often spiking oil prices. Beijing can still afford to be selective as it had amassed an estimated 1.4 billion barrels of crude in commercial and strategic storage before the Iran war began.Currently, the biggest losers in China’s refining industry are the small independent refiners who had relied for years on dirt-cheap Iranian and Venezuelan crude. Now one is not flowing out of the Persian Gulf, the other is not so cheap anymore.

Oil Rises as Middle East Escalations Threaten Fuels Supply (DTN) -- Brent futures advanced to their highest in seven weeks Tuesday morning after fresh Houthi attacks on Saudi energy facilities forced shut operations. WTI's front-month contract touched a 13-week high in early morning trade. By 9:00 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for October delivery was up $0.68 to trade near $97.68 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for October delivery rose $1.20 to $92.68 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery advanced $0.0474 to $4.5876 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures gained $0.0297 to $3.2443 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index softened by 0.285 points to 98.865 against a basket of foreign currencies. Futures have been under increasing pressure following this weekend's escalation in the U.S.-Iran war. The U.S. on Saturday struck three Iranian oil tankers attempting to circumvent the American embargo, after Iran had targeted U.S. warships in the region. Tehran vowed retaliation in the form of military attacks and "economic warfare." Tuesday morning, the Iran-allied Houthi militia based in Yemen struck several refineries and crude processing facilities in Saudi Arabia. While crude oil continued to flow through the Strait of Hormuz at a reduced rate, these latest attacks served to further tighten the screws on an already undersupplied global middle distillate market. Attacks on refineries in the region added to the loss of refined product supply stemming from the partial blockade of exports from the Persian Gulf as well as from Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries curbing production and forcing the country to ban fuel exports. All this came against the backdrop of months of Asian refiners operating at reduced rates because of the lack of available crude from the Middle East, resulting in rapidly dwindling global fuel inventories. Monthly updates to some of the most watched global oil market forecasts are scheduled for release this week. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Short-Term Energy Outlook is due on Wednesday, followed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' monthly report on Thursday and the International Energy Agency's oil market report on Friday.

Oil prices hit six-week high after Houthis attack Saudi sites (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed to a fresh six-week high on Tuesday after Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen attacked Saudi energy facilities, setting oil installations ablaze and threatening a ‌major expansion of the six-month-old Middle East war. Brent futures rose 92 cents, or 0.9%, to settle at $97.92 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.55, or 1.7%, to settle at $93.03. That kept both crude benchmarks in technically overbought territory and was the highest close for Brent since July 23 for a second day in a row and the highest close for WTI since June 4. The Houthis attacked four cities in the south of Saudi Arabia, which is a U.S. ally, on Tuesday, wounding more than 70 people and setting oil installations on fire. Houthi-controlled media reported later on Tuesday that Saudi warplanes had carried out airstrikes in Yemen's Jubah district, east of the capital Sanaa, and Taiz province in the southwest. Oil exports ⁠from the Gulf region have been severely impaired since Iran attacked energy infrastructure in the region and ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz following joint strikes from the U.S. and Israel in late February. Saudi Arabia, the world's second-biggest crude producer behind the U.S., has been circumventing the strait by shipping oil west to the Red Sea. But Tuesday's attacks appear to be among the largest carried out against that nation, and threaten to worsen the war's global economic effect by disrupting Middle East energy supplies beyond the blockaded Strait of Hormuz. Wall Street is also coming to grips with the likelihood that Middle East shipping disruptions will continue into 2027. Goldman Sachs, HSBC and other banks raised their crude price forecasts for the rest of 2026 and 2027. The number of commodity vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz totaled seven on Monday, compared with eight on the previous day, Kpler data showed on Tuesday. Oil futures, however, did pare earlier gains on increasing worries that high fuel costs will stoke inflation and force ‌central banks ⁠around the world to raise interest rates, which could reduce economic growth and demand for energy. Global fuel prices were high due primarily to disruptions at refineries in the Middle East, Russia and elsewhere. In the U.S., diesel prices reached record highs last week and Americans faced record-high gasoline prices over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Senior industry executives predicted global diesel supply will remain tight through winter due to a lack of spare refining capacity, Russia's ban on exports following attacks by Ukraine and the approach of peak winter demand. Those high prices, coupled with comments from U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller and a stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs report, caused some investors to ⁠change their U.S. rate-hike expectations. Traders are now pricing in about a 60% chance of an interest rate hike at the Fed's September 15 to 16 policy meeting, according to the CME FedWatch Tool, up from about 50% before the jobs data. Crude futures also pared some early gains after U.S. President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Tuesday that he wanted a swift end to the war ⁠in Ukraine, which would allow U.S.-Russia ties to be fully restored, the Kremlin said, adding that Putin had supported the U.S. president's view. An end to the Russia-Ukraine war could allow Russia to export more energy. Russia was the world's third-biggest crude oil producer behind the U.S. and Saudi Arabia in 2025, according to U.S. energy data, and is a member of the OPEC+ group of producing ⁠countries. In China, the world's second-biggest economy behind the U.S., crude oil imports in August improved from July but volumes were down 23.4% from a year earlier, according to customs data released on Tuesday. China has restricted refined oil product exports since March to safeguard domestic supplies even as domestic consumption fell because of higher prices.

Global oil prices nears $100 per barrel amid US-Iran military escalation - Pakistan Observer – Oil prices witnessed a significant increase as the benchmark crude prices climbed closer to the $100-per-barrel level as the exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran added to escalating tensions in the Middle East. WTI Crude was trading at $94.43 per barrel, up $1.40, or 1.50 percent. Brent Crude, a key international benchmark, stood at $99.46 per barrel, gaining $1.54, or 1.57%. The move placed Brent just below the psychologically important $100-per-barrel mark. Murban Crude recorded an even stronger increase, rising $4.00, or 3.75%, to $110.80 per barrel. The rise in crude prices came amid an exchange of strikes between US and Iranian forces, as tensions in the Middle East continued to escalate. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed that it targeted a US military base in Jordan after American attacks on Iranian oil tankers. The IRGC said ballistic missiles were used to target the US base located in Al-Azraq, Jordan. However, there was no immediate confirmation from Jordan regarding the reported attack and damages at the US base. The IRGC also claimed to have targeted two US Navy destroyers and said that hangars used by F-35 and F-15 fighter aircraft at the US facility in Jordan were among the targets. The Iranian force further claimed that two US vessels and eight oil tankers in the Gulf had been targeted, saying the attacks were intended to inflict what it described as significant damage on the United States. US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces said they had destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers, after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted a US Navy warship with ballistic missiles twice over the past two days. The US warship successfully evaded the attempted Iranian attacks and continued to patrol regional waters. No American personnel were harmed. “In response to Iran’s most recent failed attacks, CENTCOM destroyed the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Kaviz, M/T Charminar, M/T Horizon 1, and M/T Riesco in the Gulf of Oman as well as M/T Derya near Kharg Island. American forces directed the crews to abandon ship before the vessels were struck and rendered inoperable,” read official statement.

Oil rises to $99 on report Iran launched second undisclosed attack on U.S. Navy ships -- Oil prices rose Tuesday in extended hours trading on a report that Iran launched a second, previously undisclosed wave of attacks on U.S. Navy ships this week. Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, climbed about 2% to $99.05 per barrel after closing at $97.92. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 2.8% at $94.04 after earlier settling at $93.03. U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal that Iran tried to attack Navy ships on Monday after targeting an aircraft carrier with ballistic missiles over the weekend. The Pentagon has not publicly acknowledged the attempted attack on Monday yet. No U.S. ships were hit in the attacks. Meanwhile, Iranian state media said a U.S. missile targeted a small oil tanker four miles from Kharg Island on Tuesday. Oil prices are up more than 8% in September as the U.S. and Iran have traded military strikes for the first time since July. The war broadened this week after Iran-allied militants in Yemen attacked several energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, forcing a temporary halt to some operations. Houthi militants targeted economic assets in the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. More than 70 civilians were injured in the attacks, it said. The attacks caused fires at several energy facilities, resulting in temporary shutdowns, the kingdom’s Energy Ministry said in a statement. Emergency services are working to contain fires at the sites and assess the extent of damage, the world’s largest oil exporter added. Riyadh did not disclose what type of energy facilities were struck. Houthi state media said the group attacked Saudi Aramco facilities in southern areas with drones and ballistic missiles. Saudi Arabia “affirms its legitimate right to take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty, safeguard its national assets, and protect the security and safety of its citizens and residents,” the Foreign Ministry said. The attacks came after the U.S. military struck three Iranian oil tankers Saturday in retaliation for Iranian ballistic missile attacks on two Navy warships. Iran’s Foreign Ministry denounced the attacks on the tankers as a “war crime” and an act of “economic warfare” in a statement on Saturday. Tehran has repeatedly attacked commercial ships during the war. “Strike our assets and you get struck,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote Monday in a post on X. That was in response to a social media post from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which said that the U.S. “will destroy (and sink)” Iranian oil tankers if Iran fires on U.S. vessels. Goldman Sachs on Monday raised its forecasts for Brent and WTI by $5 to $85 and $80 per barrel, respectively, for December 2026, and to $80 and $75 per barrel for 2027. Goldman warned that Brent could soar above $120 a barrel in 2027 if crude oil output in the Gulf remains 4 million barrels per day below prewar levels, though that’s not the bank’s base-case scenario. “We view more intense shipping attacks in Hormuz and the Red Sea as the most likely driver of this lower-output, higher-price scenario,” Daan Struyven, head of oil research at Goldman, said in a note on Monday. Goldman expects Mideast shipping disruptions to continue into 2027, with production gradually recovering by the second half of next year. “Markets are increasingly pricing a prolonged Mideast conflict,” Struyven said. President Donald Trump, in his own social media post on Monday, said that “Oil prices will drop precipitously ... when we WIN the war with Iran.”

Brent Tops $100 BBL on Mounting Tensions in US-Iran War  (DTN) -- Crude oil futures extended their rally Wednesday morning, with Brent's front-month contract surpassing the $100 bbl mark for the first time in nearly seven weeks as recent escalations in the U.S.-Iran war stoked supply fears. By 9:15 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for October delivery was up $2.71 to trade near $100.63 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for October delivery rose $2.72 to $95.75 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery advanced $0.1321 to $4.6999 gallon. RBOB futures bucked the trend, with the October contract retreating $0.0370 to $3.2155 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index softened by 0.145 points to 98.635 against a basket of foreign currencies. Tuesday's Houthi attacks on Saudi refineries and other oil processing plants not only marked the latest escalation in the conflict, but also took offline globally already limited operable refining capacity. The rally in oil prices was also fueled by the U.S. striking four more Iranian crude oil tankers on Tuesday, bringing the tally since Saturday so far to seven. The U.S. Navy said that the attacks were a response to an Iranian attempt to strike a U.S. warship in the region. Oil reportedly flowing through the Strait of Hormuz at around 40% of pre-war levels via a combination of dark transits through a U.S.-protected corridor and shuttling oil to tankers in the Gulf of Oman capped gains, as have ongoing crude flow diversions to ports outside of the Persian Gulf which Saudi Arabia and the UAE had established in response to the blockade of the waterway earlier this year. Amid fading prospects of a timely resolution to the now more than six-month long supply disruption, market participants hoping for lower prices may have to look to the significant drop in global demand. Six months of high energy prices have added to inflationary pressures and hampered economic growth. At the same time, high fuel prices have in some markets led to a drastic decline in refined product demand. Sinopec, China's largest state-controlled oil company, on Wednesday forecast hefty drops in domestic gasoline and diesel consumption this year, of more than 8% and 11%, year-on-year, respectively. Several forecast updates due this week will also be parsed for signs of demand destruction. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook for September is scheduled for release at 12 p.m. EDT Wednesday. EIA's weekly inventory report will be out on Thursday, delayed by one day due to Monday's federal holiday.

Oil Market Surges as Middle East Attacks Threaten Regional Supplies  - The oil market continued to surge as escalating attacks across the Middle East increased concerns over disruptions to oil supplies from the region. In a further escalation to the war in the Middle East, U.S. forces struck five Iranian oil tankers and Iran targeted a U.S. base in Jordan and attacked 10 ships. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they would sharply escalate their response to any further attacks. The crude market posted a low of $93.76 in overnight trading and extended its gains further on the wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by the U.S. and Iran since the start of the war. The market rallied close to $3.80 and posted a high of $96.82 in afternoon trading. The October WTI erased some of its sharp gains ahead of the close and settled up $3.02 at $96.05. The November Brent contract settled up $3.29 cents at $101.21, the highest settlement since May 22^nd. The product markets were mixed, with the heating oil market settling up 23.32 cents at $4.8010 and the RB market settling down 4.19 cents at $3.2106.U.S. President Donald Trump said oil prices were going to fall after November’s U.S. midterm elections. He said he believed that Iran will end the war after the elections in November because Iran was trying to influence the vote but would not be able to hold out any longer.The EIA raised its oil price forecasts for this year and next year, as global stockpiles fall rapidly under pressure from the loss of Middle Eastern supply in the ongoing Iran war. The EIA said it now expects global benchmark Brent crude oil prices to average about $91/barrel in the spot market this year, a nearly 5% increase to its prior forecast for 2026. The EIA said U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude prices are now expected to average $84.65/barrel this year, also a nearly 5% increase from its prior forecast. The EIA expects Middle East oil to increase in the coming months due to “gradually increasing flows” through the Strait of Hormuz. It assumes some constraints to oil exports from the Middle East will persist through the end of 2026. It also expects crude oil output from the Middle East to remain below pre-conflict averages until the second quarter of 2027. Middle East oil production shut ins are expected to average 5.7 million bpd in the fourth quarter. The EIA estimates that global oil stocks fell by 400 million barrels so far in 2026 and will continue falling through the end of the year. It expects U.S. distillate fuel stocks to fall below 100 million barrels in September and remain below the 5 year low through most of 2027. Global distillate fuel output is expected to remain below last year’s level in the coming months. World oil output is forecast at 100.6 million bpd in 2026, down from a previous forecast of 100.8 million bpd and its 2027 output is seen at 109.9 million bpd, up from a previous forecast of 109.7 million bpd. U.S. oil output is forecast to total 13.83 million bpd in 2026 and increase to 14.26 million bpd in 2027. U.S. oil demand is estimated at 20.6 million bpd in 2026, unchanged from a previous forecast, while demand in 2027 is expected to increase to 20.8 million bpd in 2027.Preliminary shipping data showed that six commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, down from nine a day earlier and below the 10-day average of about 12.IIR Energy said U.S. oil refiners are expected to shut in about 474,000 bpd of capacity in the week ending September 11^th, decreasing available refining capacity by 237,000 bpd.

Brent Crude Crosses $100: What Is Driving Oil Prices Higher Amid Strait Of Hormuz Disruption? - Crude oil prices extended their gains on Thursday as the latest developments involving Iran, the US and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz added to concerns over global oil supplies. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading at $101.90 a barrel, up 0.68 per cent, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 1.81 per cent to $97.79 a barrel. The rise came after Iran said it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz. The statement followed the US sinking five Iranian oil tankers, while Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would intensify its response to any further attacks. The latest attacks have put the spotlight back on the Strait of Hormuz and its role in global energy supplies. Oil flows through the waterway have reportedly dropped to around one-fourth of pre-war levels after tanker strikes this week. The disruption has added to concerns over the availability and movement of crude in international markets. With shipping activity through the key route affected, analysts have maintained a positive outlook for crude prices. Also Read : Oil Hovers Above $100, Dalal Street On Edge: Sensex Over 74,800, Nifty Marginally Higher Crude oil on the domestic futures market also opened higher on Thursday. MCX crude was trading around Rs 9,140, gaining 0.45 per cent. According to market experts, the contract was testing the Rs 9,150-Rs 9,200 resistance area after an extended rally. A sustained move above Rs 9,200 could take prices towards Rs 9,350-Rs 9,400, analysts said. On the other hand, immediate support is placed at Rs 9,000-Rs 8,950, followed by Rs 8,800-Rs 8,750. The MCX crude RSI was around 71. While the reading reflects strong momentum, its elevated level also suggests that prices could see some near-term consolidation or a pullback. "Crude remains supported by the Strait of Hormuz disruption," experts said. They added that the near-term bias would remain strongly constructive as long as MCX crude stays above Rs 9,000. WTI was trading above $96 a barrel after retreating from levels close to $98. Analysts have identified $98 as an important level for the US benchmark. A sustained break above it could open the way for WTI to move towards $100. On the downside, support is seen at $95-$94, followed by $92-$91. The RSI for WTI stood at 69, suggesting that the broader upward trend remains intact despite the recent pullback.

WTI Tops $101 As Strategic Petroleum Reserve Nears Record Low (8 graphs)Following Brent's lead (which is following Shanghai's demand push), WTI topped $100 this morning for the first time since May, fueled by festering Middle East hostilities (with Saudi-Houthi attacks stealing the headlines) and the Saudis latest statement showing crude output at a 36-year low. That suggests the market is transitioning to a regime where $100 Brent is the new floor. "The economic dimension is crucial," said Andreas Krieg, a Gulf expert from King's College London. "Saudi Arabia is already contending with disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz and Houthi pressure on shipping in the Red Sea. Attacks on Jazan and other vital economic infrastructure in the south place the Kingdom's export system under pressure from both ends." Last night's API report showed de minimus product inventory moves withe a modest crude draw... API

• Crude -2.6mm
• Cushing
• Gasoline +348k
• Distillates -265k

DOE:

• Crude -391k (-300k exp)
• Cushing -684k
• Gasoline +1.27mm
• Distillates +2.087mm

Unlike the API report, refined products saw notable inventory builds last week while crude saw a tiny draw (the first time inventories have declined in back-to-back weeks since late June)... Cushing stocks dipped and remain just off 'tank bottoms'... The Trump admin drewdown a tiny 1.24mm barrels from the SPR last week - the smallest since the war began... ...now just 7mm barrels away from record lows... US Crude production hit a new record high... As Bloomberg's Tai Liu reports the 4-week moving average for US gasoline demand was 8.8 million barrels per day for the EIA week ended 9/4/2026, a week on week decline of 104,000 barrels per day. Meanwhile, the more volatile weekly gasoline demand figure saw a more sizable decline of 371,000 barrels per day. US gasoline crack spreads remain elevated at $40 per barrel, not far from the recent peak of $45 per barrel. US gasoline demand should continue to decline seasonally in the weeks ahead, especially at these elevated price levels. WTI was hovering around the $100 level ahead of the official inventory data... ...and surged above $101 after the data... Earlier this morning, we saw PPI driven by a rebound in crude in August. At this pace of rise in crude (and fuel) prices, we will see inflation surge again next month... dragging Warsh along with more hikes (which will do nothing to solve the supply constraint). One word - stagflation!

Oil Market Surges Above $100 as Red Sea Supply Risks Escalate -- The oil market surged higher on Thursday amid the intensifying conflict in the Middle East. The WTI crude market breached the $100 level for the first time since May 21st following the news that Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of Yemen’s port of Mocha on Thursday, increasing a threat to oil flows through the Red Sea as they gain further leverage over the Bab el-Mandab Strait. The crude market posted a low of $95.37 in overnight trading before it continued on its upward trend and extended its gains to over $7.01 as it posted a high of $103.06 ahead of the close. The October WTI contract settled up $6.43 at $102.48 and later continued to trade higher, posting a new high of $103.12 in the post settlement period. The November Brent contract settled up $6.42 at $107.63. Meanwhile, the product markets were well supported, with heating oil market settling up 25.65 cents at $5.0575 and the RB market settling up 18.26 cents at $3.3932. OPEC lowered its forecast for world oil demand growth in 2026 to 380,000 bpd, marking the fifth consecutive downward revision. It is down from a previous estimate of 580,000 bpd. It however raised its 2027 global oil demand growth forecast to 2.36 million bpd from a previous estimate of 2.16 million bpd. OPEC said OPEC+ crude output, including former member UAE, averaged 38.05 million bpd in August, up about 300,000 bpd on the month. Bloomberg reported that while oil prices have rallied once again over $100/barrel, China’s demand may not decline as it previously did. It reported that China’s refiners returned to the global oil market and are processing greater volumes of crude and buying cargoes everywhere from Russia to Argentina, undeterred by increasing premiums for some grades. It said Beijing may not be able to restrain prices by disappearing from the market a second time. The refiners that cut their run rates and drew down inventories earlier in the year are not able to do so indefinitely. Bloomberg also noted that it is unclear whether Chinese authorities would be willing to reimpose curbs on fuel exports, which previously played such a big role in reducing the country’s crude imports. OPEC’s oil output fell in August, as Saudi exports faced new disruption due to the war in Iran and a U.S. blockade cut Iran’s shipments. According to Reuters, OPEC’s crude production fell by 640,000 bpd month-on-month to 19.71 million bpd. Preliminary shiptracking data showed vessel transits at the Strait of Hormuz fell slightly on Wednesday to seven, compared with the previous day’s 12, with levels also lower than the 10-day average of 14. Out of these seven, four vessels exited and three entered. Of the exits, one was a very large crude carrier called Finland Prosperity, carrying nearly 2 million barrels of crude. At the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, some 28 commodity ships transited on Wednesday, a level similar to the 10-day average of 27. Of the total, 16 ships entered and 12 exited. According to price tracker GasBuddy, the U.S. national average price of diesel surpassed $6/gallon for the first time ever on Thursday, as the U.S.-Iran war and Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s refineries have squeezed supply.

Oil Prices Surge to Four-Month Highs as War Risks Mount --  Crude oil prices extended their climb this week, reaching the highest since May as hostilities in the Gulf continue and the prospect of peace gets even more remote.  At 12:30 AM CDT, Brent crude was trading at $107.86 per barrel, and West Texas Intermediate was changing hands for $102.28 per barrel. Earlier in the week, Brent topped $108, and WTI was trading at over $103. Benchmarks have added some 13% from last week, according to Reuters. This is the sharpest weekly gain since mid-July.“Oil’s resilience reflects a market now repricing both the duration and severity of the conflict, along with a clearer recognition of the mounting threat to regional supply,” ING commodity analysts said in a note today. “While meaningful volumes are still moving through the Strait of Hormuz, flows remain well below pre-war levels, underscoring how fragile the situation has become,” Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey added.The analysts also pointed to the intensifying attacks by Yemeni Houthis on Saudi energy infrastructure and tanker traffic in the Red Sea. The latest development in that part of the Middle East was the Houthis taking control of the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Mokha, which has given the group “a direct presence on the approaches to one of the world’s most vital straits,” the UN Special Envoy for Yemen told a Security Council meeting this week, as quoted by Reuters.The Houthis’ advance along the Red Sea coast came on top of intensifying mutual attacks on tankers by U.S. and Iranian forces in the Persian Gulf, driving oil prices higher.“With events spiralling and Iran showing it is willing to stretch this conflict as wide and as long as it can, it is becoming increasingly likely that WTI crude will retest the $119.48 high from early March,” IG’s Tony Sycamore said, as quoted by Reuters.

Oil Slides but on Track for Largest Weekly Jump Since July  (DTN) -- Oil futures retreated Friday morning but remained on track for the largest weekly gain in seven weeks on elevated supply risks caused by the flare-up in fighting in the Middle East. By 9:30 a.m. EDT, ICE Brent for November delivery was down $3.67 to trade near $103.96 bbl, and NYMEX WTI for October delivery fell $3.71 to $98.77 bbl. Downstream, NYMEX ULSD for October delivery edged lower by $0.0094 to $5.0481 gallon, and front-month RBOB futures retreated $0.0642 to $3.3290 gallon. The U.S. Dollar Index edged higher by 0.023 points to 99.07 against a basket of foreign currencies. Reports that Iran was in negotiations with Gulf states to establish a jointly managed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz weighed on prices. At the same time, however, physical oil supply disruptions and risks to flows have continued to grow. Ship tracking data showed that daily transits of the oil chokepoint fell back into the single digits on Thursday. In Yemen, Tehran-allied Houthis captured a port and island at Bab al-Mandeb, the waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, putting future Saudi oil exports at greater jeopardy. The group on Thursday also launched fresh attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on areas traversed by the country's East-West pipeline that reroutes crude oil away from the Persian Gulf. The outsized impact on diesel of the now more than six-month long supply disruption was evident in recent price developments. Despite crude benchmarks retreating around 3% in early morning trade, ULSD for October delivery remained flat. On Thursday, the contract surpassed the $5 gallon mark for the first time since the Russia-Ukraine war induced rally of 2022. Diesel prices in the U.S. just last week surged to new record highs, and early data indicated that the national average at the pump was on the verge of surpassing the $6 gallon mark amid a tightening global market. The International Energy Agency (IEA), meanwhile, now sees even steeper demand destruction this year. In its latest monthly oil report published today, the Paris-based energy watchdog revised its 2026 demand growth forecast from a 1.6 million bpd to a 2.5 million bpd decline. The conflict dragging on for longer than anticipated, however, had an even bigger impact on the supply side, with the IEA raising their supply deficit estimate for this year from 1.27 million bpd to 1.74 million bpd.

Oil falls but head for 8% weekly gain on tight supply; US diesel hits record (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Friday but remained on course for a weekly gain of more than 8%, while U.S. diesel prices hit a record high as attacks along Middle East shipping routes stoked concerns about prolonged ‌supply disruptions. Brent crude futures settled at $104.61 a barrel, down $3.02, or 2.81%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $100.05 a barrel, down $2.43, or 2.37%. During the session, both benchmarks hit their highest levels since mid-May. Both reversed early gains after the Financial Times reported that foreign ministers in the Middle East are trying to work out a temporary deal with Iran to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. On Thursday, Brent and WTI rose more than 6% after an escalation in shipping attacks in the region. But on Friday, traders were re-evaluating the risk. "The things that were causing the panic yesterday are easing today," "The question is will the market remain calm over the weekend? That's when things ⁠seem to happen." The report of talks on the future of Hormuz had the biggest impact on market sentiment. "Some headlines of possible new talks in the Middle East are weighing moderately on oil prices today," said UBS energy analyst Giovanni Staunovo. "I keep seeing near-term risks to the upside for oil prices, but we should expect ongoing high price volatility too." In a further development for Riyadh, satellite imagery showed smoke on Thursday in the vicinity of Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, vital for the kingdom to divert its crude exports away from Hormuz. As more reporting said a pumping station on the pipeline had been damaged by Iran-affiliated militants, prices stayed lower. "It's surprising the oil market remains down in light of reporting that Houthi rebels attacked the East-West Pipeline, which would impact 7 million barrels of crude," "Repairing a pumping station would require a lot more than repairing a break in the pipeline," Lipow said. "Electrical systems would have to be repaired, the pumping system would need to be repaired." Saudi Arabia's crude supply fell by 2.3 million barrels per day on the month to 6 million ‌bpd in ⁠August, the lowest level in more than three decades, the International Energy Agency said on Friday, citing attacks on Saudi energy facilities. Adding to concerns over regional oil flows, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on Friday reached the island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters, potentially tightening their grip on one of the world's vital shipping routes. Iran said it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, after the U.S. hit five Iranian oil tankers. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it would escalate its response to any further attacks. Vessel transits at the Strait of Hormuz fell to ⁠seven on Thursday from 11 the previous day, preliminary ship-tracking data showed on Friday. The strait handled about 125 commodity vessels and one-fifth of global daily oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the Iran war began in late February. Meanwhile, two European Central Bank policymakers opened the door on Friday to further interest rate increases if a war-fueled rise in energy prices continues and pushes up other prices in the euro ⁠zone. Oil supply disruptions due to the Iran war, along with Ukrainian attacks on Russia's refineries, pushed the U.S. national average diesel price past $6 a gallon for the first time on Thursday, according to price tracker GasBuddy. "Refined products, particularly diesel, are feeling a one-two punch right now," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. "As long as both the ⁠Gulf shipping constraints and Russian refining outages remain in play, diesel and other refined products are likely to show a higher upside tendency than the broader crude market," he added. Commerzbank raised its year-end Brent crude forecast to $85 a barrel from $75, while increasing its diesel forecast to $1,200 a ton from $950 and its jet fuel forecast to $1,230 a ton from $980.

Oman Evacuates 16 Crew From Saudi Oil Tanker Attacked By Iran In Strait Of Hormuz - - Oman has evacuated 16 crew members from the Saudi-flagged oil tanker SIDR after the vessel was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz. The Maritime Security Centre said on Monday that a Royal Navy of Oman vessel provided logistical support to the tanker after it was hit by a projectile. The tanker was struck about two nautical miles northwest of Musandam, Oman said. The Omani vessel provided support to the tanker’s 25 crew members and gave medical care to those evacuated. Two crew members were killed in the attack. Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company Bahri said last week that the two sailors who died were Filipino. The SIDR was one of two supertankers carrying Saudi oil that were hit while passing through the Strait of Hormuz last Monday. Oman said it had now completed its rescue and support operation for the tanker. Earlier information said seven crew members were unaccounted for. Their status was not immediately known. The SIDR is owned by Bahri, Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company. The attack happened during fighting between Iran and the United States. According to the information available, Iran has been disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has continued a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. Oman did not provide further details about the condition of those crew members, the damage to the tanker or what would happen to the vessel next. Bahri, formally known as the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, was established in 1978 and is headquartered in Riyadh. The company is Saudi Arabia’s leading shipping and logistics provider, with operations covering crude oil, chemicals, refined petroleum products, dry bulk and breakbulk cargo. Bahri is also one of the world’s largest owners and operators of very large crude carriers (VLCCs), serving major international shipping routes. The company operates a large fleet and has business units including Bahri Oil, Bahri Chemicals, Bahri Integrated Logistics and Bahri Dry Bulk.

Oil tanker hit in Iraqi waters, as vessels get caught in US-Iran attacks (Reuters) - A tanker carrying about 2 million barrels of Iraqi fuel oil was struck by a drone in Iraqi territorial waters on Wednesday, port officials said, and British navy-affiliated UKMTO ‌reported that several merchant vessels in the Gulf had been hit by disabling fire overnight. A fire broke out aboard the Panama-flagged oil tanker New Andros after it was hit in Iraqi waters at around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday, two Iraqi port officials told Reuters. . There were no reports of casualties among ⁠the 22 crew members, the officials added. Iraq's oil ministry said in a statement later on Wednesday that the vessel, which was used to store fuel oil and was chartered by the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company, had been struck by an unknown source, causing minor damage to its hull. The ministry confirmed there were no injuries among the vessel crew and no leakage of its cargo into the water. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency had said earlier that vessels in the northern Gulf ‌and ⁠Gulf of Oman were hit by disabling fire during military activity in the region overnight. It added that it was unable to confirm any casualties or environmental impact. Separately, UKMTO reported another incident on Wednesday, 24 nautical miles from Port Rashid, in the United Arab Emirates. ⁠It said a vessel was sighted listing while at anchor, possibly indicating it had taken on water following an attack by an unknown projectile. Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked ⁠10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by both sides ⁠since the start of the six-month-old war.

Why US-Iran war over Hormuz is threatening the Gulf’s waters | Infographic News | Al Jazeera The US-Israel war on Iran is increasingly being fought at sea, with both sides targeting oil tankers and other vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz. On September 8, the United States struck five Iranian oil tankers, provoking a counterattack on Jordan’s al-Azraq airbase. Just three days earlier, the US had hit three Iranian tankers. Those strikes came after Iran launched ballistic missiles towards a US aircraft carrier and a navy destroyer near the strait, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). Iran also subsequently said it had targeted three oil tankers travelling through what it called an “unauthorised route” in the strait, as well as three US-linked vessels elsewhere. The tit-for-tat attacks have turned Hormuz into a potential environmental tinderbox. With tankers carrying millions of barrels of crude oil and petroleum products passing through or waiting around the waterway, a successful strike could trigger a fire, sinking, or a major oil spill. Oil tankers trapped around Hormuz As of Monday, MarineTraffic data shows 42 tankers waiting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, while hundreds of other vessels are waiting or moving slowly in the wider Gulf of Oman and the Gulf region. Of those tankers, 18 are carrying oil. While it is not known exactly how much, if any, crude they were carrying, these vessels have an estimated combined capacity of 1.76 million cubic metres of oil and petroleum products – cargo that could be at risk if attacks on commercial shipping continue. That — 1.76 million cubic metres of crude oil — is roughly 11.1 million barrels of oil, and is equivalent to about 11 percent of the world’s daily oil demand, enough to fill roughly 714 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Now imagine the environmental damage. A major tanker strike or sinking could release millions of litres of oil into the Gulf, potentially contaminating coastlines, fisheries and fragile marine ecosystems. Unlike land, oil at sea can spread over a vast area, carried by currents and winds far from the original site of the spill. On September 5, CENTCOM said its forces struck three Iranian oil tankers — one off Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil-export hub; another near Jask; and a third, an unladen tanker, in the Gulf of Oman after its crew was ordered to abandon ship. The strikes marked a new escalation in attacks on oil shipping in the region. Since the start of the war, at least 75 ships have been attacked, with at least 21 seafarers killed. Of those vessels, two incidents have resulted in minor oil spills, while six have caused fires. Oil has been leaking from the Caroline Bezengi since it ran aground about 22 nautical miles (41km) off Oman’s coast after its crew reported a suspected explosion in early June. The Reuters news agency estimates the tanker was carrying 800,000 barrels of oil. Oman’s Environment Authority warned that the spill could affect about 40km (25 miles) of coastline near Ras Madraka, as well as Masirah Island. On August 3, the Minoan Pioneer, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, was struck by an unidentified projectile off Oman and caught fire. Satellite imagery taken on August 10 showed a large slick near Qeshm Island, while another slick was detected near Sirri Island. Experts said the Qeshm slick likely came from the Minoan Pioneer, but could not independently confirm its source. Fares al-Momani and Ponnumony Vethamony, researchers at the Environmental Science Center at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera that chronic oil pollution has been an intense burden in the Gulf since the 1980s. “The region has undergone drastic economic, social and industrial development, and the coastline has been modified and extensively developed to host desalination plants, power plants, oil rig platforms, refineries, and other coastal infrastructures,” they said, responding jointly in an email. “Consequently, the Gulf has become one of the most anthropogenically impacted marine regions in the world.” Past conflicts like Operation Desert Storm — in which the US fought Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s forces had invaded Kuwait — also left a legacy of environmental pollution. As Iraqi forces retreated, they set Kuwaiti oil wells on fire. These burned for months and unleashed millions of gallons of oil into the northern Gulf coast, which damaged Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian coastlines for decades. More than 770km of coastline from southern Kuwait to Abu Ali Island in Saudi Arabia were engulfed in oil and tar, wiping out the local marine ecosystems. The damage from the oil spill was colossal, destroying coastline sediments, marine species and ecosystems. Al-Momani and Vethamony said the scale of the Gulf War oil spill was so vast that “the cleanup was more focused on damage control than restoration”, in comments they jointly shared. Now, 35 years later, the US-Israel war on Iran has again imperilled the fragile marine ecosystem. US air strikes have pounded Iranian vessels and oil tankers near Iran’s coastline. Tehran has retaliated with similar strikes against ships and tankers from other countries. A study by the University of South Florida in June found that, based on satellite imagery, the oil spills in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz were four times as much in March than the year before. The research team noted high instances of oil leaks from vessels trapped in the strait and around trapped vessels. Oil spills lie on top of the water, damaging and poisoning marine life, polluting the water and smothering coral reefs and mangroves.

Over 300 Reported Killed in Days of Heavy Clashes in Yemen - - Over 300 people have been killed in days of clashes in southwestern Yemen, causing many civilians to flee the area, AFP reported on Sunday, as the war in the country has reignited following escalations that began in the wake of Saudi Arabia’s July airstrikes that targeted the Sanaa International Airport.The report cited sources in Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, who said that 57 Houthi fighters were killed between midday Saturday and early Sunday. In that same period, 84 militants belonging to the forces of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government were killed.The AFP said its tally of over 300 killed was based on multiple sources and took into account some civilians who were killed. Four civilians were reported killed in Taiz by an Ansar Allah missile strike on Saturday, and three civilians, all women, were reported killed in Hodeidah due to shelling from Saudi-backed forces in Hodeidah.Ansar Allah has announced some military operations and released videos of specific strikes but has stayed relatively quiet about its current goals. According to media reports citing sources within the Saudi-backed government, Houthi fighters are pushing toward the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have cut off the city of Taiz from Mocha, a port city on the Bab el-Mandeb that has faced heavy Ansar Allah attacks since the war restarted.Ansar Allah has controlled the Yemeni capital Sanaa since 2014 and governs an area of northwestern Yemen where the majority of Yemenis live, while the Saudi-backed government controls parts of southwestern Yemen, including Taiz, Mocha, and Aden, though its leadership is based in Riyadh.

Ansar Allah: Saudi Strike Hits Prison in Yemen, Killing Seven, Including One Child - - Yemen’s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, said on Monday that a Saudi airstrike hit a prison in northern Yemen’s al-Jawf province, killing at least seven people, including a child, as the war in the country continues to escalate.Footage from Yemen’s Al Masirah TV shows the aftermath of the strike on the Central Corrective Facility in the city of Hazm and the body of the child who was killed. The Ansar Allah-led Yemeni Health Ministry said the dead included inmates and a child who was visiting the prison, and that another seven people, including a female visitor, were wounded in the attack. Footage from Al Masirah TV of the aftermath of the strike on the Central Corrective Facility in al-Jawf.  Airstrikes were also reported in the provinces of al-Bayda, Marib, and Taiz, where much of the recent ground fighting has taken place. So far, Saudi Arabia hasn’t taken credit for the strikes. Sources within the Saudi-backed government, whose leadership is based in Riyadh, claimed “Yemeni government” warplanes carried out airstrikes, but the government hasn’t had a real air force since Ansar Allah took control of the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014.Saudi airstrikes that hit the Sanaa International Airport on July 13, 2026, which reignited the war in Yemen, were initially reported by Western media as “Yemeni government” strikes, but US officials subsequently told Axios that Saudi Arabia carried out the attack after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman got a green light from President Trump to escalate against Ansar Allah.Saudi Arabia’s air operations in Yemen are very reliant on US support, as they require US-provided intelligence, maintenance for US-made warplanes, and the use of US-made bombs. The US backed a brutal Saudi/UAE-led war in Yemen, which killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis, from 2015 until a ceasefire was reached in 2022.

Ansar Allah Launches Major Attack Across Southwestern Saudi Arabia, Setting Oil Sites Ablaze and Wounding Dozens - -Ansar Allah military spokesman said the attack came after Saudi Arabia launched 121 airstrikes from its airbases, including a strike that hit a prison in Yemen’s northern al-Jawf province. According to the latest toll from the Health Ministry of the Ansar Allah-led government, 17 people were killed, including a child, and seven others, including a woman, were injured. Saree said that Ansar Allah responded by “targeting Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran, the Economic City, and Jizan, as well as Khamis Mushait Air Base, with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones.” Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, said Houthi attacks hit “civilian and economic sites” in the Saudi cities of Abha, Jazan, Najran, and Khamis Mushait, resulting in the injury of 73 civilians, including women and children. Riyadh hasn’t acknowledged its strikes on Yemen that were launched on Monday, but is now saying it will respond to the Ansar Allah attacks.Saudi Arabia reignited the war in Yemen by launching airstrikes on the Sanaa International Airport to enforce its long-standing blockade on Ansar Allah-controlled Yemen, which is where most Yemenis live. The blockade was eased as part of a 2022 ceasefire deal but was never fully lifted.The strikes on the Sanaa airport, which were reportedly approved by President Trump, were launched to prevent the landing of a plane that had taken off from Iran and was carrying a delegation of Yemeni officials who attended the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. US and Saudi officials also alleged the plane was carrying weapons and IRGC advisors.In response to the strikes, Ansar Allah declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports and launched some attacks against Saudi oil infrastructure. There have also been major clashes between Ansar Allah and Saudi-backed government forces on the ground, which have killed over 300 people since Thursday, according to a recent report from AFP.

Map: Iran's ally poised to choke additional 10 percent of oil trade by sea  - A rapid offensive by the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, has put a powerful Iranian ally in control of the nation’s Red Sea coast and, with it, another key maritime corridor at the mercy of the Axis of Resistance. The Bab el-Mandeb lies between Yemen‘s southwest and the East African nation of Djibouti, constituting a link between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, which ties to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. At its narrowest breadth, it’s just 16 miles wide and Ansar Allah has a record of paralyzing global shipping from much farther away. With Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces in retreat, a new blockade backed by the Ansar Allah’s missiles and drones would interrupt the flow of roughly 8.1 million barrels per day of crude oil, condensate and petroleum products. That’s around 10 percent of global maritime oil trade, a figure made all the more strategically valuable by the Bab el-Mandeb’s role as an alternative route since Iran moved to restrict shipping through the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint in response to the war launched on February 28 by the United States and Israel. “If the Houthis consolidate control over Yemen’s western coast and the approaches to the strait, this becomes much more than a Yemeni issue,” Hisham al-Omeisy, a Yemeni analyst and former information resource center director at the U.S. Mission to Yemen, told Newsweek. A map of Yemen shows areas controlled by government forces and the pro-Iran Ansar Allah rebels as of September 11, 2026, according to the Sana’a Center. A Omeisy emphasized that Ansar Allah’s fighters do not necessarily even have to close the Bab el-Mandeb to make a difference. Rather, “they only need to make it dangerous enough that shipping companies decide the risk is too high,” leading to “higher insurance costs, ships going around Africa, longer delivery times and ultimately higher prices.” “And this becomes particularly dangerous when you look at what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz,” Omeisy said. “If Iran can put pressure on Hormuz while the Houthis threaten Bab el-Mandeb, you essentially have pressure on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula at the same time.” In addition to hosting 10 percent of global oil and 8 percent of global gas trade by sea, the Bab el-Mandeb also served as a gateway for some 30 percent of the world’s container traffic before the war, according to Nitya Labh, academy associate fellow at Chatham House’s International Security Program. “Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, countries like Saudi Arabia have diverted some of their oil exports from the Gulf to the Red Sea via overland gas pipelines, increasing the importance of the Red Sea in global energy markets,” Labh told Newsweek. But overland routes are not immune to the conflict, either. After reports emerged of attacks against Saudi Arabia’s east-west pipeline that runs from the eastern city of Abqaiq to the west coast port city of Yanbu, Riyadh confirmed Friday that damage had been inflicted by drones originating from Iraq, where other Iranian allies operate under the banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. The Red Sea crisis also threatens to choke off the Suez Canal, which Labh described as “the last viable shipping pathway through the Middle East region.” After Ansar Allah launched its initial campaign against Red Sea shipping in response to the October 2023 outbreak of the war in Gaza that precipitated the ongoing Middle East crisis, traffic through the vital waterway fell by more than two-thirds. Most vessels were forced to take the far longer and costlier route toward South Africa’s Cape of Good hope in a situation reminiscent of an era before the Suez Canal’s founding in 1869. Transits slowly recovered upon a U.S.-backed ceasefire reached between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in October 2025 and had hit their highest wartime level just last month. Now that revival appears ill-fated and the impact looms for companies and consumers. “Diverting trade through this longer route introduces a number of risks: traffic congestion around ports in the Mediterranean and the coast of Africa create major supply chain disruptions,” Labh said. “New routes and changing traffic patterns create greater risk of piracy and accidents. “They also add over 15 days and millions of dollars in fuel, insurance, and transport costs. These costs often get passed to consumers leading to higher rates of inflation globally. Some imports may become prohibitively costly, cutting off supplies completely. This is particularly impacting economies in small island states.”

Saudi Arabia has few options as it faces mounting threats from Iran and its allies --A lightning advance by Houthi rebels threatens a crucial Red Sea shipping route. Drone attacks blamed on Iraqi militias have forced the closure of a major pipeline, and Iran is still disrupting the Strait of Hormuz.It's a nightmare scenario for Saudi Arabia, and it has sent jitters through global markets.  The Saudis' most essential ally, the United States, has been unpredictable and sometimes unreliable. U.S. President Donald Trump seems reluctant to widen an already unpopular and stalemated Mideast war ahead of congressional elections. For Iran, the rebels' advance and closure of the pipeline ramp up global economic pressure as its grip over the Strait of Hormuz has been loosened. Michael Ratney, a former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said the latest developments are “incredibly frustrating” for the kingdom.  “Despite their antipathy for the Iranians, this is a war they never asked for, they had great trepidation about. And once it started, all of their … worst-case scenarios started coming true.”The Saudi government did not respond to a request for comment. But a Saudi official, who was not authorized to brief media and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the kingdom would defend itself and work with partners, including the United States, to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

AI users in Houthi-held Yemen tried to make advanced weapons using Claude - — Anthropic says Claude users in northern Yemen, territory controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, tried to use the AI model to develop advanced missiles. AI is already transforming warfare from Ukraine to Gaza, and its use on a rugged and remote battlefield is likely to increase concerns about its rapid spread. Anthropic said the users of the accounts, which it blocked after identifying them, did not succeed in “fielding an operational device” but did carry out a failed test of a guided rocket. It said it knows that because the users returned to its Claude chatbot to find out why it failed. In a report released Thursday, the company did not identify the users. But mountainous northern Yemen is controlled by Houthis, suggesting that the rebels are pursuing more sophisticated weapons at a time when they are already wielding an array of drones, missiles and other munitions in their campaign to seize more territory in Yemen and damage Saudi Arabia’s oil exports. Hazam al-Assad, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, said it is “unreasonable and illogical” that they would rely on open sources to develop and produce military capabilities. “Our armed forces have modern, diverse and developed production capabilities and technology that it has accumulated over the period of Saudi aggression on Yemen,” al-Assad said, referring to the kingdom’s involvement in Yemen’s 12-year civil war. He said all weapons are used for self-defense. The report was the third put out by Anthropic since March 2025 on global misuse of its AI platforms, and it described findings from December to August, ranging from state-sponsored groups spreading propaganda to unnamed actors researching how to make biological weapons more deadly. The developer of the prominent Claude chatbot said it identified a cell in northern Yemen pursuing three different weapons programs, including a multi-variant missile that glides at hypersonic speed and a warhead that uses mobile phone hardware to maneuver mid-course. It said the actors in Yemen used Claude Code instead of human software engineers to develop guidance, navigation and control software. Multi-variant missiles are ones in which different warheads and guidance systems can be fit on the same base design, a more economical way to build land, sea and air weapons. Anthropic said it had evidence that before the accounts were banned, the users had already built an offline simulation tool kit that doesn’t use Claude or any other computing platforms. Trevor Ball, a weapons analyst at Armament Research Services, said that while the Houthis “might be looking into hypersonic (missiles) by asking Claude,” they have nowhere near the production or technical capabilities to actually build them. He noted that U.S. hypersonic missiles “are still in testing.” He said the Houthis already have Iranian-made anti-ship missiles with systems that allow the missiles to adjust guidance mid-course. “They are probably just trying to develop their own capabilities more, so they are less reliant on Iranian shipments of weapons and components,” he said in a text message. Iran has boasted it has hypersonic missiles and claimed it had fired them at Israel last year. It denies arming the Houthis, which would be in violation of a U.N. embargo, but Iranian weapons have been found on the battlefield and seized from shipments bound for Yemen. The Houthis have launched waves of attacks on Saudi oil facilities and tankers in the Red Sea, threatening global trade as Iran continues to disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The rebels have made lightning territorial gains since Wednesday in their war with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, seizing strategic territories along the Red Sea coast and in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Adam Baron, a Yemen-focused researcher at the New America think tank in Washington, said the Houthis have kept up with technological development. “There’s a tendency to see the Houthis as this group of barefoot tribal fighters, and that’s just not true,” he said. “Whether it’s things like their emergent use of Claude, their use and manipulation of social media narratives or their ability to capitalize on the transfer of Iranian and wider axis expertise, we’re talking about an incredible — and deepening — amount of institutional tech savvy.”

Drone Strikes Hit Saudi Arabia’s Vital East-West Oil Pipeline - Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West oil pipeline system was struck on Thursday, with multiple pumping stations hit in an attack that could threaten one of the kingdom’s most important crude export routes, according to CNN, citing two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.The confirmation comes after satellite data on Thursday pointed to unusual activity along the pipeline corridor. OilPrice.com reported that NASA FIRMS had detected multiple large fires near the East-West pipeline, while Sentinel-3 imagery appeared to show a massive plume of black smoke stretching across western Saudi Arabia.. CNN now reports that an initial U.S. assessment found that pumping stations located alongside the pipeline were struck by projectiles. Satellite imagery obtained by CNN appears to show extensive fire damage at a pumping station near Al Mesba'ah, while another image from Thursday showed a fire and thick black smoke at a pumping station near Al Dhekra. One U.S. official said the attack involved drones originating from Iraq, although responsibility for the strikes has not yet been established. Saudi Aramco and the Saudi government have not publicly commented on the incident. It also remains unclear whether the East-West pipeline itself was damaged or how long repairs to the affected pumping infrastructure could take. The distinction could prove critical for oil markets. Pumping stations can potentially be repaired considerably faster than a ruptured trunk pipeline. The East-West pipeline has become one of the most strategically important pieces of oil infrastructure in the world since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia has been rerouting roughly 5 million barrels per day through the system toward Yanbu on the Red Sea. The pipeline has a total pumping capacity of around 7 million bpd. Saudi Arabia previously restored that full capacity following attacks in April that temporarily knocked out approximately 700,000 bpd. The latest attack comes as Saudi energy infrastructure faces mounting pressure from several directions. Earlier this week, the Saudi Energy Ministry confirmed attacks on multiple energy facilities in the kingdom’s south, causing fires and temporarily disrupting operations.. Saudi Arabia has also previously accused Iran-backed militias of launching drones from Iraqi territory against its oil infrastructure. In July, Riyadh said drones targeting petroleum facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia and Riyadh had originated in Iraq. With Hormuz severely disrupted and Houthi forces threatening shipping through the Red Sea, significant damage to the East-West pipeline would put Saudi Arabia’s principal alternative crude export route under unprecedented pressure.

Saudi Arabia’s vital East-West oil pipeline comes under attack in Riyadh and Madinah - Pakistan Observer – Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed in the strongest terms the kingdom’s condemnation of the targeting of the East-West Pipeline in Riyadh and Madinah regions by several drones launched from Iraq, resulting in injuries and some damage that is currently being addressed. In a statement, the ministry stated: “The Kingdom clarifies that, following a request from the prime minister of Iraq to give the brotherly Iraqi government the opportunity to take the necessary measures to prevent attacks launched from Iraqi territory against Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries, the Kingdom has opted not to respond at this stage and to support the efforts of the Iraqi government.” The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia affirmed that it reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, facilities, citizens, and residents. The vital oil route came under aerial attack as the Middle East war involving the US and Iran has widened. Following the attack, Saudi Arabia has temporarily closed the pipeline after the drone attack, which had originated in Iraq. Iraq had dismissed a military commander and ordered an investigation on Saturday in response to the attack. Stretching roughly 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) across the Arabian Peninsula, the pipeline has enabled Saudi Arabia to avoid the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil tanker movements have fallen sharply amid the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. The attack comes as US-Iran war reached Red Sea and amid dramatic escalation as Yemen’s Houthis stormed key Perim Island in Bab el-Mandeb Strait, putting another vital global shipping route directly in the crosshairs. The move came after government forces pulled back from the island, while Houthi fighters also seized Dhubab, a coastal town on Yemen’s Red Sea shoreline directly opposite Perim. For global shipping and energy markets, the location of these gains is what makes the latest development so significant. Perim sits in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Any sustained Houthi presence there could give the group a powerful position from which to threaten or disrupt ships moving through the waterway. And the timing could hardly be more sensitive. Hormuz, another critical energy corridor on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula, already been severely disrupted amid the Iran conflict. With Hormuz under pressure, the Red Sea route has become increasingly important for Saudi Arabia and other oil producers. A serious disruption at Bab el-Mandeb could therefore turn an already difficult energy crisis into a much bigger one. Saudi Arabia is particularly exposed to the developments. The kingdom has been relying more heavily on its East-West oil pipeline, which carries crude from the oil-rich eastern region toward the Red Sea. The route gives Riyadh a way to move oil without depending entirely on the Strait of Hormuz. But fresh concerns emerged after satellite images showed smoke near the pipeline. There has been no confirmation that the pipeline was attacked, and Saudi authorities have not publicly linked the smoke to any incident. Still, the timing has raised questions because the pipeline has become a vital part of Saudi Arabia’s strategy for keeping its oil exports moving while Hormuz remains heavily disrupted. The pressure on the kingdom’s energy exports is already becoming visible. Saudi crude supply dropped by around 2.3 million barrels per day in August, falling to roughly 6 million barrels per day. That was the lowest level recorded in more than three decades. Disruption involving ships travelling through the Bab el-Mandeb area and attacks linked to the Houthi movement were among the factors affecting Saudi oil flows. If the Houthis manage to maintain their position around the strait, concerns over future supplies could intensify quickly.

UK Announces Sanctions on Israeli West Bank Settlements, Says 'Settler Terrorists' Are Committing Ethnic Cleansing -British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced on Tuesday that the UK was imposing trade restrictions on Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law, and said that “settler terrorists” are committing “ethnic cleansing” against the Palestinian population.Miliband said it was the official position of the British government that the “occupation is unlawful because of Israel’s entrenchment of its control, its intention to extend permanent sovereignty and its expansionist agenda via illegal settlements.” He added that the “British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank perpetrated by settler terrorists.”According to The Guardian, the sanctions include:

• An import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
• A comprehensive sanctions regime against providing services such as construction or financing for Israeli settlements.
• A ban on the advertising in the UK of illegal settlement properties.
• Personal sanctions against key individuals accused of promoting settler violence.
• A new ban on arms licenses and other exports that “materially contribute to the occupation”

The announcement marks a shift in the British government’s position on Israel since new Prime Minister Andy Burnham took power in July.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced “retaliatory measures,” which include sanctions on 11 British members of parliament, the closure of the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem, and the removal of British personnel from a military post in southern Israel meant to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza, which Israel has constantly violated with daily attacks.US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested the UK could face economic retaliation in the US and accused the British government of “Jew hatred” despite Miliband himself being Jewish, a fact he was confronted with in an interview with the BBC. In his remarks, Miliband recounted visiting his grandmother, who lived in Israel, when he was a child and said he had “unwavering” support for the state of Israel, and noted elsewhere in his speech that the “sanctions regime will target illegal settlements and settlement expansion, not Israel.”The UK was one of 12 countries that signed a joint statement released Tuesday confirming their “intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law, or that they are actively considering these and other measures, in accordance with their national procedures.”The other 11 countries that signed the statement include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. The statement noted the “unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion” that have been taking place in the West Bank. The 12 countries said Israel’s actions were “undermining the possibility of a two-State solution” and called on the Israeli government to “immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.”

Canada, France, UK to ban imports from Israeli settlements - Canada, France and the United Kingdom on Tuesday announced a joint ban on imported goods from Israeli settlements in what they called a “turning point” in the efforts to reach a two-state solution in the region. “One year ago, we recognized the State of Palestine,” the nations wrote in a statement. “The time has come to take further action to uphold our commitment to protect the two-state solution, our interests and to stand up for our values, before it is too late.” The statement from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to press forward with a controversial housing settlement in the E1 area of the West Bank. The E1 section is a 4.5-square-mile area that lies to the east of Jerusalem. The Israeli government’s planned development on this land has long provoked fierce opposition from around the globe. The Israeli government’s plan includes seven residential compounds with a total of 1,234 housing units, according to The Times of Israel. A tender published by Israel’s construction and housing ministry gives contractors until Oct. 19 to bid on this project. Systematic settlement expansion in the West Bank, including the Government of Israel’s latest decision to progress the E1 settlement, as well as the dramatic increase in settler violence, pose a direct and urgent threat to that vision for peace,” the heads of state wrote in their Tuesday letter. At the same time, the leaders expressed their commitment to continuing to work with the Israeli government to ensure its sovereignty. “In taking this coordinated action, we reiterate our desire for a close and productive partnership with Israel, our enduring support for the Israeli people and our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” they wrote. “We support a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a safe and secure Palestine.” Several weeks ago, a group of Democratic U.S. senators also called on Netanyahu to reverse the planned E1 housing settlement. “The United States must remain committed to a two-state solution that delivers lasting peace and security for both the Jewish, democratic State of Israel and for a future Palestinian state,” the Democrats wrote in their statement. “Construction in E1 would take us further away from that goal.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to news of the joint ban on Tuesday, telling reporters the U.S. will “obviously” not participate in this action. “We were made aware that they were going to make this decision,” Rubio told reporters. “We heard their argument as to why, but look, we share the goal of stability.” “We don’t want to see some uptick in violence or an uptick in conflict or tensions in the West Bank at a very tenuous time in the region,” he added. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced in a Tuesday floor speech in the House of Commons that the U.K. government will take additional steps to block this settlement’s establishment, including sanctioning companies and individuals that support this construction and refusing arms licenses and other exports that could facilitate this expansion effort. “Our argument is not with the people of Israel, with whom the U.K. has unshakable bonds,” Miliband said. “Our argument is with the conduct of its government.” Israel’s foreign ministry responded to these new sanctions by announcing bans on 11 British lawmakers and a lawyer from entering Israel. “The accusations made today by the foreign secretary in the British parliament were outrageous lies,” Gideon Sa’ar, the Israeli foreign minister, said in video remarks shared by his office on social media. The list includes members of three of the U.K.’s political parties and attorney Fahad Ansari, who has represented Palestinian militant group Hamas’s political arm in British courts. Ansari said he took the ban as a “badge of honour” in a social media post. Additionally, Israel announced it will close Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem, remove British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center and that the U.K. will no longer participate in a U.S.-led mission to Gaza.