When the Energy Institute reported in its Statistical Review of World Energy that the global grid is still ruled by hydrocarbons, it may have come as a surprise to some observers. Now, another report has confirmed the status quo: alternative energy sources of electricity are expanding, but the world still generates most of its electricity from coal, gas, and oil. Some 57% of global electricity is generated from hydrocarbons, Pew Research Center reported, after analyzing data produced by net-zero outlet Ember, which is also a partner of the Energy…

The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States rose by 2.603 million barrels in the week ending July 17. In the week prior, US crude oil inventories fell by 564,000 barrels. Although commercial crude oil inventories excluding the SPR have been falling rapidly for three months now, shedding just over 57 million barrels over the last thirteen weeks, US crude inventories are only down 7 million barrels so far this year, according to API data, kept in check by draws from the SPR. For the week ending…

The artificial intelligence boom has created an era of unprecedented uncertainty in the global economy. Large language models are evolving as quickly as they are being integrated, creating a major headache for anyone trying to project their future impact or even their current energy footprint. But while we don’t know exactly how much energy will be needed to power the tech sector in coming years, we do know that it will be a whole lot, and the market is already reacting accordingly. “Energy companies are raising money at IPO at their…

Norway's crude oil production beat official forecasts in June as offshore fields returned from seasonal maintenance, delivering a stronger-than-expected increase in supply at a time when global markets remain focused on disruptions to Middle Eastern exports. According to preliminary figures released Tuesday by the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (SODIR), Norway's crude oil production averaged 1.827 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, exceeding the agency's official forecast while rising sharply from 1.677 million bpd in the same month last year.…

Following a drone attack on the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal along the Black Sea Coast, Kazakhstan has newly confirmed a halt to crude transfers there. "Kazakhstan is set to stop piping crude to a port on Russia’s Black Sea coast after a spate of attacks on tankers that's jeopardizing the landlocked Asian country’s ability to produce oil," Bloomberg reports Tuesday morning. "The CPC Terminal at the Russian port of Novorossiysk will stop accepting piped supplies because tanker companies are too nervous to…

India's biggest state refiners are no longer willing to gamble on the Strait of Hormuz. Indian Oil Corp. and Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals have suspended crude loadings from Iraq after a string of attacks on commercial tankers turned the world's most important oil chokepoint into an increasingly expensive and dangerous place to do business. According to Bloomberg, Indian Oil abandoned plans to load the VLCC Lila Jamnagar, concluding that sending a fully laden 2-million-barrel tanker through Hormuz was no longer worth the risk. Mangalore…

It is true that U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump now operates from the starting point of three core geographical spheres, dominated by a major power in each, as delineated in the ‘2025 National Security Strategy’. Asia is one, with China holding the primary role there; Europe is another, dominated by either Russia or European NATO members; and the Americas (comprising North and South America) is the third, with the U.S. being the key player. However, it is also true that Washington continues to regard the Middle East…

The United States says its campaign to choke off Iran's oil revenue may finally be showing results where it matters most: China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that Chinese purchases of Iranian crude have fallen sharply after Washington expanded sanctions on the country's independent "teapot" refiners, which have long been the primary buyers of discounted Iranian barrels. Speaking to Fox Business, Bessent said China's crude purchases have dropped by about 40% over the past several months, putting direct financial pressure on Tehran.…

China's expanding role in Kyrgyzstan has become increasingly hard to ignore. During the first half of 2026, Kyrgyzstan issued some 61,000 work visas, according to the Foreign Ministry's Consular Department, with about 60 percent going to Chinese citizens. That influx of Chinese workers is part of a wider economic expansion. Nearly 7,000 Chinese companies, associations, and other organizations have been registered in Kyrgyzstan over the past three years, according to official statistics. Chinese firms are involved in many of the country's largest…

July 21, 2026 LNG Headlines