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Saudi Aramco supertanker AbQaiq sailing in ballast on open ocean
Prices & Markets12h ago

Iran Strikes U.S. Air Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain as Saudi Supertankers Reroute Around Africa

Iran bombed U.S. air bases in Kuwait and Bahrain July 31 as Saudi supertankers detoured around Africa. Brent settled at $87.93 per barrel on ICE.

Chevron El Segundo refinery in California with refining towers and storage tanks
Prices & Markets13h ago

ExxonMobil Earns $14.5 Billion and Chevron Posts Record $12.2 Billion in Q2 as Iran War Drives Refining Margins Higher

ExxonMobil's $14.5B Q2 profit and Chevron's record $12.2B combine for $26.5B as Iran war drives refining margins to multiyear highs. Trump eyes DOJ probe.

Lukoil Volgograd oil refinery plant viewed from outside in winter morning light
Prices & MarketsYesterday

WTI Crude Oil Posts 23 Percent July Gain as Iran Seizes Two Hormuz Tankers and Ukraine Hits Lukoil Volgograd

WTI crude settled at $84.67 per barrel Friday, capping a 23% monthly gain as Iran seized two Hormuz tankers and Ukraine struck Lukoil's Volgograd refinery.

Large oil tanker vessel approaching Durban Harbour in South Africa at sunrise
Prices & MarketsYesterday

WTI Settles at $84.67 and Brent at $87.93, Capping July With 20-Percent Monthly Gain as Iran War Squeezes Global Crude Supply

Brent closed July at $87.93 and WTI at $84.67 per barrel, both up 20% on the month, as Iran struck US bases and six Saudi supertankers rerouted around Africa.

OPEC headquarters building in Vienna, Austria on Helferstorferstrasse 17 in the first district
Prices & MarketsYesterday

OPEC+ Clears Fifth Straight Monthly Hike of 188,000 Barrels Per Day as Gulf Export Routes Reopen

OPEC+ approved its fifth monthly output hike of 188,000 bpd for August as Strait of Hormuz exports recover. The cumulative 2026 unwind now totals 940,000 bpd.

ExxonMobil oil refinery complex adjacent to Interstate 55 in Joliet, Illinois, with industrial towers and flaring visible
Prices & MarketsJul 31, 2026

ExxonMobil and Chevron Post $26.5 Billion Combined Net Income as Record Permian Output and Refining Recovery Drive Q2 Results

ExxonMobil posted $14.5B and Chevron $12.2B in Q2 2026 net income as Permian records and a $6.8B one-quarter refining swing drove results to decade highs.

NASA MODIS satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz and Musandam Peninsula
Prices & MarketsJul 31, 2026

Iran Fires Ballistic Missiles at US Bases in Kuwait and Bahrain as Brent Tests $91 Per Barrel

Iran struck US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, lifting Brent to $90.35. Saudi tankers rerouted around Africa as Hormuz shipping risks escalate.

Saudi Aramco affiliated SATORP refinery complex at night in Jubail Saudi Arabia with illuminated flare stacks
Prices & MarketsJul 30, 2026

WCS Jumps 7.8 Percent as Saudi Aramco Jazan Refinery Goes Offline After Houthi Strike

WCS surged 7.8% to $72.11 per barrel on Tuesday after Saudi Aramco's 400,000-bpd Jazan refinery went offline, narrowing the WCS-WTI differential to $11.94.

Large crude oil tanker vessel at sea near Long Beach California port
Prices & MarketsJul 30, 2026

China Crude Imports Drop to 7.12 Million Barrels Per Day, Eight-Year Low Absorbs Hormuz Supply Shock

China's crude imports crashed to 7.12 million bpd in June, their lowest since 2016, as 62% EV penetration and Hormuz-hit supply set a ceiling on Brent.

Syncrude Mildred Lake oil sands mine and upgrader plant in northern Alberta
Prices & MarketsJul 29, 2026

Brent Crude Settles at $90.71 Per Barrel Wednesday, Beating Goldman $80 Target as WCS Netbacks Climb to CAD $105

Brent crude settled at $90.71 per barrel on Wednesday, topping Goldman's $80 year-end target and pushing Canadian WCS netbacks above CAD $105 per barrel.

Petroleum jack pump nodding donkeys operating at crude oil field near Los Angeles California
Prices & MarketsJul 29, 2026

WTI Crude Hits $84.95 as EIA Reports 7.2-Million-Barrel Draw and Trump Threatens Iran

WTI surged 7.2% to $84.95 per barrel as a 7.2-million-barrel EIA crude draw and Trump's Iran threat pushed oil past Goldman's $76 Q4 floor.

Aerial view of the Strait of Hormuz from 35,000 feet showing the waterway between Iran and Oman
Prices & MarketsJul 29, 2026

Iran Rejects Oman Hormuz Plan and Strikes US Forces, Brent Crude Surges to $89.83 Per Barrel

Iran rejected Oman's Hormuz plan and struck US forces with ballistic missiles, driving Brent futures to $89.83 on ICE, a 6.8% surge on Wednesday.

Syncrude Mildred Lake oil sands mining operations in Wood Buffalo Alberta
Prices & MarketsJul 28, 2026

WTI Crude Settles at $79.28 as Oman Advances Hormuz Security Pact, Goldman Sachs $76 Floor Now $3.28 Away

WTI settled at $79.28 per barrel Monday on the CME, down 4.03%, as Oman proposed a Hormuz framework. Goldman Sachs's $76 Q4 target is now $3.28 away.

OPEC headquarters building on Helferstorferstrasse in Vienna Austria
Prices & MarketsJul 28, 2026

OPEC+ Signals Final Output Increase for September Then Freezes Monthly Quota Hikes

OPEC+ will approve one final output increase for September, then pause monthly hikes, as WTI crude settles at $79 on the Iran ceasefire's fourth day.

Map showing OPEC and OPEC plus member nations as of May 2026 including Gulf states and Russia
Prices & MarketsJul 28, 2026

OPEC Delivers 48% of July Production Pledge as Iranian Crude Returns, Brent Tracks Toward EIA's $82 Forecast

OPEC members delivered 310,000 bpd of their 648,000 bpd July production pledge while Iranian barrels return, adding dual supply pressure to oil markets.

NASA satellite image showing Athabasca oil sands mining operations in northern Alberta Canada
Prices & MarketsJul 28, 2026

WCS Falls 8.7% as Iran-U.S. Ceasefire Unwinds Alberta Oil Sands Hormuz Premium, Spread Widens to $8.37

WCS crude fell 8.7% to $70.26 per barrel Monday, outpacing WTI's 4.8% slide, as Iran-U.S. ceasefire unwinds the Hormuz premium that lifted Alberta bitumen.

Aerial view of Kharg Island oil export terminal and surrounding Persian Gulf waters, March 2022
Prices & MarketsJul 28, 2026

Iran Fortifies Kharg Island Export Hub as WTI Slides to $80.78 Approaching Analyst Year-End Targets

Iran is fortifying Kharg Island, which handles 90 percent of its crude exports, as WTI slides to $80.78 and nears Goldman Sachs's $80 year-end target.

WTI Falls Below $83 as US-Iran Ceasefire Wipes Seven Percent Off Crude in a Single Session
Prices & MarketsJul 27, 2026

WTI Falls Below $83 as US-Iran Ceasefire Wipes Seven Percent Off Crude in a Single Session

WTI crude fell to $82.77 and Brent to $89.15 on July 27, 2026, as a US-Iran ceasefire announcement unwound weeks of war-risk premium in one session.

NASA MODIS satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman
Prices & MarketsJul 27, 2026

Brent Falls Below $91 as US and Iran Halt Direct Strikes, Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed

Brent crude fell to $90.84 per barrel Monday on ICE as US-Iran direct strikes paused. With Hormuz still shut, analysts see fair value at $75 to $85.

USS Porter guided-missile destroyer navigating the Strait of Hormuz during a maritime security patrol in the Persian Gulf
Prices & MarketsJul 26, 2026

WTI Settles at $89.31 and Brent at $96.78 as Pakistan-China Diplomacy Trims Iran War Premium

WTI crude settled at $89.31 per barrel Friday and Brent at $96.78 as Pakistan and China backed fresh U.S.-Iran talks, trimming the week's war premium.

Aerial photograph of Syncrude oil sands mining operations in Alberta showing sulfur pyramids and tailings pond
Prices & MarketsJul 26, 2026

WCS Rises 7 Percent to $79.84 as Hormuz Disruptions Redirect Heavy Crude Demand to Alberta Oil Sands

Western Canadian Select crude rose 7.2% to $79.84 per barrel on Friday as Hormuz disruptions cut alternative heavy crude supply for global refiners.

Map of Caspian Pipeline Consortium route from Kazakhstan Tengiz to Black Sea Novorossiysk
Prices & MarketsJul 25, 2026

Ukraine Drone Strike Shuts CPC Novorossiysk Terminal, Cutting Tengiz Output to 406,000 Barrels a Day and Threatening 15 Percent of EU Crude Imports

Ukraine drone strikes shut the CPC Novorossiysk terminal July 21, halving Tengiz output to 406,000 b/d and putting 15% of EU crude imports at risk.

Oil pumpjack extracting crude oil at Glenn Pool oil field in Glenpool Oklahoma United States
Prices & MarketsJul 25, 2026

EIA Cuts 2026 Brent Forecast to $82 Per Barrel as OPEC+ August Hike and Returning Iranian Crude Reshape Market

EIA's July 2026 STEO cut Brent crude forecast to $82 per barrel for 2026 and $65 for 2027, with OPEC+ adding 188,000 bpd in August as Iranian crude returns.

Mumbai oil refinery viewed from Bombay Harbor with oil tanker approaching facility
Prices & MarketsJul 24, 2026

BPCL and HPCL Pivot to Angola and Venezuela as Saudi Red Sea Crude Exports Collapse 41 Percent

India's BPCL and HPCL are sourcing new crude from Angola and Venezuela as Saudi Red Sea exports collapsed 41% to 2.39 million bpd since March.

Oil tanker transiting Gulf of Aden waters near the coast of Yemen
Prices & MarketsJul 24, 2026

Brent Crude Slides to $97 on Profit-Taking as Iran Conflict Enters Day 13 and CPC Halts Kazakhstan Black Sea Loadings

Brent fell 2.97% to $97.27 Friday as US-Iran conflict entered day 13, Hormuz tanker traffic hit May lows, and CPC suspended Kazakhstan Black Sea loadings.

Phillips 66 oil refinery facility showing industrial processing towers in Billings Montana
Prices & MarketsJul 23, 2026

US Refineries Run at 96 Percent Capacity as Gasoline Tops $4 and Diesel Hits $5.13 Per Gallon

EIA data shows US refineries ran at 96.2% capacity the week of July 17 as national average gasoline hit $4 and diesel reached $5.13 per gallon.

Aerial view of the Anacortes crude oil refinery with petroleum storage tanks in western Washington State
Prices & MarketsJul 23, 2026

US Crude Inventories Draw 3 Million Barrels as Brent Tops $100 on Iran Escalation

US crude stocks fell 3 million barrels as American refineries ran near record capacity and Brent crossed $100 on escalating US-Iran military strikes.

Satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz and Musandam Peninsula showing the strategic waterway
Prices & MarketsJul 23, 2026

Brent Crude Surges to $99.86 as US Strikes Iran for 12th Consecutive Night and Saudi Tankers Come Under Houthi Attack

Brent crude at $99.86 per barrel, up 6.1%, as the US struck Iran for a 12th consecutive night and two Saudi oil tankers came under Houthi attack.

Ultra large crude carrier supertanker AbQaiq under US Navy aerial security
Prices & MarketsJul 22, 2026

Brent Crude Settles at $95.08 as Houthis Declare Red Sea Naval Blockade While Kuwaiti Tanker Takes Hit in Hormuz

Brent crude settled at $95.08 per barrel on Wednesday as Houthis declared a Red Sea naval blockade and Iran struck a Kuwaiti tanker in Hormuz.

Syncrude Mildred Lake oil sands upgrader plant and tailings ponds near Fort McMurray Alberta Canada
Prices & MarketsJul 22, 2026

WCS-WTI Heavy Oil Discount Hits $29 Per Barrel as Hormuz Fears Push WTI to $86 While Canadian Crude Holds at $58

WCS heavy crude held at $57.99 Tuesday while WTI surged to $86.57, pushing the heavy oil discount to $28.58 per barrel, 138% above the AER's $12 forecast.

Enbridge crude oil storage tank farm at Cushing Oklahoma the WTI benchmark delivery point
Prices & MarketsJul 21, 2026

Goldman Sachs Sets $120 Brent Bull Case for Q4 as EIA Forecasts $70 and Global Supply Runs 9.4 Million Barrels Per Day Below Pre-War Levels

Goldman Sachs sees Brent above $120 in Q4 if Hormuz stays blocked. The EIA forecasts $70. At $91.46, the market sits $21 above the EIA's own Q4 target.

Gas and oil separation facility at Saudi Aramco Abqaiq field in Saudi Arabia
Prices & MarketsJul 21, 2026

Brent Crude Hits $91.17 on ICE, Topping EIA Q3 Forecast by $17 Per Barrel as Iran Exits 31-Day Hormuz Ceasefire

Brent crude hit $91.17 on ICE Tuesday, $17 above EIA's July Q3 forecast, after Iran quit its Hormuz ceasefire 31 days in. Rystad warns 2.5M bpd Saudi risk.

Aerial view of Saudi Aramco Yanbu South Terminal on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia
Prices & MarketsJul 20, 2026

Houthis Declare Naval Blockade on Saudi Arabia, Threatening 4 Million Barrels Per Day Through Bab al-Mandeb

Yemen's Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20, threatening 4 million bbl/day in Red Sea exports and pushing Brent above $90.

Oil tanker at sea representing disrupted crude shipments through the Strait of Hormuz
Prices & MarketsJul 20, 2026

Hormuz Oil Flows Collapse 59 Percent to 5.1 Million Barrels Per Day as Brent Tops $90 in Asian Trading

Iran's IRGC Navy cut Hormuz oil flows from 12.5M to 5.1M bpd in a week, vowing zero transit without permission. Brent hit $90 before easing to $88.61.

NASA satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz and Musandam Peninsula from space, December 2018
Prices & MarketsJul 19, 2026

US Strikes on Iranian Infrastructure Drive Brent to $88.10 Per Barrel as IMO Urges Ships to Avoid Hormuz

US strikes on Iran drove Brent to $88.10 per barrel on Thursday as oil posted its biggest weekly gain since April. The IMO urged ships to avoid Hormuz.

Exposed bituminous oil sands along river bank in Athabasca region of northern Alberta Canada
Prices & MarketsJul 18, 2026

WCS Discount Widens to $15.84 Per Barrel as Iran-Driven WTI Backwardation Squeezes Alberta Heavy Crude Producers

WCS slipped to $66.60/bbl Friday, widening its discount to WTI to $15.84, above CAPP's $12 annual forecast, as WTI backwardation from Iran tensions deepens.

OPEC headquarters building exterior in Vienna, Austria
Prices & MarketsJul 18, 2026

Tengiz Field at 932,000 Barrels Per Day Accounts for 58 Percent of Kazakhstan's OPEC+ Quota as Compliance Deadline Extends to December 2026

Tengiz field hit 932,000 bpd in May 2025, equal to 58% of Kazakhstan's 1.61 million bpd OPEC+ ceiling. Russia has underproduced its quota since November 2025.

Trans Mountain Pipeline running through forested terrain in British Columbia, Canada
Prices & MarketsJul 18, 2026

Western Canadian Select Discount Narrows to $13.40 as WTI Reaches $82.49, Giving Alberta Producers $69.09 Per Barrel at Hardisty

WCS August delivery settled $13.40 below WTI on July 15. At WTI's July 17 close of $82.49, Alberta heavy oil producers clear $69.09 per barrel at Hardisty.

MODIS satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz and Musandam Peninsula between Iran and Oman
Prices & MarketsJul 17, 2026

OPEC+ August Output Hike of 188,000 Barrels Per Day Covers Just 2 Percent of the Hormuz Supply Gap

Seven OPEC+ nations added 188,000 bpd for August on July 5, but the Strait of Hormuz disruption holds 9.4 million bpd off the market, per Rapidan Energy.

Capstar Rig Number 31 onshore oil drilling rig operating in the Permian Basin United States
Prices & MarketsJul 17, 2026

Baker Hughes Counts 581 US Rigs, Up 44 Year-Over-Year, as WTI at $80.77 Points to $28 Permian Margin

US rigs hit 581 the week of July 10, up 44 year-over-year. At $80.77 WTI, Permian Tier-1 wells clear $28 per barrel above Devon Energy's $50-$55 breakeven.

Sinclair refinery in Casper Wyoming at sunrise with distillation towers and processing units visible
Prices & MarketsJul 16, 2026

EIA Crude Draw Moderates to 1.7 Million Barrels as Distillate Stocks Build 4.6 Million, WTI at $78.94

US crude stocks fell 1.7 million barrels in the week ending July 10 as distillates built 4.6 million barrels; WTI hit $78.94 and WCS held at $67.25.

U.S. Navy aerial photograph of supertanker AbQaiq very large crude carrier in the Persian Gulf preparing to load crude oil
Prices & MarketsJul 16, 2026

Hormuz Tanker Attacks Carry Brent to $85.77, Past EIA's $82 Full-Year Target, as India Halts Seafarer Deployments

Brent crude at $85.77 as US-Iran strikes enter day five, Hormuz oil flows fall to 3.9 million bpd, and India bans crew deployments to the strait.

Multiple petroleum tankers waiting at anchor in calm waters, Scapa Flow Orkney Islands
Prices & MarketsJul 15, 2026

Ukraine Drone Campaign Hits 20 Russian Tankers in Black Sea as 135-Million-Barrel Crude Backlog Builds

Ukraine hit 20 Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea July 15 as 135 million barrels of crude backed up at sea, a backlog worth $11.5 billion at Brent prices.

Oil tanker unloading crude into the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage facility near Nederland Texas
Prices & MarketsJul 15, 2026

Brent Flips to Backwardation at $84.77 as EIA Data Shows 4.7 Million Barrel US Crude Draw and 96 Percent Refinery Utilization

US crude stocks drew 4.7 million barrels in the week ending July 10 as refinery utilization hit 96.2% and Brent flipped into backwardation at $84.77.

Enbridge crude oil storage tanks at the Cushing Oklahoma pipeline hub
Prices & MarketsJul 15, 2026

Brent Flips to Backwardation at $85 as IMO Issues Hormuz Transit Warning, EIA Crude Inventory Data Due at 10:30 AM ET

Brent futures flipped to backwardation Wednesday as the IMO warned on Hormuz, with US crude inventories already 6 percent below the five-year average.

Crude oil tanker SKS Darent moored at BP Oil Refinery Jetty in Kwinana Western Australia
Prices & MarketsJul 14, 2026

Brent Settles at $85.21, Running 15 Percent Above EIA's July Baseline as Iran Truce Collapses

Brent settled at $85.21 on Monday, 15 percent above EIA's July forecast of $74. Iran's truce collapsed, invalidating EIA's Hormuz reopening assumption.

Aerial view of Syncrude Mildred Lake oil sands upgrading plant and mining operations in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada
Prices & MarketsJul 14, 2026

WCS-WTI Discount Narrows to $13.28 as Hormuz Closure Steers Asian Refiners to Alberta Heavy Crude

WCS settled at $65.79 on July 13, narrowing the WTI discount to $13.28 per barrel, as the Hormuz closure drove Asian refiners toward Alberta heavy crude.

Saudi Aramco headquarters complex in Dhahran showing Al Mujamma Mosque and administration towers
Prices & MarketsJul 14, 2026

China June Crude Imports Drop 41 Percent to Decade-Low 7.12 Million Bpd as Saudi Aramco Posts Largest Arab Light Discount in 20 Years

Saudi Aramco cut Arab Light to its deepest discount in 20 years as China's crude imports dropped 41% year-on-year to a decade-low 7.12 million bpd in June.

USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier transiting the Strait of Hormuz with escort vessels
Prices & MarketsJul 13, 2026

Trump Reinstates Hormuz Blockade and 20 Percent Cargo Fee, Brent Settles at $83.30 Surpassing Goldman's Q4 Target

Brent crude settled at $83.30 on Monday's ICE close, beating Goldman's $80 Q4 target as Trump reinstated Hormuz blockade with a 20% cargo toll.

OPEC headquarters exterior at Helferstorferstrasse 17 in Vienna Austria
Prices & MarketsJul 13, 2026

OPEC+ Approves 188,000 Bpd August Hike as UAE Posts Record Crude Exports Outside the Cartel

OPEC+ approved 188,000 bpd more for August as the UAE, now outside the cartel, hit record 3.7-4 million bpd of exports in June per Kpler data.