Friday, March 13, 2026

Industry News

India's Jindal Steel flags operational disruption due to fuel shortage

India's Jindal Steel said on Friday that it was operating its plants at a lower?capacity due to fuel shortages as a result of the Middle -East war. India's crude, LPG and liquefied gas supplies were disrupted by a'shipping constraint' after Israel's and the U.S.'s war against Iran stopped traffic through 'the Strait of Hormuz'. This forced India to look for alternatives, such as buying more LNG from Russia.

South Korea is considering energy vouchers and boosting coal, nuclear power

The government of South Korea said that it is looking at providing energy vouchers for vulnerable households to help'subsidise' them if global fuel prices rise in the wake the Middle East Crisis, which will increase electricity costs. In the event of high oil prices and disruptions in LNG supplies, Asia's 4th largest?economy? is also planning to increase nuclear and coal-fired energy generation.

Equinor CEO: We Have No Spare Capacity for Oil and Gas

© Arild / Adobe Stock

The CEO of Norway's state-controlled company Equinor said that the company does not have any spare capacity to increase its oil and gas output due to Middle East supply shortages."Our focus today is on making sure we are seen as a reliable supplier of oil and natural gas in the markets that we operate in, and ensuring we have the highest possible production because it's needed in these times…

Minister: Czechs discuss 1.5 billion cubic meters of LNG with US

Hospodarske Noviny reported that the Czech Republic was 'in talks' with the United States for the supply of 1.5 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in '2022, the Czech Republic, like other countries in Central and Eastern Europe has diversified its energy sources. S&P Global reports that this has helped to cushion the impact of the Middle East war.

Sources say that Beijing has rejected Sinopec's request for tapping commercial reserves

Two sources confirmed this week that China rejected a request by Sinopec, a major refinery company in China, to 'access 13,000,000 metric tons (95,000,000 barrels) of national commercial reserves to 'offset an expected supply gap due to the U.S./Israeli war against Iran which threatens Middle East Exports. According to industry estimates, Sinopec is the world's largest…

Document threatening legal action by foreign investors against Vietnam for renewables

According to a document seen by the. Last year, the 'dispute' began when Vietnam cut subsidised electricity prices from solar and wind farms. It cited irregularities. Vietnam's energy industry is struggling with high prices and the risk of shortages due to the conflict in Iran. The chambers of commerce of the European Union, Britain and Japan in Vietnam, as well as South Korea…

Maurel & Prom, a French oil company, has seen its 2025 profits slump due to lower crude prices

Maurel & Prom, a French oil company, reported a 32% decline in profit for 2025 on Thursday. The drop was due to lower crude prices and a weak global demand. The shares of the?company traded 0.5% higher at 0815 GMT, after a drop of 1.9% in early trading. In 2025, earnings?before interest taxes depreciation amortization and amortization? (EBITDA?) fell to $249 millions while sales dropped by 29%?to $578 from $808 millions a year earlier.

As the Middle East conflict increases costs, Bangladesh secures LNG spot cargoes

Energy officials reported that Bangladesh purchased three LNG cargoes at higher prices on the spot markets, as it scrambled to maintain supplies in the face of disruptions caused by the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. Energy officials in South Asia said that Petrobangla, the state-run energy company, has increasingly turned to the volatile market to fill the gap after certain suppliers had to stop shipments.

India is ready to support the oil markets after IEA releases record-breaking release

India announced 'on Wednesday that it is ready to support the global oil'markets, in line with the International Energy Agency releasing a record 400,000,000 barrels - of oil in an effort to tame the prices which have risen following the U.S./Israeli war against Iran. India has not provided any details about how it will support the IEA. An official source said on Monday…

BP and Chevron top the list of bidders at a small US Gulf of Mexico gas and oil auction

According to a U.S. government livestreamed auction, BP's single bid accounted for almost half of the total. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted the sale. It was a far less successful one than the previous auction three months earlier. Donald Trump's administration prioritizes regular lease sales and plans to have 30 in the area by 2040. The auction was won by a $21 million bid from BP on a block located in Green Canyon.

India warns its consumers to conserve energy and not panic about gas shortages

India, the second largest importer of LPG in the world, asked its consumers to conserve energy and not panic over gas supplies. The 'federal government' has used emergency powers to order refiners that they increase production of LPG, and reduce sales to industry in order to prevent a shortage. Sujata sharma, joint secretary at the federal oil minister, stated that government measures had increased LPG production locally by 25%.

US Energy Department blames its staff for an errant Navy escort Post

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Energy allegedly posted a message on Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s official X page on Tuesday, which incorrectly stated that the U.S. Navy escorted a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. The post was deleted quickly, but it had raised expectations in the global oil industry that oil and gas would be able to flow again through this vital 'waterway', which is effectively closed after the Israeli and U.S.

Palm oil prices rise on the back of a weaker ringgit and Chicago soyoil price strength

Malaysian palm oil futures rose on Wednesday due to a softer ringgit and the stronger soyoils traded in Chicago. By midday, the benchmark palm oil contract for May delivery on the?Bursa Derivatives exchange had gained 32 ringgit or 0.72% to 4,460 Ringgit ($1,137.46). It had fallen to 4,395 earlier in the day. Analysts in Singapore said that palm oil futures were trading higher…

The rate signal is muddied by the surge in India swap rates amid global turmoil

The surge in Indian overnight index swap (OIS), which is normally a key indicator of policy rate expectations, overstates the impact that 'the Iran War and higher oil costs will have on domestic monetary policies. India's OIS rates for one-year and two-year periods have risen by more than 45 basis point each since the outbreak of the?Israeli U.S. war with Iran on February 28.

Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Auction yields Far Fewer Bids Than First Trump Sale

According to a document posted on the government's website, the second auction of oil and natural gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico by the Trump administration in three months drew far less interest from the industry than the one held in December. Oil prices are at four-year highs due to the U.S.'s war against Iran, which has disrupted crude oil flows around the world.

Patterson-UTI, an oilfield services firm, says that higher oil prices won't spur more US production.

Andy Hendricks, CEO at?oilfield service company 'Patterson-UTI', stated on Tuesday that a surge in energy costs caused by the war between the United States and Israel with Iran would not lead to an increase in U.S. production of oil without the necessary market predictability. Since the end of Feburary, oil prices have been fluctuating wildly after Iran closed the Strait…

G7 and EU discuss energy prices and strategic reserves

Officials said that the G7 energy minsters will discuss the soaring prices of energy due to the war in Iran during a Tuesday call. A group of European Union Leaders will also do the same later in the day. On Monday, oil?prices soared to $119 per barrel, their?highest level in nearly four years. This was due to fears that Gulf production would be cut and tanker exports disrupted.

India's small-scale steelmakers are facing production cuts due to LNG shortages caused by the Iran war

Industry officials say that a number of small 'Indian steel' producers have warned of production cuts due to the Middle East conflict, which is disrupting gas supplies for the world’s second largest producer of the alloy behind China. Triveni Iron and Steel Industries, based in Gujarat, is the largest gas-consuming area of the country, and relies heavily on Middle East gas for a large portion of its supply.

Indian restaurants are warning of closures due to the shortage of cooking gas as a result of the Iran war

The Iran war has caused a shortage of cooking gas in India, and restaurants and hotels have warned that they may be forced to close their doors. Authorities have set up a committee to review the requests of industry. Fuel shortages are a result of the U.S. and Israel war against Iran, which has stopped ship traffic on the Gulf of Mexico and Strait of Hormuz. This has led to higher energy and transport prices…

Report: US solar installations will drop by 2025 as a result of Trump's policies.

A study released on Tuesday showed that the U.S. market for solar energy added fewer installations in 2025 than the previous year. This is due to the fact that President Donald 'Trump' scrapped tax breaks and subsidies for renewable energy developers. According to a report by Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association, 43 gigawatts of new solar capacity was installed in 2018. This compares to 50 GW in 2020.