Oil prices are rising sharply on Wednesday afternoon, with the price of Brent crude surpassing the $95-per-barrel mark during trading for the first time since early June.
As of 1:31 p.m., the price of September Brent futures on the London-based ICE Futures exchange rose by $2.83 (3.11%) to $93.84 per barrel. Earlier in the session, prices reached $95.47 per barrel.
WTI crude oil futures for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) electronic trading platform have risen by $2.69 (3.19%) to $87.03 per barrel.
Both grades are trading at six-week highs amid fears of new disruptions to oil supplies from the Middle East.
The U.S. and Iran continue to exchange blows, with the U.S. military attacking targets in Iran for the 11th consecutive night. Last night, the U.S. military attacked the Iranian port cities of Chabahar and Konarek, located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, as well as the major industrial center of Tabriz.
In addition, the Yemeni Houthis have announced a blockade of Saudi Arabian ports and are threatening to attack tankers carrying Saudi oil in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This strait is a key point on one of the two main routes through which Saudi Arabia exports oil to Asia; the other runs through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We believe that the price of oil will fluctuate between $80 and $90 per barrel depending on the news,” said Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Management. “If the Red Sea is indeed closed, prices will jump above $100 per barrel, but we are not seeing that happen yet.”
Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported yesterday that U.S. inventories rose by 2.6 million barrels last week. Analysts surveyed by Trading Economics had expected a decline of 1.5 million barrels.
The API receives data from refinery operators, oil storage facilities, and pipeline operators on a voluntary basis. Data from the U.S. Department of Energy on oil inventories, which is more important to the market, will be released on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. local time.
Brent, MIDDLE EAST, OIL, SUPPLY, WTI
During the temporary truce with the U.S., Iran exported about 70 million barrels of oil with an estimated value of $5–6 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 19, citing data from analysts and tanker tracking. China is believed to have been the main end buyer of the crude.
According to the publication, after the U.S. naval blockade was lifted in mid-June, Tehran accelerated the shipment of its accumulated reserves. Starting in late June, about 20 Iranian tankers began arriving off the east coast of Malaysia. Among them, the WSJ names the vessels Diona, Hero II, Sonia 1, and Stream.
At sea, the oil was transshipped from Iranian vessels to other tankers. This ship-to-ship scheme makes it possible to conceal the cargo’s origin, alter accompanying documents, and make it difficult to track shipments subject to U.S. sanctions. After transshipment, the oil was primarily sent to small independent refineries in China.
The TankerTrackers platform previously reported that Iran had exported tens of millions of barrels of crude oil since June 15 alone. By June 24, the volume was estimated at approximately 40 million barrels, of which about 20 million barrels left the country in a single day—June 19.
The U.S. subsequently reinstated the blockade of Iran’s coastline, ports, and oil terminals. The new sanctions regime took effect on July 14 amid renewed hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
The estimate of $5–6 billion reflects the approximate market value of the exported oil. Iran’s actual revenue may have been lower due to discounts granted to Chinese buyers, transportation costs, and fees paid to intermediaries. There is no independent confirmation that the Iranian authorities received the full amount indicated.
The price of Brent crude oil rose on Tuesday afternoon following reports of new U.S. strikes on Iran.
July Brent futures on the London ICE Futures exchange were up $2.57 (2.67%) to $98.71 per barrel as of 2:32 p.m. local time.
Meanwhile, July WTI crude futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) are currently down $4.26 (4.41%) to $92.34 per barrel. WTI trading was suspended the previous day due to a U.S. holiday.
Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), stated that the U.S. military carried out strikes in self-defense “to protect against the threat posed by Iranian forces.” He explained that the strikes targeted anti-aircraft missile launchers and boats that were attempting to lay mines.
In response, the Iranian military warned that a new U.S. attack would not go unanswered, according to the Fars news agency. A senior representative of the local armed forces, Abolfazl Shekarchi, stated that any new aggression against Iran would face a “much harsher” response that would extend beyond the region.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that finalizing the wording of an agreement between Washington and Tehran could take several days. “Some talks took place in Qatar today, so we’ll see if we can make progress,” he told reporters in Jaipur during an official visit to India.
The Secretary of State reiterated that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to conclude an agreement with Iran, adding that it is important to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are still awaiting details of a potential deal,” noted Giovanni Staunovo of UBS. “At the same time, we are seeing rising tensions in the Middle East, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted.”
British energy company BP announced the acquisition of a 40% stake in a production-sharing agreement covering six oil and gas exploration blocks in the Ustyurt region of Uzbekistan. This marks the company’s return to traditional energy investments.
BP had previously scaled back its exploration activities in the region in 2021 as part of a “green” energy strategy adopted under former CEO Bernard Looney, who committed to reducing oil and gas production by 40% by 2030.
Since then, the company has refocused on fossil fuels.
“We believe Uzbekistan has significant resource potential and view this as an opportunity to support the exploration and development of the country’s oil and gas resources,” said Joe Cristofoli.
BP, GAS, OIL, UZBEKISTAN
In April, China increased oil production by 1.2% compared to the same month last year, reaching 17.94 million tons, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. From January to April, production rose by 0.5% to 72.74 million tons.
Oil refining volumes fell by 5.8% last month to 54.65 million tons, the lowest level since August 2022. From January to April, the figure decreased by 0.5% to 238.95 million tons.
Natural gas production in April rose by 3% to 23.4 billion cubic meters; since the start of the year, production has increased by 2.7% to 90 billion cubic meters.
On April 20, PJSC Ukrgazvydobuvannya (Kyiv) announced its intention to enter into an agreement with Guardian Insurance Company for risk insurance services related to the commercial development of oil and gas fields. According to the Prozorro electronic public procurement system, the expected cost of the services was 548,800 UAH, and the company’s bid was 501,499 UAH.
The insurance company “VUSO” also participated in the tender with a bid that was 1 hryvnia higher.
GAS, Guardian, INSURANCE, INSURANCE COMPANY, OIL, RISK, UKRGAZVYDOBUVANNYA
