Friday, March 13, 2026

Middle East News

India urges LPG consumers to switch to piped Gas wherever possible

Sujata sharma, an official in the oil ministry, said that India had asked consumers of liquefied petrol gas to avoid buying LPG cylinders out of panic and instead switch to natural gas piped into homes whenever possible. The U.S. and Israel war against Iran has caused global shipping restrictions, which have disrupted India's crude, LPG and liquefied gas supplies. Sharma, joint secretary at the federal oil minister, said that…

Palm oil gains over 4% on the back of higher crude oil prices

Malaysian palm futures gained on Friday and posted a second week of gains. This was due to a rise in crude oil prices as a result of the Middle East conflict, which boosted demand for feedstocks used to make biodiesel. The benchmark May palm oil contract on the Bursa Derivatives Exchange rose 23 ringgit or 0.51% to 4,564 Ringgit ($1,159.26), and was up 4.69% over the week. The biggest daily increase in three years was a surge of more than 9% on Monday.

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. Gas supplies have also been diverted from the industry to prioritise household consumption.

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. Kim Jung-kwan, Minister of Industry, said that the government would take "all necessary measures" to reduce the burden on people.

Australia releases petrol, diesel and other emergency reserves

Australia announced on Friday that it would release petrol and?diesel from its reserves to help counter disruptions?to the fuel?supply?chain?from the Iran?war and ease shortages?in many regional parts of Australia. Energy Minister Chris Bowen stated that the decision to release up to 20% from the baseline minimum stockholding requirement is equivalent to "up to 762 millions litres" of petrol and diesel. Bowen's office said that…

US and allies clash over Iran nuclear program with Russia and China

On Thursday, the U.S. and its allies faced off against Russia and China over Iran's intentions to develop nuclear weapons. Washington was attempting to justify at the United Nations the war that it started two weeks ago on Iran. Russia and China tried to block the discussion of a committee that would oversee and enforce U.N. Sanctions against Iran at a meeting this month of the 15 member U.N. Security Council. The motion was overruled by a vote of 11-2, with two abstentions. Mike Waltz, the U.S.

TotalEnergies production down 15% due US-Iran War; confirms UAE Outages

The French oil giant said that TotalEnergies has lost 15% of its 'oil and 'gas production as the U.S. Israel war against Iran closes down fields in the Middle East including the UAE, Qatar, and Iraq. Total said that this output represents about 10% of its?upstream cash flows. This was the first official confirmation of widespread production outages in the UAE caused by the crisis. Qatar and Iraq had announced earlier production cuts. The UAE, however, has not released any official information.

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," Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said at an industry conference held in Oslo.U.S.

Norway's Prime Minister says Europe shouldn't cap gas prices

The Norwegian prime minister said that Europe should not cap the price of natural gas, even though costs are rising due to the conflict in the Middle East. The benchmark TTF front-month gas contract on the continent has increased by around 60% since the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran, as well as the attacks of?Tehran on ships in Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said that the European Union is considering measures to reduce energy prices.

Gas shortage worries in India spark panic buying for Induction stoves

Indians are buying electric induction cookers at a rapid rate, causing stocks to be depleted online and in stores. This is due to fears that there could be a shortage of cooking gas linked?to the Middle East conflict. India, which is the second largest importer of LPG in the world, has invoked emergency powers in order to 'boost supply for household users, even though availability is tightening? for commercial users such as canteens, hotels and restaurants.

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. Czech Industry Minister Karel Havlicek has been quoted as saying he met with U.S. Commerce Sec.

Iranian strikes burn oil tankers, despite Trump's claims to have won war

Two oil tankers caught fire in an Iraqi harbor on Thursday, after being hit by a boat suspected to be laden with explosives. This was a new attack that has cut off Middle East oil and defied Donald Trump’s claim of having?won' the war launched two weeks earlier. Images that were verified as having "been filmed" from the shores of Basra port showed massive orange fireballs lighting up the night skies, following the attacks Iraqi authorities had blamed on Iranian vessels. One crew member died.

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 refiner in terms of?capacity and imports roughly?4million barrels of crude oil per day from the Middle East.

Palm oil gains against Dalian and Chicago rivals, with stronger crude

Malaysian palm futures were up on Thursday due to higher crude oil prices, gains in other edible oils and the expectation of increased biodiesel consumption following Indonesia's decision to speed up road tests for B50 blend. The benchmark 'palm oil' contract for May delivery at the Bursa Derivatives exchange gained 42 ringgit or 0.93% to 4,541 Ringgit ($1,157.24), after reaching an intraday peak of 4,628 Ringgit. A Kuala Lumpur based trader stated that "the futures are currently governed by the crude oil situation.

Prices for EUROPE GAS rise due to concerns about LNG supply and oil strength

LONDON, 12th March - British and Dutch gas wholesale prices rose Thursday morning, as reports of tanker attacks raised fears of a prolonged disruption of regional liquefied gas supplies from the region. Meanwhile, higher oil prices added further support. ICE data shows that the benchmark Dutch front-month contract was 52.40 euros per Megawatt Hour (MWh), or about $17.73/mmBtu at 0848 GMT. This is an increase of 2.41 euros. According to ICE data…

IEA chief says release of oil reserves had a'strong impact on markets'

Fatih Bibil, the IEA Executive Director, said that the IEA has released 400 million barrels of 'oil from its global strategic reserves, and this decision already had a "strong effect" on the energy markets, which are now in an "extremely critical period" following the closure of Strait of Hormuz. Birol stated at a press conference in Istanbul that the coordinated action taken by the International Energy Agency to counter the Iran War was designed?to stabilize oil markets.

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. Crude oil prices dropped 18.07% to $62.70 a barrel by the 'end of 2025.

Palm prices rise as rival Dalian and Chicago oil prices also increase

Malaysian palm futures rose on Thursday, supported by higher crude oil prices, gains in other edible oils, and expectations for stronger biodiesel demands following Indonesia's decision to accelerate road testing of B50 blend. After reaching an intraday peak of 4,628 Ringgit, the benchmark?palm-oil contract for May delivery at the Bursa Derivatives exchange gained 83 Ringgit or 1.84% to 4,582 Ringgit ($1,166.50). A Kuala Lumpur based trader stated that "the futures are currently governed by the crude oil situation.

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. An anonymous official from the energy ministry said that if the disruption continues…

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 that India has no plans to join IEA's initiative before a G7 summit to discuss possible releases of strategic oil reserves.