What are the issues that Iran and the US need to resolve before they can reach a peace agreement?
Here are the key issues that the United States and Iran face as they try to reach a deal in order to end their war which has now entered its fourth month. The 'closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, which is normally used to transport around a fifth of?oil shipments and liquefied gas, has caused an unprecedented oil shock that has driven up the price of fuel, food, and fertiliser. Washington's priority is to reopen the Strait, and Tehran's leverage is to reopen it. But this could take some time.
ConocoPhillips is expecting Qatar gas JVs to be delayed by months, not years.
ConocoPhillips’?Europe Gas chief said that any delays in increasing the liquefied gas production capacity of its joint ventures with Qatar will likely be months and not years. The U.S. Energy Group is a Partner in QatarEnergy’s main LNG Project, which includes offshore installations in the North Field, and onshore installations at Ras Laffan. These facilities were damaged by strikes in March, several weeks after Iran?war started. QatarEnergy warned that the gas supply to China and South Korea could be affected for many years.
CMB.Tech profits soar as tanker prices rise due to the disruption caused by Hormuz
The Belgian tanker firm CMB.Tech announced on Tuesday that its core profit had more than tripled in the 'first quarter, as the Strait of Hormuz closure curtailed the available shipping tonnage and drove a sharp increase in spot freight prices. The shares of this large maritime company, with a fleet consisting of 250 vessels, rose by more than 5% at the opening of trading in Brussels. Since the beginning of 2026, they have gained almost 70%. CMB.Tech’s earnings before interest taxes…
Caturus will start construction on a major US LNG plant after receiving $9.75 billion
Mubadala Energy announced on Friday that Caturus, a U.S. company, has given the green light to build a huge liquified natural gas (LNG), facility in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, after raising $9.75 billion for its construction. Mubadala Energy is an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund that holds a 24,1% stake in?Caturus. It was also a participant in financing the project. Kimmeridge, an energy?investor, and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board CPP Investments also contributed?funding to the plant.
Sources say that Lazard will hire McCabe, formerly of JPMorgan, to lead North American energy investment banking.
Two people familiar with the matter said that Lazard will be hiring 'Brian McCabe' from JPMorgan Chase & Co to head its energy practice in america. McCabe, an oil and gas veteran who specializes in mergers and acquisitions of pipeline companies and midstream companies, has resigned his position as a senior executive at JPMorgan, according to sources. McCabe, a Houston-based investment banker, will take over as the head of North America's energy investment banking in the upcoming months after a gardening leave.
French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch
Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets or stocks in France and Benelux. Credit insurer Coface SA announced a?Q1-26?net profit of '53.6 million euro, down '13.7% year-on-year. Eiffage, a construction and concessions company, reported Q1 revenues of 5.6 billion euro and an orderbook of 31.1 billion euro (up 5% year-on-year). The group confirmed its outlook for 2026 but noted that it could be changed if the Middle East crisis had a greater impact on European countries.
Nigeria, Morocco to Sign Atlantic Gas Pipeline Deal in Q4 2026
Nigeria and Morocco expect to sign an intergovernmental agreement in the fourth quarter of 2026 to advance a major Atlantic coast gas pipeline project, Nigeria's foreign ministry said.The planned agreement, to be signed by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Morocco's King Mohammed VI, follows preliminary technical studies on the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline, also known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline.The development was discussed during a telephone call last Friday between Nigeria's Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and her Moroccan counterpar
Gulf Marine Services' profit in UAE plummets following vessel evacuation
Gulf Marine Services PLC reported on Friday a 24% drop in its first-quarter profits after being instructed by the UAE-based firm to evacuate four vessels from a Gulf Cooperation Council country in March as a precautionary measure because of the Iran War. U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran, which began late in February, have seen Iran launch retaliatory actions across all six GCC countries, effectively closing Strait of Hormuz,?throughwhich about a quarter of global oil supply passes.
Americold and EQT form joint venture for cold storage
Americold Realty Trust announced on Thursday that it 'has formed a joint... venture... with investment firm EQT Active Core Infrastructure.... fund. This joint venture will.. focus on cold storage.. warehouses in.. North America. Under the deal, the temperature-controlled warehouse operator will contribute 12 cold storage facilities to the joint venture with a total value of more than $1.3 billion ?at inception. Americold expects to get about $1.1 billion in cash, which will be used to pay off its debt.
Even if the conflict ends, oil supply shock will worsen due to further decline in inventories
Even if U.S.-Iran reach a peaceful agreement to end their war, oil supplies will tighten in the coming weeks. It will take weeks before oil shipments from the Middle East Gulf can be resumed and reached refiners around the world. Oil companies will therefore continue to deplete the storage tanks they have to meet the 'peak summer demand. World has used temporary buffers to absorb the shock of the Middle East war. These include commercial stocks, oil in transit or stored at sea, and emergency reserves.
Even if the conflict ends, oil supply shock will worsen due to further decline in inventories
Even if U.S. and Iran reach a peaceful agreement to end their conflict, oil supplies will tighten in the coming weeks. It will take weeks for oil to be shipped from the Middle East Gulf to refiners around the world. Oil companies will therefore continue to deplete the storage tanks they have to meet the peak summer demand. World has temporarily buffered the impact of the Middle East war by using?commercial stocks, oil in transit and stored at sea as well as emergency?reserves.
Williams beats quarterly profit estimates on higher natural gas demand
Williams Companies, a U.S.-based pipeline operator, surpassed Wall Street's expectations for the first quarter profit on Monday. The company was able to do so by increasing its capacity and boosting service revenues as demand for natural gas increased. Tulsa-based Williams Companies has spent the past year positioning itself to be a major energy provider for companies developing artificial intelligence infrastructure. It also added new power generation capabilities to its traditional pipeline business.
Diamondback increases annual production forecast as oil prices rise
U.S. shale oil producer 'Diamondback Energy' raised its annual production forecast on Monday after exceeding Wall Street expectations with a 'first-quarter profit due to a rise in oil prices. Oil prices have risen by more than 87% in the past year, after the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran has disrupted supply chain and damaged energy infrastructure. Diamondback, which is based in the United States, benefits from higher commodities prices. The realized price per barrel of oil was $72.53 compared to $70.06 one year ago.
TSX stable as mining, counter-energy and tech gains offset TSX decline
Canada's main index of stocks traded flat on Friday as technology shares climbed and energy?and material?shares declined. Investors were weighing corporate earnings, potential diplomatic progress in Middle East, and the performance of Middle East-based companies. 10:38 am ET The S&P/TSX composite index of the Toronto Stock Exchange was up 0.04% to 33,951.33 at 10:38 a.m. ET. It is on track to finish the week with nominal gains. The benchmark index rose by 3.65% in April.
Vopak's quarterly profit exceeds expectations, despite Middle East risk
Vopak, a tank storage company, said that it expects the financial impact of the Middle East war to be minimal. Its core profit declined 1.8% but exceeded market expectations in the first quarter. The Dutch company reported EBITDA of 294.6 millions euros, while the average expectation was 286 million euros, according to a consensus compiled by the company. Vopak, a company that operates 70 terminals across more than 20 countries confirmed its outlook for 2026…
Sources say that Russia's Syzran Oil Refinery has ceased operations following the April 18 drone attack
Two industry sources have confirmed that the Russian oil refinery Syzran has stopped processing after a 'Ukrainian drone strike and damage to its equipment on April 18th. Two people were killed earlier on Wednesday when a drone struck a house in Syzran. The city is located about 1,000 km (621 mi) from the Ukrainian border, along the Volga River. It wasn't immediately clear if the refinery had also been hit on Wednesday. Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure over the past few months, as U.S.
EQT exceeds profit expectations on higher commodity prices and sales volume
U.S. 'natural gas producer EQT Corp. beat Wall Street?estimates?for?first-quarter?"profit?"on Tuesday. Benefiting from higher commodity?prices and output. The soaring demand for power from data centers and the growing exports of liquefied gas are driving?U.S. Natural gas consumption is increasing, which encourages producers to increase output in order to meet the rising demand. U.S. Natural Gas Futures?averaged 9.54 dollars per million British Thermal Units (Btu) during the quarter of January-March, an increase of 9.5% from last year.
Quotations-Reactions from industry leaders and businessmen to Iran's statement that Hormuz was open
Iran's Foreign Minister said that the?Strait of Hormuz is open to all commercial vessels after a ceasefire agreement was reached in Lebanon. The shipping industry and other world leaders have weighed in on the Iranian Declaration. "If it represents a move towards opening, then that is a positive development." The situation is not resolved, as there are still many uncertainties. These aspects must be clarified prior to any assessment of transit.
French and Benelux stocks: Factors to watch Wednesday
Here are some company news and stories that could impact the markets in France or Benelux. France's Finance Ministry has lowered its growth forecast for 2026 and increased its inflation estimate to reflect the conflict in the Middle East. The largest retailer in Europe announced on Tuesday that it has signed agreements with Guinean and Nigerian markets. The French engineering group announced that it had received an order from Samsung Heavy Industries to design a new LNG carrier tank.
The US is still Spain's largest gas supplier, but Russian shipments are on the rise
Enagas data showed that liquefied natural gas from the United States was Spain's largest?gas supplier in March. However, its share decreased as Russian shipments increased sharply and total imports rose slightly compared to last year. In March, Spain imported 37.633 gigawatt hours (GWh) more gas than it did a year ago. Algeria accounted for 10,262 GWh or 30.2% of the total. The U.S. was third with 11,938 GWh. Russian imports jumped to 9,807 GWh representing 26.1% of total. This is more than twice the?4,393 Gigawatt-hours imported a month earlier.
