Author: Erick Parel

The California refinery crisis is a national security risk for America

Energy News Beat ENB Pub Note: Just a friendly reminder that we have been tracking a national security issue in California. The following is from Ronald Stein on America Outloud, and we recommend following and subscribing!  California is the 4th largest economy in the world and an “ENERGY ISLAND that is isolated from the other […]

What is Going On with Georgia Power and Data Centers?

Energy News Beat A viral X post from @WallStreetApes on May 11, 2026, has spotlighted a growing tension in rural Georgia: the use of eminent domain by Georgia Power to acquire land and easements for high-voltage transmission lines. The lines are needed to support surging electricity demand, much of it from new hyperscale data centers […]

Global Supply Shock Reignites Oil Exploration Boom

Energy News Beat The world is facing its most severe oil and gas supply crunch in history, triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict and prolonged disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz—the chokepoint carrying roughly 20% of global oil. What began in late February as a short-term geopolitical flashpoint has evolved into a […]

As Diplomacy Falters, Who Will Blink First and Next Steps?

Energy News Beat The Strait of Hormuz crisis, now in its third month, has evolved from a dramatic military flashpoint into a grinding economic and diplomatic stalemate. As of May 12, 2026, President Donald Trump has rejected Iran’s latest counterproposal as “totally unacceptable,” describing the broader ceasefire as on “life support.” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard […]

Top Asian LNG Markets Boost Coal Use as Iran War Limits Supply

Energy News Beat As the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran disrupts key Middle East energy routes and chokes global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, Asia’s top LNG importers are turning back to coal to keep the lights on. Spot LNG prices have roughly doubled, while Asian LNG imports have fallen sharply—the biggest drop since 2022—prompting utilities […]

Australia Doomsday Scenario Sees Oil Hit $200 on War Escalation

Energy News Beat Australia’s own Treasury has run the numbers on a nightmare escalation of the Iran conflict — and the result is a doomsday scenario that would send global oil prices to $200 a barrel, throw the world economy into chaos, and expose just how fragile Australia’s energy position has become. In its annual […]

Trump Administration Releases More SPR Oil to Help Oil Market and Consumers

Energy News Beat The Trump administration continues its aggressive use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to stabilize surging oil prices and provide relief to American consumers amid ongoing global supply disruptions tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of an additional 53.3 million barrels of […]

China’s Teapot Refiners Slash Output as Hormuz Crisis Crushes Margins

Energy News Beat Independent “teapot” refiners in China — the smaller, privately owned facilities concentrated in Shandong province that account for roughly a quarter of the country’s refining capacity — are slashing production rates as the ongoing paralysis in the Strait of Hormuz drives crude prices higher and crushes refining margins. According to industry sources […]

“Normalize” in the context of Aramco CEO Amin Nasser’s statement refers to the global oil/energy market fully rebalancing and stabilizing and not till 2027

Energy News Beat This means restoring normal supply-demand equilibrium, rebuilding severely depleted global inventories, repositioning tankers and supply chains, restarting/rebalancing production flows, ending demand rationing/destruction, and removing the geopolitical risk premium that has driven price volatility and tightness. Nasser emphasized that simply reopening shipping routes (like the Strait of Hormuz) is not the same as […]

Morgan Stanley Calls Out that Oil Buffers Could Run Out Before Hormuz is Reopened

Energy News Beat In a stark warning that underscores the fragility of the global oil market amid the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, analysts at Morgan Stanley have declared the oil market is in a “race against time.” The investment bank’s commodity team, led by Martijn Rats, cautions that key market buffers — […]