Category: Energy News Beat

Phillips 66 Beats Q1 Estimates by $.88 Per Share as Refining Margins Surge

Energy News Beat Houston-based integrated energy company Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) delivered a solid first-quarter 2026 earnings beat, reporting adjusted earnings of $0.49 per share—surpassing Wall Street consensus estimates of a $0.39 per share loss by $0.88. The company posted net income of $207 million, or $0.51 per diluted share on a reported (GAAP) basis. […]

US Rig Count Up One this week

Energy News Beat Houston, TX – April 29, 2026 – The latest U.S. rotary rig count data shows a modest rebound in drilling activity. According to Baker Hughes, the total U.S. rig count for the week ending April 24, 2026, stands at 544 rigs, up 1 rig week-over-week from 543 the prior week. Oil-directed rigs […]

Farm Bill Amendment Pits Big Refiners Against Smaller Operations. Is It Time to End Ethanol?

Energy News Beat A controversial amendment to the 2026 Farm Bill is lighting up Capitol Hill, pitting big refining interests against smaller operations in a classic Washington showdown over the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and ethanol mandates. Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) introduced Amendment 289, which would force year-round nationwide sales of E15 (15% ethanol gasoline) […]

UK Wind Falls to 0.6 GW Over Weekend

Energy News Beat The United Kingdom’s vaunted renewable energy fleet delivered a stark reality check over the recent weekend. Despite boasting approximately 32 GW of installed wind capacity—onshore and offshore combined—actual output plummeted to just 0.6 GW, less than 2% of nameplate capacity. This collapse occurred overnight, when solar generation was zero, leaving Britain functionally […]

Why did the UAE leave OPEC, and what is the Global Impact

Energy News Beat The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced its withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the broader OPEC+ alliance, effective May 1, 2026—marking the end of nearly 60 years of membership since 1967. This move strips OPEC of its third-largest producer and delivers a significant blow to the […]

Ukraine Strikes Russia’s Tuapse Refinery. How Many Refineries Are Out of Commission Around the World?

Energy News Beat Ukrainian drone strikes continue to hammer Russian oil infrastructure, with the latest assault on the Tuapse Oil Refinery in Krasnodar Krai marking the third hit on the facility in April alone. Overnight on April 27-28, 2026, drones ignited fires and damaged additional storage tanks, triggering a state of emergency, an oil spill, […]

Europe’s Jet Fuel Crisis is Developing and California is Not Far Behind

Energy News Beat Europe is staring down a jet fuel supply crunch that could disrupt summer travel as early as June, with imports from the Middle East — historically its largest external source — completely halted this month. California, already grappling with refinery closures and heavy reliance on strained Asian imports, is only weeks behind, […]

Trump Says Iran Wants to Open Hormuz, but There Are Questions

Energy News Beat President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that Iran is eager to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as soon as possible” as Tehran grapples with its leadership situation and internal “State of Collapse” amid ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations to end the two-month war. In a Truth Social post, Trump noted that Iran has proposed the […]

EU Energy Management Decisions Will Cost Them, and They Just Bought Historic Levels of Russian LNG

Energy News Beat The European Union’s energy policymakers have spent years touting their “REPowerEU” strategy as a masterstroke of independence from Russian fossil fuels. Yet in March 2026—mere weeks after the EU began rolling out its formal ban on short-term Russian LNG purchases—the bloc imported more Russian liquefied natural gas than in any month on […]

Is Secretary Bessent Merging the Petrodollar with Argentina-Style Dollar Domination?

Energy News Beat In a landmark testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee and follow-up statements, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has outlined a bold new strategy: expanding permanent dollar swap facilities with Gulf and Asian allies to reinforce U.S. dollar dominance amid global energy shocks. This comes as the traditional petrodollar framework—anchored by a 50-year […]