Is California on the precipice of social and economic collapse? ENB Pub Note: This article is from the California Globe by Katy Grimes, and she has appeared on the Energy News Beat several times discussing the California energy crisis caused by Gavin Newsom. David Blackmon, Stu Turley, and Mike Ariza will be recording a podcast […]
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In a remarkable display of strategic foresight and engineering resilience, Saudi Arabia has ramped its East-West Pipeline—also known as the Petroline—to full capacity of 7 million barrels per day (bpd), fully bypassing the disrupted Strait of Hormuz. This milestone comes at a critical moment. The ongoing Iran conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz […]
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As the world’s largest oil and gas companies slash spending on low-carbon “transition” projects for the first time in eight years, one thing is crystal clear: U.S. oil majors are proving that fiscal discipline and bold upstream development are not mutually exclusive—they are the winning formula. According to BloombergNEF data highlighted in today’s Watts Up […]
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Russia’s oil export machine—once the backbone of its war economy—is reeling under a sustained Ukrainian drone offensive that has targeted refineries, export terminals, and critical pipeline infrastructure for over two years. What began as sporadic strikes in 2024 has escalated into a systematic campaign, with Ukrainian forces conducting more than 120 strikes on energy targets […]
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President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell yesterday in the White House Oval Office: Iran just handed the United States a “very big present” worth a tremendous amount of money. It wasn’t nuclear-related, he stressed. It was “oil-and-gas-related” and tied directly to the flow through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump called it a “significant prize” that […]
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Chevron Corp. has issued a stark warning to California: the state is barreling toward a full-blown fuel crisis unless the ongoing war with Iran eases and state officials slash taxes and regulations that have strangled its refining industry. The world’s second-largest oil company is signaling it may walk away from refining in the Golden State […]
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In a significant boost for California’s energy security and domestic oil supply, Chevron Corp. announced plans to purchase up to 20,000 barrels per day of crude oil from Sable Offshore Corp.’s newly restarted Santa Ynez Unit platforms off the coast of Santa Barbara. The deal, reported today, marks one of the first commercial sales of […]
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The global agriculture sector is staring down a perfect storm of fertilizer disruptions, diesel fuel shortages, and skyrocketing energy costs—all triggered by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East after “Operation Epic Fury” on February 28, 2026. What began as a geopolitical flashpoint has rapidly […]
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Energy News Beat Special Report – March 2026 Escalating conflicts have turned oil refineries into strategic targets worldwide. Ukrainian drone campaigns continue to hammer Russian facilities, while the 2026 Iran war (U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian retaliation across the Gulf) has triggered widespread damage to refineries, terminals, and related gas infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, […]
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Port Arthur, Texas — A powerful explosion rocked Valero Energy’s massive Port Arthur refinery on the evening of March 23, 2026, triggering a shelter-in-place order, a towering plume of black smoke visible for miles, and immediate operational disruptions at the 435,000-barrel-per-day facility. The blast occurred around 6:30 p.m. CDT. Residents across Port Arthur, Groves, and […]
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