Oil Market News, OPEC+, sanctions and price shocks

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'Aleksey Kosygin' is breaking his way to Gydan

A brand new Russian-built LNG carrier named after a Soviet Communist leader is making its maiden voyage through some of the harshest waters on the planet.

www.thebarentsobserver.com

Russia’s First Home-Built LNG Carrier Clears Crucial Arctic Ice Trials Under Nuclear Icebreaker Escort

Russia’s domestically assembled Arc7 LNG carrier Alexey Kosygin, escorted by the nuclear icebreaker Arktika, is midway through Northern Sea Route ice trials bound for Arctic LNG 2.

gcaptain.com

 

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U.S. Targets Ship Captains in Latest Crackdown on Houthi Oil Smuggling Network

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has taken a major step in its campaign against Houthi financing by directly sanctioning ship captains who delivered petroleum products to Houthi-controlled ports, marking...

gcaptain.com

 

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U.S. Natural Gas Prices Surge 45% in Two Days Due to Arctic Cold | OilPrice.com

U.S. natural gas futures soared more than 50% in two days as an Arctic cold wave dramatically increased heating demand across the eastern United States, tightening the global LNG market.

oilprice.com

 

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The Commodities Feed: US natural gas surges amid freezing conditions

A de-escalation in trade tensions between US and EU over Greenland providing some support, too

think.ing.com

 

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New Tankers Join Russian Oil Trade in Rare Move as Rates Jump

Soaring freight rates have enticed some shipowners to use new tankers to transport Russian oil, a trade usually carried out by older vessels that are close to — and occasionally over — their usual lifespan.

gcaptain.com

France Seizes Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker 'Grinch' in Mediterranean in Sanctions Escalation

French naval forces intercepted and diverted a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea this week, marking the latest escalation in Western efforts to disrupt Moscow’s shadow fleet operations through...

gcaptain.com

 

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US Coast Guard Requests Pastoral Support for Shadow Fleet Tanker's Crew

Military and security actions can create hardship for seafarers when ships get caught in the middle of a geopolitical confrontation, as seen all too...

maritime-executive.com

 

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EIA forecasts near-term U.S. crude oil production will remain near 2025 record - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

 

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Shadow Fleet Tanker Seizure Operations Expand In The Face Of Russian Warnings

Following America's lead, the boarding and diversion of the Grinch came as Europe is drawing up new plans to go after Russia's shadow fleet.

www.twz.com

 

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Why Russia's Diesel Exports Are Suddenly Soaring | OilPrice.com

Russian diesel exports rebounded to around 900,000 b/d in December (after falling to a five-year low of 590,000 b/d in September), as refinery runs recovered from 5.0 to 5.5 million b/d.

oilprice.com

Trump Claims UK Has 500 Years Of Oil Reserves Left In The North Sea | OilPrice.com

Trump’s North Sea claims were widely disputed, as regulators like the North Sea Transition Authority say the basin is mature.

oilprice.com

 

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China Moves to Price LNG in Yuan | OilPrice.com

China is preparing to launch yuan-denominated LNG futures in Shanghai to hedge price volatility and assert greater influence over global LNG pricing as Asian demand regains momentum.

oilprice.com

 

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Geopolitics Override Fundamentals as Oil Extends 2026 Rally | OilPrice.com

Oil prices climbed after President Trump’s Iran rhetoric revived geopolitical risk, pushing Brent above $66 despite limited supply disruption impact

oilprice.com

 

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Wood Mackenzie Sees Sharp Pullback in UK North Sea Capex | OilPrice.com

UK North Sea investment is set to slump sharply, with Wood Mackenzie forecasting UK upstream capex to fall below $3.5 billion in 2026.

oilprice.com

 

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LNG Carrier ‘Alexey Kosygin’ Docks At Arctic LNG 2 Expanding Russia’s Shadow Fleet Capacity

The Arc7 LNG carrier Alexey Kosygin has arrived at the Utrenniy terminal to presumably load its inaugural cargo from the Arctic LNG 2 project, marking the completion of a two-week ice trial transit along the Northern Sea Route. The vessel’s arrival expands the winter export capacity of Russia’s...

gcaptain.com

 

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Winter Cold Catches Gas Traders Flat-Footed | OilPrice.com

Natural gas prices surged on both sides of the Atlantic, with U.S. prices jumping from about $3 to over $7 per mmBtu and Europe’s benchmark TTF rising roughly 30% in January.

oilprice.com

 

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EU greenlights a stepwise halt on Russian gas

Arctic liquified natural gas import from Russia to Europe is set to be stopped in the beginning of 2027.

www.thebarentsobserver.com

 

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European coastal states warn Russian shadow fleet over Baltic and North Sea safety - Navy Lookout

European coastal states, including the UK, have issued a coordinated warning to the international maritime community over unsafe and deceptive practices linked to Russian maritime activity in the Baltic and North Seas. The statement signals a firmer enforcement posture, making clear that AIS...

www.navylookout.com

 

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Newbuild identity theft is the latest deceptive shipping tactic

It is a ‘significant escalation’ in identity theft that is harder to spot than the more common practice of becoming a ‘zombie’ tanker

www.lloydslist.com

 

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Breakwave Bi-Weekly Tanker Report - January 27, 2026​

Jan 27, 2026
For the full report visit our website www.breakwaveadvisors.com , or click here: https://static1.squarespace.com/stati...


2:08

 

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Cash Buyer Wants to Purchase Seized Shadow Fleet Tankers for Scrapping

GMS, the world's largest cash buyer, has confirmed to Reuters that it is in talks with U.S. authorities to purchase seized, sanctioned tanker tonnage...

maritime-executive.com

 

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Russian Oil Backed Up at Sea After India’s Refiners Step Away

India’s pullback from Russian oil imports is leaving Moscow with the dilemma of what to do with all the crude that it’s pumping onto tankers but is unable to offload at refineries.

gcaptain.com

 

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Total Energy Monthly Data - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

 

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Russia hints it will deploy Navy to protect 'shadow fleet'

Putin's Maritime Board warns 'unfriendly states' that measures will be taken to protect Russian shipping interests.

www.thebarentsobserver.com

 

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EU Approves Russian Gas Ban In Decisive Break with Moscow, Including Arctic LNG

EU Approves Russian Gas Ban In Decisive Break with Moscow, Including Arctic LNG

en.highnorthnews.com

 

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Petroleum electricity generation surpassed natural gas in New England during winter storm - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

 

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Trump's Whiplash Iran Rhetoric Keeps Oil Bulls in Control | OilPrice.com

Markets looked past rising supply as shifting U.S. rhetoric on Iran and ongoing weather-related disruptions kept risk premiums elevated

oilprice.com

 

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Tanker Market Report - Geopolitics Before Fundamentals

https://www.gibsons.co.uk/report/geopolitics-before-fundamentals/

 

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Malaysia Seizes Crude Oil From Tankers Suspected Of Illegally Transferring Oil

SINGAPORE, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Two tankers suspected of illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers were detained and more than 512 million ringgit ($129.9 million) worth of crude oil seized 24 nautical miles west...

gcaptain.com

 

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Russian Shadow Fleet LNG Carrier Diverts to Norway’s Arctic Instead of China

A sanctioned Russian LNG tanker loaded with gas from Gazprom’s Baltic Portovaya plant sailed north along the Norwegian coastline toward Murmansk instead of heading for China highlighting the further integration of Russia’s shadow fleet logistics.

en.highnorthnews.com

 

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Qatar in Deal to Supply LNG for 27 Years to Japan’s Jera

Qatar signed a 27-year deal to sell liquefied natural gas to Japan’s biggest utility, marking a turnaround for a dwindling fuel trade between the two countries.

gcaptain.com

 

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With U.S. Embargo Lifted, Venezuelan Oil Exports Bounce Back

Oil exports from Venezuela have surged upwards since the end of the U.S. embargo and the capture of former dictator Nicolas Maduro. Under American ma...

maritime-executive.com

 

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US-India trade deal sparks tanker reroute - Splash247

A trade pact between the US and India that cuts American tariffs and ties New Delhi to a halt in Russian oil purchases has sent immediate tremors through tanker markets, with charterers and owners scrambling to rework routes, stems and bunker plans even as the deal’s legal mechanics remain...

splash247.com

 

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'Aleksey Kosygin' is breaking his way to Gydan

A brand new Russian-built LNG carrier named after a Soviet Communist leader is making its maiden voyage through some of the harshest waters on the planet.

www.thebarentsobserver.com

Russia’s First Home-Built LNG Carrier Clears Crucial Arctic Ice Trials Under Nuclear Icebreaker Escort

Russia’s domestically assembled Arc7 LNG carrier Alexey Kosygin, escorted by the nuclear icebreaker Arktika, is midway through Northern Sea Route ice trials bound for Arctic LNG 2.

gcaptain.com

Update

Here comes Leonid Mikhelson's new 'shadow tanker' to the banned Saam FSU

The Aleksey Kosygin is Russia's first domestically-built gas carrier with ice classification Arc7. On February 2, it sailed into the Ura Bay, Kola Peninsula, for a transshipment operation at a 400-metre-long sanctioned terminal ship.

www.thebarentsobserver.com

 

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Diesel benchmark and futures move up again, but with possible signs of a peak

The benchmark used for most fuel surcharges rose for the third straight week.

www.freightwaves.com

 

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LNG shipping stock index news and reports

Weekly and quarterly reports based on the UP World LNG Shipping Index. The UP World LNG Shipping Index, founded in 2020, is a stock index of LNG shipping companies.

lngshippingstocks.com

 

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First Trump-Era Deepwater Oil Export License Granted to Texas GulfLink

The U.S. Department of Transportation has approved a license for Texas GulfLink, LLC to build and operate a deepwater crude oil export terminal off the Texas coast, marking the first such approval...

gcaptain.com

 

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Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update

Gasoline and diesel fuel prices released weekly.

www.eia.gov

 

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Oil prices jump after Trump says Iran supreme leader ‘should be very worried’​

• President Donald Trump told NBC News in an interview that Iran’s supreme leader “should be very worried.”
• Iran’s foreign minister said discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program will take place at 10 am Friday Muscat, Oman.
• The president has threatened to launch strikes on Iran if it doesn’t agree to a deal governing its nuclear program.

Oil prices rose Wednesday after President Donald Trump said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “should be very worried.”

U.S. crude oil rose $1.93, or 3.05%, to close at $65.14 a barrel. Global benchmark Brent was up $2.13, or 3.16%, to settle at $69.46 a barrel.

“I would say he should be very worried. Yeah, he should be,” Trump told NBC News in an interview. “As you know, they’re negotiating with us.”

The president has threatened to launch strikes on Iran if it doesn’t agree to a deal governing its nuclear program. He previously threatened to intervene on the side of protestors who rose up against the Islamic Republic in January, but ultimately backed away from military action.

More:

Oil prices jump after Trump says Iran supreme leader 'should be very worried'

President Donald Trump has threatened to launch military strikes on Iran if the Islamic Republic doesn't agree to a deal on its nuclear program.

www.cnbc.com