Energy

Between oil, gas, helium, and semiconductors, the Strait of Hormuz remains the planet’s most critical choke point. Alternatives are insufficient, and the Iranian war can block traffic with low-cost means. Analysis by Luca Longo.

The free trade agreement between the European Union and Australia also includes a series of agreements on critical minerals: starting with rare earths, lithium, and tungsten. Here is what we know.

The United States Ambassador to the European Union has warned that the bloc risks losing access to LNG supplies if it does not accept the trade agreement reached last summer in Scotland. Europe is already exposed to the crisis in the Persian Gulf and cannot replace American fuel.

In our country, the high fuel prices are driving various increases that have already taken effect in different sectors for household and business consumption. Guiglia’s notebook.

The European Commissioner for Energy has urged EU member countries to start filling gas storage immediately to avoid a last-minute rush for supplies. Here are the countries with the best (and worst) stockpiles.

Higher gas prices could start to squeeze oil companies as well. The Washington Post article taken from Liturri’s review.

Europe threatened by a new gas crisis. The article from the French daily Le Figaro taken from Liturri’s review.

Earnings, uncertainties, and scenarios for ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, and Total from the Gulf War. The Financial Times article taken from Liturri’s review.

The Gulf conflict is redefining the energy sector’s outlook. Here’s how. Analysis by Adam Meyers, Senior Research Analyst at ClearBridge Investments, part of Franklin Templeton.

The question is not whether China will be affected by the Hormuz crisis, but how profoundly this shock will reshape its external projection. Analysis by Gianclaudio Torlizzi taken from his profile on X.

Asia is not responding to oil prices by reducing consumption: it is undergoing rationing imposed by the physical shortage of the product. Analysis by Gianclaudio Torlizzi taken from his profile on X.

Imminent gas crisis for Europe. Articles from the Financial Times taken from Liturri’s review.

The war in Iran tests China’s ability to tap into its oil reserves. The Financial Times article taken from Liturri’s review.

Russia emerges as the main winner of the oil shock caused by the conflict in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The article from Le Figaro taken from Liturri’s review.

The global oil market is decoupling. Analysis by Gianclaudio Torlizzi from his X profile.

Italy is the European Union country most affected by the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz because it imports a lot of gas from Qatar. But Minister Pichetto assures that negotiations are underway with Algeria, Azerbaijan, and the United States. Here are statements, figures, and context.

The European Council has asked the Commission to present a revision of the ETS, the mechanism for trading CO2 emission allowances, by July. Italy, along with Poland and others, wants a radical reform; Spain and the Netherlands, among others, are opposed. The positions of France and Germany are more moderate. All the details.

To protect its farmers, China has not only banned fuel exports but also fertilizer exports. Beijing is highly exposed to the crisis in the Persian Gulf because much of its oil and sulfur supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The United Downs plant, whose development involved the Italian company Exergy, reaches great depths and does not only produce electricity: geothermal lithium is also extracted on site.

After the Israeli bombing of the South Pars gas field, Iran struck the Ras Laffan complex in Qatar again. European gas prices soared, and Trump threatened harsh retaliation against Tehran (while also warning Israel). Italy is vulnerable to the crisis because it imports a large amount of Qatari gas.

Trump eased sanctions on the Venezuelan energy company Pdvsa and suspended the Jones Act, a law that requires the use of only US ships for transporting goods between American ports, in order to increase the supply of Venezuelan oil and reduce domestic transportation costs in the US.

All the consequences of the attacks on the Gulf’s energy infrastructure on oil prices and fuel exports. Sergio Giraldo’s take from his profile on X.

All the details on the Fuel Decree: reduced excise duties, tax credits for road transport, and anti-speculation controls

After the Israeli attack on the large South Pars gas field, Iran said it will target energy infrastructure in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the Emirates. The energy crisis in the Persian Gulf is worsening, while Russia says there was a bombing near the Iranian nuclear power plant in Bushehr, operated by Rosatom.

Just like in the spring of 2022, American oil producers are not investing in increasing production because they believe oil prices—which rose significantly due to the war with Iran—will soon fall again. The White House, meanwhile, sends mixed messages: Trump repeats “drill, baby, drill,” but also wants fuel prices to collapse. Numbers, details, and context.

What is the actual energy impact for Italy and beyond of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz? Conversation between Ruggero Po and Davide Tabarelli, economist, founder and president of Nomisma Energia.

Ukraine has accepted aid from the European Union to repair the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia. Brussels says that the resumption of these flows is important for the stability of the energy market: the EU does not import a significant amount of oil from the Middle East, but it is still affected by the price increases.

The European Commission rediscovers nuclear power and wants to politically support the creation of globally competitive producers. Excerpt from the European Morning Brief.

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is affecting not only fossil fuel markets but is also impacting the chemical industry. Here’s what is happening to the supplies of sulfur, naphtha, helium, methanol, and more.

The Kharg Islands are at the center of the US-Iran conflict: Washington has conducted raids on military bases with the oil terminals still intact, while Trump threatens escalation or even the occupation of the islands to unblock the route.

Before one of the parties involved in the war gives in, the point of maximum tolerance for discomfort must be reached. For the West, the pain threshold is set at an oil price above $150 and gasoline above €2.5 per liter in Italy. The analysis by Sergio Giraldo.

Objectives and scenarios regarding the US raid on military targets on the Iranian island of Kharg. Torlizzi’s analysis taken from X.

Hormuz is emptying: the oil market enters the physical phase of the crisis. Analysis by Gianclaudio Torlizzi taken from his X profile.

A new report explains that in the United States more solar energy has been added than any other source, but the installed amount has decreased by 14% due to Trump’s policies. The New York Times article.

How and why in France there is grumbling about von der Leyen regarding the nuclear dossier. Articles from the newspaper Le Figaro taken from Liturri’s review.

The order book of the British-Dutch company Urenco, which produces uranium for nuclear power plants, has reached record levels. The increased attention is also due to tensions in the Middle East, which have heightened concerns about energy security. Numbers and details.

The United States has issued a thirty-day exemption from sanctions on Russian oil: countries—not just India anymore—will be able to purchase it, provided that the barrels are already loaded onto ships. Meanwhile, Russia’s oil exports and revenues are declining, but the crisis in the Persian Gulf could change the situation. Numbers, details, and context.

What the EU says and does on the energy dossier alongside but not only because of the war in the Middle East. Excerpt from the European Morning Brief.

To help lower oil prices, the International Energy Agency has approved a massive release of barrels contained in strategic reserves onto the market. However, the crisis will not subside until the transit through the Strait of Hormuz resumes: but Iran has filled it with mines and warned that prices will rise to $200. All the details.

Details on the German government’s plan to create a two-billion fund to protect critical infrastructure, particularly energy, whose vulnerabilities have emerged after blackouts and drone intrusions. And the political and financial deadlocks between ministries regarding the coverage and management of the fund.

Saudi Aramco closes 2025 with profits down 12% due to low crude oil prices. Last year, the condition of the oil market was very different from the current one: today prices are high and could rise further if the war with Iran continues for a long time. However, Saudi Arabia cannot benefit from this situation due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump announces a new oil refinery in the United States and asks Israel to stop attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure. The White House is trying to reassure the markets to bring down crude oil prices, but the US Navy has rejected escort requests in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, there is movement regarding the release of barrels from strategic reserves. All the details.

Catl reported results above expectations in the last quarter of 2025, extending its lead over rival Byd. Electric mobility is slowing down, while demand for batteries for storage, to be paired with energy plants and data centers, remains strong. Figures and comparisons.

Putin seeks to capitalize on the energy crisis in the Middle East and opens the possibility of reactivating the energy relationship with the European Union. But Brussels has invested significant capital in detaching from Russian gas, although some—like former Eni CEO Franco Bernabè—are calling for a reconsideration. Numbers, facts, and opinions.

With over 400 desalination plants providing up to 90% of drinking water in countries like Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, the Gulf War exposes cities and local economies to severe water and humanitarian risks. Facts, figures, and commentary.

The war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have finally pushed oil prices above the symbolic threshold of $100 per barrel. Both Tehran and Washington are insisting on a hardline stance, so the conflict seems destined to last a long time. Meanwhile, the G7 countries are working on the joint release of barrels from strategic reserves. All the details.

With a more targeted approach, the United States could break China’s grip on critical materials. Analysis from the weekly magazine The Economist.

One week after the start of the war with Iran, uncertainty dominates regarding the duration and security of energy flows in the Gulf. Washington is trying to contain oil prices while the Pentagon prepares for a long war scenario: the United States is relatively protected, Europe much less so. An analysis by Gianclaudio Torlizzi taken from his X profile.

Energy is Spain’s great weakness in comparison with Trump. The article from the Spanish newspaper El Mundo taken from Liturri’s review.