MEOG - Middle East Oil & Gas

15 April 2026

Oman launches bidding for five oil and gas blocks

14 April 2026

Oman’s latest bidding round for five oil and gas blocks is a deliberate attempt to pull fresh capital into a mature but still prospective upstream sector.

Libya restarts gas pipeline after 16-year suspension

14 April 2026

Libya’s state-owned energy utility, National Oil Corporation, has launched a key gas pipeline project linking the Intisar field to the Brega gas distribution system, reviving infrastructure that had been idle for more than 16 years

Saudi Arabia among fastest-growing G20 economies in 2026 despite war, IMF says

14 April 2026

The IMF cut Saudi Arabia's 2026 growth forecast to 3.1% due to the Iran war's impact on oil output, but the kingdom remains among the fastest-growing G20 economies and is forecast to rebound to 4.5% in 2027.

Dana Gas resumes operations at Iraq’s Khor Mor field as tensions calm

14 April 2026

Dana Gas has resumed production at the Khor Mor gas facility in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after weeks of intermittent operations.

China denies arms sales to Iran, warns US of countermeasures

14 April 2026

China has denied accusations of providing military support to Iran, calling the reports fabricated and warning the US of countermeasures if tariffs are imposed on Beijing over the claims.

Russia warns of danger of war resuming as US blockade of Iranian ports takes effect

14 April 2026

The Kremlin has warned that the danger of war resuming in the Middle East remains after US-Iran talks ended without result, as a US naval blockade of Iranian ports took effect on April 13.

Iranian crude returns to India after seven years

14 April 2026

Two supertankers carrying Iranian crude have arrived at Indian ports on both the east and west coasts, marking the first such deliveries in nearly seven years.

TotalEnergies signs deal with TPAO to explore potential Black Sea deposits

13 April 2026

French oil major TotalEnergies (EPA: TTE) said on April 13 that it has signed a preliminary agreement with Turkey’s national oil company Turkish Petroleum (TPAO) to conduct exploration of the country's Black Sea waters for hydrocarbons.

Egyptian energy firm Petrogulf boosts output by 10,000 bpd from Gulf of Suez fields

13 April 2026

Egyptian energy firm Petrogulf Misr, a subsidiary of the state-owned South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company, raised its oil production by nearly 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), reaching its highest output level since its establishment in 1982

Quality matters: how the Hormuz crisis tests refinery flexibility

13 April 2026

The disruption highlights a key reality often overlooked in the oil market: while volumes may be globally fungible, crude quality is not.

Oman launches bidding for five oil and gas blocks

13 April 2026

Oman has launched a bidding round for five new oil and gas concession blocks as the sultanate moves to attract fresh investment into its energy sector in line with its Vision 2040 development objectives.

Pezeshkian says Iranian oil sector was one of ‘main targets’ of war

13 April 2026

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said infrastructure linked to the Oil Ministry was one of the “main centres” of attacks during the war launched jointly by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.

Iran says Lavan refinery output to recover to 70% after strike

13 April 2026

Iran’s deputy oil minister vowed to restore fuel production capacity at the Lavan refinery in the Persian Gulf to at least 70%, days after an air strike on the facility that Iranian media blamed on the United Arab Emirates.

Iranian tanker delivers oil to India for first time in seven years

13 April 2026

A very large crude carrier (VLCC) operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) has delivered 2mn barrels of crude oil to India, making the first such shipment in seven years after a US sanctions waiver.

Iran assigns South Pars refinery rebuild to NIGC after March strike

13 April 2026

Iran’s Oil Ministry has tasked the National Iranian Gas Co. (NIGC) with the reconstruction of two refineries linked to the South Pars gas field, the world’s largest, after they were hit in an Israeli air strike in mid-March.

Lebanon on the brink of energy crisis following Iran war spillover

13 April 2026

Lebanon faces an energy crisis that extends beyond immediate fuel price volatility fueled by the Iran war, according to a study by the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

Qatar supply shock could cause ‘very painful’ gas crisis Goldman Sachs warns

12 April 2026

A natural gas crisis could be on the horizon, a Goldman Sachs analyst warned in the bank’s “Exchanges” podcast.

Iraqi and Saudi oil flows through Hormuz reach 6mn barrels

12 April 2026

Shipments carrying around 2mn barrels of Iraqi crude and a further 4mn barrels of Saudi oil had passed through the Strait of Hormuz on their way to global markets, in a sign of improving energy flows from the Gulf.

Trump orders naval blockage of Iran in a new shockwave for energy markets

12 April 2026

Following the collapse of ceasefire talks this weekend US President Donald Trump has ordered a full naval blockade of shipping into and out of the Persian Gulf.

UK's Starmer and Oman's Sultan Haitham discuss ceasefire and Strait of Hormuz shipping

12 April 2026

UK PM Keir Starmer and Oman's Sultan Haitham discussed the Pakistan peace talks and Strait of Hormuz shipping crisis, with Starmer praising Oman's rescue efforts and Ukraine's drone expertise in the region.

Trump blockade threat would only impact small number of vessels, shipping expert says

12 April 2026

Trump's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz would have minimal impact on shipping given already low vessel traffic through the waterway, says Vespucci Maritime CEO Lars Jensen, with most firms waiting on a peace deal before resuming transit.

Naphtha shortages leading to petrochemical plants force majeures and record prices

10 April 2026

Petrochemical producers across Asia have begun shutting down operations after disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz reduced supplies of the critical naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) feedstocks.

South Korea sends special envoy to Iran over 26 ships trapped in Strait of Hormuz

10 April 2026

South Korea sends a special envoy to Iran after 26 Korean-linked ships became trapped in the Strait of Hormuz. Seoul says contradictory US and Iranian statements on the waterway's reopening prompted the move.

Gulf oil producers ask Asian refiners to prepare for resumption of Hormuz exports

10 April 2026

Saudi Aramco, Iraq's SOMO and Kuwait Petroleum ask Asian refiners to prepare loading programmes for April and May as Gulf producers move to resume crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz after the ceasefire.

Saudi Arabia confirms Iranian attack on East-West Pipeline and Abqaiq processing plant

10 April 2026

Saudi Arabia confirms attacks on the East-West Pipeline and Abqaiq, the world's largest crude stabilisation plant. Satellite images show thick smoke rising from the site hours after the US-Iran ceasefire was announced.

Libya announces new oil and gas discoveries in northern and southern regions

10 April 2026

Libya announced three new oil and gas discoveries in the north and south of the country

NewMed, EGAS seal 15-year deal to channel Cypriot Aphrodite gas into Egypt’s energy grid

9 April 2026

NewMed Energy (TASE:NMW), a partner in Cyprus’s offshore Aphrodite gas field, announced the signing of a 15-year agreement to supply natural gas to the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company-EGAS (EGX:EGAS)

Kazakhstan to in April raise oil volume piped by BTC to Turkish Mediterranean, says report

9 April 2026

Kazakhstan reportedly has plans to raise the amount of crude oil it pipes to the Turkish Mediterranean export hub of Ceyhan by 16% m/m in April.

Did America just hand the Gulf to Russia?

9 April 2026

The Iran war has turned Russia from a sanctioned energy pariah into an indispensable supplier for half the planet. With Urals crude at 13-year highs and sanctioned LNG going at 40% discounts, Moscow may be the war's real winner.

Russia emerges as 'strategic energy partner' for Global South thanks to Iran

9 April 2026

Russian oil hit a 13-year high before the ceasefire as Moscow pivots to "strategic energy partner" for the Global South. Kremlin says it is fielding "an enormous number" of requests for energy supplies as trade flows shift.

Trump warns US forces will remain in place around Iran until 'real agreement' is complied with

9 April 2026

Trump warns all US military forces will remain deployed around Iran until the ceasefire agreement is fully met, threatening that otherwise "the shootin' starts." He says Iran must not pursue nuclear weapons and Hormuz must stay open.