oil

Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela, escalating pressure campaign President Donald Trump ordered a “total and complete” blockade of sanctioned oil tankers heading to and from Venezuela, intensifying a months-long U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and sharpening Washington’s confrontation with President Nicolás Maduro’s government. “Today, I am ordering A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going into, and out of, Venezuela,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social…

In a significant shakeup within Nigeria's petroleum regulatory landscape, President Bola Tinubu has replaced the heads of two pivotal agencies following the resignation of their chief executives. The changes affect the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), marking a notable turn in the country’s oil and gas governance. The resignations of Farouk Ahmed, head of NMDPRA, and Gbenga Komolafe, head of NUPRC, come in the wake…

Trump orders blockade of ‘sanctioned oil tankers’ bound for Venezuela, escalating standoff with Maduro WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered what he called a “total and complete blockade” of all “sanctioned oil tankers” going into and out of Venezuela, a sweeping move that intensifies U.S. pressure on Nicolás Maduro and raises fresh legal and military questions about enforcement in the Caribbean. The announcement, delivered in a late-night social media post, came days after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker…

Monday December 15, 2025 HARGEISA, North Western State of Somalia — Drilling for crude oil in North Western State of Somalia is expected to begin by 2027, President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro said Monday, outlining what officials describe as a long-awaited step toward potential production after years of exploration and delays. Speaking at the North Western State of Somalia Mining Expo in Hargeisa, Irro said the first well could be spudded within two years, with the timeline pulling forward if technical and contractual…

U.S. seizes Venezuelan oil tanker in helicopter raid, to bring ship to American port as tensions spike with Maduro U.S. forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela in a helicopter-borne operation and will bring the vessel to a U.S. port to confiscate its cargo, the White House said, escalating a fast-moving standoff with President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The dramatic interdiction—described by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as aimed at the “regime” in Caracas—was captured in video released by U.S.…

U.S. seizes oil tanker off Venezuela, Trump says, sending oil prices higher The United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said, a move that pushed crude prices higher and risks deepening tensions between Washington and Caracas over sanctions and energy flows. “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” Trump said. He offered no details on the ship’s identity or where the…

The United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said, jolting crude prices and raising the prospect of deeper confrontation with Nicolás Maduro’s government over the OPEC nation’s chief source of revenue. “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, large tanker, very large, largest one ever, actually, and other things are happening,” Trump said. He did not identify the vessel or provide details on the interdiction, including the flag it was flying or the precise location.…

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s pledge to maintain “uninterrupted shipments” of fuel to India crystallized the central dilemma at the heart of his state visit to New Delhi: energy security versus geopolitical cost. At a summit dominated by energy, defence and trade, President Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to translate decades-old ties into concrete guarantees even as the United States applies heavy pressure — including 50% tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump — to penalize New Delhi for continued…

Ukraine says it struck a Russian oil refinery in the Ryazan region near Moscow, a day after Russian strikes on Kyiv that left several dead. The moves come amid an unfolding corruption scandal in Ukraine’s energy sector and continued frontline incidents with power infrastructure at risk. Attack near Moscow Ukrainian forces reported hitting a refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region, saying the strike aimed to reduce Moscow’s ability to launch missile and bomb strikes. Russian officials said air defences intercepted a large number…

TotalEnergies’ $4.5 billion demand tests Mozambique’s post-conflict recovery When the French energy giant TotalEnergies pressed Mozambican authorities this month to cover U.S.$4.5 billion in “costs of closure” as a precondition for returning to its troubled northern operations, it handed a politically combustible problem to a country still wrestling with violence, displacement and fragile state finances. The demand — disclosed in a letter to the presidency and reported by Mozambican sources — bundles several company…