Standard Chartered’s OPEC+ Meeting Prediction

In a report distributed by the Standard Chartered team on Wednesday, Emily Ashford, Head of Energy Research at Standard Chartered Bank, offered a prediction for OPEC+’s next meeting, which is scheduled to be held on November 2.“OPEC+ [is] likely to continue [a] gradual unwinding of cuts, adding a further 137,000 barrels per day month on month at [the] November 2 meeting,” Ashford said in the report. “We see no reason for a change in strategy this month. The week on week change in the shape of the Brent forward curve and Russia-based market supply concerns are supportive of OPEC+ continuing its small monthly unwind of the April 2023 voluntary output cuts,” Ashford added. In the report that Standard Chartered Bank expects the group’s next meeting “to continue the trend of rapid decisions, with the communiqué focusing on the group’s ability to pause or reverse the additional adjustments, including the previous November 2023 tranche of 2.2 million barrels per day”. The Standard Chartered report projected that the ICE Brent nearby future crude oil price will average $65 per barrel in the fourth quarter of this year and $68.50 per barrel overall in 2025. A statement posted on OPEC’s website on October 5 revealed that Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman “decided to implement a production adjustment of 137,000 barrels per day” in a virtual meeting held that day. “The eight OPEC+ countries, which previously announced additional voluntary adjustments in April and November 2023, namely Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman met virtually on 5 October 2025, to review global market conditions and outlook,” the statement noted. “In view of a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals, as reflected in the low oil inventories, the eight participating countries decided to implement a production adjustment of 137,000 barrels per day from the 1.65 million barrels per day additional voluntary adjustments announced in April 2023,” it added. The statement highlighted that this adjustment will be implemented in November.  The table highlighted that November 2025 “required production” is 10.061 million barrels per day for Saudi Arabia, 9.532 million barrels per day for Russia, 4.255 million barrels per day for Iraq, 3.399 million barrels per day for the UAE, 2.569 million barrels per day for Kuwait, 1.563 million barrels per day for Kazakhstan, 967,000 barrels per day for Algeria, and 808,000 barrels per day for Oman. “The 1.65 million barrels per day may be returned in part or in full subject to evolving market conditions and in a gradual manner,” the OPEC statement said. “The countries will continue to closely monitor and assess market conditions, and in their continuous efforts to support market stability, they reaffirmed the importance of adopting a cautious approach and retaining full flexibility to pause or reverse the additional voluntary production adjustments, including the previously implemented voluntary adjustments of the 2.2 million barrels per day announced in November 2023,” it added “They also confirmed their intention to fully compensate for any overproduced volume since January 2024,” it went on to state. The OPEC statement also highlighted that the eight OPEC+ countries will hold monthly meetings “to review market conditions, conformity, and compensation”. It added that the eight countries will meet again on November 2.

In a release posted on the U.S. Department of the Treasury website on October 22, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Treasury “is sanctioning Russia’s two largest oil companies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine”. In that release, the Treasury noted that “today’s actions increase pressure on Russia’s energy sector and degrade the Kremlin’s ability to raise revenue for its war machine and support its weakened economy”

NN; The story here is Trumps sanctions on  Russia’s two biggest oil companies. This has the potential to remove 2 million barrels per day from the oil mareket. This could be devastating.

US targeting drug cartel sites in Venezuela

President Donald Trump may commence strikes against military facilities in Venezuela suspected of being used by cartels in drug smuggling operations, as per a report by the Miami Herald on Friday. Sources familiar with the situation alleged that the White House decided to expand the scope of its operations against Latin American drug cartels, which Washington had designated as foreign terrorist organizations earlier this year, by striking targets inside Venezuela. Furthermore, the strikes would seek to weaken the regime of the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Reportedly, the strikes could occur at any point in the near future. Meanwhile, the US continued to target vessels allegedly involved in the smuggling of narcotics, amid heightened tensions with Venezuela. The administration of United States President Donald Trump may commence strikes against military facilities in Venezuela suspected of being used by cartels in drug smuggling operations, as per a report by the Miami Herald on Friday. Sources familiar with the situation alleged that the White House decided to expand the scope of its operations against Latin American drug cartels, which Washington had designated as foreign terrorist organizations earlier this year, by striking targets inside Venezuela. Furthermore, the strikes would seek to weaken the regime of the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Reportedly, the strikes could occur at any point in the near future. Meanwhile, the US continued to target vessels allegedly involved in the smuggling of narcotics, amid heightened tensions with Venezuela.

NN: I am always amazed how stupid these dictators really are. You would think when they wake up to find the worlds biggest most modern aircraft carrier group from the foremost super power is parked off your north coast you might want to look at cutting a deal. Not this idiot. He is handing out small arm pea shooters. Think Noriega and Saddam Insane.

Netanyahu vows to disarm Hamas, demilitarize Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that Israel will disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza if foreign troops don’t do it. Speaking at a graduation ceremony at the officers’ school in southern Israel, the prime minister shared that the country has “more work to do” in Gaza. He also threatened Hamas that if the group “continues to explicitly violate the ceasefire, it will suffer powerful attacks like it did two days ago and yesterday.” “We decide, and we are acting whenever necessary to remove immediate threats from our forces,” Netanyahu stressed. Additionally, the Israeli army announced yesterday that the ceasefire had been “renewed,” following clashes between the two sides, after Israel stated that Hamas had violated the ceasefire.

NN: This charade will  last long enough for Hamas to rebuild their terrorists army smuggling on weapons on the aide convoys 

IAEA detects ‘movement’ at Iran’s nuclear sites

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that Iran is not actively enriching uranium at the moment, but that IAEA inspectors detected certain activity around Iranian nuclear sites. “The nuclear material enriched at 60% is still in Iran. And this is one of the points we are discussing because we need to go back there and to confirm that the material is there and it’s not being diverted to any other use. This is very, very important,” Grossi told The Associated Press in an interview. He further explained that since the IAEA is monitoring the country’s nuclear infrastructure through satellite, and that inspectors did not register any sign of accelerated production, except for movement around stockpiles. The director general stressed that this stockpile “could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program.”

NN: If they are not stopped you will see mushroom clouds

EIA Weekly Petroleum Report

Petroleum Report for the week ending October 24, 2025

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve decreased by 6.9 million barrels from the previous week. At 416.0 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6% below the five year average for this time of year U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 15.2 million barrels per day during the week ending October 24, 2025, which was 511 million barrels per day less than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 88.6% of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production decreased last week, still averaging 9.6 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production decreased by 134 thousand barrels per day last week, averaging 4.5 million barrels per day. U.S. crude oil imports averaged 5.1 million barrels per day last week, decreased by 867 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 5.7 million barrels per day, 5.3% less than the same four-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 466 thousand barrels per day, and distillate fuel imports averaged 109 thousand barrels per day. Total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 5.9 million barrels from last week and are about 3% below the five year
average for this time of year. Both finished gasoline and blending components inventories decreased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 3.4 million barrels last week and are about 8% below the five year average for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories
increased by 2.5 million barrels from last week and are 14% above the five year average for this time of year. Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 15.9 million barrels last week. Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.8 million barrels a day, down
by 0.9% from the same period last year. Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 8.7 million barrels a day, down by 4.2% from the same as the last year period. Distillate fuel product supplied averaged 4.0 million barrels a day over the past four weeks, down by 1.5% from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied was up 7.6% compared with the same four-week period last year

NN: A serous drop in inventors. And a lot o refiners are still off line for maintaince. Operating at only 88% of capacity.

Netanyahu orders ‘forceful’ strikes in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an order to the country’s military to “immediately” begin “forceful” strikes in the Gaza Strip, his office stated on Tuesday. The decision came after security consultations and amid a tense ceasefire agreement with Hamas that has been in effect since October 10. Earlier today, Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating the deal by returning the body of a deceased hostage that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had already retrieved two years ago. Concurrently, Israeli media reported an exchange of fire between the military and Hamas in southern Gaza.On October 18, Israel carried out multiple airstrikes in Gaza in response to an alleged Hamas attack on its troops outside the Yellow Line. The United States was said to have intervened to help preserve the tenuous truce brokered by US President Donald Trump.

NN: This so called peace deal is domed

Gold falls to below $4,000 on US-China deal

Precious metals extended their losses on Monday, with gold falling by more than 3% to slip below the $4,000 mark as investors digested the news that the United States and China had reached a consensus on some crucial trade issues during their negotiations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. US President Donald Trump also revealed that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping gave a “provisional approval” of the TikTok deal signed in September, which boosted traders’ optimism about the relationship between the two leaders. Gold dropped by 3.01% to $3,986.48 per ounce at 10:56 am ET, while silver fell by 4.78% to $46.25 per ounce a minute later. Platinum dipped by 1.17% and went for $1,602.23 per ounce at 10:57 am ET, and palladium declined by 1.87% at 10:58 am ET, going for $1,399.51 per ounce

Zelensky vows to expand attacks on Russian oil sites

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday that Russia’s oil refining is already paying a “tangible” price, vowing his country would continue to strike facilities deep inside Russia. “We set tasks to expand the geography for the use of our long-range capabilities,” Zelensky wrote on X. “We are working closely with manufacturers on long-term contracts. The three-year term allows manufacturers to better plan the use of necessary resources and scale up supplies to the military. The number of such contracts will grow,” he added. Earlier today, Zelensky revealed Kiev and its allies are preparing a plan for a ceasefire with Russia. He also reiterated that his country needs long-range weapons to increase pressure on Moscow.

NN: Your about to see a serious escalation in this war, The next to go is Russian oil

US said to have told Israel ‘next 30 days crucial’ for ceasefire

Senior United States officials called on Israel to refrain from overreacting in case Hamas violates the ceasefire, as “the next 30 days of the ceasefire agreement are crucial,” The Times of Israel reported on Sunday, citing an Israeli source familiar with the matter. The source said that several top US officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visited Israel last week to make sure that the Gaza ceasefire holds. Additionally, the source ensured that US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner warned Israel not to “act in a way that would endanger the ceasefire” as the US wants “to do everything to reach the second phase.”

NN: Its only a matter of time

Araghchi says Iran’s ‘nuclear bomb’ is power to resist

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran’s “nuclear bomb” is its ability to reject pressure from world powers, according to WANA News. Araghchi added that while Iran and the United States remain divided over Washington’s approach, the relationship can still be “managed.” He also stressed that Iran’s nuclear program is lawful and peaceful, citing a religious decree against nuclear weapons. Araghchi pointed to the 12-day conflict with Israel as a moment of unity for Iranians at home and abroad, calling it a “historic turning point.”

NN; this is no surprise