Hable con nuestros expertos hoy mismo

Regístrese a continuación y personalizaremos una solución que satisfaga sus necesidades específicas. Cuando hable con uno de nuestros expertos, es posible que esté calificado para probar nuestros productos líderes en la industria de forma gratuita.

Puede cancelar su suscripción a estas actualizaciones en cualquier momento. Argus gestiona la información personal de acuerdo con nuestra Política de privacidad.
Generic Hero BannerGeneric Hero Banner
Latest Market News

US seizes eighth Venezuela-linked tanker

  • Spanish Market: Crude oil, Freight
  • 09/02/26

The US seized the sanctioned tanker Aquila II today, 9 February, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the US Department of Defence said.

The tanker, carrying Venezuelan Merey crude, was intercepted while sailing from the Jose Terminal to Qingdao in China, according to Vortexa data. The vessel is sanctioned by the US, EU and UK for transporting Russian crude oil. It is listed with an unknown flag in the IMO database.

The last recorded shipment of Russian crude aboard the vessel was in December 2024, when it loaded Urals in Novorossiysk for Visakhapatnam, India, according to Kpler data.

"Overnight, US military forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding on the Aquila II without incident in the Indopacom [Indo-Pacific Command] area of responsibility. The Aquila II was operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. It ran, and we followed. The Department of War tracked and hunted this vessel from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean," the US Defence Department said on X.

This is the eighth US seizure of a Venezuela-linked tanker since late 2025, starting with the capture of the Skipper on 10 December. The US is seeking to establish greater control over Venezuelan crude flows following the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.

By Andrey Telegin

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

09/02/26

Mexico halts Cuba oil supply amid tariff risk

Mexico halts Cuba oil supply amid tariff risk

Mexico City, 9 February (Argus) — Mexico has paused its crude and fuel shipments to Cuba as President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government is evaluating how to maintain support for the island nation without triggering tariff reprisals from the US. Sheinbaum on Monday said crude deliveries are suspended while her government assesses its options and diplomatic avenues, after the US government warned it may impose duties on countries supplying oil to Havana as part of efforts to pressure the island. Mexico had become Cuba's main source of crude after the US tightened sanctions on Venezuelan exports in mid-December, detained former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in early January and exercised stronger control over Venezuela's crude flow in recent weeks. "These sanctions cannot place the Cuban people in the conditions they are currently facing, regardless of whether one agrees with the Cuban government or not," Sheinbaum said. "It is not right." Mexico has supplied crude to Cuba for decades, often positioning the shipments as humanitarian support and rejecting external pressure on its foreign policy. But state-owned Pemex recently withdrew a crude cargo scheduled for delivery to Cuba. Pemex supplied crude and petroleum products to Cuba worth $496mn in 2025, the company's chief executive Victor Rodriguez said last week. The shipments were based on a commercial contract effective since 2023, he said. By Cas Biekmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Vitol pushes back peak oil demand forecast

09/02/26
09/02/26

Vitol pushes back peak oil demand forecast

London, 9 February (Argus) — Commodity trading firm Vitol has pushed back its peak oil demand projection to the mid-2030s and now expects consumption in 2040 to be around 7mn b/d higher than it previously forecast. In its latest long-term outlook to 2040, Vitol said global oil demand could rise to 112mn b/d by the mid-2030s and remain close to that level with only minimal decline by the end of the forecast period. This would put 2040 demand around 5mn b/d above today's level. Last year , Vitol forecast that oil demand would peak at 110mn b/d in 2030, hold at that level until 2035 and then fall to 105mn b/d by 2040. Vitol's revised projections assume policymakers place more weight on economic growth than environmental goals. The main reason for the later peak in oil demand is higher expected gasoline consumption because of slower electric vehicle uptake in the US and parts of Asia, the firm said. Vitol expects gasoline demand to peak in the early 2030s before gradually falling to around 1.8mn b/d below current levels by 2040. Vitol's previous forecast was for consumption to decline by around 4.5mn b/d by 2040. Diesel demand is seen rising marginally before peaking in the early 2030s, then falling by 900,000 b/d to 19.6mn b/d by 2040, driven by the electrification of light and heavy commercial vehicles. But if EV adoption stalls and policy targets continue to be deferred, "road transport fuel demand in 2040 could exceed current projections", Vitol said. The firm sees jet fuel demand increasing by 2.6mn b/d by 2040 as passenger traffic doubles. It expects oil demand for petrochemicals to rise by 6mn b/d over the same period. By Aydin Calik Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

India to buy $500bn of US energy, other products

06/02/26
06/02/26

India to buy $500bn of US energy, other products

Washington, 6 February (Argus) — India has committed to buying $500bn of US energy commodities, coking coal, aircraft and parts, precious metals and technology products in the next five years, the White House said Friday. A fact sheet detailing the preliminary terms of the US-India trade deal also announces plans by the US to slash the general tariff on imports from India to 18pc from 25pc. President Donald Trump on Friday separately signed an executive order removing an additional 25pc tariff on imports from India, which was imposed in August to pressure New Delhi to cut imports of Russian crude. The US will commit to removing tariffs on some aircraft and parts imported from India, as well as providing some relief for tariffs on steel and copper imports from India, according to the fact sheet , which does not provide a timeline for these actions. The US will also provide a preferential tariff quota for imports of cars and auto parts from India. The US and India also committed to increasing trade in key components underpinning the construction of data servers. India plans to eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and "a wide range" of US agricultural products. The terms of the deal as outlined in the fact sheet will be finalized in further negotiations, according to the White House. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US adds pressure on Iran after talks resume: Update

06/02/26
06/02/26

US adds pressure on Iran after talks resume: Update

Recasts, updates with secondary tariff on Iran oil. Washington, 6 February (Argus) — President Donald Trump's administration on Friday announced actions aimed to add economic pressure on Iran after another round of US-Iran nuclear talks concluded in Oman without much progress. An executive order by Trump, released by the White House Friday afternoon, pledges to impose additional tariffs on US imports from countries engaged in business with Iran. The penalty is not automatic and is not set at a specific amount — it could be "for example 25pc", the order states. The US administration will determine whether any country continues to engage in business with Iran after 7 February and will then decide whether to apply the additional tariff, according to the order. US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi met in Muscat, Oman, on Friday and the two governments plan to hold additional meetings at a future date, according to the host country's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi. Araqchi told Iranian reporters that he held firm to discussing only the nuclear portfolio — rather than also addressing Iran's missile program and other issues raised by the US. Araqchi said that he asserted "the rights that the Iranian people have", which is likely a reference to Tehran's demand to continue to have nuclear enrichment capacity. The US administration is eyeing permanent curbs on Iran's nuclear program. Also on Friday, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on 14 additional tankers allegedly linked to a network transporting Iranian crude and LPG. Whether the negotiations will avert another round of US strikes against Iran remains to be seen. Diplomats from the two countries last engaged in talks in April-June 2025, before Trump ordered a bombing raid against nuclear facilities in Iran. The new tanker sanctions were announced shortly after the talks concluded in Muscat. The pattern of combining diplomacy and sanctions pressure continues the tactic deployed by Trump's administration during the previous round of US-Iran talks. Friday's sanctions also include 15 entities and individuals allegedly tied to the Iranian oil trade. The one major difference from last year's sanctions approach is a lack of enforcement against China-based entities involved in trading Iranian crude. Iranian crude cargoes mostly are delivered to buyers in China via a network of intermediaries and shadow fleet tankers and involve ship-to-ship transfers in international waters near Malaysia and Indonesia. The US is finding it difficult to fully enforce sanctions against Iranian crude because of Tehran's ability to retaliate, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on 28 January. Trump, who had ordered a US naval buildup in the Middle East, threatened military strikes against Iran, but also expressed a willingness to negotiate with Tehran. By Haik Gugarats Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US firm Devon’s $21.5bn Coterra buy jump-starts M&A

06/02/26
06/02/26

US firm Devon’s $21.5bn Coterra buy jump-starts M&A

The deal creates a top shale producer with core assets in the most sought-after basin, writes Stephen Cunningham New York, 6 February (Argus) — Deal-making in the US shale patch is back on the agenda following shale giant Devon Energy's agreed $21.5bn all-stock acquisition of fellow independent producer Coterra Energy to create a Permian powerhouse. The biggest US upstream deal in recent years follows a relative lull since a series of mega-mergers led by ExxonMobil and Chevron kick-started the latest round of consolidation in late 2023 and into 2024. More may follow as firms that missed out on the initial wave look to catch up with their rivals and seek opportunities to slash costs and build scale while the shale sector shows signs of fatigue. The acquisition boosts Devon's position in the Delaware portion of the Permian basin of west Texas and southeast New Mexico. It is also an example of multi-basin deal-making, which is becoming the norm as the shale patch becomes increasingly congested, with fewer opportunities to gain a foothold in a single region. "The combination of these two outstanding companies creates a clear path to superior value creation that neither company could achieve independently," says Devon chief executive Clay Gaspar, who will take on the same role at the merged company. The real prize in this case may be the expanded Delaware holding, according to energy consultancy Enverus. "The Delaware basin, and particularly the northern portion located in New Mexico, holds some of the best quality rock in North America and from an investor's perspective a company can't have too much exposure there," Enverus principal analyst Andrew Dittmar says. "It is also a hotbed for resource expansion, with Coterra one of the companies leading the way on unlocking new zones." The deal creates one of the top shale producers, with more than 1.6mn b/d of oil equivalent of output as well as around 750,000 net acres (30,0000 hectares) in the core of the Delaware. "This vast leasehold position provides us tremendous operational flexibility and immediate opportunities to drive down well costs and refine capital allocation," Gaspar says. The Delaware will account for more than half of production and cash flow at the new firm, with over 10 years of top-tier inventory, including the largest amount of sub-$40/bl inventory in the sector. With Devon having a presence across various basins, it could also trigger asset sales going forward. Deal-making still has further to run even if opportunities may be more limited than before. "With fewer obvious targets left, corporate deal-making from here is likely a slow, methodical grind of finding the right partner at the right point in time," Dittmar says. Peak practice The latest transaction comes as US crude output is forecast to decline in 2026 from last year's record high. Despite all the gloom surrounding the outlook for shale, it may still be too soon to call a plateau. "I would be slightly more optimistic," trading firm Gunvor's global head of market research and analysis, Frederic Lasserre, said at the Argus Americas Crude Summit in Houston, Texas, this week. "We have always underestimated the impact of productivity gains." The consolidation from a number of large mergers among shale producers has yet to deliver all the productivity benefits many expect, while the application of artificial intelligence by operators may also help, Lasserre said. Devon is targeting $1bn in annual pre-tax savings from the deal by the end of 2027. The combined entity will be based in Houston but retain a significant presence in Oklahoma City. Devon shareholders will own about 54pc of the new company, while Coterra investors will hold the remaining 46pc. The deal has been approved by both firms' boards and is expected to close in the second quarter. Devon-Coterra breakdown by basin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Argus Specialised Freight

Argus Specialised Freight

Datos, perspectivas y herramientas únicas para ayudar a gestionar los riesgos de flete en los mercados de biocombustibles, materias primas renovables y productos químicos

Unlock the True Value of Crude with Argus Refinery Gate Values (RGVs)

Unlock the True Value of Crude with Argus Refinery Gate Values (RGVs)

Make smarter decisions across the crude supply chain - from production to refining

Argus Refinery Gate Values: A crucial piece of the crude supply chain puzzle

Unlock the true value of your crude or choose the best crude for your refinery

Argus Asia Crack Spread Forward Curves

Herramienta de valoración de mercado independiente para respaldar las decisiones de inversión y negociación en los mercados asiáticos del petróleo.

Argus Russian Domestic Crude Market

Cobertura detallada del mercado nacional de crudo ruso.
Generic Hero Banner

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more