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Friday, March 27, 2026

Asia News

27 Mar 2026

UAE Stands Ready to Join Force to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

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The United Arab Emirates has told the U.S. and other Western allies it would participate in a multinational maritime taskforce to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.The UAE is trying to push dozens of countries to create a “Hormuz Security Force” to defend the strait from Iranian attacks and escort shipping, the report added.The UAE has faced more Iranian attacks than any other country in the region, including Israel.Several U.S.

26 Mar 2026

Asian Buyers Rush for Russian Oil Amid Supply Disruption

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Asian countries including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are lining up to buy Russian oil as the Iran war blocks supplies, raising the possibility that demand may exceed supply, several sources including Russia said.Since the war in Ukraine prompted European customers - once the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas - to shun Moscow, India and China have accounted for around 80% of Russian oil exports. Turkey has also been a significant buyer.But in recent weeks…

26 Mar 2026

Iran Grants Malaysian Vessels Safe Passage Through Strait of Hormuz

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Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday he had spoken to the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Turkey and other regional countries and said Malaysian vessels were now being allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.Anwar in a televised address thanked Iran's president for allowing the passage of Malaysian ships."We are now in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so that they may continue their journey home," he said.Anwar said he talked with Iran and other countries as part of efforts to facilitate peace in the Middle East."But it is not easy, a

26 Mar 2026

Iran War Sends LNG Prices Soaring, Curbing Asia Demand

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The Iran war is upending the global LNG outlook as soaring prices, damage to major supplier Qatar's export infrastructure and potential delays to new supply raise doubts about previously expected demand from price-sensitive Asian buyers.Before the war, analysts expected global liquefied natural gas supply to rise as much as 10% this year to between 460 million and 484 million metric tons as new capacity, mainly in the U.S. and Qatar, came online, with demand forecast to grow in tandem.Now…

26 Mar 2026

Oil Rises as Ceasefire Optimism Fades

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Oil rose about 2% on Thursday, clawing back losses from the previous session on concerns that protracted fighting in the Middle East will further disrupt energy flows.Brent futures LCOc1 rose $2.08, or 2.03%, to $104.30 a barrel by 0638 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures CLc1 were up $1.93, or 2.14%, at $92.25 a barrel.Both benchmarks slumped more than 2% on Wednesday.Iran is still reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war, but has no intention of holding talks to end the Middle East conflict, Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday.U.S.

25 Mar 2026

ClassNK Grants Approval for CO2 Carrier Design for CCS Project

(Credit: ClassNK)

ClassNK has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of a liquefied CO2 carrier intended to support a floating offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) injection facility.The vessel is designed to serve a Socket SPAR unit, a floating injection system being considered for deployment in deepwater environments where subsea pipeline-based CO2 storage is not feasible.The certification confirms the feasibility of the carrier design from regulatory and safety perspectives…

25 Mar 2026

Thai Tanker Transits Hormuz after Iran Talks

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A Thai oil tanker has safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic coordination between Thailand and Iran, and was not required to pay to escape the blockade, a Thai official and the oil major that owns the vessel said on Wednesday.The Bangchak Corporation BCP.BK-owned tanker crossed the strategic waterway on Monday after successful talks between Thai foreign minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and Iran's ambassador to Thailand."I requested that if Thai ships need to pass through the strait…

25 Mar 2026

Iran to UN: 'Non-Hostile' Ships Can Transit Strait of Hormuz

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Iran has told the United Nations Security Council and the International Maritime Organization that "non-hostile vessels" may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iranian authorities, according to a note seen by Reuters on Tuesday.The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has all but halted shipments of about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas through the strait, causing oil supply disruption.The note from Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs was sent to the 15-member Security Council and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday.

25 Mar 2026

Oil Falls on Middle East Ceasefire Hopes, Easing Supply Fears

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Oil prices sank about 4% on Wednesday after reports the United States had sent Iran a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, raising prospects of a ceasefire that could ease supply disruptions in the region.Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell $4.17, or 4%, to $100.32 a barrel by 0708 GMT, after declining to as low as $97.57. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 futures were down $3.11, or 3.4%, at $89.24 a barrel, after falling to as low as $86.72.Both benchmarks rose nearly 5% on Tuesday…

24 Mar 2026

China Maps Ocean Floor as It Builds Submarine Warfare Capability

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China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows.

24 Mar 2026

Bahrain Pushes UN Action on Hormuz Shipping, France Offers Alternative

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Bahrain has put forward a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would authorise countries to use "all necessary means" - diplomatic language for force - to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.Diplomats said the draft text was backed by other Gulf Arab states and the United States, although they said it was unlikely to get through the council, where Russia and China had veto power.France circulated a more conciliatory alternative draft resolution…

24 Mar 2026

Oil Rises as Iran Denies US Talks, Supply Risks Persist

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Oil prices rose on Tuesday on supply fear, as Iran denied it had talks with the United States to end the war in the Gulf, contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump who said a deal could be reached soon.Brent futures LCOc1 rose $2.89, or 2.9%, to $102.83 a barrel at 0710 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) CLc1 climbed $2.49, or 2.8%, to $90.62.Crude futures dropped more than 10% on Monday, after Trump ordered a five-day delay to attacks on Iran's power plants, saying the U.S.

23 Mar 2026

Two India-Bound Tankers Pass Hormuz as Most Shipping Remains Halted

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Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers on Monday sailed through the Strait of Hormuz although overall traffic through the critical waterway remained blocked, according to data and sources.The Pine Gas tanker sailed through the Strait with the Jag Vasant following close by, shiptracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed.The Pine Gas tanker broadcast a message of "India ship and crew", according to separate LSEG ship tracking data.Hundreds of ships remain stuck inside the Gulf with thousands of seafarers stranded due to the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.(Reuters - Reporting

23 Mar 2026

IEA Weighs Further Oil Stock Releases as War on Iran Continues

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The International Energy Agency is consulting with governments in Asia and Europe on the release of more stockpiled oil "if necessary" due to the Iran war, Executive Director Fatih Birol said on Monday."If it is necessary, of course, we will do it. We look at the conditions, we will analyse, assess the markets and discuss with our member countries," Birol told the National Press Club in Canberra, at the start of a world tour.IEA member nations agreed on March 11 to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat the spike in global crude prices.

23 Mar 2026

US Oil Shield Starts Showing Cracks as Iran War Drives Prices Higher

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U.S. President Donald Trump went into the Iran war convinced that America’s vast oil wealth would insulate the country from the kind of energy shock now battering much of the world. Four weeks into the conflict, that shield is looking fragile.Trump’s wager has only partly paid off. U.S. oil prices have risen less sharply than those elsewhere since U.S.-Israeli air strikes against Iran on February 28 ignited a regional war that rapidly engulfed the Middle East’s energy infrastructure…

12 Mar 2026

IEA Unleashes Record 400M Barrel Oil Stockpile Release Amid Iran War Disruptions

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The International Energy Agency on Wednesday agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat a spike in global crude prices since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with the U.S. contributing the bulk of the supply.The IEA said all 32 member countries backed the move, the sixth coordinated stockpile release since the agency's creation in the 1970s. The United States will take a lead role by contributing 172 million barrels, according to U.S.

11 Mar 2026

G7 Holds Off on Oil Reserve Release, Requests IEA Study

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G7 energy ministers stopped short of agreeing on a release of strategic oil reserves on Tuesday and instead asked the International Energy Agency to assess the situation before acting.The IEA said it was convening an extraordinary meeting of its member states on Tuesday.Members would "assess the current security of supply and market conditions to inform a subsequent decision on whether to make emergency stocks of IEA countries available to the market," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said."We have asked the IEA to elaborate scenarios for a potential oil stock release…

11 Mar 2026

Iran War Exposes Risks of Fossil Fuel Dependence

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The economic risks of the world’s heavy dependence on oil and gas have been laid bare twice in four years - first with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and now with the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran - undermining U.S. President Donald Trump’s flagship push to double down on fossil fuels.The dramatic supply disruptions and price spikes unleashed by the latest Middle East conflict are likely to harden the resolve of many governments to accelerate the drive for greater energy self‑sufficiency…

10 Mar 2026

Oil Drops 7% After Trump Predicts War Could End Soon

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Oil prices plummeted 7% on Tuesday after soaring to a more than three-year high in the previous session as U.S. President Donald Trump predicted the war in the Middle East could end soon, easing concerns about prolonged disruptions to oil supplies.Brent futures LCOc1 fell $6.79, or 6.9%, to $92.17 a barrel at 0840 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was down $6.55, or 6.9%, to $88.22 a barrel. Both contracts fell as much as 11% earlier before paring some losses.Oil surged past $100 a barrel on Monday to the highest since mid-2022…

09 Mar 2026

Hong Kong Shipowners Association Supports National Initiatives

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The Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA) welcomes the national plan and the central government work report delivered at the opening session of the National People’s Congress, which underlined, once again, the importance of consolidating Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre.Hong Kong’s economic success has its origins in shipping and trade which as promoted Hong Kong’s growth as a global financial hub and a “super-connector” between the East and the West.

09 Mar 2026

MOL Enters European Offshore Wind CSOV Market

CG rendering image of the vessel (Credit: MOL Group)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has agreed to jointly own two commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs) with Cyprus-based shipping company Schoeller Holdings, marking the Japanese company’s first entry into the European offshore wind support vessel market.The vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2027. MOL has also decided to invest in Germany-based offshore vessel developer and operator Deutsche Offshore Schifffahrt (DOS), which will operate the ships.The move expands MOL’s offshore wind vessel business beyond Asia…

09 Mar 2026

Governments Move to Shield Economies as Oil Jumps 25%

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Governments scrambled to limit the impact on economies and consumers from the widening Iran war, which fuelled a record surge in oil prices on Monday after key producers cut output and Tehran signalled that hardliners would remain in charge.In a sign of mounting governmental concern over supply disruptions, the Group of Seven finance ministers will discuss the possibility of a joint release of emergency oil reserves in a meeting on Monday, a French government source said.In South Korea…

06 Mar 2026

Asian Oil Refineries, Petrochemicals Cut Runs as MidEast Conflict Escalates

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Several Asian refineries and petrochemical companies were forced to cut runs and declare force majeure as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran disrupted crude and feedstock exports from the Middle East.Asian steam crackers, which source more than 60% of their naphtha feedstock from the Middle East, have been quick to declare force majeure on petrochemical supplies to customers.Three operators told Reuters they are curtailing run rates to roll over some of their feedstock into next month…