Crooked Bough News Round-up

+ Google To Build Subsea Cables In Papua New Guinea—By Kirsty Needham SYDNEY, Dec 12 (Reuters)  Alphabets GOOGL.O Google will build three subsea cables in Papua New Guinea, which the largest Pacific Isl...

+ Russia Attacks Two Ukrainian Ports, Damaging Three Turkish-Owned Vessels—By Yuliia Dysa and Max Hunder KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters)  Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports on Friday, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels including a ...

+ Ukraine Says Russian Drone Attack Hit Civilian Turkish Vessel—KYIV, Dec 13 (Reuters)Ukrainesnavyaccused Russia of deliberately attacking a civilian Turkish vessel carrying sunflower oil to Egypt with a drone on S...

+ US Seized Tanker Just As Warrant Was Set To Expire—By Jasper Ward WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters)  The U.S. government carried out its seizure of the M/T Skipper off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday ju...

+ US Seeks To Broaden Vietnam Defense Ties As Trade Talks Drag On—ByFrancesca Stevens Dec 13, 2025 (Bloomberg) The US seeks to expand and deepen its defense relationship with Vietnam, according to Washington’s top en...

+ China Injured Filipino Fishermen in Contested Sea, Manila Says—ByDitas B Lopez Dec 13, 2025(Bloomberg) The Philippines said Chinese coast guard and maritime militia ships fired water cannons and used “dangerous bl...

+ Trump Administration Weighs Offshore Minerals Leasing Off Virginia—The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has initiated the process for a potential mineral lease sale in federal waters off the coast of Virginia, markin...

+ Grounded MSC Baltic III’s Hull Further Compromised After Winter Storms—The grounded container ship MSC Baltic III has sustained significant additional structural damage following severe weather that battered its position ...

+ Black Sea Tanker Attacks Put Civilian Seafarers at Risk, ITF Warns—The International Transport Workers Federation has condemned recent attacks on vessels operating in the Black Sea following the third Ukrainian sea dr...

+ U.S. Supply Chains Show Signs of Stabilizing After Year of Tariff Turbulence—U.S. supply chains are showing early signs of recovery after a year of unprecedented tariff-driven disruption, according to project44s December Tariff...

+ Tanker Seizure Just the Start as Trump Ups Pressure on Venezuela—The seizure of an enormous oil supertanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday is just the beginning of a new phase in the Trump administration’s ...

+ Supertanker Skipper Seized by US Near Venezuela is Heading to Houston, Sources Say—The oil supertanker Skipper that was seized by the U.S. near Venezuela this week as part of an increased pressure strategy against President Nicolas M...

+ Loose Wire, Fatal Consequences: NTSB Report Blames Electrical Failure for Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse—The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that the March 2024 collapse of Baltimores Francis Scott Key Bridge—which killed six highway wo...

+ Five-Year UK Legal Fight Over Car Carrier Cartel Nears End With $72M Settlement—A five-year legal battle in the UK against major shipping companies involved in a car carrier cartel has concluded with a proposed £54 million (USD 72...

+ US Seizure of Venezuela Oil Tanker Risks Amping Up Economic Pain—Venezuela faces a fresh financial shock after the US seized a sanctioned oil tanker off its coast, a move that could choke off one of the few remainin...

+ Cuba On Edge as US Seizure of Oil Tanker Puts Supply at Risk— A U.S. move this week to seize an oil tanker out of Venezuela is poised to make a bad situation worse for a crisis-stricken Cuba already struggling t...

+ A Week In The Pentagon – Chaos, Complexity and Hope—Editor’s Note:This is the longest piece gCaptain has ever published. 13,000 words. It’s messy in places, uneven in tone, and intentionally uncompresse...

+ U.S. Seizure of Shadow Fleet Tanker ‘Skipper’ Ends Years-Long Sanctions-Evasion Run—The U.S. Coast Guard seized the very large oil tanker SKIPPER off Venezuelas coast on Wednesday, culminating a three-year enforcement saga involving I...

+ U.S. Treasury Targets Maduro’s Inner Circle and Six Shipping Companies with Sweeping Sanctions—The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sweeping sanctions Thursday targeting three nephews of Venezuelan Pres...

+ After Skipper Seizure, U.S. Prepares Wider Crackdown on Venezuelan Oil Tankers—The U.S. is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil following the seizure of a tanker this week, as it increases pressure on Ven...

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As of 12/14/25 3:21am. Last new 12/14/25 1:22am.

+ EIA forecasts U.S. crude oil production will decrease slightly in 2026—In our latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, we forecast U.S. crude oil production will average 13.5 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2026, about 100,000 ...

+ Brent should average $65/bbl in 2026, Barclays says—Brent crude oil is expected to average $65 per barrel next year, Barclays said on Thursday, while projecting a supply surplus for the year. We expect ...

+ Iran raising fuel prices for heavy users to curb consumption—Iran will raise the price of its heavily subsidised gasoline for heavy users on Saturday, state media reported, as the OPEC member seeks to control ri...

+ Russia’s oil and gas revenue seen halving in December to lowest since August 2020—Russian state oil and gas revenue is likely to almost halve in December compared with a year ago to 410 billion roubles ($5.17 billion) as a result of...

+ Middle East Crude-Benchmarks register weekly decline amid ample supply—Middle East crude benchmark spot premiums of Oman and Murban moved downwards on Friday, while that of Dubai climbed. For this week, they all posted de...

+ Oil gains on Venezuelan supply concerns but remains on track for weekly loss—Oil prices rose on Friday, supported by concerns over Venezuelan supply disruptions, though they remained on track for a weekly decline as a supply gl...

+ Cold snap boosts US EIA’s spot gas price outlook for late 2025, early 2026—The US Energy Information Administration raised its forecast for US spot natural gas prices in late 2025 and early 2026, citing a December cold snap t...

+ China oil demand to plateau between 2025 and 2030, state researcher says—Chinas oil demand is forecast to plateau between the years 2025 and 2030, a research group linked to state oil major CNPC said, as the rise of electri...

+ IEA lowers 2026 oil glut forecast for first time since May—The International Energy Agency trimmed its forecast of next years global oil supply glut for the first time since May on Thursday, flagging higher de...

+ The desert pioneer behind our first oil discovery—As a global energy company with deep roots in Saudi Arabia’s history, we at Aramco owe much of our success to the pioneers who shaped the early chapte...

+ Exclusive: Lukoil leans towards Xtellus’ cashless bid for its foreign assets—Russias Lukoil favours U.S. bank Xtellus Partners bid for its global assets over a dozen rival bids, as it takes the form of a cashless deal that woul...

+ bp starts up seventh major project of 2025—bp successfully delivered first oil from the Atlantis Drill Center 1 expansion project in the US Gulf of America, its seventh upstream major project s...

+ BP, Woodside and Chevron are big winners at Gulf of Mexico oil and gas auction—BP BP., Woodside Energy and Chevron CVX were the top winners on Wednesday at the U.S. governments first sale of oil and gas drilling rights in the Gul...

+ OPEC Keeps 2026 Oil Demand Growth Forecast Unchanged at 1.4 mil bpd—Crude Oil Price Movements In November, the OPEC Reference Basket (ORB) value dropped by 74¢/b, month-on-month (m-o-m), to average $64.46/b. The ICE Br...

+ Global oil surplus masks diverging trends in different regions and markets—Highlights Global oil demand is set to rise by 830 kb/d in 2025 amid an improving macroeconomic and trade outlook. These brighter prospects extend to ...

+ Russian oil output nudges up in November, OPEC data shows—Russian oil production edged up in November to 9.367 million barrels per day, up 10,000 bpd from October, after the OPEC+ group of producing countries...

+ Asian Diesel timespreads soften; some January refiner sales in discount—Asias diesel front-month timespreads went back on a downward trajectory, nearing mid-month assessment month rollover, against a backdrop of rising sup...

+ Oil extends gains after US seizure of tanker off Venezuela—Oil rose for a second straight session on Thursday after the U.S. seized a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, escalating tensions between th...

+ China’s crude oil output set to hit record high in 2025—Chinas domestic crude oil production is expected to reach a record-high of 215 million metric tons for 2025, according to latest data from the Nationa...

+ Trump won’t turn Venezuela’s OPEC membership into a battleground—Venezuela is likely to retain its seat in OPEC even if U.S. President Donald Trump successfully forces a change of government in the oil-rich country,...

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As of 12/14/25 3:21am. Last new 12/13/25 3:05pm.

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As of 12/14/25 3:21am. Last new 11/23/25 6:48am.

+ US cement shipments rebound in July, led by Texas and Missouri—Cement shipments across the United States and Puerto Rico rose to an estimated 9.99 million metric tons in July 2025, according to newly released data...

+ India imports more Russian crude, but mix of buyers shifts—Indias crude oil imports from Russia are on track to climb to a six-month high in December as the worlds third-biggest buyer defies U.S. sanctions on ...

+ Russia’s Sibur ships LPG from Ust-Luga to China for the first time, LSEG data shows—Sibur, Russias largest producer and exporter of liquefied petroleum gas, has delivered a first cargo of LPG to China from the Baltic Sea port of Ust-L...

+ Bangladesh’s RPGCL seeks LNG cargo for Jan delivery, document shows—Bangladeshs Rupantarita Prakritik Gas Company Ltd (RPGCL) has issued a tender seeking a cargo of liquefied natural gas for delivery in January, accord...

+ US LNG exports will shrink if margin squeeze intensifies—Soaring U.S. natural gas prices are eroding profit margins for the nations LNG producers, a trend that could deepen in the coming years, forcing expor...

+ Argentine feed wheat draws Vietnamese buyers amid expectations of record harvest—Vietnamese feed mills have been showing renewed interest in Argentine feed wheat over the week of Dec. 4 as the South American country heads for a rec...

+ Oil exports via Caspian pipeline down 12% in November m/m, sources say—Oil exports of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), which ships oil from Kazakhstan via a pipeline and subsequently a Russian Black Sea terminal, de...

+ Glencore to ship first cobalt cargo under Congo’s new quota system—Glencore GLEN has become the first miner to export cobalt under Democratic Republic of Congos new quotas, sending a small initial shipment to test the...

+ GAIL India issues swap tender for LNG cargo, sources say—GAIL (India) GAIL has issued a swap tender, offering a U.S.-loaded liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo in exchange for one cargo delivery to India, said...

+ Kazakhstan to divert some Kashagan oil to China after Ukraine hit—Kazakhstan said on Wednesday it would redirect some oil from its Kashagan field to China and other routes after a Ukrainian drone attack last month on...

+ Australia’s APLNG offers cargo for February loading, say sources—Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) has offered a liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo for loading in February, two industry sources said on Wednesday. The car...

+ Major Asian refiners sell 2026 diesel cargoes at higher premiums—Major Asian refiners have locked in term deals for diesel exports in 2026 at higher premiums to benchmark Singapore prices than this year, several tra...

+ USDA leaves US soybean export outlook unchanged after China sales resume—The U.S. Department of Agriculture left its U.S. soybean export forecast unchanged in a monthly report on Tuesday as sales resumed to China, which for...

+ EU countries’ ambassadors approve phase out of Russian gas imports—European Union countries ambassadors on Wednesday greenlit the blocs plan to phase out Russian gas imports by late 2027, a spokesperson for Denmarks E...

+ China Steel Exports Surge But Aluminium Shipments Slide—Chinas exports of steel products have surged this year as domestic demand particularly from property development slumps, while those of aluminium ha...

+ Russia could boost LPG exports to China by 40% in 2026, consultancy says—Russia may increase liquefied petroleum gas supplies to China by 40% to 1.125 million metric tons next year, Petromarket consultancy said, as Moscow p...

+ Kazakhstan to supply some Kashagan oil to China directly due to CPC damage, sources say—Kazakhstan plans to supply 50,000 metric tons of crude to China directly from the vast Kashagan field in December for the first time after a Ukrainian...

+ India’s IOC seeks LNG cargo for January delivery, sources say—State-run Indian Oil Corp (IOC) issued a tender seeking a liquefied natural gas cargo for delivery in January, two industry sources said on Tuesday. I...

+ Saudi Aramco to export first condensate from Jafurah gas plant in February, sources say—State energy major Saudi Aramco plans to start exporting the first condensate produced from the Jafurah gas plant in February, two sources with knowle...

+ Vietnam raises cement and clinker exports in Nov amid stronger demand, new markets—Vietnam exported 3.55 million mt of clinker and cement in November, an increase of 61.9% year over year and 2.4% month over month, according to Vietna...

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As of 12/14/25 3:21am. Last new 12/14/25 3:21am.

+ Five debt hotspots in the AI data centre boom—As AI fever has propelled global stocks to record highs, the data centres needed to power the technology are increasingly being financed with debt, ad...

+ India’s inflation rises from record low, but economists see scope for another rate cut—Indias retail inflation rose in November from a record low in the prior month but stayed below the central banks target range for the third straight m...

+ India fixed-income market defies dovish central bank as rates rise—Indias overnight index swaps and government bond yields have climbed in the past week despite the central banks recent rate cut and liquidity injectio...

+ Japan’s core inflation likely held at 3.0% in November: Reuters poll—Japan’s core inflation rate likely held well above the central bank’s 2% target in November, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, although moderating food...

+ Cyprus to prioritise Moldova’s EU accession as it takes bloc’s presidency—Moldovas bid to join the European Union will be a priority for Cyprus when it takes over the blocs rotating presidency on January 1, President Nikos C...

+ UK public inflation expectations ticked lower in November, BoE says—The British publics expectations for inflation inched lower in November, according to a Bank of England survey published on Friday. The publics median...

+ Fed puts up guardrails for Jay Powell’s successor—The Federal Reserve’s eroding tradition of genteel consensus augurs a bigger clash with the White House. A divided decision to cut the benchmark inter...

+ Fed’s Goolsbee says dissent was in favor of waiting for more data, would have entailed little risk—Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said Friday that he dissented against the central banks recent quarter-point rate cut because he felt it was bet...

+ China’s small bank mergers shrink sector but raise financial risks—Many of Chinas newly merged small banks have seen profits fall and capital buffers shrink over the past year, a Reuters review of data showed, testing...

+ UK economy stumbled during bumpy run-up to budget—Britains economy shrank unexpectedly in the three months to October, losing momentum in the fraught run-up to finance minister Rachel Reeves budget , ...

+ AI succumbs to gravity in December—Without a doubt, anything to do with artificial intelligence has been the banner trade of 2025, lifting all boats, from chipmakers, to grid operators ...

+ China’s November new loans miss forecast as housing slump persists—China’s new bank loans rose less than expected in November, weighed down by a sharp slowdown in household borrowing amid a prolonged property slump, a...

+ What are credit default swaps and why are investors watching Oracle’s?—The cost of insuring Oracles ORCL debt against the risk of default has shot up after its latest earnings reignited worries about how much the broader ...

+ Consumer outlook 2026: wages up but European consumers still won’t spend—A fine labour market and real wage growth For households, 2025 marked another year of regaining purchasing power. Real wages in the eurozone grew by 2...

+ US inflation may slow, but the affordability debate is likely to keep raging—Even if overall inflation slows next year as the U.S. Federal Reserve anticipates, President Donald Trump will still face political headwinds over the...

+ Turkey cenbank chief says disinflation on track after latest rate cut—Turkish Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan said on Friday that short-term indicators and the medium-term outlook show that disinflation will continue...

+ Cred to the Fed? Jobless claims jump, trade gap hits narrowest in over five years—Defenders of Powell Cos December rate might look to todays data to support the notion that a softening labor market warranted the move. But is it smo...

+ Fed’s Hammack would prefer tighter policy given too high inflation—Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said Friday that given her own take on the economy she would prefer monetary policy to be tig...

+ Trump thinks more should be done to lower interest rates, White House says—President Donald Trump was happy to see the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points this week, but wants to see further reductions in bo...

+ BOJ to pledge more rate hikes at next week’s policy meeting, sources say—The Bank of Japan will likely maintain a pledge next week to keep raising interest rates, but stress the pace of further hikes will depend on how the ...

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As of 12/14/25 3:21am. Last new 12/10/25 5:25am.

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As of 12/14/25 3:21am. Last new 11/17/25 6:08pm.