Energy:
1. Norwegian Petroleum Board: Norway's preliminary oil production in July was 1.775 million barrels per day, and preliminary natural gas production in July was 10.9 billion cubic meters.
2. Iraq: Construction of new oil export pipelines may take 2-3 years.
3. Zaporizhia nuclear power plant lost external power and switched to backup power.
4. OPEC: Global natural gas demand will increase significantly by 2050.
5. Statoil: An agreement has been reached to sell crude oil to Orlen in Poland. The agreement covers the sale of crude oil to Orlen's refineries in Poland, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. The agreement will begin in early September and last for three years, with the annual supply agreement increasing from 5 million tons to over 9 million tons.
6. Tajikistan: Has applied to import more than 2.5 million tons of oil and fuel from Iran.
7. Vice President of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, PDVSA: Venezuelan crude oil exports have increased by 19.7% so far in 2026. 8. According to preliminary plans, Angola plans to ship 30 crude oil cargoes in October, down from the 34 cargoes planned in September.
9. Germany lowered its winter gas storage forecast, stating that 60% to 70% of its inventory is sufficient.
10. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that the U.S. generated 796 million biodiesel (D4) blending credits in July, down from 841 million in June. The U.S. generated 1.29 billion ethanol (D6) blending credits in July, up from 1.28 billion in June.
11. The U.S. approved early sales of gasoline for winter to alleviate fuel price pressures.
12. Oil and gas companies are competing with data centers for electricity, posing a risk of power outages in West Texas oil-producing regions.
Agriculture/Mining:
1. Swiss gold exports fell 11% month-on-month in July to 155 tons.
2. Ukrainian Railways reported that since August, the volume of grain transported by Ukraine for export has fallen 68% month-on-month to 342,000 tons.
3. Ukrainian Agriculture Minister: From August 1st to 18th, Ukraine exported 522,000 tons of grain, approximately 20% of its export potential.
4. Grain exports from the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine have almost come to a standstill.
5. Ukrainian Agriculture Minister: Due to supply shortages in the Black Sea region, global wheat prices may rise by $80 per ton.
6. Morgan Stanley: Gold prices are expected to break $5,000 in 2027 or earlier.
7. Mining company Jervois will receive $100 million from the US for a cobalt refinery.
8. A US-backed consortium plans to invest $500 million in developing a large nickel mine in Tanzania.
9. Russia reduced its gold holdings by 1.6 million ounces this year, bringing its reserves to their lowest level since 2020.
10. China's National Bureau of Statistics: The total output of early rice in China in 2026 is projected to be 28.292 million tons (56.58 billion jin).
Iran Situation:
1. Negotiations between Iran and Oman on a ship passage mechanism in the Strait of Hormuz are nearing completion.
2. Qatar seeks to join forces with Egypt to push for a ceasefire between the US and Iran, calling for unimpeded navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
3. The US approves a $4.5 billion arms sale to Qatar.
4. Iranian officials: Plans to attack oil export facilities, intended to strike at Trump before the US midterm elections.
5. Preliminary data from Kpler shows that seven cargo ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, down from 14 on Wednesday.
Other: 1. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Peru, with tremors felt in the capital, Lima.
