Energy
1. Six EU member states intensify efforts to impose a windfall profits tax on energy across the EU.
2. High temperatures coupled with supply disruptions in the Middle East have pushed Japanese electricity prices to a more than three-year high.
3. Reports indicate that Iraq and Qatar are tendering for the sale of crude oil loaded in the Strait of Hormuz.
4. Shell seeks to sell its US chemical assets at low prices, attracting bidders such as ExxonMobil.
5. Goldman Sachs: Slow recovery in Strait of Hormuz exports necessitates continued increases in European LNG prices to compete for inventory.
6. Ukrainian Energy Minister: Ukraine has 14.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas stored underground.
7. According to the Oman News Agency: Oman's net oil revenues in the second quarter increased by 10% year-on-year, reaching 3.3 billion Omani riyals.
8. Norwegian Energy Minister: Norway plans to maintain current oil and gas production and export levels until at least 2035.
9. Sources: Due to strong demand and tight supply, Russian Urals crude oil is once again priced higher than Brent crude in India.
10. Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council: Iran has shipped out 70 million barrels of oil in just the past "one or two months."
11. Iran announced the discovery of a large natural gas field with reserves exceeding 7.5 trillion cubic feet (approximately 212.4 billion cubic meters), of which approximately 5.7 trillion cubic feet (approximately 161.4 billion cubic meters) are recoverable.
Agriculture/Mining
1. Thailand is considering imposing taxes on gold trading and imports to curb illicit capital flows.
2. Gold prices rose to a more than three-month high, with the market focusing on key US inflation data and Warsh's speech.
3. Goldman Sachs: Still believes there are significant upside risks to its year-end 2026 gold price forecast of $4,900 per ounce.
4. UBS: Expects the copper market shortage to widen to 379,000 tons in 2027, up from 219,000 tons in 2026.
5. International Copper Study Group: The global refined copper market will experience a 60,000-ton supply shortage in June 2026.
6. Reserve Bank of India: As of August 14, India's gold reserves stood at $111.42 billion, an increase from $108.74 billion the previous week.
Iran Situation
1. Kpler: Fewer than 20 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.
2. The US military claims to have intercepted 75 merchant ships since imposing a naval blockade on Iran.
3. US House Speaker: The US-Iran war will soon enter a "new phase."
4. Bessant writes: The economic war against Iran will be like the "Normandy landings."
5. Iran says it has developed countermeasures against all kinds of hostile actions by the US.
6. An Iranian parliamentary committee approved charging service fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
7. Iranian official: If the US wages an economic war, there will be no more oil exports from the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
