Energy
1. Argentina's daily oil production hit a record high in July.
2. US media: The US seeks to acquire stakes in some Venezuelan oil fields.
3. Deepening relations with the US, Venezuela reportedly plans to withdraw from OPEC.
4. Qatar Energy sold at least 7 million barrels of crude oil for October loading.
5. Goldman Sachs: Persian Gulf oil exports have recovered to about two-thirds of pre-war levels.
6. Sources: The Trump administration is considering increasing biofuel quotas by 500 million gallons in 2027.
7. With surging demand in Asia, Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petrobras, is considering resuming liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
8. Market news: Qatar extends its force majeure order on Pakistani LNG until October.
9. According to Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya TV: A senior Iranian official stated that due to the US naval blockade, Iran is unable to import enough fuel to compensate for insufficient domestic production.
10. EIA Natural Gas Report: As of the week ending August 21, total U.S. natural gas inventories stood at 3.184 trillion cubic feet, an increase of 15 billion cubic feet from the previous week.
Agriculture/Mining
1. Russian media: Rusal plans to freeze some of its alumina assets.
2. Canada expands retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. by 50%, adding copper wire and charcoal.
3. Thai petrochemical giant: The oversupply situation in the petrochemical industry is beginning to ease.
4. Thai industry association: The Thai Ministry of Finance has no intention of imposing a gold tax in the near future.
5. Governor of the Bank of Thailand: Restrictions on gold trading may be further tightened.
6. Industry association: El Niño may lead to a 3 million-ton reduction in Indonesian palm oil production next year.
7. South African Finance Minister approves sugar price increase, raising the reference price for sugar from $680 to $785 per ton.
Iran Situation
1. US military says it has cleared mines from the international shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz.
2. The US Department of Justice plans to reopen the arrest warrant for the seizure of Iranian oil tankers.
3. US media reports that the Trump administration has refused to return to the agreement reached with Iran in June.
4. Trump: The Strait of Hormuz is open; we had 24 ships pass through last night.
5. Iran's Oil Minister stated that despite reductions, Iran's offshore oil sales and deliveries have not stopped.
6. US Treasury Secretary Bessenter: In the past 14 days, the US has diverted 130 million barrels of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran's crude oil exports have been zero.
7. Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council: The mediators have requested Iran to propose conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz; Tehran is preparing a list of these conditions.
