Erik Broekhuizen / Poten & Partners
Running Out of Options: Conflict Restricts Saudi Oil Exports
Saudi Arabia has traditionally been the beacon of stability within OPEC. It is the Middle East's largest producer, reliably supply...
Poten: VLCC Rates Hit Unprecedented Levels Amidst Mideast Conflict
Participants in the tanker industry are no strangers to market cycles combined with extreme volatility. However, even seasoned vet...
Will Chinese Oil Imports Rebound After the Iran War?
For several decades, there has been one reliable growth engine for oil demand in the world: China. China’s massive growth in oil d...
Op-Ed: Sanctions Drive Growth of a Parallel Shipping Economy
The Russia – Ukraine war started on 24 February 2022, when Moscow invaded its neighbor. The invasion triggered widespread condemna...
Houthi Blockade Complicates Saudi Tanker Logistics
On July 19, Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement declared a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia. The Houthis stated that the blockade...
Full Steam Ahead In the Strait of Hormuz? Not So Fast
On June 17, the US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding (the “Islamabad Memorandum” or MoU). This set up a 60-da...
"Energy Dominance" In Action
The crisis in the Middle East and in particular the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has upended global oil markets. Both...
Analysis: Foreign-Flag Waiver Doesn't Put Jones Act Fleet at Risk
On March 18, 2026, the Trump administration announced the approval of a 60-day Jones Act waiver to allow foreign-flagged ship to m...
U.S. Petroleum Reserve Release Will Likely Boost Oil Exports to Asia
The conflict between the US., Israel and Iran is entering its third week and the Strait of Hormuz remains virtually closed. This h...
Tanker Orders: Too Much, or Not Enough?
Last week, in our annual forecasting opinion ("A Fool's Game?"), we prognosticated that the tanker orderbook will decline in 2026....