Oil and gas; politics and economics; stuff and nonsense. Recovering journalist. Usual disclaimers apply.

London/Edinburgh/Oslo/Brisbane
Joined May 2008
An unexpected side effect that travelling abroad in Greece had for my knowledge of the Classics was a better understanding of Aristophanes. Famously he used the onomatopoeia Βρεκεκέξ ("brekekekex") for the chorus of "The Frogs". In the ruins of ancient Dion, I heard them:
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Anthea Pitt retweeted
Don’t worry, folks—if the Houthis block the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Trump will just double blockade it.
BREAKING: UK's Maritime Trade Operations organisation reports attempted boarding of vessel by armed group in Red Sea 🔴 LIVE updates: aje.news/x545rk?update=44862…
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Anthea Pitt retweeted
Fascinating to watch the old guard of neoconservative ideologues finally admit what the record shows: U.S. intervention often creates or worsens the very problems it claims to solve. Who says people don’t change? Now if only that message reached the new crop at FDD, UANI, WINEP…
From Robert Kagan, neocon godfather. Nothing to see here, to be sure. (This is extraordinary)
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Seems like time to resurface some old "bring back boring" comments
Dear god, I miss boring something fierce.
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What just happened in Qatar is a structural break for global gas and LNG markets. This is not a marginal disruption. It is the core of the system. Qatar had already halted LNG production earlier this month and declared force majeure, removing ~19% of global LNG supply. The latest strikes now raise serious questions about the timeline for any restart. Before this, the market consensus assumed a short disruption. A few months of outage, followed by a gradual restart and a return to normal balances by mid-2026. That assumption no longer holds. Even under optimistic conditions, restarting LNG is not immediate. Upstream restarts, train-by-train ramp-up, and now potential repairs to damaged infrastructure all extend timelines. What was expected to take weeks could now take months. And duration is everything. At current run rates, every month of disruption removes roughly 1.5% of global annual LNG supply. After five to six months, the market is structurally short year-on-year, even before accounting for demand growth. This shifts the entire balance. Supply growth was expected to add ~35 mt in 2026. That is now at risk. Delays to North Field expansion projects could push tightness into 2027 and beyond. The consequences cascade quickly: First, pricing. This is no longer volatility. It is a sustained repricing higher, driven by physical scarcity. Second, demand. Asia will absorb the shock first. Buyers most exposed to Qatari volumes will be forced into demand destruction, fuel switching, or high-priced spot procurement. Growth expectations will reverse. Third, Europe. Lower LNG availability means reduced storage injections and continued fuel switching. Storage levels risk remaining well below comfortable thresholds unless demand is curtailed further. Fourth, system response. Maintenance will be deferred. Every available molecule will be pushed into the market. Sanctioned or politically complex supply sources may be reconsidered simply because alternatives are limited. Fifth, strategy. This is a reminder of concentration risk. Ras Laffan is an extraordinarily efficient integrated hub. In peacetime, that is an advantage. In conflict, it becomes a single point of failure with global consequences. Finally, reliability. Gas markets are large, but not flexible. They cannot easily absorb shocks of this scale. Security of supply, diversification, and portfolio flexibility will move back to the centre of decision-making. This is not a temporary disruption. It is a reset of how the market prices risk, reliability, and concentration in the global LNG system.
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I wonder if people are aware that the OPEC oil embargo of 1973 lasted six months. Yet the inflationary effects of that six month embargo were felt for the rest of the decade.
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Anthea Pitt retweeted
(Public) Venezuela Regime Change And The Impact On The Oil Market hfir.com/p/public-venezuela-…
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The internet shutdown in Afghanistan happened in real time in my online poetry class on Monday. The women's accounts dropped out one by one. The last to go was Neda. Just before her image froze, I promised to put her poem on Twitter. She's 11. Online was her last hope of education. @WRNAfghanistan
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I am really glad I didn’t grow up to be one of the UN’s simultaneous translators.
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We would like to honour the men and women of the First Nations Regional Dialogues and the National Constitutional Convention at Uluṟu. Thank you for your mighty contribution to the nation. Thank you for the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart. Our people were excluded from the drafting of the Constitution. We were excluded from the nation’s constitutional order until 1967. We remain subject to the “Race power”. You were asked by the Commonwealth, “What is meaningful recognition to you?” And your answer was Recognition thru a Voice. The Voice is intended to include communities in Australian democracy and decision-making. History will remember the courageous and patient men and women of the Uluṟu Dialogues. It’s their legacy we celebrate today. Megan and Pat. Xx
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I agree
Not going to lie. I feel so deeply ashamed and embarrassed to be an Australian tonight. I’m so sorry to Indigenous people for failing you today.
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Climate-aware British friends: do not fight against the North Sea oil and gas leases. Fight for insulation, heat pumps, EVs and hybrids, pumped storage and other hydro, onshore and offshore wind (solar is going to do well enough without you fighting)
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So finely poised, this match should be a prima ballerina #ENGvsAUS
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The upcoming Referendum is a momentous opportunity for our nation to make substantive and meaningful change for First Nations Peoples. Learn more about a First Nations Voice on ulurustatement.org #UluruStatement

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This is a historic day. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders have laid the foundation for hope. We have announced the referendum question and constitutional provision to establish a Voice.
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"Here is the street, and here is the door/ Same as it was before/ And up the stairs, and on the wall/ Was Doisneau's Kiss and Terry Hall..." 💔
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Anthea Pitt retweeted
Twice in MY lifetime, I have seen this amazing work by nature along salty freezing shorelines. These are frozen ice made into balls by gentle ocean waves, nature's magical work. Elders calls them Ice Eggs. Mannet nelaujat.
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Anthea Pitt retweeted
Friends, it’s hard to put the universe into language and into a short message, but She passed away last night, surrounded by family and love, including yours. Keep her name close and sacred. Share this moment with someone who needs you. Love is indeed the most important thing.
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A fire in the shape of the words, “Mahsa Amini” was lit at the top of the mountains overlooking Tehran xitter.cf/1500tasvir/status/1585…
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