Commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained severely restricted Tuesday as an Iraqi crude supertanker reversed course near the U.S. naval blockade line, underscoring mounting risks for oil and LNG flows through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
Seadrill added more than $860 million to its offshore drilling contract backlog during first-quarter 2026, supported by new deepwater rig awards and extensions across Brazil, the U.S. Gulf and Angola as the company pointed to strengthening demand for offshore drilling services.
Brent crude oil fell 4.3% to $96.96 per barrel on May 7, 2026, during volatile trading, as renewed hopes of a U.S.-Iran peace deal emerged, according to market analysts. The benchmark slipped $4.31 from its May 6 close, with intraday fluctuations of up to 4.6%, exchange data showed. Shipping giant Maersk warned that even if a peace agreement were reached soon, high energy costs would persist due to structural supply constraints.
The United States Department of Defense said its ceasefire with Iran remains in place despite renewed clashes in and around the Strait of Hormuz, where vessel attacks and missile strikes have heightened risks to global oil shipping.
The U.S. continues to seek to pile pressure on Iran with the naval blockade outside the Strait of Hormuz as the Trump Administration signals the blockade is yielding results and will not be lifted anytime soon.
The UAE’s ADNOC plans to invest billions of dollars in building a presence in the U.S. natural gas industry, the Financial Times reported today, citing the chief executive of ADNOC’s international investment division, XRG.
U.S. Department of the Interior has reached agreements with two offshore wind developers to terminate lease positions and redirect capital into conventional energy projects, marking a notable shift in U.S. energy policy and investment flows.
Days after saying it would not extend a sanction waiver for Russian crude sold to Indian refiners, the U.S. Treasury Department changed its mind and extended the waiver for two weeks until mid-May.
U.S. officials are pressing domestic oil producers to increase output as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz tighten global supply and push crude prices higher.
The Trump administration sanctioned more than a dozen entities tied to the network of Iranian oil kingpin Hossein Shamkhani, part of its campaign to maintain pressure on Tehran amid diplomatic talks and a standoff in the Strait of Hormuz.