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Bullish As of Jul 15, 2026 08:00 ET Download PDF

Daily Energy & Shipping Briefing — Jul 15, 2026

Energy markets are experiencing a bullish sentiment driven by escalating US-Iran tensions and threats to the Strait of Hormuz, which are pushing crude oil prices higher. Meanwhile, softer-than-expected inflation data provided some support to equities, while natural gas prices are consolidating after a recent slump.

Energy Prices

Crude

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
Brent ICE $/bbl 86.19 +1.46
WTI NYMEX $/bbl 79.67 +0.33

Products

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
RBOB Gasoline NYMEX c/gal 325.52 +2.79
Heating Oil NYMEX c/gal 399.75 -1.68

Natural Gas

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
US Henry Hub NYMEX $/MMBtu 2.89 -0.01

Natural Gas Liquids

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
US Mont Belvieu Propane NYMEX $/mt 384.64 +3.59

Price Spreads

Instrument Unit Last Δ Day
RBOB Gasoline/Brent Crack Spread $/bbl 50.53 -0.29

Shipping Rates & Bunkers

Dirty Tanker (Spot TCE, $/day)

Vessel Route Spot TCE Avg YTD
VLCC, 270 AG-FE 40,300 39,700
Suezmax, 130 WAF-UKC 32,000 31,500

Clean Tanker (Spot TCE, $/day)

Vessel Route Spot TCE Avg YTD
LR2, 75 AG-FE 20,500 26,400
MR, 37 TC2 (UKC-USAC) 18,000 21,000

Time Charter & Asset Values

Vessel 1yr ($/day) Newbuild ($M) 5yr ($M)
VLCC, 200+ 49,000 127.0 112.0
Aframax, 100 28,000 68.0 55.0

LNG Vessels ($/day)

Type Spot Sentiment 52wk Avg
160M3 Tri-fuel diesel electric (East) 13,000 Flat 30,231
174M3 TFDE (Atlantic) 15,000 Firm 35,000

Bunkers ($/mt)

Port VLSFO HSFO MGO
Singapore 653.0 461.0 953.0

LPG (Spot TCE, $/day)

VLGC, 44 (AG-Japan) 34,643
VLGC, 44 (USGC-Japan) 42,000

Carbon Markets

Instrument Unit Bid Offer
European Union Allowances (Spot) EUR/ton 81.85 81.87

Equities & Currencies

Index Region Last Δ Day
S&P 500 United States 7,543.59 +28.25
Nasdaq Composite United States 26,107.01 +233.83
Pair Region Last Δ Day
EUR/$ European Union 1.14 +0.00

Developments

  • Brent Tops $85 As Supply Risk Raises Oil Prices

    Brent crude climbed above $85 a barrel on July 15, 2026, after US President Donald Trump threatened to target Iran's energy infrastructure, reviving concerns about global oil supply disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz.

    MarketForces Africa / The Sunday Guardian / BNN Bloomberg · Jul 15, 2026

  • LNG Bunker Prices Surge at Rotterdam and Singapore Amid Supply Fears and Heatwaves

    LNG bunker prices at Rotterdam surged $78/MT and Singapore $26/MT on July 15, 2026, as TTF and JKM rose due to supply fears from Strait of Hormuz attacks and US-Iran strikes, compounded by European heatwaves and tight EU gas storage.

    IndexBox · Jul 15, 2026

  • S&P 500 Rises as Soft Inflation Data, Bank Earnings Buoy Sentiment

    The S&P 500 rose on July 14, 2026, after softer-than-expected inflation data fueled hopes for a less hawkish Federal Reserve stance on interest rates, while upbeat second-quarter results lifted most big bank stocks.

    Morningstar / Reuters / San Mateo Daily Journal · Jul 14, 2026

  • EU to Give Companies 10 Years to Use New €30 Billion Carbon Fund

    The European Union plans to offer its energy-intensive industries up to 10 years of additional support to transition to cleaner production, under a plan to transfer €30 billion worth of allowances from the bloc's carbon market.

    Financial Post / Bloomberg News · Jul 15, 2026

  • Natural Gas Futures Seek Footing as Midweek Trading Gets Rolling

    Natural gas futures traded mostly sideways early on July 15, 2026, as bargain buyers entered the market after a slump, but hefty supply continued to loom large, keeping prices in check despite strong demand spikes from scorching heat.

    Natural Gas Intelligence (NGI) · Jul 15, 2026

  • Petroleum markets responded to disruptions in the Middle East in the second quarter

    Petroleum markets in 2Q26 were characterized by continued disruptions to international crude oil and petroleum product flows through the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to higher and more volatile crude oil prices.

    U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) · Jul 15, 2026