Ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz remain below the monthly average amid fluctuating tensions between the United States and Iran over control of the waterway, Reuters reported.

According to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler, commodity ship passages through Hormuz saw a slight rise on August 13, though levels stayed below the August daily average of 12.

Kpler figures showed nine vessels passed through the strait on Thursday, up from five the day before. These included five ships entering the Gulf and four heading out into the Gulf of Oman, primarily through the Iranian shipping channel.

At the same time, 19 commodity vessels sailed through the Bab al-Mandeb strait on Thursday with active transponders, holding relatively steady compared with 20 from the previous day, the data indicated.

Reports of US Sailors in Middle East Trying to Jump Ship Prompt Outcry

Lawmakers in the United States have raised the alarm over conditions on an aircraft carrier deployed to the Middle East amid the US-Israel war with Iran, including accounts of sailors trying to jump overboard, Al Jazeera reported. They asked Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth for information about conditions on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal noted that the aircraft carrier, with more than 5,000 US sailors and Marines, has been “continuously at sea for a record length of nearly seven months”. That surpasses any previous deployment of a US aircraft carrier without a port stop. Blumenthal noted that the vessel’s mission was meant to end in May but has been repeatedly extended amid the war on Iran. The conflict remains in a state of grinding limbo, with a memorandum of understanding to end the fighting largely defunct and further diplomatic efforts stalled

Global Oil Stocks: Is There Enough to Weather Another Six Months of US-Iran War?

As the U.S. war drags on, are global oil stocks enough to offset what could become the biggest supply disruption on record? Saudi Aramco says the world has lost 2.6 billion barrels of oil. Remaining IEA government-held stocks have dropped below 1 billion barrels, Reuters reported. IEA stocks consist of government-held stocks and commercial stocks — together standing at 1.5 billion barrels and enough to cover the current estimated supply gap of 5 million bpd for 300 days.However, the IEA cannot order the release of commercial stocks, such as those held by refiners for operational reasons. That leaves only 0.9 billion in government-held stocks — enough to cover the supply gap for 180 days. Crude oil stocks in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to the lowest levels since January 1983, when Ronald Reagan was president. If the U.S. has only 200 million barrels of accessible SPR stocks left, they can cover just 40 days of the current supply gap, the newswire said.

Emails Show Big Carmakers Were Worried About E20 Contamination Before Public Retraction

Emails between industry executives, reviewed by Reuters, showed that top automakers Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Mahindra discussed their concerns about contamination of petrol blended with 20% ethanol, called E20.

With no other petrol available since April 1, consumer concerns have grown about the impact on vehicle performance.

The carmakers' emails show for the first time how they are privately worried about contaminants in E20, like chloride and moisture, which they say are hurting vehicles, even as they publicly back the government's rollout of the fuel.

India made public assurances last week that its ethanol-blended petrol was safe, following which the country's main auto lobby withdrew a complaint about fuel contamination it had sent to the government a week earlier. The group said some figures needed more checks.

Global Planned Coal Production Rose by 2.5 Bn Tonnes in 2025 “Almost Entirely” From Mines of Jharkhand and Odisha: Report

Jharkhand and Odisha’s mining proposals last year were “almost entirely” responsible for the world's planned coal supply to increase by 2.5 bn per year, the Guardian reported citing the Global Energy Monitor report. The newspaper said the Indian states “doubled their proposals for new coal mines in line with an ambitious plan from India’s ministry of coal to increase the country’s output”.

The outlet said India plans to increase its coal production by nearly 100m tonnes to 1.15bn tonnes in the 2025-26 fiscal year to help meet the country’s rising demand for electricity to support economic growth and contend with heatwaves, which have become more severe and more frequent because of the climate crisis. According to Reuters coal-mine proposals ⁠increased but, “new capacity additions fell nearly 40% in 2025”, due to declines in China and Australia, according to the report.

Small Steel Companies Can Cut Emissions and Save Money With Switch to Renewable Energy

Smaller steel makers who produce nearly 40% of India's crude steel could cut their electricity bills by about a third while sharply reducing carbon emissions by switching to renewable energy, AP reported citing the report, "Powering India's Secondary Steel Transition," the small companies are facing losses because of the rising fuel costs triggered by shortages driven by Iran war.

The report said renewable electricity could reduce annual power costs by about 22 million to 24 million rupees ($250,000 to $275,000) per unit, or up to 34%.

The report was jointly produced by the Confederation of Indian Industry, WWF-India, the nonprofit group Climate Catalyst and the think tank JMK Research.

For the First Time Russia Imports Gasoline From India

According to a Bloomberg report, Russia has started importing gasoline from India for the first time as repeated Ukrainian attacks on its refineries have deepened fuel shortages in the domestic market. Global energy markets are reeling under the twin impacts of wars in West Asia and Europe.

According to Kpler data quoted in a Bloomberg report, this marks Moscow's first import of gasoline from the South Asian nation. The long-distance shipment underscores the severity of the supply crunch that Russia is facing.

Kpler data shows the first cargo arrived on August 5, with additional shipments expected to follow. Nayara Energy Ltd, the Indian refiner backed by Russia's largest oil producer Rosneft PJSC, has emerged as a supplier. The fuel is being transported through a chain of Russian-linked tankers, involving ship-to-ship transfers off the coast of Egypt, the Bloomberg report said.

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