Argus Media

In this week's episode, Tom Reed is joined by John Olett, Head of EMEA Freight, and Nader Itayim, Head of Dubai Editorial examine Washington's latest efforts to isolate Iran economically, the state of Iran's domestic economy and whether mounting hardship could influence Tehran's negotiating position.

The discussion also tackles one of the most important questions in global oil markets today: how much crude is actually getting out of the Strait of Hormuz? With estimates varying widely and volatility remaining elevated, the answer has major implications for oil prices, trade flows and market sentiment.

A sharp reduction in Russian diesel exports is creating a new strain on an already fragile global market. In this episode of Driving Discussions, Benedict George (Editor, Argus European Products) and Josh Michalowski (Diesel Market Reporter) discuss how the loss of Russian supply is reshaping trade flows and intensifying pressure across European and international diesel markets.

They examine how supply disruption spreads between regions, why Europe remains exposed even without importing Russian diesel directly, and whether refiners and consumers can absorb another period of market tightness.

• Growing pressures in global diesel supply chains and their wider market impact
• How shifting trade flows are reshaping diesel markets around the world
• The factors driving unprecedented volatility in diesel pricing
• Why global energy markets are becoming increasingly interconnected
• The challenges facing refiners, traders and fuel consumers in today's market

 

A guerra no Oriente Médio alterou fluxos de asfalto e pressionou preços. Entenda os impactos para a América Latina com especialistas.

A look at the logistical, pricing and seasonal consequences of restricted access to Germany’s inland LPG market.

Record-low Rhine water levels have brought LPG barge traffic to a near standstill, cutting German buyers off from the ARA hub and disrupting a vital route for European supply. In this episode of Global LPG Conversations, David Appleton (Senior Vice-President, Global LPG) speaks with Waldemar Jaszczyk (Deputy Editor) about how extreme drought is affecting petrochemical demand, inland distribution and LPG pricing across the region.

Key themes:

• German crackers lose access to key butane supplies
• Limited alternatives: rail and low-water barges struggle to fill the gap
• Winter supply risk: volatile propane pricing meets low German stocks

Critical minerals have become central to geopolitics, industrial policy and the energy transition. But who ultimately controls supply chains, and can western governments realistically challenge China's dominance?

In this episode, Argus battery materials reporter Chris Welch speaks with journalist and author Nicolas Niarchos, whose book The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth follows cobalt, copper and other critical minerals from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo to the industries that depend on them.

Key topics include:

• Whether western financial systems are suited to commodity investing
• China's influence over markets and even prices
• The influence of long-term contracts in cobalt over spot markets
• The reliability of data for industrial pricing benchmarks
• Whether a focus on extraction neglects the role of surrounding infrastructure
• The challenges facing governments

Dila Odluyurt, senior reporter covering the Turkish PE, PP and PVC markets, speaks about:

• Key developments in the Turkish polymers market since July
• How freight conditions have affected market dynamics
• The current market landscape and key factors influencing the outlook

Record U.S. biofuels compliance mandates, EPA small refinery exemptions, and shifting supply chains continue to influence RIN supply dynamics, adding complexity to increasingly sophisticated forecast models.

In this episode, Philip Goughary (Business Development Manager, Renewables and Biofuels) speaks with Zander Capozzola (Principal Consultant, Renewable Fuels) about why understanding the RIN bank is now central to pricing, positioning and compliance risk.

The conversation looks at how RIN balances have become more complex in 2026, what “paper blending” means for the market, and why Argus Biofuels Outlook uses live compliance modelling to track policy, production, feedstock and credit signals across a 15-month forecast horizon.

This week episode, Tom Reed is joined by John Ollett, Head of EMEA Freight, and Nader Itayim, Head of Dubai Editorial break down the latest developments in Middle East crude logistics, alternative export routes and what they could mean for global oil markets.

Welcome to Episode 23 of the Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast, part of the Chemical Conversations series.

In this episode, Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers talks with Dave McCaskill, Argus VP of Methanol and Derivatives on:

• How supply dynamics in the Strait of Hormuz are leading to tightening market conditions
• Why global methanol demand is set to decrease in 2026
• The pricing outlook for Asia and the Atlantic Basin

Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial. 

In this episode, ElectraLith chief executive Charlie McGill explains how the company's electrochemical extraction and refining technology aims to eliminate water and chemical use during processing, while helping bring new lithium resources into production.

Key topics include:

• ElectraLith's Captura partnership and pilot programme
• Why water is becoming a key lithium constraint
• The economics of direct lithium extraction and refining
• The challenge of refining outside China
• Where governments should focus funding