Oil producers under pressure in 2025
Trump may get his wish for cheaper oil, but prices will more likely be driven by fundamentals than policies
Nobody could accuse President Trump of being dull. His campaign slogan “drill, baby, drill” is being repeated even after the January inauguration. Regulations are being relaxed to allow oil and gas companies to invest in expanding production. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve will, apparently, be re-filled to capacity—an increase of nearly 300m bl from today’s level. Tariffs are promised against Canada, China, Mexico and the EU, among others, to force them to either export less to the US or import more from the US. Sanctions against Iran, Russia and Venezuela might be toughened in the coming months. And this could be just the start. Ultimately, for all the sound and fury of Trump’s initiatives
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally






