Today’s Key Takeaways: Israeli strike on Qatar impacts oil. Exxon sees long-term LNG contracts with Europe. Alaska Mining Employment in 2025: An Overview of Statewide Sector Growth. Trumps move to pressure Putin.
OIL:
Oil Analysts Examine Israeli Strike in Qatar
Andreas Exarheas, Rigzone, September 10, 2025
In a report sent to Rigzone on Wednesday by the Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB) team, SEB Chief Commodities Analyst Bjarne Schieldrop noted that Brent crude “ma[de]… some gains as Israel’s attack on Hamas in Qatar rattle[d]… markets”.
“Brent crude spiked to a high of $67.38 per barrel yesterday as Israel made a strike on Hamas in Qatar, but it wasn’t able to hold on to that level and only closed up 0.6 percent in the end at $66.39 per barrel,” he added.
“This morning it is starting on the up with a gain of 0.9 percent at $67 per barrel – still rattled by Israel’s attack on Hamas in Qatar yesterday,” he continued.
“Brent is getting some help on the margin this morning with Asian equities higher and copper gaining half a percent, but the dark cloud of surplus ahead is nonetheless hanging over the market with Brent trading two dollars lower than last Tuesday,” he said.
GAS:
Exxon Expects Long-Term LNG Commitments From Europe
Irina Slav, OilPrice.Com, September 10, 2025
Exxon expects European gas buyers to commit to long-term supply deals with U.S. sellers, the Financial Times has reported, as Europe has become the most important market for U.S. liquefied gas.
These contracts would be part of a broader commitment that the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen made to President Trump for the EU to buy $750 billion worth of U.S. oil and gas until 2028.
The European Union has been averse to long-term gas commitments for years, in the belief that gas would not be part of its energy mix over the longer term, so spot market purchases and shorter contracts of one to two years were the smarter bet. According to Exxon’s senior vice president of LNG, Peter Clarke, this was starting to change.
Earlier this year, Italy’s Eni inked a 20-year contract with Venture Global for the delivery of 2 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually. Venture Global scored another 20-year deal with Germany’s state gas buyer SEFE, which also sealed an LNG delivery deal with Conoco, for a shorter period of 10 years.
Exxon itself is still building its Golden Pass LNG plant in a joint venture with QatarEnergy. The facility is expected to be commissioned in 2026 and later reach a peak capacity of 15 million tons. A lot of this could end up going into Europe in the context of the EC commitment and President Trump’s recent call on the EU to give up all Russian energy imports.
The EU already imports 55% of its LNG from the United States, up by 20% from last year, according to Exxon’s Clarke. That number could go up to 66% with new long-term commitments and a further shift away from Russian energy, regardless of the cost differentials.
MINING:
Alaska Mining Jobs & Diamond Mine Trends 2025: Comprehensive Industry Outlook, Opportunities & Environmental Roles
Farmonaut, September 10, 2025
Alaska Mining Employment in 2025: An Overview of Statewide Sector Growth
Alaska remains one of the most promising regions in the United States for mining activities in 2025. Mining is a cornerstone of the state’s economy, contributing significantly to local and state revenues, employment, and the broader resource supply chains that span the globe. The state’s rich and vast resources—including gold, zinc, silver, lead, coal, and the emerging Alaska diamond mine ventures—ensure ongoing interest from industry stakeholders, job seekers, and policymakers.
Recent projections indicate that Alaska mining employment will remain stable or grow slightly in the coming year as new projects come online and existing operations expand. This trend offers a diverse range of opportunities in both direct and indirect jobs, particularly in rural and remote terrain where economic diversification options are often limited.
The mining sector’s vitality is reinforced by Alaska’s unique geological composition. Stretching over thousands of miles and containing a variety of mineral-rich terrains, Alaska provides a robust backdrop for mining employment and new ventures. This includes a combination of both large-scale, technologically advanced mining operations and smaller, artisanal mines spread throughout the state.
POLITICS:
Trump’s Bold Move to Pressure Putin
Tsevatana Paraskova, OilPrice.Com, September 10, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China and India over their imports of Russian oil in an attempt to force Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to sit down for genuine peace talks for Ukraine.
President Trump told EU diplomats when he dialed into a meeting in Washington on Tuesday that the U.S. is willing to impose massive tariffs on India and China, but only if the EU agrees to do the same, the Financial Times reported, citing officials with knowledge of the matter.
“We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” a U.S. official told FT.
President Trump and the White House appear to be increasingly frustrated with Putin’s lack of any engagement on peace despite the lapse of a U.S. deadline, and with the increasingly aggressive Russian attacks on Ukraine.
The idea of the massive tariffs on China and India would be to force them to stop buying Russian oil, according to U.S. officials.
However, the EU could face challenges in agreeing unanimously on such tariffs. First, that’s not the typical EU policy and second, some EU member states such as Hungary and Slovakia have opposed sanctions on Russian energy unless they obtain some concessions or guarantees.
The EU is weighing options to impose fresh sanctions on Russia’s oil industry and exports by sanctioning major energy firms and erecting more barriers to Russian oil trade, sources with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg earlier this week.
EU officials are discussing this week in Washington potential coordinated joint EU-U.S. sanctions on Russia to force Putin to negotiations on peace in Ukraine, according to Bloomberg’s sources.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, told NBC News the United States is open to partnering with Europe to impose more sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil to try to “collapse” the Russian economy.
“We are prepared to increase pressure on Russia, but we need our European partners to follow us,” Bessent said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”