oil

Half of all the oil we need passes through two runners, and one is right now the hottest point of the planet

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We can think that overall supply chain It is solid due to the number of transport options. However, commercial networks in huge airplanes, the rail transport that China wants to boost With his new ‘Silk routeor the road transport They remain in the background if we compare it with The reliable old man: the ship. And, when we talk about oil transport worldwide, this is something that is much more evidenced. This graph prepared by Visual Capitalist It reflects it perfectly. The data. Talking about oil is talking about certain countries that brings together the bulk of reserves. However, not always the most oil is the one who produces the most (to tell Venzuela), and world trade in crude passes through a few points between Asia and the Middle East. If these funnels have any problem, the entire world will also have it because the estimated amount that moves every day is an absolute barbarity: Millions of barrels a day in 2023 Strait of Malaca 23.7 Ormuz narrow 20.9 Suez Canal 8.8 Bab el-Mandeb 8.6 Cape of Good Hope 6 Strait of Denmark 4.9 Strait of Türkiye 3.4 Panama Canal 2.1 Malaca is the big funnel. With 23.7 million barrels per day moved in 2023, you have to talk about the first name of the list: the Strait of Malaca. It is a narrow complex due to its depth and wide, but it has become the main oil transport channel in the Middle East to Japan, South Korea and, above all, China. The Asian giant is the main oil importer (Although the batteries are being put to become one of the main producers) and it is estimated that 25% of the maritime transport of crude passes through this corridor. Its location between the Peninsula of Malaysia and Sumatra makes it the shortest and, therefore economic road between the Indian and the Pacific. And is responsible for Singapore is the largest gas station in the ocean. Ormuz, the hot spot. If Malaca’s is vital for the crude that goes to Asia, that of Ormuz It is essential for the one from the great producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Arab Emirates, Kuwait or will go to the rest of the West (although a lot of production also goes to Asia). The Strait has about 167 km long and about 40 wide, but navigation routes are much narrower. Now, its peculiarity is that it has sufficient depth to allow the transit of the great oil tankers and entrepreneurships. The problem is its location. This is the only significant maritime exit (for trade) that the Persian Gulf has and, like Malaca’s, it is a strategic point that Recently it has been in the foreground due to the War between Iran, Israel and the United States actions. Fragile balance. Being the 20% output point of the oil worldwide, and also moving much of the Liquefied natural gas which is consumed in the world, a block would have deep effects on the economy and global energy dependence. The estimate is that about 20 million barrels are moved daily and, if that flow is compromised, prices HE They would shoot at levels similar to the right views after Start of the Ukraine War or in the 70’s oil crisis. In addition, other points such as Suez or Malaca They would receive more ship influxwhich would carry overloads, shipping delays and would not serve to relax the barrel price increase. And the most important thing that lets us see this map is that, although there are several critical points for oil, two of them bring together almost half of the crude oil movement of the entire planet, which implies a balance that the Geopolitical tensions They can destabilize easily. Saudi Arabia and Arab Emirates are promoting the creation of pipelines to diversify the supply routes, and in the aforementioned ‘New Silk route’ are also raised alternatives to reduce the dependence of the narrows in the oil that moves to China. But, for the moment, Malaca and Ormuz are the hottest points of oil worldwide. In Xataka | The world capital of rare earth is being made of gold thanks to them. And it is also poisoning

The straps in oil completely sank Stellantis’s reputation. But it wasn’t the only

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The Stellantis Puretch engines scandal still resonates in the industry. It is not for less, because hundreds of thousands of vehicles from the automobile group were affected, passing through everything A Front of Facts and Compensation that has completely broken the reputation of the company. However, it is worth mentioning that the wet distribution belt technology caused by Stellantis’s collapse It is not exclusive to the Franco-Toalian group: Ford and Volkswagen also used the damn belt bathed in oil, although with different consequences. Revolutionary technology, in theory. The story began with an apparently brilliant idea: eliminating the expensive maintenance of the distribution strap and creating a system that would last the useful life of the vehicle. The solution was a belt bathed in oil that, according to engineers, would reduce friction and increase durability to 240,000 kilometers. The oil should provide greater elasticity to rubber and protect the wear component. Status of the distribution strap of a Peugeot 3004 after 40,000 km. Image: OGS MEChanics Ford, the pioneer he rectified in time. The American brand It was the first to implement this technology Wet belt, even before EcoBoost engines reached the market. Ford installed the system inside the engine instead of using a traditional side box, but when the first problems began to appear, the company did not think twice. Without getting into large trouble or generating media scandals, he replaced the belt with a chain in its three -cylinder eco -ost engines with deactivation. Volkswagen’s strategy. The German group also adopted the wet strap, mainly in diesel engines such as the three cylinders 1.6 TDI and even in the 2.0 TDI. However, its implementation It was less risky: The wet belt did not drive the camshafts, but only the oil pump. This crucial technical difference explains why the consequences for Volkswagen have not been as devastating as Stellantis lives. Between the lines. The key difference is that Stellantis turned the wet strap into the main element of the distribution system, the person in charge of synchronizing the valve train. When it fails, the consequences are catastrophic, assuming breakdowns of several thousand euros that can leave the engine completely unusable. Ford and Volkswagen, on the other hand, limited their use to less critical functions or quickly rectified when they detected the first symptoms. Why the system failed. In trichylindrical engines, especially in urban use, fuel drops without burn are mixed with crankcase oil. This abrasive mixture prematurely degrades the belt, and the particles detached obstruct filters and ducts, causing insufficiency in oil pressure. Do not stop the fault in time can end up destroying the engine, so yes, The controversy was not in vain. The problem was magnified in Stellantis because the group was more optimistic than the rest to incorporate this technology. While Ford solved the problem with relative discretion and Volkswagen kept him under control (he would only miss that at that time he had another stumbling block like that of his diesel models), Stellantis has been involved in a scandal of gigantic proportions. Hundreds of thousands of vehicles with 1.0 and 1.2 Puretech engines manufactured between 2012 and 2023 have been called to review. The company has had to expand guarantees, create reimbursement systems and even change CEO, with Antonio Filosa under command after the dismissal of Carlos Tavares. How to know if your car is affected. If you have doubts about whether your car mounts chain or the problem tank bathing in oil that caused all this debacle, you can check the motor code. The 1.2 Puretch with chain (insurance) engines have “EB2lted” or “EB2LTEDH2” and are present in models such as Peugeot 408, Opel Frontera and Fiat 600. The problematic engines are mainly in Citroën C3 and C4, Peugeot 208, 308 and 3008, Opel Corsa and Mokka, and DS 3 and DS 7, manufactured between 2012 and 2023. Stellantis expanded the guarantees and guarantees and offers reimbursements for repairsbut the ideal would be for you to detect the failure in time to save a good disgust and claim to the manufacturer. Cover image | Cat Magazine In Xataka | “The first thing, lower the windows”: using the car air conditioning is no mystery. Use it well, yes

Europe had killed its hopes to find oil in the continent. Poland has just changed that

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“The oil market is misleading.” This is warned by analyst Javier Blas In a recent article for Bloombergwhere he points out that under the apparent price stability a deep transformation that has altered the seasonality of global consumption is hidden. It is no longer winter, but summer, the moment of greatest demand for crude. And in this new scenario, Poland could be facing a turning point: the finding of the largest conventional hydrocarbon deposit in its history, in the waters of the Baltic Sea. A submerged treasure. The Canadian Central European Petroleum (CEP) company, backed by Norway investment, has announced the discovery of the Wolin Este site (We1), located just six kilometers from the coast. TVN24 He has reported That the site includes 22 million tons of oil and 5,000 million cubic meters of natural gas, with a total estimate in the concession of 33 million tons of crude oil and 27,000 million cubic meters of gas. According to calculations cited by BBCthis figure would represent around 200 million barrels of oil, which makes it a strategic finding both for its volume and its location. It doesn’t change everything, but it changes a lot. Poland consumes about 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, but its local production does not exceed 18,000. The rest matters. In that context, a discovery that can triple national production represents more than good news: it is a potential turning point. Wolin’s exploitation could multiply national production by three, according to CEP Executive Director, Rolf Skaar, In statements collected by TVN24. In addition, the crude found has an API index of 33.4, which classifies it as light, that is, easier and more economical to refine. This finding comes when Poland has already taken Russia’s energy distance after the invasion of Ukraine: it has connected to Norwegian gas through Baltic Pipe, has reinforced its import capacity of LNG since świnoujście and has diversified its access to crude oil through Naftaport, in Gdansk. But still depending, to a large extent, abroad. Wolin can start changing that. From the finding to extraction. The concession of Wolin, of 593 km², was perforated by the specialized platform Noble Resolve, reaching a vertical depth of 2,715 meters. The We1 well was left in future conditions and geological analysis confirmed a 62 -meter hydrocarbon column in the main dolomite formation (CA₂), As detailed Gospodarka Morska. CEP has already invested about 200 million Zlotys in seismic studies and drilling, and now looks for Polish and international partners to undertake the exploitation phase. Conversations with companies such as PGNIG (now integrated into Orlen) have been restarted after the fusion of state energy. International Resonance. Wolin’s discovery occurs while the international crude oil market navigates uncertain waters. According to ReutersBrent’s futures closed Monday under 70 dollars. The reason: the new sanctions of the European Union against Russia, which now prohibit the importation of refined products in third countries with Russian crude, such as India. Although analysts believe that the supply will find new paths, concerns arise about the impact on the diesel market, more difficult to replace. That tension adds an important nuance: the new deposits in European soil are not only an energy advantage, but also a geostrategic asset. And now what? The new site will not solve the Polish energy dependence on its own, but it could mark a turning point. As the energy expert points out Wojciech Jakóbik in BBC, the finding “will strengthen energy security, provided that estimates are confirmed in practice and develop the necessary infrastructure.” Today, it is not clear if a new pipeline will be built or existing infrastructure will be used. Meanwhile, CEP holds conversations with multiple actors and, as Jakóbik recalls, the project requires companies with “greater risk tolerance and investment capacity”. An energy window in convulsive times. The discovery in the Baltic Sea comes just when the global market enters its moment of maximum seasonal demand, in the middle of the northern hemisphere. As Bloomberg explained, the seasonality of crude has changed: it is no longer winter, but the summer months that mark consumption roofs. The big question is whether Poland can take this opportunity without repeating the mistakes of the past. The window is open. But it will not be forever. Image | Pexels Xataka | This graph shows that Venezuela has more oil than anyone. Your production is another song

The countries with the greatest oil reserves, exposed in this graphic with a sad protagonist: Venezuela

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Humanity is still tied to oil. Although the rise of renewable energies He pointed to one revolutionrecently we have seen that, when things get ugly and We need energy peaksone has to Pull fossil fuels again. The oil companies themselves who got into the renewable car They unchecked a few months agoand that is why it is interesting to know What countries have that oil. And it is something that is illustrated perfectly in this graph. The rich. Prepared by Visual Capitalist With data from the EIAin it the production is not shown, but the reserves. They are two very different things and will make sense immediately. Before that, Venezuela’s reserves are imposing, with 303,000 million certified barrels. Secondly, Saudi Arabia with 267,000 million and, in third place, an Iran in which oil has been the protagonist in recent weeks due to the confrontation with Israel. A lot of distance from Venezuela we have Canada, Iraq, Eau, Kuwait, Russia, the United States or Libya. And, of these last names, the two American countries are those that are separated in the graph because they are not part of the OPEC. OPEC+ and the monopoly. In 1960, five heavy pesos on that list (Venezuela, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi IRK and Rabia formed the organization of oil export countries, OPEC. Its objective was to coordinate and unify oil policies to maintain stable prices, ensure supply and, above all, protect your interests. Over time other countries were added, forming the well -known OPEC+ (which has its own internal cohesion problems. Together, member countries concentrate about 80% of global oil reserves, but although Venezuela has imposing reserves, its production does not go to par due to political blockages and limitations. At its peak, they produced three million barrels per day. Today they are the twenty -first producing country with 770,000 barrels per day, behind countries with much lower reserves. One of the wells that China is operating China wants to sign up for the list. At the top, the United States, Saudi Russia and Arabia lead the ranking with 8-12 million barrels per day, but although it does not appear in the graph, there is a country that we should take into account: China. Currently, the Asian giant is the Greater World Oil Importerbut in recent years it has increased significantly Its internal production. Thanks to pharaonic works that include some of the deepest wells carried out by humanityin March of this year they got a record of 4.6 million barrels per day. It was the highest point in the history of the country and, although inequality was very high between production and import, apart from continuing excavating they have been made with record reserves in recent years. It is calculated that They tell With more than 1,180 million stored barrels that would shield them, for a while, of any cutting in the supply. The United States, for example, also has a reserve to respond to crises and the sources vary, but the updated figures point to about 400 million barrels. Pure and hard strategy. Beyond the obvious importance of oil on the economy of a producing country, we have the Strategic Facet. As oil continues moving the worldhaving large reservations allows countries to exercise their influence on international politics. As? Coordinating production to influence prices and economyFor example. And we have also seen how oil has been a protagonist agent in armed conflicts. The invasion of Iraq, for example, or the war between Iran and Israel that, without affecting the flow of crude oil, already caused that The market will panic. Images | Visual Capitalist, CNPC In Xataka | The oil market faces a triple coup and IEA is clear why: Iran, Opep+ and electric vehicles

There is a region in Latin America that has more oil than all Saudi Arabia. And yet it produces 12 times less

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To the east of Venezuela, the Orinoco oil strip wants to return to its golden age, but faces political, economic and technical challenges. Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserve in the world: 300,878 million barrels. To put it in perspective, Saudi Arabia has in its territory a reserve of 267,000 million barrels. A Treasury. The Venezuelan crude is concentrated in the Orinoco oil strip, a region of 55,314 square kilometers east of the country that extends over the Orinoco River basin. The Orinoco oil girdle It is rich in heavy and extrapeted oil, a type of dense and viscous crude that requires more expensive and challenging refining processes to transform into usable products, such as gasoline and diesel. The twenty -first country in oil production. The Orinoco oil strip has been known since January 1936, when the American company Standard Oil of New Jersey did the first well: “La Canoa-1”, in the state of Anzoátegui. But gigantic. Despite its age, the Orinoco oil strip remains the largest crude oil reserve. And yet, he has been unable to lift his head for years due to the political and technical and economic sanctions that surround it. In its oil peak, Venezuela produced three million barrels per day. Today is the Twenty -first country in the world In oil production with 770,000 barrels a day, from behind even neighboring Colombia. The United States, Saudi Russia and Arabia lead the ranking with 8-12 million barrels per day. A challenge and an opportunity. The sanctions on Venezuelan oil, led by the United States government, rose for six months in October 2023, which allowed a shy return of foreign companies to the Orinoco oil strip. The moratorium evidenced that the Venezuelan oil sector has problems beyond the political; structural problems. After years of negligence, corruption and economic crisis, Venezuelan oil needs foreign investment to modernize the expensive infrastructure with which it extracts and processes heavy crude. Although the sanctions were activated last year as a pressure measure of the Biden administration against the government of Nicolás Maduro, now foreign companies have the opportunity to obtain individual licenses to mitigate their effect, which shows some sprout of hope for a country in which oil remains an economic engine. The Petroleum Momentum of Latin America. The modernization of infrastructure, the attraction of foreign investment and the stabilization of the economy are crucial steps, but we do not know if enough to recover all the economic potential of the Orinoco oil strip. The context seems flattering. Latin American countries are involved in A “gold fever” of oil in which the most extreme case is that of the also Guyana neighbor, which has seen a growth of 33% of GDP thanks to the reserves discovered in its coasts in 2015. Meanwhile, Brazil has climbed to the 8th place in the world production of oil and Mexico is in the 11th place. What if falling? The question that floats in the air is the same for all these countries, what will happen to their investments when the expected drop in oil demand By effect of energy transition? For now, much of the world moves as if we were going to continue burning oil for many years. Maybe that is the answer. Images | EFOFAC, Wilfredor In Xataka | The Falkland Islands rest over 500 million barrels of oil. Now the United Kingdom wants to authorize its extraction *An earlier version of this article was published in July 2024

China’s “Peak Oil”

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In the middle of the war escalation between Iran and Israel, a scene attracted all global attention: China ordered his oil tankers Leave the Ormuz Strait, the artery where a fifth of global oil travels. It was a cautious reaction, yes, but revealing. More than 80% of the Iranian crude is destined for Chinese refineries, and yet Beijing opted for diplomatic silence rather than confrontation. The urgent yielded to the strategic. And maybe there is the true story. Because while moving away from tensions in the Middle East, China is approaching – step to a pace – to an energy milestone that reconfigures the global board: its oil demand is about to reach the peak. Or maybe he has already done it. From global leader to consumer in pause. For more than two decades, China promoted a good part of the global oil growth. From YOUR INCOME TO THE WTO In 2001, each stretch of highway built, each inaugurated refinery, each expanded city or megaproject launched added pressure on the world’s world demand. According to the Financial TimesChina has been responsible for more than 50 % of the increase in global demand since 2000. Its economic expansion was also an energy expansion. However, that trajectory begins to be invested. The International Energy Agency estimates that the demand peak It will be reached in 2027while key actors in the sector in China advance it considerably: Sinopec foresee which could happen before 2027 and CNPC claims that it has already surpassed in 2023. An accelerated paradigm shift. China’s energy turn does not occur in a vacuum. It is part of a much deeper technological, social and economic transformation, which manifests itself at all levels of daily life. Just see how tourist videos have been viralized by paying with the palm of the hand In supermarkets either Metro stations. What until recently seemed science fiction, in China it is already routine. That same vertiginous rhythm is happening in the energy system. On the one hand, an internal technological revolution: electric vehicles, heavy transport electrification, trucks that work with natural gas and high -speed trains. On the other, a structural change: the real estate crisis has reduced the demand for heavy machinery, construction materials and petrochemicals, sectors historically linked to oil consumption. The consequence is clear. Crude imports fell in 2024 for the first time in two decades – exchanging the pandemic -, According to Financial Times data. An unequivocal sign that oil is ceasing to be the growth engine that was for more than 20 years. But there is a production record. Paradoxically, China is producing more oil than ever. In March 2025, it reached a historical maximum: 4.6 million barrels per day, According to Global Times. Besides, He has just completed The drilling of the deepest vertical oil well in Asia, with 10,910 meters deep. Contradiction? Not exactly, since China drills when there is need. The point is that 72% of the oil it consumes is imported. For Beijing, that dependence is a weakness. Therefore, for years, more than 80,000 million dollars investigate annually to revitalize old deposits. The objective is not to grow without brake, but to guarantee a stable domestic supply. CNOOC has assured in Reuters Having reached a replacement ratio of 167%reserves, which allows to maintain internal production for at least a decade. In other words, less oil to consume, but more own oil to control. The end of an era. According to Bloomberg analystsis finishing the oil supercycle that defined the markets for more than 20 years. As China decoupled from intensive raw growth, pressure on OPEC, large oil companies and exporting countries – as Saudi Arabia, Iraq or Russia – becomes stronger and louder. Morgan Stanley lo has clearly summarized for the Financial Times: “The world we knew, where oil rose every time China grew, is disappearing.” To begin: an electro -speaking. China is not only slowing its crude oil consumption, it is building an economy driven by electrons. Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2013, the country launched a “Energy Revolution” based on electrification, technological innovation and energy sovereignty. Today, 10% of your GDP It is linked To clean industries: electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, intelligent networks, wind turbines. Today, the Asian giant is the world’s largest producer of electric cars, and its two great champions —Byd and Catl – reinvote about 5% of their revenues in R&D. Also, like have detailed in Bloomberghas already deployed 40 tension ultraalt transmission lines, which connect the mega west solar plants with the east industrial centers. The country plans to invest another 800,000 million dollars in the next five years to consolidate its electricity network. The goal? Reduce oil dependence without compromising growth. After the peak. With China outside the center of demand, India and other emerging countries will absorb part of the growth, but without reaching the scale of the Asian giant. According to the IEAthe global oil demand will reach its maximum in 2029, but without China, the market will lose its main engine. “Even if other economies continue to grow, the Chinese decrease marks the beginning of a structural decline in world demand for crude oil,” He explained Ciaran Healy, an IEA analyst. While their ships turn around in Ormuz, their economy accelerates in another direction. Not towards a price war. But towards a model where power is not measured only by fossil reserves, but by transformation capacity. The oil era does not end, but its dominant role in the world economic model is retreating. The rules of the game are changing. Image | Unspash Xataka | The hope against the increasingly extreme heat waves comes from China: a material that lowers the temperature automatically

China did not intervene in the war to protect Iranian oil. Because your plan is longer than the conflict

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For years, the relationship between China and Iran has been underpinned by a constant oil flow. However, the recent conflict between Iran and Israel caused Beijing He ordered his ships to turn in the Ormuz Strait. A seemingly technical gesture revealed something deeper: the limits of Chinese energy diplomacy. From partner to spectator. The recent climb between Iran and Israel, which included direct attacks and cross reprisalshe tested the link between China and the Islamic Republic. Although a truce promoted by Washington was declared, these weeks the gaze was set on this part of the planet. In that context, the international community looked towards Beijing, waiting for a clear gesture of support or at least mediation. But China opted for a prudent position: verbal sentences, called to dialogue, routine statements in the UN, According to Apnews. No military support, technical assistance, or real involvement. And that caught the attention, especially for what is at stake: between 80% and 90% of the oil that will export ends in Chinese refineries, which represents approximately 1.2 million barrels per day, According to France 24. Even so, Beijing chose diplomatic silence before the conflict. China is not the United States. And it does not intend to be either. While the United States maintains a network of military basesnaval fleets and strategic alliances in the Middle East, China has no comparable presence. Your only regional base It is in Yibutiand his attempts to expand to Oman or the Arab Emirates have been stopped, in part, by Washington’s pressure. As He explained The Interpreter, China has opted for a non -intervention policy. Its diplomacy in the region is pragmatic, transactional, guided by commercial interests rather than ideological affinities. “China’s footprint in the Gulf is commercial, it is not ready for combat,” said Craig Singleton, of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. For his part, William Figueroa, expert in China-Iran of the University of Groningen, It has been overwhelming In The Washington Post: “China has no capacity to militarily influence this conflict. Nor does it benefit from a broader war.” Although it is a matter of pragmatism. From Beijing, Zhu Feng, Dean of International Relations at Nanjing University, He has remarked In AP News that volatility in the Middle East “directly affects China’s economic security.” However, that does not mean that it will be absent. His greater diplomatic letter In the region was the 2023 agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, negotiated in Beijing. Although he was read as a Chinese geopolitical triumph, The Interpretter He has nuanced: “The distension had already been brewing with the help of Kuwait, Iraq and Oman. China simply gave him the final touch.” That discreet presence in the diplomatic field contrasts with its constancy in another key front: the energy. China has continued buying Iranian raw at reduced prices, Taking advantage of Tehran isolation For US sanctions. As has reported on their networks The journalist, Bachar el Halabi after the recent US bombings against Iranian nuclear facilities, oil exports to China did not stop, and in fact, they reached record levels. However, the relationship is fragile. In 2020, Iranian president Mahmud Ahmadineyad criticized the agreement of 25 -year cooperation between the two countries for considering it opaque and suspicious. Rumors about alleged Chinese military bases in Iran They circulated in the local pressfeeding distrust. When there is a dependency. This week, Reuters He has revealed that Washington has authorized that ethane cargoes – a key natural gas for the petrochemical industry – are loaded in US ports to China, as long as they do not end in Iranian territory. The operation, according to the letter released by the Office of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce, is approved under the condition that the product is not discharged or redirected towards Iran. It may seem a bureaucratic technicalism, but it really says much more. This type of movements exposes how the United States continues to set the rules of the global energy game, even when it comes to exchanges between its two main strategic rivals. For China, the message is clear: its energy trade with Iran is still under surveillance. And for Iran, the warning is even more evident: Any attempt to avoid economic isolation, even indirectly, can be blocked from afar. The dragon rhetoric. Beijing wants to be a global referee, but he is behaving as a spectator. A recent example is the Defense Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (OCS), held in Qingdao, where Chinese Minister Dong Jun spoke of a world in “chaos and instability,” According to Deutsche Welle. The meeting was attended by their counterparts from Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Belarus. China projected symbolic power, but did not offer concrete solutions. In fact, even when they will threatened to close the Ormuz Strait – where 20% of the world crude, vital for China – pekin transits only the diplomatic tone, without major consequences. And, as multiple analysts explain, China has little appetite for risk. It is not yet willing to “risk the neck” in others. As It has concluded Craig Singleton in AP News, “When missiles fly, the so promoted ‘Strategic Association’ of China with Iran is reduced to communications. Beijing wants Iranian Iranian oil and headlines as a peacemaker, but let Washington load with the risks of hard power.” A strategic patience. China remains a key actor of the global economic order, but its energy diplomacy does not obey improvisation or shyness. On the contrary, its caution in the Middle East can be a symptom of a deeper strategy: observe, resist external pressure and prepare the terrain before intervening seriously. Beijing is not dragged by the logic of immediate power. He knows that in regions as volatile as Middle East, the cost of acting too soon may be greater than waiting. His silence, far from being absence, can be part of a longer play. Because oil unites, yes, but it also marks the rhythm of a power that is not in a hurry, … Read more

The United States has threatened reprisals to Spain if it does not put 5% of GDP in defense. Olive oil trembles

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They do not run easy times for Spanish olive oil. Still Broken marketthe turbulence in prices and suspicion of the “speculation”now an unexpected threat is added: Donald Trump’s anger. Yesterday, after the disagreement between Washington and Madrid during the NATO Summit, the Republican said he will “pay” Spain for his refusal to dedicate 5% of GDP to military spending. He did not go into details, but it was enough to stir the ghost of the tariffs. Especially for a sector, that of olive oil, with a key weight in the US. “They pay double”. It is not the first time that Donald Trump shows Your anger For the reluctance of Spain to dedicate 5% of GDP to defense, but never before had it done so round. On Wednesday, after Sánchez insisted on his refusal to reach the same expense commitment as the rest of NATO allies, the Republican warned Spain that would have to pay yes or yes. “It is terrible what Spain is doing and we will make it pay,” Trump started After the NATO summit held in The Hague. “It is the only country that refuses to pay. We are going to make them pay twice, but otherwise (…). The Spanish economy is going very well, but it could be razed if something happens.” Have I heard tariffs? The US president did not stay there. He said he would look for a way to “compensate him” and launched a notice: “We are negotiating with Spain a commercial agreement and we will make them pay double.” The experts They recognize that it is difficult for the US in less than two weeks The deadline agreed by Washington and Brussels expires to avoid a tariff war, his words have raised blisters. “It takes us out of the market”. The restlessness is greater among the sectors with the greatest presence on the other side of the Atlantic and that, therefore, more harmed would be seen if Trump uses its tariffs to ‘punish’ Spain. In 2024 our country exported goods worth more than more than 21.200 million of dollars, with a prominent weight of certain sectors, such as machinery, pharmacist or agri -food. And in the latter there are those who already recognize their concern. “It seems tremendously serious. It gives us panic and of course (if fulfilled) it completely takes us out of the market,” Recognize to the Efe Rafael Sánchez de Puerta agency, president of the Agrifood Cooperatives Oil section. The sector knows what he’s talking about, he remembers, because years ago he has already suffered The tariffs activated by Washington in the middle of Boeing-Airbus commercial war. A figure: 1,031 million. The olive oil is not the only sector that has been put on guard. In the last hours the looks have also been directed to other industries with a strong presence in the US, such as The wine or pharmacist. However The data The government shows that the oil mills are one of the most vulnerable to Trump’s anger, at least within the agricultural sector. Last year they sold in the US more than 113,400 tons of olive oil by 1,013 million of euros, 58% more than the previous year. In fact, the American is one of the largest markets in the sector, after the Italian. If the White House decided to apply levies to olive oil, Spanish producers would see how they are complicated 15% of its exports. The what … and when. The tariff ghost also caught the oil industry at a complex time, after several years marked by squalid campaigns due to droughts and a not much simpler horizon. Although farmers are enjoying a good harvest, which will overcome the 1.4 million tonsthey face a price drop in origin that has dragged them to a committed situation. So much that the Ministry of Agriculture has already moved to remove oil from the market, If you judge it necessary. Images | Gage Skidmore (Flickr) and NEUFAL54 In Xataka | The Spaniards have been telling us that olive oil is the healthiest. Science has something to say

Is olive oil the healthiest of all?

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We tend to see olive oil, and especially the extra virgin or Aove, such as the cusp of the pyramid in terms of food fats. And not only in regard to his culinary excellence, but also in regard to his health impact. The big question is whether this pillar of the Mediterranean diet is up to this second aspect. Fats are not a necessary evil of our gastronomy, they are one more macronutrient for our body, which requires a source of lipids as required carbohydrates, proteins and micronutrients. Cholesterol and triglycerides Examples of these compounds are whose presence in our body is necessary. In addition to providing us with energy, lipids fulfill functions such as saving and transporting this or making messengers inside the cells, among others. On the other hand, problems can also cause us in some contexts, such as when cholesterol accumulates in our arteries. Nutrition is a complex area: different types of lipids can help us in different contexts and each food product can contain different proportions of each of the compounds that usually form them. Besides, Measure the impact on health of the consumption of some foods requires long follow -ups of the health status of the people who consume them. The notion that olive oil is superior to other sources of fat in regards to its impact on health is widespread. We owe this, at least in part, to the fact that this fat is one of the bases of the Mediterranean diet, considered one of the healthiest in the world. However, this does not necessarily imply that it is a healthy option. Fortunately, we have tools to evaluate this, as developed a few years ago by the Institute of Fat (IG), Research Center assigned to the CSIC (Higher Council for Scientific Research). After studying various culinary sources of fat, both animals and vegetables, the IG team developed an index (With values ​​between 0 and 100, being 100 the maximum score and with the 50 as a limit of the “approved”). To create the index, they explained at the time, those responsible for the study attended to the “dietary recommendations and health allegations of the main international organizations.” The result? Of the four best evaluated fats, three were derived from the olive. Virgin olive oil was The best valuedthus taking the maximum score, 100. As explained by the team responsible for creating the index In an article In the magazine Nutrients“One of the factors that contribute to the positive score for AOV (virgin olive oil) was its high oleic acid content.” The ranking of the fats The next three positions resulted from a tie with a index of 86. The fats that achieved this note were common olive oil, olive pomace oil, and linen oil. Sunflower oil, another usual in our kitchens received an index of 82, which placed it in the immediately following position, together with the sesame oil. In general, vegetable fats received evaluations superior to those of animal origin. Among them, the Fish fats They were better valued, and the beef tall and the lard (45), and the butter (32) the worst note received. Of course, these were not the worst valued: margarine received a worse index (14) and the list was closed by coconut butter, with a zero. Other experts seem to coincide with this evaluation. An example is those of the Harvard Medicine School, which They point that olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and that many of its benefits could come from there. These fats, they explain, have only one double bond between carbon atoms, which implies that they have less hydrogen atoms than saturated fats. This structure is responsible for these oils to remain liquid at room temperature. Howard E. Lewine, Chief Editor of Medicine of Harvard Health Publishing, pointed in a piece that “olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acidscontaining around 75% by volume. When we replace saturated fats, monounsaturated fats can reduce your ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. The benefits of olive oil have been attributed to its antioxidant and anti -inflammatory properties. ” In Xataka | Image | Umbe Ber

The oil market is so broken that Spain already prepares its great weapon to fix it: remove oil via decree

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They do not run easy times for the olive oil market. Or rather, they run paradoxical times. In recent years, farmers had to deal with bad harvests that raised prices and They punished consumption. Now they enjoy a good campaign that will overcome the 1.4 million tonsbut things are not much better. The prices they charge They have fallen so much that they have left them in a committed situation, with a Great hole In your income. Given that scenario, the government has decided to move and endow A ‘Nuclear button’ That, if necessary, it will allow you to stabilize the market in the 2025-2026 campaign. As? Removing oil if the harvest is very abundant. What happened? That the Ministry of Agriculture wants to anticipate a possible imbalance in the extra virgin olive oil sector. In view of The good prospects Of the 2024-2025 campaign and the fear that this abundance of fruit ends up impacting the Spanish market, the government has launched its administrative machinery to have a tool that allows it to re-may be rebuilt. As? Basically removing oil from the oil mills. Remove olive oil? Exact. The community regulations allow states to activate a “marketing standard” for the olive oil sector that “improves and stabilizes” its market. That general framework moved to Spain with the Royal Decree 84/2021which in turn contemplates that “when the conditions justify it” it is withdrawn as a result of the markets, reserving it for the next campaign or even dedicating it to a different use to that of food. The process, yes, is somewhat more complex and requires that the autonomies and organizations representing the sector be consulted before. And that is precisely what the Ministry of Agriculture has just done: open A public consultation so that those who want to comment on their order for the 2025/2026 campaign can do so. The observations can be sent until next Wednesday. And why do you do it? For the data that arrive from the olive sector itself. Although the crops of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 were rather Parcas (666,000 and 854,500 tons, respectively), which contributed to the price of olive oil to be triggered in the stores, the current panorama is quite different. It is estimated that the current campaign, which started in October and will end in September, will leave More than 1.4 million of tons. In March the Minister of the Branch, Luis Planas, even He spoke of 1.42 million. There are who is even More optimistic and talks about major figures for the next campaign. And how do prices respond? If in 2023 and 2024, coinciding with the bad harvests, the price of olive oil came to be around nine euros per kilo in the case of the Aove, now, with a generous campaign, that value has been reduced to 3.59 euros. And so It is a problem For farmers. Juan Luis Ávila, from COAG, warned In May that while the consumer pays about six euros for the liter of oil, the producers receive less than 3.5 euros for the AVE, which would be below the cost of production in the olive groves. What is that fall? The million dollar question. Especially since farmers ensure that market prices are not those that should in current circumstances. “The data is overwhelming and alarming, since there is an unjustified lag of more than two euros per kilo between the real price at the origin of olive oil and the value it should have,” He warned in May Miguel Padilla, of the Coordinator of Agriculture and Livestock Organizations, COAG. To reinforce its position, the collective even presented A report which estimated that the Aove should quote 5.55-6.14 euros per kilo in the current campaign, far from what the olivicultores perceive. “Speculation Campa at ease”, regrets UPA General Secretary, Cristóbal Cano, who believes that there should be “a different pricaries in the market, according to the law of supply and demand.” What will the new standard be for? With its new order for the 2025-2026 campaign, the government wants to be prepared to “stabilize” the market with a clear strategy: withdrawing product. From the Ministry they advance, yes, that will only happen “if high production estimates are found that can generate imbalances.” I would be The first time That the Planas department activates the mandatory oil withdrawal mechanism to rebalance the market. What does the sector think? The EFE agency has spoken with several organizations, such as ASAJA, COAG, UPA, UDU or agro-food cooperatives, which the initiative see with good entrance. “It is absolutely essential to have all the prepared machinery. Until now we had not needed, but before a predictable good harvest we have seen the convenience of activating it, as simple as possible, to avoid the sinking of prices,” comment In DCoop. Not everyone is equally optimistic. In Murcia there are producers who They are suspicious that the oil withdrawal from the market to control prices is the effective solution. Images | Government of Castilla-La Mancha (Flickr) and Deoleo In Xataka | More and more giants get into the Andalusian field and in the olive oil industry. The last: Pepsico

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