
@Bloomberg @MiddleEast Jerusalem journalist. Posts and RPs may be whimsy.
Joined December 2010
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Dan Williams retweeted
Personal news: thrilled to announce I joined Bloomberg News as a Middle East oil reporter in Dubai this week. Look forward to taking on the challenge of covering the biggest energy crisis with some of the best in the biz.
Thanks to all who made the Reuters journey memorable.
Israel's Oct. 27 election will effectively be a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister. Here's what to know. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @GalitAltstein
Oil Rises as Deadly Saudi Attacks Fan Middle East Supply Fears bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @KanokoMatsuyama @AlexLongley1
Dan Williams retweeted
Saudi Arabia is cash rich: ~$700 billion in foreign assets
But cashflow poor: it has been running two deficits (chart)
The Iran war, and the fighting with the Houthis, are adding to the bill
Full analysis on @TheTerminal
Dan Williams retweeted
Oil is above $112
Nearly double its price in mid-December
The US State Department issued an ordered departure for non-emergency personnel and their families from Saudi Arabia because of the growing threat from Houthi militants in neighboring Yemen. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @CMcBinDC @EMPosts
Israel held interest rates steady after three consecutive cuts, just six days before the country faces one of its most consequential elections. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @GalitAltstein
Israeli forces detained Brad Lander, a Democratic candidate for Congress from New York, as he took part in a West Bank olive harvest with Palestinian farmers who have faced increasing threats from radical Jewish settlers. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
Iran Tells US to Prove It Wants Peace by Lifting Blockade bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @Pat_Syk
Turkey moved closer to expanding energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean after the second of Libya’s two governments endorsed maritime boundaries disputed by EU members Greece and Cyprus. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @SelcanHacaoglu
Malaysia Bans Civil Service Use of Google’s Israel-based Waze bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Kok Leong Chan
"Israel existed as a united, fully sovereign nation only for two short periods previously, folding after about 80 years in both cases ... Israel’s third incarnation is now in its 79th year." bloomberg.com/opinion/articl… via @MarcChampion1 @Opinion
The Frantic 24 Hours Before Saudi Arabia Pulled Plug on FII bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @CMarie_Burke @Adveith
Israelis Abroad Fly Home to Vote, Posing Threat to Netanyahu bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @GalitAltstein
Dan Williams retweeted
MIDDLE EAST FLOWS: Not only flows have proven resilient, but over the last few days (particularly since Oct 16), SoH traffic has surged despite Iranian attacks.
Total Middle East crude flows (ex-Iran, including SoH and all the bypass pipelines and routes) are back to >90% of pre-war levels (last seen in late Sept), and even higher if using a short 7-day average. Refined products flows remain significantly below. Caveat: flows are very uneven, with some days of large number of tanker crossings, followed by very quiet days.
Overall, physical Middle East crude oil premia has continued to drop; just the opposite of what has happened to flat prices. The Oman-Dubai differential has fallen to a 3-month low of ~$4 a barrel. The differential was >$30 a barrel in mid-Sept.
MIDDLE EAST OIL FLOWS: Despite a wave of Iranian attacks since the beginning of October, total Middle Eastern crude oil flows (ex-Iran) remain resilient. Flows are becoming, however, lumpier (days of multiple tanker crossings followed by days of very few tankers).
Overall, Middle East (ex-Iran) crude flows, including Strait of Hormuz plus all the bypass routes, are holding at ~75% of pre-war levels, down from a ~95% *peak* in the last days of September. Crucially, despite the drop in recent days, the Oct 1-Oct 10 period average remains above Sep full month average (and well above full month August). Kuwait is struggling the most right now. UAE, Iraq and KSA (the last one using both Persian Gulf and Red Sea) are doing relatively well.
All said, the risk is to the downside if the Iranian attacks continue (and if they become more successful). Iran has sunk at least one container ship in the SoH over the last 24 hours. The same goes for Red Sea flows under Houthi / Iraq militias potential attacks. For Iran itself, Hormuz remains closed.
One key indicator to follow: despite the Iranian attacks against SoH traffic, the physical premium for Middle Eastern crude has come down significantly in recent days, touching today a near 2½-month low.
Dan Williams retweeted
Oil traders are increasingly pricing the battle over the Strait of Hormuz as the new normal. Futures contracts for brent crude in December 2027 are now close to $90 a barrel, the highest ever and a sharp departure from even a month ago.
Eight Years Ago, Saudi Women Couldn’t Attend Football Matches. Now They’re Playing in Them. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via @MaddieLParkerr @TulfoErika @MattVella @JuliaRubin











