WHAT’S HAPPENING TODAY: Good afternoon and happy Thursday, readers! Folk-pop singer Noah Kahan sold out Washington’s Nationals Park last night, bringing what has become the soundtrack of New England to the district. 🎤🍂🐞 Fun fact: the New Hampshire town Callie grew up in has the same name as the Vermont town where Kahan was raised, just a couple hours apart. Shout out to Strafford! Welcome to Daily on Energy, written by Washington Examiner energy and environment writers Callie Patteson (@CalliePatteson) and Maydeen Merino (@MaydeenMerino). Email cpatteson@washingtonexaminer dot com or mmerino@washingtonexaminer dot com for tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. If a friend sent this to you and you’d like to sign up, click here. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email, and we’ll add you to our list.For the first time in two months, oil prices soared above $100 a barrel, as the markets fear greater escalation in the Middle East and a second strait closure.
Just before 3 p.m. EDT today, Brent crude had jumped by 7.05% and was selling at $100.70 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate also surged 6.09% and was priced at $92.12 a barrel. The price jump was primarily driven by vessels facing the risk of strikes from the Iranian-backed terrorist group known as the Houthis that has threatened to attack some ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb. So what is the Bab el-Mandeb? The Bab el-Mandeb Strait separates the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and is the only entry point of the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean. Through the Suez Canal, on the other side of the Red Sea, it also connects the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Given its strategic location, the Bab el-Mandeb is considered one of the most crucial chokepoints for global trade in crude oil, similar to the Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, and Suez Canal. Approximately 4.2 million barrels per day transited the strait in the first half of 2025, according to the Energy Information Administration. For comparison, about 20.9 million barrels per day transited the Strait of Hormuz during the first half of last year.Are ships moving through? This week, the Houthis said they would be imposing a naval blockade on ships from Saudi Arabia attempting to travel through the Bab el-Mandeb. Since then, Houthi militia have launched attacks against at least two Saudi Arabian tankers sailing through the Red Sea. The Institute for the Study of War said that at least seven ships changed course to avoid transiting through the Bab el-Mandeb. Commercial shipping traffic hasn’t come to a complete halt, as ship tracking data reviewed by the ISW found that 30 commercial vessels passed through late Tuesday into Wednesday. For maps illustrating the strait, and for more information on how greater traffic disruptions could influence prices, check out Callie’s latest here. SOUTH32 HERMOSA PRESIDENT TALKS SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN MINING:
