• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. strategic reserves are getting so low the drawdown threatens to damage the 60 underground salt caverns storing American oil

2

Billionaire Gen Zer dropped out of high school to launch his startup at 17—now he’s the richest self-made 25-year-old in the U.K and all of Europe

3

A dropout living in a trailer, he got $1 million from Peter Thiel at 19—now he's a billionaire who says the American Dream isn't dead

1

U.S. strategic reserves are getting so low the drawdown threatens to damage the 60 underground salt caverns storing American oil

2

Billionaire Gen Zer dropped out of high school to launch his startup at 17—now he’s the richest self-made 25-year-old in the U.K and all of Europe

3

A dropout living in a trailer, he got $1 million from Peter Thiel at 19—now he's a billionaire who says the American Dream isn't dead
EnergyIran
Asia

How global energy markets built the ‘Amazon of oil’ logistics to keep prices from spiraling

Jordan Blum
By
Jordan Blum
Jordan Blum
Editor, Energy
Down Arrow Button Icon
Jordan Blum
By
Jordan Blum
Jordan Blum
Editor, Energy
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 9, 2026, 3:08 AM ET
The Hong Kong-flagged crude oil tanker New Corolla unloads cargo in the Marathon Petroleum terminal at the Port of Long Beach in California on May 7, 2026.
The Hong Kong-flagged crude oil tanker New Corolla unloads cargo in the Marathon Petroleum terminal at the Port of Long Beach in California on May 7, 2026. Photographer: Tim Rue/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Businesses and governments managed to keep energy prices from skyrocketing as much as feared during the Iran war by leaning into a “just-in-time” delivery system that harnesses innovations in digital and satellite technology and that reduces the need to stockpile barrels of oil.

Recommended Video

Call it the “Amazon of oil,” said Jim Wicklund, a veteran oil analyst and managing director at the PPHB energy investment firm, comparing energy industry dynamics to the ecommerce giant’s famous mastery of inventory and logistics.

Even with President Trump declaring the Iran ceasefire “over” on Wednesday amid a fresh exchange of military strikes, the U.S. benchmark for crude prices still only spiked about 5% to $74 per barrel—way below the mid-May high of $112.

While energy traders may see the latest attacks and verbal barbs as dips along the negotiation rollercoaster, they’ve also been encouraged by the adaptability of global energy logistics, even amid the greatest global energy shock of the modern age when the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz temporarily cut off almost 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.

“When you go back to the 1970s when we had the oil shocks, you had no way of knowing what oil was where and what it was doing,” Wicklund told Fortune. “Today, I can hit my terminal and find every tanker full of oil on the ocean, who owns it, what’s in it, and who to call to get it diverted to me. So, inventories have not meant nearly as much to oil prices here in the last few years as they used to.

“The correlation between inventories and oil price has been dropping from a high correlation to almost no correlation today. I don’t need physical inventories like I used to. I can order immediately off the Amazon of oil and buy cargoes on the water,” he said.

Another saving grace for logistics was the Trump administration’s decision to temporarily waive the 106-year-old Jones Act, which requires cargo ships moving between U.S. ports to be U.S. built, flagged, and manned, reducing the number of vessels available to move crude oil and refined products between domestic ports.

The waiver allowed more ships, for instance, to move fuel from the U.S. Gulf Coast through the Panama Canal and up to California, which has dealt with newly shuttered refineries in recent months, to help alleviate shortfalls.

The China factor

T

While large commercial oil inventories haven’t meant as much as they once did, the national strategic reserves of the U.S. and especially China have proven pivotal. The other major reason oil prices didn’t rise as high as feared is because China built up its storage stockpiles to all-time highs and dramatically cut down on its imports after the war began.

Before the war began, China imported more than 11.5 million barrels per day. By June, China’s imports plunged below 7 million barrels daily, effectively lowering global oil demand by almost 5 million barrels per day. Although China doesn’t reveal many details, the U.S. government estimates China’s oil reserves had risen to about 1.4 billion barrels before the war began—the product of a yearslong emphasis on building up strategic stockpiles.

“China as a source of moderation on energy is something that is for sure new,” said Arjun Murti, energy macro and policy partner at the Veriten research and investment firm. “We did not guess or predict that China would reduce the oil imports by such a massive amount, which had such a huge impact.”

Likewise, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is now at its lowest level since 1983, but it still holds more than 300 million barrels of crude—319 million barrels as of July 3—which is down from 415 million barrels at the beginning of the war.

And because Trump wants to keep fuel prices lower, there’s little chance the U.S. starts replenishing its strategic reserves before the midterm elections this year, analysts said. Trump has authorized the overall release of 172 million barrels over several months, so supplies could still dip much lower before they’re built back up maybe beginning next year.

The resiliency of the energy markets has quieted the “doomsdayers” who predicted record highs of $200 per barrel oil, Wicklund said.

While he never projected such high spikes, Wicklund was “surprised” oil prices have fallen as much as they have in late June and July.

“I’m starting to believe,” he said. “Instead of trying to figure out why the market is wrong, figure out why you’re wrong.”

Fortune Daily breaks the traditional barrier between audience and newsroom. The show transforms Fortune’s trusted reporting into actionable, conversational, and entertaining insights for an emerging class of business leaders. Watch here.
About the Author
Jordan Blum
By Jordan BlumEditor, Energy

Jordan Blum is the Energy editor at Fortune, overseeing coverage of a growing global energy sector for oil and gas, transition businesses, renewables, and critical minerals.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Energy

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Energy

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025

    Most Popular

    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025
    Finance
    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
    By Fortune Editors
    October 20, 2025

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.