Russia sanctions to create oil market slowburn
Venezuela and Iran offer clues to potential effectiveness of the measures
Moscow’s proposed move to cut 500,000bl/d of crude output in March offered a stark reminder to the oil market: the squeeze on Russia cuts both ways. As Western powers try to put pressure on what was, before the sanctions, the world’s biggest oil exporter, the market is facing up to the reality that Russia will be able manage and that there will be dislocation rather than significant disruption for both producers and consumers for a long time to come. Just look at the other key sanctioned oil producers, Venezuela and Iran. While very different from Russia’s circumstances, both countries have also suffered internally but either found ways circumnavigate measures imposed on them and mitigate th
Also in this section
3 March 2026
The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in US–Israeli strikes marks the most serious escalation in the region in decades and a bigger potential threat to the oil market than the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis
2 March 2026
A potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following the escalating US-Iran conflict risks disrupting Qatari LNG exports that underpin global gas markets, exposing Asia and other markets to sharp price spikes, cargo shortages and renewed reliance on dirtier fuels
2 March 2026
The South Asian consumer’s next move could tighten the Middle East oil market overnight
2 March 2026
Canadian independent’s evolving portfolio in Trinidad and Tobago gives it access to the Atlantic LNG market and a close-up view of developments in neighbouring Venezuela






