Upstream Oil and Service Companies Poised for Gains After Gulf Energy Facility Strikes
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, March 20 (NationPress) Upstream oil and service sectors are expected to gain significantly following the recent strikes on Gulf energy facilities, which have interrupted supply chains and caused a sharp increase in prices, according to a report released on Friday.
The analysis from Systematix Institutional Equities highlighted an expected surge in energy costs and volume disruptions that could severely affect nations with energy shortages.
It further indicated that the process of repairing and restoring supply might be protracted, leading to enduring challenges for the industry.
The firm has excluded PLNG from its premium selections, citing that the ramifications of the strikes could result in "long-term suffering" for companies involved in regasified liquefied natural gas.
India’s crude oil imports fell to 1.9 million barrels for the week ending March 6, a decline from approximately 25 million barrels per week recorded in February 2026, the report noted, referencing Bloomberg data.
Moreover, total LNG exports decreased to 8.6 million metric tonnes for the week concluding March 7 and further to 7.8 million metric tonnes in the following week, a drop from around 9.6 million tonnes weekly in February 2026, primarily due to a significant reduction in shipments from Qatar, which plummeted from 1.7 million tonnes to just 0.06 million tonnes.
Globally, weekly crude oil export volumes saw a decline to 228 million barrels for the week ending March 7 and further down to 184 million barrels for the week ending March 14, compared to nearly 268 million barrels per week in February 2026, as reported.
Shipments from Saudi Arabia fell to 26 million barrels and 12 million barrels in the first two weeks of March, down from averages of 42 million and 33 million barrels per week in February.
Additionally, Iraq and the UAE experienced notable declines in exports, while the US's exports increased to 25 million and 32 million barrels. No significant changes were reported for other countries.
Furthermore, LNG shipments from major importing nations such as Japan, South Korea, China, and India have also sharply decreased, resulting in a rapid rise in prices, which have doubled from $10/mmbtu to nearly $20/mmbtu in recent weeks.