We know what’s coming and we are prepared.
🇺🇸⛽️ US refiners face historic stress test as global crisis looms
U.S. refineries have operated near maximum capacity for the longest sustained period in over a quarter century, scrambling to capture windfall profits created by the Iran war. But history offers a cautionary tale: “Super refining” runs that push plants too hard can cause major failures.
This has global implications. U.S. refineries’ ability to sustain today’s elevated operating rates for months, or potentially years, could mean ​the difference between an exceptionally tight global fuel market and a full-blown supply crisis marked by acute shortages, demand destruction and widespread economic pain.
The result of the U.S-Israeli war on Iran has been a collapse in global fuel production. Global refinery throughput in July fell to 81 million barrels per day (bpd), nearly 5 million bpd, or about 6%, below the level at this point last year, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The U.S., the world's largest crude producer and second-largest refiner after China, responded by ramping up exports of crude, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to ​record levels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), helping avert a truly cataclysmic supply shock.
For the U.S. refining industry, the past six months have been an unprecedented bonanza. Benchmark margins for converting crude into transportation fuels have averaged ​more than $50 a barrel since the start of the war, more than double their 10-year average.
To generate those bumper profits, many companies postponed planned maintenance and kept plants running at full tilt. U.S. refinery throughput has averaged around 17 million bpd since the start of the conflict, significantly above its five-year average.
The question now ​is how long this can last before something breaks.
Over the past 11 weeks, U.S. refinery utilisation rates have hovered above 95% — a sustained level not seen in more ​than 25 years. In fact, refineries have only achieved such prolonged rates three times, based on EIA data going back to 1990.
The closest parallels came in 1997 and 1998, when U.S. refineries recorded two separate 24-week stretches of utilisation rates above 95% — first between May and October 1997 and again between April and September 1998. In the summer of 1998, the refinery fleet exceeded 100% utilisation – the only time this has occurred in EIA records.
That extraordinary performance was driven by a rare combination of low crude prices and consistently strong fuel demand, giving refiners every ​incentive to keep operations running flat out.
A similar episode followed in 2000, when refineries operated above 95% utilisation for 13 consecutive weeks, but the conditions were markedly different.
Running complex refining systems at breakneck speeds for extended periods inevitably increases the risk of equipment failures, accidents and unplanned outages.
Faced with soaring margins and a global fuel shortage, many U.S. refiners have deferred essential maintenance originally scheduled for the second quarter, pushing much of the work into late 2026 or even 2027.
The risk is that doing this could ultimately lead to sharp, unplanned capacity losses.
🇺🇸⚔️🇮🇷 US forces in the Middle East are prepared to launch new, potentially major, military operations against Iran “within 96 hours of receiving” an order from President Donald Trump, according to two US officials.
Sufficient forces are now deployed in the region to carry out the potential attacks, the sources said. The scope of new US military operations would likely go beyond efforts to simply “mow the lawn” or maintain the status quo by striking radars, launchers and other Iranian assets that can be quickly reconstituted — as has been the case since Trump halted full combat operations earlier this year, the sources added.
“It will be a big effort,” one of the officials told CNN. That view has been echoed by other current and former US officials familiar with internal military planning discussions — some of whom say it is a question of when, not if, Trump will issue a go-order. They believe it could come any time before the end of the year, though most likely after ...
This is a very good video explaining in detail the damage caused by the arson attack on the Eagle's Nest, and also the systematic destruction, vandalism and insane, hate-filled iconoclasm inflicted on Hitler's beloved Berghof and associated buildings since 1945:
Felton correctly points out the Eagle's Nest was Hitler's least-favorite building there and he only visited it on a handful of occasions (it was more of an extravagant vanity protect by Martin Bormann).
Hitler's favorite building, by far, was the little tea house with the overlook, which he visited daily. This survived the war completely intact, but was needlessly destroyed by the anti-Nazi collaborationist Bavarian government in 1951, for no other reason than it was Hitler's favorite spot.
While I am saddened and angered by the burning of the Eagle's Nest, I imagine Hitler would just shrug after all the other decades of destruction that have been visited on the site, including the original ...
James Comer: Ilhan Omar’s Winery Sold Empty Barrels of Wine to Investors (VIDEO)
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/10/chairman-comer-ilhan-omars-winery-sold-empty-barrels/
