Posted on 04/17/2026 8:51:30 PM PDT by McGruff
The Trump administration on Friday renewed a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea for about a month, even as lawmakers accused the government of going easy on Moscow as its war on Ukraine grinds on.
The move is part of the administration's effort to control global energy prices that have shot higher during the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. It came after countries in Asia, suffering from the global energy shock, pressed Washington to allow alternative supplies to reach markets.
"As negotiations (with Iran) accelerate, Treasury wants to ensure oil is available to those who need it," a Treasury Department spokesperson said.
Just two days earlier, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington would not be renewing the waiver for Russian oil and another for Iranian oil, which is set to expire on Sunday.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Golden Bridge.
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Russia exports specific types of heavy, sour oil and fuel products—notably Urals crude and fuel oil/vacuum gas oil (VGO)—that US refineries, particularly on the East Coast, used to mix with domestic light, sweet crude for optimal processing. While the US has abundant oil, Russian heavy products were efficient feedstocks for certain refineries.
The US doesn’t produce everything. We still have to import things.
wy69
Reuters is trash. Look elsewhere for this story. Don’t trust but do verify.
“Don’t trust but do verify.”
We’ve been doing business with Russia concerning their oil for many years as we can’t get it anywhere else. And if we go to their consumers they export to to buy it it will put the cost well over what it is worth.
The oil is a special kind of sour oil we need to mix with ours to feed specialized refineries that require specific, heavy, high-sulfur crudes to produce finished gasoline and diesel, particularly on the West Coast. The trade with Russia was banned in 2022 by the Biden cronies and it caused U.S. gas prices spiked significantly in March 2022. The national average reached then-record highs, surpassing $4 per gallon as markets reacted to supply disruptions. Getting it back will decrease the cost of gas and diesel as we are cutting out the middleman.
So if Reuter’s is right, it could mean lowering of costs.
wy69
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