Shell CEO says blockade may mean energy shortages last into 2027

The oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shortages caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are likely to drag on for months and possibly into 2027, Shell Plc chief executive officer Wael Sawan said. 

“We are talking about roughly 900 million barrels that haven’t been produced in the last couple of months and that’s been replaced essentially by stock drawdown,” Mr Sawan said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “We’re now starting to reach some relatively low levels. We’re talking about demand curtailment in certain areas. We’re talking about fuel switching.” 

Mr Sawan’s comments underscore the severity of the global energy shock that has followed US President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, which began in late February. About 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas is unable to pass through the Persian Gulf, forcing countries including Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar to shut down production and pushing customers – particularly in Asia – to compete for supplies elsewhere by bidding up prices. 

Brent crude climbed 2.8 per cent to US$111.19 (S$141.97) a barrel at 12.32pm in New York as talks between the US and Iran showed little sign of progressing. 

“This is profound, and not just for oil by the way,” Mr Sawan said. “It also plays in, of course for LNG,” he said, referring to liquefied natural gas.

Shell agreed earlier this week to buy Canadian shale producer ARC Resources for US$13.6 billion, its biggest deal in more than a decade. The purchase will support production growth through 2030 and help supply its LNG Canada facility, which exports natural gas to Asia. 

While the acquisition provides diversification away from the Middle East, it was not a key driver of the deal. Shell had been assessing ARC for two years prior to the war with Iran, Mr Sawan said. 

“Our focus has been on diversifying production but also continuing to look at new horizon,” he said. Supply-demand balances are “going to be tight for at least the coming months, if not the next year-plus, given recent disruptions.” BLOOMBERG