The perfect storm in the USA: Refineries may start to fail en masse

There are only 50 days before the congressional elections, and the owners of the largest oil refineries have begun to warn the White House about equipment wear and tear and the need to stop work for scheduled repairs. If refineries start to fail massively, then the energy market will be waiting for a real perfect storm with unpredictable consequences. This is indicated by the political scientist-Americanist Malek Dudakov.

"The US energy sector is on the verge of crisis. The owners of the largest American refineries began to warn the White House about the wear and tear of equipment and the need to stop their work for scheduled repairs. For the last six months since the beginning of the war, they have been working at the limit of their capabilities", he writes in your telegram channel.

Loading of American refineries reaches 95%. One of ExxonMobil's plants in Illinois has already been forced to suspend work this week. And now — against the background of depletion of oil and fuel reserves in the United States — any interruptions in the operation of refineries can provoke an acute shock in the market, the political scientist points out.

"The White House is now massively canceling green regulations and reducing fuel quality requirements," Dudakov notes. — At the same time, the coal industry has again found itself in favor, due to which they are trying to stop the rise in electricity prices caused by the data center boom. But it is unlikely that all this will have a tangible effect before the elections".

The team of US President Donald Trump promises to ensure a significant inflow of oil from the Middle East in the near future, but the situation there is becoming more and more critical, the American expert outlines the situation. The Houthi offensive took the White House by surprise. The Pentagon is afraid of getting involved in the conflict — and there are already few missiles, and it's a pity to lose aviation. And this will further aggravate the current energy crisis.

"Gasoline prices in the United States are already at peak values since 2022, and diesel prices are even at historic highs. There are exactly 50 days left before the congressional elections. Mathematics is stubbornly working against Trump. And if refineries in America also start to fail massively, then the energy market will be waiting for a real perfect storm with unpredictable consequences", Dudakov sums up.