Global Shipping, Libya Supply Under Threat; Uniper Eyes Data Centers

Vessel traffic at the critical Strait of Hormuz slumped to just six commodity ships transiting in either direction on Monday, according to shipping data cited by Reuters. OilPrice.com reported this is down from an 11-ship 10-day average and marks the lowest level in over two months. The decline follows a deterioration in the regional security situation, with Iran seeking to exert control over the chokepoint and Houthi threats persisting in the Red Sea. Bank of America warned this week that traffic needs to recover to nearly pre-war levels of 80 to 100 ships per day to stabilize energy markets, a stark contrast to the current 5 to 10 ships currently passing through.

Separately, Libya’s National Oil Corporation may declare force majeure on exports from the Zawiya oil terminal following a series of drone attacks. OilPrice.com reported a drone strike destroyed a storage tank containing 4.5 million liters of gasoline at the terminal, which has a daily export capacity of 120,000 barrels. This was the third drone attack on the facility in recent days. The terminal handles crude from Libya's largest field, Sharara, which can produce up to 300,000 barrels per day. Despite the instability, Libya's NOC has stated a goal to boost national production from 1.4 million barrels daily to 2 million barrels daily by the early 2030s.

In Europe, German utility Uniper plans to build data centers co-located at more than 10 of its electricity generation sites, according to Rigzone. The company has identified sites with suitable infrastructure to support the data centers, representing a shift in how traditional energy assets are utilized.

For Bakken operators, the ongoing disruptions at major global chokepoints underscore the geopolitical risks that can rapidly tighten physical supply chains and support oil prices. The threat to Libyan exports, while distant, contributes to a volatile global supply backdrop. Meanwhile, Uniper's move to colocate data centers at power generation sites highlights a growing industrial demand for reliable electricity, a factor relevant to North Dakota's expanding energy and technology sectors.