From Hormuz to the Caucasus: The New Geography of Energy Security

Live updates

1. 18d ago

   Gulf States Seek Alternative Energy Routes to Bypass Strait of Hormuz

   Gulf energy producers are restructuring oil sales and seeking new transport routes to reduce dependence on the Strait of Hormuz. This shift follows a crisis that has split earnings between nations that established bypass routes before the war and those that did not. While maritime trade routes face ongoing threats, market pricing currently underprices these risks. The effort to diversify transit points is part of a broader geopolitical struggle over energy corridors across Eurasia, as producers attempt to insulate their economies from regional instability.

   Why it matters

   The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil supplies. Disruptions here directly impact global fuel prices and increase inflation risks for consumers. Diversifying these routes is essential for the long-term energy security of Gulf nations.

   What is confirmed

   • Gulf countries are seeking new routes for oil to free themselves from the Strait of Hormuz.
   • Energy routes in Eurasia have become a geopolitical battleground.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Gulf energy earnings are split based on whether a country built a way around Hormuz before the war started.

   What to watch next

   • Completion of new pipeline or port projects bypassing the Strait of Hormuz
   • Market adjustments reflecting the actual risk levels of maritime trade routes
   Sources used for this update (10)

   1. War on the Rocks — From Hormuz to the Caucasus: The New Geography of Energy Security
   2. Le Monde.fr — Gulf countries seek new routes for 'black gold' to free themselves from the Strait of Hormuz
   3. Atlantic Council — Maritime trade routes are under threat—and markets still underprice the risks
   4. Daily Cargo News — Book examines Hormuz crisis and impact for shipping
   5. The Astana Times — Resources Are Not Enough: How Energy Routes Are Becoming Geopolitical Battleground in Eurasia
   6. EnterpriseAM — Gulf energy earnings split along one line: who built a way around Hormuz before the war started
   7. The Times — War, drought, 120% rate hikes: inside the global shipping crisis
   8. MorungExpress — The Strain of Fuel Prices and Inflation Risk: Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters to Your Wallet
   9. Energy Intelligence — Crisis Forces Gulf Producers to Rethink How They Sell Oil
   10. www.scmp.com — Chatham House
   confidence 80%