https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/oil-inventories-in-the-west-have-been-exhausted-vitol-ceo-saysContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/oil-inventories-in-the-west-have-been-exhausted-vitol-ceo-sayshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/oil-inventories-in-the-west-have-been-exhausted-vitol-ceo-says#u111307Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:40:50 +0000Western oil inventories available to offset supply disruptions have been completely exhausted following the Iran war, according to Vitol Group CEO Russell Hardy. Industry executives warn that the global oil supply buffer is running scarily thin, with Saudi Aramco's chief noting that fewer than six billion barrels of commercial stocks remain, much of which is practically unavailable. The energy crisis has expanded from crude and fuels into global shipping, raising market concerns about a tanker shortage and potential extreme price spikes.Why it mattersThe near-total depletion of global sto