None of that fulfills Trump’s obligations to the oil industry to destabilize the world order and keep a risk premium in oil.

Remember, he went begging to the US oil execs for campaign cash, promised they’d get what they wanted. Iran, the blocking of green energy projects, the opening of the rest of Gulf of Mexico to drilling, and Venezuela and more are all paying back that obligation.

China can self insure if they need the oil badly enough.

“drifting mine” That’s a nightmarish thought. Those will go everywhere, wash up on shore, go out into the Indian Ocean, whatever. I really hope that’s not what’s going on here.