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# The Great Energy Retreat: Why Global Oil Prices Are Tumbling Global crude oil prices have collapsed roughly 20% over the last month, plunging into the low $70s and hitting their lowest levels since 2020. The sudden reversal has erased months of volatility, replacing fears of a triple-digit energy crunch with a potential supply glut. Three major factors are driving this aggressive market shift: * **Geopolitical Breakthroughs:** Following months of severe maritime disruptions, a temporary ceasefire signed on June 17 reopened the **Strait of Hormuz**—the world's most vital energy chokepoint. With 20% of global oil traffic flowing freely again, the "geopolitical risk premium" that inflated prices has evaporated. * **Emergency Buffers:** Global energy markets are being flooded with oil. A massive, coordinated release from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) combined with roughly 150 million barrels of "floating storage" that had been trapped at sea has created an immediate supply cushion. * **China-Led Demand Drop:** High spring prices triggered widespread "demand destruction." China, the world's largest crude importer, slashed its oil imports by 40% during the peak of the friction. This cooling global demand prompted the International Energy Agency (IEA) to downgrade its global energy outlook for the rest of the year. > **The Takeaway:** Financial institutions have sharply revised their targets down to a bearish $60 to $80 range. While the drop provides consumers with immediate relief at the gas pump and shields central banks against inflation, analysts warn the market remains sensitive until long-term production fully stabilizes. $NVDAB $MSFTB $SPCXB #OilPriceFalls #SpotSilverRises3%To$60.10 #USLiftsExportControlsOnAnthropicModels #BitcoinSlidesTo$59250 #Q2CryptoHackLosses$780.3M