Southeast Asian countries, heavily reliant on Gulf oil imports, are diversifying their suppliers as they feel the crunch from two months of disruptions.
Data shows countries like Thailand and Vietnam are tapping Brunei, Libya, and the US for barrels, in the latest sign of how the Iran war is reshaping global energy flows.
The war has threatened to blunt the rapid growth of Southeast Asia’s economies, though the region’s exports have so far held up, driven by the tech industry, Nikkei reported.
The US, meanwhile, has once again become the world’s top crude exporter, but some experts question whether US producers can keep up and if domestic inventories are depleting too quickly.
