Afghanistan’s mineral bounty 💥 Big Oil’s chemical high

Plus: Governments bankroll dubious hydrogen projects, the escalating cost of decarbonisation, Equinor ‘trolls’ EU gas market + MORE

First up: Demand for petrochemicals helped pandemic-bludgeoned integrated oil companies repair their balance sheets in the second quarter. The outlook for petchems is bullish, and strategic investments are flowing according.

And: The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan is stoking fears that vital energy transition minerals and rare earth metals coul…