U.S. Oil Companies Earn Estimated $130 Billion in Six Months

More than 50 major U.S. oil and gas companies earned an estimated $130 billion in profits from April through September 2026, while higher fuel prices added about $147 billion in costs across the U.S. economy, according to separate analyses cited in recent reporting. The industry profit estimate, based on company results and analyst forecasts, was nearly three times the less than $47 billion earned by the same companies during the corresponding months of 2025. It is not a finalized accounting: some third-quarter results were still estimates, and the calculation excludes March, when the war began, and October. Brown University’s Climate Solutions Lab estimated that Americans faced roughly $147 billion in additional gasoline and diesel costs since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28. The estimate covers added costs across the economy, rather than direct household spending. It amounts to more than $1,100 per U.S. household when expressed as an average, according to the analysis. Higher fuel prices and constrained supplies have helped lift earnings, particularly for refiners. Damage to refineries in the Middle East and Russia reduced available processing capacity,...