Big oil’s war profits may have a silver lining after all

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- Top 100 oil and gas companies earned $30 million per hour in pure profit during the first month of the Iran conflict and are projected to earn $234 billion by year‑end if oil stays at $100 per barrel.
- Shell posted $6.9 billion profit in Q1 2026, more than double its prior level.
- BP reported $3.2 billion profit in Q1 2026.
- TotalEnergies saw a >50% jump to $5.8 billion profit in Q1 2026.
- Aramco profit rose 26% to $33.6 billion in Q1 2026.
Why it matters: Oil majors like Shell, BP, TotalEnergies and Aramco capture billions in profit while households face soaring fuel and energy bills, shifting disposable income toward higher costs and reinforcing fossil‑fuel dependence.




