Strait

Danish Straits & Gibraltar

الدنمارك وجبل طارق

What it is

The Danish Straits link the Baltic to the North Sea; the Strait of Gibraltar links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. Both are gateways out of an enclosed basin.

What transits it

4.9

million barrels per day of oil and liquids

النصف الأول من ٢٠٢٥ · إدارة معلومات الطاقة الأمريكية (EIA)source

Why it moves price

The Danish Straits are the outlet for Russian Baltic exports; Gibraltar is the crossing between Mediterranean and Atlantic for crude and product flows. Watching them reveals shifts in Russian flows weeks before they appear in official trade data.

Tension is measured daily, not described

We track thirteen chokepoints and terminals, publish a daily tension score with its components and the reasoning behind each, and tie it to the prices that move with it.