The summer driving season is upon us and Americans are hitting the road in much larger numbers than a year ago
Crude oil markets face an interesting mix of influences. While the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to affect the markets, conflicting signals seem to push oil prices in the opposite direction. Reports confirm that American oil consumption is rushing back much faster from the pandemic slump than initially predicted. The summer driving season is upon us…
Declining Chinese demand, a rising rig count in the United States and a devastating resurgence of COVID-19 in Asia all play a role
It has been a fluctuating week for the oil markets. In the immediate aftermath of the agreement within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies in OPEC+, crude prices fell by a devastating seven per cent on July 19. However, with signs of demand holding despite the spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant,…
All eyes are focused on Saudi Arabia. Will it continue to single-handedly maintain stability in the markets?
Uncertainty has overtaken the crude oil markets again for several reasons. Since March, crude oil markets have mostly been ascending. But prices declined last week by a greater margin than any time in the last four-plus months. And the resurgence of COVID-19 in many parts of the world is clouding the near-term future of oil.…
U.A.E. prepares for a post-oil world, endeavouring to make the best of the oil it has before demand shrinks for good
Crude oil markets have left a confused picture and observers can’t decipher where prices will stabilize. In the immediate aftermath of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) fiasco last week, oil prices were on a slippery slope. OPEC+ ministers halted crude oil output talks on July 5 after the United Arab Emirates rejected a…
As OPEC+ talks to increase crude oil production stall, the Saudis seem to have lost a key ally in the United Arab Emirates
Adrenalin never stops flowing in the oil business. Dull moments are rare. The emerging scenario among the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies in the expanded OPEC+ is no different. The group was on the verge of finalizing a deal on Thursday to increase its crude output by two million barrels per day…
But much still depends on United States-Iran nuclear talks and how OPEC+ members will react to any deal
Crude oil markets are hot. Prices are up and the US$75 line has been breached. Chatter about oil touching US$100 is getting loud and clear. Global oil consumption is getting closer to the pre-pandemic levels. The bleak clouds hanging over the crude oil horizon are beginning to dissipate. Industry eyes are again on the Organization…
The world needs more oil. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and American shale oil producers all need to up their output to keep the rising prices of the “super cycle,” as Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman called it, under control. Media reports say Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told the Robin…
The IEA concedes rising oil demand at odds with its call to end new oil, gas and coal funding
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is torn between two conflicting ends. On one hand, it’s grappling with climate change issues; on the other, it sees rising oil prices. For now, the two ends seem to be running parallel but not converging. Oil demand is rising fast, as are prices, reaching multi-year highs on Friday. Brent…
IEA wants all investments in new developments to stop. Others warn that could lead to $200 a barrel oil
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies in OPEC+ are on a collision course with energy watchdog International Energy Agency (IEA) on at least two counts. Last month, the Paris-based IEA delivered the starkest warning yet on fossil fuels, saying the exploitation and development of new oil and gas fields must stop this…
Alternative energy and calls for the world to overcome its reliance on fossil fuels gaining currency
The short-term prognosis for crude oil looks exciting. But that may be a mirage. The approaching summer driving season in the Northern Hemisphere and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions have stimulated demand. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies in the expanded OPEC+ appear confident that with the accelerating vaccination programs and…
The IEA lays out recommendations for what needs to happen, and when, to transform the global economy from one dominated by fossil fuels
The world must act quickly on climate change, says the International Energy Agency. To meet the net-zero emission targets and limit the worst impacts of climate change, a sprint is absolutely essential, says the Paris-based IEA, the energy watchdog for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Reaching net-zero emissions will require a huge…
Iran orchestrated Houthis attacks on Saudi Arabia to coerce the Saudis to market its oil
As the result of developments in the Middle East, oil is back as a bargaining chip on the geopolitical chessboard. Once Donald Trump lost the election for a second term as American president, it became increasingly evident that the new administration led by Joe Biden would attempt to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.…
Biden seems to have slackened America's tight grip on Iranian crude exports reigniting a market share battle within OPEC
Iran and the United States are closing in on reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly termed as the Iran nuclear deal. U.S. President Joe Biden is keen to strike a deal before the June presidential elections in Iran, which hardliners are projected by many to win. All this has significant bearing…
A new reality is dawning: the short-term direction of oil markets is in sharp contrast to its longer-term trajectory. The short-term outlook – courtesy of the decision by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies in OPEC+ to withhold some eight million barrels per day (bpd) from the markets – and the emerging…
Ominous clouds continue to hang over the global oil horizon
Where will world oil markets be in a year? With so many variables impacting the markets, no one has the crystal ball to see the crude oil price trajectory a year ahead. On April 20, 2020, panic had gripped the energy market as a frightening realization dawned on oil traders: The world was rapidly running…
Oil producers face catastrophe if countries worldwide move to limit global warming by two degrees Celsius
Crude oil demand is weak and the fundamental factors aren’t encouraging. Yet, most major oil-producing countries are moving to boost their output levels in the short run. Why? Saudi Arabia is pursuing plans to develop major offshore expansion projects to add an extra 1.15 million barrels per day (bpd) to its oil capacity by 2024,…
Fed up with the Saudi's "artificially jacking up the prices"
An oil war is brewing between the world’s largest crude exporter, Saudi Arabia, and the world’s third-largest crude consumer, India. India has long pleaded with Saudi Arabia to keep oil prices lower to help sustain economic growth in the developing and emerging economies of Asia. In rather hushed tones, for diplomatic reasons, India has protested…
With the continuing OPEC+ oil output cuts, markets were going into an overdrive mode. Prices at U.S. gas stations rose sharply
Surprising the markets and going against expectations, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies in the extended OPEC+ changed course at their ministerial meeting last week. At the virtual meeting, OPEC+ opted to increase its output by 350,000 barrels per day (bpd) in May another 350,000 bpd in June, and roughly an additional…
Crude oil markets continue to show signs of weakness – even without the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the Suez Canal closure
Pressure is mounting on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies in the extended OPEC+ to roll over their crude oil output cuts when they meet on April 1. Markets continue to show signs of weakness – even without the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the Suez Canal closure. But the Suez…
The recent spike in oil markets was engineered – fundamentals didn’t drive it. There were issues about the tight leash on output
The oil market recovery is faltering. Uncertainty over the speed of an economic recovery and whether there will be a full rebound in global oil demand is holding back the markets. Stalled COVID-19 vaccination efforts in parts of the world and a strong dollar are also keeping the markets from rising much further. The recent…
Although the OPEC+ decision resulted in immediate oil price gains, the warning shots on the horizon couldn’t be altogether ignored
Saudi Arabia is leading the pack on crude oil production management. Russia seems to be following. Despite murmurs in the oil market of a possible rift between the two countries on the issue of output, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their allies in the OPEC+, at their virtual meeting last Thursday, went…
The grand old wise man of the energy world has slipped into history. With the passing away of Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, the charismatic Saudi oil minister from 1962 to 1986, an era has come to an end. With his calm and cool demeanour, intellectual depth, sharp mind and the capacity to stand up to…
With the Brent crude oil price touching $65 last week, markets have entered the hot zone. Inclement weather, the resultant rising demand for heating, a dip in United States output and the unilateral Saudi output cut all helped to tighten the markets, contributing to the bull run. Parts of the U.S. have been in a…
Some observers see prices moving even higher as refiners increase processing rates to meet rising product demand
Oil extended its longest winning streak in two years last week. Crude oil prices climbed more than nine per cent, as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies in OPEC+ curbed supplies, depleting global oil inventories. A United States government report also indicated that U.S. domestic oil stockpiles have fallen by 6.6 million…
Crude oil markets firmed up in the last week to levels not seen in almost a year. Does that indicate a real change in direction or is it just a passing phase? In sharp contrast to its January meeting, the virtual ministerial meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies in OPEC+…
An expected new nuclear deal, a pipeline project and an easing of sanctions all contribute to increased production and exports
Crude oil markets are focused on the Iran nuclear deal. A new United States administration under President Joe Biden has pledged to revert to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. The world awaits the next moves, which will set the contours of future Iranian oil output. With…
But opposition to resource development means Canada is being left out in the cold
Extreme cold weather and mismatched supply and demand have pushed spot prices for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Asia through the roof. Bloomberg reports that LNG spot prices went from “almost to zero” in April 2020 to above US$30 per one million British thermal unit (MMBtu), rising “18-fold in less than nine months.” Prices in…
Uncertainty is ruling the energy world. “Crude producers continue to grapple with huge uncertainty about where this goes from here,” Tim Gould, the International Energy Agency (IEA) head of energy supply outlooks and investment, told the press last week. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agrees. “Uncertainties remain high going forward with the main…
Until recently, the nation has insisted it wouldn’t unilaterally cut output until others agreed to contribute. All that has changed
Saudi Arabia is back in its role as the swing crude oil producer of the world. Until recently, the nation has insisted it wouldn’t unilaterally cut output until others, including Russia, agreed to contribute. But all this changed – almost overnight. On Jan. 4, while the ministers from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its…
Even if the vaccines remain effective against the new COVID-19 mutants, a true crude oil market rebound is still a long shot
Strong headwinds continue to disrupt crude oil markets in the new year. In 2020, COVID-19 triggered demand destruction, with some insisting that global oil demand may have already peaked. Lifestyles changed – apparently forever. Working from home became the new norm, commuting to the workplace became extinct and flying became less prevalent. All these factors…
Crude oil markets face an interesting mix of influences. While the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to affect the markets, conflicting signals seem to push oil prices in the opposite direction. Reports confirm that American oil consumption is rushing back much faster from the pandemic slump than initially predicted. The summer driving season is upon us…
