By Patti Domm U.S. refineries are expanding their diesel-production capacity, not so much for truckers in the U.S., but for drivers in places like Mexico City and Santiago, Chile. Already running at their highest levels in six years, U.S. refineries are finding strong demand for diesel fuel, used widely in cars outside of the United… Keep reading →
The tight oil being developed in North America is certainly not the lowest-cost oil in the world. But of the opportunities available to major oil companies, relatively low cost is just one of many advantages it offers over other sources of production. “The shale revolution has changed the competitive landscape, because every investment decision we… Keep reading →
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a Saudi billionaire investor with holdings in outfits like Citigroup and Time Warner, published a critical letter to Saudi Arabia’s oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi (on twitter, no less). It said that the country “won’t be able to fulfill its plan to increase capacity to 15 million barrels a day”, that “there’s… Keep reading →
Opec countries’ oil export revenues – excluding Iran – reached $982 billion last year, up by 5% over the previous year, according to Energy Information Administration estimates. This marks a record for EIA estimates covering the 1975-2012 time period, with Saudi Arabia accounting for 32% of the total. But revenues are projected to fall this year and… Keep reading →
Natural gas production gains spurred by the unconventional revolution upended long-held beliefs about resource scarcity in the US, leading to calls for exports. And the rise in US unconventional crude production has led to similar calls for exporting oil. “Federal lawmakers should overturn the ban on exporting crude oil produced in the United States,” said Blake… Keep reading →
Mexico is heading towards much-needed energy sector reform, and with two of the country’s three major political parties in broad alignment on energy goals, major changes to the sector look more likely than ever, according to attorneys in the energy practice of law firm Mayer Brown. Mexico is major oil producer, and one of the… Keep reading →
In the midst of the shale revolution, US proved natural gas reserves drove the first ever global decline in proved gas reserves in 2012, and it all comes down to low prices, according to BP Chief Economist Christof Rühl. Global proved natural gas reserves fell by half a trillion cubic metres in 2012 compared to… Keep reading →
Barclays is forecasting a long-term US natural gas price of $4.75 per million Btu, asserting that the $4.50-$5.00/MMBtu range is the golden mean that can both drive demand growth and ensure sufficient supply. “Natural gas prices at $4.50-5.00/MMBtu are high enough to motivate sufficient gas drilling to meet projected demand in the long run: a… Keep reading →
Despite objections, the U.S. is heading down the road to export natural gas, and that could ultimately help shake up world energy markets.
The boom in U.S. natural gas, thanks to new drilling technologies has resulted in a record amount of recoverable gas at cheap prices. Selling some of it abroad would bolster U.S. exports, help trade imbalances and relations, and provide fuel to parts of the world where it is now scarce and expensive. Keep reading →
The sagging US economy and its energy sector will soon be getting a boost, as well as some help in competing with China.
On September 30, the board of directors of the US Export-Import Bank approved $3.4 billion in financing to support US exports in a wide range of industries, including aerospace, oil and gas, locomotives and solar. The hope is that the financing will create over 20,000 news American jobs and help in efforts put the country’s economy back on its feet. For energy companies struggling to compete with a heavily subsidized Chinese energy market, the financing could be a major game changer. Keep reading →
