As global oil prices beat a hasty retreat from the relative highs of recent years – dropping roughly $20 per barrel in weeks – market watchers have attempted to diagnose the situation. A popular view now is that Saudi Arabia is willing to take a short-term budgetary hit from lower prices in order to force… Keep reading →
Russian and Chinese leadership signed a host of preliminary agreements yesterday covering everything from oil & gas, to nuclear power, finance, satellite navigation and high-speed rail. Russia has long been skeptical about cozying too close to China, which is both a huge market and potential business partner, but also a competitor and potential rival. It… Keep reading →
Depending upon which side of the fence one sits, major oil supply disruptions are typically considered bad luck, but in Opec’s case, recent supply disruptions have helped balance the market and support prices. “OPEC has been lucky – 3.5 million bpd of shale production has been absorbed through disruptions. They’re running out of luck,” –… Keep reading →
A mixture of supply/demand fundamentals and economic indicators are pushing down prices for global benchmark crude grade Brent. The EIA concisely describes current global crude oil market dynamics in its Today in Energy brief. [EIA] Oil market observers are buzzing with theories seeking to explain why Saudi Arabia cut official selling prices for its crude… Keep reading →
The need to reduce methane emissions from leaky valves, pipelines and compressor stations is giving rise to a new commercial industry made up of companies that specialize in methane emissions detection technology. “The industry has already seen an uptick in interest for its products and services, driven in part by the installation of oil and… Keep reading →
Analysts at investment bank Credit Suisse cut their 2015 benchmark global oil price expectations in the face of bearish fundamentals, forecasting Brent to average $97 per barrel and WTI to average $89/bbl. All eyes are on Saudi Arabian exports, which are currently at the lower end of the historical spectrum and could decrease further when… Keep reading →
In an overt admission that western-led sanctions agasint Russia’s energy sector are impacting offshore resource development, the country’s top state-controlled oil & gas enterprises are pushing for legislative changes meant to entice western companies – and their technology – into the sector. The proposed subsoil legislation modifications would apparently allow foreign companies to take expanded… Keep reading →
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new program designed to reduce energy consumption in buildings as part of the city’s greenhouse gas reduction goal. The program called NYC Built to Last is modelled after the NYC Clean Heat initiative that cut soot pollution from heating oil by 50 percent. “Representing three quarters… Keep reading →
A few Asian buyers of US LNG are looking to sell portions of the supply they purchased under long-term contracts, suggesting the excitement over exporting US natural gas as LNG could be waning a bit. When US gas production began booming around 2007 and prices cratered – falling to as low as $2 per MMBtu… Keep reading →
Argentina needs foreign technical and financial assistance to tap its considerable shale resources. Unable to access international debt and capital markets after a recent default, the country is restructuring legislation to make investment opportunities more attractive to international oil companies. [Reuters] Global accounting firm Ernst & Young released its latest quarterly Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness… Keep reading →
