As the situation in Iraq develops, oil market bulls and bears battle over the degree to which the worst sectarian violence since US troop withdrawal will exert upward price pressure. The bear case states the lion’s share of Iraqi oil output and exports originate in the country’s Shiia-controlled south, where it is more difficult for… Keep reading →
All eyes have been on risks to Iraq’s continued ability to supply world markets with oil, but power generation is critical to keeping regional populations calm and facilitating oil industry operations. The violently-contested Baiji refinery supplies refined products to the domestic market, but there is also a 1,320 MW power plant nearby that supplies 10%… Keep reading →
Renewable energy sources grew significantly last year according to the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2014, a widely-accepted energy data source, but coal use plugged along with global coal consumption as a share of total global energy consumption at its highest level since 1970. “Demand from renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, rose… Keep reading →
While the domestic economic impacts associated with exporting US crude oil continue to be debated, other parts of the world analyze various ways in which increased US oil and gas exports could impact global, regional and local economies. Experts discussed this issue this morning in New York at the 37th annual International Association for Energy… Keep reading →
As militants spilling over from Syria advance toward Baghdad, oil traders are jittery and market observers are trying to evaluate the level of risk posed to Iraq’s main southern oil export facilities. Analyst Michael Lynch proposed potential oil price scenarios that range from relatively minor geopolitical risk premiums to more severe spikes that could see… Keep reading →
Analysts and traders have their eyes trained on Iraq, where an Al Qaeda splinter group known as the Islamic State in Iraq in the Levant seized control of Mosul – the country’s second largest city – and have reportedly made advancements toward a strategic oil refining center. The main oil production export centers do not… Keep reading →
Washington has rightfully avoided backing a candidate in next week’s [today’s] elections, but it should still use counterterrorism assistance and other levers to push Baghdad on pluralism and KRG oil revenue sharing during the presumably lengthy transition period. On April 30, the Iraqi public will vote in national parliamentary elections, establishing the next four-year term… Keep reading →
The long-running dispute over oil exports between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraqi federal leadership in Baghdad rattles on, with Turkey becoming increasingly vocal. Iraqi officials have yet to cement a national oil law that would standardize regulations covering exports and revenue distribution from oil shipped via pipeline from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey, where it… Keep reading →
In a story developing throughout the week, Libyan rebels sold 230,000 barrels of crude oil officially owned by Libyan National Oil Company to a North Korean-flagged tanker heading to an unknown destination. In response, the Opec member country sacked Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on Tuesday. [AFP and Reuters] The Tesla Motors sales model took a… Keep reading →
A new Washington Post/ABC News poll on the Keystone XL pipeline adds to the drumbeat of strong public support for building the pipeline. The Post/ABC survey shows a nearly 3 to 1 margin, with 65 percent saying Keystone XL should be approved. Details of the poll show why: 85 percent say the pipeline will create a significant number of… Keep reading →
