The viability of OPEC as an effective organization is now in question
Gloom continues to cloud crude oil markets. With a COVID-19 vaccine unlikely to ride to the rescue of the global oil market for some time, the combination of weaker demand and rising oil supply provides a difficult backdrop to the meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their allies later this month,…
With the incoming U.S. administration of Joe Biden vowing to embark on an extraordinarily ambitious international climate agenda, the world is reaching a tipping point as far as climate is concerned. The president-elect has announced the U.S. will return to the Paris climate agreement on day one in office. The incoming administration has also released…
Crude oil demand is under the cloud. Not long ago, global demand was expected to peak around 110 million barrels per day (bpd). And in 2007, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) forecast world demand for crude oil would reach even higher – 118 million bpd by 2030. But that was a different world.…
Much is at stake for the oil industry related to the outcome of the United States presidential election on Tuesday. What happens if President Donald Trump wins a second term? What happens if Joe Biden assumes the presidency? In his first term, Trump loosened methane rules and opened new offshore and Arctic areas to drilling.…
Oil-dependent economies are in a real quandary. Sliding markets, lowering demand and strong output capacities are set to hit the single-product, oil-rich economies of the Middle East, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in a recent report. These oil-rich Persian Gulf states are now expected to see a six per cent real gross domestic product…
Global energy players and major stakeholders are out with their keenly-awaited and immensely researched outlooks
Energy outlook season is here. And it’s not rosy. Global energy players and major stakeholders are out with their keenly-awaited and immensely researched outlooks. COVID-19 has turned 2020 into an unusual year, carrying long-term ramifications for the energy world. The Paris-based International Energy Agency has termed the pandemic a disruption not seen since the “world…
This is not business as usual. With the second pandemic wave around the corner and a significant drop in global capital spending, big oil is on a job-cutting spree. Job losses in the Canadian natural resources sector hit an all-time high in the second quarter of 2020. Currently, it stands at 43,000. Pipeline giant TC…
Desperation is creeping into the crude oil industry. With crude oil prices stuck at around $40 a barrel, S&P Global Ratings has estimated that the total government budgetary deficits of the oil-producing countries of the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf could reach $490 billion cumulatively between 2020 and 2023. At the…
The energy industry is in flux. A new face of the industry is still being carved out as new variables come into play, impacting the crude oil scenario. On Sept. 22, at its Battery Day, Tesla unveiled plans to develop an in-house “tabless” battery. This battery would improve the range and power of its electric…
The world is past the era of growing crude oil demand and it may never recover to pre-pandemic levels
The crude games continue. While crude oil markets continue to be sloppy, despite the possibility of a small bull run just before the weekend, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies in OPEC-plus are opting to keep their cards close to their chests. Avoiding any hint about their next steps, after their virtual…