There’s Still A Future For Nuclear Power

The world is consuming ever-growing amounts of energy, and consumption is set for a particularly intensive growth in electricity. Put simply, people are going to need more electricity in the years to come as we shift away from fossil fuels. This fast growth will require more generation capacity, some of which will be nuclear. In […]

The next financial crash is imminent, and China’s resource crisis could be the trigger

China’s economic slowdown could be a key trigger of the coming global financial crisis, but one of its core drivers — China’s dwindling supplies of cheap domestic energy — is little understood by mainstream economists. All eyes are on China as the world braces itself for what a growing number of financial analysts warn could be another global economic […]

Dollar, Oil Take ‘Counterintuitive’ Market Paths

In “Futures In Focus,” Paul Nolte, portfolio manager at Kingsview Asset Management, examines the dollar, oil prices, and Treasuries. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Vonnie Quinn on “Bloomberg Markets.” (Source: Bloomberg)

No Fracking Way: Debt-Laden Shale Producers May Unleash The Next Financial Crisis

After nearly two decades of horizontal drilling, fracking – as it is commonly known, has “turned the energy world upside down,” according to Journalist Bethany McLean, a former Goldman Sachs analyst-turned-journalist. And according to a new op-ed in the New York Times, McLean has a warning for anyone betting the farm on the shale industry; beware. In a […]

The History of Gold-Oil Ratios: 1970-2018

Today I document and analyze gold and oil prices and their ratios from January 1970 to August 2018. This is the second part of our research and analysis on gold-oil ratios since World War II.   As a reminder, we use monthly average London gold prices provided by Kitco.com and monthly average oil prices for […]

Are Oil and Gas Executives Overpaid?

(Today’s post is co-authored by Catherine Hausman, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan and Ph.D. graduate of UC Berkeley.) New Energy Institute study finds that U.S. oil and gas executives are “paid-for-luck,” with executive compensation increasing significantly during periods of high oil prices.   Crude oil prices are now near $70 per barrel, […]

The Biggest Threat To The Oil And Gas Industry

Trump’s trade war is taking a toll on the oil and gas industry. There has been some eleventh-hour drama over the renegotiation of NAFTA, but the energy industry is likely going to dodge a bullet on that front, with the most contentious issues revolving around agriculture and automobiles. But even if the NAFTA renegotiation succeeds, […]

Where Will The Next Crisis Come From?

Key Points It’s been 10 years since a U.S. financial shock turned into a crisis in the global financial, market and economic system. A shock turns into a crisis when the system is unprepared for it. The system is often at its most vulnerable near the end of the global economic cycle when excesses have […]

The US Dollar Will Collapse Next Week – Peter Schiff

The catalyst for the rise in gold and the decline in the dollar, I believe, was the dovish speech given by Jerome Powell today in Jackson Hole. Whether or not the speech is perceived as dovishly as I believe it is, I think we’re going to have to see if we are going to get […]

Saudi Arabia Calls Off Aramco IPO, Disbands Advisors

Two years ago, when the Aramco IPO was first floated, bankers on Wall Street declared a week-long fee orgy: after all, the $1+ trillion IPO – the biggest in history – was going to result in an underwriting fee bonanza. However, it was not meant to be, and last October the first reports emerged that the IPO […]

No Seller – Not Even China – Can Disrupt US By Selling Treasurys…But The “Why” Ain’t Good

I often read that China may retaliate against US trade sanctions by further decreasing their US Treasury holdings, sending Treasury yields significantly higher, thus blowing out US deficit spending on interest payments.  Trouble is, Chinese Treasury holdings peaked in 2014 (on an annualized basis) and have been declining since.  The Chinese have not only ceased accumulating US […]

Oil Is Losing Its Grip Over the Currencies of Top Energy Producers

Oil’s typically a key driver of the world economy, and an indicator of the industrial cycle. Higher prices can act as a drag on global growth while enriching nations who suck it out of the soil. When other drivers such as politics take hold of their currencies, crude can become a useful diversifier for a […]

At Iran’s Risk, Trump Is Winning Over Fastest Growing Oil Market

One of Iran’s biggest oil customers is buying more U.S. crude as President Donald Trump sticks to his pledge to squeeze the Persian Gulf nation’s energy trade. State-run refiner Indian Oil Corp., which had been buying U.S. crude in the spot market, signed a term tender to purchase American oil for delivery every month between […]

Boom over: The industry that was spending $10000 a minute has reached its peak

At the peak of the LNG construction boom, oil and gas company Santos was spending about $10,000 a minute over seven years to bring its $25 billion Queensland-based Gladstone LNG project online. But the days of new gas mega-projects being built is over as the industry shifts into a new gear of producing gas, says […]

The State of Fossil Fuel According to World Petroleum Council

The World Petroleum Council: How to Finish the Race with Limited Gas There is this saying that if you fuel your journey with fear and doubt, you are surely going to run out of gas. But fret not, the road is just sometimes fraught with uncharted terrains and bumps. This month’s issue features an exclusive […]

Aramco’s Next Plan To Raise Billions Of Dollars

The Aramco IPO may now be history, put on indefinite hold several weeks ago, but Saudi Arabia’s funding needs have never been greater. As a result, 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aka MbS, has come up with a “novel” scheme to raise tens of billions for the government. According to the WSJ, the de […]

Iran’s rial hits record-low 100,000 to the dollar

Iran’s currency hit a record low on Sunday of 100,000 rials to the dollar amid a deepening economic crisis and the imminent return of full US sanctions. The unofficial rate stood at 102,000 rials by midday, according to Bonbast, one of the most reliable sites for tracking the Iranian currency. The rate was confirmed by […]

Big Oil Is Raking in Cash

The dark storm clouds that have been hanging over the oil industry during the crude-price slump have suddenly started raining cash. After cutting billions of dollars of costs to survive the biggest downturn in decades, Big Oil is now riding a price rebound to generate enough cash to pay dividends and still have plenty left […]

Houston To Overtake Cushing As Key Hub

Houston is emerging as one of the great oil hubs in the world, and pretty soon it will be outfitted with an oil futures contract, which could cement its position. Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE) announced plans to launch an oil futures with physical delivery in Houston, and the contract could launch as soon as this […]

Houston Is a Big Energy Hub, So Why Not Price Oil Futures There?

Houston is set to get its own oil futures, a sign of the city’s growing importance as the U.S. sends more crude abroad. Intercontinental Exchange Inc. ICE 0.66% is planning a new crude futures contract with physical delivery in Houston, the company said Tuesday. The contract will provide traders with direct access to Houston prices. […]

Oil and Gas Industry Survival Tips

Advice is abundant on social media. Need a restaurant recommendation for your next date night or the name of a good electrician to install your new ceiling fan? Post a query to your Facebook page and you might get multiple suggestions in a matter of minutes. Need pointers on which keywords to include in your […]

The Two Biggest Threats To The Natural-Gas Boom

The International Energy Agency is bullish on the prospects for natural gas. IEA sees gas as a versatile player with vast growth potential, in large part because it can solve local air pollution in Asian cities. But IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol warned last week that two threats could derail the growth of the natural gas industry. “We think gas […]

Energy: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Even though energy is my specialty, I hadn’t intended to write about the topic again this week. However, recent events in the oil and gas sector are so significant, they compel me to once again focus on energy. The stakes are enormous not just for energy, but for investors of all stripes. The fortunes of […]

Here’s why oil’s surge is far from over, and $100 per barrel could be in the cards

With oil rallying 14 percent in the second quarter alone, investors might be tempted to take some profits. That would be a mistake, says one widely followed energy strategist. “What we’re looking for now in WTI is we’re looking to go to $77,” Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets, told […]

How Energy Looks in 2043

Twenty-five years can bring a world of change. In celebration of The Motley Fool’s 25th birthday, the Industry Focus team is diving into what 25 years have meant and could mean for their industries. In this week’s Energy show, host Sarah Priestley and Motley Fool contributor Taylor Muckerman explain what future of energy is shaping […]

BP CFO: Preparing for war

Preparing for War is the title of the book perched on the desk of BP CFO Brian Gilvary that he says he is intending to read next. It’s an apt title given the war footing he has found himself in over the years and is in keeping with a combative nature that belies his old-school […]

Oil producers face their ‘life or death’ question

Fear of an imminent peak in demand means companies are less likely to invest. So does that make shortages and a price rise inevitable? David Sheppard and Anjli Raval in London Asked last month by a frustrated investor if, “hand on heart”, Royal Dutch Shell was more concerned about “the sustainability of the company or […]

WTI vs. WTI vs. WTI

The degree to which the perception of quality of West Texas Intermediate crude oil influences price was on display Wednesday in the form of the following crude value indication given to S&P Global Platts: WTI Midland at Cushing, Oklahoma, is worth 90 cents/b more than WTI at Cushing. If that sounds confusing, it is, and […]

A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall

Après moi, le déluge ~ King Louis XV of France A hard rain’s a-gonna fall ~ Bob Dylan (the first) As the Federal Reserve kicked off its second round of quantitative easing in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis, hedge fund manager David Tepper predicted that nearly all assets would rise tremendously in response. “The Fed just announced […]

The Apparently Never-Ending Permian Blowout

Energy dominance carries its own backlash, it turns out. Ground zero is the Permian basin in west Texas, where oil production has run ahead of pipeline capacity to get it to market, forcing some U.S. barrels to price at wide discounts. Thankfully, new pipelines should fix the problem by early 2020. Apparently, though, the futures […]

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