Since the early 1970s, most major oil deals have been transacted in “petrodollars.”
But that system has become increasingly challenged in recent years.
The conflict in Ukraine right now has only served to exacerbate things.
Since the early 1970s, most major oil deals have been transacted in “petrodollars.”
But that system has become increasingly challenged in recent years.
The conflict in Ukraine right now has only served to exacerbate things.
Sitting in a new land of plenty, Americans rarely notice disturbing energy trends elsewhere in the world.
But in the course of my global work, it’s impossible not to recognize there are serious energy shortages developing in other parts of the world.
despite the Russian-controlled natural gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea to northern Germany (Nord Stream) and across Belarus to Poland, most of the Russian natural gas coming to the continent still passes across Ukraine – about 80% in fact. And Europe is still reliant upon this energy flow despite attempts to diversify.
In addition to all of its other problems, Ukraine is also at the center of an increasingly messy energy situation.
Thanks to additional new U.S. pipeline capacity and the growing volume of oil product exports from American refineries, the glut of excess storage at Cushing, Okla., is shrinking.
Late Friday afternoon, the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline cleared one of its biggest hurdles.
In its Final Environmental Impact Statement, the U.S. Department of State concluded that completing the pipeline’s northern leg would not have a major impact on global greenhouse gas emissions.
This is a syndicated repost published with the permission of Money Morning. To view original, click here. Opinions herein are not those of the Wall Street…
Investment opportunities in the energy markets always bounce between questions of available supply and prospects for demand.
These days many commentators in the U.S. are viewing excess domestic shale gas and tight oil as a factor in restraining energy prices. Meanwhile, their colleagues in Western Europe forecast continuing economic malaise, translating into a similar result.
As Yogi Berra aptly put it, It’s deja vu all over again.
The Soviet gulag state is coming back and this time it could wreak havoc on the world’s energy markets.
This may sound funny, but water availability is becoming an issue in energy generation. And it may start to impact prices.
The issue here is not the environmental impact of water usage. That is quite a different debate.
What I’m talking about today is the water supply/demand issue.
Because water is plentiful in those areas of the U.S. where shale gas and tight oil drilling is most concentrated, the price of the water itself is very low.
But there are three other costs involved with the usage of water, and those are beginning to cause some serious concerns.
Here’s what I mean…