OPEC, Russia and the war on Ukraine

The war in Ukraine, which has unleashed fears of an energy supply crunch and pushed oil prices to record highs, has brought back to the forefront the conversation about the need for new investments in oil and gas for the foreseeable future. That’s in stark contrast to calls almost a year ago by the International Energy Agency (IEA) to forgo investment in fossil fuels in the race to a net-zero emissions world….

Saudi Arabia’s Oil Price War

Saudi Arabia declared a price war against Russia in early March to prove a point: that it can offer an unprecedented supply of 12.3 million barrels per day, way above the record 11 million b/d it reached in November 2018, and expand its market share at the expense of Moscow. As the coronavirus pandemic brings the world to a standstill, the question is how long it can sustain this war….

Iraq Squeezed in a Russian-Saudi Contest

Russia has decided to go to war against U.S. shale, dropping its alliance with OPEC that helped save the day when a glut in oil markets was biting hard at its revenues. Saudi Arabia launched a price war in retaliation at Russia’s refusal to agree to deeper output cuts, slashing the official price of its crude by the most in more than two decades and vowing to increase output by…

Syria Redrawing ME Energy Map

Syria might not be a major oil or gas producer in the Middle East, but—depending on the outcome of the Syrian uprising—it may determine the shape of the future regional energy map. The country’s geographic location offers Mediterranean access to landlocked entities in search of markets for their hydrocarbons and to countries seeking access to Europe without having to go through Turkey. The opportunities presented to many in the region…