Energy

Could A Lithium Shortage De-Rail The Electric Car Boom?

2016-08-25 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The construction of 12 battery gigafactories guarantees a massive increase in Lithium demand, causing a potential shortage of supply

World News

Erdogan's Power Game: Turkey On Collision Course With NATO

2016-07-26 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Many consequences of the attempted coup in Turkey are still unknown, but it is sure that President Erdogan wants to consolidate power whilst creating a dominant position for Turkey in the region

Gold and Silver

Billionaire Investors Back A Gold Price Rally In 2016

2016-06-09 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

A wildly overvalued U.S. dollar and increasing uncertainty about global economic growth has driven many investors back to gold

Energy

Warren Buffett Beats Elon Musk In Nevada

2015-12-30 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

New net-metering regulation in Nevada could be disastrous for Musk's' Solar City which business model relies upon this system

Energy

Strippers Suffering From Low Oil Prices

2015-12-10 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

After OPEC's decisions, it looks like oil prices could stay under $50 for a year or longer, this could be disastrous for stripper wells, as they cannot make up for low prices by increasing production

The bankruptcy of Spanish renewable energy giant Abengoa may bode ill for European renewables

Energy

Can We Blame Hedge Funds For Low Oil Prices?

2015-12-01 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

With oil prices down in the $40's range, many blame hedge funds for keeping prices low, but are hedge funds and other investors large enough to move the overall oil market?

Energy

Will 2016 Be The Year Of Wireless Energy?

2015-11-19 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Wireless power has long been nothing more than a pipedream, but recent breakthroughs could provide the catalyst needed to spur the technology into widespread use

Energy

Why French Military Action In Syria Doesn't Affect Oil Prices

2015-11-18 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Now that France and its Western allies are more actively bombing IS oil smuggling operations, many wonder whether this will affect global oil prices, but the figures only point to one answer…

Energy

What The Paris Attacks Mean For Commodities Prices

2015-11-17 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The latest offensive by the French military in Syria will not be enough to move the needle on oil prices, given excess supply still seen today but future escalations in the Middle East could impact production

With the intensification of Saudi competition for market share in Europe, Russia has been forced to provide a bigger discount on its crude, worsening the country's economic outlook in the near term

Energy

LNG Glut Set To Worsen Considerably Over Next 3 Years

2015-11-12 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

As demand for LNG in key nations such as China and Japan continues to disappoint, producers should be increasingly concerned about even more projects coming online and worsening the glut

Energy

Can Russia Withstand Saudi Onslaught In The European Oil Market?

2015-11-11 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Russia's oil industry is putting a brave face on things amid the price slump, but Saudi Arabia's recent incursion into the European market has put Rosneft on the defensive like never before

Energy

The Middle East Could Face A Historic Crisis By Century's End

2015-11-10 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While low oil prices have threatened the economies of the Gulf States recently, over the longer term there are much greater and dangerous threats in the decades ahead…

Energy

Political Climate Shifting Against The Oil And Gas Industry

2015-11-09 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

With increasing calls for climate change action, the newly launched investigation into Exxon and the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline, the oil and gas industry is under rapidly mounting pressure

Energy

Canada's Oil Sector Cautiously Optimistic About Late 2016 Recovery

2015-11-06 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

A recent drilling activity forecast session held in Canada by the PSAC once again highlighted the dire straits Canada's oil industry finds itself in at present and the uncertainty that lies ahead

Energy

North Dakota No Longer Attractive For Drillers Or Refiners

2015-11-04 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Refiners in the Gulf of Mexico are choosing to import international oil in favor of continuing with existing supply deals from drillers in North Dakota as they can longer compete on price

Following third quarter earnings season, many of the world's largest oil and gas companies have decided to shelve the majority of their megaprojects, but how long will that option be viable for?

Many in the markets and the oil and gas industry are focused on the short term price oscillations, but recent studies suggest the longer-term outlook could be far worse than believed

Transportation

Forget Vegas, Nevada Is Now About Reno And Lithium

2015-10-30 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Tesla's gigafactory has sparked a massive economic resurgence in the State of Nevada, with thousands of jobs and billions of dollars expected to enter the economy in coming years

Energy

Future Of Iraq's Oil Industry Under Threat

2015-10-22 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While Iraq has been a major contributor in terms of lifting overall OPEC production, issues relating to missed payments to international oil companies threaten the country's energy future

Energy

Is The Oil And Gas Fire Sale About To Start?

2015-10-16 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Ongoing volatility in the oil markets and increasing worries about credit redeterminations across the sector could soon spur a massive wave of asset acquisitions

Energy

Current Oil Price Rally Will Fizzle Out Say Analysts

2015-10-15 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While the recent rally in oil prices had many traders and investors optimistic, there is a growing consensus that it will be short-lived and any gains will be completely reversed

Energy

The End Of The Oil Major?

2015-10-14 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The latest industry reports indicate that oil majors' spending on exploration and development projects will drop by at least half, casting doubt over near-term future discoveries

Energy

Six Reasons Natural Gas Prices Are Staying Down

2015-10-05 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The oil price slump has taken the majority of the headlines, but natural gas is also entering a seriously bearish cycle with no near-term end in sight

Energy

Shell's Loss Is Eni's Gain

2015-10-02 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While this week saw a massive failure for oil major Shell in its Arctic drilling campaign, it's Italian counterpart Eni appears to be the next worthy successor in the race for Arctic oil and gas

Energy

Alaska Facing Tough Choices Without Arctic Oil

2015-10-01 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Following Shell's withdrawal from its Arctic drilling program, the state of Alaska is now in an even worse position economically, with only extreme and controversial solutions ahead…

Energy

Is This The End Of The U.S Shale Gas Revolution

2015-09-17 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

For many years, U.S shale gas production has been on the rise, but the ongoing oil price slump and the fact that gas is often a side product from oil drilling has put an end to the natural gas boom

Energy

The Mirage Of An Iranian Oil Bonanza

2015-09-03 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While the consequences of the Iran nuclear deal for the oil markets have been discussed at great length, the reality of the situation is a lot more bullish then many think

Energy

Why Did Oil Prices Just Jump By 27 Percent In 3 Days?

2015-09-02 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Oil markets saw an incredible rally in the dying days of August, but the rally was based on sentiment and not fundamentals, which still begs the question – "What's next?"

Energy

The World's First Clean Oil Sands Project: An Interview With Dr. Gerald Bailey

2015-09-01 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Oil sands production has a bad reputation worldwide as being one of the dirtiest sources of crude production, but that may soon be a thing of the past

Energy

Former Exxon President On Mission To Clean Up Oil Sands

2015-07-30 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While traditionally, oil sands have quite a poor image when it comes to the environment, new technology has emerged which could revolutionize the sector and clean it up once and for all

Energy

Warren Buffett And Elon Musk To Spark A Lithium Boom

2015-07-28 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Lithium is at the frontline in the war to rival Tesla's gigafactory and corner the energy storage market, and it will be the hottest commodity in energy this decade

Energy

OPEC, Get Ready For The Second U.S. Oil Boom

2015-07-14 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The shale boom in the United States may only be the first phase of a much bigger event that will shape the future of oil production worldwide

Energy

The Multi-Trillion Dollar Oil Market Swindle

2015-07-13 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The continuing disruptions in the oil markets that stem from either direct or indirect price manipulation could prove to be one of the biggest financial scandals in history

Energy

Global Oil Shortage Before Year's End? Surely Not…

2015-06-08 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Despite persistent pressure from OPEC on the oil glut, some experts are predicting a tightening of supply before year's end, but how realistic is this prediction?

Energy

Seeing Some Success, OPEC Maintains Market Share Strategy

2015-06-05 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Under Saudi influence OPEC's June 5 meeting sees the output quota unchanged. OPEC's strategy seems to be successfully driving up its market share.

Energy

Forget the Noise: Oil Prices Won't Crash Again

2015-06-03 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While rig count data may have narrated oil's precipitous decline over the past year, look for inventory data to guide oil back up as erroneous media narratives die off

Energy

The Evolution Of The Oil Weapon

2015-06-01 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

In the middle of the 20th century, many nations began using crude oil as an instrument of financial warfare which proved to be massively successful

Energy

Oil Prices Will Fall: A Lesson In Gravity

2015-05-18 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The recent rise in oil prices will most likely be short-lived, as it was fueled by sentiment and not the realities of the fundamentals that govern the oil markets

Energy

Saudi Arabia Continues To Turn Screws On U.S. Shale

2015-05-13 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Saudi Arabia has once again increased its crude oil production, now at levels not seen in thirty years, as it continues its aggressive defense of market share

Energy

David V. Goliath: Small-Cap Tech To Save Giant Coal

2015-05-06 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The latest round of EPA regulations, announced on April 16 this year, have presented the coal industry with a lifeline and investors with great opportunities

Energy

This Deal Could Completely Change North American Energy Dynamics

2015-05-05 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

A possible crude oil swap deal with Mexico could bring the United States closer to lifting its oil export ban and North America one step closer to energy integration

Energy

Is Solar Energy Ready To Compete With Oil And Other Fossil Fuels?

2015-05-04 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The solar energy industry is gathering significant momentum worldwide and is providing traditionally fossil fuel-dependent nations with major opportunities

Energy

Can Shell Afford To Drill In The Arctic?

2015-04-29 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Shell is facing yet more pressure from environmental groups over its plans to drill in the Arctic, but given its merger with BG group, it may decide to scrap the plan altogether

Energy

Tesla Could Be Changing The Dynamics Of Global Energy

2015-04-28 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The energy storage market could prove to be much bigger than many had anticipated, especially if Tesla's gigafactory can live up to expectations…

Cutbacks in production growth and higher demand in the near future should restore balance to the natgas markets and see prices rising over $3 by the second half of 2015

Energy

Former BP Chief Sees Oil Price Rebound Soon

2015-04-24 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Former BP chief Tony Hayward believes OPEC's strategy has worked perfectly, heralding the premature peak of US shale, and that oil prices will reach $80 soon

As refineries attempt to adapt to processing light sweet crude from the US, unusually large amounts of imports may be exacerbating the pre-existing refinery imbalance

Saudi-Arabia And U.S Shale are in an ongoing price war, but what are the consequences and who is likely to win?

Energy

Is This Where Investors Should Be Looking When Oil Recovers

2015-04-21 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

When oil prices recover--and plenty of analysts think the climb back up will start soon--Canada's western frontier of Saskatchewan and neighboring Alberta will 'still have the edge', according to a report from TD Economics.

Globally, water demand is threatening to dangerously outpace supply, while in the US, dry states such as Texas and California are suffering from shortages and the future forebodes more suffering. For the North American shale boom, the lack of water i

Energy

Texas: From Shale Boom to Water Revolution

2015-03-16 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Texas is famous the world over for two things on a massive scale: oil and droughts. Now the slick but dry state is becoming famous for water: that precious element that both resolves the drought problem and also makes it possible to pump more oil out

Are the Russians coming to Texas riding the tailwinds of fracking? That depends on who you ask, as some believe Russian forces were behind the anti-fracking vote in Denton, while a $15 million investment in new Texas fracking technology by Roman Abra

Economy - International

How To Thrive In The Current Oil Environment

2015-02-09 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

With crude oil prices collapsing and small American oil producers faced with grim choices for survival, the Darwinian nature of commodity market cycles rears its head, dictating that only the fittest will survive--and only the fittest of the fittest

Energy

Back To Basics: Why Conventional Drilling Makes Sense in 2015

2015-01-14 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

This New Year, an old trend may become a new trend as conventional drilling in North America is once again in the spotlight at a time when oil prices continue their slump and the unconventional becomes increasingly uneconomical.

What does it take to build up a new region for oil and gas development? Obviously, the resources have to be in place and economically recoverable. But it is not as easy as just sticking a drill into the ground and pumping out oil and gas.

Energy

The Driving Force Behind the US Oil Boom

2014-11-06 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The shale revolution's sweet spot is oilfield services, the lower-risk backbone of the American oil and gas boom that pays off regardless of a play's economics.

Not even the specter of a spillover of Islamic extremism from Somalia can dampen the atmosphere in Kenya, where commercial oil production is expected to begin in 2016 and discovery after discovery has made this the hottest and fastest-paced hydrocarb

In the world of a constantly changing oil and gas environment, the Montney shale basin is the sleeping giant that holds the key to accelerating Canada's shale oil and gas boom, but the real treasure within this giant is a tight liquids-rich zone

Energy

Soros Signals Argentina's Shale is Biggest Place to Be

2014-09-03 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

One of the world's legendary investors is upping his bet on Argentina's shale oil and gas industry in a show of confidence for shale production in South America's largest unconventional prize

America's existing pipelines are getting older and more prone to corrosion, and over the next five to 10 years, there will be a significant increase in the number of new pipelines and oil spills

Much larger than Eagle Ford and once thought to have reached peak production, new technology has brought us full circle back to the Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico, where the recent shift to horizontal well drilling has rendered this play the u

Since the first discovery of the massive Jubilee oilfield in Ghana by a start-up company, the West African playing field has begun to change, and so too have investor sentiments, disappointed most recently by the low fourth-quarter 2013 results of ma

The standoff between the U.S. and the EU on one hand, and Russia on the other, intensified pretty quickly late last week. The U.S. quickly slapped heavier sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea, leading to a mutual escalation of retaliato

Interview with energy security expert Robert Bensh that looks at the unfolding events in Ukraine and their energy future.

Energy

New Spy Technology to Spawn Oil Revolution

2014-03-03 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The future of oil exploration lies in new technology--from massive data-processing supercomputers to 4D seismic to early-phase airborne spy technology that can pinpoint prospective reservoirs.

Energy

The Boundless U.S. Natural Gas Boom: Exclusive Interview with EIA Chief

2014-02-23 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Exclusive interview with EIA chief where we discuss the shale boom, the energy future of the US, natural gas, energy technology and much more.

As Canadian energy stocks are finally seeing a bit of a push, and demand for Canadian commodities looks set to rise, juniors are confident that economics will ensure that Canadian oil—the cheapest in the world—will find its way to more markets

Africa: On the Map

Pay Day Looms for Kenya’s Oil Explorers

2013-10-23 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Kenya will start pumping its first commercial oil next year and begin exporting in 2016, but this is just the opening salvo: new discoveries in recent months and fast-track new well development make Kenya

Energy

No More Spills? New Technology Could Transform the Pipeline Sector

2013-08-12 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The 2010 Kalamazoo spill and the 2013 Exxon leak in Arkansas are the most glaring incidents of pipeline failure, but these are just the big leaks that are found right away and reported.

Getting in on Namibia and Zambia is an extremely expensive endeavour, but here’s a way to de-risk this adventure, keep your shareholders calm and strategically position yourself to take advantage of the next big find without footing the massive drill

Climate Change

Will Saudi Arabia Allow the U.S. Oil Boom?

2013-06-05 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Technology, technology, and more technology—this is what has driven the American oil and gas boom starting in the Bakken and now being played out in the Gulf of Mexico revival

Energy

Is Tunisia the New Hot Spot for Energy Investors?

2013-04-11 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Until recently Tunisia was considered to be a minor league and relatively underexplored venue in Africa’s rapidly expanding oil & gas scene. This situation has quickly changed with new bid rounds and forced relinquishments creating an opportunity

Activism

Test

2013-04-10 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

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Energy

How Junior Oil Companies Will Stay Alive and Thrive: Interview with Chris Cooper

2013-02-22 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The oil and gas game can be a tricky one for junior companies, but if played right the pay-off can be massive. At a time when juniors are risking a lot in volatile venues in the Middle East and Africa

Climate Change

Could a New Technology Developed for Space End the Pipeline Debate? Interview with Adrian Banica

2013-02-11 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Pipelines used to be things that were just built without blinking. It is said that there are enough pipelines now in the US to encircle the Earth 25 times with enough left over to also tie a bow around it.

Kenya has become the hottest oil and gas venue in East Africa since big discoveries were made in the country’s virgin oilfields last April. All eyes are on Kenya in 2013 to see how quickly--and economically they can develop those discoveries into pro

Economy - International

Oil Juniors Set High-Risk Investment Trend: Interview with Emperor Oil CEO Andrew McCarthy

2012-11-12 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Emperor Oil CEO Andrew McCarthy reveals: • Why investors are hitting up high-risk regions • Why Africa is more opportunity than risk • How political risk is no longer limited to developing countries • Why Shale WILL live up to the hype • Why con

Energy

India Believes Solar Power Will be Cost Effective with Fossil Fuels in Five Years

2011-12-13 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Economic South Asian superpower India has firmly embraced solar power, advancing the target date by five years for selling solar-generated electricity at the same rate as electricity generated by fossil fuel plants, from 2022 to 2017.

Energy

Mexico - Rising Natural Gas Superstate?

2011-12-07 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Americans looking south of the Rio Grande tend to forget, if they ever knew, that Mexico is, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, now America’s second largest source of imports. Of the United States’ total crude oil imports averag

Green activists, take note – for Australia fully to embrace solar power, Canberra would have to spend $100 billion, with photovoltaic cells to generate the electricity covering an area twice the size of Sydney in order to replace Australia’s indigeno

Energy

In an Effort to Ramp up Energy Energy Production China to Embrace Fracking

2011-11-30 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

On 24 November China’s Ministry of Land and Resources geological exploration department head Peng Qiming said during a press conference that China’s combined oil and natural gas output, 280 million tons in 2010, is projected to rise to 360 million to

Energy

Uranium Boom in Kazakhstan

2011-11-23 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Kazakhstan produces 33 percent of world’s mined uranium, followed by Canada at 18 percent and Australia, with 11 percent of global output. Kazakhstan contains the world's second-largest uranium reserves, estimated at 1.5 million tons.

On 16 November in Astrakhan Lukoil president, Vagit Alekperov told journalists that his company will spend over $16 billion over the next decade to develop the country’s Caspian offshore Korchagin and Filanovskii oil and natural gas fields in the Cas

Stripped of its cautious language, the IEA report essentially noted that should present trends continue, the world’s governments through a lack of progressive initiative embracing alternative energy sources would continue to rely on ‘tried and true”

On 30 May, in the aftermath of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany would close all of its 18 nuclear power plants between 2015 and 2022, which produce about 28 percent of the country's electricit

In 2003 Egypt had its wind potential assessed and published a wind atlas, which found that with wind speeds of 7-10 meters per second, almost the entire nation was ideal for wind power installations

Energy

Cover Up - New Report Shreds Japan's Carefully Constructed Fukushima Scenario

2011-11-03 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

In the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, both TEPCO and the Japanese government were at pains to minimize the disaster’s consequences, hardly surprising given the country’s densely populated regions.

Energy

China’s Growing Interest in Biofuels

2011-11-02 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

On 28 October Air China conducted its first trial flight of a passenger jet powered by a mix of biofuel and traditional aviation fuel. The Jet A-1 biofuel kerosene used in the flight was derived from the seeds of tung trees, more commonly known as ja

Energy

Natural Gas Discovery in South China Seas Raising Tensions Between China and Vietnam

2011-10-31 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

U.S. oil company ExxonMobil is reporting a “potentially significant” gas discovery off the coast of Vietnam, stating in a press release, "We can confirm ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Vietnam Limited drilled its second exploration well

Energy

Solar Energy Industry Concerned over Possible Cuts in Government Subsidies

2011-10-28 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

All countries involved in solar energy are optimists, but nascent industrial efforts to generate power on a commercial scale from the sun are without exception dependent upon current government subsidies to enter the market

Energy

America Going Green: U.S. to Provide 71% of World’s Biofuels by 2021?

2011-10-26 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

A recent study, released on 11 October, “Biofuel Markets and Technologies” released by Pike Research states that the global biofuel market will double within the next decade to $183.3 billion from its current level of $82.7 billion

Energy

Libya: The Energy Wildcard

2011-10-24 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Libyan Colonel Gaddafi’s 42 year brutal reign is over, but the future looks murky ahead for a country primarily known for exporting oil and terrorism.

The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the European Union biodiesel industry production forecasts are noting a 2011 decrease in output, the first since data has been gathered, down from 2010 figures of 9.57 million tons.

Energy

Germany to Invest $137 Billion in Renewable energy Over the Next Five Years

2011-10-19 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on 30 May that Germany, the world's fourth-largest economy and Europe's biggest, would shutter all of its 17 nuclear power plants between 2015 and 2022

Energy

Canadian Oil Sands – A Good Investment? Not in Europe, Apparently

2011-10-11 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

Anyone watching TV over the past few months can hardly fail to have noticed the seemingly ubiquitous advertisements extolling the virtues of extracting oil from Canadian oil sands, which the commentators assure their audience has a carbon footprint

Economy - International

Putin’s New Vision of Eurasia

2011-10-10 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

On 4 October Putin suggested that ex-Soviet states form a "Eurasian Union" in an article which outlined his first foreign policy initiative as he prepares to return to the Russian presidency

Energy

Armenia’s Aging Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant Alarms Caucasian Neighbors

2011-10-06 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

The USSR might have imploded two decades ago, but debris from its headlong industrialization drive litter the post-Soviet landscape, and nothing more unsettles the population of the fifteen new nations carved out of the Soviet Union than its nuclear

Energy

Turkey and Russia Spar Over Natural Gas Prices

2011-10-04 Staffoilpricedotcom Erik

While few people in the world have warm feelings for energy companies beyond perhaps their stockholders, Russia’s state-owned natural gas monopoly Gazprom has shown an unrivalled and unique capacity to alienate is customers over the past two decades