Category Archives: Energy markets

As Musk Goes Nuts Publicly, Tesla Bondholders Get Antsy

Rising bond yields pose a problem to Tesla’s survival.

Trans Mountain Pipeline a Serious Misstep for Trudeau

Inept political maneuvering by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has turned what was a longstanding controversy in Canada over Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline project into a complete and utter quagmire.

Will Saudi Arabia’s Geopolitical Strategy Backfire?

Yves here. Perhaps because the author assumes readers are already familiar with this part of the Saudi story, the kingdom is facing serious budgetary pressures even with oil now over $70 a barrel. Stability has been achieved only by generous payments to the populace at large. Take that away and the legitimacy of the government […]

Fracking, the Water Cycle, and Sacrifice Zones

Groundwater contamination with endocrine distruptors from fracking, and its uneven distribution

The Fracking Industry Is Cannibalizing Its Own Production, Increasing Spill Risks

Fracking companies are drilling too many wells in close proximity to one another, and when they frack the newer wells — known as child wells — those “bash” or “hit” the older wells, cannibalizing production and sometimes damaging the older well. The industry knows not how to solve this problem.

The Unforeseen Consequences Of China’s Insatiable Oil Demand

Working through the implications of China’s ever-rising energy needs.

Court Rules that Portland Oil Terminal Ban Does Not Violate the Commerce Clause

The court ruled that the city’s ban on new fossil fuel terminals within its borders did not violate the Commerce Clause, which is the main argument the oil industry has used against bans like the ones in Portland, Oregon and other cities.

Mexico’s Next President Will Pour Billions Into Oil

AMLO’s plan seems to be injecting public money into the energy sector alongside what private industry is already trying to do.

The Regulation That Could Push Oil To $200

A measure to clean up maritime fuel oil could cause havoc for oil prices generally.

Can Trump, Israel, and Gulf Allies Get Putin to Turn On Iran?

Trump will meet this week with Putin in Helsinki. But despite talk of a “grand bargain” that enlists Russia in helping the US-Israel-Saudi-UAE front against Iran, don’t expect it to happen, says professor Rami Khouri in this Real News Network interview.

Gaius Publius: Which Would Be Harder to Ban, Single-Use Plastic or Money-Bought Government?

Texas Supreme Court strikes down city of Laredo’s plastic bag ban. Real problem is dominance of money-driven politics– which is a far more difficult problem to solve than curtailing the use of plastic.

Iran Sanctions Are Different This Time

The Trump administration is trying to replicate the Obama-era Iran strategy of shutting down Iranian oil exports as a way to pressure the regime into making a series of concessions. But there are several reasons why Trump may not succeed.

Beyond Nord Stream 2: A Look at Russia’s Turk Stream project

For Europe, thinking about energy security means thinking about Russia.

Iran Threatens To Close the Strait of Hormuz

Yves here. A map of the Strait of Hormuz and environs seemed a useful addition. The danger, as the article insinuates, is that if things got that far, a conflict over the Strait of Hormuz would escalate into a full-scale conflagration. By Dr. Cyril Widdershoven, a long-time observer of the global energy market. Presently, he […]

As Industry Pushes Billion-Dollar Fracked Petrochemical Projects, State Regulators Struggle To Keep Up

Fueled by fracking in the region, petrochemical and plastics projects in the Ohio River Valley are attracting tens of billions of dollars in investment, overwhelming state regulators who are unprepared and ill-equipped to oversee this next wave of industrialization.