The price of oil has slipped consistently since June, dragging most oil stocks down with it.
In June, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hit a three-year high of $103.66 per barrel. By Tuesday, it closed at its lowest price in more than three years, at $77.19.
The price of oil has slipped consistently since June, dragging most oil stocks down with it.
In June, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) hit a three-year high of $103.66 per barrel. By Tuesday, it closed at its lowest price in more than three years, at $77.19.
Crude oil prices spiked $2.13 to $106.53 Thursday morning, putting the commodity at levels not seen since September 2013.
Brent crude, meanwhile, rose as much as 2.2% to $112.34
Here's the major news moving these prices higher today – and for continuing weeks...
Let's face it: Iran isn't at the top of anyone's list when considering all the profit opportunities out there in the world. At least, not yet...
You see, Iran is changing - and quickly.
Its new political regime at least appears to be increasingly open to the West.
Its old-style buyback contracts with international oil companies have long been considered high-risk with little or no flexibility; they essentially allowed Iran to own the oil company assets and allow the company a stream of profit.
But the isolated nation recently announced the introduction of a new generation of oil contract, one that promises to be considerably friendlier to foreign partners.
In December 2013, I let our readers in on a way to invest directly in a new oil and gas drilling venture.
In the time since, I've been spending a great deal of time at the drilling site in South Texas, keeping an eye on the progress.
Over the past week, oil and gas stocks have been quite volatile. But that's not bad news - not by a long shot.
In fact, this is always the time when energy investors should be on the hunt for bargains.
And there's one approach that works especially well in this situation...
The oil price spread between West Texas Intermediate and Brent is tightening again.
As of this morning, this spread stood at 7.2% of the WTI rate (the more accurate way to register its impact in the U.S. market).
And as this oil price spread continues to narrow, it promises to create some direct consequences for energy investors.
Here's what's behind it, and what investors need to know moving forward...
The price of gasoline in the U.S. is on the rise again.
Futures prices for RBOB ("Reformulated Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending"), the NYMEX futures contract for gasoline, are up over 11% for the year, and a full 6.6% of that increase has come in the past month.
In fact, gas is up 2.4% over the past week alone. Today, the average retail price is 4 cents higher per gallon than a year ago.
And you can bet that as we move into the "official" start of the summer driving season, the worst is yet to come. Prices will be headed even higher.
So with all the hoopla surrounding our newfound oil wealth and our legitimate move to become energy self-sufficient in as little as a decade, why are gas prices still climbing?
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.
As America leads the charge to impose Western sanctions on Russia, it's a plan that's not only backfiring, but leading to opportunities for those who understand the consequences...
The Eagle Ford shale formation in Southern Texas is experiencing an unprecedented oil boom. With a daily output of more than 1.36 million barrels, it's the largest oil formation in the U.S.
It's helping make the U.S. the world's top oil producer and making oil companies even richer in the process.
Marina and I returned home from Houston late Wednesday night. After trips to London and Mexico City, we were tired to say the least... but also very excited.
That's because our latest trip allowed us to spend several days visiting the initial drilling sites for Money Map Project #1 in South and East Texas.
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Chevron (NYSE: CVX), the nation's second-largest oil company and the world's fourth-largest energy producer by market value, cut expectations for its 2017 production by 6.1% at its annual security analyst meeting today (Tuesday), citing a drop in LNG prices and an increase in oil prices.
Over the last several months, the petrochemical company, along with industry competitors, has been shelling out huge amounts of cash to raise natural gas and oil production.
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Today (Monday), U.S. oil futures hit a five-month high on fallout from the Ukraine conflict, further supported by inclement weather across the United States.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude for delivery in April rose to a session high of $104.65 a barrel, the highest since Sept. 23.
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Few people realize that a major part of the crisis in Ukraine is energy-related - and very messy. And it will make any resolution that much more difficult. But just as concerning is
what this crisis will do to the global energy markets...
The spread between West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent continues to narrow.
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.
This ongoing glut has been the single biggest reason why WTI trades at a discount to Brent. As I write this, WTI is approaching $104 a barrel and Brent $111.
With crude oil prices continuing to rise, you would think that would be good news for both onshore and offshore drilling ventures.
But it's just not so, at least in the short term...
The broader markets had a dismal month of January - the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 5.3% and the S&P 500 dipped 3.6% - but these liquefied natural gas (LNG) stocks all boasted strong returns.
The outlook for LNG stocks continues to look bright as well. Increased demand for natural gas in China, the increased supply of shale gas in the United States, and the high number of export facilities awaiting approval for construction in the United States are all bullish signs for LNG investors.
These five LNG stocks vastly outperformed the markets in January and have room to continue upward...
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