CRUDE OIL For the past month and a half I have researched and followed Crude Oil prices in order to gain a better understanding of exactly what this commodity is, how it is traded, how it effects our overall market as well as our everyday lives. During this time I’ve learned the importance of understanding how and why commodities are traded everyday and will share with you exactly what I have learned from my research. In 1859 Colonel Drake stuck oil for the first time and became the first man to create an oil well in which he produced roughly 15 barrels of oil per day. Once word spread of this discovery you saw many men attempt to accomplish the same feat and create oil wells of their own. Some of oil’s first uses were as a lubricant …show more content…
As you can see the United States is the top importer and this is partially responsible for our trade deficit and our attempt to search for not only a more eco-friendly way to fuel automobiles (a large use of our oil) but also to limit our import. In taking a look at the contract specifications of trading Crude Oil as a commodity you may notice it is traded on the NYMEX market and there are certain restrictions on the minimum and maximum price fluctuations and the trading terms. These all have a tremendous effect on what the final price is set at each and everyday and are important to learn when studying this commodity. There are several factors that can effect the supply and demand for Crude Oil including OPEC and any rules and regulations they may set for trade, the ever changing inventory of oil as some countries are experiencing depletion and new countries are finding oil. There is also the relationship you hold with the country if you are an importer you must maintain good relations and if you are an exporter the ball is in your court as to how you decide to trade and also OPEC will often get involved if the country is involved. In the past month and a half I have seen oil prices stay relatively stable with some increase in prices during the summer months due to certain factors which may include summer driving months here in the United States all the way to the recent declines
Another cause for the decline in oil prices is caused by an increase in consumers purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles, such as hybrid or electric vehicles. In many countries today, especially in North America, there has been an increased demand for fuel efficient vehicles. This is evident in TV commercials which are advertising more and more vehicles that get 40 to 50 miles per gallon, and by the ever increasing commercials for electric vehicles. Consumers are tired of paying outrageous prices for oil and are demanding more for their money. As this demand continues to grow, the demand for oil will decrease.
" WHAT DRIVES CRUDE OIL PRICES? " U.S Energy Information Administration. Gov Website. 20 FEB 2013. <
The United States consumes more than 25% of the world’s petroleum products which is a large percentage, considering only 3% of the world’s oil reserves are produced by the United States. Given the demand for petroleum products such as gasoline, understanding why Crude oil prices have skyrocketed in recent years, is not hard. According to the article “Ending America’s Oil Addiction,” the surge in crude oil prices can be reduced in large part to the simple concepts of supply and demand. (Cooper, 2008)
The increase in international oil prices will affect many of these factors is all provinces which will result in either a positive or negative impact on output. For the big three provinces, the factors that will be greatly affected if the international oil price were to significantly increase are net exports and consumption. In these provinces their main exports are energy commodities which include oil. For example in Alberta, energy commodities accounted for 67% of their total exports in 2012 (Government of Alberta, 2013). Oil is a necessity good, so there will always be a demand for it. Due to this an increase in the price of oil generally increases the revenue for oil companies. For example in Iraq, the 4th largest producer of crude oil in the world, officials say that “for every $1 increase in the price of a barrel of oil, their revenues jump by $1 billion per year” (Bloomberg 2016). An increase in the value of exports increases the output of the big three provinces and shifts the output curve
* Stable oil price has created a stable business environment. Brent oil now trade at 85 US Dollars with an increase or decrease of 0.5 approximately a day. This steady price will help Pret A Manger in forecasting top management decisions as long as other factors remain constant.
There are a few things that are needed in order for man to survive, food, water, shelter, and an energy source. In the beginning fire was that energy source used to keep humans warm and to cook their food. These days energy is in other forms such as nuclear, wind, solar, and of course, petroleum (oil) and are all needed for survival. Oil was, at one time, plentiful and considered more of a nuisance for those who were drilling wells for water in the US because it would seep into the wells. Early uses for the oil were for machinery lubrication and burning in lamps. It wasn’t until the invention of the internal combustion engine, which made life and manufacturing so much simpler, that oil became of more interest. In the late 1800s John D.
Crude oil is a naturally occurring substance,it is primarily composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic matter.Crude oil was first discovered and developed during the Industrial Revolution, and its industrial uses were first developed in the 19th century. Newly invented machines and mechanisms dramatically transformed the way in which we work, and they relied heavily, on these resources to function.Today, the world's economy is largely dependent on nonrenewable resources such as crude oil, and the demand for these resources often initiate political unrest, since a limited number of countries control and maintain the largest reservoirs. Like any industry, supply and demand heavily affects the prices and profitability of crude oil. The
How Oil is Formed. Oil is formed by a decomposing organism underneath the rocky surface of the earth. For example, “Proteins, lignin and cellulose break down very quickly into amino acids and sugars; they turn into sludge” that sludge is oil. (livescience.com para, 5). This shows that, oil is formed over a period of time that is decomposed. Another example is, "There is one fraction of organic matter that is preserved in sediments, and that's the lipid fraction. That contains the precursors we find in crude oil," (livescience.com para, 5). This proves that the oil we use everyday is actually a organistic
It was once thought that oil was Price Inelastic, yet since the introduction of Hybrid cars, and people cutting down their consumption of oil. Prices have dropped from over $4.00 a gallon and, their demand for oil. The prices still creep higher and it fairly inelastic, but there is a breaking point in a market once thought to be as inelastic as insulin.
To answer the question of whether oil companies make unwarranted profits off the inflated sales of gasoline, we first need to have some understanding of how the oil market works. This is to try get to the bottom of what really makes oil prices fluctuate with such a high frequency, which results in worldwide ramifications. The most basic or raw material for the oil market is crude oil, also known as petroleum, which other oil products are extracted from. This happens to be the world’s most traded product.
Anybody from Texas who drives a truck has felt glad about paying less money in regards to purchasing gasoline at a gas station. The truth is that the price of gasoline has been dramatically affected by the recent plunge in oil prices. There are different theories that explain the reason of this phenomenon. This paper will analyze the current oil market, as well as the key players who are winning the “war” of the oil prices.
As most of the world knows oil prices have been plunging downwards since June 2014, in which a barrel of oil has fallen more than 70 percent from that time, was $90- $100 a barrel, now $40 a barrel and approaching $30 a barrel. This fall basically came about due to rapid increase in global oil production which started to exceed its global demand therefore forcing prices down. “Earnings are down for companies that made record profits in recent years, leading them to decommission more than two-thirds of their rigs and sharply cut investment in exploration and production. Scores of companies have gone bankrupt and an estimated 250,000 oil workers have lost their jobs.” (Krauss, 2016).
The price of Oil has inflated over the years as the fossil fuel is slowly running out, there has been a rise in prices as supply falls. When a commodity becomes scarce its price will rise. The price has also risen as demand has increased from countries like China who are producing more goods which are demanded by consumers.
In this report we have tried to highlight the fluctuations of crude oil during the period of 2001-10. The scope of this report is limited only to this period as we believe that events that took place during this decade had the potential to change the oil game so
Oil and Gas refers to the naturally occurring liquid and natural gas specifically made up of long chain hydrocarbons and various organic compounds found beneath the surface of the earth in entrapments called reservoirs; the presence of oil and gas in these reservoirs is the reason humans survive everyday and carry out their daily activities effectively. Different activities are usually carried out to ensure that the oil and gas present in the reservoirs continue to support humans through their day-to-day activities; such activities include exploration, development, production and finally, abandonment and reclamation. This process is what is referred to as “the oil and gas process”. On completion of this process, numerous