Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Why Oil Prices Must Go Up
Real Clear Energy ^ | February 18, 2015 | Nick Cunningham

Posted on 02/18/2015 4:31:56 AM PST by thackney

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 last
To: SVTCobra03

Yes, oil companies typically have to invest significantly in years before the production completes. 2015 reduction is spending will have a greater impact in 2016 and beyond production than 2015.


41 posted on 02/18/2015 7:12:19 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Old Sarge

Well as a column in USAToday said

“Republicans talked a lot about drill baby drill but President Obama was the one that made it happen”

By Nov 2016 a majority of American voters will believe that.


42 posted on 02/18/2015 7:15:10 AM PST by nascarnation (Impeach, convict, deport)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: thackney
I think that after much of the developmental drilling is done on current shale and shale related unconventional reservoirs, we may see a shift back to offshore exploration.

Yep, that's expensive, too, but can be done.

In addition, the techniques learned in the past 15 years of experimentation and research on how to more efficiently exploit the current unconventional reservoirs being will prove to be adaptable to other more conventional reservoirs which have had some vertical well field development.

Especially in Carbonate reservoirs, the anisotropic reservoir properties of the geological formation will determine just how much oil can be recovered from existing and older plays thought to be tapped out.

43 posted on 02/18/2015 7:17:08 AM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: thackney

I’ve felt for a year that Tesla was a slam-dunk short, but I’ve learned never to bet against a regime affiliate.

Obviously without the California/Northeast states mandate they would probably not even exist.


44 posted on 02/18/2015 7:18:23 AM PST by nascarnation (Impeach, convict, deport)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Smokin' Joe

Agreed, and price will determine how fast it happens.


45 posted on 02/18/2015 7:20:24 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation
By Nov 2016 a majority of American voters will believe that.


46 posted on 02/18/2015 7:27:23 AM PST by Old Sarge (Its the Sixties all over again, but with crappy music...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: thackney

yeah so electric cars are not a slam dunk. I’m sure there’s also problems with the conversion of oil based trucks buses trains and buildings over to natural gas.

So its probably safest to say that high priced oil invites competitors.


47 posted on 02/18/2015 7:32:26 AM PST by ckilmer (q)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: spokeshave
According to the USGS the Green River Formation weighs in at 3 TRILLION Barrels, with 1 Trillion barrels recoverable with todays technology.

Maybe with today's tech, but not at today's prices. (BTW, some of that tech was around in the 80s). Also, expect considerable environmental opposition, especially in that end of Colorado, and further complications of Federal Leases....

48 posted on 02/18/2015 7:38:33 AM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: ckilmer
I’m sure there’s also problems with the conversion of oil based trucks buses trains and buildings over to natural gas.

Cost and fuel storage mostly.

So its probably safest to say that high priced oil invites competitors.

And lower oil prices makes it tougher for them.

49 posted on 02/18/2015 7:47:47 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: thackney

So its probably safest to say that high priced oil invites competitors.

And lower oil prices makes it tougher for them.
////////////////
Therefor oil prices will fluctuate wildly for the next decade.


50 posted on 02/18/2015 7:51:11 AM PST by ckilmer (q)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]

To: ckilmer
Therefor oil prices will fluctuate wildly for the next decade.

Possible, if we knew for sure we could all be John Paulson.

51 posted on 02/18/2015 7:56:03 AM PST by nascarnation (Impeach, convict, deport)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: ckilmer

Depending on your meaning of “wildly” that has always been the case of oil. Given the inelastic nature of the demand and supply, it is the reality of the commodity.


52 posted on 02/18/2015 8:02:58 AM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: thackney

Given the inelastic nature of the demand and supply, it is the reality of the commodity.
...............
My understanding of energy demand has always been that the cheaper the price — the greater the demand. Conversely, the higher the price the lower the demand. This cause and effect is not immediate but rather plays out over several years. That this state of affairs is what we mean when we say that oil demand is elastic.

Oil supply is more inelastic because it is constrained by the limits of technology, natural resources -— as well as the cost of drilling.— But as the fracking revolution has shown—there is some elasticity to supply.

Further, the relative costs of starting and stopping fracking operations are not so great that projects that were halted when oil dropped below $70@barrel won’t be quickly restarted again when oil prices climb again over xxx level. That is, fracking lends an elasticity to supply that wasn’t available before.

how and why do you understand oil supply and demand to be inelastic?


53 posted on 02/18/2015 12:20:31 PM PST by ckilmer (q)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: ckilmer

I think the inelastic demand side is the easiest to understand, from a personal level. When prices are high, individuals still need to drive to work, to the grocery store, etc.

They may not take a vacation that year, or combine some trips, but the amount of fuel they buy six months after a price rise, is not that much different than six months before.

In the long run, the population will put higher value on better mpg, living closer to work etc, but that takes a lasting price increase to see the impact.

On the supply, smaller independents can act fairly quickly. Drilling contracts may be out several months but individual land rigs are not typically contracted for many years at a time. But the wells already in service, especially the newer wells are not getting shut down until the expense of keeping them in service exceeds the profit. Most of the money on shale wells is spent prior to production. Once it is in service, it will take a lot to shut them down.

The majors tend to chase bigger projects like offshore platform that can have a ten year window from first dollars spent to production. 6 years into a multiple billion dollar project with 70% of the dollars already spent rarely stops even with the price of oil cut in half. Major projects will more likely slow down than shut down. End the overtime and expediting while excepting some increase in schedule.


54 posted on 02/18/2015 12:37:48 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: thackney

blah blah blah


55 posted on 02/18/2015 12:50:18 PM PST by GeronL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GeronL
Thanks for bump the thread with your well-thought out comments and perspective.
56 posted on 02/18/2015 12:51:55 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: thackney

Okay, I was just rolling my eyes on the headline.

If the headline said “Why Prices Will Go Up” and explains that oil will become more costly to find and exploit, I can buy it. I can even expect it. But the headline said prices MUST go up, which sounds like the author is trying to will it back up.

Okay enough about the headline.

Yes, oil prices will likely go up at some point, that is a really safe prediction.

The author is wrong that we desperately need to be pumping a lot more oil from Iraq. There is plenty of untapped oil under the ground, and it might be cheaper to exploit than trying to stabilize Iraq.


57 posted on 02/18/2015 1:08:14 PM PST by GeronL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

I find it more informative to concentrate on the article and not so much on a headline. After all, the headline’s only purpose is to get you to read the article, rather than convey the information contained in the article.


58 posted on 02/18/2015 1:13:25 PM PST by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-58 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson