One of the quickest ways to bring down the U.S. economy would be to dramatically increase the price of oil. Oil is the lifeblood of our economic system. Without it, our entire economy would come to a grinding halt. Almost every type of economic activity in this country depends on oil, and even a small rise in the price of oil can have a dramatic impact on economic growth. That is why so many economists are incredibly alarmed about what is happening in the Middle East right now. The revolution in Libya caused the price of WTI crude to soar more than 7 dollars on Tuesday alone. It closed at $93.57 on Tuesday and Brent crude actually hit $108.57 a barrel before settling back to $105.78 at the end of the day. Some analysts are warning that we could even see 5 dollar gas in the United States by the end of the year if rioting spreads to other oil producing nations such as Saudi Arabia. With the Middle East in such a state of chaos right now it is hard to know exactly what is going to happen, but almost everyone agrees that if oil prices continue to rise at a rapid pace over the next several months it is going to have a devastating impact on economic growth all over the globe.
Right now the eyes of the world are on Libya. Libya is the 17th largest oil producer on the globe and it has the biggest proven oil reserves on the continent of Africa.
Libya only produces 2 percent of the oil in the world, but with global supplies so tight at the moment even a minor production disruption can have a dramatic impact on the price of oil.
Before this crisis, Libya was producing approximately 1.6 million barrels of oil per day. Now the rest of the world is wondering what may happen if revolution spreads to other major oil producing nations such as Kuwait (2.5 million barrels of oil per day) or Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia produces 8.4 million barrels of oil a day. It produces more oil than anyone else in OPEC.
If revolution strikes in Saudi Arabia and a major production disruption happens it could be catastrophic for the global economy.
David Rosenberg, the chief economist at Gluskin Sheff & Associates, is warning that if there is major civil unrest in Saudi Arabia we could end up seeing oil go up to $200 a barrel....
"If Libya can spark a $10-a-barrel response, imagine what a similar uprising in Saudi Arabia could unleash. Do the math: we'd be talking about $200 oil."
200 dollar oil?
Don't laugh - it could happen.
In fact, if it does happen the global economy would probably go into cardiac arrest.
The truth is that if the flow of oil from Saudi Arabia gets disrupted there is not enough spare capacity from the rest of the globe to make up for it.
Paul Horsnell, the head of oil research at Barclays Capital, recently said that the world does not currently have enough spare capacity to be able to guarantee that an oil "price shock" will not happen....
"The world has only 4.5m barrels-per-day (bpd) of spare capacity, which is not comfortable."
Horsnell also said that even in the midst of potential supply problems, the global demand for oil continues to grow at a very robust pace....
"In just two years, the world has grown so fast as to consume additional volume equal to the output of Iraq and Kuwait combined."
For now, Saudi officials are saying all the right things. They say that there will be no revolution in Saudi Arabia and that there are not going to be any supply problems.
For example, Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi recently announced that the rest of the world should not worry because his country is definitely going to be able to make up for any shortage in the global supply of oil....
"What I would like you to convey to the market: right now there is absolutely no shortage of supply."
But what happens if revolution comes to Saudi Arabia?
Suddenly the whole game would change.
But even with a peaceful Saudi Arabia the price of gasoline in the United States is already rising to alarming levels.
The average price of gasoline in the United States reached $3.14 a gallon last week. This closely mirrors what happened back in 2008. Three years ago at this time the average price of gasoline was right around $3.13 a gallon.
Let's certainly hope that we don't see a repeat of what happened to oil prices back in mid-2008. The price of oil reached an all-time record of $147 a barrel and gas prices in the United States absolutely skyrocketed.
So how high will the price of gas in the U.S. go in 2011?
We haven't even come close to 4 dollar gas yet, but a large number of analysts believe that it is coming this summer.
Is there even a possibility that we could see 5 dollar gas in America at some point in the next couple of years?
Well, there are some in the oil industry that are convinced that it could actually happen. Just consider the following quotes....
Darin Newsom, senior analyst at energy tracker DTN....
"If this thing escalates and there's a good chance that there'd be a shift in supplies, $5 gas isn't out of the question."
Peter Beutel, president of energy adviser Cameron Hanover....
"If you are looking at the disruption of movement and production in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, you're easily talking $5 gas."
John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil, on his belief that we could see 5 dollar gas by 2012....
"I'm predicting actually the worst outcome over the next two years which takes us to 2012 with higher gasoline prices."
So why is everyone so concerned about gas prices?
Well, because it affects the price of almost everything else in the economy.
David Wyss, the chief economist at Standard & Poor's, says that every extra dollar that is spent on gasoline is a dollar that will not be spent somewhere else....
"The money that you spend filling up your car is money you don't have to spend at the shopping mall."
Not only that, but when gasoline costs more it has a negative effect on economic growth. Almost all economic activities involve the use of oil in one form or another. When the price of oil starts getting really high it motivates people to start cutting back on many of those activities.
The truth is that our whole economic system is based on the ability to use massive amounts of very cheap oil. Now that the price of oil is rapidly rising again, many economists are becoming very alarmed.
Nobuo Tanaka, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, recently told CNBC that his organization is extremely concerned about what high oil prices could do to the global economy....
"That is our concern, regardless of the margins of disruption, if the $100 per barrel of oil is continued in 2011, the burden of oil to the global economy is as bad as 2008."
So what was so bad about 2008? Well, the price of oil soared to $147 a barrel in mid-2008 and this was a huge factor in the financial collapse that happened a few months later. Now oil prices are returning to levels that we have not seen since 2008....
So if the price of oil breaks the all-time record this year will we see another global financial crisis?
It is hard to say. But what almost everyone agrees on is that it will not be good for the global economy at all.
In addition, a higher price for oil will also have a huge impact on the trade deficit. Because oil prices were at such a high level back in 2008, oil imports actually made up almost 50 percent of the U.S. trade deficit that year.
In 2010, the U.S. trade deficit was just a whisker under $500 billion. If the price of oil gets up to 140 or 150 dollars a barrel we could easily see the U.S. trade deficit explode to 700 or 800 billion dollars in 2011.
That would be really, really bad for the U.S. economy.
So where are oil prices going next?
Well, if you could predict that with 100 percent certainty you could make a whole lot of money. Nobody knows for sure.
But almost everyone believes that the price of oil is going to go up. In fact, a lot number of investors have been making some very large bets that the price of oil is going to go up very significantly this year.
Recently, large numbers of investors have been betting that the price of oil will rise to $125 a barrel by May. Shockingly, some investors have even been betting that the price of oil will rise to $250 a barrel by next December.
Let us hope that the price of oil does not rise that rapidly, but as the past couple of months have demonstrated, the world is becoming a very unstable place. Just about anything is possible at this point.
If the price of oil rises significantly above $100 a barrel and it stays there for an extended period of time, it is going to be absolutely devastating for the U.S. economy.
So what do you all think is going to happen to the price of oil in 2011? Please feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts below....
Why is it that no one is talking about the way the communists/environmentalists/IWO read Obama have made sure that we do have our own oil. I am wanting gas to hit $20.00 a gallon, then maybe, just maybe more of these head in the teevee Americans will wake up and throw these evil basta*ds into the hell hole they belong and do what we should have been doing all along. Civil war is coming between those who actually work for a living and those who want to steal whatever they want by force. Get ready to Rumble.
Fuel prices always go up this time of year.The refineries just pass on the cost.Different fuel/air mixture for winter and summer.The reciprocating engine is a dinosaur that should be extinct already.
Guys, if you are in Turkey, you already pay 17USD per gallon. If you are in Denmark, you already pay 14USD per gallon. I have a SUV, I have two jobs, drive 80 miles per day, and give out 100USD on fuel every 4th day. 4USD per gallon is expensive? Its a bargain!!!
Turkey and Denmark have an excellent public transportation system and people don’t drive 80 a day to go to work, they drive 80 miles when they go on vacation.
The Unicorn
They add more light ends in the winter months changing the vapor pressure so that an engine starts easier in the cold. The EPA mandates on a date in spring (forget the date) that they go to the summer blend. The winter blend would vaporize too much for no reason in the summer sending unburnt hydrocarbons to the atmosphere.
Refiners typically operate in a $4 / bbl – $12 / bbl crack spread (delta between crude and finished product). $4 a bbl is minimum for short term sustainability (no money for upgrades) and during Katrina the spread hit $40 / bbl for a short period of time.
The money in oil is in the upstream side known as E&P (Exploration & Production).
Thanks Kevin, I wonder what type gasoline they use in china?
How the Muslim Brotherhood Saved the US Dollar
Here’s an alternative view on what’s behind these US back Islamic revolutions.
I have always advised to build electrical trains for massive transportation and to ride bikes, it may change the way you live but what would you choose to pay for gas or not?
Big Oil wants their Record Profits now
before they ever pay a cent for new oil.
What is happening right now is nothing compared to what might be ahead if Saudi Arabia joins the party
http://endtimeinfo.com/2011/02/world-economy-will-fall-if-revolts-spread-to-saudi-arabia/
I really hope it won’t happen…
How come it is never mentioned in the lamestream media (or alternative for that matter) that the US military/Pentagon gobbles up probably 10-15% of foreign oil? Those endless “missions” over AfPak and now probably Libya, uses thousands of gallons by the hour. Budgets are slashed in this state, but there’s always money available for the Blue Angels show–estimated to cost 30,000USD in fuel for a two day showing and hours of training before that.
I have news for your “Big oil” idiots: About 85% of all the oil reserves in the world are owned by governments, not some “big oil” conglomerate.
Enought with the left-wing bovien fecal matter, okay?
Unicorn
I assume unleaded because all cars that I’m aware of are set up for it.
Oh here is a generally misunderstood refinery fact. Diesel (#2) is more valuable because it’s about 20% denser then gasoline. It takes more crude oil to make a gallon of diesel. Volume in output (GDL = Gasoline, Distilates, Lubes) is greater then volume input (crude) in a refinery.
What has Obama done to prepare us for this?
More windmills & solar. Unfortunately, this will account for less that 1% of our national energy production.
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Odd that when this happened in ’08 it lead the network news every night. No, not so much.
We haven’t seen anything yet. All else will pale in comparison to what happens when the US dollar is no longer the currency used by the world in buying or selling petroleum!
The Obama administration has has a very weak image when it comes to middle east matters. Iran recognizes this and is using the opportunity to strategically put the Muslim Brotherhood into control of protesting countries. Obama’s own decision to support the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt paints a picture of a weak US administration treading on dangerous water. If Oil gets shut off we will see $10 Gasoline.
http://shelter101.com/fall-of-saudi-arabia-will-cause-global-economic-collapse.html
We need to stop the blame game and start working on using less oil. We have been in this trouble since the Carter Administration. All we do is blame the other party. We talk big but that is all we do. Let see some research and development. The price of gas today isn’t the Obama administration fault just like it wasn’t the Bush administration fault when it reached $4.00 in 2008.
Food delivery trucks would have to go electric, that’s very far into the future. The same goes for airplanes. So your food and products still need gas, another think that needs a LOT of gas, is war, I don’t see an end in sight do you?
well I live in Canada the 2nd wealthies oil nation in the world next to Saudi Arabia and I am going to give you the non American perpspective on this…Our country produces an extra 100 million barrells of oil a year beyond what we consume but American tycoons and governmental policies has managed over a course of years to weezel so much of our oil out and impose so many laws upon us that we are supplying your country with oil and leaving a defecit in our own country which is supplied by Libya to us off all places in the world…Wouldn’t you know it they left us holding the bag they didn’t want to carry! Suprise suprise your country is guilty of something for real toward their so called favourite neighbour…Don’t kid yourself they are all out for their own interets period…bugged in Canada!
Lindsey Williams said on the Alex Jones show April 13 2011 that the ‘elite’ told him that Saudi Arabia will get violent and oil would go to 150 to 200 dollars a barrel. In the not so distant future. Also, he was told that food will be on the shelves, but you won’t be able to buy it because of hyperinflation. The U.S. dollar will by worthless. (soon).
It is time for the American and other people to put there foot down and that is for the semi drivers to shut down and let goverment figure out how to move there stuff!! With out trucks nothing can be moved!! Because all the goverment is trying to do is out the little people even lower then what they already are they dont care they dont pay for there full,home rent,food,and they dont even have to pay to rase there kids WE the poeple have to pay taxes so they can live and not care about the little people get to work or anything so All of us need to stop helping them take away the semi and NOT buy there gas NONE at all and see what they think about it!!!!!!
when I see ZERO rednecks in giant hemis zooming to mao mart to buy cheap communist junk with their spoiled obese nitwit in the back, it can only be a GOOD thing….since locally nobody has changed any redneck behavior yet, gas prices need to still keep going up until there is behavior change. period…..if never, fine. rednecks in giant hemis can go bankrupt. then they might grow an empathy gene for everybody else they hate while they live in trailer parks or mcmansions they can’t afford and blame everybody else for their hateful rhetoric and narrow ideology and horrible circumstances where they are stuck in middle of nowhere now and can’t figure out why except for labeling and blaming others!!!! it is karma suckers!!!!! deal with it…drought in TX..predicted. flooding predicted. higher food prices predicted. no clean potable water predicted….dont whine later it is all predicted now!
grow local. support LOCAL farmers. support LOCAL business. communist mart isn’t local and abuses workers EVERY step of its’ unsustainable business model. if you dont believe in science trust SCIENTISTS who have no reason BUT to tell the truth as their predictions are based on SCIENCE and their whole careers are directly focused on disciplines regular peons know nothing about..if we can’t do this simple thing, there isn’t much hope. we will continue to read daily about ‘historic’ or ‘record’ flooding/drought/wildfire/tsunamis/hurricanes/tornadoes and pretend we have no reason at all what is happening. it is god or gays or women especially ‘professionals’ or muslims or jews or ‘elitists’ or liberals or progressives or obama etc etc etc….when you are too ignorant to understand anything you dont deserve to be coddled….Obama only has to keep telling the truth and right wing denialists will keep putting foot in mouth like rush limburger.
if as above stated saudi arabia will get violent, it is even more reason for their colluding with Iran to ensure oil prices stay high to pacify their citizenry. if you read foreign news, this is already what they have done AFTER we sold saudis 80 BILLION in arms, the LARGEST ever arms sale in US history. now mccain says we should start a war in syria on side of al qaeda and taliban while russia has military bases IN syria. this is even more of a flashpoint than Iran who is 100% supported by russia and china……interesting times!!!!
ironically the US military is the ‘greenest’ segment of our society while it attacks numerous countries in order to ‘protect’ oil.
interesting times!!
I agree with all above. other countries DO have cars. duh!! they also have excellent public transportion incl. high speed rail…remember you aren’t IN traffic, you ARE traffic!!I see mercedes and benz and audi on weekends driven by businessmen/women. you dont need personal autos to commute like in US…that is going to be a huge anchor that US has literally NO rural rail system and will prob. accelerate current rural to urban migration happening globally and irrespective of all other extraneous variables/factors blamed for whatever. people will vote with their feet as gas prices continue to skyrocket and eventually tipping point will be when we inevitably attack Iran due to israeli pressure and when gas is about $4.50 nationwide and this will basically accomplish nothing but look like we are doing something!!!!which is all that counts in political cycles….get reelected and then more subterfuge and treating people like mushrooms. i.e. kept in dark and fed *****.
These prices are ridiculous. We minimum wage earners cannot afford these prices!!!!!! Starve us????? All our wages contribute to fuel consumption!!! WTF???
Suck, suck, suck! Everything goes up except WAGES! The American way? Right!!!!! LOL!!!!!!