Robert Rapier

Latest articles from Robert

• Grading 2017 Oil Price Predictions

  Published 09 January 2018 | viewed 12,364 times

  The results of my 2017 energy predictions were a mixed bag this year. I correctly forecast that Donald Trump would take action on some stalled…

• Energy Sector Could Benefit Most From Trump’s Tax Plan

  Published 06 January 2018 | viewed 9,771 times

  The tax bill recently signed by President Trump should be a boon to corporate America. The bill will drop the corporate tax rate from the…

• The 10 Energy Stories That Defined 2017

  Published 02 January 2018 | viewed 8,145 times

  As 2017 comes to a close, it’s time to review the top energy stories of the year. There are several stories that could compete for…

• Is Premium Gasoline A Waste Of Money?

  Published 19 December 2017 | viewed 27,766 times

  If you are like many Americans, you may occasionally treat your car to premium gasoline. You might not be certain whether it helps, but it can’t…

• Oil Price Boom Keeps Lid On Natural Gas Prices

  Published 07 December 2017 | viewed 27,881 times

  In the previous post – Fear Will Drive Oil Prices In 2018 – I discussed the outlook for oil prices next year. In a nutshell, the price of…

• Fear Will Drive Oil Prices Higher In 2018

  Published 05 December 2017 | viewed 27,022 times

  The price of oil has always been driven by cycles of fear and complacency. During the cycle of fear, geopolitical events can send the price…

• Is U.S. Energy Independence Realistic?

  Published 21 November 2017 | viewed 17,005 times

  The International Energy Agency projects that the U.S. is set to become the world’s leading oil and natural gas production superpower. Is that realistic? Last…

• Tesla Investors Are Losing Patience

  Published 19 November 2017 | viewed 14,892 times

  I have covered advanced biofuel companies for more than a decade, and just about all of them made implausible claims about their technologies. They consistently…

• Are Autonomous Cars Ready To Ditch The Backup Driver?

  Published 18 November 2017 | viewed 7,630 times

  Two years ago on my daily commute to work in Chandler, Arizona, I noticed something new sharing the roads with me: a fleet of white…

• Does The U.S. Lead The World In Carbon Emissions Reduction?

  Published 08 November 2017 | viewed 9,256 times

  In a recent interview with Fox News, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt claimed: “We are leading the nation — excuse me — the world…

• How The Shale Boom Is Boosting U.S. Exports

  Published 31 October 2017 | viewed 12,540 times

  Most people are at least somewhat aware that the U.S. shale oil boom has resulted in lower fuel prices at the pump. But they are…

• New Mandate Pushes Trucking Industry Fuel Efficiency

  Published 28 October 2017 | viewed 35,186 times

  How the ELD Mandate Will Improve Fuel Efficiency In August, R-Squared Energy reported that the U.S. set a new gasoline demand record. We stated that a…

• OPEC Seeks Help From U.S. Shale

  Published 21 October 2017 | viewed 11,032 times

  Last week some comments from OPEC Secretary General Mohammed Barkindo signaled that OPEC may not understand how the U.S. oil industry functions. Reuters reports that Barkindo urged cooperation from U.S.…

• Who Are The Biggest Buyers Of U.S. Oil?

  Published 15 October 2017 | viewed 38,924 times

  This year the U.S. has averaged more than 900,000 barrels per day (BPD) of crude oil exports while continuing to import an average of 8.1 million…

• Why U.S. Crude Exports Are Booming

  Published 14 October 2017 | viewed 16,158 times

  In the years leading up to the shale oil boom, crude oil exports from the U.S. were nearly nonexistent. There were two reasons for that.…

• Has The Bear Market In Oil Finally Ended?

  Published 09 October 2017 | viewed 18,893 times

  Following the 17-month bear market that ended in March 2009, one of the longest-running bull markets in U.S. history began. The current bull market is…

• China’s Oil Demand Is Far Ahead Of Last Year’s Pace

  Published 04 October 2017 | viewed 16,863 times

  OPEC recently released its Monthly Oil Market Report which covers the global oil supply and demand picture through July. OPEC crude oil production decreased by 79,000 BPD…

• What Is Behind Surging Gas Prices?

  Published 09 September 2017 | viewed 13,696 times

  As gas stations raise prices in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, there have been numerous accusations of price gouging. Especially on social media, some are…

• Harvey’s Long-Term Impact On Oil Markets

  Published 05 September 2017 | viewed 19,157 times

  The tropical storm formerly known as Hurricane Harvey continues to dump copious amounts of rain on the Houston area. As a former Houston resident who…

• Peak Oil Is Not The Same As Peak Demand

  Published 23 August 2017 | viewed 9,999 times

  Following my previous article — Peak Demand? No, A New Gasoline Demand Record— I received some interesting feedback from readers. It quickly became apparent that…