Robert Rapier is a chemical engineer in the energy industry. He has 25 years of international engineering experience in the chemical, oil and gas, and renewable energy industries, and holds several patents related to his work. His site www.rrapier.com fosters civil, objective discussions on energy and environmental issues.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
In a recent interview with Fox News, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt claimed: “We are leading the nation — excuse me — the world…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Following my previous article — Peak Demand? No, A New Gasoline Demand Record— I received some interesting feedback from readers. It quickly became apparent that…
Given all the media hype about peak oil demand — which is supposed to come about largely as a result of the explosive growth of…
Underneath the surface of North Dakota is the Bakken Formation, which is part of the Williston Basin that also lies underneath parts of South Dakota,…
Last month the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2017 was released. This report gives us the opportunity to review the big picture when it comes to global…