Robert Rapier

Latest articles from Robert

• Venezuelan Oil Production Has Plummeted By 75% In Ten Years

  Published 25 February 2023 | viewed 14,264 times

  According to the 2022 BP Statistical Review of World Energy, Venezuela has more proved oil reserves than any other country in the world. Venezuela’s 304 billion…

• The U.S. Will Be Dependent On Oil For Far More Than A Decade

  Published 14 February 2023 | viewed 4,318 times

  During President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address, he relayed an anecdote that I believe explains his stance toward the oil and gas industry.…

• Why The White House Is Wrong About Oil Major Share Buybacks

  Published 06 February 2023 | viewed 10,538 times

  In late January Chevron announced fourth quarter and full year 2022 results. Chevron earned a record $36.5 billion profit in 2022, more than doubling 2021…

• Expert Analysis: What To Expect In Energy Markets This Year

  Published 30 January 2023 | viewed 5,443 times

  I always like to get in my energy predictions in early January, so this is a bit later than normal. Last year’s predictions were especially…

• How Significant Was The Latest Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough?

  Published 19 January 2023 | viewed 13,262 times

  Last month the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California announced a significant breakthrough in nuclear fusion research. Since then,…

• U.S. Oil Production Didn't Reach An All-Time High In 2022, But It Might In 2023

  Published 16 January 2023 | viewed 3,759 times

  Now that 2022 is behind us, we can review the final numbers for U.S. oil production. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes these numbers, but…

• Looking Back At An Exceptionally Volatile Year For Energy Prices

  Published 02 January 2023 | viewed 1,557 times

  The year 2022 was one of the most volatile we have ever seen in the energy markets. Oil prices have been extremely volatile in the…

• Reviewing Five Energy Predictions From 2022

  Published 30 December 2022 | viewed 7,079 times

  At the beginning of each year, I make several predictions about the energy sector. You can see those predictions and read the context for my…

• The Top Energy Stories Of 2022

  Published 26 December 2022 | viewed 2,246 times

  Often one event will impact the energy sector in multiple ways. In 2020 it was the emergence and subsequent consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic that…

• Did New York’s Tax Holiday Actually Help Reduce Gasoline Price Pain?

  Published 10 December 2022 | viewed 2,698 times

  This is an article that I am starting to write before I know the answer to the question I posed in the title. Earlier this…

• How Much Has Harvard’s Fossil Fuel Divestment Cost It?

  Published 01 December 2022 | viewed 6,499 times

  Over the past decade, climate and environmental activists have pushed organizations to divest fossil fuel investments. According to Gofossilfree.org — an organization that describes itself…

• How Will Republicans Influence Energy Policy In 2023?

  Published 24 November 2022 | viewed 2,976 times

  Republicans will take over control of the House of Representatives in 2023. What does this mean for energy policy? Let’s discuss. There are two major…

• Donald Trump’s Claims About Filling The SPR Are Not True

  Published 22 November 2022 | viewed 8,129 times

  Last week, as expected, former President Donald Trump announced he is throwing his hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential election. The move was…

• Why Is The U.S. Losing Oil Refining Capacity?

  Published 21 November 2022 | viewed 80,945 times

  One of the under-reported factors behind the ongoing diesel shortage is the loss of U.S. refining capacity since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today…

• Why U.S. Diesel Exports Haven’t Dried Up During A Domestic Shortage

  Published 11 November 2022 | viewed 31,820 times

  Following my recent article — Why The U.S. Has A Diesel Shortage — one reader pointed out that I omitted one factor from my analysis.…

• Four Reasons Why The U.S. Is Grappling With A Diesel Shortage

  Published 05 November 2022 | viewed 138,981 times

  Last week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that distillate inventories were at their lowest levels since 2008. (The primary distillates are diesel, jet fuel…

• KeystoneXL Pipeline Could’ve Weakened OPEC's Bargaining Position

  Published 02 November 2022 | viewed 40,725 times

  The U.S. is rapidly depleting our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) and is now begging Saudi Arabia and OPEC not to cut oil production. This is…

• How OPEC Outplayed Biden

  Published 01 November 2022 | viewed 9,969 times

  In December 1975, when memories of gas lines were fresh on the minds of Americans as a result of the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, Congress…

• Deep OPEC Output Cuts Upend Biden’s Attempt To Lower Oil Prices

  Published 31 October 2022 | viewed 10,231 times

  I tell people that to understand OPEC, you have to put yourself in their position. Their objective is to maximize the value of the oil…

• The U.S. Is Still Energy Independent

  Published 06 October 2022 | viewed 4,902 times

  I am often asked if the U.S. is energy independent, or whether we have ever been energy independent. I frequently encounter a claim that President…