Sharp Decline Seen in Future Oil Supplies

(NEWSER) - Oil approached $41 a barrel today after OPEC said it would cut its output if necessary to stabilize prices, Reuters reports. “I think we still need more action,” OPEC’s secretary-general said, promising the cuts would be more thorough than many expected, with 80% compliance among the 12-member group. More»

Declining Asian demand could bring relief ... by early '09

(NEWSER) - A reining-in of Asia’s demand for oil could help the global crude supply rebound, eventually dropping prices sharply, analysts tell Reuters. But the price relief likely won’t show up until the end of this year or early next, as data needed to help traders set prices is slow to flow in from major Asian countries. More»

Experts say $150 or more isn't out of the question as world demand grows.

(NEWSER) - A “super-spike” could push oil beyond $150 a barrel by October, the highest it been in more than 135 years, experts say. That would drive the price at the pump past $4.50 a gallon and trim US economic output 3.3% in the 2 years following, reports the Wall Street Journal. Crude sold for a record $121.84 yesterday, up 96% from a year ago. More»

Iraq fighting, low gas supplies and weak dollar boost price

(NEWSER) - Concern about potential supply disruptions in Iraq and American gasoline reserves pushed oil prices up for the second day in a row, despite expected news from the Energy Department that crude supplies in the US had rebounded, reports the Associated Press. The US dollar’s continued depreciation against a slew of currencies also helped inflate the price. More»

Speculation is driving oil up, and that's a concern for consumers, economists

(NEWSER) - Oil prices have jumped 16% in two weeks, and analysts tell the Christian Science Monitor the run-up couldn't come at a worse time. As the US economy flirts with recession, beleaguered consumers could end up spending their economic stimulus checks to cover even higher gas prices. The $101.32 per barrel oil gushed to yesterday is attributed to cuts in production and fears that OPEC may trim output further at its meeting next month More»