Stories related to: oil prices

Calling it a "small and worthless piece of paper,” Iran’s president today urged OPEC's members to drop the depreciating US dollar as its official currency. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed President Bush for the dollar’s decline and its adverse effects. The comments highlight mounting tension among OPEC members, the AP reports. More »

Crude oil prices could hit $150-$200 a barrel if Bush is “mad enough” to strike Iran, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned today at the OPEC summit. “The basis of all aggression is oil,” said Chavez, arguing that OPEC should set itself up as “an active geopolitical agent.” Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah countered, saying “Oil shouldn’t be a tool for conflict, [but for] development.” More »

Some 38.7 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, despite a spike in gas prices of 90 cents over last year, travel group AAA announced today. Of those hitting the road to visit friends and family, 31.2 million will drive, a 1.5% increase from last year. More »

After gushing toward $100 a barrel, oil traded as low as $90.13 yesterday, closing at $91.17. Analysts said the downward pressure could continue as demand for oil slows and OPEC increases production, reports the Wall Street Journal. Saudi Arabia's oil minister, meanwhile, told the Globe and Mail that prices have been jacked up by speculation and should be near $60. More »

Oil prices paused in their headlong rush to $100 a barrel today on news from the Saudis that OPEC will discuss raising output when the group's heads of state and oil ministers meet in Riyadh this week. US crude, which reached a record $98.62 Nov. 7, traded below $96 this morning. North Sea crude rose slightly after a militant attack on Nigerian facilities and storm-related production issues. More »

The planet is headed for the third major energy crisis in a generation, but this one may be more serious and last longer than the others, the Times reports. Energy crises in the '70s and '80s were triggered by interruptions in supply from the Middle East. This time around, the trigger is massive growth in global demand, particularly in developing countries. More »

China will bypass the US to become the world’s top energy consumer by 2010, a new study says. Spurred by increased demand for natural resources, the country’s energy consumption will double in just 20 years to satisfy its booming economy, the BBC reports. To quench its thirst for fossil fuels, China is seeking relief in Africa and the Middle East. More »

US industries are at each other’s throats over energy policy as each sector tries to protect its own interests. A prime example came last year, when Dow Chemical's push for tougher automobile fuel-economy standards—which would help keep a lid on Dow's oil expenditures—ran afoul of automakers, who stand to suffer from such legislation and are huge Dow clients. More »

Oil prices continue to break records, busting beyond $98 a barrel before settling at $97.98 in Singapore today, reports AP. Short-term effects like Monday’s attack on a Yemen pipeline contributed to the hike. Last week’s storms reduced Mexican exports to the US, and traders expected this winter’s demand to remain strong. More »

Stocks closed up today, buoyed by surging oil and gold prices. Oil hit $97 a barrel, and gold is at a 27-year high, Bloomberg reports. Energy and metals producers, including Exxon Mobil and Newmont Mining—the world's second-largest gold-mining company—led the rally. The Dow was up 117.54 to 13,660.94, the Nasdaq 30.00 to 2,825.18, and the S&P 500 18.10 to 1,520.27. More »

Crude oil hit $97 a barrel today on the New York Mercantile Exchange, helped along by a weak dollar and an expected drop in supply—an especially impressive jump considering the 2% price drop yesterday. "What a difference a day makes," one analyst told MarketWatch. "This volatility is enough to give you vertigo." More »

With oil prices poised to break $100 a barrel this week, potentially punching through the inflation-adjusted record of $101.70 in 1980, speculation shifts to how long it will stay there. The steep rise—27% in 3 months—could set the stage for a dramatic fall. "We probably are headed to a hundred bucks, but I would expect a violent correction very soon,"  one broker tells the Wall Street Journal . More »

China raised its domestic oil prices 10% yesterday, one of the key factors in crude’s surge to over $95 per barrel. The move was actually designed to decrease global oil prices, the Wall Street Journal explains, by lowering demand. But Chinese refineries, usually stuck with low government-set prices for their product, leapt to acquire crude for the fuel-starved nation. More »

The price of oil smashed yet another record yesterday, rising more than $96 a barrel after a surprise announcement of diminished US crude stockpiles. The unexpected shortfall in American petroleum before winter worried investors and sent prices soaring. The Fed's rate cut also helped push prices higher, since a drop in rates tends to lower the value of the dollar. More »

Stocks rose today on the heels of the Fed's quarter-point cut of a key interest rate and good news about the GDP. "The Fed may be done here," a Boston strategist told Bloomberg. "We don't need them anymore, and the market is taking consolation in that." The Dow was up 137.54 to 13,930.01, the Nasdaq 42.41 to 2,859.12, and the S&P 18.36 to 1,549.38. More »

Stocks rose again today as Exxon Mobil rode record crude prices to its greatest gains in 3 weeks, Bloomberg reports. The Dow was up 63.56 to 13,870.26, the Nasdaq 13.25 to 2,817.44, and the S&P 500 5.70 to 1,540.98. Continuing hopes of a Fed rate cut and news of Merrill Lynch's ouster of Stan O'Neal also drove the rally, the Journal reports. More »

As Iran is increasingly squeezed by new US sanctions and pressure from the UN, the country looks east for new economic alliances. China is about to overtake Germany as Iran's largest trading partner, and with oil prices skyrocketing, it looks as though Iran will be able to weather the storm of American sanctions, the Washington Post reports. More »

Oil prices topped $93 today, breaking another record on news that Mexican production would drop by 20% due to a storm. "This is on top of what has already been simmering,” said an analyst in Singapore. Prices have been breaking records for a week due to US-Iran tensions and Turkish-Kurdish border skirmishes. Experts also cite the weak American dollar. More »

The price of oil surpassed $92 a barrel on US accusations that Iran supports terrorism and its attempt to apply pressure on other countries and companies to cut ties with the Mideastern nation. "The door is open to $100," an analyst tells Bloomberg, adding that the dispute will "continue to ratchet up." Earlier this month, oil passed the inflation-adjusted record set in 1981. More »

Stocks headed downward again today, spurred by oil prices making a return to record territory. The price of crude hit $90.50 a barrel as traders reacted to yesterday's data predicting limited availability. "Oil is up—that doesn't help. And financials are getting hit," says one trader. The Dow was down 3.33 to 13,671.92, while the Nasdaq slipped 23.90 to 2,750.86, and the S&P 1.48 to 1,514.40. More »