Research Library

U.S. oil refiners have had a great run this century. But market events in 2020 signal changes to come that will challenge the industry’s global competitiveness, writes fellow in energy and global oil Mark Finley.

When President-elect Joe Biden assumes office in January, he will be compelled to deal with the most important and ferociously complicated geopolitical question the United States faces today: how to manage its relations with China. Fellow Joe Barnes explains how the U.S.-China situation differs from the Cold War dynamic, and how the U.S. will best be served in the years ahead. Read more at the Baker Institute Blog.

Mark Finley, fellow in energy and global oil, examines cost reduction, capital climate, productivity gains and decline rates as reasons why the U.S. shale industry may struggle to maintain its competitiveness in 2020. Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/3lAyB6R

Saudi Arabia’s newfound willingness to take a stand against oil quota cheats has forced the rest of OPEC+ to adhere to their quotas. Will today’s discipline – driven by the biggest-ever plunge in oil demand – fade alongside the virus? Read more in the Baker Institute Blog.

Rather than offer a forecast that may overstate or understate Covid-19's impact on the U.S. and global economy, the authors highlight what to look for as the pandemic progresses, recedes or oscillates.

Leveraging a crash in oil revenue, the Saudi government has quickly imposed unprecedented changes to the way it raises cash by increasing taxes and slashing subsidies in ways Saudi citizens once considered unthinkable.

Legislation regulating commercial transport by ship is impeding economic development and growth, the authors write. Read the post on the Baker Institute Blog.  This post originally appeared in the Forbes blog on April 9, 2020.

Energy fellow Mark Finley argues that the best way to support the U.S. oil and gas industry is to promote open and fair competition, even though conventional resources are cheaper to produce in Saudi Arabia and Russia. Forbes blog: https://bit.ly/2wWB3jz

International and domestic oil and gas markets and prices are under heavy pressure from COVID-19 impacts and the Russian-Saudi Arabia oil market battle. With, all eyes are on U.S. domestic producers, especially those occupying the shale patch, Michelle Michot Foss, fellow in energy and minerals, provides some important considerations for the U.S. oil and gas industry. Forbes Blog: http://bit.ly/2WqVEqt

Despite the Trump administration sentiment that the U.S. partner with Saudi Arabia in a joint oil alliance, such an approach is unlikely to be successful, write energy fellows Jim Krane and Mark Finley. Forbes blog: https://bit.ly/2WUa6rb