(By Oil & Gas 360) – The first week of September delivered a familiar geopolitical story with a potentially more consequential investment response. Fighting between the United States and Iran again pushed oil prices higher, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained constrained, and Europe’s natural gas market extended its gains. But as the conflict grinds on, the more important question
(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett, MBA – Washington says it pushed Chinese and Russian influence out of Venezuelan oil. Now American rigs, services, capital, and operators have to show up. The Deal Has an Execution Test The documents are beginning to arrive. Now where are the drilling rigs? On August 31, the White House put considerably more meat on
(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett, MBA – Where Did the Barrels Go? The first question was who controlled the barrels. The second was whether American and North American rigs, oilfield services and capital would actually show up to develop them. There is a third question, and unlike 65 billion barrels underground, this one can be watched moving across the
(By Oil & Gas 360) – Month Ending: August 2026 – August was the month energy markets began treating geopolitical disruption less like a temporary shock and more like a structural part of the investment landscape. The Iran conflict remained the dominant force running through oil prices, tanker markets, LNG flows, sanctions policy, and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
(Oil & Gas 360) by Greg Barnett, MBA – Inside America’s 65-Billion-Barrel Venezuela Transaction: President Donald Trump calls it “The Biggest Oil Deal in World History.” Venezuela says the agreement covers 17 strategic oil fields containing approximately 65 billion barrels of recoverable oil, could attract more than $100 billion of private investment and could generate more than $209 billion of
(By Oil & Gas 360) – Six months into the Iran war, global energy markets are confronting an uncomfortable reality: disruption is no longer a temporary event to trade around, but an increasingly structural consideration for producers, governments, shippers, and investors. Nearly half of global oil flows now originate in or move through conflict-affected regions, Hormuz traffic has fallen to
(By Oil & Gas 360) – This week underscored how quickly geopolitical uncertainty can reshape market sentiment, even as companies remain focused on long-term capital discipline. Oil prices strengthened on renewed uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict, while producers continued investing in natural gas, offshore development, and high-quality shale assets. At the same time, mergers and acquisitions slowed, balance sheets strengthened, and
(By Oil & Gas 360) – This week highlighted the growing gap between short-term market volatility and long-term industry investment. Oil prices whipsawed on renewed U.S.–Iran tensions before retreating as military action paused, while natural gas markets softened on record production. Yet behind the daily price swings, companies continued committing billions of dollars to LNG, pipelines, upstream developments, and natural
(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett, MBA – Politicians, activists, industry groups, and media commentators all love the word subsidy. It is a powerful term because it implies dependence. If an industry receives subsidies, the assumption is that it survives only because taxpayers prop it up. The reality is far more complicated. Agriculture, oil and gas, and pharmaceuticals are three
(By Oil & Gas 360) – Oil and gas investing is often associated with drilling rigs, production growth, and volatile commodity prices. Yet one of the industry’s most resilient business models operates largely behind the scenes. Royalty and mineral companies own the rights to the resources beneath the ground, not the wells that produce them. Instead of funding drilling programs,
(Oil & Gas 360) By Greg Barnett, MBA- Why the Next Nuclear Boom May Depend More on Existing Reactors Than New Ones. The narrative surrounding nuclear power in America is usually focused on what comes next: small modular reactors, advanced fuels, microreactors, and the promise of a new generation of nuclear technology. Yet one of the most overlooked investment stories
(By Oil & Gas 360) – The global energy landscape continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, with Asia emerging as the epicenter of the industry’s transformation. Shifting geopolitical dynamics, evolving trade corridors, changing production policies, and rising energy demand are creating a market that is more interconnected and more volatile than at any point in recent history. For investors,
