Investments for Petroleum? Don't Count on It

摘要

It's pretty clear at this point everybody is scratching their heads over the world's petroleum predicament. The conflicting stresses and strains, contradictory pronouncements and solutions are enough to leave your head spinning. How and when might the muddied waters be clear again? The answer now appears to be never: Many independent, mainstream analysts see a picture of continued shortages and associated price volatility. This volatility stems from the demand side of the equation as supply responses are now pretty inelastic and will continue to be so. According to Petroleum Review, of the top 45 oil-producing nations that accounted for 99 percent of world oil production in 2003, a total of 25 (including 7 of the 11 OPEC nations) are past peak production.