Oil & Energy
Why Big Oil Isn’t To Blame For Rising Gas Prices
Good energy policy starts with a good understanding of energy issues. But both major political parties have glaring blind spots when it comes to understanding the energy sector.
Let me preface this column by noting that I am a registered Independent. I have major disagreements with both political parties, and I strive to approach issues from a completely objective viewpoint.
I think Republicans get it mostly wrong when it comes to climate change, and the importance of transitioning to alternative energy. But they seem to understand the current critical role of fossil fuels in the economy, and they mostly get it right when it comes to supporting nuclear power.
Democrats never seem to understand how the oil industry works. For example, look at the list of Democrats who signed onto the “Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax” introduced last year by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). In announcing the bill, Senator Whitehouse said it would “curb profiteering by oil companies and provide Americans relief at the gas pump”.
The bill was cosponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Bob Casey (D-PA). Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) introduced the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In addition to claims of price gouging, this same cast of characters had sometimes blamed oil company profits for inflation. Here’s Senator Bernie Sanders doing that.
These politicians do not seem to understand that oil companies don’t control prices. Oil is the world’s most valuable commodity. Oil prices are set by buyers and sellers in global markets, based on supply and demand expectations.
Firms like ExxonMobil produce such a small share of the world’s oil they couldn’t move prices much if they wanted to. They benefit from high prices, but don’t set those prices. If they did, prices would never fall.
Saying profits cause inflation confuses cause and effect. It’s like saying hospitalizations cause car crashes. It is true that a car crash can result in hospitalization, but hospitalizations do not cause car crashes. If you believe the latter, and you try to address the problem by focusing on the hospital, you are working on the wrong problem.
Likewise, high profits in the oil industry and inflation are both caused by high oil prices. But high oil prices are caused by supply and demand factors.
Outside of rare circumstances, it’s impossible for oil companies to gouge you, because they don’t set the price.
An example of true price gouging would be if a local gas station that sets its own prices doubled them when supply is ample. But Chevron earning more from high global prices set by markets is normal capitalism. That’s how the entire global commodity markets work.
I can only imagine that in the minds of some politicians, executives of Big Oil are meeting in smoke-filled boardrooms, rubbing their greedy hands together, and deciding to raise prices because Russia invaded Ukraine. But that’s not how any of this works.
If politicians want to address oil prices, they need to address the supply side and the demand side. When politicians propose windfall profits taxes on oil companies, intending to give rebates to consumers, it might sound good, but it doesn’t address the core issue.
High prices should signal consumers to use less energy, but rebates would diminish the price signal, which wouldn’t alleviate pressure on demand.
On the supply side, punitive taxes on oil companies might sound appealing, but that’s less money that can be allocated to projects, which affects future supplies.
Former Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez, learned this lesson the hard way, and Venezuela is still paying the price.
Some have expressed outrage that oil companies are using record profits to buy back shares or pay special dividends to shareholders. But it’s common for companies, not just in the oil industry, to buy back shares or pay dividends when profits are high. It’s a part of how our capitalist system works. If companies can issue shares, they should be able to buy them back.
For consumers worried about high oil prices, there are options. You can invest in an oil company. Thus, when oil prices rise, so do your shares. Or consider switching to an electric vehicle to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels.
In conclusion, understanding energy issues is crucial for effective policymaking, yet both major political parties often exhibit significant misunderstandings of the energy sector.
By understanding the complexities of the energy sector, policymakers and consumers alike can make informed decisions that contribute to a more sustainable and economically sound future.
By: Robert Rapier
Rapier writes for oilprice.com.
The indigenes of Umuapu, Ihie, Obitti, Awarra, Ochia, Assa and Obile communities of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, have appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, the govenrment and Oil Companies operating at their area to quickly reconstruct the Oil Access Road that links these communities and others.
They said the prompt reconstruction of the road would ease traffic tension, reduce road accident to the minimal, encourage commercial activities as well as strengthen social comfort and security at the region.
The appeal followed a peaceful protest staged by the women of the area on the Oil Access Road, recently.
The protesters, who wore black clothes, carried placards which had different inscriptions, chanted songs as they demonstrated.
Speaking through one of their leaders, Nwada Ruth Amadi, the women urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC), the present administration of Sen. Hope Uzodimma, and other Oil Companies operating in their region to quickly reconstruct the link road in order to reduce suffering, agony, avert danger and spur the locals to enhance productivity and comfort.
Amadi expressed regret that the road has been in a deplorable condition over the years with NNPC, Government and Oil Companies such as Waltersmith Petroleum, Seplat Petroleum, Sterling Global Petroleum among others, doing nothing to reconstruct the link road.
According to them, lives have been lost, just as many sustained severe degrees of injuries due to the bad state of the said road, insisting that authorities concerned liaise with the people including leadership of the church and the civil society for a way forward.
Amadi said “we regret the negligence and maltreatment we get from NNPC/Government and Oil Companies milling oil in our land.
“Despite the huge revenue being generated and carted away by these oil companies whose vehicles cause huge damage on the road, those concerned keep dead mute towards the reconstruction of the road, leaving us and other ordinary road users to suffer adversely.
“Hence, we deemed it right to stage a peaceful protest on the spoilt road, to appeal to authorities concerned to immediately reconstruct the road to save us from suffering, pains and imminent danger. We expect these authorities to be proactive, not reactive.
“We cannot continue to fold our hands and suffer. The NNPC, government and the Oil Companies have never hugely done things that benefit the entire Ohaji enclave. Rather they allow some leaders of the area to mislead them”.
University of Houston energy researchers suggest hydrogen fuel can potentially be a cost-competitive and environmentally friendly alternative to gasoline and diesel, and that supplying hydrogen for transportation in the greater Houston area can be profitable today.
The research team is offering a white paper titled, “Competitive Pricing of Hydrogen as an Economic Alternative to Gasoline and Diesel for the Houston Transportation Sector”, where they examine the promise for the potential of hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector.
The white paper offers that traditional liquid transportation fuels like gasoline and diesel are preferred because of their higher energy density.
Unlike vehicles using gasoline, which releases carbon dioxide, and diesel, which contributes ground, level ozone, fuel cell electric vehicles refuel with hydrogen in five minutes and produce zero emissions.
The paper then pitches “According to the Texas Department of Transportation, Houston had approximately 5.5 million registered vehicles in the fiscal year 2022. Imagine if all these vehicles were using hydrogen for fuel”.
Houston, home to many hydrogen plants for industrial use, offers several advantages, according to the researchers.
The study explains, “It (Houston) has more than sufficient water and commercial filtering systems to support hydrogen generation. Add to that the existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure, which makes hydrogen production and supply more cost effective and makes Houston ideal for transitioning from traditional vehicles to hydrogen-powered ones”.
The study compares three hydrogen generation processes: steam methane reforming (SMR), SMR with carbon capture (SMRCC), and electrolysis using grid electricity and water.
“The researchers used the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)’s H2A tools to provide cost estimates for these pathways, and the Hydrogen Delivery Scenario Analysis Model (HDSAM) developed by Argonne National Laboratory to generate the delivery model and costs.
Additionally, it compares the cost of grid hydrogen with SMRCC hydrogen, showing that without tax credit incentive SMRCC hydrogen can be supplied at a lower cost of $6.10 per kg hydrogen at the pump, which makes it competitive.
Professor Christine Ehlig-Economides said, “This research underscores the transformative potential of hydrogen in the transportation sector. Our findings indicate that hydrogen can be a cost-competitive and environmentally responsible choice for consumers, businesses, and policymakers in the greater Houston area”.
Your humble writer is full of suspicion. As regular readers know, hydrogen is gaseous at any sensible consumer operating temperature and pressure. Its the smallest atom and slithers through most everything.
Its not something one would want stored in an attached garage. The fuel cell tech isn’t quite there yet. And the study relies on power numbers for steam that likely come from natural gas. Just where the electrical watts needed from the grid would come from is anybody’s guess.
For all the contestable points the work does suggest that hydrogen fuel cells have economic potential. Maybe someday there will be a few models of hydrogen fueled automobiles to choose from.
But right now, the market forcing of electric battery energized cars isn’t building any confidence. Add to that the government wants to force heat pumps and electric appliances as the only choices. This after wind and solar aren’t looking like economically healthy ideas after all.
The reality forecast suggests a disaster. Government plus rule and regulation force? What will a community tolerate when forced to choose between air conditioning and charging the car tonight?
Hydrogen might be the energy / fuel nirvana someday. But know one knows how that system is going to look today. All this political pressure is looking to blow the system up.
By: Brian Westenhaus
Westenhaus writes for oilprice.com.
The Director, New Energy, Seplat Plc, Effiong Okon, has unveiled the company’s plan to construct a new $250m gas plant in Sapele, Delta State.
Okon made the disclosure during the Nigeria Oil and Gas Outlook event with the theme “Investing in Nigeria’s Energy Future”, in Lagos.
Okon, who noted that the company was committed to its vision of contributing to the energy landscape, said investing in the Sapele gas plant would further prove Seplat’s commitment.
Speaking during a panel discussion on “Secured Energy Transition Towards Gas”, Effiong explained that with the investment, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) would be made more available in the market.
He said, “we are also starting a brand-new plant in Sapele, the Sapele gas plant, another $250 million investment that will deliver a lot of LPGs to the market”.
Giving insights into the company’s timeline, Effiong announced that Seplat’s Joint Venture gas processing facility in Imo State is set to be completed by December, with plans for commissioning in January 2024.
Okon, while addressing the broader investment climate, emphasized the pivotal role of the private sector in driving investments in the oil and gas sector.
He further stated that the government’s support through policies and ensuring a secure environment was crucial for fostering sustainable growth and development in the industry.