by rockdoc123 » Thu 19 Mar 2020, 11:47:40
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'N')ear-zero borrowing rates and easy money, along with tax-cut stimulated demand can build a lot of 'confidence',, eh? I'm not knocking oil industry industriousness; just keeping things in context. Meanwhile, looks like the party is over on many fronts.
those same conditions existed for each and every industry out there. How did that work out for say all those solar panel manufacturers?
the fact of the matter is the oil industry is very resilient. I worked through numerous downturns and layoffs in the industry and the industry adapted and came back from each and every one. The underlying factor is the world needs oil, it cannot currently be replaced with anything else in the time frame needed. The Saudis will continue to turn the taps on or turn the taps off from time to time, it seems to be the fact when you get a new King or the old King decides to fire his energy minister because he thinks he knows more that the same mistakes are made time and time again. I was at a conference many, many years ago when Sheik Yamani was speaking to a very large audience of oil executives right at the start of the oil crisis. He had armed guards surrounding him and everyone was frisked coming into the room as there was considerable animosity towards him and the Kingdom. That ploy blew up in their face as they lost considerable market share over the next few years. And in 2014 the Saudis flooded the market thinking they could hold out with low prices longer than the US unconventional players with the idea of increasing their market share but they underestimated the North American oil and gas industry who adapted, streamlined and found a way to work within the low price environment. Now we see SA thinking that they can use the one-two punch of Covid demand decrease as a consequence of economic entrenchment along with increased supplies. I guess we will see who blinks first but you can already see North American companies retrenching and adjusting to a new reality. Many will merge or get bought out and many will be a lot smaller in the future but some will emerge in an excellent position to grow when SA and Russia realize they are shooting themselves in the foot. I suspect once the worst of global Covid is past cooler heads will prevail.