Ferdinand E. Banks

What Natural Gas Prices Say about the Domestic Economy

"Investors are rewarding companies for production gains". Sounds nutty, but I recall when the CEO of one of the big oil companies said that in the future his firm would pay more attention to profits than production. I also recall being sarcastic with students who suggested that some producers maximize production, but maybe they knew more than I did at the time.

Fadel Gheit: Oil Prices to Remain Inflated but Don't Pass on Gas

Hmm

Well John Lounsbury, I am NOT a fan of technical analysis, but a finance superstar once said that while he is also no fan, he occasionally pays it some attention. I don't do this because I am too lazy. I also need to take a closer look at natural gas. The change in gas reserves just doesn't look right to me. I spent the last week on Crete thinking about nuclear energy, but I read something in the Herald-Tribune about a certain Amy Jaffe saying that the "geopolitics" of natural gas are now going to change. If Ms Jaffee says that, I know that it isn't true.

About traders - and presumably oil. I will NEVER believe that traders are responsible for the oil price going to $147/b. I am completely satisfied with the work that I have done on that topic,
although I probably should do more before I forget futures markets fundamentals. Maybe I should add that - as a group - traders in the U.S. might be the smartest people in the world. As for other countries, well.....

Fadel Gheit: Oil Prices to Remain Inflated but Don't Pass on Gas

Interesting interview, but full of holes. I'm still not sure that Michael F. is right about gas, but he has more on the ball than Mr Gheit.

Boone Pickens Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is on Energy

I've been told that one out of every six hedge funds will go into the tank this year, so what has Mr Pickens done to convince us that he shouldn't be on that list.. .

How Low Can Natural Gas Prices Go?

Very useful article. Very suggestive. Thanks

Natural Gas May Be Just the Solution for This Economy

Remembering some of the research I did a few years ago makes it difficult for me to believe the talk about a very large increase in the reserves of natural gas, but admittedly I could be wrong.

I wonder if I am wrong however about the likely future price of natural gas. The present price can only be explained by the lousy international macroeconomy, and when the upturn arrives - if it arrives - that price will increase. Increases in the size of LNG fleets, and Asian demand will ensure that

But regardless of what happens with gas - or any of the other resource options - Michael Fitzsimmons is correct when he says that the American people should demand a sensible energy policy from its government. What's the point of buying the one that's for sale now?

Natural Gas: The Next Big Thing

I'm afraid that the experts are often wrong about things like solar and wind - or so I've been told by the cognoscenti because my own knowledge here is not what I would like for it to be. Strangely enough very many of them are also wrong about nuclear, but in the other direction, and here I think I know a few things. With all this unawareness I'm really very skeptical about the possibility of easily finding out the kind of knowledge we need about gas in order to really and truly judge whether it is capable of taking us where we need to go.

Boone Pickens' BP Capital: Rebuilding in 2009

Boone Pickens. Is that the same Boone who offered to pay a million dollars to anyone who could prove that the 'swift boat captains' were wrong when they branded John Kerry a phony.

As I understand the situation, he didn't pay out a cent, even though none other than Bill O'reilly declared that Kerry was the real deal. In other words, when a man leaves a soft job in the Navy and volunteers for duty on a Swift Boat in a war, he deserves a little respect - even from billionaires

Book Review: Robert Hefner's 'The Grand Energy Transition'

I won't read this book, and if Mr Hefner finds himself at a conference where I am doing my song and dance, he would hear some things about his work that he doesn't want to hear.

Of course he won't find himself at a conference with my good self because I have never heard of this man. I've heard of people with ideas that are similar to his, but like Mr H. they would hardly be welcome to flaunt their wisdom in a scientific forum.

I know that I'm naive, but I can't understand why someone with as much on the ball as Michael Simmons would be impressed by Robert Hefner.

Nigerian Militants in Delta: Bad for Nigeria, Good for Angola, Ghana

The presence of so much oil in Nigeria is bad news for OPEC, but good news for the buy side of the market. The reason is simple: the intention of many decision makers in that country is to get as much money as they can as soon as they can - there is no room for the kind of long-term strategy that some OPEC states would like to see practiced. You know, the kind of strategy that improves things for everybody in the country and not just a few big time operators.