CRYSBALL

Oil Markets, Speculators, and Vitol Group's Controlling Stake

Daniel,
To further your education in the financial markets, strongly recommend you read 'BEYOND OIL' by Kenneth F. Deffeyes and do a Google Search on Queuing Theory developed by Suzy Sachs as both have relevance to the the Commodities Markets.

3 Aspects to Pricing Oil

You seem to have neglected something economists call supply & demand,however, new economics always wants to find other explanations, than the real ones. We live in a global economy, and your analysis is parochial & shallow.

Talisman Energy: Lord Stanley, No; Lord Marcellus, Yes

TLM has a great resource position, but a POOR track record realizing production from the reserves................. article touts their reserve positon, however, the absence of production results speaks volumes...........henc... the drag on the stock.

Atlas Energy's 'Sweet Spot'

IMHO, ATN will be he ultimate 'King of Marcellus shale'. They have several advantages in addition to legacy location & in-place gathering system (duscussed in the article above)... [built-in capital raising sytem via their long established drilling partnership program which is non-dilutive, REDUCTION IN MARCELLUS VERTICAL WELL DRILL TIME BY 30%,distance premium and BTU premium]. The only negative is thier hedge position, but they may work out from under this as more Marcellus revenue comes on line.

They have the ulitmate advantage of SPPED......they are outdistancing the Range's, & CHK's by putting revenue stream on line very rapidly.

crysball

Gas Prices Rise, but the Industry Approaches Growth Stagnation

Of all the refiners, look at HOC which has very low material costs becasue of their ability to process sour crude and black way crude, which they obtain at significant discounts.......additi... there Western refinery location and markets have better domographics [longer driving distances on average].

Zman's Energy Week in Review

one other positive demand aspect iss the NG input into fertilizer [ the N of NPK for ammonia], which is booming along with agricultural demand.....much of Canadaian NG production growth will be siphonied off to oil sands.

Finally as we enter Hurricane season in the Gulf the probability of three years without a majhor Gulf Hurricane seems unlikely.

Schering-Plough: As Cheap an Entry Point as You'll Find

The 'DEAD CAT BOUNCE' after the decline Monday will be short lived as the CEO remains in 'DENIAL' and plans to continue to PROMOTE the products which have tarnished their image..........he claims his prior experince with the PHARMACIA resue prepares him for the Vytorin /Xetia debacle.............LO...

Merck and Schering-Plough Make the Bad News About Vytorin Even Worse

As a Zetia patient for years, have ABSOLUTELY NO SYMPATHY for SGP or MRK,...... they made their bed, and now must lay in it ........with the full consequences of bad management decisions impacting shareholders & employees. This well written article only hints at what went on behind the closed doors at both MRK & SGP to OBFUSCATE, STONEWALL, AND DELAY THE DAY OF RECKONING.

Alon USA Energy: Beaten Down, But Not Out

The economoic consequences of the fire/explosion @ ALj's Big Springs Refinery have yet to be felt. Since ALJ is highly leveraged this would appear to be a big downside for future Qtr earnings.

Gasoline Demand Finally Falling -- Blame It on Time Lags

Article conveniently overlooks the fact oil & gasoline are global in their response to supply & demand.....are China & India using any less gasoine????.....their growth more than makes up for any percieved decline in US demand . The Article does not present a very balanced viewpoint......the USA is not in isolation from the global economy.