SeekingTruth

The Global Oil Scam: 50 Times Bigger than Madoff

As far as politics goes , doing nothing can prove to be highly profitable, easy too.
I have more outrage than I can put to this page.

Bill, in the third paragraph : ----- "they artificially boost revenue for the company". WHO is "the company"? I presume you mean ICE, but you could mean that it supports the price of oil for the participating companies, or both.
There is no need for me to write to my senators and reps in my state as they are in league with whatever makes more money for themselves and their real constituents -- the corporations. I've tried it before and have been more than disappointed every time.
Some people come by honesty completely naturally, and some must be forced to practice it- - or else.
You've given us a lot of troubling history and revealed fraudulent practices that have been going on for a long time.
We should at least apply the "Martha Stewart standard" here, i,e., if the wrong doing is at least as bad as hers then they should be prosecuted and sent to jail.
Thanks for this impressive and excellent piece of investigative work.

EFA: Diversify Your Portfolio Outside the U.S.

A few international mutual funds outperformed EFA over the past five years, like Harbor Intl. for one.
However, the MF's do not offer the intra day trading opportunities, or the tax advantages that EFA offers.
Also . the "EFU" ETF (short) allows the investor to short against the box when things get shaky, or if the investor feels the need to be market neutral for some time period.
Of course , EFU can be employed to hedge against a held Intl. MF as well, among other strategies.
Thanks for the refreshing update on EFA.

Contango and Inventory: Clues to Oil's Trend

Brad, Thanks again for an excellent instructive article. A bit of a mind game , and well worth the reading and pondering.
Your instructive points are always worth restating and illuminating with changing conditions,and new insights , which you do very well, and the update is also well timed.
My question is : How do inventory taxes play into all this, and could they be used better to help smooth out the crude drilling /production cycle to assist in avoiding violent swings in supply - price?
Also, what else, if anything, could legitimately encourage and cause superior planning and oil supply to meet our oil needs "as needed ", and as "close as possible?"

World Oil Snapshot: Big Picture and Investable Advice

Darned interesting article.

T. Boone Pickens says that you can drill, drill, drill, all you want off the Atlantic coast and you will not find enough oil to justify the cost of drilling. The reason, he says, is that you need to drill at the mouth of large rivers like the Mississippi whose sediment created the oil in the first place.
Don't know who is right on this difference in opinion as I consider you both experts on oil exploration.
If hydrogen can eventually be cost effectively used to produce electricity, would this not alleviate the demand for oil if we utilize more electric cars? Same for Solar , etc.

I am convinced of our dependence on oil, and your excellent article reinforces that view, to the extent that is possible.
PS: Why do you not own oil stocks?

Back to the Future for U.S. Oil Refiners

The key phrase in Adam Smith's theory to me is :

" Low prices will be charged in order to undercut competitors".

Well, maybe yes, maybe no , sometimes yes , sometimes no.
This statement and claim is much more complicated than it first appears.
If the subject industry is in oligopololy or in cartel , this is far less inclined to be true, and even if they are not, collusion thru "smoke signals" and other types of price collusion can often take place.

In an ideal world, Adam might have a chance , and perhaps be relied upon, --- does anyone think we living in an "ideal" world?

Big Oil: Dark Skies Ahead?

I appreciate it when anyone with good knowledge can help me understand the flaws, threats, and weaknesses of ANY investment , as well as the opportunities, of course..

Naturally, one must always assess the factual basis and background of any advice or opinion as best as one can.

Recent articles about Devon Energy is a case in point, and after watching the price decline, few will argue with the warnings now, with or without the article's effects as a contributory factor.

Some have suggested that it will take around $55 /BL to shore up the balance sheets of the oil companies on a forward basis. If so, rallies in the oil stocks should be treated with suspicion unless you think oil prices will reach at least that level in the next two or three quarters (as it very well could), and there's the rub, because it might not.

A good and useful article as any bit of solid info helps in some way, and it is always the individual investor's responsibility to supplement the info as necessary.

BP’s Dividend: Accidentally Enticing

If memory serves, The CEO of BP stated that the dividend was "safe" as long as oil stayed above $40 a barrel.

Well , we're almost there again. If they cut the dividend on this basis, does anyone out there have any clue as to what will happen to the stock price as to the magnitude of the dividend cut and the price drop?

This question is asking a lot , but it's worth a shot for the benefit of potential investors.

Plug-In Natural Gas Hybrid Vehicles: A Game Changer

Nat Gas, biofuels , wind , solar , hybrid electric/ nat gas, etc. we must MAX OUT all of these in their use at the highest possible rate.
The positive paybacks are enormous in most all of these areas, and there is no time to waste!

Coal and Nuclear are more problematic.

If you don't think so, then you should live in the Tennessee Nuclear Valley for awhile. There you will be availed of the constant thrills and delights of your lakes , rivers, streams, roads , farms, schools, and homes under the constant onslaught of every conceivable kind of massive leaks and spills into the environment from coal and nuclear toxic waste, and for now , I will spare the reader the graphic details of these periodic , frequent, and almost regular occurrances. It would take a very large world class encyclopedia to accomplish that.
The event descriptions are , however, available from all the news sources if you wish to research and verify them for yourselves. If you are unable to do this but remain interested then I will be glad to offer my assistance on an as needed basis.
An excellent and useful article, and the comments were indeed interesting stimulating, and encouraging.
Congratulations to all for a job well done.

Demand More for Your Auto Bailout Dollar; Oil Patch Should Bounce Back Long Term

Generally agree with article, but may differ on some of the details.
I don't have the full facts, but I believe that all, or most all, of the foreign auto makers that are cleaning the clocks of the domestic auto makers daily have STRONG AND VIBRANT UNIONS. I am neither anti or pro union, and I have never been in one or would want to be. I believe that the major elements of our auto/energy problems are caused by a greed motivated group of arrogant, short sighted, nepotistic, paternalistic, and totally incompetent group of auto managers, owners , and marketeers, and not primarily the unions.
The unions do contribute their share of our auto industry problems, but I suspect that a mostly nondiscerning and short sighted general public with little or no concept of energy fundamentals are an even greater factor. Overall, I believe that no bailout funds are justified and would vote against them if given the opportunity. But if it must be done, we must demand and receive MAJOR improvements similar to that suggested by the article.