Unfortunately, unrest in the Middle East has virtually become commonplace. This unrest is echoed throughout the world through economic impact. More specifically, when the world’s highest oil producing region is in turmoil, prices are affected across the world.
Currently, the world is in disarray due to conflicts spread across the Middle East and the rest of the globe. A civil war is looming in Iraq between two religious groups. Rival Libyan militias are battling for control over the nation. Up north, Russia (the highest producer of oil last year) is battling Ukraine and the rest of the western world. All this while airplanes are falling from the sky, school girls are kidnapped in Nigeria, and Israel and Hamas are continuing a bloody war.
Not a very optimistic outlook.
All of these factors are affecting the price of liquid gold. According to a report by Ernst & Young, second quarter oil prices were up, primarily due to geopolitical risk in the Middle East and North Africa.
However, there is a saving grace. America’s southern states are reaping the rewards of an oil boom and are mitigating the global crisis. Last year, the US began to produce more oil than it imported, something that has not been accomplished in nearly twenty years.
Extraction innovation seen in shale oil has caused rejuvenation for the Permian Basin region, located in western Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. The introduction of shale oil technology allows oil production companies to access resources they previously were unable to.
