OPEC's Little Game and the American Upstarts
Let’s be honest, when OPEC+ announced it was barely increasing oil production, was anyone truly surprised? I certainly wasn't. It’s the oldest trick in the book. A group of producers gets together, agrees to keep the supply tight, and watches the prices climb. It’s a bit like a pub landlord deciding to only pull half-pints to make the beer seem more valuable. It’s a calculated, self-serving move, and whilst it might sting when you’re filling up the car, for an investor, it creates a rather interesting dynamic.
The cartel’s decision to add a measly 137,000 barrels per day is, to me, a clear signal. They are perfectly happy with higher oil prices and have no intention of flooding the market to bring them down. This deliberate squeeze creates a vacuum, and as any student of physics or economics will tell you, a vacuum is always waiting to be filled. The question is, by whom?