Gas becomes less expensive because the bottom has fallen out on oil prices. Crude is responsible for almost half the cost of a gallon of gas, as reported by CNN Money. Since June, prices have been plummeting and according to AAA, the regular gasoline's average price is now at $2.40 per gallon or more than a dollar less than it was a year ago. The plunge has been widespread and average prices are still above $3 in only four states namely: California, Nevada, Alaska, and Hawaii wherein the last two states have everything that is often more expensive.
Energy
Chesapeake Energy Laid off workers, oil price as main reason
Oklahoma-based energy company, Chesapeake Energy Corp said it had laid off about 15 percent of its employees and citing the low oil price and gas as the main reason for the move. The second-largest natural gas company in the U.S had laid off 740 workers on Tuesday so far.
Decline in drilling, oil prices up
Oil prices rose following the indications that stockpiles are declining and drop in drilling activity. The global oil benchmark Brent was up three percent as expectations that less drilling may reduce future oil production and inventories as well. Gasoline futures also surged on renewed demand. US crude's front-month rose 4.5 percent or $2 to end at $46.68 a barrel. Brent rose 3.1 percent and closed at $48.92/barrel. It's learnt that US drillers have called off drilling activity for the past three weeks. It's estimated that the US crude production may drop by 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) the second and fourth quarters this year.
Oil price further skids on renewed global concerns
Oil prices dropped further on Friday trading following the alert from the US Central Bank that global economy is weakening. Adding to this, indications that Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) would keep up oil production, in order to maintain its market share, also further dampened the market confidence. Equities on the US and European stock markets opened lower. The fundamentals seem to have turned bearish, fell the analysts. Oil price is expected to be $80 per barrel by 2020.
Oils Prices Rallied, But Recovery Still To Take Longer
Oil Prices increased Wednesday, but Shell is not expecting a recovery anytime soon. Lower inventories and oil production in US petroleum supply caused a spike on oil prices Wednesday, but giant oil company Shell admitted it will still take longer before any recovery.
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Commodities such as oil is slowly declining following the Black Monday selling pressure on 24th August raising concern among investors regarding current world economics. China stock took a plunge and Dow Jones Industrial average hit its lowest value for 2015 on that day.
Slumping oil prices take its toll on the Canadian economy. Canada is now officially in a recession for the first time in six years, as crude prices plummet due to supply glut and falling global demand, particularly from China.
The crisis-hit European nation Greece is heading towards privatization of its energy sector. The country is also in favor of reforms in several sectors to give a new life to the ailing economy.
The oil price surged to one-month high at $47.31 a barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange (NYME). Oil futures reached $48.09 indicating its highest since 31 July. The rebound in oil prices was mainly due to two factors.
It appears that a supergiant gas field was recently discovered in an Egyptian coast by an Italian oil group called 'Eni'. According to a recent report by Telegraph, "a supergiant gas field holding the equivalent of 5.5 billion barrels of oil has been discovered off the coast of Egypt, the largest ever find in the Mediterranean."
It has been nine months since OPEC made a choice to abandon its production target unalterable and pursue market share rather than trying to prop up prices, the group is now faced with a set of complicated issues and decisions going forward.
When oil prices went below $42 per barrel, there were analysts that predicted it might even go as low as $15. It seems like this may soon happen as oil price continues to down, presently at $39.
The oil price in the global market continued to skid further on Wednesday touching a new low since March 2009 while crude inventories in the US are increasing.
The US government has finally given Royal Dutch Shell permission to pursue their oil exploration in the Arctic Ocean near Alaska. For more than 20 years, exploratory drilling allowed in the northwest coast of Alaska.
