Dave Brown has worked for over a decade in the capital markets and wealth management industries. Having spent over seven years working within the Portfolio Management division of the largest privately owned mutual fund company in Canada he was most recently occupied in a more intimate sized high net worth boutique located in Toronto. Dave’s open and closed ended trust fund mandates and structured product offerings have included both international and domestic equities and he has been writing on mining investment opportunities for Resource Investing News since 2008. He received his formal training in both geography and education from Brock University. As an active community member, Dave has volunteered and been active for 12 years in various committees serving a number of roles with Family and Children’s Society and also as treasurer and newsletter editor for a local chapter of UNICEF.
Oil prices eased modestly early on March 28 after advancing rebels in Libya announced that they would be able to resume crude exports in a week and Qatar promised to help them market their product on world markets.The price remains 8 percent higher than it was a month ago, and 30 percent higher than a year ago, challenging global economic recovery.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that increasing consumption in 2012, led by strong growth in the electric power sector, should contribute to higher prices and to an economic incentive for producers to resume drilling.
Spot market oil prices fell to a two-week low in New York on speculation that the worst earthquake in Japan’s history will hurt growth and reduce fuel demand in the world’s third largest economy.
In an exclusive interview, Bob Sewell, President of Bellwether Investment Management indicated, “While higher oil prices may result in some increase in natural gas prices, the reality is that natural gas supply is so abundant with additional supply coming on line regularly we don’t see this imbalance resolving itself anytime soon.”
New Brunswick Premier David Alward concluded a meeting with Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe in Washington, D.C., with a rekindled desire to take a deeper look at shale gas development in New Brunswick. Three New Brunswick cabinet ministers recently flew to Arkansas to examine the state’s handling of the shale gas industry.
The two companies also intend to create a joint commercial interest to purchase, transport and market natural gas, which is increasingly important for the Indian economy following over 8 percent growth last year. India currently imports most of its oil and has opened considerable regions of territory to oil and natural gas development in recent years.
The recent deal represents the biggest investment to date by a Chinese company in the North American energy sector, appearing to balance demand to develop gas fields at a time when low commodity prices are not providing companies with enough cash flow efficiently. The agreement could underscore greater exposure for resource companies to eventually export shipments to offshore markets.
The increasing investment in harder-to-reach oil is often sited as a sign of oil companies’ belief in the end of easy oil. Additionally, while it is widely held that increased prices catalyze an increase in production, a growing number of oil insiders are now coming to believe that production is unlikely to increase widely beyond current ranges.
Total began searching for a new joint venture partner to take a share of a shale gas exploration permit in France. The zone covered by the French permit obtained in March 2010, could contain up to 2,380 billion cubic meters of gas, this amount estimated by multiplying the average gas level in the area by the surface area.
International Energy Agency last week indicated that “three digit oil prices risk damaging” the economic recovery, offering a message that OPEC should raise output; however, OPEC responded the same day by saying that global supplies are sufficient to meet demand.
