Robert Rapier

Latest articles from Robert

• Why $50 Oil Won’t Last

  Published 24 January 2015 | viewed 25,140 times

  In the past few weeks I have received numerous questions about the role of a “drop in demand” in the oil price decline. These questions…

• Is President Obama Manipulating Gasoline Prices?

  Published 03 November 2014 | viewed 13,295 times

  The Rotating Roles of Accused and AccuserIt never fails during election season that when gasoline prices are falling, the party out of power and media…

• How Much Longer Can KiOR Stay Afloat?

  Published 11 October 2014 | viewed 6,551 times

  A Lesson LearnedIf there’s one thing billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has learned over the past decade, it’s that the oil companies aren’t as stupid…

• The Global Outlook For Biofuels

  Published 02 September 2014 | viewed 27,231 times

  Introduction to the GSRToday I want to take a deep look at the global biofuels picture, drawing mainly from the Renewables 2014 Global Status Report…

• Why Natural Gas Prices Collapsed

  Published 14 August 2014 | viewed 10,243 times

  Today I want to provide an update on the natural gas picture, as prices declined sharply at the end of July. I have laid out…

• US & Russia Dominating The Natural Gas Sector

  Published 29 July 2014 | viewed 7,323 times

  This is the 2nd installment in a series that examines data from the recently released Statistical Review of World Energy 2014. The previous post –…

• World Sets New Oil Production and Consumption Records

  Published 10 July 2014 | viewed 11,380 times

  Last month BP (NYSE: BP) released the Statistical Review of World Energy 2014. This report is one of the most comprehensive sources of global and…

• Where The US Got Its Oil in 2013

  Published 01 July 2014 | viewed 48,335 times

  How Much Oil Do We Import?As events in Iraq continue to unfold, we have been getting quite a few queries on just how much oil…

• When the Wind Doesn’t Blow

  Published 11 June 2014 | viewed 13,748 times

  Every morning after I wake up, I have a routine. The first thing I do, regardless of how sleepy I might still be, is slip…

• The MLP Parity Act is a No-Brainer for Renewable Energy

  Published 03 June 2014 | viewed 5,676 times

  Introduction to MLPSA Master Limited Partnership (MLP) is a publicly traded partnership with a tax structure that enables it to attract low-cost capital. The main…

• Keystone XL’s Miniscule CO2 Impact and the Bigger Picture

  Published 12 February 2014 | viewed 10,733 times

  A Disproportionate ResponseI had intended to write an article today outlining some potential solutions to the Midwest’s ethanol predicament, but some recent exchanges on Twitter…

• The Battle between Oil Sands and the Environment

  Published 12 November 2013 | viewed 10,222 times

  I spent the past week in the heart of the Athabasca oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alberta. I was there as a guest of the…

• How the 1973 Oil Embargo Still Affects US Energy Agenda Today

  Published 24 October 2013 | viewed 59,095 times

  America’s Wake Up CallForty years ago Americans were getting a wake up call on energy security. For the first time, the point was being driven…

• The Reason for the ‘Fall’ in Gas Prices

  Published 09 October 2013 | viewed 35,690 times

  Fall Means Falling Gasoline PricesFall is always a welcome change of pace for most people after a long, hot summer. Not only from the temperatures,…

• Why the Advanced Biofuel Industry is Struggling

  Published 13 September 2013 | viewed 12,941 times

  Ask and Ye Shall ReceiveLast week, The Economist posed the following question: “What happened to biofuels?” The biofuels in question are so-called second generation biofuels…

• Hydropower and Geothermal Energy in 2013

  Published 20 July 2013 | viewed 12,818 times

  This is the 2nd instalment in a series that looks at the recently released 2013 BP Statistical Review of World Energy. The previous post –…

• The Renewable Energy World in 2013

  Published 16 July 2013 | viewed 8,777 times

  Today I begin a series that looks at the recently released 2013 BP Statistical Review of World Energy. Because the past two posts have dealt…

• Why Considering the Environmental Impact of Keystone XL is Irrelevant

  Published 04 July 2013 | viewed 16,561 times

  Last week President Obama unveiled a new plan to combat climate change in a speech at Georgetown University. While there is generally broad consensus that…

• Did Global Oil Consumption Slow in 2012?

  Published 19 June 2013 | viewed 9,560 times

  I hate the phrase “Innocent until proven guilty.” When serial killer Ted Bundy killed his first victim, he wasn’t innocent just because a court had…

• Oil Industry Works Hard to End the E15 Fuel Blend

  Published 12 June 2013 | viewed 14,934 times

  I just finished reading a story that made my blood boil. It was about how the oil industry is using dirty tricks to keep the…