The Geopolitical Hazards That Cannot Be Answered for in World Markets

With the help of geopolitical hazard, the oil price has been pushed toward $70 a barrel, then the probability of disruptions in supply springing from political or security problems all over the world is not entirely acknowledged. Let’s take a close look at the biggest oil-producing nations in the world—besides the United States. It reveals that geopolitical dangers are mounting and the possibility of significant reduction in supply if these pots boil over.

The meltdown in Venezuela is the most apparent case, and it is priced already into oil markets. Nonetheless, political risks are on the high side in many OPEC countries, and also within the cartel’s de facto leader, Saudi Arabia. The complete extent of the geopolitical danger, just in case it is in the Middle East, South America or North Korea might not be considered in the current oil price. This indicates upside points for a market that has critically stiffened over the past 15 months under the OPEC which resulted to 1.8 million barrels a day (b/d) and also cut the agreement available till the end of the year.

It’s never easy in the Middle East, but recently, things are looking more unpredictable than usual. In March, Saudi Arabia was under fire by another barrage of weapons fired by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. Even though the Saudi Arabians shot down the weaponry, the outbreak brought about the first accident in the kingdom from their three-year war with Yemen’s Houthis, which its arch-rival, Shiite Iran support Riyadh claims.

Oil markets were indifferent about the news, but if there are any further attacks target Saudi Aramco oil facilities or the Eastern Province which is the central oil-producing region in the kingdom, the feedback will probably not be muted. Indeed, exceptional attention should be given to the long-standing Saudi-Iran battle for regional hegemony, which they are both entangled in proxy conflicts in Syria and Iraq, as well as Yemen. The oppositions are very high to the extent that foreign policy professionals began to ask what a Saudi-Iran war might be like, and if nuclear weapon race had started in the region.

Likewise, Iran has other issues with the U.S. president Donald Trump for increasing the number of Iran warmonger to his national security team, it seems possible in May that he will remove the United States out of his deal with Tehran, Washington will be struggling to find allies in Europe and Asia to re-impose powerful authorizations on Iran’s oil export which had been in existence before the 2015 nuclear deal was struck, which made the short-term influence limited in oil markets.

However, Iran owns the biggest post-sanctions for oil sector, and it might be hard to accomplish if a hawkish Trump administration enforces existing U.S. authorizations to the maximum extent. Iran requests to boost its oil production capacity from roughly 3.8 million b/d to 4.7 million b/d in 2021, to ensure, $130 billion is needed in upstream investments. It desperately searches for Western technology and finance to accomplish its aims and objective, but up to now only one western major, France’s Total, has signed a development contract with Tehran, as authorizations fears permeate big oil boardrooms.

In the previous year, oil traders feared that increasing output in Libya would help counterbalance some of the impacts of the OPEC deal, due to security issues the north African country was exempted from the agreement, due to this Libya gained a certain wild-card status within the cartel. OPEC asked Tripoli not to let production surpass 1 million b/d in January. But some are worried about the Libyan production capacity nowadays and, for real, due to years of underinvestment, infrastructural issues, and continued civil strife its output are more likely to be declined, due to protests its largest oil fields continue to suffer lengthy shutdowns, militias blockading essential facilities.

North Korea issue is still festering outside of OPEC, the flow of crude imports to South Korea, Japan, and China can be paused due to the military action around North Korea, which account together for 34 percent of seaborne oil trade globally, Wood Mackenzie says global oil markets would be “severely affected” in the event of a regional conflict according to consultancy.

For the moment, Russia’s relations with the West continue to worsen. Russian president Vladimir Putin’s recent election victory gives him a fourth six-year term, meaning that the sanctions pressure in Moscow now is unlikely to ease anytime soon. The Kremlin is looking brave, energy sanctions hurt. Existing sanctions will outcome in a discount in Russian oil production to 10.8 million b/d by 2025 and 9.6 million b/d by 2030 from 11 million b/d in 2017 due to the Skolkovo Energy Center at the Moscow School of Management estimation. The decline is worse—10.1 million b/d by 2025 and 8.53 million b/d by 2030 if sanctions are expanded

This is the reason why U.S. oil industry cannot overlook the gas. Satisfaction must be avoided and remain on its rapid growth route, geopolitical volatility is substantial, and potential supply disruptions appear on various fronts. The U.S. must be ready to fill any inaccuracy, to make sure its energy security and capitalize on the economic opportunity available, at that moment, America is among the few safe bets oil investors on the geopolitical risk range.