Biofuels company Solazyme owns a unique process when it comes to converting algae into a fuel could replace the gas in your car -- a method that could be used to create oil on an extremely large scale and at an extremely low cost. The company has just announced it's going public: You might want to get in on the action.
Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said his country cut oil production in March because the market was oversupplied. Was this move an honest bid to a bid to expose the speculators and push prices back down, or an attempt to capitalize on the current instability to propel prices higher?
As the crisis in Libya continues to shake world oil markets, many voices are calling for President Obama to tap into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. With gasoline prices up 33 cents a gallon in the last month, that's a tempting idea. It's also the wrong one.
As in the summer of 2008, when prices broke $4 a gallon, big jumps at the gas pump may give car buyers reason to pause and cause vehicle sales to stall. At least the carmakers now have more fuel-efficient fleets, except for Chrysler, which is still catching up.
With Mideast turmoil chasing oil higher and stocks lower, it's a good time to check the charts and see what price levels seem to be key "lines in the sand." Some indicators have been warning for months that the steep rally was preparing to reverse.
Americans could see gasoline spiking 10% to 18% higher in coming weeks as a result of the unrest in the Middle East, but they're unlikely to rocket as high as some are predicting -- unless the uprisings spread to Saudi Arabia. In that case, all bets are off.
Worried about the sharp shock political unrest is giving to crude oil prices, international officials said oil-consuming nations have emergency reserves they can use to stabilize markets in case the violence in Libya and the wider Middle East escalates and crimps production.
Winter in the Northeast was particularly brutal this year, but not enough to account for the likely record prices. Blame crude oil's recent price jump for that. But the chills could become even worse if Obama's proposed cut in low-income energy subsidies passes.
With an oversupply of oil on the market and OPEC afraid that higher prices will impair the U.S. recovery and sap demand, the fundamentals point to an oil price drop in the near term. Yes, markets move on emotion, and fears about unrest in Egypt have reversed that downward price trend, but the drop is probably coming.
Marathon Oil, the fifth-largest oil refiner in the U.S., is spinning off its refining business into a new company called Marathon Petroleum. Marathon Oil, meanwhile, will reduce its debt as a result of the move and will focus on oil exploration and production.
The U.S. started 2011 with the highest gas prices ever for January. That doesn't bode well for the coming months, but the sky isn't falling. Here's what you can do about those higher fuel costs, including how to make investments that will profit from them.
Oil prices touched a two-year high Monday on tighter inventory and expectations that a U.S. economic growth spurt will boost demand this year. Some analysts predict prices could soon gush to $100 per barrel.
It may be the happiest season of the year, but higher crude oil prices that have translated into higher gasoline prices have many motorists frowning. The weak U.S. dollar and expectations of a more robust economic recovery in the coming year have helped push oil to over $90 a barrel.
The U.S. has never had $3 gas at Christmastime because the price typically gets lower as the days grow shorter. This year may be quite different, thanks to events from Canada to China. And some analysts think prices will really heat up in spring.
Light crude oil prices have been climbing in the last few days, closing the week at $88.94 per barrel on the NYMEX. If prices climb high enough, it could damage the still-weak economy by raising the costs of gasoline, jet fuel and petroleum-based chemicals. How high is too high?