opec

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.

As crude prices keep inching upward, the threat to both the U.S. and global economy is clear. While OPEC says don't blame us, the Interational Energy Agencys says: "This is a wake-up call to the oil-consuming countries and to the oil producers."

Oil prices kept rising this weekend as a blizzard smacked into the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. and as OPEC's Arab ministers met in Cairo to discuss strategy. Their call is for production to stay at current levels, which will help keep the upward pressure on prices.

Crude oil hit a six-month high Wednesday, and many forces are in place to drive prices even higher. Not least is demand from China, now the largest importer of oil.

Some OPEC members want oil prices to rise to $100 a barrel to offset the decline in the dollar. The value of the dollar, which has slipped 13% since June against major world currencies, means that the "real price" of oil is about $20 less than current levels, Venezuela's Energy and Oil Minister...

The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly jumped to $46.3 billion in August, as the nation's deficit with China surged to a record $28 billion. Oil prices were the other key culprit as the petroleum deficit surged 5.7%.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will leave oil output unchanged, a delegate at the group's current meeting told Reuters. Oil ministers apparently are not worried the weak dollar will drive up the price of crude far enough that it will crimp the global economic recovery.

Crude oil prices moved above $83 Monday -- from just above $70 only two months ago. There are a number of causes for the increased price of crude, among them the growth in demand for oil in China.

Iraq raised its level of proven oil reserves by 24% in the first revision since Saddam Hussein was toppled from power. The country has 143.1 billion barrels of known and extractible oil, compared with 115 billion barrels at the end of Saddam Hussein's reign, BBC News reported Sponsored...

May's unexpected rise in the U.S. trade deficit to $42.3 billion isn't likely to resolve the tug of war between the economic optimists and pessimists. Imports and exports both grew, but imports grew marginally faster.