ARC Financial

North Americans are driving less, not more, which means our society’s call on oil is waning. Since peak demand in 2007, consumption of the commodity everyone loves to hate is down 14% or about 3.0 million barrels a day in the US. Read More

Nukes represent nearly 13% of Japan’s total energy mix and 18% of its electrical power source. Turning off such a large proportion of vital energy is a monumental event that most countries could not contemplate. Read More

From an energy perspective, the bearing of the government’s policy compass will be vital to maintaining future prosperity, with ‘prosperity’ being an umbrella term for a balance between economic well-being, security, and environmental responsibility. Read More

The court of the equity markets is always making real-time judgments on North American energy suppliers. At any one time, the courtroom dock hosts the usual suspects that fight for turf in our society’s energy trade: coal, oil, natural gas, wind, solar and nukes. Read More

These days, pundits are making it sound like finding and producing oil in North America is as effortless as Jed’s OK Oil Company. Every week now, new analyst reports are talking about the massive potential of light, tight oil (LTO). Read More

An unusually warm winter has led to swollen natural gas stores and ultra-low prices, which in turn has been luring a surprising herd of electricity-generating customers. Read More

Like a catchy tune that refuses to leave my head, the Yogi Berra aphorism, “The future ain’t what it used to be,” keeps resonating as the most fitting description of today’s oil and gas industry. In hindsight, the future of oil and gas was quite predictable, especially in North America. Read More

Natural gas prices are in a deep sleep, like an old dog lazing in the quiet of spring, best left undisturbed for now. The ruckus we hear is coming from oil barrels, the barks of a rising market and two wagging tails that tell an improbable tale. Read More

Gasoline prices are on their way up again, triggering predictable consumer resentment. The march toward $US4.00 /gallon over the past few weeks ($C1.30 /litre across Canada) rubs the broad economy the wrong way and grabs already-tight spending dollars out of peoples’ wallets. Read More