Robert Rapier

Latest articles from Robert

• Gasoline Prices May Have Finally Peaked

  Published 09 May 2022 | viewed 15,279 times

  Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions on Russian oil, the price of crude oil rapidly climbed above $120 a barrel. Gasoline prices…

• Is It Fair To Blame Oil Companies For High Prices?

  Published 02 May 2022 | viewed 13,388 times

  With oil prices still over $100 a barrel, one thing is certain. Oil companies are going to make big profits. But misconceptions abound about the…

• Germany Bets Big On One Energy Hub To Reduce Reliance On Russian Gas

  Published 19 April 2022 | viewed 37,862 times

  The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions against Russia have highlighted Europe’s vulnerability when it comes to energy security. At present, the EU…

• Trees: An Overlooked Source of Renewable Power

  Published 18 April 2022 | viewed 7,449 times

  One of the more controversial renewable energy resources is woody biomass, such as trees. It shouldn’t be, because biomass can be a highly sustainable resource…

• What’s Next For America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve?

  Published 05 April 2022 | viewed 6,490 times

  I have often noted that presidents have few ways to impact gasoline prices in the short term. However, one of the ways they can make…

• U.S. Drilling Activity Has Risen 60% In One Year

  Published 04 April 2022 | viewed 15,644 times

  One of the latest lines of attack in the finger-pointing over rising gasoline prices goes like this: U.S. oil companies are sitting on a huge…

• Are You Really Being ‘Gouged’ At The Gas Pump?

  Published 28 March 2022 | viewed 52,788 times

  I have gotten a lot of questions recently about when we may see some relief at the gasoline pump. Complaints have grown in recent days,…

• Is Biden To Blame For Soaring Gasoline Prices?

  Published 21 March 2022 | viewed 15,350 times

  One year ago this week I wrote an article that turned out to be my most popular Forbes article ever: Who Is To Blame For…

• The Real Reason U.S. Oil Producers Are Exercising Caution

  Published 17 March 2022 | viewed 30,649 times

  In the months leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. oil production hit an all-time high of just below 13 million barrels per day (BPD).…

• EIA: The U.S. Is Still Energy Independent

  Published 15 March 2022 | viewed 8,034 times

  Last December I covered the nuances of U.S. energy independence. A common belief that I encounter is that President Trump made us energy independent, but…

• Here’s How Biden Could Bring Oil Prices Down

  Published 10 March 2022 | viewed 31,567 times

  If you have ever wondered what it would be like if a major oil-producing country suddenly went offline, you are getting a preview of that…

• Canceling Keystone XL May Have Been Biden’s Biggest Blunder

  Published 08 March 2022 | viewed 44,118 times

  Some readers won’t get past the headline before rendering the opinion that I obviously don’t care about climate change. That is false. My views on…

• The World Needs American Oil Now More Than Ever

  Published 06 March 2022 | viewed 29,886 times

  In an ideal world, developed countries like the U.S. and Germany will continue to rapidly deploy renewable power and electric vehicles. Fossil fuel usage will…

• Can The U.S. Replace Russian Oil Imports?

  Published 28 February 2022 | viewed 28,007 times

  Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the issues being discussed a lot in the West is what an ongoing military conflict may do to…

• Could Nuclear Power Be The Answer To Rising Energy Demand?

  Published 17 February 2022 | viewed 3,311 times

  Between 2009 and 2019, global consumption of renewable energy grew at an annual average of 13.4%. Over that time, renewable energy consumption grew from 8.2…

• How Long Will High Oil Prices Last?

  Published 12 February 2022 | viewed 82,834 times

  The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) opened 2022 at about $75 a barrel (bbl). Last week, the price rose above $90/bbl for the first…

• Is A Lithium Cartel Inevitable?

  Published 25 January 2022 | viewed 3,130 times

  The more people I speak with about lithium, the bigger this story gets. Following my previous article — How The U.S. Is Losing The Lithium…

• An Expert’s Take On Energy Markets In 2022

  Published 24 January 2022 | viewed 11,524 times

  This was supposed to be a follow-up to my previous article on the lithium market. However, I got a tremendous amount of feedback and numerous…

• Will America Ever Be Able To Challenge China’s Lithium Battery Dominance?

  Published 18 January 2022 | viewed 4,730 times

  In the early days of the oil industry, the U.S. quickly established dominance as the world’s most important producer and consumer of petroleum. But over…

• High Lithium Prices Could Last Well Into 2022

  Published 05 January 2022 | viewed 2,244 times

  Soaring energy prices this year have impacted people around the globe. I cited this as the Top Energy Story of 2021 in a previous column…