By Pumping at Will, Saudi Arabia Hurts Oil Investment
Low oil prices will hurt spending on long-term oil projects everywhere, including in the Gulf.
There will be long-term consequences.
Photographer: Dado Galdieri via Getty Images
It’s just become a lot harder to make long-term investment decisions in the oil industry. And no, I’m not talking about the need to transition to a low-carbon economy, or the backlash from climate activists and investors. Any veneer of certainty about the future path of oil prices has evaporated.
This is the second time in six years that Saudi Arabia has embarked on a pump-at-will oil production policy that has hammered prices. Whether it’s aimed at Russia or the U.S. shale sector, producers everywhere — from OPEC members such as Angola to corporate behemoths like Exxon Mobil Corp. — have been warned that they can no longer count on the kingdom to keep a floor under oil prices. And that will impact decisions on future investments around the world.