The United States and Britain have apparently been discussing a joint release of strategic petroleum stockpiles.
Author Archives: James_Hamilton
Links for 2012-03-14
Quick links to a few items I found interesting.
2012 Econbrowser NCAA tournament challenge
Enough on oil prices and the Fed. I know what you’ve all really been waiting for is the 2012 Econbrowser NCAA tournament challenge, where you can test your skills (and luck) at predicting the outcomes of the U.S. college men’s basketball tournament. All you have to do is go to the Econbrowser group at ESPN, do some minor registering to create a free ESPN account if you haven’t used that site before, and make your picks for the winners of each game. Just make sure you complete your entry before Thursday, because the Econbrowser group only allows predictions before the tournament begins. And be forewarned that some of the people who enter this group really know what they’re doing!
Sterilized quantitative easing
Jon Hilsenrath of the Wall Street Journal reported last week that Federal Reserve officials are evaluating the possibility of a measure that the journal describes as “sterilized” quantitative easing. How would this work, and what would it be intended to accomplish?
Oil prices and the U.S. economy
Here’s why I believe that the current high price of oil is not enough to derail the U.S. economic recovery.
The power of habit
Charles Duhigg has a very interesting new book called The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.
Keystone moving forward
In a development that should not have come as a surprise to Econbrowser readers, TransCanada announced on Monday that it would proceed with the portion of the controversial Keystone pipeline expansion that would connect Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf of Mexico. Because this part of the project does not cross the U.S.-Canadian border, it does not require approval from the U.S. State Department.
Factors in the recent oil price increases
Crude oil prices surged last spring following disruptions in oil production from Libya, and had been drifting down during the summer and fall. But since the beginning of October, the price of West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil have both risen by over 30%, putting them back up near where they had been last spring. What’s changed in the world since the beginning of October?
Crude oil and gasoline prices
Crude oil prices this week reached their highest level since last April. What will that mean for U.S. consumers at the gas pump?
Work-arounds for the politics of Keystone
The Keystone Gulf Coast Expansion Project is now entering its fourth year of regulatory review, and is currently on indefinite political hold. In the mean time, the market is figuring out other alternatives.