The Fed sends flowers to OPEC
OPEC+ continues to keep oil prices within a 'goldilocks' price range and provide stability in turbulent geopolitical times
The US Federal Reserve published in January an academic paper, Reasons Behind Words: OPEC Narratives and the Oil Market. The paper is the result of rigorous research and analysis by a team of authors who used a model-based approach to analyse all recorded OPEC press releases and mapped them against the fundamentals of oil supply, demand and speculative activity in the oil market. Their main conclusion was that “OPEC communication reduces oil price volatility and prompts market participants to rebalance their positions”. For an organisation that often gets a bad press, this complimentary statement might come as a surprise to many, particularly those who mistakenly take the view that OPEC is a
Also in this section
16 April 2026
Demand for oil is falling because supply cannot meet it, not because it is no longer required
16 April 2026
The continent has an immediate opportunity to make the most of its energy resources by capturing gas that is currently slipping away
15 April 2026
The continent is seeing political pushback to climate plans, corporate reassessment of transition goals and rising supply risk in a fractured global order
15 April 2026
The Middle East energy crisis may turn out to be pivotal to the industry’s long-term expansion, but significant challenges still stand in its way
