Energy price volatility is the new normal for market
As water shortages, greater competition for resources and climate change tighten commodity markets, the old pricing certainties no longer apply
The world is undergoing a period of intensified resource stress because of soaring demand from emerging economies and tightening commodity markets, according to a new report by Chatham House, a London-based think tank. Chatham House's Resources Futures report , which examines the supply and demand outlook for 19 key resources including crops, water and fossil fuels, says the world must get used to energy-price volatility. Climate change, water scarcity and a shift in historical trading patterns, driven by new demand from developing nations, will also continue to bolster prices, the study says. Annual price volatility is now higher than at any time in the past 100 years (though for energy pri
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
