Is the drop in oil prices a temporary phenomenon resulting from exceptional political circumstances and a depressed global growth or, conversely, does it prefigure a sustainable return to cheap fossil fuels ? The second hypothesis appears more likely. The causes of the current collapse are identified. The producing countries gathered in OPEC had to face higher supply in a less favourable economic context. They could not agree with each other in order to support prices.

The United States had clearly opted for lower oil prices: this strategy amplifies the impact of economic sanctions to force Moscow to give up its territorial ...

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The North Sea oil barrel, which is a benchmark in Europe, costs now 72$. Its price has continued to fall and has reached a new milestone with OPEC's decision to maintain its production at current levels, contrary to past practice where the offer was reduced to halt the fall in prices. This new situation calls for two observations.

First, this situation contradicts some theories about the depletion of hydrocarbon resources. Oil companies have long supported this approach, drawing on the concept of "peak oil", according to which production would peak and then decline after a certain date that the ...

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La chute des bourses depuis le début du mois d’octobre, partiellement corrigée ce vendredi, traduit la perte de confiance dans la capacité de l’Europe à sortir de la crise. Le signal d’alarme a été déclenché avec les très mauvais chiffres de la croissance allemande depuis l’été qui ont conduit à réviser en baisse les prévisions tant pour l’année 2014 que pour 2015. Il n’y a donc plus de bon élève en Europe. Et le pays lui-même doute, il suffit de voir les résultats des élections dans ...

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