This blog is part four of a series that explores the intricate history of oil. 1973-1994: The Middle East Shrugs its Shackles It is important to understand that the oil industry is largely a Western invention and is very much American led. When America began making overtures to King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia in […]
This blog is part three of a series that explores the intricate history of oil. 1921-1973 – War, Depression, and the Long Boom Prior to the unraveling of the European and American Pax imposed on the Middle East, the Texas cowboys would have their day. It is not unfair to say that the oil industry matured […]
This blog is part two of a series that explores the intricate history of oil. 1870-1911: Rockefeller Creates the Multinational Oil Standard Born July 8, 1939, John D. Rockefeller is arguably the most notorious business magnate and philanthropist the world has ever known. The first American billionaire, at the pinnacle of his power he controlled […]
Dateline January 2015: The Perilous Plummet The week of January 26, 2015, saw the price of a barrel of oil drop below $45. It has been a perilous plummet from a high of $100.52 just six months ago. If you ask a Goldman Sachs trader, they may tell you the price will probably continue to […]
It Has Been a Long Time 135 years after Thomas Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company in 1878 and the subsequent patent for an electricity distribution system in 1880, a lot has changed for the electric power industry in the U.S. and the global energy sector in general. The industry has moved from hazardous […]
Last Monday on February 24th, the Pacific Energy Innovation Association Forum (PEIA) for 2014 took place at the Wosk Center for Dialogue in Vancouver, BC. I was invited to attend and to participate in a panel titled “Demand: Today and Yesterday.” I was happy to be able to share my perspective, and decided to focus my presentation […]
On December 12, 2013, I had the pleasure of attending the 16th annual Platts Global Energy Awards with my father and CEO of ZE PowerGroup, Dr. Zak El-Ramly; my mother and Corporate Secretary of ZE, Salwe El-Ramly; my sister, ZE’s Director of Global Markets, Manal El-Ramly; and Shilpa Mullan, Director of Sales for ZE’s New […]
Last week we were in Chicago for the Futures Industry Association’s (FIA) annual Futures and Options Expo which took place at the Hilton Chicago. As always the event was well run and well attended. The three day conference and expo was preceded by our own Lunch and Learn at McCormick and Schmicks, which focused on […]
We were most fortunate to be invited to sponsor and participate in Triple Point’s Global User Conference, Focal Point, which took place recently in New York, NY. Myself and Shilpa Mullan, our Sales Director based in New York, attended the event. I really appreciated taking part in the Thought Leadership panel, which allowed the panelists […]
It’s been some time since I’ve been to an event that I’ve enjoyed as much as the P³ Executive Summit in Washington, D.C. One of the reasons this summit is so excellent is that you are really treated by Platts as an executive and favored partner. It didn’t hurt that I was there with Zak(our […]