Letter from Singapore: Beware oil investment’s death rattle
High prices are no longer a guarantee for increased investment in oil projects despite the warnings of an energy crunch
Some energy professionals have been writing the obituary for oil investment for several years. A disdain for financing hydrocarbons across the banking world, punitive measures on energy companies that dare to make a profit, a cult-like pursuit of ESG and fears of stranded assets amid apocalyptic warnings of a collapse in oil demand have left the industry on life support. But what does not kill you only makes you stronger, right? The crux of the matter is the relationship between oil prices and investment. The two have understandably had a close correlation. Higher prices lead to greater investment, which then leads to a glut in projects, a crash in the price, a cull in investment and—once ag

Also in this section
21 August 2025
The administration has once more reduced its short-term gas price forecasts, but the expectation remains the market will tighten over the coming year, on the back of
19 August 2025
ExxonMobil’s MOU with SOCAR, unveiled in Washington alongside the peace agreement with Armenia, highlights how the Karabakh net-zero zone is part of a wider strategic realignment
19 August 2025
OPEC and the IEA have very different views on where the oil market is headed, leaving analysts wondering which way to jump
15 August 2025
US secondary sanctions are forcing a rapid reassessment of crude buying patterns in Asia, and the implications could reshape pricing, freight and supply balances worldwide. With India holding the key to two-thirds of Russian seaborne exports, the stakes could not be higher