Uncontrolled speculation has oil prices up 50% from the beginning of the year and natural gas up over 100%. Per the EIA website, the United States is exporting massive amounts of crude and refined products, the amount of exports of propane are up massively from ten years ago. Meanwhile days of supply in the United States still exceeds the twenty year average.
With inflation scouring Americans pocket books, one can't help but realize how massively the cost of gasoline and petroleum byproducts effects the cost of things. We know according to the EIA that production is at a twenty year high, we know stocks of crude and crude products exceed twenty year averages. All the while global demand is projected to DECREASE next year. And yet US oil producers have intentionally idled oil production, have intentionally idled US refineries.
This folks is pure stock market speculation, resulting in massive profit taking by the oil companies who have idled large amounts of American production. All at the cost to the American people.
Biden has named replacements to the Commodities Futures Trading Commission and has promised to undo the gutting of their budget by Trump. Confirming Biden's CFTC nominees needs to be a priority as soon as Republicans stop trying to cause our nation to default.
https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/pet_sum...dcus_nus_w.htm
https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/global_oil.php
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...mocratic-seats