Futures Commodity Trading

Traditionally, trade in petroleum products was a place where only the elite, the super traders dared to business. With the conclusion of 42-gallon barrels each and a contract minimum of 1,000 barrels, delivering oil was a task best professionals. However, the petroleum trading landscape has undergone some dramatic changes in recent years. For decades, oil prices were stable, and then to the mid-1970s the industry exploded. Technological advances and the political landscape has contributed to uncertainty, lack of stability, shortages and rising prices. Almost 30 years later, prices have skyrocketed to more than $ 70 a barrel and forecasts predict that by mid to late 2007 when it is expected to experience a slight decline over the next two years. However, there are no certainties when it comes to oil prices, but there are some major factors that can minimize the risk by offering a reasonable projection. As demands continue to rise, other countries like India and China are also experiencing technological and cultural changes. The trend seems to be on a rebound with no indication of a slowdown, investment, or of being reversible.

Historically, crude oil or oil prices in the United States have been affected by a variety of global factors. At the beginning of the 20th century, production of crude oil began to be controlled by the U.S. government, with restrictions on the amount of production and the price for the conservation of this valuable energy source. After World War II, demand for oil could not be met through local production alone, and the U.S. began importing increasing quantities of crude oil. Until the 1972 war between Israel and Syria and Egypt, the world crude oil prices were fairly stable at around $ 3 per barrel. An oil embargo by the major oil producing countries in 1973 led to the first sharp increase in crude prices to $ 12 per barrel. Iran after the 1979 revolution and the Iran-Iraq war, crude oil prices rose to $ 35 per barrel by 1981. However, in 1986, the OPEC cartel, the control of global crude oil prices began to falter as the member countries exceeded their limits of production, lowering prices to around $ 10 per barrel. Prices rose gradually over the next decade, but the Southeast Asian economic crisis of 1998 brought prices down again as demand fell. Prices rose to $ 25 per barrel in late 20th century, but a number of factors, including supply reduction and war, spiraling oil prices was a $ 70 per barrel in 2005.