Higher highs and lower lows. Nice for drivers short term, but will lead to reduced investments and higher prices in 12-18 months. Thiwill put pressure on high cost producers like Venezuela. Would be nice to see some strategic investment retreats in fracking and offshore development.
Not just Venezuela. Today brought a new record low for
Western Canadian Select (a heavy oil blend from Alberta), down 33.55% to $11.43 / barrel.
Locally-owned (wholesale-only) producers certainly will go out of business at those prices. However, Oil majors get a different deal. For example, the Koch Bros. own both ends of the Alberta Clipper pipeline to their refinery in Minnesota. So 'Net', they make more money total because they can buy oil cheap in Alberta, then sell product (liquid fuels like gas and diesel) into the US at retail market prices.
Exxon gets the same deal with the Keystone pipeline to Port Arthur, TX.
Dirty? You bet. Sustainable? Not so much.