It wasn't the author that needs to comprehend, it was Robert Kaufmann who the author was quoting. Did just a preliminary check on the guy, wondering if his words would have any meat to them.
Kaufmann is affiliated faculty with the Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy, also a professor at Boston University and teaches all levels including a 500 level course in World Oil Markets and a 700 class in Regional Energy Models. Written many accepted papers on this subject and others (way too many to list) and working on projects like "investigating the influence of changes in socioeconomic factors on land use and the movements of oil markets."
Kaufmann has got a B.S. in Biology, a M.A. in Economics, and a Ph.D. in Energy Management & Policy.
Founding partner in a company called First Fuel Software which was VC funded with about 50 mil disclosed plus undisclosed amounts. First Fuel Software provided "an analytics based customer intelligence platform for utilities and energy service providers" using "mathematical and engineering methods to conduct energy audits of commercial buildings without stepping foot inside, allowing audits to be significantly cheaper and faster."
FFS was acquired by a company called Tendril for an undisclosed amount but Tendril was private equity funded for a few 100 mil. disclosed + undisclosed. Tendril was acquired by the company Uplight which is where Kaufmann's works are being applied today for large gov, private, university, utility, energy and other corporate institutions.
I got tired of going down the rabbit hole and figured I found enough beef to have some confidence that the guy knows what he's talking about. But nobody knows everything, so good luck with having a comprehension response with him.
I definitely have already recognized that oil is a world run market (racket) and some of the reason that we now are exporting more oil and oil product than we import (or was in the first half of last yr). If the US alone stops all imports, it would not do enough to the supply to change the world oil system and the price would still be based on the world price that the "club" controls and manipulates at will. Even if we became a major exporter and export a lot more than we are doing now above our own usage, the supplies in this world system would still be controlled and we would still be paying the same price at the pump based on the world oil price and the "club" rules.
There is plenty of oil, and thousands of permits given out the last few years (Biden administration beating tfg administration in amount of permits/leases given), along with all the other reduced or capped wells currently. They just want more money/power for it which is exactly what they are achieving.
One can search out for Robert Kaufmann and find the dozen different sites for reference. I'm done for the night, and have lost track of some.
Kleptocrats: a ruler who uses political power to steal his or her country's resources.
Kleptocracy: government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed.
