During the Trump era, oil was king. US production surged to a record 13 million barrels a day and the president wore it like a badge of honor. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, he never hesitated to bang home the message to his base in America’s heartland.

Midland, Texas, is the beating heart of US shale production. In this part of the US, they know all too well what boom and bust feels like.

Our holiday plans prior to the Covid-19 pandemic were to go further afield this summer. The aim was a straightforward one; to explore the Eastern Cycladic islands of Greece, far beyond the mega destinations of Mykonos, Santorini and Paros.

The world economy is just starting to re-emerge from a COVID-19 lockdown but it may be faced with an ill-timed tug-of-war between the US and China, which has Hong Kong being pulled from both sides. At this stage of the conflict, all three players stand to lose out.

It was a sight on computer trading charts not witnessed before, a $50 swing in oil prices from top to bottom in the span of a week, after the US benchmark crude crashed into negative territory for the first time ever.

Since Col. Edwin Drake discovered crude on Oil Creek in Titusville, Pennsylvania back in 1859, America’s oil and gas industry has lived by the “can do” spirit of exploration, capitalism and cut-throat competition.

Alarm over the coronavirus continues to spread as cases skyrocket in Far East Asia, Iran and Italy, creating an economic contagion that may prove difficult to contain as well.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter, but it is nevertheless embarking on its own energy transition.

As part of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision plan, the country’s goal is to have 35 percent of its energy generated by renewables, with a heavy emphasis on solar power.