RUNNING HEADER: HOW IS THE OIL PRICE FLUNCTUATION INFLUENCING THE BUSINESS WORLD
TODAY?
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY:
There are two key factors that have contributed to the record decrease of oil price: Signi8cant
increase of producton from countries outside OPEC, as well as lower demand from major
countries as a result of the global crisis.
What is happening to the price of oil has become the daily news on the economy. Oil is among
the few or the only product that could mislead or completely reoriented world markets and
many industries that depend on oil use. In very few weeks the price has declined by an average
price that a few weeks ago was about 118 to 120 dollars a barrel is thought to soon move to 60
dollars, a decrease of 50%. What is happening is a breakdown of the relatonship between
supply and demand. Global supply of oil is much greater than demand and this is for two
reasons. First, outside OPEC countries have managed to produce about 60% of the world’s need
for oil. Now there is no longer a body, such as OPEC, that controls the rato of quantty o6ered
on the market and prices in internatonal markets. On the other hand, the global crisis stll
contnues to have its e6ects, especially in large economies, including China, Brazil, India or
South Africa. From an economic growth of 7 to 10%, now economic growth in these countries
has gone down to 6%, this means a reduced demand for oil. Also, the US has introduced other
oil-bearing areas and today the United States manages to produce 10 million barrels a day, as
much as Saudi Arabia.
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