5-10-16 Trouble In Saudi Landia

The Saudis Are Desperate — Full Story Here, “Saudi Arabia’s Desperation Hits a Peak“

By Keith Kohl | Tuesday, May 10, 2016

“Off with his head!”

Okay, so maybe the order to fire Ali al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia’s oil minister, didn’t sound that drastic when it was issued. However, that doesn’t diminish how earth shattering this decision is for the global oil market.

Think about it…

Ali al-Naimi has been (arguably) one of the most important figures in the oil market for roughly 21 years, when he became the minister of petroleum and mineral resources. We’re talking about the man in charge of approximately 266 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and nearly one-third of OPEC’s oil output.

Perhaps the failure in Doha was the final straw.

And if you put yourself in King Salman’s checkered ghutrah, you don’t make this decision lightly.

Yet it’s not Ali al-Naimi’s replacement, Khalid al-Falih, who will be shaping the Saudi Kingdom’s energy future.

For that, we have to turn to an emerging powerhouse in the Saudi Kingdom…

About the Author: wpnorthern

Dave Harbour, publisher of Northern Gas Pipelines, is a former Chairman of the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, a Commissioner Emeritus of NARUC, NARUC's Official Representative to IOGCC and Vice Chairman of NARUC's Gas Committee. He served as Gas Committee Chairman of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners. He also served as commissioner of the Anchorage Bicentennial Commission and the Anchorage Heritage Land Bank Commission. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree: English, at Colorado State University, a Master of Science Degree: Communications-Journalism at Murray State University and graduated from Utility Regulatory School for Commissioners at Michigan State University. He served as a Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs at Alaska Pacific University, taught bank marketing classes at the University of Alaska and was an English teacher at Los Alamos High School. Harbour served in ranks of Private - Captain during a 4-year assignment with the Army in Korea, Idaho, Georgia and Fort Meade and received the Meritorious Service Medal among other commendations. Harbour is also a past Chairman of the Alaska Council on Economic Education, the Alaska Oil & Gas Association Government Affairs Committee, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, the Export Council of Alaska and the Department of Commerce's District Export Council. He is a past President of the Alaska Press Club, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Consumer Energy Alliance-Alaska and Common Sense for Alaska. Harbour was instrumental in founding the American Bald Eagle Research Institute (UAS), the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Downtown Anchorage Business Partnership, and Arctic Power. He also served as CEO of several small Alaska organizations, including the Anchorage Parking Authority and Action Security, Inc. Harbour is also Chairman Emeritus of the Alaska Oil & Gas Congress. Harbour's wife, Nancy, is a professional, performing arts administrator and his three boys, Todd, Benjamin and William work in the fields of environmental management, energy marketing and medicine.