The global energy board is being reconfigured. Russia and Saudi Arabia, owners of more than 20% of the world's crude oil, are tightening ties to control prices. This move comes right after the United Arab Emirates left OPEC, while Western sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine fail to stop its oil sales.
Technical strategy: coordinated cuts and satellite monitoring 🛰️
The alliance involves adjusting production through secret quotas and satellite verification of oil fields. Russia uses thermal imaging technology to detect activity in Saudi wells, while Riyadh uses artificial intelligence to model global demand. Both countries have developed a compensation system: if one pumps too much, the other reduces its extraction. This fine-tuned control allows them to set prices without alerting markets, avoiding barrel collapses.
OPEC: the club everyone leaves (except those in charge) 🎭
The UAE left OPEC because it was not allowed to pump more oil. Now, the two heavyweights of the group, Russia and Saudi Arabia, are left alone in the party room. It's like a dinner where the guests leave and the hosts decide to split the cake. Of course, the sanctions on Moscow are like a no smoking sign in a smoke-filled bar: nobody takes them seriously.