'Squawk Box' Guest Warns of $12-15-a-Gallon Gas Robert Hirsch, an energy advisor, says CNBC morning show prediction was a citation of the 'Dean of Oil Analysts.' By Jeff Poor Business & Media Institute 5/21/2008 3:38:13 PM It may be the mother of all doom and gloom gas price predictions: $12 for a gallon of gas is âinevitable.â Robert Hirsch, Management Information Services Senior Energy Advisor, gave a dire warning about the potential future of gas prices on CNBCâs May 20 âSquawk Boxâ. He told host Becky Quick there was no single thing that would solve the problem, due to the enormity of the problem. âThe prices that weâre paying at the pump today are, I think, going to be âthe good old days,â because others who watch this very closely forecast that weâre going to be hitting $12 and $15 per gallon,â Hirsch said. âAnd then, after that, when oil â world oil production goes into decline, weâre going to talk about rationing. In other words, not only are we going to be paying high prices and have considerable economic problems, but in addition to that, weâre not going to be able to get the fuel when we want it.â Hirsch told the Business & Media Institute the $12-$15 a gallon wasnât his prediction, but that he was citing Charles T. Maxwell, described as the âDean of Oil Analystsâ and the senior energy analyst at Weeden & Co. Still, Hirsch admitted the high price was inevitable in his view. âI donât attempt to predict oil prices because itâs been impossible in the past,â Hirsch said in an e-mail. âWeâre into a new era now, and over the next roughly five years the trend will be up significantly. However, there may be dips and bumps that no one can forecast; I wouldnât be at all surprised. To me the multi-year upswing is inevitable.â Maxwellâs original $12-15-a-gallon prediction came in a February 5 interview with Energytechstocks.com, a Web site run by two former Wall Street Journal staffers. â[Maxwell] expects an oil-induced financial crisis to start somewhere in the 2010 to 2015 timeframe,â Energytechstocks.com reported. âHe said that, unlike the recession the U.S. appears to be in today, âThis will not be six months of hell and then we come out of it.â Rather, Maxwell expects this financial crisis to last at least 10 or 12 years, as the world goes through a prolonged period of price-induced rationing (eg, oil up to $300 a barrel and U.S. pump prices up to $15 a gallon).â According to associate of Maxwell at Weeden & Co., Maxwell is out of the country and currently unavailable for comment. Maxwellâs biography on the Weeden & Co. Web site said he âhas been ranked by the U.S. financial institutions as the No. 1 oil analyst for the years 1972, 1974, 1977 and 1981-1986,â according to polls taken by Institutional Investor magazine. âIn addition, for the last 17 years he has been an active member of an Oxford-based organization comprised of OPEC and other industry executives from 30 countries who meet twice a year to discuss trends within the energy industry.â Although Maxwellâs prediction is for the long-term, not everyone supports high-end predictions, even in the short-term. CNBC contributor and the vice president of risk management for MF Global (NYSE:MF) John Kilduff said on âThe Callâ May 7that he expected gas prices to drop following the Chinese Olympics, as Chinaâs economic boom slows down. http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20080521145247.aspx
The top is nearing, this is the same talk you hear in every bubble. Im sure everyone has an excuse as to why this isnt the top just like they threw excuses around at the height of tech boom and housing bubble.
hell, did you catch the writer's name? 'Jeff Poor' which is what anyone who listens to him, will soon be
the top in oil will come when the average person is speculating in some form or fashion in energy, just as in housing and tech stocks.
IMO it's impossible we reach $15 per gallon simply because oil demand would drop sharply. The average Joe Public would sell his car and use public transportation... And what about the airline industry??? Flying would become too expensive as well. Oil will continue to climb until there is demand for it. As soon as demand drops, oil prices will tank. I myself am getting wary about using the car too much or taking too many long trips. I dont do it to save money, but simply because i dont want to make those OPEC bastids richer by paying highly ridiculous prices for something that pollutes the environment and is harmful for human beings. Screw oil and those assholes.