The only folk really affected by a downturn in oil prices are buy and sell oil brokering barons!

And given supply increases as it appears will happen? But particularly when the Middle East rivaling 1.8 trillion barrel Edmonton reserve comes on line? And it needs to while it still has a, every man for himself, market to serve!

So there's little hope for a substantial sustainable recovery, or market manipulators with big enough pockets to still manipulate a market they no longer control!

Especially as every analyst worthy of that title knows full well that the electric revolution has become unstoppable! With a million affordable Chinese electric vehicles hitting the market this year with seriously ramped up production to follow!

And At prices as low as $17,000 per unit, incorporating 120 mile-200 kilometre range as a more than useful, and set to improve, commuting range!

As these very affordable electric vehicles hit the mass market, those still trying to manipulate the oil market stand to lose their shirts!

And good riddance!

No vehicle owner or affected, endlessly price gouged economy, will lose as much as a single second of sleep, even as some of these oil oligarchs leap off tall buildings in a single bound!

And will likely say as they descend past each successive story? So far so good? And reminiscent of the oil/fossil fuel market and the fates of those foolishly depending on it!
Alan B.

The only people hoping for higher oil prices are those who will benefit from those higher prices ie the producers, speculators and those nations reliant on oil sales for their main revenue source - Saudi, Russia, OPEC in general, Venezuela etc

oh and the AGW fetishists.

For the rest of the planet lower energy prices are an unmitigated good. OPEC caused the initial fall in prices as they sought to drive the US frackers out of business.

But those bloody American capitalist swine found a way to be competitive at those lower prices and now the hunters are becoming the the hunted.

So next time you fill up with that cheaper petrol, send a kind thought to those US frackers. And you might also wonder why we aren't fracking as well.

There must be some technical issue...couldn't have anything to do with politics.

Prices may rise if US allies, Saudi Arabia, GCC, etc., and Qatar exercise their rights in the global War against terrorism and start bombing each other with US supplied bombs and planes and start hitting US bases, which may force US/NATO forces to bring stability as they did in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan.