The 2025 annual OPEC basket price stood at ***** U.S. dollars per barrel as of August. This would be lower than the 2024 average, which amounted to ***** U.S. dollars. The abbreviation OPEC stands for Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and includes Algeria, Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and the United Arab Emirates. The aim of the OPEC is to coordinate the oil policies of its member states. It was founded in 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq. The OPEC Reference Basket The OPEC crude oil price is defined by the price of the so-called OPEC (Reference) basket. This basket is an average of prices of the various petroleum blends that are produced by the OPEC members. Some of these oil blends are, for example: Saharan Blend from Algeria, Basra Light from Iraq, Arab Light from Saudi Arabia, BCF 17 from Venezuela, et cetera. By increasing and decreasing its oil production, OPEC tries to keep the price between a given maxima and minima. Benchmark crude oil The OPEC basket is one of the most important benchmarks for crude oil prices worldwide. Other significant benchmarks are UK Brent, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), and Dubai Crude (Fateh). Because there are many types and grades of oil, such benchmarks are indispensable for referencing them on the global oil market. The 2025 fall in prices was the result of weakened demand outlooks exacerbated by extensive U.S. trade tariffs.

Abstract of associated article: This paper analyzes the effects of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) announcements on the stock returns of oil and gas companies around the financial crisis of 2008. Using event study methodology and regression analyses, we examine a set of 122 oil and gas related stocks listed in the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for 35 announcements. Our results indicate that CFTC announcements, depending on their content, can affect the stock returns of oil and gas companies. In particular, this is found to hold true during the period of high-volatility in oil prices, i.e., the period following Lehman Brothers failure. During this period, oil and gas related stock returns respond positively to most regulatory announcements, showing that the CFTC's regulatory interventions are perceived positively by the stock market.

This table shows the consumption of energy by companies in the energy sector. The energy sector according to the Standard Industrial Classification 2008 is made up of companies in: 06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas, Coke-oven plants, 192 Manufacture of refined petroleum and 35 Electricity and gas supply. The consumption of energy is broken down by energy commodity, like for example petroleum products, natural gas and electricity.

Data available: From 1967 (annual) and from 1999 (annual and quarterly) till 2013 second quarter.

Status of the figures: All figures up to 2012 are definite. Figures of 2013 1st quarter and 2013 2nd quarter are provisional. Since this table has been stopped the figures will not made definite anymore.

Changes as of 6 February 2014: None, this table has been stopped.

When will new figures be published? No longer applicable.

In 2007, the California Ocean Protection Council initiated the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), designed to create a comprehensive seafloor map of high-resolution bathymetry, marine benthic habitats, and geology within California’s State Waters. The program supports a large number of coastal-zone- and ocean-management issues, including the California Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2008), which requires information about the distribution of ecosystems as part of the design and proposal process for the establishment of Marine Protected Areas. A focus of CSMP is to map California’s State Waters with consistent methods at a consistent scale. The CSMP approach is to create highly detailed seafloor maps through collection, integration, interpretation, and visualization of swath sonar data (the undersea equivalent of satellite remote-sensing data in terrestrial mapping), acoustic backscatter, seafloor video, seafloor photography, high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles, and bottom-sediment sampling data. The map products display seafloor morphology and character, identify potential marine benthic habitats, and illustrate both the surficial seafloor geology and shallow (to about 100 m) subsurface geology. It is emphasized that the more interpretive habitat and geology data rely on the integration of multiple, new high-resolution datasets and that mapping at small scales would not be possible without such data. This approach and CSMP planning is based in part on recommendations of the Marine Mapping Planning Workshop (Kvitek and others, 2006), attended by coastal and marine managers and scientists from around the state. That workshop established geographic priorities for a coastal mapping project and identified the need for coverage of “lands” from the shore strand line (defined as Mean Higher High Water; MHHW) out to the 3-nautical-mile (5.6-km) limit of California’s State Waters. Unfortunately, surveying the zone from MHHW out to 10-m water depth is not consistently possible using ship-based surveying methods, owing to sea state (for example, waves, wind, or currents), kelp coverage, and shallow rock outcrops. Accordingly, some of the data presented in this series commonly do not cover the zone from the shore out to 10-m depth. This data is part of a series of online U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) publications, each of which includes several map sheets, some explanatory text, and a descriptive pamphlet. Each map sheet is published as a PDF file. Geographic information system (GIS) files that contain both ESRI ArcGIS raster grids (for example, bathymetry, seafloor character) and geotiffs (for example, shaded relief) are also included for each publication. For those who do not own the full suite of ESRI GIS and mapping software, the data can be read using ESRI ArcReader, a free viewer that is available at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcreader/index.html (last accessed September 20, 2013). The California Seafloor Mapping Program is a collaborative venture between numerous different federal and state agencies, academia, and the private sector. CSMP partners include the California Coastal Conservancy, the California Ocean Protection Council, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California Geological Survey, California State University at Monterey Bay’s Seafloor Mapping Lab, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Center for Habitat Studies, Fugro Pelagos, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, including National Ocean Service–Office of Coast Surveys, National Marine Sanctuaries, and National Marine Fisheries Service), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey. These web services for the Offshore of Coal Oil Point map area includes data layers that are associated to GIS and map sheets available from the USGS CSMP web page at https://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/mapping/csmp/index.html. Each published CSMP map area includes a data catalog of geographic information system (GIS) files; map sheets that contain explanatory text; and an associated descriptive pamphlet. This web service represents the available data layers for this map area. Data was combined from different sonar surveys to generate a comprehensive high-resolution bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter coverage of the map area. These data reveal a range of physiographic including exposed bedrock outcrops, large fields of sand waves, as well as many human impacts on the seafloor. To validate geological and biological interpretations of the sonar data, the U.S. Geological Survey towed a camera sled over specific offshore locations, collecting both video and photographic imagery; these “ground-truth” surveying data are available from the CSMP Video and Photograph Portal at https://doi.org/10.5066/F7J1015K. The “seafloor character” data layer shows classifications of the seafloor on the basis of depth, slope, rugosity (ruggedness), and backscatter intensity and which is further informed by the ground-truth-survey imagery. The “potential habitats” polygons are delineated on the basis of substrate type, geomorphology, seafloor process, or other attributes that may provide a habitat for a specific species or assemblage of organisms. Representative seismic-reflection profile data from the map area is also include and provides information on the subsurface stratigraphy and structure of the map area. The distribution and thickness of young sediment (deposited over the past about 21,000 years, during the most recent sea-level rise) is interpreted on the basis of the seismic-reflection data. The geologic polygons merge onshore geologic mapping (compiled from existing maps by the California Geological Survey) and new offshore geologic mapping that is based on integration of high-resolution bathymetry and backscatter imagery seafloor-sediment and rock samplesdigital camera and video imagery, and high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles. The information provided by the map sheets, pamphlet, and data catalog has a broad range of applications. High-resolution bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, ground-truth-surveying imagery, and habitat mapping all contribute to habitat characterization and ecosystem-based management by providing essential data for delineation of marine protected areas and ecosystem restoration. Many of the maps provide high-resolution baselines that will be critical for monitoring environmental change associated with climate change, coastal development, or other forcings. High-resolution bathymetry is a critical component for modeling coastal flooding caused by storms and tsunamis, as well as inundation associated with longer term sea-level rise. Seismic-reflection and bathymetric data help characterize earthquake and tsunami sources, critical for natural-hazard assessments of coastal zones. Information on sediment distribution and thickness is essential to the understanding of local and regional sediment transport, as well as the development of regional sediment-management plans. In addition, siting of any new offshore infrastructure (for example, pipelines, cables, or renewable-energy facilities) will depend on high-resolution mapping. Finally, this mapping will both stimulate and enable new scientific research and also raise public awareness of, and education about, coastal environments and issues. Web services were created using an ArcGIS service definition file. The ArcGIS REST service and OGC WMS service include all Offshore Coal Oil Point map area data layers. Data layers are symbolized as shown on the associated map sheets.

Gold dataset is created by calling API from Fred and Yahoo Finance. It contains 4517 rows x 11 columns: 1.Unnamed: 0 →

Likely represents the Date of observation.

Format: MM/DD/YYYY.

2.Gold →

The gold price in U.S. dollars per troy ounce.

Gold is a safe-haven asset often used to hedge against inflation and currency risk.

3.USD_Index →

The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY).

Measures the value of the U.S. dollar against a basket of six major currencies (EUR, JPY, GBP, CAD, SEK, CHF).

Used to gauge dollar strength globally.

4.Oil →

The crude oil price in U.S. dollars per barrel.

Likely West Texas Intermediate (WTI) benchmark.

Important for global energy markets and inflation.

5.Silver →

The silver price in U.S. dollars per troy ounce.

Like gold, silver is a precious metal used both as an investment and in industry.

6.SP500 →

The S&P 500 Index.

A stock market index that tracks the performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the U.S.

A key indicator of overall U.S. stock market performance.

7.Bitcoin →

The Bitcoin price in U.S. dollars.

First decentralized cryptocurrency, highly volatile.

Note: Missing data before 2011 since Bitcoin did not exist in markets before then.

8.Interest_Rate →

The U.S. Federal Funds Effective Rate (%).

The short-term interest rate at which banks lend to each other overnight.

Set by the Federal Reserve as a key monetary policy tool.

9.10Y_Treasury_Yield →

The yield (%) on U.S. Treasury Bonds with a 10-year maturity.

Reflects government borrowing costs and investor expectations for inflation and growth.

Often seen as the “risk-free rate” benchmark.

10.Inflation_CPI →

The Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Measures the average change in prices paid by consumers for goods and services (inflation indicator).

Higher CPI → higher inflation.

11.Unemployment →

The U.S. unemployment rate (%).

Measures the percentage of the labor force that is jobless but actively seeking work.

Key economic health indicator.

INS DeepDrill targets Ireland’s national strategic needs for deep-water seabed drilling and full core recovery at intermediate seabed penetration (down to 70m). This is accomplished through the mobilisation of the advanced portable seafloor drilling rig MeBo financially facilitated through the European Science Foundation EuroCORES - EuroMARC CARBONATE seabed drilling programme and the Irish Shelf Porcupine Studies Group (ISPSG) of the Petroleum Infrastructure Programme (PIP) – Ireland's joint Government-Industry research programme, which comprises hydrocarbon exploration companies active in offshore Ireland and the Petroleum Affairs Division (PAD) of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. The key objective of the expedition was to cost-effectively collect fullrecovery core sequences in lithified substrates in support of the ESF-CARBONATE programme and ISPSG Rock Drilling program. Along the European Atlantic continental margin, cold-water corals and coldwater coral carbonate mounds occur from northern Norway to the Gulf of Cádiz. The mounds differ considerably in size (5-380 m) and present day ‘activity’ (covered with abundant living corals at the SW Rockall Trough margin to fully buried mounds in the Porcupine Seabight). Up to now the carbonate stored in these mounds has not been considered in the global carbon budget. A challenge existed to quantify the amount and flux of carbon stored in these structures. Previous investigations of short sediment cores revealed that all mounds possess different growth histories depending on the environmental setting and the involved faunal associations. These previous cores penetrated only the upper few metres of the mounds thus limiting the research to the very late stage of mound development. By understanding how biogeochemical processes control the development of these carbonate mounds and their response to climate change, CARBONATE (Mid latitude carbonate systems: complete sequences from cold-water coral carbonate mounds in the northeast Atlantic) aims at quantifying their role as mid-latitude carbonate sinks. The main aim of the CARBONATE and INS DeepDrill was to drill through several mounds (in total six carbonate mound locations in Porcupine-Rockall area at various locations in order to understand the role of the environmental parameters on mound formation and the role of the mounds in the global carbon cycle. This 23 day survey took place on board the Marine Institute's R.V. Celtic Explorer from 15th of August after 4.5 days of mobilisation of MeBo in Galway, Ireland, and ended there again on the 6th of September 2008 followed by 2 day of de-mobilisation of MeBo. In addition to the drills and ground truthing conducted, CTD (Conductivity, Temperature and Depth) casts were deployed to measure variations in salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen in the water column as well as to take water samples. The main aim of the CARBONATE and INS DeepDrill was to drill through several mounds (in total six carbonate mound locations in Porcupine-Rockall area at various locations in order to understand the role of the environmental parameters on mound formation and the role of the mounds in the global carbon cycle. .hidden { display: none }

In 2014, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) initiated a Play-Based Regulation (PBR) pilot project as a step towards implementation of the Unconventional Regulatory Framework. One of the goals of the PBR pilot is to encourage companies in the unconventional play area to work together on plans for surface development to minimize the numbers of facilities and surface impacts. This dataset is one of a series created using earth observation imagery to assess surface change caused by energy exploration. The PBR area extends from Twp. 52, Rge. 7, W 5th Mer. to Twp. 70, Rge. 5, W 6th Mer., covering the towns of Edson, Fox Creek, Mayerthorpe, Whitecourt, Swan Hills, and Valleyview. Landsat multispectral imagery for 2007 and 2008 and Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) classification data derived from 2008 were used to produce this dataset. The LULC changes include vegetation loss from anthropogenic disturbances, such as infrastructure related to oil and gas exploration, forestry and agriculture, and vegetation recovery from these disturbances. This digital data release contains the vegetation recovery data, classified into 6 classes: 1 - shrub land, 2 - grassland, 3 - agricultural areas, 4 - coniferous forest, 5 - broadleaf forest and 6 - mixed forest.