In this episode of The Energy Forum, Abhi Rajendran and Skip York unpack the latest developments discussed at the Center for Energy Studies’ Oil Market Roundtable. The conversation examines how tensions involving Iran, evolving policy in Venezuela, and disruptions across global energy trade are influencing oil prices and market expectations.

They also explore the emerging divide between sanctioned and unsanctioned oil barrels, the ripple effects on diesel and LNG markets, and whether U.S. shale producers will respond to higher prices. With geopolitical risk rising and supply uncertainty growing, the discussion highlights why some analysts now see $70 as the new floor for oil prices.

This episode was recorded on March 5, 2026.

The United States has launched strikes on Iran — and global energy markets are already reacting. How far could this escalation reach, from the Strait of Hormuz to gasoline prices and electricity bills here at home?

Ambassador David Satterfield, director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is joined by Ken Medlock, director of the Center for Energy Studies, to unpack the energy implications of rising tensions in the Middle East.

They explore how potential disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could affect oil and liquefied natural gas flows, the difference between kinetic threats and commercial risk, and how insurers and transport markets respond in moments of geopolitical uncertainty. The conversation also examines the short- and long-term impacts on global energy trade — including consequences for Europe, China, South Asia, and Russia — before turning to what American consumers may feel most directly: price changes at the pump and shifts in electricity costs tied to natural gas.

This conversation was recorded on March 3, 2026.

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Featured:

• Ken Medlock, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/kenneth-b-medlock-iii

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Nearly a decade into Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s diversification drive is entering a more constrained phase: some initiatives are moving ahead, while others are being resized, delayed, or quietly shelved.

In this episode of ”The Energy Forum,“ host Jim Krane (Diana Tamari Sabbagh Fellow in Middle East Energy Studies) speaks with Karen Elliott House (journalist, author, and former managing editor at The Wall Street Journal) about what is changing inside the Kingdom, from the Public Investment Fund’s shifting priorities to the rise in women’s workforce participation, the AI push, regional security risks, and evolving relations with Iran. What does this shift mean for global energy markets and geopolitics? Subscribe and listen to “The Energy Forum” on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. This episode was recorded on Feb. 18, 2026.