This year has been a crazy ride for the oil industry, which saw the price of Brent crude seesaw from $66.87 on the first day of the year, to a high of $86.29 in early October, back to $66.28 in mid-November—almost precisely back to where we started—and then closing out the year right before Christmas at a disappointing $54.10. Yes, typical catalysts such as inventory and capacity affect oil prices; they always have. But there were other forces at play in 2018 that significantly influenced the price of oil in 2018, and here is our list of those important individuals in 2018, and those to watch for 2019. Fatih Birol – As head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Dr. Fatih Birol has made several lists in years past of influential oil figures. While he doesn’t directly control production, inventory, prices, or policy, his words—usually regarding oil demand or […]