Oil prices this year will be influenced primarily by the health of the global economy, which is why prices have closely tracked equity and bond markets in recent months. U.S. shale production growth, the policy of OPEC and its allies, U.S. sanctions on Iran, and the threat of sanctions on Venezuela may all have an impact on the price of a barrel. But that impact will be secondary and it is more likely to be crude prices that determine what happens with U.S. shale, OPEC+ policy and U.S. sanctions ( tmsnrt.rs/2TbHKnA ). Predict what will happen to the global economy and the movement of oil prices in 2019 should become clear (“Weakening global expansion amid growing risks”, International Monetary Fund, Jan. […]