For the past decade, oil prices have caused trouble whether they have been rising or falling. There is no level that does not pose a problem for either consumers or some producers. Venezuela, for example, has been a spectacular casualty of the low prices of 2015 and early 2016. The beginnings of the 2007-9 recessions in many countries were accompanied by extremely high prices that approached $150 a barrel in June 2008. In political terms, American elections are not readily won with West Texas Intermediate, the US standard, at $75 and rising, and oil-dependent Saudi Arabia’s budget becomes severely strained when Brent falls below $70.
過去十年，無論油價是漲是跌，都會造成麻煩。無論油價處於何種水準，要麼令消費者心煩，要麼讓部分產油國頭疼。例如，委內瑞拉就是2015年至2016年初油價下跌的嚴重受害者。很多國家在2007-09年經歷的衰退在剛開始時伴隨著油價高企——到2008年6月接近150美元/桶。在政治方面，當美國基準油價西德克薩斯中質油(West Texas Intermediate)處於75美元/桶並持續上漲時，想在美國大選中獲勝沒那麼容易；而當布倫特(Brent)油價跌至70美元/桶以下時，依賴石油的沙烏地阿拉伯的預算會變得非常緊張。