As the oil and gas industry gathers in Houston for CERAWeek, a major annual event, geopolitical drivers to oil prices will be a focus. U.S. shale producers will be particularly attuned to backroom discussions about how Saudi Arabia and Russia are viewing new indications of restored momentum in drilling in the U.S. tight oil patch. The bullish reports on U.S. drilling rates come against the backdrop of statements from close advisers to President Donald Trump that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will make room for U.S. shale. Chances are OPEC will not abandon attempts to shore up the global oil market, regardless of the newfound staying power of U.S. production. That’s because Saudi Arabia has bigger fish to fry when it comes to oil prices. Saudi Arabia’s leaders are betting the farm that the sale of 5 percent of Saudi Aramco, the country’s national oil company (NOC), […]