ANALYSIS: the myth of the quick ramp-up in Venezuela, and no free barrels

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA (By Pietro D. Pitts, Energy Analytics Institute, 17.Mar.2026, Words: 725) — Oil prices have breached the $100 per barrel mark, while the national average gasoline price in the US reached $3.79/gallon as of 17 Mar. 2026, according to AAA

For ordinary consumers, that’s the headline: fuel is expensive again, and everything tied to fuel — from foodstuffs to freight — is getting more expensive.