Comment and opinion continue to flow in the wake of the death of Saudi King Abdullah (RIP).

This from earlier today:

More again:

  • Saudi Arabia has charted a long-term course to drive down oil prices and maintain its major share of the global market—and a change of who is on the throne in Riyadh won’t likely alter this course, energy experts said

Sarah Emerson, principal of ESAI Energy LLC in Boston:

  • “They need to make sure they have enough market share for not just tomorrow but 2040 and 2060 and beyond to ensure longevity,”

Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy observer at the University of California Davis … noted that when King Abdullah went into the hospital two weeks ago and was given a breathing tube, Crown Prince Salman went on television to read a statement on behalf of the king, indicating the current policies would continue:

  • “Not only did the Saudis signal a smooth transition, they are transferring power to a faction that tends to feel that the alliance with the United States should be a priority,” she said. “Whatever succession issues may hit the royal family one day…we aren’t at that moment in time.”

These from Wall Street Journal (gated): “Death of King Unlikely to Alter Saudi Oil Policy”

I imagine we’ll continue to see more analysis and opinion, with plenty of debate and disagreement