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The host interviews Robin Mills (founder/CEO of Qamar Energy, Columbia Global Energy Policy fellow, former Shell executive, author of The Myth of the Oil Crisis) about oil and gas investing amid the Iran conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Mills argues the world has ample oil resources and explains how the US shale boom—enabled by horizontal drilling, fracking, and crude-by-rail—reversed decades of US production decline, initially led by smaller firms before major consolidation. He discusses early-2010s fracking environmental controversy, the collapse and partial revival of Venezuela’s oil sector after US action and sanctions changes, and how Iran’s drone/missile attacks have slashed Hormuz flows from ~20 million bpd to far lower levels, affecting global prices. The conversation covers OPEC vs OPEC+ influence, spare capacity limits during the blockade, China’s strategic stockpiling and import cuts, and long-term demand shifts from EVs toward petrochemicals and aviation, plus nuclear’s prospects via small modular reactors.

00:00 Oil Investing Setup

01:03 Myth of Oil Scarcity

02:44 Shale Boom Origins

04:31 How Fracking Took Off

06:26 Majors vs Independents

08:14 Fracking Environmental Backlash

09:32 Venezuela Collapse and Comeback

13:06 US Oil Policy Tightrope

15:09 Iran War and Hormuz Blockade

20:12 Pipelines and Price Paradox

22:42 Stalemate and What Next

23:47 OPEC Price Myth

24:16 OPEC Plus Power

26:43 Spare Capacity Explained

28:25 US vs Saudi Flexibility

30:37 China Oil Wildcard

32:51 Energy Transition Risks

37:16 Future Oil Demand

38:41 Nuclear Comeback

43:00 Oil Investing Outlook

44:38 Wrap Up Contacts

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