BRUSSELS - A plunge in oil prices has sent tremors through the global political and economic order, setting off an abrupt shift in fortunes that has bolstered the interests of the United States and pushed several big oil-exporting nations - particularly those hostile to the West, like Russia, Iran and Venezuela - to the brink of financial crisis.
New York Times: Oil’s swift fall raises fortunes of US abroad
Pump jacks are seen at dawn in an oil field over the Monterey Shale formation where gas and oil extraction using hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is on the verge of a boom on March 24, 2014 near Lost Hills, California.
