USA is large enough in its oil production to join OPEC if they wanted. Its also true their consumption is massive but in resources they have more then enough, half a century forward if required. Venezuela has the largest reserves in the world but not the efficiency to extract and refine it profitably. Its part of a market and export vs import, some times its easier to buy production from abroad but I have no doubt USA has any lack of oil.
Same reasoning I would apply to Russia benefiting from occupying Ukraine. Disregarding any law or morals to their actions, there is little sense from any perspective. Russia wont benefit from this war, at the very best they eliminate a competitor in some way but the world has plenty more waiting.
The usable land mass of Russia is expanding massively every year, not by invasion of others but their own land sealed in permafrost is becoming available which means even more oil and gas. Yet like Venezuela's fate they lack the people, the sophisticated industry and efficiency to profit. War will not profit them or anyone else, the only strategy was to hurt others more then themselves and even this is questionable.
What's the point of the US becoming a member of OPEC ? They're essentially competitors of the US. Therefore, the U.S. plays its own game - its own production, plus most likely there will be oil from Venezuela, plus the U.S. has the opportunity to settle oil production issues with Saudi Arabia. And this is enough to stabilize or even manipulate the oil market. And joining OPEC is unnecessary restrictions and obligations, especially in this "alliance", there are frankly specific countries that, to put it mildly, hate the United States. Therefore, if the U.S. joins any oil union, it will be a U.S.-led union
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I didn't get that correctly, did you say you hate the US or you just wrote it figuratively?
Besides, it's certain, the US is the world leader and they can't be otherwise somewhere in the energy market, not even in OPEC. But this shouldn't be an issue of debate and the US is not the only powerful country that is not among the OPEC member states, Russia and other countries are included. What baffles me is that the US is not so mentioned when it comes to crude oil, the two most important names often heard are the OPEC body and Russia. This is why the US doesn't have any means to control the crude oil price other than when there is a crisis when the president might give the approval to release some reserves. This is rare though, it's OPEC that majorly adjusts the world oil, and when they cut or increase the pump capacity, every crude oil segment feels it (WTI, Brent Ice and others).
This might be for a reason that the US is being careful so that the world will not say despite the huge power and dominance they have in the world, they are still controlling the energy price to enrich themselves. That's by the way and I was just saying. Still, it is wise indeed if that is the case, and it's good for Saudi Arabia to have her influence in the sector since they have more oil and for being in another continent to balance power and to prove the US's neutrality.