Abhi Rajendran is a Director of Energy Intelligence Research. Key focus areas of Energy Intelligence Research include the energy transition, corporate strategy and competitor intelligence, oil and gas/LNG markets, and aboveground risk.

Abhi leads Oil Market Research, which builds on our oil fundamental supply, demand and price data, to develop supply, demand and price forecasts out through the 10-year strategic window. He is responsible for identifying and analyzing key trends ranging from upstream to downstream (refining, petrochemicals) subsectors, as well as other areas tied to North America energy, corporate/financial analysis, oil-field services and LNG. Abhi contributes to integrated coverage across other Research areas, as well as bespoke Advisory engagements on oil market analysis and corporate strategy.

Prior to joining Energy Intelligence in July 2017, Abhi spent two years as an investor in the following sectors: energy (E&Ps, OFS, infrastructure/MLPs, majors/integrateds), renewables, refining and chemicals (petrochemicals, specialty chemicals). Abhi also spent seven years as a sell-side Equity Research Analyst, including five at Credit Suisse where he was a Lead Analyst for the MLP/infrastructure/LNG sectors and also covered the chemicals sector.

Abhi earned a BA in computer science and economics from Cornell University, and holds a master’s degree in information systems management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Amena Bakr is Senior Research Analyst and an award-winning correspondent for Energy Intelligence.

She covers energy and politics related to Saudi Arabia and other Opec countries. Prior to that, Ms. Bakr was an Energy Correspondent for Reuters news agency for six years, posted in Dubai, Doha and Riyadh.

In 2023, she received the Opec award for best journalist, and in 2019, The International Association for Energy Economics gave her the award for Excellence in written journalism for covering the energy sector.

Ms. Bakr holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration from the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport in Egypt, with a major in management information systems.

Colby Connelly is an Energy Intelligence Senior Research Analyst. Key focus areas of Energy Intelligence Research include the energy transition, corporate strategy and competitor intelligence, oil and gas/LNG markets, and aboveground risk.

Colby works primarily on regional macroeconomics, operating conditions and political trends in the Middle East and North Africa, including oil markets, Opec-plus, geopolitics and the regional effects of the energy transition. He also contributes to Competitive Intelligence Research by examining corporate strategies and developments in this region.

Prior to joining Energy Intelligence, Colby worked as a Research Associate at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, where he focused on the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council region, with special attention to national oil companies and domestic energy markets. He spent several years working as a contractor in Saudi Arabia in support of workforce nationalization projects established as part of the government’s Saudization initiative. He designed, managed and supported multiple training programs tailored for new employees of Saudi energy and critical infrastructure companies. He also has over seven years’ experience serving as a contributor to IHS Markit’s Middle East and North Africa country risk product.

Colby holds an MA in global security studies from the Center for Advanced Governmental Studies at Johns Hopkins University and a BA in international affairs from James Madison University.

John Van Schaik, Energy Intelligence’s New York Bureau Chief, coordinates global market coverage for Energy Intelligence and is Editor of Oil Market Intelligence, the publication on oil market fundamentals.

He covers Opec, global oil market fundamentals, financial markets and Atlantic Basin oil trading. He is a subject matter specialist on oil markets. John joined the company in 2000.

Prior to joining Energy Intelligence, John was a correspondent for financial newspapers and magazines – based in Russia, Africa and Europe – focusing on politics, business, commodities and finance. He worked on Wall Street in 2010-11 before returning to Energy Intelligence in 2012.

Gary Peach is Editor of Oil Markets Briefing, Energy Intelligence’s analysis of proprietary data on crude oil exports and consumption in key regions.

Gary also leads Energy Intelligence’s team that tracks oil output and compliance among the 23 members of the Opec-plus group.

He lived in the former Soviet Union for nearly three decades, writing extensively on regional energy, economics and politics. He is also a regular contributor to Nuclear Intelligence Weekly, where he focuses on Russia’s vast nuclear sector.

Mike Wittner is Global Head of Oil Market Research for Intercontinental Exchange. Mike joined ICE in 2019. He leads a robust research effort to continuously analyze and anticipate changes in oil market structure and fundamentals. Mike and his team support oil sales and business development at ICE in creating new contracts and evolving existing contracts, in order to meet the hedging, trading, and investment needs of its customers around the world.

With more than 30 years of experience in oil market analysis, Mike has extensive knowledge of the global and regional crude oil and refined product markets, geopolitics, and non-fundamental oil market drivers.

From 2007-2019, Mike was the Global Head of Oil Research for Société Générale Corporate & Investment Banking, where he was a Managing Director. He was directly responsible for short-term and long-term global oil market analysis and forecasting. Mike was ranked in the top 4 for oil market research in 2009-2019, according to Risk and Energy Risk magazines, including 7 consecutive years at #1 in 2013-2019. Before that, he held a similar position at Crédit Agricole, as well as senior analytical roles at Koch Supply & Trading, the International Energy Agency, and PIRA Energy Group (now part of S&P Global Platts). Before getting his MBA, Mike worked as a geologist and project manager for an engineering firm and as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Mike holds a BS in Geology from Cornell University and a MBA in International Business from George Washington University.

Mike is a regular speaker at industry conferences and seminars. His commentaries on oil market developments have been frequently quoted in the international media and he has appeared regularly on broadcast news. Media interviews have included CNBC, Bloomberg TV, CNN, BBC, CBC, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Times, Economist, Bloomberg Business Week, the wire services, and the energy trade press.