7 Charts To See Ahead Of Friday's OPEC Meeting

While the majority of stocks are at or near all-time highs, the energy sector has been in a state of turmoil over the past year. At the heart of the matter is a massive global crude oil supply glut that has wreaked havoc on oil prices and oil producers.

So far, OPEC has been stubborn in its stance to maintain production levels, but that stance could potentially shift during Friday’s meeting. Although early indications have been that OPEC will likely stick to its guns, an unexpected decision to dial back production could have a major impact on oil stocks.

In a recent article on Seeking Alpha, Force Majeure appropriately described the dynamic between U.S. oil producers and OPEC as a “Cold War.” While this war might not have any human casualties, concerned investors are wondering how many corporate casualties there will be.

Here’s a look at seven images investors should see ahead of Friday’s OPEC meeting:

Although oil prices are more than 40 percent lower than this time last year, at around $60 per barrel, the current price of oil is still well above the breakeven price for the Marcellus and Eagle Ford shales.

When it comes to OPEC countries, $60 per barrel means that all but two of its members (Qatar and Kuwait) are currently operating at a loss.

While the U.S. has been quick to adapt to the oil oversupply conditions by shutting down a massive number of rigs, OPEC has stubbornly maintained a rig count about 25 percent higher than it had at the end of 2012.

As a result of OPEC’s stubbornness, OPEC’s percentage of global rigs has spiked to its highest level since 2009.

Despite shutting down a large number of rigs, the U.S. has still nearly doubled its production relative to OPEC since 2011.

The U.S. shale oil boom has steadily reduced U.S. demand for OPEC oil.

Perhaps most importantly for oil investors, shares of the United States Oil Fund ETF USO have shown major volatility surrounding OPEC meetings. USO averages a nearly 3.0 percent move on OPEC meeting days going back to 2009.