Between January 2015 and mid-2020, about 69 of the approximately 2,160 small-to-medium independent oil companies operating in the tight oil sector filed for Chapter 11 protection. These filings mostly occurred in 2016 and 2019. A lack of financial discipline and poor financial risk assessment meant that these companies were negatively impacted by the low oil prices in these years. Hence, they declared bankruptcy.

Research Fellow
Majed is a Research Fellow at KAPSARC with a focus on energy security, geopolitics, and hydrocarbon laws and regulations. He…
Majed is a Research Fellow at KAPSARC with a focus on energy security, geopolitics, and hydrocarbon laws and regulations. He has more than 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in the fields of simulation and modeling, asset management, reserves estimation, oil field development, disruptive technologies, and business planning, gained at Chevron and Saudi Aramco. Majed holds a B.S. degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa in the United States, along with two M.S. degrees in petroleum engineering, and reservoir geosciences and engineering, respectively, from Texas A&M University and the Institut Francais du Petrole (IFP School). In 2021, Majed earned his Master of Science degree in public economics and policy from Purdue University.
Expertise
- Energy Security
- Geopolitics
- Hydrocarbon Laws and Regulations
Publications See all Majed A. Al Suwailem’s publications

Gaming Out the Proposed Price Cap on Russian Oil
Between January 2015 and mid-2020, about 69 of the approximately 2,160 small-to-medium independent oil companies…
24th November 2022How Long Will the Semiconductor Crisis Affect the Traditional Automotive Sector? Implications for car fuel demand
Between January 2015 and mid-2020, about 69 of the approximately 2,160 small-to-medium independent oil companies…
13th October 2022