OPEC

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries would love nothing more than to see oil prices higher — it only fills their coffers further. With crises in the Middle East, the cartel can easily justify driving up the price of oil to over $100 a barrel for most of the year because of "increased risk in production and shipping." Though Saudi Arabia offered to up its production, the fear of widespread violence breaking out across the Middle East kept the prices high for over six months in 2011. During that time OPEC member states netted nearly $1 trillion.