Tag: gas

Best in Energy – 16 June 2022

U.S. central bank raises interest rate by +0.75%

US/EU concern about insurance sanctions ($FT)

White House complains about refining margins

U.S. refiners respond to president’s letter

EU/Russia gas flows fall sharply

Australia’s electricity market suspension

Australia appeals for power conservation

China to centralise iron ore buying ($FT)

Biden team divided over economy ($WSJ)

U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE increased its target range for the federal funds rate by +75 basis points to 1.50-1.75%, the largest increase since 1994. In real terms, monetary policy has become increasingly stimulative because inflation has risen faster than rates. The real interest rate had fallen to -5.25% in May 2022 compared with -3.75% in May 2021 and +0.38% in May 2019. The large rise was designed to signal the central bank’s determination to bring inflation under control as well as to start making real interest rates less stimulative:

U.S. PETROLEUM INVENTORIES including the strategic reserve depleted by -3 million bbl to 1,682 million bbl last week. Inventories have fallen in 75 of the last 102 weeks by a total of -435 million bbl since the start of July 2020. Stocks are at the lowest seasonal level since 2008:

U.S. DISTILLATE INVENTORIES rose by +0.7 million bbl to 110 million bbl last week. East Coast stocks increased by +1.2 million bbl to 27 million bbl. But total stocks remain -27 million bbl (-19%) below the pre-pandemic five-year seasonal average. Although inventories have started to accumulate seasonally the deficit is not narrowing because refineries cannot make enough fuel to rebuild stocks:

IF YOU would like to receive best in energy plus my research notes every day you can add your email to the circulation list here: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1

Best in Energy – 15 June 2022

ECB holds crisis meeting as bond yields surge and diverge

Australia’s electricity market suspended to avert blackouts

Europe has imported record volume of LNG so far in 2022

Europe boosts coal from South Africa to offset Russia

U.S. API calls for deregulation to boost energy production

Pakistan’s economy caught in balance of payments crisis*

Europe races to fill gas storage but will still be vulnerable

Macro-economic tools and micro-economic goals ($FT)

* The IMF’s usual response to a balance of payments crisis is to recommend a “structural adjustment programme” with higher taxes/charges and lower government spending/subsidies to reduce internal demand and shore up the budget combined with a devaluation of the exchange rate to boost exports and reduce imports. Some external lending can be provided to smooth the adjustment. Because IMF loans are “conditional” they are also designed to encourage the adoption of unpopular policies and perseverance with them.

FREEPORT LNG’s statement on incident at its export terminal and likely resumption of operations – key items:

* incident … resulted in the release of LNG, leading to the formation and ignition of a natural gas vapor cloud, and subsequent fire at the facility

*  LNG vapor cloud dispersion and ignition thereof were at all times contained within the fence line of the liquefaction facility, lasting approximately 10 seconds

* fire and associated smoke visible thereafter were from the burning of materials in and around the location where the incident occurred, such as piping insulation and cabling

* incident occurred in pipe racks that support the transfer of LNG from the facility’s LNG storage tank area to the terminal’s dock facilities

* none of the liquefaction trains, LNG storage tanks, dock facilities, or LNG process areas were impacted

* preliminary observations suggest that the incident resulted from the overpressure and rupture of a segment of an LNG transfer line, leading to the rapid flashing of LNG and the release and ignition of the vapor cloud

* completion of all necessary repairs and a return to full plant operations is not expected until late 2022.  Given the relatively contained area of the … incident, a resumption of partial operations is targeted to be achieved in approximately 90 days

FREEPORT’s updated timeline for the resumption of exports is more delayed than traders initially anticipated. The premium for gas delivered in Northwest Europe compared with Louisiana’s Henry Hub has widened to €77/MWh up from €50 before the incident, with the adjustment coming via upward pressure on European prices and downward pressure on prices in the United States:

TEXAS temperatures and therefore air-conditioning and refrigeration demand remain much higher than normal. Temperatures have been at or above average on 56 of the 74 days since the start of April. Cumulative cooling demand since the start of the year has been almost 36% higher than the long-term average:

IF YOU would like to receive best in energy and my research notes every day you can add your email to the circulation list here: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1

Best in Energy – 14 June 2022

Pakistan hit by long blackouts as EU diverts LNG ($BBG)

Northeast Asia’s tepid LNG imports offset Freeport blast

U.S. shale producers opt not to accelerate drilling

U.S. finances construction of rare earths plant

Yang/Sullivan hold another round of talks (trans.)

(see also far briefer statement from White House)

U.S. INTEREST RATE traders expect the federal funds rate to reach 3.50-3.75% by January 2023 up from 0.75-1.00% at present as the central bank attempts to bring inflation under control. If they prove necessary, increases on this scale would result in a significant slowdown in the business cycle:

DATED BRENT calendar spreads are signalling exceptional tightness over the next two months. The extreme backwardation is consistent with the disruption of Russia’s exports and the maintenance season for platforms, pipelines and fields in the North Sea. But it could also be a sign the market is being squeezed. Strong fundamentals create ideal conditions for a squeeze. “Always squeeze with the grain of the market not against it,” as a veteran trader told me over lunch many years ago:

IF YOU would like to receive best in energy and my research notes every day you can add your email to the circulation list using this link: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1

Best in Energy – 10 June 2022

United States asks India to restrain Russia oil buying ($FT)

U.S/EU explore options to limit Russia’s oil revenues ($WSJ)

EU/UK ban on insuring Russian oil threatens to raise prices

U.S. gas prices to remain high in 2022 before easing in 2023

China freight volumes and logistics return to normal (trans.)

China sends inspectors to coal regions after prices rise ($BBG)

China threatens to punish “price gouging” (trans.) *

* The warning from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation against price gouging echoes ideas and language employed by the Biden administration and U.S. Congress and the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Policymakers in whatever type of government or historical era always try to deflect blame for rising food and fuel prices on to middlemen and traders.

In medieval England, middlemen could be prosecuted under the common law for the offences of forestalling (buying up supplies before they could be delivered to the market), regrating (buying and reselling at a higher price) and engrossing (buying a large proportion of the available supplies to resell them at a higher price). Present-day governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and China would approve.

FREEPORT LNG’s explosion and shutdown is only expected to have a limited impact on the availability of gas in either the United States or the European Union. The premium for gas deliveries in July 2022 to Northwest Europe compared with Louisiana’s Henry Hub has increased to €56/MWh compared with €50 before the incident. But the spread had already shrunk from €100-180 in March in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The market is relatively well situated at the moment to absorb the loss of Freeport LNG exports. Europe has been overbuying LNG and overfilling storage at an unsustainable rate that would have to slow in any event over the next 1-2 months. At the same time, the United States has been overselling LNG, leaving inventories below average for the time of year, implying exports would have had to slow soon.

Even before the Freeport incident, futures prices were starting to enforce an adjustment, with EU prices softening while U.S. prices were climbing to the highest for more than a decade. The stoppage in exports from the facility is accelerating the correction already underway, tempering the need for a larger price adjustment. As a result, the previous weakening of EU prices has been arrested for now, while the prior rise in U.S. prices has been capped for the time being.

The Freeport incident is not expected to have a major impact on gas availability in the European Union. Europe’s gas futures summer-winter calendar spread from July 2022 to January 2023 is still in a near-record contango of more than €11 per MWh, down only slightly from €14 before the explosion, implying the market remains heavily oversupplied in the short term:

SIGN UP to receive best in energy and my research notes every day by adding your email to the circulation list here: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1

Best in Energy – 9 June 2022

Freeport LNG explosion to shut facility for at least 3 weeks

OPEC spare capacity set to fall to lowest for over a decade

Battery shortages hinder wind and solar grid integration

Asia’s jet fuel refining margins hit record high

U.S. PETROLEUM inventories increased by +4 million bbl to 1,685 million bbl last week. The one-week increase was the largest so far this year. But stocks are still at the lowest seasonal level since 2008:

Best in Energy – 7 June 2022

Global output growth set to decelerate sharply

Pakistan cuts work-week to reduce energy use

Russia’s long-term oil and gas challenge ($FT)

U.S. LNG exports rerouted to Europe from Asia

Hubris/nemesis in international relations*

* This RAND study for the CIA was produced in 1994 but has some interesting implications for the current conflict between Russia and the U.S./NATO over Ukraine.

EUROPEAN gas futures prices for deliveries in January 2023 have converged with those for deliveries in Northeast Asia. Europe’s gas prices are no longer trading at a premium as the region’s storage fills up at record rates alleviating some concerns about a supply shortfall this winter:

Best in Energy – 6 June 2022

Texas grid anticipates record electric load this week

OPEC⁺ and the growing gap between rhetoric and reality

U.S./Saudi rapprochement forced by rising oil prices ($FT)

Argentina struggles to boost Vaca Muerta shale play ($FT)

Germany’s policy conflicts over LNG expansion ($FT)

Africa’s shortage of local crude oil refining capacity ($FT)

MISO’s generation reserve could fall very low this summer

MISO prepares for power shortages and demand reductions

Russia/Ukraine war will reshape global energy flows ($WSJ)

TEXAS ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION has increased at a compound rate of +1.70% per year over the last five years, notwithstanding the pandemic and recession in 2020. Electricity sales to end-users in the state totalled 433 TWh between April 2021 and March 2022 (the latest data available) up from 398 TWh between April 2016 and March 2017:

U.S. PETROLEUM INVENTORIES including the strategic petroleum reserve depleted by another -5 million bbl to 1,681 million bbl in the week to May 27. Stocks have fallen in 74 of the last 100 weeks by a total of -436 million bbl since the start of July 2020:

U.S. EAST COAST DISTILLATE stocks fell by another -0.6 million bbl to just 21.0 million bbl in the week to May 27. Regional distillate inventories are now -23 million bbl (-52%) below the pre-pandemic five-year average and the supply position shows no sign of improving:

SIGN UP to receive best in energy and my research notes every day by adding your email to the circulation list here: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1

Best in Energy – 1 June 2022

The United Kingdom has a two-day public holiday on Thursday and Friday to celebrate the sovereign’s platinum jubilee, so Best in Energy will resume on Monday.

OPEC ⁺ explores suspending Russia allocation ($WSJ)

Russia prepares to re-route oil from Europe to Asia

India’s private refiners benefit from cheap Russian oil

India’s record renewables output eases coal shortage

Africa pushes back against emissions hypocrisy ($FT)

U.S. retailers attempt to resist price increases ($WSJ)

Global diesel and gasoline shortage raises prices ($FT)

U.S. residential use of air-conditioning reaches 88%

OPEC’s spare capacity and market stabilisation

EUROZONE manufacturers reported a further slowdown in growth last month as rapid inflation and the war between Russia and Ukraine took their toll. The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index slipped to 54.6 in May (65th percentile) from 55.5 in April (74th percentile) and 63.1 in the same month last year (100th percentile):

EUROPE’s gas futures summer-winter calendar spread from July 2022 to January 2023 is moving deeper into contango as inventories rise at the fastest rate on record alleviating some concerns about filling storage sites:

SIGN UP to receive best in energy and my research notes every day by adding your email to the circulation list here: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1

Best in Energy – 30 May 2022

Russia threat to respond to sanctions with output cuts

Global oil flows re-route around Russia sanctions

U.S. seasonal gasoline prices highest since 2012

EU struggles to agree Russia oil sanctions

India’s coal shortage to worsen

Iran seizes two oil tankers ($FT)

EUROPE’s gas storage is filling at the fastest rate on record, and now holds above-average volumes, as utilities try to accumulate inventories ahead of a possible shut off of imports from Russia next winter, and high prices attract heavy LNG inflows away from Asia while discouraging industrial consumption:

SIGN UP to receive a free daily digest of best in energy news and my research notes every day by adding your email to the circulation list here: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1

Best in Energy – 27 May 2022

White House articulates strategy towards China

U.K. announces windfall tax on oil and gas firms

Europe protects households from energy prices

EU runs into problems negotiating Russia oil ban

Offshore drilling experiences cyclical recovery

U.S. hot economy has unwanted side effects ($FT)

Thailand/Vietnam explore rice cartel ($BBG)

Space-based solar power – how realistic is it?

BRENT’s six-month calendar spread is moving into an increasingly steep backwardation again as traders anticipate a growing shortage of crude. High margins for diesel and gasoline are encouraging refineries to maximise crude processing which is intensifying the downward pressure on already-depleted crude inventories:

U.K. DIESEL and gasoline inventories depleted further in March as late-cycle tightness was intensified by the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and some panic-buying by consumers and road haulage firms. Diesel/gas oil stocks were at the lowest seasonal level since 2014 and before that 2006:

SIGN UP to receive best in energy and my research notes every day by adding your email to the circulation list here: https://eepurl.com/dxTcl1