Best in Energy – 10 February 2023

Russia plans to cut oil production by 0.5 million b/d in March

Indonesia’s coal-fired generation and “just energy transition”

U.S. gas production growth set to slow as futures prices slump

Germany’s storage firms to “refine” gas purchasing strategy

U.K. energy inefficient homes and heritage preservation ($FT)

U.S. heating oil prices ease from record high in early November

CFTC/ICE commitment of traders suspended for second week

NORTHWEST EUROPE is now roughly two-thirds of the way through the winter heating season. In an average year, two-thirds of all heating degree days at Frankfurt in Germany occur on or before February 10. Cumulative heating demand has been the lowest since the winter of 2015/16 and before that 2006/07. With the 2022/23 heating season now winding down, traders’ attention has already turned to the summer refill season and winter 2023/24:

U.S. INTEREST RATE traders anticipate a major reduction in inflationary pressure – with or without a significant slowdown in the business cycle – which has been reflected in a sharp reduction in forward interest rate forecasts. Market forecasts for interest rates at the end of 2024 fell by more than a full percentage point between the start of November and the start of February:

Best in Energy – 16 January 2023

[MUST READ] U.S. shale revolution has ended ($FT)

EU boosts diesel imports from Russia ahead of ban

Iran oil exports rise as sanctions enforcement eased

India oil imports from Russia at record high ($BBG)

Iran hit by cold weather-related gas shortage ($BBG)

U.S. gas output growth set to decelerate as prices fall

U.S. oil refinery distillation unit to start up in Q1 2023

Russia’s crude oil exports able to avoid G7 sanctions

Germany boosted non-Russian coal imports in 2022

U.S. heating oil stocks are more comfortable ($WSJ)

U.S./Taiwan relations and next election cycle ($FT)

FRANKFURT and the rest of Northwest Europe are roughly half-way through the 2022/23 heating season. In the three decades between 1981 and 2010, on average 50% of heating degree days and heating demand at Frankfurt occurred before January 15. For London and southeast England, the half-way point arrives a few days later on January 23. So far this winter has been much milder than average. Frankfurt had accumulated 860 degree days up to January 15 compared with a long-term average of 1,078:

Best in Energy – 18 November 2022

India’s coal-fired generation rises over 10%

China solar installers hit by lockdowns ($BBG)

China food and energy security focus (trans.)

Hess chief marks the end of shale revolution

U.S. heating oil prices up 65% from year ago

Australia’s changing defence strategy ($FT)

Qatar Energy – company profile and ($FT)

BRENT’s six-month calendar spread has fallen to a backwardation of $4.90 per barrel (95th percentile for all trading days since 1990) down from $7.60 (98th percentile) a month ago and a record over $15-20 in the first months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The softening spread is consistent with a recession in Europe and China, possibly spreading across the rest of the world, easing pressure on oil supplies in 2023:

U.S. TREASURY yield curve is now more inverted between two-year and ten-year maturities than at any time since September 1981 at the start of the second instalment of the double-dip recession. U.S. interest rate traders anticipate an exceptionally rapid turn around in monetary policy. Such a rapid pivot is consistent with a soft-landing allowing the central bank to unwind rate rises quickly, or because a hard-landing eliminates inflation and requires it to support growth and employment instead: