Tag: Netherlands

Best in Energy – 21 February 2023

India directs private coal-fired generators to run

EU heat pump sales surge on high energy prices

Russia/U.S./China trilateral relationship ($WSJ)

Russia/Netherlands infrastructure threat ($FT)

U.S/China intellectual property conflicts ($WSJ)

U.S./China technology export controls ($WSJ)

U.S./Taiwan step up military cooperation

China’s coal output and emissions ($BBG)

Ion’s ransomware attack ($FT)

EUROZONE manufacturers reported business activity fell in February for the eighth consecutive month. Preliminary estimates from partial survey data put the purchasing managers’ index at 48.5 (25th percentile for all months since 2006) in February compared with 48.8 (26th percentile) in January:

EU EMISSIONS allowance prices have hit a record €100 per tonne of CO2 equivalent for the compliance period ending in December 2023:

Best in Energy – 28 November 2022

Brent futures prices revert to contango nearby

China cities see small but widespread protests

China lockdowns spark public protests ($BBG)

China tries to soften epidemic controls (trans.)

U.S. Treasury eases oil sanctions on Venezuela

Container freight rates slump ($WSJ)

Oil prices and the G7 price cap ($FT)

Oil prices and the G7 price cap ($WSJ)

BRENT’s six-month calendar spread has softened to a backwardation of less than $1 per barrel compared with more than $9 at the end of September and a peak of almost $22 in early March shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The spread between January and February 2023 has moved from backwardation into a small contango. Refiners and traders increased buying ahead of the planned introduction of the price cap in case it disrupts Russia’s crude exports, creating at least a temporary pause in new buying and putting pressure on the calendar spreads for nearby months:

THE NETHERLANDS was the fourth-largest gas consumer in the European Union in 2021 accounting for 11% of the total. The country’s gas consumption was down almost -33% in October 2022 compared with the prior ten-year seasonal average as a result of above-average temperatures, high prices, and energy conservation measures to reduce reliance on imported gas from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine:

CONTAINER shipping costs were down by more than -50% in November 2022 compared with the same month in 2021, as freight volumes fell and supply chain delays eased:

Best in Energy – 4 November 2022

G7⁺ agree to set fixed price cap for Russia oil exports ¹

Netherlands regulator supports TTF gas benchmark

Global coal consumption set for new record ($BBG)

U.S. tech firms enter downturn with layoffs ($WSJ)

Europe’s floating LNG storage queue ($FT)

¹ A fixed price cap that will be reviewed regularly in the light of market conditions sounds a lot like creating an “Organization of Petroleum Importing Countries” (OPIC) with all the resulting problems of information collection, analysis, forecasting and decision-making. OPEC has struggled to be an effective market manager; there is no reason to think OPIC will be any more successful.

Some operational and policy questions for OPIC:

  • How will the organisation estimate current production and consumption?
  • How will the organisation forecast future production, consumption, inventories and prices?
  • Will OPIC seek input from oil traders and refiners?
  • Will OPIC hold regular meetings to decide policy?
  • How often will the organisation review and revise the price cap?
  • Will OPIC coordinate with OPEC and OPEC⁺ ?
  • What is the relationship between OPIC and the IEA?
  • How will OPIC respond if Russia cuts production and exports?
  • Will the U.S./IEA release more crude and product stocks to counter any interruption of Russia’s oil exports?
  • Will G7⁺ set policy unilaterally or will it take into account the interests of third-country importers (e.g. China and India)?

U.S. GAS INVENTORIES rose by +107 billion cubic feet (bcf) in the week to October 28. Inventories have increased by a total of +2,119 bcf since the start of April, the fastest seasonal rise since 2019 and before that 2015. Stocks are still -203 bcf (-5%) below the pre-pandemic average for 2015-2019 but the deficit has narrowed from -401 bcf (-14%) since mid-August:

Best in Energy – 30 September 2022

EU divided on capping price of imported gas

U.S. commercial real estate’s energy efficiency

Netherlands’ inflation hits 17% in September

U.S. hiring strong despite sluggish GDP ($WSJ)

Nord Stream was sabotaged says NATO ($WSJ)

U.K. currency and debt market in crisis ($WSJ)

U.K. pension funds received margin call ($BBG)

Oil traders hunt for price floor

Low Earth Orbit satellites are proliferating

CHINA’s currency is trading close to its lowest level against the dollar since 2008 as U.S. interest rates rise while China’s economy struggles to end the cycle of coronavirus lockdowns:

CHINA’s manufacturers reported a slight increase in business activity this month after declines in the two prior months. The purchasing managers’ index rose to 50.1 (24th percentile for all months since 2011) in September from 49.4 (7th percentile) in August and 49.0 (2nd percentile) in July. The economy appears to have stabilised but is not growing significantly as a result of repeated city-level lockdowns and travel restrictions:

U.S INITIAL UNEMPLOYMENT claims fell to 193,000 last week, implying the labour market remains very tight, which will likely keep upward pressure on interest rates:

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