Tag: pricing benchmarks

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 – 14 October 2022

U.S./Saudi relationship strained but not broken

U.S./Saudi recriminations over OPEC+ cut ($FT)

EU explores possible gas market interventions

U.S. electric vehicles stimulate battery boom

China tests electric-powered freighter (trans.)

U.S. winter fuels outlook (EIA)

U.S. SERVICES PRICES were rising at an annualised rate of +10.1% between August and September and were +7.4% higher than a year earlier, a sign inflation is proving persistent even as some energy and commodity prices have eased:

U.S. INTEREST RATE traders expect the central bank to increase its target federal funds rate to 4.75-5.00% by April 2023 up from just 3.00-3.25% at present as they try to bring inflation back under control:

U.S. DISTILLATE fuel oil shortages are worsening. Inventories fell -5 million bbl to just 106 million bbl last week and are now at the lowest level for the time of year for more than 40 years:

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