Big Swings Overnight Driven By Compromise News
It looks like a quiet morning for energy futures that are holding near break-even for the day, and still hovering close to 6 year highs. Don’t be fooled into thinking the market isn’t still volatile however, as the current values don’t show that refined products dropped 4 cents overnight (wiping out Monday’s 3-4 cent gains) only to bounce back violently to erase those losses in a span of just about 20 minutes shortly after 6 a.m. central. For now, the charts continue to favor higher prices with the 8-month-old bull trend intact, but we’ll need to see last week’s highs taken out before month end or there’s a good chance that a big correction lower will come soon.
The big swings overnight appear to be driven by news that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have reached a compromise, which should eventually bring more oil to market. The eventually piece may be what encouraged buyers to step back in so quickly as the new output – IF the deal is confirmed - isn’t likely to come online for several more months.
As has become the pattern of late, the API reported another large draw in oil inventories last week at 4 million barrels. Gasoline stocks were also estimated to be lower, by 1.5 million barrels, but distillates increased by nearly 4 million barrels, which helps explain ULSD futures seeing the most downward pressure overnight. The EIA’s weekly report is due out at its normal time this morning. Last week’s report saw an all-time record for the gasoline demand estimate, which coincided with the pre-holiday rush now that most people are back to moving about. There’s evidence on the ground of a substantial holiday hangover with retail volumes dropping last week, but it’s hard to say if that will translate to the official numbers which only measure product removed from the bulk system.
EIA prophecy? Monday the EIA highlighted its Southern California Daily Energy report, (which is ominously published at eia.gov/special/disruptions/summer/) and then Tuesday a refinery near Los Angeles was reportedly forced to shut most of its units due to a power failure. That news sparked a modest rally in LA spot diesel basis, which had been languishing in negative territory for the past 2 months. So far the moves are relatively minor, just a penny or two, nothing like the wild swings the LA Spot market has been used to in years past, but have gone dormant over the past year. (See chart below)
Caught short: A violent spike in corn prices had RINs rallying early in Tuesday’s session, but quickly gave up those gains when the grain rally proved short lived. It appears someone may have got caught short on the expiring July corn contract, which were up 80 cents (nearly 12%) at one point before giving up almost all of those gains later in the session, while the forward contracts did not move much at all. Not sure what that means? Think back to when crude went negative last April on the day before the May contract expired…it’s just like that, just less extreme and in reverse.
More big news in the Carbon markets this week. The EU is set to release 13 policies today aimed at combating climate change this decade. The centerpiece is an expansion of the Emissions Trading Scheme (their word not mine). China meanwhile is launching the world’s largest Emissions-Trading program this week, which sounds impressive but also makes sense because they’re the world’s largest carbon emitter. Not sure what these various programs mean or how they work? You’re not alone, the segmentation in this rapidly expanding and evolving space is creating plenty of confusion, and like we saw in with the Renewable Fuel Standard, will likely attract plenty of fraudsters making up fake credits.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.
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Week 15 - US DOE Inventory Recap
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View AllWeek 15 - US DOE Inventory Recap
Prices To Lease Space On Colonial’s Main Gasoline Line Continue To Rally This Week
Energy markets are sliding lower again to start Wednesday’s trading as demand concerns and weaker stock markets around the world seem to be outweighing any supply concerns for the time being.
Rumors continue to swirl about an “imminent” response by Israel to Iran’s attacks, but so far, no news seems to be taken as good news in the hopes that further escalation can be avoided, even as tensions near the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz continue to simmer.
Prices to lease space on Colonial’s main gasoline line continue to rally this week, trading north of 11 cents/gallon as Gulf Coast producers still struggle to find outlets for their production, despite a healthy export market. Gulf Coast CBOB is trading at discounts of around 34 cents to futures, while Gulf Coast RBOB is trading around a 16-cent discount, which gives shippers room to pay up for the linespace and still deliver into the East Coast markets at a profit.
Back to reality, or just the start of more volatility? California CARBOB basis values have dropped back to “only” 40 cent premiums to RBOB futures this week, as multiple flaring events at California refineries don’t appear to have impacted supply. The state has been an island for fuel supplies for many years as its boutique grades prevent imports from neighboring states, and now add the conversion of the P66 Rodeo refinery to renewable diesel production and the pending changes to try and cap refinery profits, and it’s easier to understand why these markets are increasingly vulnerable to supply shocks and price spikes on gasoline.
RIN prices continue to fall this week, touching 44 cents/RIN for D4 and D6 values Tuesday, their lowest level in 6 weeks and just about a nickel above a 4-year low. While the sharp drop in RIN and LCFS values has caused several biodiesel and Renewable Diesel producers to either shut down or limit production, the growth in RIN generation continues thanks to projects like the Rodeo refinery conversion, making the supply in RINs still outpace the demand set by the Renewable Fuel Standard by a wide margin.
The API reported draws in refined products, 2.5 million barrels for gasoline and 427,000 barrels for distillates, while crude oil stocks had an estimated build of more than 4 million barrels. The DOE’s weekly report is due out at its normal time this morning.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.
Equity Markets Have Been Pulling Back Sharply In Recent Days As Inflation And Trade Concerns Inject A Sense Of Reality Into Stocks
It’s a mixed bag for energy markets to start Tuesday’s session with gasoline prices holding small gains, while oil and diesel prices show small losses as the world anxiously debates what comes next in the conflict, we’re still hoping we don’t have to call a war in the Middle East.
An early sell-off picked up steam Monday morning with refined products down more than a nickel for a few minutes, before reports that Israel was vowing to respond to Iran’s attack seemed to encourage buyers step back in an erase most of the losses for the day.
Equity markets have been pulling back sharply in recent days as inflation and trade concerns inject a sense of reality into stocks that had been flying high earlier in the year. The correlation between gasoline and crude oil prices had been fairly strong for the past couple of months but has since weakened as the weakness in stocks hasn’t yet trickled over into the energy arena. Both asset classes are seeing a tick higher in their volatility (aka Fear) indices this week however, and when fear starts driving the trade, we often see these prices move together.
Diesel has been underperforming the rest of the energy complex for most of the year so far, and those hoping for lower diesel prices got more good news when the Dangote refinery in Nigeria began loading diesel for domestic use Monday, in the latest milestone for the giant project that will have a major influence on Atlantic basin supply. Naturally, local lawmakers are already complaining that the refinery’s prices are too high.
The EIA this morning highlighted the record amount of crude oil China imported in 2023 after reopening the country post-COVID and after completing numerous new refinery builds in the past few years. Russia accounted for the largest increase in shipments to China last year, as China is one of the few countries that doesn’t mind ignoring sanctions. Speaking of which, the US House is expected to take up a new vote this week on sanctioning Chinese imports of Iranian crude, which the EIA notes are often hidden by relabeling the crude to make it appear as if it originated in Malaysia, Oman or the UAE.
We’re just 2 weeks away from the startup of Canada’s long-awaited Transmountain pipeline expansion that will bring roughly 600,000 barrels/day of capacity to the Pacific basin. That new outlet is great news for Canadian producers long restricted by takeaway capacity, and bad news for Midcontinent refiners who have grown accustomed to the discounted Canadian grades. A Bloomberg article Monday noted that Iraq’s Basrah Heavy crude is most likely to be displaced by West Coast US refiners who can now buy much closer to home.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.