Energy Futures Are Attempting To Rally To Start The Week
Energy futures are attempting to rally to start the week, after surviving a test of the low end of their July trading range. Both RBOB and ULSD futures had moments in the past few days of looking like they’d break down on the charts and spark another big wave of selling, but both contracts managed to find enough buying to keep them in a sideways pattern for a while longer.
It’s not just gasoline futures that have been dealing with heavy selling in July. Most regional basis values in the US have dropped 20 cents or more since the July 4th holiday, suggesting that the demand slowdown is not just a theoretical issue anymore. Severe backwardation in the futures market also seems to be contributing to the negative values in prompt basis, as prices will drop 20 cents or more once the September RBOB contract takes the pole position, incenting sellers to discount barrels to the August contract while they can, and taking a big bite out of refinery margins that hit record highs in the past few months.
Baker Hughes reported that the US oil rig count held steady last week, while the natural gas rig count increased by 2. With supply & labor bottlenecks keeping the pace of drilling relatively subdued compared to previous booms in the energy market cycle, the global thirst for US natural gas may suddenly be influencing the amount of oil production as drillers have to compete for workers and other assets. The Dallas FED predicts that Texas Job growth will hold north of 4% this year after surging north of 7% in June, with new well permits and other energy related activities a key indicator of strong job growth continuing in the state.
The EIA reported this morning that the US became the world’s largest LNG exporter this year, as new capacity came online at the (only) 7 facilities in the country equipped to freeze and ship natural gas overseas. US natural gas prices have surged from $5.50 July 5th to $8.50 this morning, with the record setting heatwave hitting large parts of the country getting the blame. Those prices are still less than a third of what European and Asian spot markets are trading at, which will most likely keep the export demand high for years to come.
Money managers seem to be getting more comfortable betting on higher petroleum prices, increasing their net length across the board for a 2nd week. European grades are seeing the most activity, with Brent net length held by large speculators increasing by almost 50% last week alone, while Gasoil contracts increased by 37% on the week. Open interest remains near 5 year lows, so if the big money funds continue to pour money into these contracts, it could have a larger influence on prices than when liquidity is higher.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.
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Week 16 - US DOE Inventory Recap
Energy Markets Trading Quietly In The Red As Ethanol Prices Rally To Five-Month High
Energy markets are trading quietly in the red to start Wednesday’s session after a healthy bounce Tuesday afternoon suggested the Israel-Iran-linked liquidation had finally run its course.
There are reports of more Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy assets overnight, but the sources are sketchy so far, and the market doesn’t seem to be reacting as if this is legitimate news.
Ethanol prices have rallied to a 5-month high this week as corn and other grain prices have rallied after the latest crop progress update highlighted risks to farmers this year, lower grain export expectations from Ukraine, and the approval of E15 blends this summer despite the fact it pollutes more. The rally in grain and renewables prices has also helped RIN values find a bid after it looked like they were about to test their 4-year lows last week.
The API reported small changes in refined product inventories last week, with gasoline stocks down about 600,000, while distillates were up 724,000. Crude oil inventories increased by 3.2 million barrels according to the industry-group estimates. The DOE’s weekly report is due out at its normal time this morning.
Total reported another upset at its Port Arthur refinery that’s been a frequent flier on the TCEQ alerts since the January deep freeze knocked it offline and damaged multiple operating units. This latest upset seems minor as the un-named unit impacted was returned to normal operations in under an hour. Gulf Coast basis markets have shrugged off most reports of refinery upsets this year as the region remains well supplied, and it’s unlikely we’ll see any impact from this news.
California conversely reacted in a big way to reports of an upset at Chevron’s El Segundo refinery outside of LA, with CARBOB basis values jumping by more than a dime. Energy News Today continued to show its value by reporting the upset before the flaring notice was even reported to area regulators, proving once again it’s ahead of the curve on refinery-related events. Another industry news outlet meanwhile struggled just to remember where the country’s largest diesel seller is located.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk
The Struggle For Renewable Producers Continues As A Rapid Influx Of Supply And Crashing Credit Prices Make Biodiesel
The sigh of relief selloff continues in energy markets Tuesday morning, with gasoline prices now down more than 20 cents in 7 sessions, while diesel prices have dropped 26 cents in the past 12. Crude oil prices are within a few pennies of reaching a 1 month low as a lack of headlines from the world’s hot spots allows some reflection into the state of the world’s spare capacity for both oil and refined products.
Gasoline prices are trading near a 6-week low this morning, but still need to fall about another nickel in order to break the weekly trendline that pushed prices steadily higher since December. If that trend breaks, it will be safer to say that we saw the end of the spring gasoline rally on April 12th for the 2nd year in a row. Last year RBOB futures peaked on April 12 at $2.8943 and bottomed out on May 4th at $2.2500. The high (at this point) for this year was set on April 12th at $2.8516, and the low overnight was $2.6454.
It’s not just energy commodities that are seeing an unwind of the “flight to safety” trade: Gold prices had their biggest selloff in 2 years Monday and continue to point lower today. Just how much money poured into commodities in the weeks leading up to the direct confrontation between Israel and Iran is unclear, but we have seen in year’s past that these unwind-events can create a snowball effect as traders can be forced to sell to cover their margin calls.
Supply > Demand: The EIA this morning highlighted the record setting demand for natural gas in the US last year, which was not nearly enough to offset the glut of supply that forced prices to a record low in February. A shortage of natural gas in Europe was a key driver of the chaotic markets that smashed just about every record in 2022, and an excess of natural gas supply in Europe and the US this year is acting as a buffer, particularly on diesel prices.
The struggle for renewable producers continues as a rapid influx of supply and crashing credit prices make Biodiesel, RD and SAF unprofitable for many. In addition to the plant closures announced in the past 6 months, Vertex Energy reported Monday it’s operating its Renewable Diesel facility in Mobile AL at just 50% of capacity in Q1. The truly scary part for many is that the $1/gallon Blender's tax credit ends this year and is being replaced by the “Clean” Fuel production credit that forces producers to prove their emissions reductions in order to qualify for an increased subsidy. It’s impossible to say at this point how much the net reduction will be for domestic producers, but importers will get nothing, and at current CI values, many biodiesel producers may see their “blend credit” cut by more than half.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.