Energy Markets Trading Modestly Lower
Energy markets are trading modestly lower to start Tuesday’s session as global equity markets seem to have settled down a bit, as has the rhetoric over tensions between the US and Saudi Arabia, which only yesterday had several market watchers calling for $100 and even $400 oil prices if the world’s largest producers decided to brandish the oil weapon.
Right on cue, the EIA published a note this morning highlighting the rapid changes in the US Energy Trade balance over the past decade, with Canada now sending more oil to the US, than the rest of the world combined.
The good news for US consumers with those Canadian imports is that prices are less affected by issues such as the tensions with Saudi Arabia (as several news outlets have highlighted this week, it’s not 1973) or even the sanctions on Iran. Unfortunately for Canadian producers, since most of its exports go to US refiners, logistical bottlenecks coupled with a busy maintenance schedule for refiners as we’re seeing in PADD 2 currently has driven prices to the $25 range even while other oil grades are still going for more than $80.
Spot gasoline prices in the Portland spot trading hub (also known as the PNW) plunged more than 30 cents/gallon Monday as local refiners came back online after last week’s natural-gas pipeline explosion caused them to cut rates.
A week after an explosion shut the Irving refinery in Saint John NB, the Canadian version of OSHA has still yet to examine the site due to safety concerns, leaving plenty of uncertainty as to when the plant will resume operations. The refinery is above average at 320,000 barrels/day, but it’s location is what gives its strong influence on US gasoline and diesel markets from New York City through New England, meaning it could still create a price reaction for futures markets even though the downtime has become yesterday’s news.
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Week 17 - US DOE Inventory Recap
The Energy Complex Is Trading Modestly Lower So Far This Morning With WTI Crude Oil Futures Leading The Way
Energy Futures Are Drifting Quietly Higher This Morning
Refined Products Holding Close To Break Even While Oil Prices Are Losing Just Under 1%
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Week 17 - US DOE Inventory Recap
The Energy Complex Is Trading Modestly Lower So Far This Morning With WTI Crude Oil Futures Leading The Way
The energy complex is trading modestly lower so far this morning with WTI crude oil futures leading the way, exchanging hands $1.50 per barrel lower (-1.9%) than Tuesday’s settlement price. Gasoline and diesel futures are following suit, dropping .0390 and .0280 per gallon, respectively.
A surprise crude oil build (one that doesn’t include any changes to the SPR) as reported by the American Petroleum Institute late Tuesday is taking credit for the bearish trading seen this morning. The Institute estimated an increase in crude inventories of ~5 million barrels and drop in both refined product stocks of 1.5-2.2 million barrels for the week ending April 26. The Department of Energy’s official report is due out at it’s regular time (9:30 CDT) this morning.
The Senate Budget Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing at 9:00 AM EST this morning regarding a years-long probe into climate change messaging from big oil companies. Following a 3-year investigation, Senate and House Democrats released their final report yesterday alleging major oil companies have internally recognized the impacts of fossil fuels on the climate since as far back as the 1960s, while privately lobbying against climate legislation and publicly presenting a narrative that undermines a connection between the two. Whether this will have a tangible effect on policy or is just the latest announcement in an election-yeardeluge is yet to be seen.
Speaking of deluge, another drone attack was launched against Russian infrastructure earlier this morning, causing an explosion and subsequent fire at Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery. While likely a response to the five killed from Russian missile strikes in Odesa and Kharkiv, Kyiv has yet to officially claim responsibility for the attack that successfully struck state infrastructure just 130 miles from Moscow.
The crude oil bears are on a tear this past week, blowing past WTI’s 5 and 10 day moving averages on Monday and opening below it’s 50-day MA this morning. The $80 level is likely a key resistance level, below which the path is open for the American oil benchmark to drop to the $75 level in short order.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.
Energy Futures Are Drifting Quietly Higher This Morning
Energy futures are drifting quietly higher this morning as a new round of hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas seem to show relative promise. It seems the market is focusing on the prospect of cooler heads prevailing, rather than the pervasive rocket/drone exchanges, the latest of which took place over Israel’s northern border.
A warmer-than-expected winter depressed diesel demand and, likewise, distillate refinery margins, which has dropped to its lowest level since the beginning of 2022. The ULSD forward curve has shifted into contango (carry) over the past month as traders seek to store their diesel inventories and hope for a pickup in demand, domestic or otherwise.
The DOE announced it had continued rebuilding it’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve this month, noting the addition of 2.3 million barrels of crude so far in April. Depending on what the private sector reported for last week, Wednesday’s DOE report may put current national crude oil inventories (include those of the SPR) above the year’s previous levels, something we haven’t seen since April of 2022, two months after Ukraine war began.
The latest in the Dangote Refinery Saga: Credit stall-out, rising oil prices, and currency exchange.
Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.