Refined Product Futures Attempting A Recovery Rally After Monday Sell-Off

Refined product futures are attempting a recovery rally this morning after a big Monday sell-off pushed prices to 3-week lows. A few cash markets for gasoline around the U.S. ticked down to their lowest levels of the year during Monday’s rout as the big physical players are backing off purchases ahead of winter. Today is expiration day for November RBOB and ULSD contracts, so if your cash market hasn’t already transitioned, make sure you’re watching the HOZ and RBZ contracts for direction.

Oil prices are now trading lower than they did when the war broke out 3.5 weeks ago as there continue to be no signs of supply disruption beyond the war zone.  Charts continue to favor lower prices in the weeks ahead, with the downward trend lines that started at the end of summer still intact and a bearish wedge pattern is forming that threatens a big move lower should the October lows break.

The Dallas FED’s manufacturing survey showed “tepid” growth for a 2nd month in October, following several months of contraction. Chemical manufacturers noted the uncertainty surrounding the Middle East war, and how it could help prices, but also could hurt the world economy.

Flint Hills reported another upset at its Corpus Christi West refinery over the weekend that affected operations at an FCC unit. It’s unclear what caused this upset, or if it was related to last week’s power-loss-induced shutdown. There have been a rash of issues at the Corpus-area refineries the past couple of months, but so far there have not been major impacts on supply in the San Antonio/Austin/DFW corridor they serve. 

A storm brewing in the Caribbean will bear watching for the next few days. The system is now given 70% odds of being named, and while the European forecasting model has it plowing into Central America, the US GFS model suggests it may just brush Central America before hooking north and east back towards Florida. It still seems like a long shot this will be a threat to the Gulf of Mexico oil production and refining zones, but with the wide range of forecasts – not to mention the huge forecasting error last week with Hurricane Otis, anything seems possible at this point.

Marathon reported another strong quarter with average refining margins north of $26/barrel and 94% utilization. The company did not break out the earnings for its renewables segment but did note it was on pace to increase output at the Martinez renewable refinery to roughly 47mb/day by the end of the year.

BP also had strong results from its refining group during the quarter, but its stock is pointing lower this morning as its results continue to lag behind expectations, and the company had to write off more than $500 million on a failed wind project in New York. A WSJ article this morning suggests the terrible results this quarter for EV and Wind producers will lead to the next round of government bailouts to avoid their grand plans from going bust.

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