Energy Prices Fight To Find Bottom
There’s been a battle of conflicting headlines this week as energy prices fight to find a bottom and extend a recovery rally for a 2nd day after reaching 4-month lows on Wednesday.
Russia and Saudi Arabia seem to be having a difficult time agreeing on what to do with their output cut agreement. The Saudis seem to think a deal to extend the cuts will be made (which is getting credit for the bounce in prices) while others are saying Russia intends to increase its output once the current deal ends in June.
Speaking of conflicting stories, energy and equity markets got a sharp afternoon bounce Thursday on reports that the US would not be placing new tariffs on Mexican goods, only to give up some of those gains when the White House was reported to still be moving forward with the new taxes.
In addition to the bounce in futures, Gulf coast basis values were also finding a bid Thursday after Motiva reported an upset on an FCCU unit at its Port Arthur plant (the country’s largest refinery) a day after Exxon reported issues at its Baytown facility. It’s still not clear exactly what operational impacts those two events will have – or what part the storms in the region played in causing them – but to have 2 of the largest facilities have issues in 2 days should keep traders on edge for a while.
Bad news is good news? The May non-farm payroll report showed only 75,000 jobs added in the US (the 2nd worst monthly gain in the past 2 years) along with sharp reductions in both the March and April estimates. Treasury yield rates dipped immediately after the report as it seems the weak economic news gives the FED another reason to cut interest rates. The question is whether that expectation for lower rates will boost equity & energy prices as it has in years past, or if this bad news will just be seen as another sign of an economy on the verge of recession sparking another flight to safety by investors.
We finally know more of the story with the 4 oil tankers sabotaged near a UAE port last month. Preliminary findings are that divers placed mines on the hulls of each ship. Both the US and Saudi Arabia are publicly blaming Iran for the attacks, while the other nations in the region aren’t placing official blame – apparently in hopes of reducing tensions in the world’s most valuable waterway.
A new note from the EIA Thursday detailed how rapidly horizontal well production has surpassed traditional vertical well output.
It’s no secret that Texas produces more oil than any other state in the US, but did you know it’s also the highest wind-electricity producer as well? According to a new EIA report, the state has produced more than 25% of the country’s total wind-generated electricity over the past several years.
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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.