Phil Flynn: Spooky QE2

Oil, boil, toil and trouble, we’re going to print more money. Count Bernanke is out to suck more blood out us poor turnips as the Fed looks like QE2 might be a whopper after all! Hey wait a minute! What? Is it possible that the Fed and the upcoming Mid-Term elections are not scaring the oil bear anymore? Well at least for a day the oil market seemed more spooked about mounting supply and decreasing demand then any spell that the Fed was going to cast upon the economy. Despite weakness in the dollar and the most impressive gold rush in weeks, oil struggled to close higher on the day.

Perhaps the market is still coming to grips with the horror of this week’s big build in U.S. supply which, according to the Energy Information Agency, is the highest level ever ending the month of October sitting at 366.2 million barrels. Now that’s scary! Not only that, the supply numbers are daunting with concern that demand from Asia is weakening. Dow Jones news wires reported that India's crude oil imports fell 21.9% to 10.94 million tons in September, or 2.67 million barrels a day, from 14.01 million tons a year earlier. Crude imports were up 14% from 9.57 million tons in August.

But there is still some concern about Indian demand. India imports about three quarters of its crude oil for its demand needs. We know that the global oil market feeds off of China and India feeds off of China and in China this week they took more steps to slow energy demand. After increasing interest rates, the Chinese attacked oil demand directly by increasing the cost of diesel and gasoline by 3%. Now we do not know whether or not a 3% increase will significantly slow demand but it might. Now take into account rising OPEC production and a glut of spare production capacity around the globe and it is no wonder why the oil upward momentum has been limited.

Check Phil out on the Fox Business Network! And sign up for his trade buy and sell points by calling him at 800-935-6487 or emailing him at pflynn@pfgbest.com.



Share

Michael Bagley: $100 Oil to Counter Dollar Weakness?

From Michael Bagley Oil Price.Com.....

The 13 percent decline in the Dollar Index since June has led some OPEC members to call for oil to rise to $100 a barrel. The U.S. currency's weakness means the "real price" of oil is about $20 less than current levels, Venezuelan Energy and Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said last week at an OPEC meeting in Vienna. The group, which accounts for 40 percent of global crude output, left targets unchanged and called for greater adherence to quotas, which are being exceeded by a supertanker load a day. OPEC is also concerned about the dollar because as the dollar weakens, prices go up. They're not paying any attention to production discipline.

The Dollar Index, which tracks the currency against those of six U.S. trading partners, has dropped 6.1 percent in the past month. The nominal value of OPEC's net oil export revenue will be $818 billion in 2011, 10 percent more than this year, according to U.S. Energy Department forecasts. Shokri Ghanem, chairman of Libya's National Oil Corp., said a higher crude price would help OPEC offset the loss of revenue from the weaker dollar.
"We would love to see $100 a barrel," Ghanem said last week in Vienna. "We're losing real income. Libya in particular would like to see a higher oil price."

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Abdullah al-Sabah said in an interview that $70 to $85 is the "most comfortable" range, while his Algerian counterpart, Youcef Yousfi, said between $90 and $100 is "reasonable." Speculation that the Federal Reserve may further loosen monetary policy through so called quantitative easing has weakened the dollar. Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said today the central bank may expand asset purchases because inflation is too low and unemployment too high in the U.S. OPEC kept its production target at 24.845 million barrels a day at its meeting last week. Output from the 11 members bound by quotas exceeds the group's ceiling by 1.9 million barrels a day, or about the same as produced by Nigeria or Angola, according to Bloomberg estimates.

Given our line of business, we receive quite a number of emails asking for our picks on energy and oil stocks. While we don't offer stock tips, I might suggest a resource for those of you who are looking for some additional insight and assistance. We have no paid relationship or affiliation with Pennystocks.com but Peter Leeds seems to be on a roll at the moment based on the charts and numbers I have seen lately so if you have some extra cash to put to work, you may want to visit his site so see what they are doing over there. www.pennystocks.com

In the meantime, As more details seep out about the European Union crisis meetings last April regarding Greece and the future of the euro, the key role of European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet in hammering out the compromises to stabilize the situation has become clearer. It also has made the picking of his successor that much harder. Trichet, whose term expires next year, has always been the ultimate fixer. He cut his first policy teeth in the 1980s as director of the French Treasury and head of the Paris Club, where he steered government debtors through the Latin American debt crisis of that period.

But he also put on central bank gravitas as head of the Banque de France and gained sufficient credibility to be acceptable to the Germans and other conservative northern Europeans as the second president of the Frankfurt-based European Central Bank. Trichet's eight-year term is due to expire in November 2011, and the jockeying for his succession is already well under way. For more insightful analysis on ECB moves, I encourage you to read further below where my colleague, Darrell Delamaide, has offered his insights as to who the players on the board are for the next president of the ECB.

Read more great post from Michael Bagley at Global Intelligence Report.Com


Share

Phil Flynn: Do You Remember When OPEC Used To Matter?

It seemed like the greedy cartel held the fate of the global economy right square in their hand. Press people would stalk different oil ministers desperately trying to get a comment or a clue to whether or not they would dispense their favor on the world and pump more oil or cut production and thumb their nose at the world.

These oil ministers loved the attention. For a couple of weeks a year they were like rock stars with paparazzi following them all around. Not bad for an evil cabal of market conspirators. Yet now, even though some press is attending the OPEC meeting, the guys are not getting the attention that they are used to. It is kind of like a celebrity on the decline that is quickly becoming yesterday’s news. There is no OPEC drama.

OPEC is living the economic dream. They are one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global economic crisis. OPEC is going to leave their production quotas unchanged and will continue to cheat on production as the opportunities arise. Why change things now when times are so good? Heck why constrain production when you have the global central banks around the globe doing your heavy lifting for you?

OPEC should get on their knees everyday and thank their lucky stars for a guy like Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke who is turning out to be OPEC’s best friend. Why Ben Bernanke? I will tell you why......Read the entire article.


Protect Your Nest Egg, Bulletproof Your Retirement Account

Share

Crude Oil and Energy Headlines For Sunday Evening Oct. 10th

Crude Oil Rises a Second Day Amid Speculation Fed May Buy Debt to Boost Economy

Crude Oil advanced for a second day in New York as the dollar fell against the euro after bigger than expected U.S. job losses spurred speculation that the Federal Reserve will buy more debt to boost the economy. Futures rose 1.2 percent on Oct. 8 after the Labor Department said that employers cut 95,000 workers in September following a revised 57,000 decrease in August. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a drop of 5,000. A weaker U.S. currency increases the appeal of commodities as an alternative investment.

“The market is pricing in a high probability of quantitative easing and so the U.S. dollar has come off,” said Ben Westmore, a minerals and energy economist at National Australia Bank Ltd. in Melbourne. “A lot of it seems to be because of the weaker non-farm payrolls number.” Crude for November delivery gained as much as 76 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $83.42 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $83.13 at 12:43 p.m. Sydney time. Futures climbed 99 cents to $82.66 on Oct 8. Prices are up 4.8 percent this year.

The dollar lost 0.3 percent to $1.3978 per euro, after closing at $1.3939 on Oct. 8 in New York. The Fed may purchase bonds in a strategy known as quantitative easing, weakening the U.S. currency and boosting dollar denominated commodities. Brent crude for November settlement climbed as much as 53 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $84.56 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London. It jumped 60 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $84.03 on Oct. 8.......Read the entire article.

OPEC May Maintain Oil Output in Vienna on Uneven Economic Growth

OPEC may leave oil production unchanged when it meets in three days’ time because signs of a recovery in demand have yet to emerge among the world’s developed economies. The oil market is “a little oversupplied,” Mohamed al- Hamli, the oil minister of the United Arab Emirates, the third- biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, said Oct. 9. OPEC members are all exceeding their allotted quotas after prices surged 78 percent in 2009 and a further 4 percent this year.

Fuel demand in the U.S., the world’s biggest oil consumer, dropped 6.4 percent to 18.5 million barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Department, the biggest weekly decline since 2004. Oil prices are forecast to slide this week, according to an Oct. 8 survey of 33 analysts by Bloomberg. “I don’t think there will be any shift” in quotas by OPEC, Qatari Oil Minister Abdullah al-Attiyah said in a phone interview yesterday after meeting in Kuwait with ministers from Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf nations. “Producers and consumers are happy” with current oil prices, he said.

Crude oil closed at $82.66 a barrel in New York last week, about the same level as when the group last met on March 17. Growth in oil demand will be uneven next year, with the International Energy Agency forecasting a 4.3 percent increase in China and a 0.8 percent retraction in Europe’s five biggest countries. OPEC members, which supply 40 percent of the world’s oil, meet Oct. 14 at the group’s headquarters in Vienna........Read the entire article.

Hedge Funds Raise Bullish Bets on Oil to Five Month High

Hedge funds raised bullish bets on oil to the highest level in more than five months amid speculation that the Federal Reserve will enact further stimulus measures to keep the economic recovery on track. Hedge funds and other large speculators increased wagers on rising crude prices by 44 percent in the seven days ended Oct. 5, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s weekly Commitments of Traders report. It was the highest level since April 23.

“The writing has been on the wall for the rally in crude oil for the last few weeks,” said Hamza Khan, an analyst with Schork Group Inc., a consulting company in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Crude has rallied 12 percent since Sept. 17 amid growing evidence that the Fed will need to start debt purchases to prevent the world’s biggest economy from sliding back into a recession, weakening the U.S. currency and boosting dollar denominated commodities. The dollar depreciated 1.1 percent last week, while crude advanced 1.3 percent.

Oil for November delivery rallied 99 cents to settle at $82.66 a barrel on Oct. 8 on the New York Mercantile Exchange after the Labor Department said U.S. employers cut hiring more than forecast in September, trimming 95,000 workers. The median estimate of 87 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News was for a decline of 5,000 jobs........Read the entire article.

Courtesy of Bloomberg News

Share

Kuwait Worried About OPEC Members' Output Quota Compliance

Kuwait's oil minister Monday said the country is worried about compliance with production quotas by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and will discuss the matter at the group's forthcoming meeting. Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah also said the 12 member OPEC group is unlikely to change production quotas at the next meeting in Vienna, scheduled for Oct. 14, as current oil prices are "comfortable".

Al-Sabah told reporters he isn't concerned about global crude oil demand, but is worried about OPEC members conforming to production quotas, saying there have been "slippages here and there". "Compliance with their (OPEC) quotas is very important," said the Kuwaiti minister, who is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart during his three day visit to India.

Al-Sabah's comments come as some member states produce far more than the amount allotted to them under OPEC's production quota system. Higher production by any member could lead to oversupply in the market and hurt global prices. Last week, the oil minister of Angola, an OPEC member, said the country is still producing 1.9 million barrels a day of oil, according to the Angola Press news agency. The southern African nation says its quota is 1.656 million barrels a day, but data from OPEC's general secretariat show Angola's allocation is 1.517 million barrels a day.....Read the entire article.

Share

Phil Flynn: The Oil Market Finally Decided To Join The Commodity Rally

The oil market finally decided to join the commodity rally after spending most of the week on the sideline. The power of the Fed cannot be ignored forever as the threat of stimulus is always lurking around the corner. With most other commodities putting in strong performances, oil and the products followed but only reluctantly. Some say the durable goods number was the catalyst or strong data from Germany yet more than anything was the rising tide of all commodities that floated the oil market boat. Natural gas is collapsing as the weight of oversupply begins to take its toll.

With Gulf storms seemingly not a threat to supply and the fact that a falling dollar really does not matter that much to this market, gas could start to fall even harder. The trade likes to play crude off of the gas market and that should lead to further downside pressure. Do you remember when OPEC seemed to matter? Dow Jones reports that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is unlikely to change production quotas at its next meeting in Vienna, scheduled for Oct. 14, as current oil prices are "comfortable," Kuwait's Oil Minister said Monday. Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Sabah added that he isn't concerned about global crude oil demand but is worried about.....Read the entire article.

Let’s Get Some in South America....watch "Let The Carnival Begin!"

Share

Crude to Remain Range Bound Under OPEC's Manipulation

The dovish September FOMC statement heightened speculations that the Fed will announce additional monetary easing measures later this year. Provision of extra liquidity to the market is negative for USD. The dollar index dropped below 80 for the first time since March 2010. Weakness in USD drove commodities higher. WTI crude oil rallied, after a week of selloff in the prior week due to earlier than expected resumption of operation in the 6A pipeline, as a lower dollar increased it appeal despite unexpected rise in crude inventory. Precious metals strengthened with gold reaching rising above 1300 for the first time on record while silver outperforming its counterparts. Base metals were generally higher as robust demand from China boosted confidence in the complex's outlook.

Crude oil rallied on Friday as driven by strength in Wall Street. WTI crude oil for November delivery jumped to 76.68, the highest level in more than a week, before settling at 76.49, up +3.84% during the week. Meanwhile, corresponding contract for Brent crude gained +0.84% during the week. WTI-Brent spread widened to 4.9, a level not seen since mid-May, on Wednesday, as crude inventory surprisingly increased despite shutdown of the Enbridge pipeline, before narrowing to 2.4 on Friday.

When sovereign crisis in the Eurozone reached its peak in May/June, rally in the dollar and selloff in growth assets had sent crude oil price to as low as 64.24. As the concerns gradually abated and risk appetite increased slowly, oil buyers became active again and sent prices above 80 in August. Nevertheless, crude oil price has remained within a range of 70 and 80 for most of the time. In fact, we expect the 'range-bound' situation will continue for the rest of the year as we see price below 70 would attract buying, e.g. from the Chinese government as strategic reserves, and trigger 'intervention' by the OPEC while price above 80 is unsustainable giving growing non-OPEC production and ample OPEC spare capacity.

China's strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) plan aims at completing the 3 phases of oil reserve base construction in 15 year (around 2020). While the sky-high oil price in 2008 had discouraged stockpiling, China's oil imports rebounded sharply in March 2009 when oil price stabilized after a sharp selloff. In 2010, China has been importing a large amount of oil and a record high being set in June 2010 (at 22.27M metric tons). We believe part of the oil imports went to the country's national oil reserves and the commercial oil reserves of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the Sinopec Group. Now that the country's is in the middle of the 15-year plan and, given the opportunistic nature of the SPR buying, it's likely for the country to accelerate the pace of stockpiling when global oil price fall below 70,  the lower boundary of the trading range.

OPEC is in control of the world's 40% oil supply and has proven capability of 'adjusting' oil prices using its output. The cartel appears satisfied with recent price levels and some oil ministers expressed they preferred oil to trade at around 70-80. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said that 75 is a level he wants. Therefore, it's reasonable to believe the cartel will do something, i.e. cut production, to defend the floor.

Yet OPEC's supply is a 2-edged sword. While it may cut production so that oil price will not fall to a level that hurts oil investment and national revenues, its abundant spare capacity is limiting the upside of oil price.

According to the September Short-Term Energy Report by the US Energy Department, OPEC's crude oil production will increase +0.3M bpd and 0.5M bpd 2010 and 2011, respectively, with non-crude petroleum liquids expected to increase by 0.6M bpd 2010 and 0.7M bpd in 2011. Spare capacity in the cartel should remain near 5M bpd compared with 4.3M bpd in 2009 and 1.5M bpd in 2008.

Courtesy of Oil N Gold.Com....Here's the Precious Metals Weekly Report

Every Once in a While, You Find Something Amazing....Check out Trend TV

Share

Phil Flynn: OPEC Divisions

In a world awash in crude supply OPEC has had it pretty darn good. The cartel that always puts its own interests first seems to be getting a little testy with each other as the competition for a declining market share may be causing some tension. This behind the scene squabbling may have come out in the open when Reuters News and the Globe and Mail reported that Saudi Aramco, the Saudi State oil company chief executive Khalid al-Falih, declared that global oil demand has bottomed and the state owned giant stands ready to increase production when more is needed.

The Globe and Mail quoted him as saying, "We believe that the market has bottomed in terms of demand and has already begun picking up," he said. "And Saudi Aramco will be responding to the economic recovery that has ensued with appropriate adjustments. But those will be determined collectively and not singly, either by the company or by the kingdom." Of course when the Saudis speak the market listens yet at the same time are they sending a message to other members of the cartel that the kingdom is tired of holding back on production while others profit by taking their market share. Early this morning the OPEC Secretary said in so many words.....Read the entire article.

Start Trading Crude Oil Today....Get 10 Trading Lessons FREE

Share

EIA Cuts OPEC Oil Earnings Forecast $21 Billion in 2010, $16 in 2011

The US Energy Information Administration has slashed its forecast of oil producer club OPEC's oil export earnings by $21 billion this year and by $16 billion in 2011. The agency now sees OPEC earning $731 billion in 2010 compared with its previous forecast of $752 billion a month ago. For 2011, it is forecasting that OPEC will earn $805 billion compared with the $821 billion projected a month ago.

The EIA, statistics arm of the Department of Energy, bases its forecasts on price and production projections from its monthly Short Term Energy Outlook. The agency forecast on Wednesday in its latest STEO that the price of US West Texas Intermediate crude would average $77.37/barrel in 2010 and $82/b in 2011. In its previous Outlook, released in August, the EIA projected an average WTI price of $79.13/b in 2010 and $83.50/b in 2011.

At the same time, the EIA lowered its forecasts of OPEC crude production in both 2010 and 2011. It sees the 12 member group producing 29.37 million b/d this year, 110,000 b/d less than previously forecast, and 29.89 million b/d in 2011, 140,000 b/d less than previously forecast.
The EIA estimated OPEC's 2009 earnings at $571 billion. OPEC's Vienna secretariat said in its annual statistical bulletin in July that the group collectively earned $575.3 billion from crude exports in 2009, down 43% from $1.002 trillion in 2008.

From Platts .Com

Share

Is The World About To Be Overwhelmed By A Glut Of Oil?

After years of peak oil scare stories, could the world soon be drowning in oil? OPEC has just cut its oil demand forecast for OPEC produced oil, citing a slow down in the global economy as the supportive effects of government stimulus wear off and increased non OPEC oil supply. The organization noted that, "the impact of the slowing economic recovery on oil demand is already evident as growth in oil consumption is slowing down and has even turned negative in some parts of the world," according to Fox Business.

Their latest move highlights the twin drivers of any potential oil glut scenario: The stagnation of demand growth from major developed economies such as the U.S. and Europe The growth of non OPEC oil supply. Already, the U.S. is sitting on more oil than it has in decades.

Fortune: Despite the Iraq War and the resulting production disruptions, despite the moratorium on drilling in the Gulf, despite turmoil in Nigeria and ongoing cross border trans-shipment quarrels in Central Asia and the multiple, repeated declarations that "peak oil" has arrived and supplies will inevitably dwindle, the United States has more petroleum on hand today than it has had since at least the beginning of the first Gulf War.....

At the same time, consumers have finally responded to higher gas prices and, perhaps, concern over the environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels. Miles driven by U.S. motorists have fallen over the last couple of years for the first time since such statistics have been collected, indicating that the American love affair with the automobile could be waning. And gasoline demand in China, the world's largest automotive market, may not skyrocket after all, as the government ramps up its drive to replace internal combustion engines with electric vehicles.

Global demand forecasts are coming down as well:

"In the last 18 months we've seen this big trend emerge," says David Kirsch, research director at PFC Energy in Washington, D.C. "We spent five to 10 years in a supply-constrained market, characterized by the growth of the BRIC countries [Brazil, Russia, India and China] and concerns over the security of supplies."

Now, Kirsch remarks, because of the financial crisis and the time it will take to pare down the debt of the major OECD nations, demand growth over the next decade is likely to be lower than previously forecast.

....Read the entire article.



Share

OPEC Is Swimming In New Petro Dollars

OPEC's oil revenue is surging, again, and is set to continue growing through 2011 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2010 oil revenue is likely to be a cool $181 billion higher than that seen in 2009, which makes for a pretty nice rebound.

Rigzone:
Last year, OPEC revenue plummeted to its lowest since 2005, when total revenue exceeded $500B for the first time. EIA forecasts that OPEC members could earn $752B of net oil export revenues in 2010, and with expectations of a slightly higher average in 2011 oil prices, to earn $821B in 2011.

It might take a few years for OPEC to beat 2008's peak oil revenue, but future revenue forecasts could change dramatically should oil prices end up far higher than currently forecast.

Just click here for your FREE trend analysis of crude oil ETF USO

Share

OPEC Scrambling To Jaw Bone Prices

From guest blogger Vincent Fernando.....

Light sweet crude broke $72 just recently, then bounced off of $70 a few times. It has rebounded back a bit, but could easily head lower.European economic growth is looking fragile, and more importantly China's economic growth is starting to look like it peaked based on leading indicators. Thus while we can potentially bailout the European periphery nations, and it could stabilize the world economy, it's not so clear if it will save commodities. Especially as the China growth engine slows.

OPEC's scrambling to jawbone oil prices as a result of price softness:

Forex Yard:
Investment in new energy capacity worldwide must be maintained to avoid a supply crunch in the future, Attiyah told an industry event, but deep water drilling and other high-cost operations would be unprofitable at a price of less than $70.

OPEC member Qatar supported Saudi Arabia's price aspirations for oil, Attiyah said. Saudi King Abdullah, ruler of the world's top oil exporter, said in December that a price of around $75 to $80 was fair. The kingdom has pegged that level as fair for both consumers and producers.

"I support fully what King Abdullah says," Attiyah said.

We can envision a potential 'new normal' boring growth scenario where China slows, Europe stagnates into a bailout coma, and the U.S. grows but underwhelms. Industrial commodities will be anemic to such a situation and we'll be unsurprised to see oil go below $70 in the near future given the China/Europe situation.


Vincent Fernando writes for The Business Insider


New Video: Where to Place Your Stops in Gold?


New Video: Crude Oil Breaks $70 a Barrel, is it Time to be Short?



Share

Crude Oil Daily Technical Outlook Wednesday

Crude oil's correction from 87.09 might have completed at 80.53 already, just ahead of 38.2% retracement of 69.50 to 87.09 at 80.37. Intraday bias is mildly on the upside for stronger rebound for retesting 87.09 high. On the downside, however, below 82.85 minor support will argue that recovery from 80.53 is completed and flip intraday bias back to the downside. Also, note that sustained trading below 80.37 fibo support will confirm that rise from 69.50 has completed after hitting 61.8% projection of 69.50 to 83.16 from 78.56 at 87.00. In such case, deeper fall should be seen towards 61.8% retracement at 76.22 and below.

In the bigger picture, note again that medium term rise from 33.20 is viewed as a correction to the whole correction that started at 2008 at 147.27. Our preferred view is that rise from 33.2 is in form of a three wave structure (73.23, 65.05, ?) and should be near to completion. Strong resistance is expected around 90 psychological level, which coincide with 50% retracement of 147.27 to 33.2 at 90.24 and 61.8% projection of 33.2 to 73.23 from 65.05 at 89.79, and bring reversal. Hence, even though another rally cannot be ruled out, upside potential should be limited. On the downside, break of 69.50 support will break the series of higher low pattern from 33.2 and will be an important indication that the trend has reversed. In such case, we'll turn bearish on crude oil and expect the then down trend to target a new low below 33.2.....Nymex Crude Oil Continuous Contract 4 Hours Chart.

MarketClub Alerts.....Just Click Here!

Share

Clearly, OPEC Lost Control Of Oil In March

Non OPEC global oil supply increased in March and is now expected to average 51.53 million barrels per day (mb/d) for 2010, which is a 0.50 mb/d increase over 2009 according to Hellenic Shipping News (HSN). It is also an increase of 0.10 mb/d to the 2010 forecast from just a month ago.

HSN:
Russia supply in March marked a new post-Soviet record oil supply from Russia is expected to grow by 0.09 mb/d over 2009 to average 10.01 mb/d in 2010, representing an upward revision of 20 tb/d from recent evaluations. The healthy production figure in the first quarter, which came higher than previously expected, necessitated the upward revision. Russia oil production reached a new post Soviet record in March following strong production levels in January and February.

China supply to increase by 80 tb/d in 2010 China’s oil production is estimated to average 3.93 mb/d in 2010, an increase of 80 tb/d over the previous year and an upward revision of 40 tb/d from the previous month. The strong production figures from the first two months required the upward revision, which was the highest in the first quarter compared to other non-OPEC countries’ revisions.

Meanwhile, OPEC members continue to violate their group's production quota's and over produce. OPEC output rose 5.6% year over year in March to 29.2 mb/d. While OPEC says it would 'mull an output boost' at $100 oil, note they are already increasing output thanks to violations. So one has to wonder if $100 can even be reached, sustainably, despite some forecasts in the market.

OPEC's reference price for a basket of 12 crude oil types just dropped by $1.97 to $80.89 per barrel.

Reporter Vincent Fernando can be reached at The Business Insider


Get Started Trading Crude Oil Now....With 10 FREE Trading Lessons


Share

Oil N Gold: Commodities Extend Weakness as Investors Avoid Risks

Crude Oil prices extend weakness for a third consecutive day as global risk aversion jumps amid Goldman's case. WTI crude oil price slides to 80.8 in European session, after plummeting -2.69% to 83.24 last Friday. Declines in heating oil and gasoline also accelerate with losses of -3% and -2% respectively.

After disclosing production of 29.26M bpd in March (+5.6% y/y), OPEC will probably increase shipment, by +0.9%, in the 4 weeks ending on May 1. This further increases oil supply which is already in a surplus in the market. Member countries are boosting production regardless insufficient demand.

In an interview over the weekend, Qatar's oil minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah said there's no need for a special meeting before its October meeting but he mentioned that recent rally in oil price was is 'not related at all to there being a shortage...We see that inventories are at their highest'.

Natural gas has fallen in consolidative phase since April. However, resumption of inventory builds indicates risk of price is to the downside. Gas supply will likely remain ample in coming years as large producers are not going to cut output despite slump in prices.

Although Algeria's energy minister Chakib Khelil plans to seek commitments from 11 gas exporting nations to reduce output, both Russia and Qatar, respectively the biggest and the third biggest holders of the world's reserves, will probably refuse to collaborate.

Gold price slides due to broad based decline in commodities and weakness in the Euro. Currently trading at 1130, the benchmark contract fell to as low as 1124 earlier today. Despite the fall, gold's performance is relatively resilient when compared with oil prices. Some investors buy gold as they lose confidence on currencies on Greece's issue.

Talks on Greece involving the European Commission, the IMF and the European Central Bank have been delayed until April 21 as a volcanic ash cloud disrupted air travel. The market expects the EU and the IMF will impose tough conditions for the rescue package for Greece. The spread between Greek and German 10 year government debt widened +32 bps to 462 bps, the highest level since October 1998.

Get Started Trading Commodities Now....With 10 FREE Trading Lessons

Share

Crude Oil Extends Decline on Speculation Recovery in Demand Is Trailing Supply

Crude oil fell for a third day on speculation the commodity’s climb to an 18 month high have outpaced a recovery in global demand. Oil extended losses after tumbling 2.7 percent on April 16, the most in 10 weeks. Prices are being driven by speculation and currency movements and there’s no need for OPEC to review output before its October meeting, Qatar’s oil minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah said yesterday. The dollar strengthened against the euro, reducing the appeal of commodities.

“We’ve still got higher than average stockpiles in various markets, including the U.S.,” said Toby Hassall, a commodity analyst at CWA Global Markets Pty in Sydney. OPEC “will want to see those stockpiles drawn down further before they consider increasing supply.” Crude oil for May delivery fell as much as $1.58, or 1.9 percent, to $81.66 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $81.73 at 11:14 a.m. Singapore time. Prices have declined in eight of the nine trading days after touching $87.09 on April 6, the highest since October 2008.

The May contract, which expires tomorrow, lost $2.27 on April 16 to $83.24 a barrel, the biggest drop since Feb. 5. Prices slumped after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused Goldman Sachs Group Inc. of fraud, triggering a selloff in commodity and equity markets. The more widely held June future was down $1.30, or 1.5 percent, at $83.37 today.

Greece Bailout
The euro fell to a one week low against the dollar after European Union finance ministers told Greece to brace itself for the International Monetary Fund’s conditions on a bailout package. The U.S. currency was at $1.3460 per euro at 10:40 a.m. in Singapore, from $1.3503 April 16 in New York. “There will be fits and starts to do with the recovery story and I think this Goldman news is another event that seems to have exposed the fragility of market confidence,” said CWA’s Hassall. “Longer term, the global recovery story is going to continue to drive the oil market.”

Oil at $90 a barrel would be harmful and may “jeopardize the market,” according to Angola’s oil minister, Jose Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos. A “good level” is between $70 and $80, he said yesterday at a gas conference in Oran, Algeria. Angola and Qatar are members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which pumps 40 percent of the world’s oil. The group slashed output by a record 4.2 million barrels a day beginning January 2009 to prevent a supply glut as the global economy sank into recession. Ministers voted to maintain official output targets at a March 17 meeting in Vienna.

Speculators
Hedge fund managers and other large speculators trimmed bets on rising oil prices for the first time in three weeks, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data showed.
Speculative net long positions, or the difference between orders to buy and sell the commodity on the New York Mercantile Exchange, decreased 12 percent to 113,364 contracts on April 13, the commission said last week. Brent crude oil for June settlement fell as much as $1.36, or 1.6 percent, to $84.63 a barrel on the London based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contract was at $84.77 at 11:10 a.m. Singapore time.

Reporters Gavin Evans can be reached at gavinevans@bloomberg.net and Yee Kai Pin at kyee13@bloomberg.net


The "Super Cycle" in Gold and How It Will Affect Your Pocketbook in 2010


Share

Crude Oil Bulls Charge Ahead on Surprise Draw

Lifted by a bullish drop in U.S. crude inventories, as well as upbeat economic data on the domestic front, crude futures snapped a recent losing streak on the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday to soar past an $85 resistance area. On target to test $90 in the near term, the price of light, sweet crude oil for May delivery added $1.79 to yesterday's final price tag to close higher at $85.84 a barrel. Also rising on today's commodity exchange, NYMEX gasoline futures scaled above $2.32 a gallon, while natural gas spot prices at the Henry Hub burned brighter at $4.20 Mcf.

Rally Reignites
"I think we're seeing the rally that drove oil prices to 18 month highs starting up again," commented Gene McGillian, analyst at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. The analyst underscored several supportive factors helping to prop up the price per barrel of crude today, including weakness in the dollar, encouraging retail sales for March and positive earnings reports out of U.S. companies. "The stronger earnings reports can point to improving economic conditions, which have played a primary role in rallying oil prices," McGillian explained.

Furthermore, the Energy Information Administration posted surprisingly supportive technical data for the previous week, which renewed risk appetite for the energy commodity and pushed prices back into positive territory. Specifically, crude oil supplies, expected to have grown by 1.4-1.5 million barrels, fell by 2.2 million barrels in the week to Apr. 9. Also paring down bearish levels, gasoline stocks shed 1.1 million barrels last week, trumping forecasts for a mere 600,000 barrel loss.

From reporter Nancy Agin at Rigzone


Learn to Trade Futures in Just 90 seconds!


Share

Crude Oil Declines for a Fifth Day as U.S. Crude Stockpiles Forecast to Increase

Crude oil declined the most in six weeks as the International Energy Agency boosted its forecast for non OPEC supplies and U.S. inventories were estimated to climb, raising concern that the markets are oversupplied. Oil fell as much as 1.6 percent on the IEA forecast that production would expand in countries such as Canada, the U.K. and Russia as it kept the global demand outlook little changed. U.S. crude stockpiles may advance for an 11th week, the longest stretch of consecutive increases since December 2004, according to a Bloomberg News survey of analysts.

“We’re seeing a lot of growth out of the U.S., Russia and Canada, responding to high prices,” said Brad Samples, a commodity analyst for Summit Energy Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky. “Investments that were made leading up to 2008 are coming to fruition.”
Crude oil for May delivery lost $1.67, or 2 percent, to $82.67 a barrel at 10:27 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was the biggest one day decline since Feb. 25. Prices have risen 65 percent in the past year. Crude oil peaked at a record $147.27 a barrel in July 2008.

Countries outside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will raise output by 600,000 barrels a day this year to average 52 million barrels a day, the IEA said in its monthly market report today. That’s 220,000 barrels a day more than estimated last month. The agency’s global oil demand forecast was 30,000 barrels a day higher than in last month’s report. Non OPEC producers pump about 60 percent of the world’s oil.....Read the entire article.


Is gold ready to challenge its all time high?


Share

Crude Oil Weekly Technical Outlook

Crude oil edged higher to 87.09 last week but failed to sustain above 61.8% projection of 69.50 to 83.16 from 78.56 at 86.92 and formed a short term top there. Consolidation from there is still in progress and deeper retreat cannot be ruled out. But downside should be contained by 61.8% retracement of 78.56 to 87.09 at 81.82 and bring rally resumption. Above 87.09 will target 90 psychological level next.

In the bigger picture, medium term rise from 33.2 is still in progress and could extend further higher. Nevertheless, there is no change in the view that it's the second wave of the whole correction that started in 2008 at 147.27. Hence, we'd continue to expect strong resistance near to 50% retracement of 147.27 to 33.2 at 90.24 to bring reversal. On the downside, below 78.56 support will be the first signal of topping and will turn focus back to 69.50 support for confirmation.

In the long term picture, there is no change in the view that fall from 147.27 is part of the correction to the five wave sequence from 98 low of 10.65. While the rebound from 33.2 is strong and might continue, there is no solid evidence that suggest fall 147.27 is completed and we're still preferring the case that rebound from 33.2 is merely a corrective rise only. Having said that, strong resistance should be seen between 76.77/90.24 fibo resistance zone and bring reversal for another low below 33.2 before completing the whole correction from 147.27.....Nymex Crude Oil Continuous Contract 4 Hours Chart.


Get 4 FREE Trading Videos from INO TV!


Share

Crude Oil Daily Technical Outlook Wednesday Morning

Crude oil continues to struggle around mentioned target of 61.8% projection of 69.50 to 83.16 from 78.56 at 86.92 and has possibly formed a temporary top with 4 hours MACD staying below 4 hours MACD. Some consolidations would likely be seen for the moment with risk of pull back to 4 hours 55 EMA (now at 84.11). But break of 78.56 support is needed to indicate that crude oil has topped. Otherwise, outlook will remain bullish. Sustained trading above 86.92 will target 90 psychological level next.

In the bigger picture, the strong break of 83.95 high confirmed that medium term rally from 33.2 has resumed. Nevertheless, there is no change in the view that it's the second wave of the whole correction that started in 2008 at 147.27. Hence, we'd continue to expect strong resistance near to 50% retracement of 147.27 to 33.2 at 90.24 to bring reversal. On the downside, below 78.56 support will be the first signal of topping and will turn focus back to 69.50 support for confirmation.....Nymex Crude Oil Continuous Contract 4 Hours Chart.

Can you learn to trade crude oil in just 90 seconds?

Share