Sinopec, PetroChina Rise on Speculation Government to Change Fuel Pricing

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp., Asia’s biggest refiner, rose the most in almost three years in Hong Kong trading on speculation the state may allow fuel suppliers including PetroChina Co. to adjust prices on their own.

Sinopec, as China Petroleum is known, gained 8.3 percent, the largest increase since Dec. 8, 2008, to HK$7.92 at the close. PetroChina climbed 3.9 percent, while Cnooc Ltd. (883), whose parent operates a refinery, advanced 5.1 percent. The benchmark Hang Seng Index climbed 3.1 percent.

China, which controls fuel prices to curb inflation, may permit refiners to make “appropriate” changes, China Securities Journal reported, citing an unidentified person. This would mark a further move toward market oriented pricing after China introduced a system in 2008 that linked government mandated changes to swings in benchmark crude prices.....Read the entire Bloomberg article.


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EIA: Recent Gasoline and Diesel Prices Track Brent and LLS, not WTI

Since the beginning of 2011, the spot price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, a traditional benchmark for the U.S. market, has trailed the spot price of other crude oils, including Brent, a global benchmark, and Louisiana Light Sweet (LLS), a Gulf Coast crude oil similar to crudes run by many U.S. refiners. Because few U.S. refiners have easy access to WTI crude oil, this price divergence has not directly translated to lower prices for U.S. refined petroleum products, such as gasoline and heating oil.

Instead, these product prices have more closely tracked the prices of Brent and LLS. Through October 25, the prices of Brent and LLS are up 20% and 18% in 2011, respectively; the prices of wholesale diesel fuel and gasoline on the U.S. Gulf coast are up 21% and 13%, respectively; meanwhile, the price of WTI is up just 2%.

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Brent Crude Dips After Platts Changes Formula

US benchmark crude contracts fell on concerns that the economic recovery in the US is slowing, while Brent crude was on the rise in London as the outlook for the European debt crisis brightened. However, the trends changed late in the week as Brent fell after Platts decided to change the way it calculates the benchmark price. Oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) were hit by a slew of downbeat US data that came out late in the week. Thursday’s employment report from the US Labor Department revealed s surprise increase in US jobless claims to 428,000 last week.

Manufacturing data that was released on the same day also disappointed, showing a decline in the Empire State index from minus-7.7 in August to minus-8.8 in September, while the Philly Fed rose 13.2 to minus-17.5 in September, but still missed expectations. In the meantime, Brent contracts were on the rise, enjoying support from reassuring statements from European politicians that Greece will not quit the euro zone and the EU will go as far as necessary to prevent it from going into a default.

Demand for Brent was also supported by lingering concerns over supplies from the North Sea following a series of delays over the past few weeks. However, Brent futures fell sharply late on Friday after Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw Hill, said it will change the Brent crude pricing formula sooner than expected. The changes to the benchmark that is used to price two third of the world’s oil will come into effect in January 2012 instead of the first quarter of 2013 as was planned before.

Platts has decided to change the pricing benchmark due to a reduction in Brent crude supplies in recent years, which has made it easier for traders to manipulate the market. The Brent crude prices will now be assessed based on contracts signed over a 16 day period instead of the previous 12 day span. “Recent events in the market, including disruptions to the Forties pipeline system and shortfalls in cargo deliveries, show clearly that timely action is needed to maintain the strength of the physical benchmark,” said vice president of editorial at Platts Dan Tanz.


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Crude Falls Below $77 After U.S. Supplies Increase, Economic Outlook Dims

Crude oil declined for a third day after U.S. jobless claims increased, bolstering concern that economic growth will slow and fuel demand will drop. Oil decreased as much as 2.5 percent as initial jobless claims rose by 2,000 to 484,000 last week, the highest level since February. Yesterday, a government report showed that U.S. gasoline supplies climbed for a seventh week and stockpiles of distillate fuel, a category that includes heating oil and diesel, advanced to the highest level since January 1983.

“The weekly jobless numbers were disastrous and sent the market lower,” said Phil Flynn, vice president of research at PFGBest in Chicago. “The oil market is facing the reality, which is that supplies exceed demand. The only thing that was supporting prices was a false sense of economic security.” Crude oil for September delivery dropped $1.46, or 1.9 percent, to $76.56 a barrel at 10:03 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures touched $76.05, the lowest level since July 28.

Brent crude oil for September settlement fell $1.52, or 2 percent, to $76.12 a barrel on the London based ICE Futures Europe Exchange. Economists forecast claims would fall to 465,000, according to the median of 42 projections in a Bloomberg News survey. The government revised the prior week’s claims figure up to 482,000 from a previously reported 479,000. The Federal Reserve on Aug. 10 held its benchmark interest rate at a record low and announced it will reinvest principal payments on mortgage holdings into long-term Treasury securities, an effort to bolster economic growth.....Read the entire article.

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Weekly Fundamental Outlook For Crude Oil

Despite brief rebound to 74.82 after release of strong USD GDP, crude oil price dived to one month low at 72.43 amid rally in USD. The benchmark contract ended the week at 72.89, losing -2.2% on weekly basis and recorded the third consecutive weekly decline after surging to 83.95, the highest level in 15 months, in the beginning of January.

Fundamentals in the US energy market remain weak. The US Energy Department reported crude oil inventory dropped -3.89 mmb to 326.7 mmb in the week ended January 22. Cushing stocks also drew-0.69 mmb, the 5th consecutive weekly decline. We believe the main reason for the huge decline in crude stocks was the closure of the Houston Ship Channel, which serves the largest US petroleum port, shut for 2 days because of fog. It was reopened on January 21. Also, the oil-tanker spill in the Sabine Neches Waterway has led refiners to cut back production. We expect to see another draw next week as the oil spill is still impacting imports.

Both gasoline and distillate rose +1.99 mmb to 229.4 mmb and +0.36 mmb to 157.5 mmb respectively. Demand for gasoline edged slightly high on weekly basis but the level at 8.619M bpd remained below last year's level. Beware that last year's demand was very weak as it was in the midst of the worst of economic crisis. Distillate inventory built modestly compared with market exception or a draw. Imports surged +142%, on weekly basis, to 0.658M bpd, the highest level never seen since 2006. Demand dropped -2.6% to 3.725M bpd during the week. The level was still -12.5% below last year's level.

In coming few years, oil demand will be heavily relying on growth in Asian market. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), preliminary data indicated that China's total oil demand soared +16.4% yoy in November, driven by both government spending and supply disruption due to cold weather. Demand is anticipated to have increase +7.2% to 8.5M bpd in 2009, followed by a +4.3% rise to 8.8M bpd in 2010. China takes up almost 10% of world oil demand and that's why market sentiment has deteriorated dramatically after China guided yields higher, increased required reserve ratio and limited bank lending. The market worried that the growth engine will lose momentum this year.

Other than China, India is another hot spot. Total oil demand probably rose +5.4% in 2009, followed by another +3% this year. Robust oil consumption in India was driven by gasoline demand which, in turn, was due to strong car sales.....Read the entire article.



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Crude Oil Going to Test Key Resistance as USD Tumbles

Crude oil price surges to 74.47 in European morning as USD continues to decline against major currencies except for British pound. Moreover, advance in stock markets in Asia also helps boosts demand for oil as well as other risky assets. Leading the rally in the Nymex energy complex is heating oil which adds +1.9% to 1.926. The benchmark contract has soared for 4 straight days and accumulated more than +8% gains. RBOB gasoline rises for the second day to 1.828.

As the driving season is over and the heating season approaching, investors have shifted their focus to heating oil from gasoline. Gold price strengthens and rises to a new record high of 1069.7 amid dollar's weakness. Others in the precious complex such as silver and platinum also rally with silver gaining +1% to 18 and platinum jumping +1.5% to 1370, the highest level....read the entire article.

Commodities Consolidate as Economic Outlook is Mixed

Crude oil price plunged to as low as 68.32 Friday as the US Labor Department reported disappointing employment data for September. Investors worried the pace of economic recovery will be delayed and thus took profits from long positions in oil. Although buying interest emerged afterward, WTI crude oil settled -1.2% at 69.95 during the day. On weekly basis, the benchmark contract gained +6%. After plummeting to the lower end of recent trading range of 65-75, oil price recovered in the middle of the week although the US Energy Department reported larger than expected crude builds in the week ended September 25.

Investors used the surprising draw in gasoline stockpile, lower than expected rise in distillate stockpiles and rise in fuel demand as reasons to bid up prices. However, we retain out views that crude oil price will continue move range bounded in coming weeks and occasional rise in demand does not alter the fact that fuel consumptions remain in depressed levels. Gasoline demand rose to 9.126M bpd last week, representing increases of +3.8% on weekly basis and +4.5% on annual basis. However, Exxon's CEO said that gasoline demand has already peaked in 2007 and will decline into the futures. In the US, oil product demand was 20M bpd in 2007 and should fall to about 17M bpd by 2020.....Read the entire article and charts!

Oil Surges Close to $67 a Barrel in Volatile Week

Oil prices surged above $66 a barrel Thursday, rising in lockstep with major global indexes in what has become a very volatile week for energy markets. With regulators meeting in Washington to consider new limits on speculators that some blame for wild swings in oil and gas prices, crude fell 6 percent Wednesday only to rebound by almost that much Thursday. Benchmark crude for September delivery rose $3.59, or 5.6 percent, to settle at $66.94 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil, gas futures, heating oil and natural gas contracts all jumped at least 5 percent in afternoon trading.....Complete Story


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Crude Oil & Energy Update - Interview with the CME Group's Joseph Ria

When you hear the news reporters talk about the price of
crude oil in the marketplace, they're generally talking about
WTI, which is West Texas Intermediate crude oil. It's a very light, sweet crude oil and the highest grade that's out there.


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Crude oil is based on and priced on the amount of sulfur that's
in the oil. It makes it easier or harder to refine base on the
amount of sulfur. WTI being the lightest and sweetest, is the
highest priced crude oil in the marketplace.

It is a benchmark delivered in Cushing, Oklahoma.

In benchmarks for crude oil and global pricing of crude oil, WTI
probably prices about 50% of the global pricing of crude oil.
Brent being basically the other pricing benchmark. There's two
out there, Brent being a little of a mixture of three different
grades of crude oil; BF&O, Brent 40 and Ossenberg. They're
all produced in the North Sea.

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Please feel free to leave a comment and let our readers know where you think crude oil is headed.