Musings: Is America Knocking On The Door Of Energy Independence?

A phrase introduced into the modern lexicon by President Richard Nixon in the early 1970s was "energy independence". Ever since then, as the nation's domestic oil production declined and our natural gas output stagnated resulting in ever increasing imports of foreign oil and Canadian gas, national politicians campaigned on plans to make America energy independent.

Nearly 40 years after President Nixon uttered the phrase, the shale revolution has transformed America's petroleum industry into an engine for hydrocarbon production growth. With that additional oil and gas production, America's dependence on petroleum imports has declined. Increasingly, not only are the politicians talking about energy independence, but energy industry executives along with energy economists and consultants are also openly talking about the day when the U.S. meets all its power needs from domestic resources.

In late September, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released data showing weekly domestic crude oil production had reached the highest level since January 1997, some 15 years ago. Reports are that despite the slowdown in drilling in the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana, production there should continue to rise during the second half of 2012.

Two charts demonstrate the significance of the increase in domestic production. The first chart shows the weekly estimate of domestic crude oil production since January 1990 with a red line showing how the September 21 data compares with production in early January 1997.......Let's go to the charts.
 

Test drive our video analysis and trade idea service for only $1.00

EIA Natural gas Weekly Update for Week Ending Wednesday 10-10-2012

Natural gas prices rise in Midwest, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific Northwest, fall in California. The Henry Hub spot price rose from $3.21 per MMBtu last Wednesday to $3.26 yesterday, an increase of 5 cents per MMBtu, or 1.5 percent.

Spot prices at the Chicago Citygate (Midwest), Kern River (Rocky Mountains), and Northwest Sumas (Pacific Northwest) trading points increased for the week ending yesterday by 12 cents, 17 cents, and 20 cents per MMBtu, respectively. These increases were a less pronounced continuation of those seen last week at these trading points, likely due to cooling temperatures.

* Natural gas price changes at key trading points were mixed for the report week (Wednesday to Wednesday). The Henry Hub spot price closed at $3.26 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) yesterday, up 5 cents per MMBtu for the week. Spot prices rose in the Midwest, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific Northwest, while falling in Southern California and remaining unchanged in the Northeast.

* The November 2012 New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) edged upwards by 8 cents per MMBtu, from $3.395 per MMBtu last Wednesday to $3.475 per MMBtu yesterday.

* Working natural gas in storage rose last week to 3,725 billion cubic feet (Bcf) as of Friday, October 5, according to EIA's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR). An implied storage build of 72 Bcf for the week moved storage levels 236 Bcf above year ago levels.

* The Baker Hughes Incorporated natural gas rotary rig count increased by 2 to 437 active units on the week ending October 5. The oil directed rig count fell by 12 to 1,398 units.

Get the complete report

Check out Bill Gross Says Gold Will Thrive in ‘Ring of Fire’

Bill Gross Says Gold Will Thrive in ‘Ring of Fire’

Test drive our video analysis and trade idea service for only $1.00

Bill Gross is one of the most recognizable names in the investment world. He is the founder and co chief investment officer at bond fund giant PIMCO. His long term track record regarding bonds is among the best and he still runs the world’s biggest bond fund, the PIMCO Total Return Fund.

Gross is also known for speaking quite bluntly about the United States’ growing debt problem. His latest monthly market commentary came with a warning for the U.S. and investors alike. Gross stated that a number of recent studies have concluded that “The U.S. balance sheet, its deficit and its ‘fiscal gap’ is in flames and that its fire department is apparently asleep at the station house.”

The recent studies Gross pointed to came from the Congressional Budget Office, the International Monetary Fund and the Bank of International Settlements. The studies calculated that the United States needs to cut spending or raise taxes by 11% of GDP over the next 5-10 years. This translates to $1.6 trillion per year. That compares to the country’s 8% of GDP deficit in 2011. Those numbers put the U.S. in the ‘ring of fire’ with other countries with similar fiscal gap sizes. These countries include Greece, Spain, Japan, France and the U.K.

Gross warned that the U.S. debt problems have put the country in this “ring of fire” that will burn most investors. The only investors who will not get “burned”? He says the lucky few will be those that are protected by gold and other real assets, protected from a severe U.S. dollar depreciation caused by the Federal Reserve’s money printing.

In a white paper titled “GOLD – The Simple Facts” posted on PIMCO’s website, PIMCO analysts Nicholas J. Johnson and Mihir P. Worah also said some interesting things. Here is an excerpt, “Our bottom line: given current valuations and central bank policies, we see gold as a compelling inflation hedge and store of value that is potentially superior to fiat currencies.” They pointed out the positive supply/demand characteristics of gold as a big plus in their scenario. The PIMCO analysts went on to say, “We believe investors should consider allocating gold and other precious metals to a diversified investment portfolio.”

That is quite a statement coming from a “mainstream” investment firm. Wall Street’s usual reaction to gold is that it is a barbarous relic whose only use is in jewelry and that no sane investor should put any money into it, even paper gold instruments such as gold ETFs like the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD) and others.

After Bill Gross’ bullish words, gold prices were trading a 7 month high on Thursday before falling Friday to finish the week at about $1776.00 an ounce.

From a technical analysis point of view gold, silver and gold miners have been holding value at key resistance levels. While we could see a 3-5% pullback before they breakout and start the next rally overall the outlook for precious metals remains very strong and I put a $2400 per ounce on gold for 2013.

Just click here to register for my daily analysis and trade ideas.

Chris Vermeulen

The New Normal for U.S. Geopolitics

Posted courtesy of our friends at EconMatters.....

Over the past weekend, rumors began to emerge that the Syrian opposition would allow elements of the al Assad regime to remain in Syria and participate in the new government. Rumors have become Syria's prime export, and as such they should not be taken too seriously. Nevertheless, what is happening in Syria is significant for a new foreign doctrine emerging in the United States, a doctrine in which the United States does not take primary responsibility for events, but which allows regional crises to play out until a new regional balance is reached. Whether a good or bad policy, and that is partly what the U.S. presidential race is about, it is real, and it flows from lessons learned.

Threats against the United States are many and complex, but Washington's main priority is ensuring that none of those threats challenge its fundamental interests. Somewhat simplistically, this boils down to mitigating threats against U.S. control of the seas by preventing the emergence of a Eurasian power able to marshal resources toward that end. It also includes preventing the development of a substantial intercontinental nuclear capability that could threaten the United States if a country is undeterred by U.S. military power for whatever reason. There are obviously other interests, but certainly these interests are fundamental.

Therefore, U.S. interest in what is happening in the Western Pacific is understandable.....Read the entire article.

Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!

EIA: Territorial Disputes Hamper Exploration and Production of Resources in the East China Sea

Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!

The East China Sea may have abundant hydrocarbon resources, especially natural gas, although the region is underexplored. China and Japan, the two largest energy consumers in Asia, are both interested in using natural gas from the East China Sea to meet rising domestic demand. However, unresolved territorial disputes make exploration and development of these resources difficult.

China is the world's largest energy consumer and the second largest importer of oil after the United States. Because of its growing reliance on natural gas in recent years, China is now a net importer of natural gas. EIA forecasts continued growth in Chinese oil and natural gas consumption, necessitating new supplies to meet demand.

Japan is the world's third largest net importer of crude oil, and the world's largest importer of liquefied natural gas. Japan is expected to continue to rely heavily on imports to meet future consumption needs.

Hydrocarbon reserves in the East China Sea are difficult to estimate, but EIA estimates the East China Sea contains 60-100 million barrels of oil in proven and probable reserves, and 1-2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of proven and probable natural gas reserves. Estimates of undiscovered resources, which do not take into account economic and technological factors relevant to bringing them into production, show significant resource potential. Chinese sources estimate as much as 70-160 billion barrels of oil and 250 Tcf of natural gas in undiscovered, technically recoverable resources.

Chinese authorities seek to increase offshore natural gas production to supply Shanghai and nearby cities. However, the East China Sea is not expected to become a significant supplier of oil for a number of years, even after resolution of the territorial disputes.

China and Japan have two separate territorial disputes in the East China Sea: where to demarcate the sea boundary between each country and how to assign sovereignty over a group of islands called Diaoyu by the Chinese and Senkaku by the Japanese. The two countries have held bilateral talks, as well as considered joint development of resources in the Sea, with no agreement thus far.

Further exploration and development in this region may be hampered until these disputes are resolved. For more information on the East China Sea, read EIA's regional analysis brief.

70 Second Market Outlook – Metals, Dollar, Bonds, Stocks, Energy

Over the past year we have had some really interesting things unfold in the market. Investing or even swing trading has been much more difficult because of all the wild economic data and daily headline news from all over the globe causing strong surges or sell offs almost every week.

For a while there you could not hold a position for more than a week without some type of news event moving the market enough to either push you deep in the money or get stopped out for a loss. This has unfortunately caused a lot of individuals to give up on trading which is not a good sign for the financial market as a whole.

The key to navigating stocks which everyone thinks are overbought is to trade small position sizes and focus on the shorter time frames like the 4 hour charts. This chart is my secret weapon and giving you both large price swings which daily chart traders focus on while also showing clear intraday patterns to spot reversals or continuation patterns with precise entry/exit points.

While I could ramble on about why the stock market is primed for major long term growth from this point forward I will keep things short and simple with some 4 hour and daily charts for you to see what I see and what I am thinking should unfold moving forward.

Keep in mind, the most accurate trading opportunities that happen week after week are the quick shifts in sentiment which only last 2-5 days at most which is what most of my charts below are focusing on…..

Dollar Index – 4 Hour Chart

This chart shows a mini Head & Shoulders reversal pattern and likely target over the next five sessions. The dollar index has been driving the market for the past couple years so a lower dollar means higher stock and commodity prices.

Bond Futures – 4 Hour Chart

Money has been flowing into bonds for the past couple weeks with most traders and investors expecting a strong correction in stocks. As you can see the price of bonds hit resistance this week and as of Thursday has now started selling off. Money flowing out of this “Risk Off” asset means money will move to the “Risk On” investments like stocks and commodities.

Gold Futures – Daily Chart

Gold is stuck in both categories in my opinion. It is a “Risk Off” safe haven when people are scared of falling stock prices, and it is also a “Risk On” speculative investment when people are feeling good about the market. Gold has been trading at key resistance for a couple weeks and looks as though it’s starting its next rally.

Silver Futures – Daily Chart

Silver is in the same boat as gold though it carries much more volatility than gold. Expect 2-4% swings regularly and sloppy chart patterns in this metal.

SP500 Futures – Daily Chart

As much as everyone hates to buy stocks up at these lofty prices I hate to say it but I think they are going to keep going up and they could do this for a long time yet. If the dollar index continues to break down then I expect the SP500 to rally another 3% from here (1500) in the next 1-2 weeks.

Crude Oil Futures – 4 Hour Chart

Crude oil has not had much attention from me in the past few months. While it has had big price action many of those big days took place on news causing an instant price movement making this extra dangerous to trade. I continue to watch rather than get attached to it.

Natural Gas Futures – Daily Chart

Natural gas has been a great performer for us in the past 6 months as all the short positions slowly get covered. I just closed out my natural gas ETF trade this week with a 31.9% gain and plan on getting back in once the chart provides another low risk setup.

Trading Conclusion:

In short, I feel the dollar index along with bonds will correct over the next few weeks. That will trigger buying in stocks and commodities. Keep in mind natural gas dances to its own drum beat. The dollar does not have much affect on its price and most times natural gas is doing the opposite of the broad market.

Get My Pre-Market Trading Analysis Video 

and Intraday Chart Analysis EVERY DAY at www. The Gold & Crude Oil Guy.com

Chris Vermeulen

Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!

This Weeks EIA Natural Gas Update For Thursday October 4th

* Natural gas prices posted increases across the board for the report week (Wednesday to Wednesday). The Henry Hub closed at $3.21 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) yesterday, up 29 cents per MMBtu for the week. Other spot prices rose roughly between 20 and 40 cents per MMBtu.

* On Thursday, the November 2012 New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) contract moved into the near month position. It increased from $3.023 per MMBtu last Wednesday to close at $3.395 per MMBtu yesterday. It traded above most spot prices for the duration of the week.

* Working natural gas in storage rose last week to 3,653 billion cubic feet (Bcf) as of Friday, September 21, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report (WNGSR). An implied storage build of 77 Bcf for the week moved storage levels 272 Bcf above year ago levels.

* The Baker Hughes Incorporated natural gas rotary rig count fell by 19 to 435 active units on the week ending September 28, after increasing the week before. The oil directed rig count increased by 8 to 1,410 units.

Get the EIA's complete natural gas weekly update

Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!

Gold Hits Record High in Euros and it’s Setting Up for Another Rally

The price of gold hit a record high this past week.....in euro terms (at about 1380 euros). The record came after a number of actions by central banks around the world, trying to stimulate their respective economies. The actions, usually centered around money printing, once again had investors looking for refuge in gold.

Since the beginning of September, investors have bought about 75 tons of gold through exchange traded funds. Reuters says that gold ETFs, such as the largest gold ETF – the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSE: GLD), are on track for their biggest quarterly inflows in over a year, of 3.285 million ounces. Finally, according to UBS, investors have also raised their bullish bets on gold futures to the highest level in more than a year.

All the world’s major central banks took action recently including the Bank of Japan which launched a fresh round of monetary stimulus. The main action though was centered in Europe and the United States. The European Central Bank has promised to buy an unlimited quantity of eurobonds going forward. And the Federal Reserve announced its third round of monetary stimulus, QE3, that promises to buy $40 billion of mortgage backed securities monthly on top of its ongoing Operation Twist program of buying long dated Treasuries.

Speaking about the monetary easing, Barclays precious metals analyst Suki Cooper put it this way to the Financial Times, “Gold finally found the catalyst it had been waiting for all year after the Fed announced open ended quantitative easing.”

Another reason for gold’s rise in euro terms, it must be noted, is the continuing fiscal turmoil in Europe itself, particularly in Spain. Spain’s largest autonomous region, Catalonia, manages an economy as big as Portugal’s. The problem is that it has debts of 42 billion euros which it is struggling to service. Catalonia has requested a 5 billion euro temporary bailout from Spain’s central government, adding to its debt burden. In a real show of defiance, Catalonia is also refusing to implement austerity measures. Add to that, bank stress tests in Spain showed that the country’s 14 largest lenders will need 60 billion euros in new capital.

No surprise then that physical demand for gold bars and coins in Europe rose 15 percent in the second quarter, according to the World Gold Council!

Another positive fundamental reason in the corner of gold bulls is the recent currency appreciation in the Indian rupee. India is traditionally the world’s largest consumer of gold. Sales have been slow there this year due to the government trying to slow down gold sales there through rises in a gold import tax. However, the recent rise in the rupee has made gold purchases more palatable and gold sales to India have hit their highest level in two months.

So for now, many of the fundamentals look to favor a move higher for gold, although there is technical resistance at its 2012 high of $1791.

Know when to buy gold, silver, oil and stocks, visit us at The Gold & Oil Guy.com

Chris Verneulen

Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!

Dominick Chirichella: Crude Oil Prices steady Despite Clear Signs of Slowing Asian Markets

In another clear sign of the slowing of the Asian economy the Reserve Bank of Australian (RBA) cuts its short term interest rate by 25 basis points as it attempts to offset the closing of mines and laying off of thousands of workers. Short term interest rates are now at the lowest level since 2009. Australia is a commodity dependent country with many of those commodities exported to China. With China and most of the developed world continuing to slow commodity consumption is also slowing. The Australian economy is being directly impacted by the slowing of commodity consumption. Australia's action is not only a negative for the Australian currency but a bearish sign for oil demand growth as well as other traditional commodity consumption growth.

On the European front the market continues to watch what Spain will or will not do regarding asking for a bailout. The fact that both sides of this ongoing act continue to try to position themselves prior to a request it creates an atmosphere of uncertainty over the EU sovereign debt issues as well as the EU economy. In addition the Greek situation remains unclear as discussions continue on whether or not Greece will get its next scheduled batch of bailout money. Aside from those issues clouding the EU landscape there is not much else going on in Europe today.

Test drive our video analysis and trade idea service for only $1.00

In the US Fed Chairman Bernanke defended his actions with QE3 yesterday in a speech. He basically said QE3 will stimulate growth, cut unemployment and help savers support the US dollar. In my view that is one tall order and one that I still do not see exactly how QE3 is going to do all of that so seamlessly since the US has already had QE1, QE2 and Operations Twist (which is still ongoing) and the US economy is still contracting while unemployment is not improving. Interestingly I would have to say the market is not yet convinced of Mr. Bernanke's claims as there has not been a sustained rally in risk asset markets since QE3 has been announced. It has been a rather tepid reaction in the market. Supporting oil prices a tad was the better than expected ISM factory index (an energy sensitive index) which increased to 51.5 in September which was above the consensus forecasts.....Read the entire article at CME Group.com

Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!

U.S. Marketed Natural Gas Production Levels off in the First Half of 2012

U.S. marketed natural gas production has flattened since late 2011, mainly in response to lower natural gas prices. Nevertheless, volumes remain at historically high levels. From January through July 2012, marketed natural gas production set a record high for the first seven months of any year, averaging 68.9 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), up nearly 4 Bcf/d, or 5.9%, from the same period a year earlier.




While production was higher for each month from January through July 2012 compared to the same month a year earlier, monthly production has remained close to its level at the end of 2011. Data for August 2012 will likely show a significant drop in average daily production as Hurricane Isaac shut in many offshore wells for several days.

Due in part to lower natural gas prices and comparatively high prices for natural gas liquids, some producers increasingly targeted liquids rich portions of shale formations, contributing to the overall flattening of natural gas production.



Get our Free Trading Videos, Lessons and eBook today!