Saudi Arabia Edges Out Russia as the Biggest Oil Producer

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Saudi Arabia boosted crude production close to a 31 year high in March, overtaking Russia as the world’s largest oil producer for the first time in six years, according to the Joint Organization Data Initiative.

Saudi crude exports rose 3 percent in March, reaching the highest level in five years as Iran cut shipments, according to government statistics posted today on the initiative’s website.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s largest producer, increased daily output to 9.923 million barrels in March, up 0.7 percent to the second highest level since at least 1980, according to the initiative. That topped output from Russia, which pumped 9.920 million barrels a day, for the first time since February 2006, according to the data.

The initiative, known as JODI, is supervised by the Riyadh based International Energy Forum and compiles data provided by member governments. The IEF is a group of nations accounting for more than 90 percent of global oil and natural gas supply and demand, established as a forum for producing and consuming countries to discuss energy security.....Read the entire article.

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Where is Gold, Natural Gas and Crude Oil Headed This Week

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Is the gold rally for real or just a short covering bounce? CNBC's Sharon Epperson discusses the Friday's activity in the commodities markets and looks ahead to where crude oil and precious metals are likely headed next week.



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Natural Gas Consumption Reflects Shifting Sectoral Patterns

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U.S. natural gas consumption since 1997 reflects shifting patterns. Total U.S. natural gas consumption rose 7% between 1997 and 2011, but this modest growth masks bigger changes in individual sectors. Electric power is now the largest natural gas consuming sector and it shows perhaps the greatest sensitivity to price changes. The graphics below highlight key factors that influence natural gas consumption.

The electric power sector has the flexibility to shift some amount of baseload power generation, much of which has traditionally been fueled by coal, to underutilized natural gas generators without requiring additional investments in infrastructure.



Natural gas consumption for power generation is expanding. An earlier Today in Energy article noted that consumption of natural gas for electric power (or "power burn") has exceeded natural gas consumption in the industrial sector since early 2009. The power sector added a significant amount of new natural gas fired generating capacity over the last decade, much of which was in the form of efficient combined cycle units.

For many years, while coal fired generation was less expensive, those natural gas fired combined cycle units were used at relatively low rates. Recently, with natural gas prices declining and coal prices rising, dispatching natural gas generators in some parts of the country has become increasingly competitive with running coal generators. Competition between natural gas and coal appeared first in the Southeast, where coal fired power was more expensive due to the cost of transporting coal over long distances.

In the industrial sector, natural gas consumption increased in 2010 and 2011, reversing a trend of declining consumption that lasted from the mid-1990s to 2009. Natural gas is used in the industrial sector and manufacturing subsector for process heating, steam generation, onsite electricity generation, space heating, and petrochemical processing.

The downward trend in natural gas prices has lowered the cost of a key input for some industries. However, the short term flexibility to take immediate advantage of low natural gas prices is limited in this sector, because many manufacturers that relied heavily on natural gas as fuel or feedstock closed down or moved abroad in the late 1990s and early 2000s in the face of rising natural gas prices. For various reasons, some of the remaining firms may switch fuel to natural gas, and others may never switch regardless of fuel costs, leaving a wide range of dependencies on natural gas prices (see Tables 10.15 and 10.21 from EIA's Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey).

Domestic and global macroeconomic trends affect industrial activity, which is often tracked by industrial indices. However, some U.S. manufacturers (e.g., petrochemicals) that use natural gas derived feedstocks (e.g., ethane) are enjoying a competitive advantage while international competitors consume more expensive, oil derived feedstocks.

Residential and commercial consumption of natural gas is primarily for space heating, water heating, and cooking; the most influential short term factor for these sectors is weather (quantified here as heating degree-days).

The residential and commercial sectors have limited short-term flexibility to take advantage of inexpensive natural gas, as heating systems can be expensive to modify and are replaced infrequently. Over longer timescales, the number of households using natural gas for space heating has increased, for example, in the Northeast, households are switching their heating fuel from heating oil to natural gas. However, the increasing efficiency of home heating systems (lower average gas use per customer) masks some of the effect of the increasing number of natural gas customers, even when normalized for weather.

Seasonal patterns in natural gas consumption appear in all sectors. Colder winter weather means more natural gas consumption for space heating, and warmer summer weather leads to increased consumption in the power sector with increasing demand for air conditioning.

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ONG: Crude Oil Weekly Technical Outlook

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Crude oil dropped further to as low as 90.93 last week and broke mentioned 92.52 support. Initial bias remains on the downside this week and further fall should be seen to 61.8% retracement of 74.95 to 100.55 at 88.55. Strong support is anticipated at this 88.55 fibonacci level to bring rebound. On the upside, above 94.16 minor resistance will turn bias neutral and bring recovery. But upside should be limited by 100.68 support turned resistance and bring another fall.

In the bigger picture, price actions from 114.84 are developing into a three wave consolidation pattern. And, the third leg should have already started at 110.55. Deeper fall should eventually be seen to 74.95 low and possibly below. Though, we'd likely see strong support from 64.23 cluster level, 61.8% retracement of 33.20 to 114.83 at 64.38 and bring another medium term rise. Hence we'll look for reversal signal below 74.95.

In the long term picture, crude oil is in a long term consolidation pattern from 147.27, with first wave completed at 33.2. The corrective structure of the rise from 33.2 indicates that it's second wave of the consolidation pattern. While it could make another high above 114.83, we'd anticipate strong resistance ahead of 147.24 to bring reversal for the third leg of the consolidation pattern.

Nymex Crude Oil Continuous Contract 4 Hour, Daily, Weekly and Monthly Charts

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It's a Wrap....Energy Futures End The Week Down

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The energy futures are down once again today and trading right near the lows of the trading week with crude oil down another $1.35 this Friday morning due to more pessimism about the European debt situation causing prices to be down around $5 dollars for the trading week from last Fridays closing price of 96.50 down around 4% for the week while unleaded gasoline for the June contract is higher by 150 points currently trading at 2.90 a gallon in a quiet trade so far in New York.

Heating oil futures are down slightly currently trading at 2.84 a gallon also sliding for the week around 1200 points from last Fridays close of 2.96 a gallon and in our opinion, like we have been stating in previous blogs, if you look back at 2010 when this problem came up for the first time crude oil prices plummeted on that news and then rebounded later in the year so prices are still relatively high if the situation gets worse but only time will tell.

Natural gas futures are sharply higher once again today up another 14 points in the June contract to seven week highs at 2.74 with renewed optimism that demand will come back into this market with the next major level of resistance around 2.90.

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Phil Flynn: Quantitative Conundrum

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Gold and silver soars and oil sinks in what can be best described as a quantitative easing conundrum. Many people were confused how gold might rally after briefly dipping in bear market territory after the dollar rallied for a record 14 days. The day after the Fed minutes showed that several Fed Officials would be open to more economic stimulus if the economy turned worse all of a sudden it seemed that indeed thinks look worse.

Against a backdrop of Europe coming apart at the seams somehow contraction in the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index and Leading Economic Indicators that are leading us in the wrong direction the odds of quantitative easing are rising Howard Packowitz at Dow Jones “The Wizard of Fed Fund Future Odds” showed that Fed funds futures traders now believe that the FOMC will wait two years or longer before it begins raising the funds rate.

Packowitz pointed out that trading volume heavier than usual for longer dated contracts as July 2014 fed funds price in a 40% chance for the Fed to boost the rate to 0.5% by then, down from a 44% chance at Wednesday's settlement. November '14 fed funds see 88% chance for a 0.5% rate, down from a 96% chance at Wednesday's settlement.

Yet while those odds rise the dollar rises as it is clear that it won’t just be the US that will have to come to the printing presses. The pressure on governments around the globe are clear in the currency differentials as the British Pound and Euro falls and yen rises. China and other markets may have to stimulate. Gold now is pricing in easing.

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Crude Oil May Fall as Seaway May Prove Insufficient to Ease Glut

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Crude oil may decline next week on concern that the reversal of the Seaway Pipeline will not be enough to alleviate a record supply glut in the central U.S., a Bloomberg survey showed.

Nineteen of 34 analysts, or 56 percent, forecast oil will drop through May 25. Nine respondents, or 26 percent, predicted prices will rise and six estimated they will be little changed. Last week, 48 percent of surveyed analysts expected a decrease.

Enbridge Inc. (ENB) and Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD) completed the pipeline reversal yesterday and plan to start shipping oil this weekend from Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for West Texas Intermediate oil futures traded in New York, to the Gulf Coast. U.S. oil inventories rose to a 22 year high and Cushing stockpiles peaked in the week ended May 11 as domestic output increased, according to the Energy Department.....Read the entire Bloomberg article.


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Crude Oil Falls Below 50% Retracement Level, Gold Bounces on Short Covering

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Crude oil closed lower on Thursday extending this week's breakout below the 50% retracement level of the 2011-2012 rally crossing at 93.99. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening on Friday.

Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If June extends this month's decline, the 62% retracement level of the 2011-2012 rally crossing at 89.90 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 100.02 are needed to confirm that a low has been posted.

First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 95.75. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 100.02. First support is Wednesday's low crossing at 91.81. Second support is the 62% retracement level of the 2011-2012 rally crossing at 89.90.

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Natural gas closed lower due to light profit taking on Thursday. The mid range close sets the stage for a steady opening on Friday. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought but remain neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term.

If June extends the rally off last week's low, the 25% retracement level of the 2011-2012 decline crossing at 2.757 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 2.327 would signal that a short term top has been posted.

First resistance is today's high crossing at 2.676. Second resistance is the 25% retracement level of the 2011-2012 decline crossing at 2.757. First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 2.464. Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 2.327.

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Gold closed higher due to short covering on Thursday as it consolidates some of this month's decline. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Friday.

Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain neutral to bearish signaling sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If June extends the decline off February's high, the 38% retracement level of the 2008-2011 rally crossing at 1487.50 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1619.60 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted.

First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 1589.00. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 1619.60. First support is Wednesday's low crossing at 1526.70. Second support is the 38% retracement level of the 2008-2011 rally crossing at 1487.50.

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Gold Bulls Continue to Get Bad News, Now it's Lack of Physical Demand

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Jon Nadler, senior analyst at Kitco.com, says the demand for physical gold has plummeted and smaller miners may need to alter their plans.



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