The crude oil price plunge of more than 50% since last June has proved a mixed blessing for global economies. It has cut deep into the coffers of oil producing nations while providing much needed relief for oil and natural gas import dependent countries. China, the world’s second largest oil importer, is also taking advantage… Keep reading →
All eyes in the US oil market are currently focused on the small town of Cushing, Oklahoma, located 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. Available capacity at one of the world’s largest crude oil storage hubs is filling up fast and that has considerable market implications because Cushing is the delivery point for US benchmark… Keep reading →
U.S. crude posted its first monthly gain since June on Friday, but one expert warned that storage in the United States is filling up quickly, and that could send oil lower. “We are really close,” said Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Francisco Blanch, noting that storage could run out by the end of March or… Keep reading →
Bulging inventories are expected to continue to build at the biggest US oil-storage facility, putting more downward pressure on crude prices and adding to calls on the federal government to legalize exports, analysts said. The amount of oil stored at the Cushing Hub in Oklahoma rose to 48.18 million barrels in the week ending Feb.… Keep reading →
Record setting US oil production growth is altering physical oil flows, flipping supply-demand fundamentals and leaving market observers searching for tools that can provide insight into these new price formation elements. Pipeline reversals and infrastructure expansion along the Gulf has debottlenecked the Cushing, Oklahoma storage hub, which has redrawn traditional oil grade basis differentials. Energy market… Keep reading →
The US Gulf Coast is becoming the country’s preeminent petroleum storage hub as shale oil and natural gas liquids flow south to the massive refining and export center. In a move designed to capitalize on that trend, Enterprise Product Partners yesterday announced the $4.4 billion acquisition of storage company Oiltanking. And according to The American… Keep reading →
The US Energy Information Administration – DOE’s statistical arm – today released its Short-Term Energy Outlook, which includes commodity price forecasts and anticipated supply/demand fundamentals. Included below are some comments from EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski about the report: Crude Oil “EIA expects strong U.S. crude oil production growth will help reduce WTI prices to an… Keep reading →
The Japanese government has softened its anti-nuclear power strategy, which could open the way to existing reactor restarts and possibly even new plant construction. The post-Fukushima shutdown of the country’s nuclear fleet has led to increased electricity prices, eroded the trade balance and spiked fossil fuel imports, which are unsustainable conditions according to a new… Keep reading →
As new infrastructure is constructed to move oil in and out of the US storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, the volume and quality of the crude stored at any given time is becoming increasingly difficult to calculate, confounding traders of benchmark WTI. [Reuters] Former EPA chief Lisa Jackson took a job promoting energy efficiency at… Keep reading →
