Kemp: Oil traders focus on economy, not dwindling stock.
The oil prices have fallen in recent weeks, as traders focus their attention on a potential slowdown of the major economies. At the end of the month of June, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) advanced economies had 2,761,000,000 barrels of crude and refined product in their commercial stocks. The stocks were 120 million barrels below the seasonal average of the past ten years (-4%, or -7.71 standard deviations), and the deficit was now 74 million barrels higher than the previous end-of-March (-3%, or -4.47 standard deviations). According to the Short-Term Energy Outlook, prepared by the U.S.
Kemp: Oil traders focus on the economy, not dwindling stock
The oil prices fell in recent weeks, as traders looked past the depletion of global inventories and focused on a future threat that could be posed by the possible slowdown of major economies.At the end of the month of June, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) advanced economies had 2,761,000,000 barrels of commercial crude and refined product stocks.The stocks were 120,000,000 barrels below the seasonal average of the past ten years (-4%, or -7.71 standard deviations), and the deficit was now a whopping 74…
ConocoPhillips CEO Says Surprised by Quick Rebound in Oil Prices
ConocoPhillips Chief Executive Officer Ryan Lance on Wednesday expressed surprise at the quick rebound in U.S. oil prices that slipped into the negative territory in April and said he expects prices to remain volatile in the near term.Oil is now trading at near $40 per barrel, almost double of $20 it averaged in April, the same month prices had briefly slumped to minus $38 per barrel due to low demand as countries halted travel to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, while top producers agreed to pump full bore."We were surprised it came back this strong this quickly…
Saudi Aramco Launches Largest Shale Gas Development Outside US
Saudi Aramco is launching the biggest shale gas development outside of the United States to boost domestic gas supply and end the burning of oil at its power generation plants, Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser told Reuters on Monday.The world's top crude oil exporter has for years battled for market share with rapidly expanding shale oil producers in the United States, which in just a decade have developed capacity to pump millions of barrels per day of oil from rock formations that were previously too costly to tap.Saudi Arabia fought a price war aimed at putting the U.S. shale industry out of business just six years ago, which ultimately failed.
US Shale is Not Doomed, Says Rystad Energy
Though bankruptcies among U.S. onshore exploration and production (E&P) companies are on the increase during these days, Rystad Energy doesn’t believe this indicates doom for the shale industry.“In a nutshell, we do not believe the recent bankruptcies that have beset a number of shale players are indicative of an industry-wide epidemic,” says Alisa Lukash, a senior analyst on Rystad Energy’s North American Shale team.During the next seven years, the top 40 US shale oil producers are expected to spend about $100 billion on debt instalments and interest unless further debt refinancing is applied.These drillers…
Only 10% of Shale Firms Reports Positive Cash Flow
Only four, out of the financial performance of 40 dedicated US shale oil firms under study, reported a positive cash flow balance in the first quarter of 2019, bringing down the share of companies with a positive cash flow balance from the recent norm of around 20% to just 10%.Nine in ten US shale oil companies are burning cash, according to Rystad Energy.Total cash flow from operating activities (CFO) fell from $14 billion in the fourth quarter of 2018 to $9.9 billion in the first quarter of 2019.“That is the lowest CFO we have seen since the fourth quarter of 2017…
Oil Falls as U.S. Adds New Rigs, China Weakness
Oil fell nearly 2 percent on Monday after U.S. companies added rigs for the first time this year, a signal that crude output may rise further, but the price is still on course for its strongest January gain for 14 years.Further weighing on oil markets, the trade dispute between the United States and China looks unlikely to end anytime soon and its impact on the Chinese economy is increasing.Brent crude oil futures were down $1.05 at $60.59 a barrel by 1300 GMT, while U.S. futures were down $1.02 at $52.67 a barrel.U.S. crude production <C-OUT-T-EIA>…
Crude Oil Inventory Update
Crude inventory build has reared its head again. And fears of an oil glut returning have sent oil prices south.According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), OECD oil stocks increased by 58.1 million barrels in Q3 2018, the largest gain since 2015. The agency in November said OECD oil holdings are likely to exceed the five-year average when October data are finalized.Looking forward, the IEA expects an implied stock build of 2 mb/d in the first half of 2019 – assuming OPEC producers continue at their current production pace and global demand grows at a rate of 1.4 mb/d.Weekly survey results by the U.S.
Shale Producers Urge FERC to Deny Pipeline's Rate Request
Top shale oil producers asked a U.S. regulator this week to reject White Cliffs pipeline's application to charge market-based rates for shipments from Platteville, Colorado, to the storage hub at Cushing, Oklahoma. U.S. shale producers ConocoPhillips Co, Kerr McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP, a unit of Anadarko Petroleum Corp, Noble Energy Inc along with Bill Barrett Corp told regulators White Cliffs will likely raise fees if given the authority to charge market-based rates. Kerr McGee and Noble are shippers of crude oil on the White Cliffs system.
Shell: U.S. Shale's "rational behaviour" Helping Prices
U.S. shale oil producers have stopped chasing record production numbers and have become more focused on profitability, meaning this "rational behaviour" is helping to prop up oil prices, Royal Dutch/Shell's Chief Executive Ben van Beurden said on Thursday. The company's Chief Financial Officer Jessica Uhl told the same news conference Shell could easily double production from shale assets in the United States, Canada and Argentina in the next 5-10 years from the current 275,000 barrels per day. Reporting by Ron Bousso and Dmitry Zhdannikov
US Shale Eases Into Detente with OPEC as Supply Cut Extended
U.S. producers applauded Thursday's decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC producers led by Russia to extend output cuts until the end of 2018. Texas and North Dakota - the two largest U.S. shale-producing states - described it as a boon for their producers. Their appreciation was in contrast to a more combative style in recent years, when shale states seemed to relish openly bashing the group. "Now that it seems prices are looking to stabilise with this OPEC deal around $60 (per barrel)…
Russian Oil Industry Pipe Maker TMK Prepares for U.S. Spin-off
TMK, Russia's largest maker of steel pipes for the oil and gas industry, is preparing its U.S. subsidiary IPSCO Tubulars for an initial public offering (IPO) of shares. The announcement comes amid concerns among some Russian officials about a potential expansion of U.S. sanctions against Moscow and as Russia itself has pledged to cut its oil output by 300,000 barrels per day as a part of the global deal. OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers look poised to agree at a meeting on Thursday to extend output cuts until the end of 2018, four OPEC sources said as the group seeks to clear a global glut of crude and avoid another price crash.
Oil Steadies Ahead of OPEC Meeting
U.S. output may rise more than rig count suggests - Westwood. Oil prices were only slightly firmer on Tuesday as traders looked ahead to a meeting next week at which major crude exporters are expected to extend production cuts but the prospect of rising U.S. output capped gains. Brent crude oil was up 12 cents at $62.34 a barrel at 1145 GMT. U.S. light crude was at $56.56, up 14 cents. Analysts said Brent was expected to fluctuate in a narrow range, between $61 and $63, as the market awaited the outcome of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' meeting on Nov. 30.
Mideast OPEC Producers Doubt Rally is Sustainable
OPEC, others have cut supply since January; benchmark Brent nears $60 a barrel but rising U.S. shale production threatens rally. Middle East OPEC producers are concerned weak demand and excess supply in the first quarter of 2018 may undermine an oil price rally that has pushed Brent crude about 30 percent higher since June, OPEC and industry sources said. Supply cuts since Jan. 1 by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers helped lift prices, while Hurricane Harvey added to gains when it knocked out nearly a quarter of U.S. refining capacity.
Crude Oil Markets Bullish, But Not Really: Russell
Sentiment is often a somewhat flighty and nebulous concept, but it appears that crude oil markets are turning increasingly bullish about the prospect for higher prices. Certainly the mood at this week's major industry conference in Singapore was a marked change from recent years, with several upbeat presentations, panel discussions and off-the-record chats giving the view that prices were more likely to rise than fall. The most bullish commentary at the Asia Pacific Petroleum Conference (APPEC) was from trading house Trafigura…
OPEC Says Winning Battle to Curb Glut
Producers began cuts in January; deal due to expire in March 2018. Output cuts by OPEC and other oil producers are clearing a supply glut that has weighed on crude prices for three years, ministers said at a meeting on Friday to review the pact that expires in March 2018. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and several other producers have cut production by about 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) since January. The group is considering extending the deal beyond its March expiry, although two sources said Friday's gathering was unlikely to make a specific recommendation on an extension.
US Shale Sector at Critical Price Threshold: Kemp
Forward U.S. oil prices for 2018 have climbed back above $50 per barrel, a level that should be high enough to stabilise drilling activity over the next two months. But if prices continue their current upward trend, shale firms will almost certainly interpret that as a sign to increase output and begin ramping up their drilling programmes again. Shale drilling has proved very sensitive to changes in the value of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude, especially the forward prices shale firms rely on to hedge production and reduce their risks.
Residents Flee South Texas Ahead of Harvey
Residents fleeing most powerful storm on U.S. mainland since 2005. Businesses closed and lines of cars streamed out of coastal Texas as officials called for residents to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Harvey, expected to arrive about midnight as the most powerful storm to hit the U.S. mainland in more than a decade. The hurricane is forecast to slam first near Corpus Christi, Texas, drop flooding rains along the central Texas coast and potentially loop back over the Gulf of Mexico before hitting Houston, some models showed. "My urgent message to my fellow Texans is that if you live in a region where evacuation has been ordered…
US Shale Producers Say Spending Flexibility Is Key
U.S. shale oil producers plan to keep drilling new wells despite this month's crude price drop but expect to revisit spending should pricing remain below $45 a barrel for several months. "We will not drill into oblivion," Tim Dove, chief executive of Pioneer Natural Resources Co, told investors on Tuesday at a J.P. Morgan energy conference in New York. Pioneer, one of the biggest operators in the Permian Basin, the largest U.S. oilfield, is confident that OPEC leader Saudi Arabia will not let oil prices remain near current levels for too long, Dove said. Newer operating efficiencies allow Pioneer to continue to drill more, he said.
BP Doubles Down on Deepwater
About 300 BP workers commute 150 miles here by helicopter, from the Louisiana coast to a deep-sea drilling platform that can produce more oil in a day than a West Texas rig can pump in a year. On the deck of Thunder Horse, they work two-week shifts, drink seawater from a desalination plant, and eat ribs and chicken ferried in by boat. On the ocean floor, robots provide remote eyes and arms as drills extract up to 265,000 barrels per day. "There's a whole city below us," said Jim Pearl, Marine Team Leader on the platform. This is just one of the four Gulf of Mexico platforms on which BP has staked its future in U.S. oil production.
