Author: Robert Boslego

"OPEC, The Market and Oil Bulls Have Run Out of Runway" - Andy Hall

Posted on by Robert Boslego

Robert Boslego - INO.com Contributor - Energies


Andy Hall has forsaken his bull oil market position. In an investment letter dated July 3rd, he wrote, “Whereas it once seemed positions could be held with an eye to a longer-term secular appreciation, that is no longer the case…. In short, OPEC, the market and oil bulls have run out of runway.”

Andy Hall
Source: Amanda Gordon/Bloomberg

Mr. Hall explained his reasoning this way:

“Hitherto, it had been our view that oil would trend higher as prices would need to rise to a level that would justify investment in more costly sources of supply than just the core areas of US shale. However, not only has the core shale oil resource grown significantly — above all in the prolific Permian Basin — but break-evens have dropped because of secular productivity gains outpacing cyclical cost increases, at least for now…. If the marginal cost of oil for the next 3 or 4 years is headed to the mid-$40 range, then OPEC’s attempts to push prices to $60 seem futile.” Continue reading ""OPEC, The Market and Oil Bulls Have Run Out of Runway" - Andy Hall" →

OPEC Deals Have Effectively Collapsed

Posted on by Robert Boslego

Robert Boslego - INO.com Contributor - Energies


When OPEC announced its agreement 30 November 2016, it pledged to bring its collective ceiling to 32.5 million barrels per day (mmbd), effective 1st of January 2017. At the time, that ceiling included Indonesia, which was in the process of withdrawing from the cartel. The adjusted ceiling, therefore, became about 31.76 mmbd, excluding Indonesia’s 740,000 b/d output.

The deal was extended at the end of May for an additional nine months through March 2018. At the press conference, OPEC president and Saudi energy minister, Khalid Al-Falih, answered a question about the rising production in Libya and Nigeria. He responded by saying that other OPEC members would adjust their output accordingly to allow, for their increases.

But data throughout 2017, and most recently June, reveal no such adjustments have been made. According to Reuters, June production averaged 32.57 mmbd, about 820,000 b/d above its ceiling, as adjusted.

And Libyan production has continued to rise, topping 1.0 mmbd at month’s end. Nigerian exports are scheduled to reach at least two mmbd in August, 500,000 b/d higher than in the cartel’s base month (October 2016).

OPEC’s output in October was around 33.7 mmbd (including Indonesia). And so June’s production of 33.3 mmbd (including Indonesia) is only about 400,000 b/d lower.

Based on the above expectations for rising output in August, the OPEC deal is effectively dead. OPEC production will be back to about where it was in October. Continue reading "OPEC Deals Have Effectively Collapsed" →

Global Seasonal Oil Stock Draw In Jeopardy

Posted on by Robert Boslego

Robert Boslego - INO.com Contributor - Energies


OPEC has set as its goal to reduce global OECD oil inventories to their five-year average. In his opening address to the 172nd meeting of the OPEC conference, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, Khalid A. Al-Falih, remarked, "The market is now well on its way toward rebalancing."

After the meeting, Mr. Al-Falih said in a press conference that the current production quotas will "do the trick" of rebalancing stocks to normal levels within six months. But they extended the cuts to nine months because of the seasonal decline in demand expected in the first quarter of 2018.

OPEC Khalid A. Al-Falih

In May, OPEC reported that OECD global inventories are 276 million above the 5-year average. OPEC estimated its production in the first quarter to be 31.944 million barrels per day (mmbd). Assuming April's production of 31.7 holds for the remainder of 2017, there will be a total global stock draw of just 29 million in 2017: Continue reading "Global Seasonal Oil Stock Draw In Jeopardy" →

Why The U.S. Gasoline Stock Build Was Not Surprising

Posted on by Robert Boslego

Robert Boslego - INO.com Contributor - Energies


The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that gasoline stocks had “surprisingly surged despite heavy driving on the Memorial Day weekend.” But the 3.3 million barrel build was actually not that surprising, given the development of gasoline production capacity and the relative softness of gasoline demand.

Over the past four years, the U.S. refining industry expanded its gasoline production capacity in the United States by almost one million barrels per day. In 2013, production peaked at just below 9.5 million barrels per day. Last year, production peaked at 10.3 million. And this summer production could reach 10.5 million.

Gasoline Production

Gasoline demand growth has lagged. Peak demand in 2013 was just above 9.1 million. Last summer, demand peaked at 9.6 million, an increase of about one-half million.

But in the year-to-date, gasoline demand has been 2.9% lower than over the same weeks in 2016. Retail gasoline prices dropped to low levels in the first quarter of 2016, when crude oil prices were bottoming, and that created a surge in demand that was not repeated in 2017. Continue reading "Why The U.S. Gasoline Stock Build Was Not Surprising" →

OPEC Lost Hedge Fund Long Oil Traders' Support

Posted on by Robert Boslego

Robert Boslego - INO.com Contributor - Energies


Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo

The drop in crude oil prices in the international market after the decision by OPEC to extend its production cut through March 2018 is not a major concern for now, the Secretary General of the group, Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo said. He's not worried about lower prices.

He explained that OPEC is only concerned with the fundamentals of supply, demand and inventories. He is not concerned about other market conditions. Presumably, he means the sentiment of oil traders. Continue reading "OPEC Lost Hedge Fund Long Oil Traders' Support" →