Market Commentary
Tightening Crude Production and Supplies Become Focus of Markets
September 8, 2023
The total US propane inventories were up only 512,000 barrels, well below the over 2-million-barrel build estimate. Total inventories are now at 95.977 million barrels, well over 74.118 million barrels last year at this time. Midwest inventories were up 844,000 barrels putting total stocks at 25.638 million well above the […]
Production Cuts Push Crude Prices Higher
September 6, 2023
Prices jumped in yesterday’s trading as the production cuts from Russia and Saudi Arabia are set to continue through the end of the year. Prices did fade late in the day and left some potentially peaking patterns for crude oil and RBOB so it will be interesting to see if […]
Kim Jon Un Will Travel to Russia to Meet Putin
September 5, 2023
Baker Hughes reports that the number of oil rigs were still unchanged at 512 total oil rigs. Bloomberg estimates that Saudi Arabian crude oil exports in August fell sharply to just 5.6 million barrel per day, the lowest monthly level since March 2021. July exports were estimated at 6.3 million […]
Crude Oil Prices Move Higher Off Supply Concerns
September 1, 2023
The energy markets are closed on Monday for the Labor Day Holiday. There are no forward contracts available on Monday September 4, 2023. Energy price were higher in yesterday’s trading driven mainly by the news that Saudi Arabia is expected to extend the voluntary oil output cuts of 1,000,000 bpd […]
Barclays Raises 2024 Brent Price Forecast by $8 a Barrel
August 31, 2023
Propane inventories built by 3.179 million barrels putting total stocks at 95.465 million barrels. Last year there were 72.231; 23.234 million barrels more. Midwest inventories were up 811,000 barrel putting total stocks at 24.794 and last year there were 21.506; 3.288 million more barrels than last year. Gulf Coast stocks […]
Energy Markets Trade in Tight Range
August 30, 2023
The estimates for the DOE inventory report today are for crude stocks to be down 1.596 million barrels, gasoline down 720,000 barrels, and distillate down 943,000 barrels. These estimates are from the Bloomberg survey. The API weekly inventory update had crude oil stocks down 11.5 million barrels, gasoline stocks up […]
Florida Braces for Hurricane Idalia
August 29, 2023
The tropical storm in the gulf have now become Hurricane Idalia and it looks to be more of a demand reduction event than a storm that will impact refinery production. The current path will likely lead to some wells in the Gulf being shut off as a precaution. WTI crude […]
Fed Chair Powell Plans More Interest Rate Hikes
August 28, 2023
The refinery fire in Louisiana rallied prices on Friday and offered support to a market that is already tight on supplies. Prices continue to be supported by the OPEC+ production cuts and world energy supplies falling. The Baker Hughes Rig Count had oil rigs down by 8 to a total […]
OPEC+ Cuts May Tighten Oil Supplies
August 23, 2023
The average estimates for today’s DOE inventory report from the Bloomberg survey is for crude oil inventories to be down 2.873 million barrels, gasoline inventories down 716,000, and distillates up 567,000. The API report released yesterday estimated crude oil down 2.4 million barrels, gasoline up 150,000, and distillates up 1.9 […]
More US Consumers Falling Behind on Loan Payments as Interest Rates Rise
August 22, 2023
The weak Chinese market continues to put pressure on crude oil prices. China purchased a large amount of crude oil earlier this year and put most of it into storage. Reports indicate they are using that oil now as opposed to paying the current higher price. Shipment of oil to […]
Tropical Storm Hillary Hits Sothern California
August 21, 2023
The Baker Hughes Rig Count had oil rigs down 5 to a total of 520 oil rigs and last year at this time there were 601 oil rigs. Oil rigs have fallen by 101 rigs so far this year. Citi Research expects downside for crude oil in the fourth quarter, […]
Morgan Stanley Cuts Economic Forecast for China
August 18, 2023
Morgan Stanley is the latest among some of the major brokerages to cut China’s economic growth forecast for this year, following disappointing data from the country and worries over its property sector. Morgan Stanley now sees China’s GDP growing 4.7% this year, down from an earlier forecast of 5%. UBS […]

