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Tue 16 Jan 2018 09:23

Oil and fuel oil hedging market update


By the Oil Desk at Freight Investor Services.



Commentary

Brent hit $70.37 a barrel on Monday, a December 2014 high - when markets were at the beginning of a three year-long slump. U.S. WTI crude futures were at $64.47 a barrel, up $17 cents, or 0.3 percent from their last settlement, after WTI hit a December-2014 peak of $64.89 a barrel in early trading. Well, who'd have thunk it; look at the headlines this morning: 'Oil prices up at 3 year highs, as market supported by healthy demand'. Well, yeeeessss, in any historical look at demand it looks pretty healthy. It's like my food intake across the day; it looks a pretty healthy amount, around the levels of the last few years, BUT, and that is a big butt, exercise needs to be taken into account. What's the point in just focusing on demand and not supply. Not to worry, the very accurate projections from banks are here to back it up. Merrill Lynch: 'We now see a deficit of 430,000 bpd in 2018 compared to 100,000 prior'; Morgan Stanley: 'oil markets were 0.5 million bpd undersupplied in 2017'. Well, l'm sure you can talk up the numbers to show anything. It's like modern art: "What do you see?" "I see the artist's attempt to illicit the feeling of sorrow and the bottom corner makes me see into the tormented soul of the artist, really understanding their feelings when creating this piece". NO, I see randomly arranged colours on a canvas. The banks are like a used car salesman: they have a vested interest in it going up, up to the hilt they are. So of course they aren't going to talk it down. "Well, it's an okay car, not really worth the money, once you get to about 40 mph, it drags to the left, which is pretty dangerous, actually." Technically, we are due a corrective phase, so don't be too surprised if we get a drop back in prices, before a renewal of the bullish sentiment.

Fuel Oil Market (January 15)

The front crack opened at -11.15, weakening to -11.55 across the day. The Cal 19 was valued at -11.90.

Cash premiums for Asia's 380 cSt high-sulphur fuel oil cargoes climbed to their highest since Jan. 3 amid elevated deal value on Monday, trade sources said.

In the break bulk ex-wharf market, stiff competition weighed on 380 cSt fuel oil ex-wharf premiums as suppliers sought to attract buyers ahead of the lull period during the Chinese new year holidays next month, source said.

ST Shipping, Glencore's shipping arm, has chartered the Almi Sun suezmax tanker to load up to 130,000 tonnes of fuel oil from the Middle East Gulf around Jan. 18 for discharge into Asia, according to ship broker reports and ship tracking data in Reuters Eikon.

Economic Data and Events

* EIA releases monthly Drilling Productivity Report

* Sandefjord oil conference, with speakers including Statoil CEO Eldar Saetre and Norway Petroleum and Energy Minister Terje Soviknes, 1st day of 2

* China National Petroleum Corp. releases annual oil and gas report

* Argus Americas Crude Summit, Houston, with executives from Trafigura, Reliance Industries, Motiva Enterprises, among others, 1st day of 3

* Angola, Nigerian loading programs for March

Singapore 380 cSt

Feb18 - 378.00 / 380.00

Mar18 - 378.50 / 380.50

Apr18 - 378.75 / 380.75

May18 - 378.75 / 380.75

Jun18 - 378.25 / 380.25

Jul18 - 377.75 / 379.75

Q2-18 - 378.50 / 380.50

Q3-18 - 376.75 / 378.75

Q4-18 - 372.75 / 375.25

Q1-19 - 365.00 / 367.50

CAL19 - 346.50 / 349.50

CAL20 - 292.00 / 297.00

Singapore 180 cSt

Feb18 - 382.50 / 384.50

Mar18 - 383.50 / 385.50

Apr18 - 383.75 / 385.75

May18 - 384.00 / 386.00

Jun18 - 383.50 / 385.50

Jul18 - 383.25 / 385.25

Q2-18 - 383.75 / 385.75

Q3-18 - 382.25 / 384.25

Q4-18 - 378.75 / 381.25

Q1-19 - 372.75 / 375.25

CAL19 - 355.00 / 358.00

CAL20 - 301.00 / 306.00

Rotterdam Barges

Feb18 365.75 / 367.75

Mar18 366.75 / 368.75

Apr18 367.25 / 369.25

May18 367.00 / 369.00

Jun18 366.50 / 368.50

Jul18 365.25 / 367.25

Q2-18 366.75 / 368.75

Q3-18 363.25 / 365.25

Q4-18 355.00 / 357.50

Q1-19 347.00 / 349.50

CAL19 326.00 / 329.00

CAL20 272.00 / 277.00


CEO, Fredrik Witte and CFO, Mette Rokne Hanestad. Corvus Energy raises $60m from consortium for maritime battery expansion  

Norwegian energy storage supplier secures growth capital to accelerate zero-emission shipping solutions.

Indian Register of Shipping hosts at LISW 2025. Shipping industry warned nuclear power is essential to meet 2050 net zero targets  

Experts say government backing is needed for nuclear investment.

Rendering of LNG bunkering vessel Avenir TBN. ExxonMobil enters LNG bunkering with two vessels planned for 2027  

Energy company to charter vessels from Avenir LNG and Evalend Shipping for marine fuel operations.

Logos of international maritime associations supporting IMO Net Zero Framework. Shipping associations back IMO Net-Zero Framework ahead of key vote  

Seven international associations urge governments to adopt comprehensive decarbonisation rules at IMO meeting.

Concept illustration of biofuel and renewable energy production. Study claims biofuels emit 16% more CO2 than fossil fuels they replace  

Transport & Environment report challenges biofuels as climate solution ahead of COP30.

Rendering of Green Ammonia FPSO. ABB to supply automation systems for floating green ammonia production vessel  

Technology firm signs agreement with SwitcH2 for Portuguese offshore facility producing 243,000 tonnes annually.

VPS launches VeriSphere digital platform. VPS launches Verisphere digital platform to streamline marine fuel decarbonisation tools  

New ecosystem connects multiple maritime emissions solutions through single user interface.

Wallenius Sol vessel Botnia Enabler. Wallenius Sol joins Gasum's FuelEU Maritime compliance pool as bio-LNG generator  

Partnership aims to help shipping companies meet EU carbon intensity requirements through bio-LNG pooling.

IAPH Clean Marine Fuels Working Group. IAPH launches products portal with ammonia bunker safety checklist  

Port association releases industry-first ammonia fuel checklist alongside updated tools for alternative marine fuels.

Berkel AHK Logo. Berkel AHK joins Global Ethanol Association as founding member  

German ethanol producer becomes founding member of industry association focused on marine fuel applications.


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