Commodities Focus: Recent Episodes
S&P Global Commodity Insights
S&P Global Commodity Insights analysis of key news and pricing issues from across the global shipping, natural gas, power, petrochemicals, agriculture, and coal markets.
For months, Japan has been suffering from an extremely low availability of its staple food—rice. Despite Tokyo's efforts to mitigate the supply crisis, local rice prices have touched all-time high levels. Other countries are likely to step in to fill the gap but Japan’s preference for quality remains in focus.
In this podcast, Asim Anand, managing editor, price reporting, agriculture & food, is joined by Dipanshi Agarwal, agricultural economist, Arif Islam, price reporter and Tanya Rana, senior price reporter to discuss why Japan is facing tightness in rice supplies and what opportunities lie for the US and Thai farmers in terms of trade.
A new outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease discovered in Germany earlier this year has reshaped trade flows of European pork and led to significant pricing volatility in the region. Varying government responses to the disease have raised questions about how the European market will fare going forward and whether other global exporters will be able to fill the void left by the reduced EU hog supply. Geopolitical uncertainty has further complicated the situation, with US tariffs coming into force and the ongoing antidumping investigation on EU pork by the Chinese government.
Heather Pantling leads an indepth discussion with market experts Sarah Reid, Desiré Sigaudo, and Samyak Pandey as they explore the impacts of Foot and Mouth Disease not only on the economy but also on global trading patterns.
Links:Platts Protein AssessmentsEU Pork Marker eur/mt UPML00EU Pork Marker $/mt EUPMK00 Pork Belly CFR North Asia GPSEB00
As the demand for sustainable protein sources escalates, seafood production is poised to become the fastest-growing sector in the global animal protein markets in 2025. At the forefront of this growth is shrimp, which stands out as a leading sustainable and healthy protein option, capturing the attention of consumers and reshaping the landscape of the animal protein market.
Jason Spaziante, EMEA manager of price reporting for agriculture and food, talks to aquaculture analyst Max Bouratoglou and price reporters Karan Dadure and Felipe Peroni about the evolution and challenges for this growing sector of protein.
Global electric vehicle adoption is increasing the demand for recycled battery raw materials. While the recent slowdown in EV sales growth and an oversupply of battery metals have weighed on battery recycling in some regions, the recognition of black mass as a sustainable source of critical raw materials has cemented its strategic importance in the eyes of global policymakers.
In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, our experts explore the trends, challenges, and opportunities in battery recycling and black mass markets.
China’s latest round of oil product export quotas had tightened compared to the same tranche a year ago. However, healthy margins and strong aviation recovery have pretty much cemented jet fuel’s position as the king of the barrel for Chinese exporters, though turbulence remains.
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Asia oil news editor, Neo Rong Wei discusses China’s latest export quotas and export plans, as well as its impact on regional markets with Market Specialist Daisy Xu and associate price reporter Lee Shu Ling, who covers Asia jet fuel/kerosene markets.
The global methanol market is seeing emerging demand for low-carbon transportation fuels, with particular focus on marine fuels, driven by a need to decarbonize global shipping without disrupting supply chains. While conventional methanol has a history of being used as a transportation fuel, there are many new technologies designed to produce methanol with lower carbon intensity than conventional, oil-based marine fuels. However, cost of production and supply availability remain barriers to adoption.
Global research lead for methanol and derivatives Olivier Maronneaud and chemicals price reporter Andre Mikhail discuss methanol's potential as a low-carbon fuel, the current production landscape, and the need for effective regulation to bridge the cost gap between sustainable fuels and fossil.
Links:International Methanol Producers and Consumers Association conference International Maritime Organization 83rd meeting eMethanol FOB Rotterdam $/mt FRGMD00 Marine Fuel 0.5% FOB Spore Cargo $/mt AMFSA00
Will US tariffs reshape aluminum trade flows? How will new alumina capacity out of Indonesia impact prices?
In this podcast, Asia nonferrous metals team lead Jenson Ong is joined by Louissa Liau, associate price reporter for Asia nonferrous metals, and Lucy Tang, market news specialist for Asia metals to discuss the latest developments across the aluminum value chain.
Related price assessments (subscriber content):
MMWAU00 MMWAD04 MMXCY00 MMANA00 AAFGA00 JLCAA00 JLCAD00
Exporters of chicken meat from the US have been mulling what might happen to their trade in the event of a trade war. Mexico is their largest customer, and Brazil is their largest competitor. However, those US exporters supply fresh, brown chicken meat to Mexico, and they’re quietly confident of their ability to hold onto that market.
William Bland, EMEA manager of price reporting for agriculture and food, talks to US poultry analyst Kelly Seier and price reporters Luke Lundgren and Beatriz Baltieri about how the market is planning for 2025.
Links: Platts Proteins Price Assessments US Chicken Marker USCM - ATALI00 Chicken Leg FCA Brazil – ATALJ00
Copper smelter margins have been facing noticeable pressure in recent months as copper concentrate TC/RCs plunged on tight supply, will this mean more production cuts upcoming? Primary copper prices, premiums, and even byproduct sulfuric acid charges, meanwhile, have been rising. Can these offer enough relief to smelters amid record-low TC/RCs?
In this podcast, Asia nonferrous metals senior manager price reporting, Mok Yuen Cheng is joined by Asia nonferrous metals senior price reporter Han Lu, minerals and fertilizer associate price reporter Ong Jia Lun, and metals market news specialist Lucy Tang, to discuss the latest happenings in copper and take a closer look at the key drivers in the market.
Brazil's ferrous scrap exports have undergone a significant transformation, driven by a weakening domestic steel industry and increasing demand from India. Brazil exported a record 800,000 mt in 2023, following a decline in domestic scrap consumption. Looking ahead, the Brazilian recycling sector is diversifying and adapting to international standards while navigating the ongoing challenges of stagnant economic growth and global steel oversupply.
Americas senior metals pricing manager Adriana Carvalho is joined by Mayara Baggio and Camila Martinez, price reporters for Latin America metals, and Abdi Salad, price reporter for EMEA low-carbon and base metals, to discuss the evolving role of Brazil in the ferrous scrap trade.
Links:Subscribe to Platts Connect HMS 1/2 Containerized FOB Brazil $/mt ABUPA00 Shredded Scrap Containerized FOB Brazil $/mt ABUPB00 Platts TSI Shredded Scrap CFR Nhava Sheva India $/mt AAXRQ04
Beef prices in the US started 2025 at a record high. The world’s largest consumer is also seeing a 63-year low in the size of its cattle herd and is expected to continue calling on supplies from Brazil and Australia, the world’s two biggest exporters. That’s because US farmers have been sending a high proportion of female animals to slaughter before they calved, shrinking their beef operations in response to low prices and higher costs. Luckily, Brazil and Australia are at different stages of the cattle cycle.
In this podcast, William Bland, EMEA manager of price reporting for Agriculture & Food, and Ryan Urie, the global head of meat and livestock research, speak to Kevin Coburn and Renan Araujo about how the market is planning for 2025.
Links: Platts Proteins Price Assessments
Brazil Beef Marker (BBM) - ATALC00
90CL Beef CIF US - ATALB00
90CL FCA Australia – ATALD00
India's rapidly growing energy demand, the shifting focus of oil producers towards the country, and the transition to cleaner energy sources are key themes at India Energy Week. Delegates will seek insights on how Indian energy companies and policymakers can balance the reliance on traditional fuels with a new energy roadmap.
In a comprehensive discussion, Dave Ernsberger, Co-President at S&P Global Commodity Insights, Ranjit Rath, Chairman and Managing Director at Oil India Ltd, and Sambit Mohanty, Asia Energy Editor, will explore key market issues of interest to delegates. They will address India's evolving relationship with non-OPEC producers and outline the strategies India plans to implement in its upstream sector to attract global investors.
Within hours of being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders, and declared a national emergency with the aim of ensuring reliable energy supplies and position the US as a leading minerals producer. Trump also threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico -- major exporters of crude to the US. How have commodities markets responded to Trump's actions? What powers do these emergency declarations give Trump to boost production? And how will this reliance on emergencies and executive orders play out down the road as new administrations shift energy policy?
Jeff Mower, director of Americas oil news, discusses the emergency declaration and the executive orders with senior editors Eamonn Brennan, Taylor Kuykendall, Maya Weber and Kate Winston.
Links:
Trump’s executive orders on trade, immigration signal dealmaking intent (video)
Trump's return to office could raise solar panel production costs (video)
FACTBOX: Trump launches round of executive orders to boost energy output (subscriber content)
Amid sustained supply growth out of Indonesia while higher-cost production shuts down, will the focal point of nickel markets continues to be shifted to the country? Markets looks ahead at China’s stimulus for support to nickel demand from the steel and battery sectors, but will it be sufficient to underpin prices?
In this podcast, Asia nonferrous metals team lead Jenson Ong is joined by Wang Litian, associate price reporter for Asia nonferrous metals, and Lucy Tang, market news specialist for Asia metals to discuss the latest developments in the nickel space.
As the maritime industry faces a crucial turning point, the adoption of stringent environmental regulations is reshaping fuel consumption and market dynamics. In this episode of Commodities Focus, our Platts experts discuss the implications of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) on shipping operations and the transition to alternative fuels.
With the upcoming FuelEU regulations and the establishment of a new Emissions Control Area in the Mediterranean, we delve into how these changes are influencing supply chain strategies and the demand for traditional versus alternative fuels. Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities presented by these regulatory shifts, and gain insights into the future of freight markets amidst an evolving landscape.
Links: GSI 10 Dirty Tanker Global Index Suezmax (Non-Scrubber Fitted Non-Eco) - GSTDA00 GSI 10S Dirty Tanker Global Index Suezmax (Scrubber-Fitted Eco) - GSTDB00 Dirty Tanker Basis Global Index VLCC (Non-Scrubber Fitted Non-Eco) - VGIBS00 Dirty Tanker Basis Global Index VLCC (Scrubber-Fitted Eco) - VGIBR00 Interactive: Platts global bunker fuel cost calculator Platts to include EU ETS carbon costs in tanker freight assessments, launching carbon-exclusive rates for two benchmark routes Jan. 2, 2025 - Read more
India is at the crossroads of transitioning from Asia's primary corn exporter to a net importer amidst growing ethanol production within the country. Is this trend of corn imports going to continue, and why is the Indian ethanol market a crucial factor? What challenges stand in the way of this transition?
In this podcast, grains and oilseeds price reporter Edward Low is joined by Namarita Kathait, associate editor for Asia agriculture and senior editor for biofuels, Rishab Joshi, and global biofuel news editor Samyak Pandey to discuss the latest developments in India's corn and ethanol markets.
The world’s top rice exporter India recently lifted most of the restrictions on its rice exports, which the country placed in July 2023 to control soaring domestic food prices. Price-sensitive rice importers, such as the West African countries, are likely to look towards India as a competitive supplier. However, shipping concerns that impacted the country’s rice exporters recently may continue to add to the trade uncertainties in the coming days as well.
In this podcast, Asim Anand, managing editor, agriculture and food and pricing is joined by Tanya Rana, associate editor, agriculture and food pricing, Pranay Shukla, director, head of dry bulk freight & commodities research, and Tanya Kalra, associate editor, Asia container markets, to discuss the factors impacting global rice markets as well as the freight and container outlooks in 2025, and their possible impact on Indian rice trade.
The outcome of the US presidential election in November will have ripple effects for the international energy picture. In the weeks before the election, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are trying to draw contrasts with each other, including on energy and foreign policy.
Kate Winston, oil news editor for S&P Global Commodity Insights, discusses oil sanctions, LNG exports and solar tariffs with reporters Chris Vanmoessner, Corey Paul and Kirsten Errick. They discuss the foreign policy and economic policies of the candidates and how they may impact supplies and prices for oil, gas and solar components across the globe.
Links:
How the 2024 elections could reshape US domestic energy policy
Political experts say Nov. 5 will likely become known as one of the most pivotal elections in US history. Whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins the presidency, and whether Republicans or Democrats control Congress, the energy sector faces major potential shifts. There will be implications for supply chains, energy infrastructure, and the overall direction of US energy markets.
Jasmin Melvin, senior editor and team lead for The Energy Daily, leads a discussion on what’s at stake in the oil, gas, power and metals arenas with Commodity Insights reporters and analysts Zack Hale, Taylor Kuykendall, Starr Spencer and Anna Mosby. They examine the polarizing energy positions from the presidential candidates and how a potentially divided Congress could reshape energy policy.
Links:
Platts Connect - S&P Global Commodity Insights news coverage, pricing and analysis
CapIQ - Commodity Insights Americas news
India has maintained its position as the world's largest producer of direct-reduced iron (DRI) for several years. As the global race to accelerate energy transition efforts intensifies, DRI has gained prominence due to its potential for reducing carbon emissions in energy-intensive sectors like steel.
Recognized as a key pathway to 'green steel,' DRI offers various low-carbon steelmaking alternatives. Walking the DRI path is expected to help India's steel industry to lower its emissions. Capturing this evolving and dynamic market in India, S&P Global Commodity Insights' Platts has launched a daily pellet-based Indian domestic direct reduced iron spot price assessment on an ex-works Raipur, Chhattisgarh basis.
Related:
Indian domestic direct reduced iron price assessment
In the global wheat markets, recent concerns over a major production cut in Russia, a key exporter, have sparked attention on the supply and demand dynamics. Neighbouring European producers are also facing similar concerns. Meanwhile, in Canada and Australia, weather developments in recent months have played a significant role in shaping production prospects. While, on the demand side, key importing regions such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia are experiencing challenges as well.
In this podcast, Lalita AVD, editor, agriculture news, talks to Vivien Tang, senior editor, APAC agriculture and food Pricing, Vivian Iroanya, editor, EMEA agriculture and food pricing, and Ashya Kaderabek-vela, associate editor, Americas agriculture pricing about the potential implications of the production cut in Russia and analyze how other key wheat exporters, such as Canada and Australia, could step up to fill in the supply gap.
Russian Wheat 12.5% FOB Black Sea Deep Water (WRBSD00)
CWRS Wheat 13.5% FOB Vancouver (30-45 days forward) (AWHCD00)
APW Wheat FOB Australia (WAUSA00)
With high temperatures moving through the US, multiple regions are preparing for gas and power price volatility. Gas supply constraints or cooling demand could result in power demand spikes. Data centers have been increasing power and gas requirements in some areas, power generators have been competing for gas supplies with LNG terminals along the Gulf Coast, and high gas storage levels in Southern California could lower gas and power prices from past summers.
Americas gas editorial lead J Robinson and senior power editor Jared Anderson discuss these factors in the natural gas and power market outlook for summer 2024.
Links:Register for the Financing US Power Conference
Global container markets have endured a year of volatility not experienced since the global pandemic in 2020-2021, anchored by the complexity for supply chains as carriers loop around the Cape of Good Hope. Now that demand is ushering back into markets in a period of restocking, rates have surged upwards for North and South American import markets from Asia, with some suggesting that the ceiling has not yet been reached heading into Q3. In the midst of all of this is an uncertain geopolitical environment, where impending tariffs imposed by the US government on Chinese goods have influenced volume shifting in this upward drive.
Meat consumption is soaring globally, driven by population growth, rising incomes, and dietary preferences. As emerging markets embrace protein-rich diets, demand for feed grains intensifies, and the weather, government policy, animal disease and other factors can have major impact on both industries.
For the second installment of this two-part series focusing on global beef and poultry markets, Will Bland resumes the conversation, this time with agriculture managing editors Liz Thang and Asim Anand. The team turns the spotlight to Asia and the Middle East, where most of the world's population and livestock live.
Links:
Press Release: S&P Global Commodity Insights Launches New Platts Price Assessments for Poultry, Beef Proteins Price Assessments: S&P Global Commodity Insights Live
Grilling season is underway in the US -- the world's largest producer and consumer of beef. Even so, per capita consumption of beef in the US has halved over the last 50 years. The US can now produce more beef with fewer head of cattle, but it has become reliant on imported beef. And Brazil has a herd of some 235 million head and now supplies the world.
In this first installment of a two-part series focusing on global beef and poultry markets, EMEA agriculture and food manager William Bland speaks with Americas agriculture managers John-Laurent Tronche and Rafael Savoia about these changing dynamics.
Links:
Press Release: S&P Global Commodity Insights Launches New Platts Price Assessments for Poultry, Beef Proteins Price Assessments: S&P Global Commodity Insights Live
As election fever grips the UK, this Commodities Focus podcast looks at the country’s oil refineries as they grapple with the fast-changing process of energy transition, including shifting government targets, shrinking diesel demand, the rise of sustainable aviation fuel, and unrelenting competitive pressure from giant refiners around the world. In this new instalment of the Commodities Focus podcast focusing on UK energy policy, Nick Coleman, senior editor for oil news, is joined by Robert Perkins, managing editor for downstream oil news, European oil markets analyst Rebeka Foley, and downstream oil news reporter Kelly Norways.
The expansion in the Indian steel manufacturing capacity comes at an opportune moment for the industry as the country has witnessed massive infrastructure projects like construction of national highways over the past few years. Now, with the general elections underway in the country and if the incumbent government comes back to power, the thrust on infrastructure would likely receive continued boost on account of policy continuity.
Even though India has unseated Japan as the second largest producer of steel in the world over the past few years, steel production is quite a capital-intensive business, and a large chunk of production costs is driven by prices of raw materials. In such a scenario, the question arises if the Indian steel sector is comfortably placed in terms of having access to conventional and non-conventional raw materials going ahead.
In this discussion, Anirudh Iyer, steel and raw materials is joined byKeith Tan, associate regional pricing director for Asia metals, Rohan Somwanshi, managing editor for global agriculture and metals news and Paul Barthomolew, lead analyst for metals and mining, to share their views on what lies ahead for the Indian steel sector.
The rice markets in Asia have seen new trends emerging with Indonesia importing rice, and India putting restrictions on their rice exports. Ripple effects have been felt in other major growing rice growing countries such as Pakistan and Thailand.
In this Commodities Focus episode, Elizabeth Thang, Managing Editor for Food and Agriculture is joined by three rice experts from S&P Global Commodity Insights, Tanya Rana and Elvis John, associate editors with the agriculture markets and Mugunthan Kesavan, Engagement lead for food and agriculture to discuss some key questions—how the markets are reacting to Indonesia’s return to the market as an importer, what the industry is anticipating about the rice export ban in India ahead of elections in the country, and more.
As a UK general election looms, energy security and the transition to net-zero are high on the agenda. In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, our experts sift through the policy options, from windfall taxes to licensing bans, and discuss why they matter, not just for the UK, but for Europe and beyond. Nick Coleman, senior editor for oil news, is joined by Gethin Baker, senior technical research analyst specialising in the North Sea, and Stuart Elliott, news reporter focusing on the UK and European gas markets.
Related Price Assessments: PCAAS00 Dated Brent GTFTX00 Dutch TTF Eur/MWh Day Ahead
Pressured by sub-$2/MMBtu prices, many US producers have decided to cut spending on gas-directed drilling and completion activity and to scale back production in 2024. But there are signs of price improvement along the futures curve in late 2024 and thereafter, due in part to the arrival of new LNG facilities, giving operators reason for optimism.
In this episode, Jeremy Beaman, natural gas news editor, talks with Bryan Mcnamara and Imre Kugler, directors of upstream research about how natural gas producers are approaching a difficult price environment and what their plans are for 2024 and 2025.
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Red sea crisis has forced carriers and shippers alike to adjust strategies. Container freight rates not only reached yearly high after receding throughout 2023 but carriers also seized a profit making opportunity they were looking for after the post pandemic lull. The change in this dynamic has forced shippers to again look for alternatives in the hopes of making their supply chain more agile.
S&P Global Commodity Insights containers editor Tanya Kalra speaks with Chris Rogers, Head of Supply Chain and Research, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Greg Knowler, Senior Editor, Journal of Commerce and Mohammed Al Ansare, Associate Editor, EMEA Containers, S&P Global Commodity Insights about the changing dynamics in the containers market and how carriers and shippers are navigating through them.
Lithium producers are pushing timelines out for project development in North America as global lithium prices sit near a three-year low after plunging from record levels in 2022. The change in sentiment has cooled off a red-hot market and cast doubt on the future of domestic lithium supply for North America’s electric vehicles and other energy transition applications.
S&P Global Commodity Insights metals editor Nick Lazzaro speaks with Viral Shah, managing editor for low carbon and base metals in EMEA, and Adriana Carvalho, senior managing editor for Americas metals markets, about the changing dynamics in global lithium markets this year, new pricing trends in the US, and the future prospects for North American lithium supply.
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Wheat prices have been on a largely downward trend since the start of 2024 despite lower production in key exporters, Canada and Australia, and continued logistics concerns due to the wars in the Black Sea and the Red Sea. Does this imply the weight of a larger global supply in the year ahead and that the markets have adapted to a new normal amidst geopolitical tensions? Or are there choppier waves to come?
In this podcast, Vivien Tang, associate grains editor, grains, Victoria Sinitsyna, associate director, Grains Analytics and Nikolaos Aidinis Antonopoulos, senior freight pricing specialist discuss the potential challenges faced by the wheat markets and provide an outlook on global wheat production and freight markets in 2024.
The Asian copper market saw CIF China copper concentrate TC/RC fall by 65% in just three months’ time, while smelters were still not able to find enough feedstocks to meet their production needs. As copper concentrate market changed from surplus to deficit and copper price is still hovering at $8100-$8500/mt level, our experts discuss what happened behind the price, share the outlook for copper concentrate and copper cathodes.
S&P Global Commodity Insights senior managing editor Mok Cheng speaks with senior copper analyst Wang Ruilin and senior price editor Han Lu about the factors driving copper concentrate TC/RCs movement, implications for copper cathodes and copper price, and what we would expect in 2024.
Following on from heavy winter storms in recent years that disrupted power supply across US regions, power markets managed a mid-January 2024 winter storm with elevated prices and a few demand records, but no large-scale power outages.
S&P Global Commodity Insights reporters Mark Watson, Jared Anderson, Kassia Micek and Tom Tiernan discuss how grid operators are applying lessons learned from past winter storms and benefitting from policy directives on winterization of equipment.
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Over the past 20 years, Brazil’s growth in the production of feedstuffs like soybeans and corn has been remarkable. In the process, it has become a powerhouse exporter. To accomplish this, it took the convergence of Brazil modernizing its agricultural production and transportation systems along with the equally meteoric demand growth of a willing buyer, China.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' chief agricultural economist Paul Hughes speaks with feed and grains senior analyst Anamaria Martins and grains and oilseeds pricing manager Rafael Savoia about the factors behind this astounding transformation, the implications for world trade, the beneficiaries, and what is likely ahead.
White paper: How China’s aging demographics will affect food and agricultural commodities (subscriber content)
Asian aluminum markets continue to see lackluster demand and ample stocks pressuring premiums, though the sporadic reopening of the Chinese import arbitrage window is providing support across the region.
Further upstream in the alumina markets, flat demand remains a drag on prices globally, but cost pressures and output curtailments are keeping significant declines at bay.
As the market looks at what’s ahead for 2024, YuenCheng Mok, Senior Managing Editor of Asia nonferrous metals at S&P Global Commodity Insights discusses the key developments in the Asian alumina and aluminum markets with Jenson Ong and Germaine Lee from the Asia nonferrous metals team, and Lucy Tang, market specialist for Metals.
In this podcast, find out what’s in-store in the near term for these markets.
Chinese copper markets are showing signs of recovering from the slump that hit the industry in the second quarter pf this year. The clean concentrate spot TCs are declining on increased demand for cargoes and cathode import interest are improving on tighter spot supplies. As the market heads into negotiation season, YuenCheng Mok, Senior Managing Editor of nonferrous metals at S&P global Commodity Insights discusses the key trends in the Chinese copper concentrate and cathode markets with Jesline Tang, Editor with the nonferrous metals team and Han Lu, senior editor with the team. Find out what’s in-store in the near term for these markets and the expectations for 2024 benchmark levels.
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With bearish fundamentals characterizing the global LNG market, what role will US exporters play for Europe this winter? Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 and subsequent decoupling between LNG and natural gas in Europe, the US has played an even larger role in the region’s energy security.
Global LNG markets have changed dramatically over the past year, with the record prices and extreme volatility of 2022 giving way to more bearish fundamentals ahead of the coming winter. Under those circumstances, what role will US exporters play for Europe this winter? Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 and subsequent decoupling between LNG and natural gas in Europe, the US has played an even larger role in the region’s energy security.
In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' Americas and Atlantic LNG experts Corey Paul and Margaret Rogers examine how well the US is placed as a supplier this winter as Europe navigates another peak demand season following the loss of Russian pipeline gas.
Related prices: LNG FOB US Gulf Coast Cargo (LGCSM01) LNG DES Northwest Europe Marker (AASXU00) LNG DES JKM Spot Cargo (AAOVQ00)
High density polyethylene product consumption and market behavior are key indicators for consumer spending. The US and major export outlet Asia are climbing out of a price slump created by HDPE oversupply, attractive cost margins and slow-to-recover demand. With about 1.5 million mt/year of North American ethane-advantaged capacity starting between September and Q1 2024, run rate discipline will be crucial, especially as low prices encourage virgin resin substitution for recyclers despite impending sustainability targets in the US.
Global polymers pricing lead Kristen Hays leads a discussion with global sustainable chemicals lead Heng Hui, US polyethylene editor Colleen Ferguson and US recycled polymers senior editor Antoinette Smith about the main drivers behind HDPE prices and what market participants expect in the short-term as the supply and demand dynamic struggles to find equilibrium.
Related prices: HDPE Blowmolding FAS Houston (AAWCZ00) Recycled HDPE Natural Pellets FOB Chicago (ARNPA00)
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Draft reduction at the Neopanamax locks and limitations on daily transits at the Panamax lock system have resulted in longer wait times to transit the Panama Canal. Shipowners have been raising freight costs to seek reimbursement for higher transit and demurrage fees; lightering ships by offloading cargo before crossing; or rerouting ships via alternative but longer routes.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Barbara Troner, Americas freight senior managing editor, discusses these impacts with Americas tankers reporter Catherine Rogers, containers reporter Laura Robb, and dry bulk reporter Nikolaos Aidinis Antonopoulos. The group discusses how shipping markets have been impacted by the El Niño-induced water conservation measures responding to the extended dry season in the Panama Canal watershed, and what remedial steps shipowners can take to navigate the logistical bottleneck potentially continuing well into 2024.
Prices in this episode:
PCR0500 – North Asia-EC North America $/FEU freight (containers)
GRNOQ00 - DBF Grain New Orleans Louisiana US Gulf Coast-Qingdao China 66kt $/mt Panamax (dry bulk)
GRNOJ00 - DBF Grain New Orleans Louisiana US Gulf Coast-Kashima Japan 50kt $/mt Supramax (dry bulk)
TCAUX00 – Medium Range 38kt USGC-Chile Lumpsum freight (tankers)
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A sluggish start to the peak summer demand season has disrupted the global recycled PET markets, with subpar demand from beverage bottling in North America, squeezed margins, stiff competition from virgin resin and pessimism running rampant.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Heng Hui, global market lead for sustainable chemicals, Lee Joon lei, associate editor for petrochemicals, Charlie Wright also an associate editor and Antoinette Smith, senior editor, Americas chemicals discuss the current RPET conditions and provide a look ahead at the rest of the year and early 2024.
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US Henry Hub natural gas prices have averaged just $2.43/MMBtu this year, pushing many producers close to, or even below, their breakeven price. Mild weather and weak gas demand this past winter were largely to blame, triggering a selloff that dropped gas prices from historic highs. US gas producers were slow to respond to the selloff, however, and only recently cut rigs, slowed new well starts and dialed back completions. At over 102 Bcf/d, though, US gas production remains near record highs this summer. Will recent capex cuts be enough to balance the market?
S&P Global Commodity Insights' J. Robinson, editorial lead for the Americas natural gas news team, sits down with Reed Olmstead, executive director of research and analysis for upstream, and Jeremy Beaman, editor for the American natural gas team, to discuss the outlook for US output as domestic operators readjust to leaner margins.
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It's been a rough couple of years for US corn and soybeans. 2022 brought drought, record-low Mississippi River water levels, and ultimately sky-high grains and oilseeds prices. The 2023 planting season was initially met with dry weather, causing concern of low yields come harvest time, but have conditions turned around since then and if not, what would that mean for prices and for domestic and export demand?
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Jennifer Pedrick, Pete Meyer, Paul Hughes and Luke Lundgren examine the progress of these crops so far in the crop year, and look toward the possible outcomes of the upcoming harvest on the US market and trade flows in South America and around the globe.
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A year after a historic short squeeze sent LME nickel metal prices soaring above $100,000/mt, industry players remain divided over their pricing preferences in the nickel market with some still referencing the LME, while Chinese market participants have largely moved to other alternatives such as sulfate-basis pricing and SHFE nickel.
Following the Indonesian government's announcement of its plan to develop a nickel index, as well as proposed changes from the LME to strengthen its legacy position, what are the potential implications for the nickel market, and how could near-term supply-demand fundamentals influence this?
Leah Chen, editor of the S&P Global Commodity Insights non-ferrous team discusses the impact of the black swan event as well as recent developments in the nickel industry with Jesline Tang, editor of battery metals pricing team, and Charles Thompson, editor of EMEA nickel, aluminum and secondary alloys.
Related price assessments:
Nickel sulfate DDP China BATNS04
MHP CIF NA basis LME BATMC00
MHP CIF NA basis NS BATMB00 (percentage)
MHP CIF NA basis NS BATMA00
MHP CIF NA basis NSME00
MHP CIF NA basis LME BATMD00 (percentage)
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Up to two-thirds of North America is at an elevated risk of electricity shortfalls this summer in extreme conditions with a high load and high outages, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. Conventional plants are retiring faster than the needed transmission and generation can be built, and there are questions about whether the natural gas system is up to the task of supplying fuel to gas-fired generators needed for reliability.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Kate Winston, a senior editor for Americas power news, discussed reliability with John Moura, the director of reliability assessment at NERC. Joining the discussion were Mason Lester, a senior research analyst with SPGCI, and Daryna Kotenko, the team lead for North American power pricing at SPGCI.
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China was among the last to lift COVID restrictions at the close of 2022, but its polymer exports remain elevated amid continued sluggish domestic demand, creating more global competition for limited pockets of demand. India has been a bright spot in the region given its demand, but not enough to fill the gap left by China. Those global flows continue to force US sellers and prices to compete as all chase the same thin pockets of demand, particularly with new polymer capacity coming online in the next few months that will push more material into export markets.
Kristen Hays, global market lead for polymers at S&P Global Commodity Insights, sat down with three polymer market experts at SPGCI to discuss the state of play as a rebound in China’s domestic demand remains key to buyers and sellers worldwide. Joining Hays were Heng Hui, senior editor in Singapore whose coverage includes Asian polyethylene, and Fumiko Dobashi, also a senior editor in Singapore whose coverage includes Asian polyvinyl chloride, and Preeti Bhagat, associate editor in Gurgaon, India, who covers India's polyethylene and PVC markets.
Australia, one of the world's leading wheat exporters, has produced three bumper wheat harvests in a row, and with the prospect of an extension of the Black Sea grain corridor deal fading by the day, the country is emerging as a reliable wheat supplier to Asian markets.
In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights agriculture news senior editor Asim Anand discusses the outlook for Australian wheat with associate editor Vivien Tang, senior pricing specialist Nikolaos Aidinis Antonopoulos and editor Sampad Nandy.
The panel considers whether Australian wheat has an edge over its competitors and supply prospects for the upcoming marketing year, as well as diving into the ambiguity surrounding the Black Sea grain trade deal and the impacts on the Asian market if the deal is not renewed on May 18.
From a dramatic shift in oil trade flows to a series of clean fuel policy reforms, India's energy sector has been in the spotlight recently. With the country poised for massive growth in energy consumption, lawmakers and corporates are preparing for an energy future that will aim to strike a balance between traditional oil and gas businesses, while making greater inroads into hydrogen, biofuels and electric mobility sectors. In a wide-ranging discussion with Sambit Mohanty, Asia Energy Editor at S&P Global Commodity Insights, Pulkit Agarwal, India head of content, Deepak Kannan, head of global coal markets, and Agamoni Ghosh, senior editor for carbon markets, discuss whether India's heavy reliance on fossil fuels could create hurdles in moving towards cleaner fuels at the desired pace.
The issues impacting US power markets seem to be widespread and far-reaching lately. Since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed in August, it’s really taken over discussions at energy conferences due to its far-reaching impacts. But US power markets are also facing reliability concerns from extreme weather events, transmission permitting and the interconnection queue backlog, and massive growth in battery storage capacity.
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Kassia Micek, Mark Watson, Morris Greenberg, and Sam Huntington discuss the biggest topics impacting US power markets right now and what progress has been made regarding change.
Related price assessments: Lithium Carbonate CIF North Asia (BATLC04)
ERCOT North Hub day-ahead on-peak (IERNM00)
Powder River Basin 8,800 OTC (CTAOM01)
CAISO SP15 Gen Hub solar capture price index (ACPID00)
The gene editing system is being used extensively by the private and public sectors to develop new traits of interest in crops. To date, more than 500 products are being developed worldwide using the technology and are at different stages of product development, with more than a dozen of gene edited grain and oilseeds having authorization for cultivation in the US.
In this episode, S&P Global Commodity Insights' Sophie Byron (associate editorial director, agriculture pricing), Bharti Malhotra (research and analytics manager and lead author of gene editing report), Alan Bullion (special reports and projects director for Agribusiness, co-author of report), and Pete Meyer (crops and feedstock economist) discuss the fast-growing world of gene-edited crops and how this technology is being perceived globally to resolve the biggest challenges of food security, energy security, and sustainability.
Register for the European Biofuels Conference here Register for the Geneva Sugar Conference here
The global petrochemical industry is grappling with the aftermath of COVID-fueled demand. The supply squeeze in 2020 and 2021 that led to soaring prices has been doused by economic uncertainty and oversupply, leaving producers with hard decisions about output and buyers with lots of options.
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ global polymer lead Kristen Hays speaks with Chemical Week editors Rob Westervelt and Clay Boswell to break down how the markets got here and what’s coming up. Don’t miss them at the World Petrochemical Conference in Houston next week as well.
Related: Chemical Week
Algorithmic trading is increasingly a mainstay of European electricity and natural gas trade as major players seek to stay on top of fast-moving, volatile markets.
So-called algos, which make hundreds if not thousands of trades a day, are widely used to balance renewable energy portfolios and bring more liquidity to the market.
But traders have blamed the automated process for exacerbating volatility during last year's energy crisis, when electricity and gas prices exploded due to tight supplies and regulatory uncertainty.
In this episode S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Kira Savcenko shares fragments of her conversation about this phenomenon with Jürgen Mayerhofer, CEO of algorithmic trader Enspired, and discusses further with Henry Edwardes-Evans, managing editor of S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Power in Europe newsletter.
Related price assessments: UK Day-ahead Baseload Power price: AADET00 UK Day-ahead Peakload Power price: AADFC00 UK Block 5 Power price: GTB5G00
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered major supply risks and wide-ranging sanctions that have dramatically changed global oil and gas markets. In a year of price volatility, supply concerns and increasingly harsh sanctions, Russia has accelerated its pivot to Asian markets. As we enter a second year of the conflict, the risk of major security incidents, a decline in Russian production, and even tougher sanctions hangs over global markets.
In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Paul Sheldon, Stuart Elliott and Sambit Mohanty discuss the impact of the war with managing editor for Russia commodities and energy news Rosemary Griffin.
Related price assessments: GTFWM10 - Dutch TTF 1-Mo PCAAS00 – Dated Brent AAWVH00 – Urals FOB Primorsk AAWVI00 – Urals Primorsk v Med Dtd Strip
The Freeport LNG terminal in Texas started exporting LNG cargoes in mid-February for the first time since a fire and explosion in June 2022 forced a shutdown of the facility, marking a milestone in the history of US LNG. In the global LNG market, the Freeport outage initially exacerbated supply shortages that sent sky-high spot prices even higher. In the US, the shutdown took the lid off a really hot domestic gas market, as a key source of domestic demand went offline. But global LNG and US gas market dynamics have changed dramatically in the eight months since Freeport went offline. In this episode, S&P Global Commodity Insights LNG experts Harry Weber and Corey Paul discuss these issues as Freeport returns, as well as LNG market fundamentals more broadly in the Atlantic.
Also listen: Have LNG and gas markets returned to normality in 2023?
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Prices are closer to lower, volatility has reduced and inter-product price spreads have come in, so are we seeing gas and LNG markets revert to normality? What are the factors that have calmed markets, and is this new-found tranquillity likely to be sustained?
In this Commodities Focus podcast episode, S&P Global Commodity Insights experts Kenneth Foo, Allen Reed and Stuart Elliott discuss these topics with global director for LNG Ciaran Roe.
Related price assessments: AAOVQ00 - LNG Japan/Korea DES Spot Crg AASXU00 - LNG NWE DES $/MMBtu GTFWM10 - Dutch TTF 1-Mo $/MMBtu
In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, our experts delve into the Black Sea wheat trade situation amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, from the impact of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on global food security to the challenges faced by the initiative and the future of wheat exports in the region.
Additionally, our experts also discuss the impact of sanctions on Russian fertilizer supplies and how it will shape the global demand in 2023.
Related content on Platts Dimensions Pro: Grains news and insights Dry Freight news and insights
Copper prices reached six-month high in December on a weakening US dollar and news of China relaxing its zero-COVID control policy, but copper cathode end-users reduced term contracts coverage for 2023. Copper concentrate supply is expected to be in surplus this year, but we saw spot tightness just in the start of the year.
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ experts Yuen Cheng Mok, Han Lu and Jesline Tang discuss the driving factors for recent copper market and expectations for the new year.
Price assessments on Platts Dimensions Pro:
Clean Copper Concentrate CIF China - PCCCB00
Copper Concentrate Producer-Trader Differential - PCCCG00
Adverse weather events due to climate change are increasingly impacting agriculture.
In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights reporters Shikha Singh and Mugunthan Kesavan speak to Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, Senior Research Scientist with NASA, and recipient of the 2022 World Food Prize Award on greenhouse emissions, rising temperatures and their impact on agriculture.
James McMahon, CEO of The Climate Service at S&P Global’s Sustainable 1, also joins the discussion and shares his thoughts on global emissions and the modelling of climate risks.
Learn more about climate-related physical risks and transition risks.
As EU sanctions on Russian crude and oil products come into force, the Baltic and Black Sea shipping markets face uncertainty.
In this episode of the Platts Commodities Focus podcast, our EMEA Tanker Editors and Freight Analytics team delve into the challenges and opportunities facing shipowners in these regions. From navigating new strategies to considering the potential impact of these sanctions, join us as we explore what the future holds for shipping in the west.
Helpful links:
Europe & Africa Crude Oil
Dirty Tanker Freight
Shipping News & Insights
Price regulation plays an important political and economic role in emerging countries, and Latin American countries this year have faced oil price volatility that has forced them to look for buffer alternatives.
News experts Jeff Mower and Sheky Espejo sat down with pricing experts Maria Jimenez and Sarah Hernandez to discuss how price regulation has been applied in Colombia, Brazil and Mexico and how that has affected domestic and export refined products markets.
Related content:
Platts Capitol Crude podcast
Demand for moving goods around the world has dramatically fallen as the cost of living rises and consumers start to tighten their belts. However, many shipowners have been left with bumper profits accumulated during the peak. Are freight rates going to continue their downward trend?How will the market react to the upcoming ESG regulations?
In the latest Platts Commodities Focus podcast, our container editors take a look at what is to come up as the market embraces new regulations, namely IMO 2023, and the prospect of oversupply in the market given the record-high order book.
Stay up to date with our Container Rates content.
As the oil and gas industry works to find its footing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic it now faces a world transformed, with new risks stemming from Russia’s war in Ukraine and brewing global economic headwinds. In their third quarter earnings, oil industry executives appeared to diverge on their outlooks for the sector. Upstream players, hamstrung by capacity constraints, are maintaining capital discipline in the face of broad uncertainties, while the downstream side of the industry is eyeing ever bullish demand outlooks.
Oil editors Chris van Moessner, Starr Spencer, Janet McGurty and Lassana Fisiru sat down to recap the emerging themes and outlooks following S&P Global's coverage of the industry’s third-quarter earnings.
Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro to learn more about Platts Global Jet Index (PJGLO00) and WTI MEH USG (AAYRG00).
With Luis Inacio Lula de Silva returning to the presidency in Brazil after 12 years, the agriculture industry anticipates its market fundamentals could be impacted by an increasingly progressive agenda. Some defining issues include how Lula's government will deal with Petrobras' fuel price policy; fuel subsidy mechanisms; regulation of the biodiesel mandate; and the Renovabio program.
In this episode, Latin America agriculture experts Beatriz Pupo, Luciana Torrezan and Nicolle Castro discuss the possible impacts of the recent presidential elections on sugar and biofuels -- not only in Brazil, but globally.
Market participants expect a supply glut in 2022-23 amid record Brazilian soybean output forecast by different agencies. If Brazil can produce a huge volume of the oilseed in the upcoming marketing year, that could have major implications for US soybeans exporters and for Chinese demand.
In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights agriculture experts Asim Anand, Rafael Savoia, Pete Meyer and Emerson Wohlenberg break down the possible impacts to the global market.
Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering SOYBEX FOB Santos (SYBBB00), SOYBEX FOB New Orleans (SYBBI00), China Soybean Gross Crush margin (CSGCD00) and much more.
LNG markets are in the spotlight after the Russia-Ukraine war, with Asia and Europe both competing for limited cargoes. A harsher than expected winter may trigger unprecedented changes in LNG trade flows and force many Asian governments to implement contingency measures to tackle power outages.
In a discussion ahead of the Asia LNG & Hydrogen Gas Markets Conference, S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Surabhi Sahu, Kenneth Foo and Jeffrey Mooretalk aboutAsia’s LNG winter procurement, benchmark market activity and strategies like fuel switching to mitigate shortages.
Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering Platts LNG Japan/Korea DES Spot Cargo (AAOVQ00), LNG West India Marker (AARXS00) and many more.
With global container shipping costs coming down, European polymer markets are seeing offers of material from the Far East rise, adding pressure to prices in an already over supplied environment.
Platts Petrochemicals editors Abdulaziz Ehtaiba, Hui Heng and Daniel Pelosi, and Containers editor George Griffiths talk about the logistical landscape and the fallout it is causing in the polymer markets.
Price assessments relevant to this episode:
PP Homo Inj FD NWE Spot Eur/mt - AALUR00
PP Inj CFR FE Asia - PHBIF00
Platts Container Rate 1 North Asia-UK Continent $/FEU - PCR0100
HDPE Film CFR Far East Asia - AATYE00
As gas supply disruptions send shockwaves across the world, the ability and capacity to store energy has come under close scrutiny.
Associate Director Paul Hickin discusses with gas and power editors Stuart Elliott and Kira Savcenko whether Europe has enough energy in reserve to get through the winter, the challenges of providing sufficient back-up from both fossil fuels and alternative sources, the knock-on effects to the rest of the world, and whether we might experience déjà vu this time next year.
Related price assessments:
Dated Brent: PCAAS00
UK baseload front-month (GBP/MWh): AADGP00
TTF front-month (Eur/MWh): GTFTM01
Used cooking oil (UCO) or vegetable oil unfit for human consumption has found a new life as feedstock for biofuels like Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester (UCOME).
UCO is also used to produce renewable distillates like sustainable aviation fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil. With governments across the world pledging emission-reduction targets and increased capacity coming online, the demand for UCO is steadily growing.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts Elizabeth Thang, Donavan Lim, and Loren Puette discuss how these markets are developing in Asia and the policies that will drive future demand.
Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering Platts UCO FOB Straits (UCFCC00), UCOME FOB China (UCFCA00), UCOME Singapore (UCFCB00) and many more.
Related infographic: As airlines eye SAF for blue skies, used cooking oil in demand
In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, S&P Global Petrochemicals Editor Abdulaziz Ehtaiba talks with Univar Solutions’ Nick Powell, board member at FECC, about events like Russia's war in Ukraine, as well as factors like inflationary pressures in Europe, and how they are impacting the chemicals distribution industry.
US steel and polymer producers rode a wave of soaring prices for their products in 2021 as the economy roared back from the coronavirus pandemic and construction activity boomed. The hot building market brought with it an uptick in demand for steel and polymers. But the fun couldn't last forever. Rising interest rates are tamping down inflation, and the construction industry is feeling the pain.
S&P Global Commodity Insights global polymer lead Kristen Hays and US metal news editor Nick Lazzaro dive into recent trends in US construction activity, and how the price swings in polymer and steel markets illustrate that after two red-hot years, the economy might be finally cooling down.
Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering US hot-rolled coil (STHRI00), US polyvinyl chloride (AAGZR00), and much more.
US summer power markets are just warming up. A heat wave hit the central US in mid-July, leading to multiple alerts and records across two grid footprints, and a late July heat wave brought triple-digit temperatures to the Pacific Northwest, shrinking power exports to neighboring regions in the West. But the summer demand season is far from over, as forecasts for summer-like temperatures now extend into September, which means there’s likely much more on the way before things cool off.
US power news editor Kassia Micek, power pricing analyst Karen Rivera, senior power and gas editor Mark Watson, and North American power analytics manager Morris Greenberg discuss what’s happened this season to date, and how things look down the curve.
Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering ERCOT North Hub day-ahead on-peak (IERNM00), SPP South Hub day-ahead on-peak (ISSOM00), and much more.
Australia’s ban on export of alumina to Russia following the war in Ukraine sent prices on a rollercoaster ride in the first half of 2022. Uncertainties surrounding the supply-demand dynamics and policies continue to loom ahead.
In the aluminum markets, Chinese smelters have been ramping up production but are facing operational losses, while elevated energy prices and operational challenges threaten further smelter curtailments in the Atlantic basin.
In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' senior managing editor Mok YuenCheng discusses with pricing specialists Jenson Ong and Germaine Lee, and Lucy Tang from the news and research team on what lies ahead for the alumina and aluminum markets this year.
Subscribe to Platts Dimensions Pro for access to assessments and premium content covering Platts Alumina FOB Australia (MMWAU00), FOB Brazil Atlantic Differential (MMWAD04), China ExWorks (MMXCY00), as well as the Aluminum Premium CIF Japan (MMANA00) and much more.
Amid geopolitical risks threatening the key wheat-growing Black Sea region, Canadian wheat is taking on a bigger role in the global spotlight for this key food crop as recently launched CME futures give additional tools for those looking at FOB Vancouver wheat.
Join agriculture managing editor Josh Pedrick and senior pricing specialists Luke Lundgren and Alexandre Bobylov as they talk through the current market dynamics in global wheat, while head of grain analytics Pete Meyer discusses the supply and demand picture.
This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.
India’s imposition of steep tariffs on steel exports has put global markets in a tizzy, with unanswered questions on the longevity of the policy, immediate benefits to domestic end-users and strategies that local mills could adopt to manage excess inventories.
In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts, Senior Editor Ashima Tyagi and Lead Analyst Paul Bartholomew, discuss with Aruna Sharma, Former Secretary, Government of India the immediate and long term implications of this decision. They also weigh in on India’s diminishing role as an exporter of prominence and its future pace of capacity additions.
As hurricane season 2022 unfolds in the US Gulf of Mexico, the implications for oil and gas infrastructure in the region are wide-ranging. More than ever, the whole world is watching the US Gulf as energy from the United States grow their presence in global markets.
Americas gas news manager Joe Fisher sits down with natural gas editor Alan Lammey and oil editor Jordan Blum to discuss what the forecast says and what tropical activity could mean for natural gas, LNG and oil.
This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.
European and Asian buyers of liquefied natural gas have increasingly been turning to US supplies as Russia’s gas is spurned. This has reinvigorated contracting and LNG terminal development activity in the US, where the midstream and upstream sectors, and regulators in Washington, are keenly aware of the developing market opportunity for global gas.
S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Americas gas news manager Joe Fisher speaks with LNG editor Harry Weber, natural gas editor J. Robinson, and government/regulatory editor Maya Weber about how shifting natural gas trade flows caused by the war in Ukraine are affecting the US natural gas industry now, and what industry participants and regulators are saying about growing opportunities in global gas.
This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.
The lockdowns in Shanghai have caused significant supply chain disruption around the world, but also falling container rates from their all-time highs.
In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, Americas containers editor David Lademan speaks with Asia containers specialist Ayush Verma and managing editor George Griffiths about how the ongoing lockdowns in China amid their 'zero-COVID' policy have impacted global trade flows, and what to expect once the shutters reopen on Shanghai’s production facilities.
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Sulphuric acid prices have been rising strongly since the start of COVID-19. Copper prices are also showing a similar trend. What are the factors behind the strong uptrend in demand? What is the impact on copper and sulphuric acid from the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war and China's "zero-COVID" strategy?
S&P Global Commodity Insights' experts--Mok Yuen Cheng and Han Lu from the Platts pricing team and Hui Min Lee from Fertecon-- discuss in this podcast.
Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine has triggered a shift in European power production as gas prices have risen to new heights. With Russian supplies accounting for about 40% of all European gas imports, can natural gas have a future as a key generation fuel in Europe? Can it remain a bridge between high-carbon fuels and green sources of energy as planned to meet ambitious climate targets?
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A global dislocation of clean tanker tonnage has driven freight volatility in recent weeks, as charterers scramble for barrels in east and west of Suez markets to satisfy European and South American demand.
In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, Americas freight senior managing editor Barbara Troner speaks with EMEA middle distillate editor Rowan Staden-Coats and shipping editors Sameer Mohindru in Singapore and Chris To in London about how the Russia-Ukraine conflict has exacerbated the global shortage in diesel markets and to what extent the replacement of Russian-origin diesel barrels has driven recent volatility in the global clean tanker markets.
This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston and Felix Fernandez in London.
In this special episode of the Commodities Focus podcast from S&P Global Commodity Insights, Vincent Valk, senior editor of Chemical Week, and Luke Milner, managing editor of the EMEA olefins and polymers team, discuss the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on European polymer markets, whether buyers in Europe are avoiding Russian material and the impact of the recent reduction in demand.
High and volatile oil prices exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine crisis is raising questions as to when and if it will lead to demand destruction and renewed investment in the energy sector. Jeff Currie, head of commodity research at Goldman Sachs talks to associate director Paul Hickin about the infancy of what he has been calling a new commodity supercycle and the supply challenges ahead.
With 2022's volatile gas prices causing uncertainty across the energy markets, the case for LNG as a marine fuel has been shaken. LNG has previously been called the frontrunner in the race for alternative marine fuels – is that still the case? Editors Sam Eckett and Piers de Wilde are joined by analyst Anastasia Zania to look at the current state of the market, and the future outlook for LNG bunkers.
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US states are ramping up their decarbonization goals in legislation, and corporations are committing to powering their operations with renewables. Enter Renewable Energy Certificates. What role do RECs play in the energy transition, and do they bring more clarity or challenges to the race to decarbonize?
Global power manager Amy Gasca leads the discussion with power pricing analyst Nicole Baquerizo and senior manager of North American power analytics Morris Greenberg.
This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.
Asia’s LNG market has been disrupted by the war in Ukraine at a time when supply was already tight because of outages, low inventories and a rebound in economic activity. Global gas prices continue to flirt with record high levels with every escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The unwinding from Russian gas supply threatens to further disrupt spot trade and long-term gas dependence for Asian gas importers in 2022. In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights’ Eric Yep, Kenneth Foo and Jeffrey Moore talk about the way ahead for Asia’s LNG market.
The global fuel oil market is currently going through a turmoil on account of the lower Russian oil flowing into the marine fuel oil pool and a fair share of blending components being used to produce higher margin transportation fuels. Tightening sanctions on Russian oil has seen newer trade flows emerge. As Asian markets gear up for peak summer demand, trade flows are poised to undergo further changes. The recent fuel contamination issue at Singapore has further exacerbated product availability concerns.
In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' Rajesh Nair, Atsuko Kawasaki and Zhuwei Wang talk about the outlook for the Asian fuel oil market.
Center-South Brazil's crop officially started on April 1, and although more than 70% of the expected sugar exports are already hedged, there is still flexibility for the allocation of the sugarcane mix to switch between sugar and ethanol. The final mix will largely depend on the relative prices of sugar and ethanol, which are exposed to several factors such as international oil prices, the Brazilian real, weather, fuel demand, and fuel pricing policy.
Nicolle Monteiro de Castro, senior price specialist for agriculture, and Luciana Torrezan Soncin, global manager of sugar analytics, discuss the key variables impacting the 2022-23 Center-South Brazil sugarcane crop, and how the local and global geopolitical factors can potentially impact the ultimate sugar and ethanol production figures.
This Commodities Focus podcast was produced by Jennifer Pedrick in Houston.
The global natural gas market is exhibiting record volatility, with prices at unprecedented levels as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine casts a cloud of uncertainty over the future of Europe’s supply mix. LNG has however emerged as a key source of flexibility for the European market, with active competition with Asia for volumes leading to record deliveries in the first quarter of 2022. In the latest Commodities Focus podcast, pricing manager Allen Reed and analyst Luke Cottell discuss Europe's new role in the global LNG markets, emerging regasification capacity constraints on the continent, as well as the challenges of relying on LNG to diversify away from Russian pipeline gas in the years ahead.
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Nickel prices hit an unprecedented $101,365/mt in early trading on March 8 following a historic short squeeze on pure nickel and have been volatile ever since.
China, the world's largest consumer of nickel, has seen trading activity for nickel sulfate, an important component of nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) batteries, fall to an all-time low. This comes at a time the China is witnessing booming domestic demand for electric vehicles.
S&P Global Commodity Insights' Clement Choo, Lucy Tang and Jesline Tang discuss what the nickel price volatility could mean for battery chemistries and pricing moving forward.
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A constant rush of imports has commanded short supply of equipment needed to move out exports of resins used to make everything from grocery bags and shampoo bottles to vinyl siding and vehicle dashboards. After US resin producers struggled through a year of severe weather that squeezed supply, they entered 2022 with multiple hurdles to restoring those outflows just when more supply is ready to ship out.
Global polymer lead Kristen Hays and US container freight editor David Lademan discuss the whys and wherefores of these logjams, and what shipping and resin markets can expect going forward into the year.
As more renewable energy enters the grid, wind and solar generators increasingly compete for the same revenue streams. This results in a price cannibalization risk, in which renewables erode their own value over time. Recent renewable penetration trends in North America with wind and solar capacity additions are already showing signs of eroding prices in regions such as ERCOT and SPP.
Managing editor global power pricing Amy Gasca, power pricing analyst Daryna Kotenko, and senior power analyst Giuliano Bordignon discuss these trends in North America for historical capture price indexes, outlook on risks, and other expected technology drivers.
The commercial and financial ramifications of the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be felt for a long time. As the conflict escalates, sanctions have been imposed on Russian banks and shipping companies. This has meant that many companies are reluctant or unable to trade with Russia. In this podcast, S&P Global Commodity Insights' Pradeep Rajan, Sameer C. Mohindru, Zhuwei Wang and Shriram Sivaramakrishnan explain what the latest developments mean for the maritime sector, global trade and shipments and prices of key commodities including crude, refined oil products, grains and coal.
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The natural gas storage situation in North America has fluctuated wildly this winter, quickly moving from a surplus to a growing deficit in the US. Meanwhile, Canada’s inventories have teetered near historical lows all winter. In response, key hubs throughout the US and Canada are maintaining prices not seen since 2008, the early days of the US shale boom, as Henry Hub forwards recently posted record-high daily gains.
US natural gas writer Brandon Evans sits down with Platts Analytics’ energy analysts Richard Frey and Eric Brooks to discuss the state of gas storage and exports in Canada and the Lower 48, as well as the outlook for the rest of heating season.
Asia's LPG demand has been growing over the last decade, led by China's mushrooming petrochemical sector. India’s LPG demand has also grown due to large subsidy-driven household consumption. But major Middle Eastern exporters have to grapple with growing competition from other producers, led by the shale-driven US natural gas liquids sector. In a move to win back traditional buyers and entrench themselves in a bullish LPG market, Middle Eastern producers are projected to boost export volumes in 2022. S&P Global Platts Wendy Wells, Ramthan Hussain and Joshua Ong discuss what lies ahead for the LPG markets in 2022.
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Copper prices were on a roller-coaster ride in 2021 with demand recovery in US and Europe, logistics issues, COVID-19 disruptions and power cuts in China all contributing to the price fluctuations. Futures backwardation also hit a historical high in 2021.
In 2022, increasing supply from new and existing mines is likely to be one of the key factors to watch out for.
On this week's Commodities Focus podcast, S&P Global Platts Yuen Cheng Mok and Han Lu discuss what’s in store for copper markets in 2022.
Enterprise Products Partners co-CEO Jim Teague and Chris D’Anna, senior vice president of petrochemicals, discuss the energy storage and transportation titan’s push into upstream petrochemicals that will feed growing plastics demand over the next decade.
The company is a key delivery point for physically settled futures markets, with global hydrocarbon risk management from the wellhead to waterborne markets. Enterprise’s reach includes 50,000 miles of natural gas liquids, crude oil, natural gas and refined products pipelines as well as 260 million barrels of NGLs, crude, refined products and petrochemicals storage. Petrochemicals is not new to Enterprise, but the company is expanding that reach with export growth, storage and olefin production facilities, including serious consideration of a cracker that could serve downstream plastics producers.
Kristen Hays, S&P Global Platts’ global market lead for polymers, recently sat down with Teague and D’Anna to discuss the company’s growing focus on petrochemicals.
The World Petroleum Congress in Houston brought back a sense of normalcy to the energy sector as both the industry and the world continue to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. But the other existential threat for fossil fuels is the burgeoning energy transition and switch to cleaner sources of power and fuels. At the conference, many oil and gas executives pushed back at the notion of a seamless transition, arguing that fossil fuels will be needed for many decades to come, and warning of price shocks and energy shortages if the world shifts too quickly.
Americas oil news director Jeff Mower, senior upstream editor Starr Spencer, and senior midstream editor Jordan Blum sat down to recap these themes from WPC and reflect on the slow shift toward in-person events again.
The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is one of the most controversial energy infrastructure projects in history. Now complete, there remains uncertainty over when the 55 Bcm/year project will begin commercial flows.
On this week's Commodities Focus podcast, S&P Global Platts Henry Edwardes-Evans, Stuart Elliott, Gary Hornby and James Huckstepp discuss the project's history, the many obstacles it has faced, its impact on European gas prices and what to expect next.
US natural gas and power markets are strengthening as the heart of winter heating season nears.
In this podcast, editors from S&P Global Platts power and natural gas teams discuss spot and forward pricing, weather outlooks, major trends, and market fundamentals impacting the winter outlook. With power and gas prices rising across the board, we investigate how these markets have evolved from the previous year, what infrastructure has been added, and what to expect as winter forges ahead.
The price of the global Japonica market’s benchmark, US #1, 4% broken white rice, is reaching highs not seen in ten years at quite an unfortunate time. Freight from California remains incredibly difficult to source, especially at an affordable rate for buyers. Meanwhile, other Japonica origins, such as Australia and China continue to steadily chip away at market share amid pressure to export their increasingly robust stockpiles.
In this Commodities Focus podcast, S&P Global Platts agriculture and freight editors discuss California’s situation and what it means for the global Japonica rice trade going into 2022.
Ciaran Roe and Ira Joseph break down the unprecedented price movements in recent LNG and gas markets. The discussion focuses on how we arrived at this point of unusual tightness and whether the conditions that brought us here will persist. Then the discussion turns to the evolving pricing relationship between JKM and TTF, how LNG imports have been trading above Europe’s main gas hub for months, and how the US Henry Hub fits into the mix. The final segment looks ahead to how short-term price volatility may trigger changes in long-term gas and LNG contracts and the types of indexation that will underpin them.
Note: Prices discussed as of date of recording 28th October 2021.
While energy prices are moving higher and higher, there's a clear laggard in the commodities space: the tanker freight market. Why are clean and dirty tankers not keeping pace? S&P Global Platts shipping market experts Pradeep Rajan, Vickey Du and Sameer C. Mohindru examine the factors shaping the clean and dirty tanker markets, and their path to recovery.
S&P Global Platts crude editors Maria Eugenia Garcia and Fred Wang discuss with Senior analyst Richard Capuchino, Jr. the latest developments in light, sweet crude production in the Atlantic Coast of South America. These new grades are receiving strong interest globally, but particularly from Asia, as refiners seek to reduce sulfur content in refined products.
Natural gas storage inventories in the US have crept within 5% of the five-year average and Canada is pushing even higher as the injection season winds down. However, key hubs throughout the US and Canada are reporting prices not maintained since the dawn of the shale revolution due to North America’s newfound exposure to global gas market forces. If the US and Canada experience a colder-than-normal winter, and drops inventories below 1 Tcf, pricing analysts expect the benchmark Henry Hub to crack $10/MMBtu, with others across the continent following suit.
In the latest installment of the S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Harry Weber, a Platts senior natural gas writer in Houston, is joined by Dania El Saadi and Claudia Carpenter in Dubai. Dania is a Platts senior editor, Middle East news, and Claudia is Platts editorial lead, Middle East crude. They discuss the recently completed Gastech, the biggest in-person gathering of gas market participants since the coronavirus pandemic erupted almost two years ago. While there were nibbles around the edges of the market, the conference did not produce any major firm long-term offtake agreements that might help developers sanction a new liquefaction or regasification project. The attendees shared their outlooks, ideas for controlling fossil fuel emissions, technical innovations for cutting project costs, and thoughts about geopolitical and regulatory opportunities and challenges facing the industry.
As Europe struggles to replenish natural gas inventories, prices reach all-time highs, with Platts Analytics forecasting even more gas-to-oil switching throughout the coming winter.
While European gas and power supply and demand hangs in balance, market participants look to controversial Nord Stream 2 for a sign of hope, as the project enters certification proceedings.
S&P Global Platts Managing Editor of European Gas Gary Hornby, Platts Analytics Senior Gas Analysts Valentina Bonetti, and UK Power Analyst Shubh Shukla discuss the outlook for gas and power with Felix Fernandez.
Global polyethylene prices and trade flows have been hit by challenge after challenge, from the coronavirus pandemic since early 2020, the deep freeze in the US in February, to the recent container shortage that has driven freight rates to record highs. With the hurricane season still on in the US, new quality standards expected to be implemented in India, logistical issues in Europe, and polyethylene plant startups in the coming months, the question on when prices and trade flows will normalize continue to hound market participants.
S&P Global Platts market experts Heng Hui, Ashna Mishra and Sarah Trinder join Kristen Hays to share their insights on what's shaping global polyethylene markets today.
For more commodity news and analysis, visit https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en
A lack of vessel space, high freight costs, port backlogs and a shortage of truck drivers, the logistical challenges facing the plastics industry have multiplied across 2021. Join Platts petrochemical editors Aziz Ehtaiba, Sarah Trinder and Callum Colford as they discuss what this has meant for polymers and ask Platts Analytics Yi-Jeng Huang what’s next for the markets.
Emerging economies and their successful vaccine rollouts will be key to the short-term recovery of the oil tanker market, after the highs of 2020, as it works through a period of low freight rates. International Seaways CEO Lois Zabrocky and Platts EMEA senior writer for transport fuels Tom Washington discuss the state of the market and where it is pointing.
California has one of the most aggressive clean energy goals in the US and the state leads the US in utility-scale solar capacity and battery storage capacity. More recently, discussions have picked up regarding offshore wind in the West.
Platts power news editor Kassia Micek discussed with Commissioner Karen Douglas the work the California Energy Commission is doing to develop offshore wind along the West Coast.
Germany goes to the polls on September 26 in the most open contest for years. As Chancellor Angela Merkel prepares to step down, S&P Global Platts’ news and analytics experts discuss the daunting energy challenges facing her successor. The rally in natural gas prices adds uncertainty and may overshadow coalition talks that will set the framework for the coming four years as the new government has to put Europe’s biggest economy on track for the new 2045 net zero target.
Leaders in the public and private sector are faced with the possibility of more frequent and intense weather events -- winter storms, heat waves, cyclones, wildfires -- as anthropogenic climate change continues, and must decide whether they should "price in" the risk of such events in building more robust and sustainable energy infrastructure.
Michael Webber, chief technology officer at Energy Impact Partners, discusses the opportunities and challenges to that approach with Mark Watson, S&P Global Platts senior editor for North American electricity and gas, and Kieran Kemmerer, power sector analyst at Platts Analytics.
Tariff uncertainty, high freight rates, labor issues and other dynamics have combined with supply constraints and healthy demand to elevate global aluminum premiums.
And all that’s happening as the value chain -- from producers to end-users -- is grappling with decarbonization and other big-picture challenges.
Hear from S&P Global Platts senior North America aluminum editors Tina Allagh and Sarah Baltic, along with Christopher Davis, Platts Regional Pricing Director for Metals in the Americas, about how US market participants are navigating these difficult times and more.
Companies operating in Latin America have set their eyes on nascent opportunities in the region like Guyana and Brazil, as Mexico has put the liberalization of its upstream sector on hold.
But the attractiveness of the 25 billion barrels of oil equivalent found in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico has not been lost because of politics.
We talked with Sergio Pimentel, a partner at Mexico City consultancy Agon and a former official at CNH, Mexico's energy regulator, about the country's regulations and how they can still be used to bring investment into the country.
We also talked with Bill Fuller of S&P Global Platts Analytics about the potential for Mexico's reserves and how private companies who have production contacts have performed in recent years.
New York has one of the most aggressive decarbonization plans in the country through its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets goals for building several gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, including offshore wind, battery storage and the transmission lines to connect those resources with urban demand centers, particularly New York City.
In this edition of the Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Jared Anderson, senior writer with S&P Global Platts, speaks with Sophie Brochu, CEO of Hydro Québec, whose company is active in the transition to cleaner energy sources and has submitted a proposal to transport hydropower from Québec’s large network of reservoirs into New York City via a high-voltage direct-current transmission line.
Additionally, Kieran Kemmerer, power market analyst with S&P Global Platts Analytics, offers perspective on the outlook for New York's clean energy ambitions and how the state’s goals could impact power supply, demand, and pricing dynamics.
Sustainability is currently a key theme in the world of commodities. Recycled plastics and recycled metals have garnered considerable attention given how widely plastics and metals are used in downstream consumer products including food packaging and electronics.
S&P Global Platts market experts Samuel Chin, Miranda Zhang, and Eric Su explore the differences and similarities of these materials and their markets, and offer insights on how both commodities fit into the bigger picture of sustainability in Asia.
Container shipping markets have been tagged as red hot because base box rates have more than quintupled since the market began its steep hike north in May 2020 amid the pandemic's operational and logistical constraints.
But because exorbitantly high base rates are no longer the ticket to getting a box on a ship or a guarantee of timely delivery, the market has been shaped by measures such as carriers' premium services and surcharges that can more than double base rates.
S&P Global Platts Americas shipping senior managing editor Barbara Troner talks to Platts global container market experts Parisha Tyagi in Gurgaon, George Griffiths in London and David Lademan in Houston about how unusual market fundamentals make for unorthodox market behavior on all sides of the equation.
Jonty Rushforth, Senior Director of Markets and Energy Transition, and Paula VanLaningham, Platts Global Head of Carbon, talk about the devastating wildfires sweeping across the globe and the challenges facing Nature-Based Carbon Credits as the market reckons with Offset Permanence in the face of rising global temperatures.
For more discussions on all topics related to the Energy Transition, make sure to tune in to the Platts Future Energy podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and our website.
Plastic usage and recycling has become a hot-button topic recently, as the push for sustainable products is forefront in manufacturing goals.
Aluminum has long been touted the beverage package of choice because of the perceived sustainability it offers, but are the two closer in the race for sustainability than we think?
We take a closer look at the economic and environmental sustainability of recycling a can versus recycling a plastic bottle, and what it means for the industry at large.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber, S&P Global Market Intelligence senior midstream finance reporter Allison Good and Platts managing editor for Americas LNG Luke Stobbart discuss current trends in the North American midstream sector as operators of gas pipelines and LNG export terminals prepare to release financial results for the second quarter of 2021.
Investors will be watching for signs that the pickup in commercial activity in recent months is sufficient to support new infrastructure growth opportunities, as ESG initiatives command a lot of attention across the industry.
US refineries have ramped up production in the second quarter as domestic demand for gasoline and diesel grows and global energy markets begin to adjust back to pre-pandemic demand and production levels.
Increasing US Gulf Coast refinery utilization has had an adverse impact to clean and dirty tanker freight in the Americas, however, leaving shipowner earnings at less-than-favorable levels. S&P Global Platts tanker freight editors Catherine Wood, Nicole Baquerizo and Marieke Alsguth, along with senior oil writer Janet McGurty, discuss the "push and pull" of the US refinery landscape and how it's playing out among various tanker freight segments in the Americas.
In this episode of the S&P Global Platts Agriculture Focus podcast, the Platts EMEA Agriculture team discusses how the prices of different agricultural commodities, from wheat, corn and rice, to veg oils, sugar and biodiesel, have fared during the coronavirus pandemic and whether we can expect any knock-on effects in the coming months.
Cheniere, the biggest exporter of LNG in the US, is working to secure sufficient buyer
interest for a proposed mid-scale expansion at its Corpus Christi liquefaction facility
in Texas. It is also pursuing initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint at Corpus Christi
and at its Sabine Pass export terminal in Louisiana, and give customers more information about
the life-cycle emissions of its cargoes.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber is joined by Anatol Feygin,
Cheniere Energy’s chief commercial officer, for a discussion about current trends in
the global LNG market, with a special emphasis on North America and the energy transition.
Raw feed materials have seen unprecedented growth in prices, putting a dent in the Asian feedmakers’ margins. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts editors Elizabeth Thang, Takmila Shahid, and Ivy Li examine factors impacting the buying patterns of Asian customers, including supply and demand fundamentals, the impact of weather conditions on prices, as well as the current hog farm situation in China.
Flows of naphtha from the US Gulf Coast to Asia have reached record highs in May and June, drawn by fresh demand from Asia’s steam crackers returning from seasonal maintenance and new units coming online over the second half of June.
Though higher refining rates and dampened demand for gasoline in the US have opened wide this normally delicate naphtha arbitrage, tanker owners operating in the Americas have shown resistance to making the trans-Pacific voyage, citing low daily earnings and weak freight levels in both the Americas and Asia Medium Range tanker markets as deterrents for repositioning their fleets.
Marieke Alsguth, S&P Global Platts clean tanker editor, sits down with Houston naphtha editor MK Bower and Singapore naphtha editor Wanda Wang to discuss the factors that opened the floodgates for naphtha barrels to move from the USGC to Asia, and how the resurgence of petroleum product demand as countries emerge from pandemic-related lockdowns could affect activity on the trans-Pacific trade flow.
The US Supreme Court's June 25 decision opens the door for further small refinery exemptions.
With bearish-for-RIN prices, Janet McGurty and Josh Pedrick of S&P Global Platts talk about what could be on the horizon as the Environmental Protection Agency digests the ruling.
It's already become clear which areas of the US power market are likely to face challenges this summer, with alerts and price spikes in Texas and California in recent weeks, where drought, wildfires and other factors have become recurring threats.
The S&P Global Platts power news team gives its summer power market outlook, looking at trends around the country with additional insights from Platts Analytics.
Tanker and dry bulk shipping freight market for inbound and outbound trade from India has become come expensive due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.
India is one of the world's largest importers of coal, vegetable oils and crude. It exports substantial volumes of refined products and dry bulk commodities such as iron ore, pellets, steel and salt.
Many countries are insisting that ships will be allowed to berth at their ports only if they have not called any Indian ports over the previous two to four weeks. This has resulted in many shipowners seeking a freight premium for loading or discharging cargoes in India. It is a double-edged sword - causing delays in delivery of cargoes as well as crew changes and thereby increasing the transportation cost. Some ports are also tweaking their quarantine rules too frequently and adding to the confusion.
S&P Global Platts Senior Managing Editor for Asia Pacific & Freight Pradeep Rajan, Senior Editor Sameer Mohindru and Associate Editor Isaac Eio examine present challenges being faced by the freight market for trade from and out of India.
New York has one of the most aggressive decarbonization plans in the country through its Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which sets goals for building several gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, including offshore wind, battery storage and the transmission lines to connect those resources with urban demand centers.
In this edition of the Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Jared Anderson, senior writer with S&P Global Platts, speaks with Clint Plummer, CEO of Rise Light & Power, whose company is retooling one of the oldest fossil fuel-fired power plants in New York City into a renewable energy and storage hub.
Plummer, an industry veteran who helped develop the country’s first offshore wind project, discusses challenges and potential solutions associated with bringing incremental renewable energy capacity into the physical and electrical island that characterizes New York City.
As piracy attacks grow in the Gulf of Guinea, the industry has banded together to make a statement – enough is enough, and the attack on merchant ships must come to an end.
S&P Global Platts speaks to the Head of Maritime Security at BIMCO Jakob Larsen on what has pushed the industry to band together and what the Declaration means for the future of security in the basin.
The upcoming federal elections in Mexico, the largest in recent history, are expected to have broad implications across many energy sectors.
We spoke with Adrian Duhalt, post-doctorate fellow in energy studies at Rice University in Houston, about the implications for the energy industry.
China on May 14 announced that it will implement a consumption tax on mixed aromatics, light cycle oil and bitumen blend from June 12 in an effort to close a loophole in its tax system. This tax is expected to have repercussions not only in the domestic market, but also in the regional refined products market and crude markets.
Mixed aromatics and light cycle oil or LCO are used as blend stocks in gasoline and gasoil, and bitumen blend is used as a feedstock by independent refiners.
The tax is expected to alter domestic supply-demand balances, regional trade flows, and types of crudes imported into China.
Prices have been soaring in most of the major steel markets, driven by high demand and insufficient supply. S&P Global Platts Lead Steel Analyst Paul Bartholomew, Associate Pricing Director for Metals Keith Tan, and Managing Editor Laura Varriale examine the factors in play.
US gasoline demand has been picking up as the country opens up from the coronavirus lockdowns.
Gasoline inventories are tight, especially on the US Atlantic Coast
following the recent Colonial Pipeline outage, but refiners are
ramping up runs, lured by strong margins.
S&P Global Platts Director of Americas Oil News Jeff Mower, Senior Editor Janet McGurty and Futures Editor Chris van Moessner discuss what is in store for this summer's gasoline markets.
Operators of pipelines and liquefaction terminals that were able to deliver supplies during the February freeze in Texas were rewarded with strong first-quarter profits, while those that had difficulty were saddled with higher costs and lower revenue.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence senior midstream finance reporter Allison Good analyze the just-completed release of Q1 earnings results by companies in the midstream and LNG sectors.
The US has the world's largest nuclear generation footprint and has witnessed early retirement of nuclear plants, due in part to low natural gas prices as well as declining costs of wind and solar technologies, as well as policy factors.
Today's podcast looks at the major cost concerns of nuclear generation today, how some US states are utilizing Zero Emission Credits, and how these issues are impacting decisions to extend operating licenses.
Petcoke prices out of the US Gulf have doubled since this time last year. Prices continue to rise amid tight supply, and volatile freight markets within the region add fuel to the flames.
S&P Global Platts coal and shipping editors discuss the impetus behind this price rally, in what has been one of the most notable commodity bull-runs of 2020/2021.
Are recent shifts in Atlantic Basin products arbitrages an unusual pandemic feature or the new normal for clean tanker trade?
And are the 38kt US Gulf Coast-to-Brazil and 37,000 mt UK Continent-West Africa freight runs the new pacesetters of the Americas and European freight markets?
S&P Global Platts Americas managing editor Barbara Troner examines the southward shift in Atlantic Basin clean tanker trade flows to Latin America- and West Africa-bound voyages with Platts experts Marieke Alsguth in Houston and Chris To in London.
For free access to information on the dynamics and assessment methodology of the MR USGC-Brazil, please click here or send us an email at tankers@spglobal.com.
Is the recent six-day Suez Canal blockage causing a spike in container box freight?
And are the canal's misfortunes the only culprit for impending port delays, or the tip of the iceberg?
It may be all too easy to blame the Ever Given incident for the latest logistical issues, rate hikes and arbitrage impacts on agricultural, metals and petrochemical commodity markets.
S&P Global Platts Americas shipping managing editor Barbara Troner examines the container market with Platts experts Greg Holt in Houston and George Griffiths in London.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good preview with senior digital editor Jason Lindquist the upcoming release of first-quarter earnings results by companies in the North American midstream sector.
While weather negatively affected operations in the most recent quarter and seasonal maintenance is expected to be a factor heading into the summer, fundamentals are relatively strong. With vaccines rolling out, the economic recovery driving midstream volumes should continue.
The Mexican government has recently issued a spate of regulations in the midstream and power sectors that have had broad implications.
We spoke with Diego Campa of Campa and Mendoza Associates, a law firm in Mexico City, about the most relevant moves, how companies are able to use the courts to halt regulations, and how the recent regulations might fare in the legal system.
Container shortages and high freight rates have proven to be a major hurdle for international trade in the last six months. Nowhere has this been more so than for various agricultural products.
S&P Global Platts shipping and agricultural editors come together to discuss the fallout from global container freight shortages and how they have affected the rice, sugar and used cooking oil markets.
The oil market is starting to face a new set of questions as it emerges from the pandemic and as energy transition momentum builds.
S&P Global Platts Associate Director Paul Hickin spoke with the International Energy Agency’s Head of Oil Markets Division Toril Bosoni about the outlook for oil demand, the role of OPEC+, US shale and China in the new reality and the challenges for energy security.
Canada enters the natural gas injection season with below-average storage levels as demand from resurging activity in the oil sands as well as coal-to-gas switching and higher exports look to boost AECO prices in relation to major market centers in the US Upper Midwest. The NGTL pipeline and storage system also looks to play a role in the market this year.
S&P Global Platts natural gas editor Brandon Evans and analyst Richard Frey look at the issues driving the market.
A long-standing regional supply shortage, aggravated by COVID-19 impacts, has prompted steel prices in Mexico to jump to 13-year highs, while local demand is yet to recover.
Higher raw materials prices, coupled with a strong US dollar, were also drivers of a trend that is not expected to end in the short term.
Adriana Carvalho, S&P Global Platts managing editor for Latin American metals, and Claudia Cardenas, pricing specialist of Mexican metals pricing, examine the trends influencing the markets and present the latest updates on Platts methodology and specifications for Mexican flat steel pricing.
Mexico's Pemex, the state oil company, is facing challenges to increase production, as the government desires, and also internationally to meet its environmental commitments.
We spoke with Andrew Rudman, director of the Wilson Center's Mexico Institute, about these challenges and the relationship between Pemex and the United States under the Biden administration.
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The oil futures market has been volatile on news that a large container ship was blocking the Suez Canal, a key artery for petroleum shipments, but do spot markets give a better indication of the impacts on global trade flows?
Why are producers remaining so focused on growth in Guyana, considering softer demand growth expectations?
Jeff Mower, head of Americas oil news for S&P Global Platts, discusses the issues with Platts editors Starr Spencer and Chris van Moessner.
Recent dynamics driving unseasonably high JKM and TTF pricing, ranging from elevated carbon pricing and LNG outages creating supply disturbance in Asia, have further illustrated the emerging global links driving natural gas pricing.
Beyond these current dynamics, European and US storage exit winter at lower levels than recent years, but what does robust US production, low pricing, record US feedgas and elevated TTF levels mean for global gas prices heading into summer?
Ira Joseph, S&P Global Platts head of generating fuels and electricity power pricing, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing, dive into the trends influencing the markets.
The International Maritime Organization has approved amendments to its MARPOL Annex VI regulations, introducing an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) that is expected to come into force in 2023.
S&P Global Platts container editor George Griffiths and tankers editor Charlotte Bucchioni look at what these new amendments entail, and how they might impact the world of shipping at a time when freight rates are already volatile and uncertainty has become the new normal.
The cost to ship goods on containers are climbing as additional premiums, such as the priority-loading premium, take hold in the market. The premium, which can be from 50-70% over the freight all kinds rate for Southeast Asia to the US and Europe routes, ranges from $2,000-3,500/FEU.
S&P Global Platts Container Market experts Ng Bao Ying and Parisha Tyagi examine how the rise in rates echoes a tight container shipping market. Brian Ng, Platts agriculture market specialist, joins in to share insights on the impact of shipping rate and logistical issues on India’s sugar exports.
Learn more: Platts Container Price Assessments
Get in touch with our team: containers@spglobal.com
Mexico's Pemex recently announced it had discovered more than 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent in an onshore complex in the state of Tabasco, near the site where the company is planning to build its Dos Bocas refinery.
That's a large discovery, but there are serious questions about Pemex's ability to reach its stated production goals.
S&P Global Platts editors Sheky Espejo in Mexico City and Starr Spencer in Houston examine Mexico's newest discovery.
Brazil's Center-South region will kick off the 2021-22 sugar and ethanol crop season April 1 and producers are betting again on high international sugar prices and depreciated Brazilian real to increase their profitability.
Fuel demand was initially forecast to increase in 2021; however, as the country has moved back to further social distancing measures, the forecasts have been revised down.
S&P Global Platts editors discuss the main themes to watch in Center-South Brazil in the coming months.
Explore now: The Platts Atlas of Energy Transition, your map to the sustainable commodity markets of the future
China consumes around 50% of world's copper and will continue to play a critical role in the market this year. S&P Global Platts metals experts Keith Tan and Han Lu examine China's appetite for copper concentrates as its economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. They also discuss what the market can expect in the second quarter, and give methodology and specification details on Platts clean copper concentrate assessments.
To know more about Platts clean copper concentrate assessments, email our team at platts_asia_copper@spglobal.com or download the methodology here.
Explore now: The Platts Atlas of Energy Transition, your map to the sustainable commodity markets of the future
US plug-in electric vehicles accounted for 2.6% of total sales in December, tied with Nov. 2020 for a record high and year-to-date PEVs account for just shy of 2% of all light duty vehicles sold in the US, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.
However, recent large orders for electric buses and other fleet vehicles suggest that sector could play a leading role in the proliferation of EVs in the US.
In this edition of the Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Jared Anderson, senior writer with S&P Global Platts speaks with John McClure, managing director at Nomura Greentech, about EV market growth, investment trends and how greater EV usage could impact US power markets.
The current European Commission is the greenest ever as it pushes toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Gas —despite being a fossil fuel— is considered by many as having a key role to play in Europe's energy transition, and the industry is working hard on ways to decarbonize gas and secure the future of Europe's vast gas infrastructure, including through the growing use of hydrogen.
Following an interview with James Watson, secretary general of industry body Eurogas, S&P Global Platts Stuart Elliott, Henry Edwardes-Evans and James Huckstepp discuss Eurogas' key messages around the role of gas in Europe.
Refinery outages from the cold snap on the US Gulf Coast Feb. 15-19 put even more bearish pressure on the already weak Americas clean tanker market, and heightened diesel prices in the USGC.
With petroleum product demand still low globally, the Americas clean tanker market continues to move along the freight floor as typical arbitrages to Europe and Latin America remain closed. Heightened diesel prices and ever-drawing stocks in the USGC have reversed the typical arbitrage to Europe, exacerbating the already low cargo supply for clean tankers looking to carry USGC product exports to other regions.
Marieke Alsguth and Troy Duffie of the Americas shipping team sit down with Maha Husseini from the clean oil products team in Houston to discuss immediate impacts from the mid-February cold snap refinery outages and potential outlooks for petroleum product demand in the Americas as the vaccine effort rolls out.
The global styrene market has risen sharply in February, driven by a number of factors around the world, including production issues in Europe and severe winter storms in Texas.
Matthew Cook, associate editorial director for Americas petrochemicals coverage for S&P Global Platts, discusses the recent trends with Platts editors Simon Price in London, Emily Burleson in Houston and Tess Tseng in Singapore.
Commodities have witnessed a broad upturn in prices across the board in recent months. In a discussion with S&P Global Platts Asia Energy Editor Sambit Mohanty, veteran commodities investor and chairman of Beeland Interests Inc Jim Rogers says that oil's future would still be looking good 10 years from now, energy transition will find strong support from governments across the globe, while agriculture would still be one of his favorite investment picks.
Beeland Interests Inc. is the owner and sponsor of the Rogers International Commodity Index, a composite, US dollar-based total return index, designed by Rogers in the late 1990s. The index represents the value of a basket of commodities consumed globally, ranging from agricultural commodities to energy and metals.
Ira Joseph, head of generating fuels and electricity power pricing for S&P Global Platts, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing, are joined by Kelsey Hallahan and Arsalan Syed, pricing specialists from the North American natural gas team, to untangle the historic Texas freeze and subsequent price movements and what it means for US and global gas markets.
Commodity prices, as assessed by S&P Global Platts, are hitting fresh highs, sparking a debate around a potential supercycle.
Goldman Sachs’ global head of commodity research Jeff Currie, who identified the last supercycle in the early 2000s spoke with Platts associate director Paul Hickin about why and how it’s different this time around, what it means for oil, copper and the energy transition, as well as the outlook for demand, US shale and OPEC+.
Rising levels of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea are having a direct impact on tanker owners’ preferences, altering both crude and refined trade flows in and out of the West African coast.
S&P Global Platts Shipping editors Charlotte Bucchioni, Chris To, and Sam Eckett take a deep look into how the markets are changing as a result of these attacks, from Nigeria’s removal of the Security Anchorage Area to increasing numbers of ships with armed guards on board.
The push to transition away from fossil fuel-fired power generation in the US relies heavily on energy storage projects that facilitate renewable energy growth, with several states mandating energy storage capacity targets.
However, valuing battery energy storage attributes can vary significantly between power markets, customers and applications.
In this edition of the Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Jared Anderson, senior writer with S&P Global Platts, speaks with Jeff Bishop, CEO of energy storage developer Key Capture Energy, about the most valuable US energy storage markets, the accessibility of those markets, policy barriers, preparing for market changes, federal regulation to watch in 2021, and more.
Josh Pedrick, S&P Global Platts managing editor for Americas biofuels pricing, and Corey Lavinsky, adviser for biofuels analytics, discuss the recent surge in prices for renewable identification numbers and trends to watch.
High prices in corn and soybean oil futures, key feedstocks for US biofuel producers, have supported the market even as policy uncertainty leaves questions about how much biofuel refiners and importers need to blend into gasoline and diesel.
The discussion also looks at the supply and demand fundamentals and when the market might hear news from Washington.
Ira Joseph of S&P Global Platts Analytics and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, discuss key market fundamentals following the historic JKM price movements of early January and the trickle-down impact on TTF, and what’s next for the global gas market as it moves into the latter part of winter.
The European ethylene and propylene markets rallied in January after an unusually strong December. In this episode of the Commodities Focus podcast, Abdulaziz Ehtaiba and Miguel Cambeiro discuss the drivers behind supply shortages in the market and their impact on downstream derivatives, whilst Callum Colford provides insight into what has been going on in the increasingly bearish butadiene markets.
2021 has already seen all-time highs for both container and LNG freight rates and this strength appears set to last until firmly into the first quarter. S&P Global Platts Shipping Managing Editor Sam Eckett is joined by editors George Griffiths and Wyatt Wong as they look into what these markets have in store and how long this bullish run is likely to extend.
In the latest installment of the S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Jason Lindquist, S&P Global Platts senior digital editor, and Harry Weber, a Platts senior natural gas writer in Houston, discuss current trends in the North American midstream sector as operators of gas pipelines and LNG export terminals prepare to release financial results for the fourth quarter of 2020. Volumes, prices and exports are in focus.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are back with their first podcast of 2021 to discuss the remarkable price and market movements that have ushered in 2021, stretching from the historic drivers of JKM to $20/MMBtu to the trickle-down impact the surge has had on European and US markets.
S&P Global Platts coal market editors Fred Wang, Sarah Matthews, and Tyler Godwin, and lead coal analyst Matthew Boyle discuss the dynamics of the global thermal coal market, the fundamentals driving demand and supply, and the changes in consumption and production behaviors as the world continues to battle the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
As the world economy begins to recover from the pandemic, Mexico is considering the construction of an LNG export terminal in the port of Salina Cruz to use excess natural gas in the country.
Douglas Shanda, CEO of private developer Mexico Pacific Limited, which also has a similar project, spoke to S&P Global Platts about the country's potential as an export hub.
2020 was an unusual year for the global rice market. While much of the coverage focused on Asian markets, the Americas dealt with major production swings, huge influxes in demand and the resulting price volatility.
In the latest Platts Agriculture Focus podcast, Peter Storey is joined by Raymond Shi and William Bland to discuss supply issues and harvesting in South America, demand for rice from the US South, in addition to a possible influx of Central American and Iraqi demand for Americas rice in Q1 2021.
Seafarers are key to keeping the world's supply chain and maritime trade flowing. However, thousands of seafarers have been stuck on board and unable to get ashore due to coronavirus restrictions. Shipping market participants are making calls to governments to ease the restriction imposed on making crew changes in their countries. To discuss this and the developments in freight markets, S&P Global Platts Senior Editor Sameer Mohindru speaks to Hafnia Tankers Executive Vice President, Technical, Ralph Juhl and Platts Senior Managing Editor Pradeep Rajan.
Elliot Mainzer took over as president and CEO of the California Independent System Operator in September as has been focused on recovering from the August rotating outages and preparing for next summer, while also looking ahead to modernize the resource adequacy system for the wave of storage and renewables coming onto the grid.
Mainzer sat down with Kassia Micek, Platts North American power news editor, to discuss the work the ISO is doing and what the future holds.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, dive into the dynamics driving the meteoric rise of JKM in December, stretching from constraints in the Panama Canal to role of freight rates & reloads in driving JKM higher.
While this has pulled TTF higher, NYMEX Henry Hub has continued to be overwhelmed by bearish elements. Will this continue into core winter demand months?
S&P Global Platts ethylene market experts Chris Liu and Astrid Torres join Vanessa Ronsisvalle in taking a deep dive into the state of the ethylene market as the world continues the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Asia's growing appetite for one of the most important feedstocks in the petrochemical chain, and trade flows from the United States to Asia.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, take stock of the market a few weeks into winter, revisiting several topics from the bulls vs. bears discussion and how they are holding up in early winter.
With India’s domestic steel prices touching decade high numbers, steelmakers have exited the export markets for good. However, scarcity of supply remains a concern as demand recovery across sectors resurfaces after a long period of subdued activity. The market remains cautious about the sustainability of high prices amid the possibility of recurring COVID-19 waves and domestic iron ore shortages. Will India’s domestic market continue showing strength in the near term and break further records? S&P Global Platts Asian Steel Markets Editor Ashima Tyagi discusses these issues and more with Head of APAC Metal Insights Paul Bartholomew.
Learn more: Platts Steel Data and Analysis
This year has been a roller-coaster ride for the Asian light ends market, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the world, slashed demand for refined oil products and forced the closure of several refineries across the region in its wake. The future of the light ends market will hinge largely on how fast the world progresses in its fight against the pandemic and its economic impact. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts light ends experts Wendy Cheong, Mark Tan, Wanda Wang, and Ramthan Hussain look ahead and explore the potential paths of the Asian gasoline, naphtha and LPG markets in 2021.
Related content * China rolls out new oil export quotas in bid to cut stocks at home * Europe's Dec naphtha arbitrage limited by shipowner interest; Asia firm for Jan arrivals * US LPG arrivals to Asia in Dec to be around 2.7 million mt: traders
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are joined by Gary Hornby, managing editor for European gas, to discuss global gas movements as we inch into winter with a specific focus on the increasingly important role of Ukrainian storage and transit in the larger European natural gas market both this winter and beyond.
The coronavirus pandemic has had opposing effects on the grains and ethanol markets, despite the strong interlinkages between them. While grains are one of the major feedstocks for ethanol production and prices are usually highly correlated, changing demand dynamics as a result of the virus saw the decoupling of this relationship.
S&P Global Platts reporters Alex Bobylov and Karim El Afany discuss with Robert Beaman the reasons behind the price divergence in grains and ethanol and what to look out for in 2021.
Tanker freight for clean and dirty ships hit multiyear lows in October, subverting winter seasonality which typically brings year highs for freight for both sides of the market.
Demand for crude and petroleum products remains low worldwide, and as Europe and the Americas face second- and third-wave lockdowns, tanker market participants have mixed
expectations for the rest of the year.
Marieke Alsguth, Catherine Wood, and Nicole Baquerizo of the S&P Global Platts shipping team discuss how 2020 freight patterns have diverted dramatically from the norm in the
Americas, and what shipowners have their eyes on as potential strengtheners of the market.
The US Pacific and Mountain regions experienced a slate of outside factors affecting storage volumes during the 2020 injection season. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March prompted natural gas demand to drop by as much as 15% during the spring in parts of the Pacific Northwest. The subsequent oil and gas price collapse led producers in surrounding basins to curb production as pipeline maintenance that decreased imports from Canada also limited inflows. Brutal heat and raging wildfires also played a role in seasonal demand as the region faces a possible bullish outlook this heating season.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts pivot away from the extended outlook into the winter and dive into more immediate spot market movements and their bullish impact on several global natural gas & LNG pricing points.
Natural gas storage in the US Northeast, which serves as the heart of dry production in the Lower 48, entered the current injection season with volumes towering over normal levels. However, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March, followed by pipeline outages and producers voluntarily shutting in some production, has allowed supply and demand fundamentals to balance.
This led to below average injections late in the summer, with current storage volumes now sitting just above the five-year average. Northeast gas hub prices are strengthening as the injection season winds down and the region faces a withdrawal season riddled with questions.
Brandon Evans and Eric Brooks of S&P Global Platts look at the factors shaping the market.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist current trends in the North American gas midstream sector as operators of pipelines, processing facilities and liquefaction terminals begin to release third-quarter financial results.
The outlook for demand and growth spending will be among the key things the market will be watching.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are back, this time to lay out the bullish and bearish cases for Henry Hub, TTF and JKM heading into winter.
While the key element will be whether winter temperatures will arrive in key global demand markets, listen in to hear about how the interplay of declining US production, bulging US and European storage inventories, floating LNG storage, new pipeline infrastructure and Chinese demand will converge to drive pricing higher or lower.
Front of mind to the California Independent System Operator is resource adequacy, as it also works to adapt the market to the energy transition taking place globally.
Outgoing President and CEO Steven Berberich talks with S&P Global Platts editor Kassia Micek about those issues and continuing regional collaboration in the West.
To date, there is no integrated strategic vision for trading low carbon hydrogen, but European gas grid operator SNAMs VP of Hydrogen Cosma Panzacchi discusses ways that could happen over time with S&P Global Platts Hydrogen Content and Pricing Specialist Jeffrey McDonald. Discussion topics include development of the European Hydrogen Backbone, the formation of local vs. international supply chains, and the need for clear international standards on low carbon hydrogen. Panzacchi indicates where markets will develop first, and what kind of pricing will be needed, as hydrogen markets emerge.
Southwest Power Pool expects wind generation to return to the top of the fuel stack and become the No. 1 fuel source for 2020, while keeping an eye on the evolution of energy storage and continuing its expansion of the Western Energy Imbalance System market.
Barbara Sugg discusses her first six months as SPP president & CEO, which started with the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic, with Kassia Micek, an editor covering North American power markets for S&P Global Platts.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are joined by John Hilfiker, S&P Global Platts Analytics in-house Mexico natural gas expert, to discuss the impact that the long-awaited infrastructure developments in Mexico will have on supply reliability, pricing on both sides of the border, and the long-term impact on the global LNG market. Beyond Mexico, topics include the global gas market and the continued rise of JKM and bullish tendencies in the North American market.
While a weak orderbook is seen with enthusiasm by tanker owners, who have suffered from increased competition amid structural overtonnage, floating storage enquiries and weaker scrapping prices have caused owners to refrain from scrapping their oldest tonnage in 2020. Our shipping experts discuss the latests developments in an oversupplied freight market.
To learn more about the shipping markets, check out our latest special report, which looks at what's in store for Q4 2020 and beyond.
In a year of high volatility in the energy basket and more uncertainties than in recent history, S&P Global Platts editors discuss the main aspects that have been supporting Brazilian ethanol prices, despite the turmoil at the beginning of the 2020-21 Center-South crop and plunging demand in 2020.
Senior price specialist Nicolle Monteiro de Castro talks with senior biofuels analyst Beatriz Pupo about estimates for Brazilian sugar and ethanol production, consumption, trade flows and price behavior amid COVID-19.
With trans-Pacific container rates at an all-time high, even more containers are flowing from Asia to the US. The return leg is a different story, however, with empty space frequently seen on board. The US agriculture industry has spotted this crack, and expectations are high that containerized soybeans, wheat, and corn could fill the gap.
Harry Weber, Platts senior natural gas writer in Houston, and Stuart Elliott, editorial lead, Generating Fuels News, in London, discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist themes from the recently completed Gastech virtual conference and the outlook for gas, LNG and the integration of renewables in the energy transition occurring in parts of the world heading into 2021.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are back to discuss key uncertainties in the global natural gas and LNG market as winter approaches.
With stagnating US production meeting robust storage inventories in US and Europe, will the arrival of winter demand provide further bullish momentum to global gas and LNG prices?
Amid a rally in the global vegetable oils markets, Robert Beaman talks to vegetable oils editor George Duke and biodiesel editor Huw Shortland about the latest developments in the market for virgin and used vegetable oils. As supply and demand in these markets changes, the team also look at the impact on biodiesel and the emerging markets for renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Oil markets have experienced a quiet revolution for over the last decade as proprietary trading houses have gradually replaced the participation of banks.
Andy Critchlow, head of news in EMEA for S&P Global Platts, recently caught up with Greg Newman, CEO of London-based prop trader Onyx Capital Group, to discuss the latest developments in oil and the outlook for more participants entering the market.
S&P Global Platts dry bulk market experts Shriram Sivaramakrishnan, Carina Li, and Isaac Eio examine how the Capesize, Panamax and Supramax markets have fared in this pandemic-stricken trading environment, and what's in store for shipowners and freight rates in the coming months.
The CIS steel industry has emerged from pandemic demand slumps relatively quickly thanks to Chinese demand and government incentives in Russia. Although further challenges lie ahead, production cuts at steel mills appear to be less severe than at their European peers.
Platts Managing Editor Laura Varriale is joined by Platts Metals Editors Katya Bouckley and Wojtek Laskowski to discuss the current shape of Russia and Ukraine’s steel industry.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are joined by Samer Mosis, Platts team lead, EMEA LNG, to discuss a range of short- and long-term dynamics impacting the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern gas markets, from Tuna-1 to the future of Leviathan, Egyptian LNG and Cypriot markets.
Meg Gentle, CEO of Tellurian, joins S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber to discuss the global LNG market, the trajectory for prices and what lies ahead for US commercial development.
She is a former marketing chief at Cheniere who is now developing an up to 27.6 million mt/year export facility in Louisiana called Driftwood LNG.
Related story: Asian prices boost Driftwood LNG commercial efforts: Tellurian CEO
There is a lot going on with offshore wind development -- particularly on the US East Coast, where S&P Global Platts Analytics estimates there could be over 37 GW of capacity installed by 2050 –- with Orsted involved in many of those projects.
In this edition of the Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Jared Anderson, senior writer with S&P Global Platts, speaks with David Hardy, Orsted president and chief operating officer for North America offshore, about offshore wind contract pricing, transmission planning, regulatory developments, policy drivers and more.
Amy Gasca, Manan Ahjua and Mark Watson of S&P Global Platts talk with Brett Perlman, CEO of the Center for Houston's Future
and ex-Public Utility Commissioner of Texas, about the state's energy policies and the energy transition.
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Is ERCOT's market functioning as it was intended?
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How can Houston's role as "Energy Capital of the World" shape North America’s energy transition?
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good wrap up the recently completed second-quarter earnings reporting season by companies in the midstream sector.
While some companies looked for expansion opportunities, others outlined additional capital spending cuts and project deferrals as operators of pipelines, processing facilities and liquefaction terminals looked for signs of a rebound in volumes.
Gasoline volumes from Northern Europe to West Africa are expected to continue to grow, and new hedging tools may be needed for medium range clean tankers in the West of Suez market. Platts Shipping Editors Sam Eckett, George Griffiths, and Chris To discuss emerging benchmark opportunities into West Africa, while probing the unprecedented state of trans-Pacific container rates.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, take a look at how US natural gas prices have jumped and the turnaround in global gas benchmarks.
The outlook for hydrogen Asia-Pacific has become a lot more positive over the last six to 12 months, with companies from Australia to Japan stepping up efforts to formulate policies and plan projects in the hope that the clean fuel can play a big role in the energy transition process. But at this point there are probably more questions than answers. How quickly new hydrogen projects can come up? How fast governments can formulate polices? And how soon trade flows and a transparent market place can develop?
Peter Godfrey, Asia Pacific Managing Director of The Energy Institute of the UK, joins S&P Global Platts senior editor Sambit Mohanty in this episode of Commodities Focus Podcasts to discuss the opportunities and challenges in Asia's hydrogen market.
April was the nadir of the global demand slump from COVID-19 lockdowns while swinging output cuts from OPEC+ and a slump in US drilling hit production volumes across the board. Oil and gas producers have also been grappling with more pessimism over long term oil demand, have written down asset values and some have stepped up their energy transition game. S&P Global Platts senior writer Robert Perkins is joined by colleagues Nick Coleman, Starr Spencer and S&P Global Market Intelligence's Peter Marin to discuss the key themes of the latest earnings season.
Brazil has shifted to become a net importer of primary aluminum since 2014, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the market outlook.
Is the increase in Brazilian P1020 exports here to stay? How does this situation impact domestic supply?
Adriana Carvalho and Henrique Riberiro of S&P Global Platts look at those issues and more.
Amy Gasca, Daryna Kotenko and Veda Chowdhury of S&P Global Platts discuss West power and natural gas markets and how current market fundamentals are shaping spot and forwards pricing for the remainder of the summer.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, look at the other side of the supply-demand equation, ranging from LNG cargoes pricing out pipeline deliveries to the prospects for further demand growth in the oversupplied and depressed pricing environment.
Over a decade after the first flight using sustainable aviation fuel took off, SAF has gained prominence in airlines’ sustainability tool boxes as the industry tackles its collective carbon footprint.
Growing consumer awareness around the environmental impact of the transportation industry has added to this global dialogue. SAF has made inroads into the US via California however producers and airlines alike must navigate fragmented environmental policies that this nascent market.
Sophie Byron, associate pricing director for agriculture in the Americas, and Ellie Valencia, senior pricing specialist for jet fuel, are joined by Chris Cooper, Neste’s vice president for renewable aviation in North America, to discuss the future growth of the SAF market.
China appears to be almost singlehandedly supporting global metals prices on the back of a return to high levels of industrial activity. But other Asian markets are still slowly emerging from Covid-19 related lockdowns. How is this impacting iron ore, steel, coking coal, scrap and alumina demand and prices?
Julien Hall, director of Metals for APAC, S&P Global Platts, and Paul Bartholomew, head of metals news and insight, APAC, Platts, discuss key findings from the latest quarterly spot market trade reviews, and ponder the implications of these on the current quarter.
Related special report: https://insight.spglobal.com/story/platts-asia-metals-quarterly-trade-insight/
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good preview with senior digital editor Jason Lindquist the upcoming release of second-quarter earnings results by companies in the North American midstream sector.
The April-June period covered the peak of the impact on demand from the coronavirus pandemic, so this will be an opportunity for the market to see how deeply that impact was felt and what the outlook is for a rebound heading into next year. Many operators have cut their growth spending budgets.
Brian Gilvary spent almost a decade as chief financial officer of supermajor BP until he stepped down in June 2020. In an interview with Andy Critchlow and Robert Perkins from S&P Global Platts, Gilvary discusses a broad range of subjects including his career at BP; the challenges of reducing carbon emissions for hydrocarbons producers; living with $40/b crude and how hydrogen can transform the energy system.
Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, take a look at oversupply in global natural gas markets.
What might the US shale investor risk-reward equation look like
as the market shows some signs of rebalancing and as lockdowns
begin to ease?
How long will it take the US shale sector to repair soured investor confidence?
Tim Perry, managing director at Credit Suisse, digs into those topics and more with Jeff Mower, director of Americas oil news at S&P Global Platts.
Jared Anderson, Kassia Micek and Manan Ahuja of S&P Global Platts delve into changing power market dynamics as coronavirus-related lockdowns ease in many areas and look ahead to see where market conditions might be headed for the remainder of 2020 and into next year.
Labour shortages have been one of the key problems caused by the coronavirus crisis in the rice market. Robert Beaman talks to senior rice editors Rebecca Li and Peter Storey about how the Indian rice industry and its competitors have coped with access to labour during lockdown and the consequent market disruptions, while Piero Carello considers some of the lessons learnt by the agriculture sector as a result of the crisis.
US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette joins Chris Newkumet, Washington bureau chief for S&P Global Platts, to discuss the state of America's energy markets -- what we know, where we are, and what's ahead.
Topic for discussion include US oil production and exports, new oil price benchmarks, LNG trade flows, the future for US coal, and the ongoing energy transition.
S&P Global Platts journalists discuss European gas, power and carbon market trends going into the third quarter of 2020. The markets saw price support in June as economies began to emerge from coronavirus lockdowns – but any faltering in demand or rebound in gas flows could undermine these trends, as could a modest uptick in French nuclear availability.
The annual acreage report from the US Department of Agriculture saw a 5 million acre drop in corn planting from the Prospective Plantings report at the end of March.
The resultant rise in corn prices coupled with low ethanol stocks lifted ethanol prices, the S&P Global Platts benchmark Chicago Argo terminal ethanol price reached its highest level in eight months seven on July 7.
Join Sophie Byron, associate pricing director for agriculture in the Americas; Pete Meyer, director of agriculture analytics; and Rafael Savoia, pricing specialist covering Latin American corn, as they discuss what is happening to Americas corn crop and how the Brazil and Argentina export programs are shaping up.
The death of George Floyd in the US on May 25 significantly raised global awareness of racial and cultural issues. Within this environment, giant resources company Rio Tinto attracted opprobrium for the destruction of an indigenous sacred site in Western Australia during the expansion of an iron ore mine.
In light of this, how might ESG (environmental, social and corporate governance) play a bigger role in resources? Could it impact iron ore supply? What might it mean for the way mining companies are rated?
S&P Global Platts Head of News for Asia Mriganka Jaipuriyar discusses these issues with Platts APAC Head of Metals News and Insight Paul Bartholomew, and S&P Global Ratings Associate Director, Corporate Ratings, Minh Hoang.
S&P Global Platts managing editor Laura Varriale talks to steel news editor Annalisa Villa and pricing specialists Amanda Flint and Len Griffin about the state of the European steel industry after lockdowns start to ease across mainland Europe, sparking hope for more industry activity.
In the UK, the drive toward Net Zero 2050 makes hydrogen an attractive investment, but questions remain about how markets will develop and the associated costs. Hydrogen has vast potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy transport, home heating and industry, but the path to decarbonisation is still not entirely clear.
Jeffrey McDonald speaks with Corin Taylor, principal consultant in DNV GL and Tony Smith of Peel, to dive further into these questions and the potential for a hydrogen hub to emerge in the UK.
As the push towards clean fuels intensifies, many alternate energy sources are figuring in discussions among policy makers in Asia, as they prepare for energy transition. One fuel that has garnered a lot of attention is hydrogen. From finding low-cost production methods to creating a transparent price discovery mechanism, hydrogen has a few challenges to overcome to make bigger inroads into leading Asia-Pacific markets, says Edgare Kerkwijk, Board Member of the Asia-Pacific Hydrogen Association, in an interview with S&P Global Platts Senior Editor Sambit Mohanty.
S&P Global Platts global thermal coal experts Deepak Kannan, Fred Wang and Sarah Matthews discuss key developments driving coal demand in the South Asian region, specifically in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and explain how Platts new assessments shed light on the price impact and supply-demand fundamentals in the region.
France’s Total was the first mover among European oil and gas majors to announce its ambition to become a greener company, creating in 2016 a separate division for gas, renewables and power under the leadership of Philippe Sauquet.
Sauquet joined S&P Global Platts on June 10 for an in-depth chat about Total’s strategy, its ambitions to grow the business, and challenges facing the sector given low energy prices and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
After a collapse in oil demand due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the accord between Saudi Arabia and Russia earlier this year, OPEC+ is now back in the driving seat. It has extended its unprecedented production cut deal through July, tried to crack down on those that lack the will power to deliver their share and brought in frequent market monitoring in a bid to react quickly to rapidly changing conditions.
S&P Global Platts seasoned OPEC watchers Paul Hickin, Herman Wang and Rosemary Griffin examine whether this is a new and improved alliance or whether the same old cracks may start to appear.
S&P Global Platts Asia thermal coal team Deepak Kannan, Fred Wang and Jenny Ma discuss key developments in Northeast and Southeast Asia region amid the coronavirus pandemic, while Platts Analytics analyst Matthew Boyle gives a peek into the outlook for coal demand and supply-demand fundamentals for the rest of 2020.
US working natural gas in storage started the injection season with levels well above the five-year average. After the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, heavy US demand destruction was anticipated, which would add to the storage glut. However,
residential and commercial and gas-fired generation demand have remained resilient.
From a global perspective, the pandemic has led to a steep drop in US LNG exports. LNG feedgas demand started out 2020 setting record highs, nearing 9 Bcf/d, but the softened global demand picture has cut feedgas deliveries in half. US storage levels are expected to enter the heating season in November with than 4 Tcf underground, but lower associated gas production in oil-rich basins adds an element of downside risk.
As lockdowns ease off and upstream markets begin to recover, the petrochemical sector looks carefully at its own end user demand, as well as to Asian export opportunities. Callum Colford and Abdulaziz Ehtaiba tell Ora Lazic about market fundamentals in the European olefins and their derivatives going into H2 2020, and review what the post-pandemic recovery might look like.
Despite challenges in the commercial aviation sector, hydrogen remains a potentially disruptive energy carrier and transportation fuel, particularly in decarbonisation scenarios. Aviation is responsible for between 2%-3% of global emissions, and most of the abatement has come from blending biofuels into the existing blend.
Could hydrogen play a bigger role in aviation? How does the current economic crisis, which has decimated the aviation industry, factor into current research and trends?
Jeffrey McDonald speaks with Dr. Anita Sengupta from Airspace Experience Technologies and Roel van Benthem from Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre to discuss these questions and more.
The recent floating storage boom drove tanker freight earnings to levels last seen during the Golden Tanker Era of 2004-2008, but how sustainable are VLCC time charter equivalent revenues in excess of $100,000/d? Tanker owners have now concluded their
first-quarter earnings call season and were wondering how long the current boom would last.
Barbara Troner, Catherine Wood and Marieke Alsguth discuss what’s been driving the Americas tanker markets into the second quarter, comparing shipowner hopes and concerns with current market reality.
Libya exported some crude and condensate from its storage caverns at the Zawiya terminal this week, a first from this port in almost four months. But with the civil conflict still brewing in the volatile North African oil producing powerhouse, a full or sustained return of Libyan oil is unlikely. When these barrels do come back, they will face a crowded sweet market place along with an oil market still reeling from a huge demand loss brought upon by the Coronavirus pandemic. Platts reporters Eklavya Gupte, Charlotte Bucchioni and Nicholas Baldwin tell Joel Hanley the latest.
S&P Global Platts talks to Mercuria CEO and co-founder Marco Dunand about the challenges, implications, and opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic presents across all the key commodity classes in a time of unprecedented volatility in the global markets.
Founded in 2004, Mercuria Energy Trading is one of the world biggest independent energy traders with a turnover of $116 billion last year. Operating in more than 50 countries, Mercuria trades oil, petrochemicals, biofuels, natural gas and LNG, power, coal, iron ore, base metals and a range of other dry bulk commodities.
India has started to wind back its lockdown regime but domestic demand for steel could remain muted until the October-December quarter. This has left Indian mills relying on overseas markets, particularly China, in recent times. But how sustainable is this approach? How will the various downstream segments in India perform in the coming months?
S&P Global Platts Head of Metals News & Insight for APAC Paul Bartholomew discusses these and other issues with Asian Steel Markets Editor Ashima Tyagi.
The S&P Global Platts benchmark Chicago Argo ethanol assessment has trended upward and ethanol inventories have started to drop after reaching record highs as production has climbed.
Does this mean that the US ethanol industry is recovering from COVID-19?
Join Platts Agriculture Associate Pricing Director Sophie Byron and pricing specialists Wes Swift and Sergio Alvarado as they discuss the US ethanol industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, how it affects corn and DDGS prices, and the future of all three markets in a post-pandemic economy.
Brazil, the top global sugar producer and second-largest ethanol producer, started its Center-South crop on April 1, targeting to crush 600 million tons, amid a global consumption crisis and huge uncertainty in the world’s economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
S&P Global Platts senior analysts Beatriz Pupo and Claudiu Covrig join senior price specialist Nicolle Castro for a wide discussion about sugar and ethanol production, consumption and price expectations during and after the pandemic.
London shipping editors Wyatt Wong, George Griffiths, and Sam Eckett explore the devastated LNG, container, and dry bulk markets post-COVID-19. How can shipping recover from a global demand drought? Can positive sentiment for the second half of 2020 stand up to the facts?
At China's latest "Two Sessions," the government did not provide a GDP target for 2020, but it outlined plans to boost infrastructure investment. The big focus this year was on maintaining employment levels and protecting the economy from uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. What are the implications for the oil and metals markets? Will it be enough to drive consumption?
S&P Global Platts head of metals news and insight for APAC Paul Bartholomew discusses these issues with colleagues senior steel analyst Zhang Jing, senior oil analyst Oceana Zhou, and market insights head for China Sebastian Lewis.
US crude storage quickly became a major issue at the crux of the coronavirus lockdowns, as global markets struggled to find enough places to stash oil amid the oversupply and decreased demand.
That created a huge incentive for traders and producers to store their barrels instead of selling them on a prompt, physical basis, which overwhelmed storage availability.
Ernie Barsamian, CEO of the Tank Tiger, talks with Laura Huchzermeyer, managing editor of the Americas crude team at S&P Global Platts, about the changes and challenges of
the storage market.
S&P Global Platts market specialists Kevin Allen, Lara Berton, and Eric Su, give a global view on petrochemical markets dealing with the consequences of the recent oil price crash and the coronavirus pandemic, with particular focus on olefins, polymers and aromatics.
The US power sector is known for its high level of reliability and focus on contingency planning and redundancies, but what happens when working next to your colleague suddenly becomes a health hazard?
Scott Aaronson, vice president of security and preparedness for the Edison Electric Institute, talks with Jasmin Melvin of S&P Global Platts about emergency preparedness for utilities and the challenges ahead for the industry.
Renewable energy continues to grow at a rapid pace in the power markets. Tom Tiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, talks with Manan Ajuha, senior director, North America power analytics, S&P Global Platts, about the economics of US offshore and onshore wind development, policy priorities, and the industry's challenges ahead.
After a historic collapse into negative territory, oil prices have rebounded on the backs of OPEC+ production cuts and the first glimmers of an economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Will the upward trend be sustainable?
S&P Global Platts news editors examine the latest market forecasts and the dynamics influencing the OPEC+ alliance’s ability to bring down the global surplus of oil.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good analyze the just-completed release of first-quarter earnings results by companies in the midstream sector.
The rocky market is expected to continue in the months ahead due to the coronavirus pandemic, with impacts on supply, demand and prices.
Companies are cutting spending and delaying projects to address the market turmoil.
As states begin to lift coronavirus pandemic stay-home orders and business start the process of reopening, power load is expected to slowly rebound from the increase in commercial demand. However, it could take some time as many states have a phased-in approach while many areas are still under local restrictions.
By early May, 23 states had begun to lift stay-home orders with a handful of states expected to start the process by mid-May, but another handful of states still have no end date in sight.
Demand destruction from shutdowns designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic has put PVC, a construction staple, through the ringer in recent months.
S&P Global Platts editors Kristen Hays, Ora Lazic and Fumiko Dobashi take a look at the situation in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Battery technology for electric vehicles and energy storage will play an important part of the broader energy transition. Key
topics include understanding cost trends and competitivenes of these technologies and challenges ahead for alternative storage
technologies.
Roman Kramarchuk, head of energy scenarios, policy and technolgy analytics at S&P Global Platts, talks with Christina Lampe-Onnerud,
founder and CEO of Cadenza Innovation.
Will commodity markets ever be the same again? Global investor Jim Rogers, chairman of Beeland Interests Inc., talks to Sambit Mohanty, S&P Global Platts senior editor, to discuss what lies ahead for commodity markets, where the silver linings are as the coronavirus pandemic continues to trample markets, and the pains of recession.
It's been a chaotic couple of months for the global commodities markets, and the oil sector has been on the firing line of the price and demand collapse resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.
Within days of lockdowns, expanding from Asia into Europe and the US, capex cuts were announced by oil and gas producers as they rapidly adjusted their spending plans to shore up budgets as prices slumped.
The majority of oil majors have reported their first-quarter earnings, showing a partial snapshot of the pandemic's impact on commodity markets.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Platts Analytics head of gas and power Ira Joseph
discuss the latest developments in the global LNG market as the weak price environment continues and project developers
face challenges securing long-term contracts to finance new terminals. Amid supply and demand disruptions, decisions on new projects are being deferred to 2021 and perhaps beyond.
US natural gas prices have long been primarily determined by domestic supply and demand dynamics; however, with the rise of associated gas production in prolific basins like the Permian and the buildout of substantial LNG export capacity, the US natural gas market is experiencing unprecedented exposure to global market dynamics.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas pricing specialists Eric Janssen, Veda Chowdhury, and Kelsey Hallahan discuss the dynamics currently at play, with an eye to what’s to come.
S&P Global Platts experts interviewed Matthew Chamberlain, CEO of the London Metal Exchange, and the youngest one in history.
The key topics of discussion revolved around the temporary switch away from traditional open outcry trade in the face of the coronavirus pandemic and how things will evolve from an environment standpoint once the world restarts.
Europe is slowly coming out of lockdown and steel mills in Southern Europe can gradually ramp up production again.
The steel market is however still far away from a healthy supply and demand balance - with prices dipping and production cuts remaining in place across most of Europe's steelmakers.
Laura Varriale talks to Annalisa Villa, Viral Shah and Amanda Flint about how the steel industry is reacting to dropping demand and what that means for steel and scrap prices during these unprecedented times.
Supply and demand in the global vegetable oils markets have both shifted in response to the coronavirus crisis, resulting in increasingly complex and unpredictable price trends. Robert Beaman talks to George Duke and Piero Carello about how production and consumption have changed in Asia, while Rowan Staden-Coats looks at how this has combined with trends in the European biofuels sector to influence the market for used cooking oil.
Pandemic oil demand destruction has converted clean products tankers into offshore storage containers as onshore storage is approaching tank top. Forced floating storage as a result of discharge problems has the products tanker markets buzzing arguably at a faster pace at present than their larger sisters on the crude side.
Barbara Troner, Marieke Alsguth and Chris To of the S&P Global Platts shipping team put their heads together with Platts’ Beth Brown to explore the dynamics of current products forward pricing structures and floating storage opportunities.
Coal markets are giving way to the coronavirus pandemic as cascaded demand and international government regulations left producers presented with the complex decision to slash supply. Sarah Matthews discusses the situation with EMEA coal market specialist Joseph Clarke, Asia market specialist Fred Wang and Jenny Ma, and Americas market specialists Tyler Godwin and Olivia Kalb.
California is showing significant power price drops as a result oversupply, congestion and decreasing demand, with renewable curtailments increasing.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good preview the upcoming release of first-quarter earnings results by companies in the North American midstream sector.
It will be the first opportunity for the market to see how extensive the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been on operators of pipelines, processing facilities, gathering systems and liquefaction terminals. The near-term outlook is expected to be dim for many.
US crude storage has quickly become an overwhelmingly important issue as the global market continues to grapple with an oversupply of crude and dramatically dwindling demand in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
A steep contango in the oil market structure has created the huge incentive for traders and producers to store away their barrels
instead of selling it on a prompt physical basis and this is quickly overwhelming storage availability.
Joining the podcast is Richard Redoglia, the CEO of Matrix Global Holdings, which launched the world’s first futures contract on crude oil storage capacity and holds monthly storage contract auctions.
Global demand for commodities has been obliterated. From copper as a barometer of the global economy to oil as a potential inflation hedge, no commodity has escaped the impact of coronavirus.
Jeff Currie, head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs and someone who identified the commodities supercycle in the 2000s, did a Q&A with the London news team at S&P Global Platts on 7th April hosted by Paul Hickin and Andy Critchlow. He discussed what a potential supply and demand recovery could look like and what the OPEC+ deal could mean for crude markets. In a wide-ranging discussion he brought his insight to LNG, the broader metals complex, shale oil and energy transition too.
US power markets are following similar trends from Asia and Europe following the coronavirus track, which is creating supply and demand challenges. Peakload averages were down more than 10% in March compared with a year earlier, power dailies have yet to see a dramatic impact, and pricing forwards experienced movement that was more drastic in March for April and May packages.
S&P Gloal Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist current trends in the North American and global LNG markets amid ongoing headwinds, including low prices, narrow margins, shifting trade flows and a significant dropoff in commercial activity that has been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
The outlook has been clouded by extraordinary uncertainty about the near-term trajectory of supply and demand fundamentals.
With COVID-19 lockdowns in Europe rapidly bringing the petrochemical demand into a lull, pressure on the upstream naphtha market has become two-fold in the recent weeks. Travel restrictions and the progressive loss in demand from the petrochemical sector have added extra weight.
S&P Global Platts ethylene and naphtha editors look closely at the cycle of events since the coronavirus breakout.
S&P Global Platts agriculture specialists Liz Thang, Rafael Savoia, Sergio Alvarado, and Andrei Agapi examine the factors driving corn prices as trading communities in Asia and the Americas try to manage market volatility and logistics disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the usual weather issues.
The tsunami of IMO 2020 turned into a tidal wave of cheap oil as producers flood the crude oil market and refiners cut runs amid the COVID-19 demand destruction. In the meantime crude is heading toward containment in tankers floating offshore.
Catherine Wood and Barbara Troner of the S&P Global Platts shipping team put their heads together with Platts crude editor Kristian Tialios to explore the dynamics of current floating storage plays.
Metals like aluminum and steel had been relatively unaffected as COVID-19 began to spread in the US, but the shift came as automakers – including The Big 3 and others – announced temporary production stoppages in North America. Auto is a growing demand sector for aluminum.
Another big consumer – the aerospace industry – has been gutted as airlines have slashed flights and Boeing announced a temporary production stoppage in Washington state. A number of states have implemented lockdowns of non-essential businesses, as well.
Chris Davis, Sarah Baltic and Nick Ruggiero of S&P Global Platts examine the aluminum market and where it might be headed.
The shipping markets are often considered a bellwether of global trade, and the dry bulk and container markets are on their knees due to the coronavirus pandemic. Editors George Griffiths and Sam Eckett take a look at whether there are any positive signs of global economic recovery in the seaborne markets while on-shore market participants remain bound to their living rooms.
Global commodity markets have been hit by a combination of the oil price war and the coronavirus pandemic, and European wheat is no exception. Robert Beaman talks to senior grains editor Alexandre Bobylov about how the French and Black Sea Wheat markets are reacting, while Piero Carello looks at how the pandemic and fluctuating exchange rates are affecting the agriculture logistics chain.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted all aspects of daily life and US power markets are not immune.
With the majority of people staying at home, per recommendations to stop the spread of the disease, grid operators are keeping a close eye on changes in power demand and how to respond.
Cash prices for US diesel and jet fuel markets have been under heavy pressure since the coronavirus outbreak hit the US.
Jet fuel has seen the worst impact, with prices falling to multiyear lows. Diesel prices have mostly avoided any large drops, but it’s unclear how long that will last.
Ellie Valencia, senior pricing specialist for US jet fuel; and Margaret Rogers, senior pricing specialist, US diesel; discuss the markets
with Joshua Brown, manager, US distillates and Latin products.
S&P Global Platts market specialists Kirsten Hays, Eric Su, and Simon Price join associate director Vanessa Ronsisvalle to give a global view on how the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the recent oil price crash are affecting petrochemical markets, with particular focus on blendstocks, olefins, and aromatics.
Unlike other commodities sectors, the domestic steel market seemed to be largely immune during the first few weeks of Covid-19’s spread across the US. Prices held relatively steady and mill production was fairly constant, with most participants basically
in wait-and-see mode, but concern was limited.
The scenario has shifted dramatically in recent days. The Big 3 automakers of GM, Ford and Fiat-Chrysler, as well as Honda and Toyota, announced temporary production stoppages in North America. That got the attention of flat-rolled steel producers, distributors, and even scrap processors.
Christopher Davis, S&P Global Platts regional pricing director for metals in the Americas, examines the market with Mike Fitzgerald, US ferrous metals managing editor, and and Nick Ruggiero, regional metals derivatives manager.
China's long-awaited value-added-tax rebate on fuel oil paved the way for domestic producers to supply bunker fuel to ships plying international routes at Chinese ports. A month after its implementation, S&P Global Platts fuel oil experts Su Ling Teo and Rajesh Nair examine what has changed and what the road ahead looks like for China's bunker market, and whether it the country is getting closer to its dream of being a bunkering hub in Asia.
With commodities weakening on the back of the coronavirus epidemic and the oil price crash, Robert Beaman of S&P Global Platts talks to sugar specialists Nicolle Monteiro de Castro and Beatriz Pupo about the impact on the Brazilian sugar market.
Brazilian sugar has been in the news following February’s reversal of fortunes in Brazil’s Center-South region, which saw sugar prices starting to pay producers better than ethanol for the first time since 2017.
Joined by global manager Piero Carello, the team investigates the impact on the Brazilian sugar and ethanol markets and looks at the global context of these changes.
US LNG developers face challenges advancing any new export projects this year amid the escalating coronavirus outbreak, which has exacerbated the drop in global demand that has already led to record-low prices in Asia.
Decision makers are lamenting that for the foreseeable future China’s door appears to be shut to US LNG, and that has put the
sector in hunker-down mode as participants try to ride out the turmoil.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and senior digital editor Jason Lindquist discuss the challenges ahead.
With oil prices off roughly 30% in the past week in face of falling demand triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, impacts in the downstream are far-reaching.
Changes in crude flows, refinery operations, LNG development and petrochemical price dynamics all are newly in play.
Editors from S&P Global Platts and S&P Global Market Intelligence explore market and industry dynamics triggered by the extreme volatility in world oil markets,
with a special focus on downstream us oil, natural gas, LNG and petrochemical operations.
Also check out Part 1: Volatility in global markets creates havoc for upstream US oil, gas and LNG
The ongoing and extreme volatility in world oil markets has triggered a range of industry dynamics in the US.
Editors from S&P Global Platts and S&P Global Market Intelligence examine the latest market news, with a particular
focus on upstream US oil, gas and LNG operations.
Coming soon: Part 2: Downstream impacts
S&P Global Platts refined products experts Wendy Cheong and Wanda Wang focus on the impact of lockdown policies in parts of China on petrochemical deliveries, the buildup in stocks, and the effect on the Asian naptha market.
Clean energy resource capacity in PJM Interconnection states has been increasing in recent years, often spurred by state programs that provide financial support. In response, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s December 19 order aimed to combat the potential price-suppressing effects of subsidized resource participation, setting off a scramble to assess the impacts of the rule.
S&P Global Platts editor Eric Yep and pricing specialists Fred Wang and Srijan Kanoi examine the impact of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, on China's coal and LNG markets, and take a look at potential demand centers that could absorb existing supplies in the market.
Amid prolonged drought in Thailand, the latest S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast investigates the damage to the country’s vital agriculture sector. This has been most keenly-felt in the rice industry, and EMEA agriculture lead Robert Beaman discusses the latest developments in production and prices with rice expert Stephen Jones. They are joined by rice team manager Charlotte James and senior reporter Peter Storey, as well as Piero Carello, who highlights some surprising parallels with the situation in the sugar market.
Hydrogen is seen across all sectors of the economy, from transportation to industry, power generation and domestic heat, as a potential decarbonisation tool. Huge questions remain about the cost and route to market of low and zero carbon H2 production, and whether governments and industry are willing and able to step up and accelerate a transition to meaningful scale. This episode of the Commodities Focus podcast defines the pathways to H2 decarbonisation, explains what S&P Global Platts is doing to shed light on an opaque market and looks at emerging strategies in Europe and beyond.
With natural gas prices bumping down to record lows and supplies set to increase in the coming years, sellers of gas into Europe are keeping everything crossed that coal and nuclear closures will galvanize a new dash-for-gas in generation markets.
Platts news and analytics experts compare notes on the state of the market, the outlook for pipeline and LNG supply and the prospects for new gas burn in the generation markets of Germany and Italy.
With India's domestic steel prices staging a recovery, steelmakers have shifted their focus to their home markets. However, they remain cautious about any repercussions from COVID-19, fundamentally slow demand growth, an uninspiring Union Budget, and ongoing auctions for mining leases. Will India's domestic market continue showing strength in the face of these developments? S&P Global Platts Asian Steel Markets Editor Ashima Tyagi discusses these issues and more with Head of APAC Metal Insights Paul Bartholomew.
Steel and raw materials markets have been particularly affected by the coronavirus, as two of the key demand sectors – construction and manufacturing – remain in limbo awaiting workers to return. Meanwhile, deliveries of raw materials have been held up by logistical constraints, while mills are tentatively starting to trade again.
Paul Bartholomew, S&P Global Platts head of market insight for metals in Asia-Pacific is joined by Keith Tan, Platts senior managing editor, for steel and raw materials, and Niki Wang, who heads up the Platts iron ore pricing team to discuss the current market situation in China.
A little over a month into the IMO 2020 switch from 3.5% to 0.5% sulfur bunker fuels, the lifting of US sanctions on COSCO-owned tankers and dented crude oil and jet fuel demand due to the coronavirus outbreak had tanker freight take a u-turn and re-open arbitrage flows from the US Gulf Coast.
Marieke Alsguth, Barbara Troner and Catherine Wood of the S&P Global Platts shipping team talk about how the first 40 days of IMO 2020 have shaped up for the Americas loading tanker markets.
From the bursting bubble of palm oil prices, to the soybean harvests of South America and the far-reaching impact of the coronavirus, the global vegetable oil markets are multi-faceted and dynamic.
Join Robert Beaman, George Duke, Anu Das, Rafael Savoia and Huw Shortland to understand the complicated and fast-moving world of vegetable oils, and why prices have come under pressure in recent weeks.
The coronavirus outbreak, which has been declared by the World Health Organization as a global health emergency, is expected to slowdown economic growth in China, the world's largest crude oil, iron ore and soybean importer, and steel exporter. S&P Global Platts Analytics, Insight and Pricing teams gather to take a deep dive into the demand and price impact of the outbreak on the commodity markets.
Brazil, the largest fuel consumer in South America, has been going through many changes in fuel consumption and pricing dynamics. Since state-led oil company Petrobras started to follow
the international price parity reference for gasoline and diesel, E100 hydrous ethanol consumption has started to spike due to a favorable price advantage for consumers.
Brazilian drivers have shifted their consumption to the biofuel E100 and in 2019 the hydrous share in the country’s energy matrix accounted for 44%, or double the share seen in 2017.
The fuel market changes are continuing in Brazil, with Petrobras planning to sell eight of its 13 refineries and open up the refining market for multiple competitors.
A new decade is bringing new challenges for US power markets. The renewables buildout continues to disrupt the market in ways never seen before, mild winter weather and very weak natural gas prices have depressed power prices, and the PG&E situation is ever evolving.
Kassia Micek, Mark Watson and Jeff Ryser of the Platts Americas Power Team look at the biggest stories across the US power market and what it all means for the coming months and years.
In light of the proposed Green Deal to make Europe carbon neutral by 2050, it is clear that the energy transition is on the forefront of policymakers’ minds. Roman Kramarchuk and Dan Klein of S&P Global Platts Analytics put the European energy transition into a global context, and the likelihood of meeting 2-degree warming targets.
We’re one month into the new IMO 2020 sulphur cap and Container Editor George Griffiths and Dry Bulk Editor Sam Eckett look at how the container and dry bulk freight markets are reacting at this time, whilst keeping a fairweather eye on Lunar New Year and the rapid spread of coronavirus which is eating into customer confidence in the freight world.
January 28 marks the one-year anniversary of sanctions imposed by the US Department of Treasury on Venezuela's state-run oil producer, PDVSA, which has been translated as a de facto ban on Venezuelan crude exports to the US market.
Since then, PDVSA has seen a deterioration of its oil industry and has struggled to sell its crude barrels in international markets. In contrast, other Latin American crudes competing for business in the US Gulf Coast not only have been favored with increasing demand in that region, but also in Asia.
Francisco Monaldi, fellow in Latin American energy policy at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, and Maria Eugenia Garcia, Latin American crude senior editor with S&P Global Platts Platts, discuss the impact of the sanctions on the international crude market.
With 2020 bringing increased blending and greenhouse gas saving mandates to the EU biofuels market, the latest S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast looks at why the ethanol market exists and how EU ethanol mandates filter through to the daily experience of road users. EMEA agriculture pricing lead Robert Beaman discusses current market trends with biofuels managing editor Chrysa Glystra and ethanol editor Huw Shortland, while gasoline editor Solomon Lanitis highlights the impact of ethanol use on the much larger gasoline market.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts head of Americas gas news Joe Fisher the outlook for US LNG export projects following the initial trade agreement that the US and China signed January 15.
The agreement keeps tit-for-tat tariffs from escalating, but existing Chinese duties on imports of US LNG remain. Weak Asian LNG prices have added a new wrinkle to commercial talks for American developers.
Chinese crude steel production had a bumper year in 2019, rising 8.3% to just short of 1 billion mt, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. S&P Global Platts steel specialists Paul Bartholomew and Jing Zhang revisit the factors that underpinned the growth in China's steel output last year, and examine the drivers that could support and impact the country's steel production in 2020.
An initial trade agreement between the US and China signed by officials from both countries January 15 could change the landscape for commodities markets that have been roiled by punishing tit-for-tat tariffs over the last 18 months.
Caustic soda is considered a major economic indicator for manufacturing, which is why its weaker pricing was among many indicators of economic slowdowns in China and Europe last year. Current market prices remain under pressure in all regions, amid global oversupply and lack of demand growth. Global Market Lead for polymers and editor Kristen Hays tells Ora Lazic about the events that led to this situation, as well as expectations and trends for 2020.
With details still scarce on the US-China trade deal, markets' initial reaction was underwhelming. This indicates that the highly anticipated deal did not deliver on market expectations. Ivy Li, Gustavo Bonato, Pete Meyer, and Andrei Agapi, S&P Global Platts specialists from China, Brazil, the US, and Singapore, examine the impact of the deal on soybean exports from US and Brazil, and the demand in China in light of the African swine fever.
Pressure on plummeting coal prices could cascade throughout 2020 as unprecedented events within the wider energy markets have helped the energy mix to connect like never before. Platts reporters Antoine Simon, Joseph Clarke and Amanda Flint discuss with Sarah Matthews where this year could lead in both the worlds of coal and gas and whether coal-to-gas switching levels can really go any higher.
The consortium of ExxonMobil, Hess and China's CNOOC recently announced that first oil was being produced from Guyana's offshore. Starr Spencer, S&P Global Platts senior editor for oil news, talks with Laura Huchzermeyer, Platts managing editor of Americas crude markets, about the news from Guyana and the potential impacts on the market.
As more US municipalities set ambitious goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power generation, transportation and other sectors, use cases for hydrogen are emerging that include fuel cells, direct burning in gas-fired turbines and energy storage applications.
With these trends in mind, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems is launching the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project in central Utah that seeks to develop 1,000 MW of clean energy storage using hydrogen stored in underground salt caverns.
S&P Global Platts discussed the project and other US power market developments with MHPS Americas President and CEO Paul Browning.
In the final Shipping Commodities Focus podcast of 2019, S&P Global Platts editors George Griffiths and Sam Eckett discuss the state of the markets ahead of IMO 2020's January 1 deadline. They review the inaugural Platts European Shipping Seminar in Athens; how the Kübler-Ross model of grief (the five stages) applies to global shipping; and investigate why public and private companies are approaching the sulfur emissions cap regulations differently.
With record-high production and unprecedented exposure to global markets through exports, US natural gas markets are in many ways heading into uncharted territory this winter.
S&P Global Platts Americas natural gas manager Ryan Ouwerkerk speaks with senior gas pricing specialists Veda Chowdhury and Kelsey Hallahan about what to expect this winter for US natural gas pricing.
The discussion includes a dive into how new infrastructure, ranging from LNG export facilities to new pipelines, have pricing implications that will extend far beyond the near term.
Two consecutive campaigns of lower sugar production and trade deficits are forecast in the European sugar market. EMEA agriculture pricing lead Robert Beaman, global market development manager Piero Carello and sugar editor Thomas Wigglesworth discuss, in the latest S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast, the on-going sugar beet harvest, changing trade flow dynamics and the overall European market, against a backdrop of a global sugar market back in significant deficit for the first time since 2015-16.
What's in store for 2020? As 2019's heavy turnaround season at all main European petrochemical cracker units came to an end, ethylene supplies returned to a progressively weakening derivatives market. Styrene monomer in particular has been significantly affected and set to remain bearish for the foreseeable future.
On the opposite side, upstream naphtha has kept strong and has recently pushed European cracker margins to the floor. How did this situation develop and what is to expect in H1 2020? Ora Lazic, European ethylene editor, and Olu Shaw, editor for the European styrenics chain, discuss on today's Commodities Focus podcast.
In today's Commodities Focus podcast, join EMEA agriculture pricing lead Robert Beaman, oilseeds editor George Duke and global market development manager Piero Carello as they discuss how the global vegetable oil complex is pressuring sunflower oil prices upwards, despite the bumper sunflower harvests in the Black Sea region.
In today's Commodities Focus podcast, steel pricing analysts Viral Shah and Pascal Dick speak to Shan Islam, head of ferrous trading at Amalgamated Metals Trading (AMT) about the growing market interest in scrap and rebar futures contracts traded on the London Metal Exchange.
The team discuss the various scenarios and questions that may arise when a market participant begins hedging, as well as the positive market reaction to the launch of the LME's hot-rolled coil steel futures in the US (Platts) and China in March 2019.
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts head of Americas gas news Joe Fisher the outlook for US LNG export growth in 2020, which projects will advance, which ones remain on the bubble, and how the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China will impact the landscape.
The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is holding its fifth heads-of-state summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, next week with gas heavyweights such as Russia, Iran and Qatar set to discuss the state of the global gas market.
With gas prices still low across the world and an oversupplied LNG market adding to the bearish mood, GECF members will have much to discuss against the background of an increasing backlash against gas, especially in Europe.
S&P Global Platts editors Henry Edwardes-Evans and Stuart Elliott discuss.
The International Energy Agency has released its latest annual long-term energy outlook in which US shale gets a major resource uplift, shifting the oil market dynamic over the coming decades. S&P Global Platts editor Nick Coleman and Market Intelligence editor Peter Marrin join Robert Perkins to discuss the implications of the IEA's latest forecasts, how producers are meeting the supply challenges and positioning for growth, based on their latest set of corporate results.
Platts Shipping editors Sam Eckett and George Griffiths interview Alexis Rodriguez on environmental initiatives by the Panama Canal ahead of IMO 2020. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss new rules prohibiting the use of marine distillate fuels in canal waters; traffic impacts of the US-China trade tensions; and answer the question: Is the Panama Canal turning into an ECA zone?
The energy transition has become an increasingly important driver of energy and commodity markets, as power generation undergoes a profound transformation across the globe.
In this podcast, Bruno Brunetti, S&P Global Platts head of global power planning, analytics; and Morris Greenberg, senior manager, North American power, analytics; discuss with Amy Gasca, manager of power pricing, the global and US solar outlook, along with key drivers of solar PV capacity additions and the impact of solar penetration on power markets.
London-based editors Jeffrey McDonald, Sarah Matthews and Joseph Clarke discuss the mood of key sectors within the Atlantic basin thermal coal markets amid cheap gas prices and tumbling demand from Europe and the Mediterranean. The mood is bearish, especially for US and Colombian producers. Russian...
Ethanol has been at the forefront of the discussions at Sugar Week in Sao Paulo. The ethanol story will most probably remain bullish, with the renewable fuel accounting for more than 45% of Brazil’s total gasoline pool since 2018 and the launch of the RenovaBio program in 2020. The...
FERC Chairman Neil Chatterjee launched the EnVision Forum in his home state of Kentucky on October 21. The daylong event drew a diverse crowd of power and natural gas stakeholders, including CEOs, utility regulators, consumer advocates and landowners, to discuss challenges posed by the changing...
The middle distillate complex in Asia is expected to maintain a firm footing in the fourth quarter amid looming supply concerns despite Saudi Arabia's full restoration on all of its crude oil production following the September 14 attacks. Industry sources in the bull camp also anticipate rising...
In today’s Commodities Focus podcast, steel pricing analysts Len Griffin and Viral Shah speak to lead news editor Annalisa Villa about the European steel market after the World Steel Association released its outlook for 2019, which revises global steel growth significantly upwards, with...
The energy transition has become the key talking point among energy and commodity market participants, marking what seems to be the beginning of a paradigm shift in power generation. And who better than S&P Global Platts experts in Global Power to analyse key drivers such as policy, the...
With domestic steel prices at three-year lows, India's steelmakers are hoping the government's efforts to boost liquidity and investment will stimulate demand. If not, will Indian steel exports increase and how will they fare in an overcrowded Asian market? S&P Global Platts Asian Steel Markets...
As the annual Oil & Money conference marks its 40th year, the high-profile London event reflects an industry grappling with transition as concerns over the perils of fossil fuels grow more acute. The New York Times has dropped its long-running sponsorship of the event and, in a nod to greener...
S&P Global Platts shipping editors George Griffiths and Sam Eckett look at the alternative marine fuels debate, ahead of IMO 2020’s January 1st deadline. They are joined by Managing Editor for Freight Alex Younevitch, and discuss the ASBA Cargo Conference in Miami, nuclear power’s...
With another year of strong wheat production now hitting the grain silos, the latest S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast discusses developments in two key exporters: Russia and Ukraine. EMEA agriculture pricing lead Robert Beaman discusses the latest production trends with grains...
The last quarter of the year is seasonally weak for Asian gasoline, but the attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities are proving to be largely supportive of the market. S&P Global Platts editors Mark Tan and Wendy Cheong share insights on the region's gasoline supply and the factors that could...
S&P Global Platts pricing specialists Kelli Ainsworth, Arsalan Syed and Olivia Kalb discuss the interplay between natural gas, coal and power pricing in the US Midwest with Amy Gasca, pricing manager, North American power.
The European PVC industry has gone through many changes in the last few decades regarding technology and assets, as well as marketing mechanism and building resilience against high raw material costs, but it has also experienced limited margins in sales. This year’s political and economic...
Total coal imports to Southeast Asia is expected to hit 127 million mt in 2019, up 27% from 2018, with demand driven by existing and upcoming coal-fired power plants. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts Asia thermal coal editors Fred Wang, Jenny Ma, and Huimin Lee explain the rationale behind...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist the highlights of the third day of the Gastech conference in Houston. Blackstone’s potential sale of its...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist the highlights of the second day of the Gastech conference in Houston. There was a healthy tension between...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist the highlights of the first day of the Gastech conference in Houston. Offtake deals involving LNG...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writers Harry Weber and J. Robinson preview with natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher next week’s Gastech conference, which will bring together in Houston global market participants in the midstream, upstream and LNG sectors. The annual confab comes...
With US ethanol still shut out of China, this installment of Commodities Focus podcast looks at the current state of the US ethanol market, the key emerging demand centers in Asia, and the benefits of ethanol as a gasoline blending component from a sustainability perspective. Andrei Agapi, Platts...
S&P Global Platts shipping editors George Griffiths and Sam Eckett probe into the dry bulk and container markets and how bunker fuels are impacting pricing ahead of IMO 2020’s January 1st deadline. They are joined by EMEA Associate Editor for Bunker Fuel Tom Washington. As rates are...
ERCOT power demand smashed record after record durin August, boosting spot prices to record highs and real-time power prices to $9,000/MWh. Natural gas prices, however, did not see any uplift from record power demand. Amy Gasca, manager of the Platts power pricing team; Kelsey Hallahan, senior...
China will bring on another 35 million mt/year of crude steel this year through its capacity replacement mechanism, S&P Global Platts estimates. How will this impact pig iron production growth? And is there enough downstream demand to absorb all of this steel? S&P Global Platts senior...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence natural gas reporter Corey Paul discuss with Platts natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher the state of play in the US LNG industry, with competition for commercial deals heating up, final investment...
A number of major trends are impacting the US power sector, including lower utility load nearly across the board among electric utilities, largely because of milder temperatures this year but also in some cases because of lower industrial load. Some electric utility CEOs have also...
On today's Commodities Focus podcast with Ora Lazic and Miguel Cambeiro: Although Europe continues to be the most expensive pricing region, it is increasingly becoming an importer of competitively priced ethylene and main derivatives from the US —with its new shale-based capacity—, but...
With no end to the dispute in sight and a consensus that the real shocks to the markets could be yet to come, the latest installment of the Commodities Focus podcast takes a renewed look at the impact on trade flows that the ongoing tariffs dispute between the US and China is having on the LNG,...
Today's Commodities Focus podcast looks deeper into the evolving thermal coal trade flows in the Atlantic and what the future holds. Following the recent release of two new Platts assessments that capture these new dynamics, managing editor Jeffrey McDonald is joined by thermal coal pricing...
S&P Global Platts shipping editors Sam Eckett and George Griffiths review the US-China trade tensions, and their effect on global shipping markets ahead of IMO 2020’s January 1st deadline. They are joined by EMEA Coal managing editor Jeff McDonald. As escalating tariffs between the two...
Oil majors across Europe have struggled in the second quarter largely due to weak gas prices while their counterparts across the pond have held up better thanks to the resilience of US tight oil. S&P Global Platts’ senior oil writer Robert Perkins and head of oil news in London Paul...
This week’s Commodities Focus podcast looks at the recycled plastics markets in Europe - the current situation and what the future holds in light of new legislation coming into force over the coming years. Join Luke Milner and Ben Brooks from the European petrochemicals team...
S&P Global Platts editors Wendy Cheong and Mark Tan examine Asia's demand for gasoline in the third quarter following a weak first half, with fundamentals in the region pressured by excess cargoes from North Asia.
S&P Global Platts Editors Cheong Su Yeen and Wanda Wang examine the increasing activity on loading middle distillate, especially gasoil and ultra low sulfur diesel, on newbuilding vessels, such as Very Large Crude Carriers, SuezMax tankers or Long Range 3 tankers, from Asia and the Middle...
Iron ore prices have risen by around 30% since the start of June, putting intense pressure on steel margins. Are Chinese mills contemplating trimming production? How is the third quarter shaping up? And after the recent Baowu-Manshan tie-up announcement, is more Chinese steel consolidation on the...
This Commodities Focus podcast looks at S&P Global Platts Analytics latest Global Polyolefin Outlook, discussing the short, medium and longer term key market dynamics and price outlook for ethylene, propylene, PE and PP. Hetain Mistry and Lara Berton discuss the latest outlook, focusing on the...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good preview with natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher the upcoming second-quarter earnings season for midstream companies. Investors are eager to know the status of...
Amid the US energy transition toward increasing volumes of renewable energy and distributed energy resources like microgrids and demand response, global power sector engineering company Black & Veatch recently restructured its power business to focus more on these shifting market...
Refineries worldwide have been consuming more light sweet crude oil, resulting in an oversupply of light distillates products market. In the second quarter, naphtha was the worst performer across the barrel in Asia. The Asian naphtha crack against ICE Brent crude fell close to an 11-year low to...
S&P Global Platts shipping editors George Griffiths and Sam Eckett review recent developments affecting supply and demand in the container and dry bulk freight markets and look ahead to Q3, including the impact of trade tensions between the US and China, swine flu, the fall armyworm and the...
US corn futures have been soaring since May, as persistent rains have pummeled the Midwest. Now, the impact of the rains are being felt not just for corn, but for ethanol as well. Platts agriculture editors Sergio Alvarado, Nicolle Monteiro de Castro and Wes Swift discuss how the weather is...
Severe weather this year in the US Midwest has kept farmers from planting crops, cutting regional diesel demand. Even with prices at multimonth lows, the market is unlikely to quickly reverse course due not only to high stocks of diesel and jet fuel, but because farmers will be unable to plant as...
Mark Gyetvay, CFO and deputy chairman of the management board at Novatek, visits S&P Global Platts for an interview with S&P Global Platts senior writer for LNG, Lucie Roux. In it, he discusses how the Russian gas producer intends to boost its output to approximately 70 million metric tons...
Markets are now gearing up for the implementation of the International Maritime Organization's new sulfur cap regulation, which takes effect on January 1, 2020. Shipowners are increasingly taking compliant fuel for sea trials, while traders are lapping up any and all low sulfur components within...
Last summer, ERCOT saw record power demand, while California power prices reached an all-time high. With another summer coming up, S&P Global Platts senior pricing specialists Kassia Micek, Kelli Ainsworth and Jeff Zhou discuss ISO summer load and resource expectations and July and August...
As China will restrict imports of aluminum scrap from July, the global scrap industry is preparing for the material flow change by the world’s biggest scrap-consuming nation. The outlook, whether near or longer term, is uncertain as no one is sure yet how much scrap China will be importing...
Global crude oil prices have fallen to two-month lows in recent days amid concerns that the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China could slow global demand growth. US President Donald Trump said this week that he was not rushing to reach a trade agreement with China, increasing uncertainty...
India's steel industry largely views the continuation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government as positive for steel demand. Which parts of his economic program may stimulate demand? And how may steel industry consolidation play a role? And with ongoing China-US trade tensions, could India take...
Germany’s role in European gas is set to grow, with more gas landing directly via Nord Stream 2 and proposed LNG terminals, while the two German hubs, NetConnect Germany and Gaspool, are set to merge. How will this play out and what will be the impact on liquidity and other European hubs?...
At its 50th year, Houston's Offshore Technology Conference highlighted panels that showed a global deepwater that has become increasingly robust, with several countries tendering for the first time in years and oil and gas operators busy planning deep and often remote wells around the world. Some...
Hetain Mistry, lead analyst, petrochemicals, speaks with senior editor Luke Milner about the latest Global Polyolefin Outlook from S&P Global Platts Analytics, discussing key short, medium and longer term market dynamics and the price outlook for ethylene, propylene, polyethylene and...
The US-China trade dispute has widened in recent days, with China announcing increased tariffs on $60 billion of US goods, including LNG, just days after the US raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, with the possibility of tariffs on all other Chinese imports. The trade tensions...
S&P Global Platts editors Seth Clare and Kristian Tialios unpack first-quarter earnings from the US refining sector and discuss the causes for the industry’s lackluster margins. OPEC+ production cuts, sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, and new supply curtailments in Canada all made the...
The Offshore Technology Conference promises to be a special event this year -- not only is it the 50th anniversary of the well-attended Houston event, but offshore exploration globally is heating up in a big way. Project tenders are estimated to nearly double this year what they were in 2018, Latin...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good preview with natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher the upcoming first-quarter earnings season for midstream companies, which starts April 17 with Kinder...
Though aluminum scrap sources in the US and Asia have noticed an uptick in zorba prices in the past month, prices of other scrap items have only inched upwards in the same time frame. Alloy prices, meanwhile, have been stagnant if not down slightly. Mayumi Watanabe, senior editor out of Tokyo, and...
The new sulfur cap set by the International Maritime Organization will be implemented in January 2020. As the sulfur cut is so drastic, from 3.5% to 0.5%, uncertainty continues to grip the industry, which does not seem to have a clear picture on how the market will become after 2020. In this...
S&P Global Platts oil market editors Seth Clare, Laura Huchzermeyer, Maria Eugenia Garcia and Daron Jones discuss the most talked about themes they heard while attending the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers' Annual Meeting in San Antonio, one of the largest energy industry events...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and Platts Analytics team lead for North America natural gas Ross Wyeno preview the upcoming LNG2019 conference in Shanghai with natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher. The conference will bring together global liquefaction terminal...
Increasing renewable integration is poised to transform the California power grid in the coming years. Steve Berberich, CEO and president of the California Independent System Operator, talks with Kassia Micek and Kelli Ainsworth, senior pricing specialists on the S&P Global Platts’ North...
US Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 252 saw the largest number of total high bids in two years and four auctions. The 30 oil company participants were willing to spend on more acreage to replenish their inventories and prop up production, although mostly around existing fields. Does this mean that more...
S&P Global Platts editors Su Ling Teo and Andrew Khaw examine how the weakness in the dry bulk market, particularly following the dam collapse at a Vale mine dam in Brazil, which in turn stoked concerns over a severe drop in tonne mile demand, has affected the sentiment and demand in China's...
Kristen Hays, senior petrochemicals editor, sits down with Josh Pedrick, managing editor for Americas aromatics, to talk about the growing headaches for the Houston Ship Channel. A number of container ships heading to Houston have created delays for liquids ship movements. Hays unpacks the...
S&P Global Platts senior gas writer J. Robinson talks with Platts Analytics senior oil and gas analyst Taylor Cavey about some of the biggest trends in upstream production for 2019, with a look at Permian Basin supply growth and constraints, Bakken flaring, and the looming slowdown in drilling...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber, senior power editor Mark Watson, associate markets editor Kassia Micek and coal managing editor Andrew Moore discuss with natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher key topics across their sectors that were addressed this week at the annual...
Natural gas prices at the Sumas hub in the Pacific Northwest reached a record high on March 1. On the same day, power prices at Mid-Columbia hub in the Northwest soared to an 18-year high. In this podcast, senior natural gas pricing specialist Veda Chowdhury and senior power pricing specialist...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher in Houston talk with LNG editor Luke Stobbart in London about trade-flow trends that have seen Europe become a favored destination for Atlantic Basin LNG export cargoes in recent months. The trend...
Confusion over China's policy on coal imports has been hounding the Asian coal market since late-January. There have been talks among market participants about an import ban on Australian coal at China's ports in the northeast, but a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said the checks are for...
US wind generation is expected to continue booming over the coming years, but many see the steel tariffs and end of the tax credit in 2020 as threatening that growth. Mike Fitzgerald, with the Platts North American steel team, and Kassia Micek, with the Platts North American power pricing team,...
Scrap aluminum has gone wild. There are new taxes and financial obligations in China and Vietnam; licenses, regulations and restrictions in Vietnam, Taiwan, Brazil, and other countries, resulting in unpredictable price trends. When the year started, prices were generally expected to fall from...
The tremors of IMO 2020 - The mandated shift to low sulfur marine fuel which officially kicks in January 1, 2020 - will begin to be felt months from now and have already begun to work their way into the fabric of the already complex dynamics of the shipping sector. Jason Silber chats with Pradeep...
China's winter steel production cut agenda seems to have gone quiet. Will this result in even stronger steel output? Meanwhile, Beijing has unleashed some incentives to rekindle buying in the consumer-segments, but will it translate into stronger steel demand? And does the Chinese steel market care...
The PJM Interconnection has several market design changes underway, including adjustments to energy reserve price formation and the way its capacity market is structured that will significantly impact market participants going forward. Andy Ott, president and CEO of PJM Interconnection, talks with...
With the looming shadow of IMO 2020 on the horizon, there is a growing confusion and discord in the container market when it comes to recovery of bunker costs in freight contracts. The Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF) system is failing and the industry is looking out for new solutions. Jason Silber,...
Increasing trade tensions and expectations of new capacities in Iran, the US and Latin America this year are set to change the complexion of the global methanol market. S&P Global Platts editors Lara Berton, Esther Ng, Luke Milner and Ellie Valencia discuss these developments and more, as they...
Winter storms have battered the US in January and February and caused consumers to crank up their heaters, driving up power demand and prices as temperatures have lingered below freezing for days. S&P Global Platts senior pricing specialists Kelli Ainsworth, Kassia Micek and Jeff Zhou look at...
S&P Global Platts specialists take a look at what developments in the European automobile industry might mean for metals, plastics and fuels.
Brazilian sugar and ethanol price specialists Nicolle Monteiro de Castro and Phillip Herring discuss the primary drivers of supply and demand that will affect Brazilian sugar and ethanol markets in 2019. Topics include the sugar/ethanol mix of the 2018-19 Center-South crop, the price parity between...
S&P Global Platts editor Peter Farrell and senior pricing specialist Arthur Richier discuss the state of the dirty and clean Handysize tanker markets in the Baltic Sea, and how low availability of ice-class tonnage and port restrictions at this time of the year have buoyed rates up to record...
Petrochemical editor Lara Berton interviews lead petrochemical analyst Hetain Mistry about the latest S&P Global Platts Analytics Global Polyolefin Outlook, discussing the short, medium and longer term key market dynamics and price outlook for ethylene, propylene, polyethylene and polypropylene.
S&P Global Platts analysts think US gasoline demand will take a hit from the subzero weather in much of the country. And then there are the federal employee who just got back in their cars for work. Jeff Bair and Seth Clare look at a topsy-turvy winter for gasoline demand and how the market...
Argentina and Brazil are growing in importance as exporters of corn, with global buyers now having one eye on crop development in Argentina and the other on the second crop planting in Brazil. Join Sophie Byron, senior managing editor for the Americas agriculture pricing team, and Rafael Savoia,...
S&P Global Platts editors George Griffiths, Jamila Al-Ibrahim and Sam Eckett discuss the state of the Atlantic dry bulk market ahead of the Chinese New Year, and what we can expect for the remainder of the first quarter of 2019.
Aluminum trade had a big year in 2018, and while US tariffs got a lot of media attention, China also took action that has impacted nonferrous scrap trade and prices worldwide. Scrap dealers and secondary aluminum smelters in the US, Mexico and Asia have had to grapple with these changes, and will...
Soybean markets are holding their breath while the US and China discuss a possible resolution of the trade war that shook global trade flows in 2018. As tentative signs of reconciliation begin to emerge, US farmers still hold large stocks of beans while they start planning the coming season....
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and Americas natural gas managing editor Joe Fisher discuss the outlook for the US midstream sector as fourth-quarter 2018 earnings reporting season begins, from the appetite for further major pipeline projects to the markets that will be...
Jason Silber, global head of Platts Ocean Intelligence, is joined by Janet McGurty, senior oil writer at S&P Global Platts, and Richard Joswick, head of oil pricing and trade flow analytics for S&P Global Platts Analytics, to discuss the refining landscape as the marine industry faces an...
The global oil market has seen major price volatility over recent months and the start of 2019 has proved equally rousing with prices on track to post their biggest weekly gain in over two years. With spot Brent trading over $60/b, the oil market remains acutely focused on the complex balancing act...
Russia's controversial Nord Stream 2 and Turk Stream natural gas pipeline projects are still on track to come online at the end of this year, despite risks of EU regulation and US sanctions. The 55 Bcm/year link to Germany and 31.5 Bcm/year link to Turkey could between them cover almost all the 87...
There's a kernel of truth behind President Donald Trump's tweet on cheap gasoline. S&P Global Platts editors Seth Clare and Jeff Bair look at the fundamentals behind Trump's Twitter prediction that gasoline will take a lower budget bite in 2019. Related content S&P Global Platts Analytics:...
The US-China trade war has taken a number of twists and turns since July 6, when the US and China put into place 25% tariffs on $34 billion of each other’s goods. Most recently the two sides agreed to a 90-day truce, during which both sides will refrain from increasing or introducing any new...
The number of factors hampering trade of Venezuelan HBI seems unlimited, and its relevance to the global industry is disappearing as it has been working at much-reduced rates for years. Moreover, reduced steel production and raw material demand from its main consumers -- Italy and Turkey -- may...
Trading relationships are top on the minds of many in Europe, especially with the evolving trade tensions between China and the US, and Brexit. In the longer term however, population megatrends, feedstock developments, and innovative technologies underpin growth in the industry, with sustainability...
The recent rise in natural gas prices, combined with lower gas storage and a late November cold snap, has added some uncertainty to the US winter power outlook. S&P Global Platts editors Eric Janssen, Kassia Micek and Tyler Godwin discuss the major issues in a roundtable discussion led by...
The European natural gas market has seen some dramatic changes year on year so far during the final quarter of 2018, with pricing seen volatile after crashing recently with multi-year highs seen at the beginning of the Winter 2018/19 season. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts European gas team...
Why would a refiner keep making gasoline at a loss? That's the situation facing US companies with gasoline cracks dipping into negative numbers against major US and European crude grades. Jeff Bair and Seth Clare of the US gasoline team break down the numbers and take look at what analysts are...
An escalation in tension between Russia and Ukraine following the seizure of three Ukrainian vessels by Russia in the Azov Sea could mean a change to market dynamics. In this podcast S&P Global Platts commodities specialists explore what it could mean for those who use Russian and Ukrainian...
Market expectations for Q4 were sky-high, but has the dry bulk sector delivered on its Q3 promise? S&P Global Platts Sam Eckett and Arthur Richier discuss how geopolitical challenges have affected different commodities around the Atlantic Basin, and how freight rates have been impacted as a...
S&P Global Platts European styrene editor Olu Shaw joins EMEA petrochemicals managing editor Ng Baoying to assess the European styrene market, which has lost close to a third of its value in the two months to mid-November, from $1,422/mt mid-August, to $979.50/mt. While some sources consider...
The US Gulf Coast has become the new crude export hub in the Americas. Brazil and USGC crude exports combined have transformed the VLCC runs from the Americas to the Asia-Pacific region into a front-haul market, attracting ballasters from as far away as Singapore. In recent weeks shipping cost on...
California voters are about to have the chance to ditch a recently passed increase in their gasoline tax. Is there a chance that they will vote against their self-interest and in favor of the greater good? Plus, does a tax really push gasoline demand one way or another? Jeff Bair and native...
US crude exports to Europe have declined in the past few weeks as the cost to move barrels across the Atlantic has risen. US crude editor Laura Huchzermeyer joins Americas crude oil managing editor John-Laurent Tronche to discuss this recent run-up in prices, and how the market is adapting to...
The International Maritime Organization has mandated bunker sulfur limits to drop to 0.5% sulfur on January 1, 2020, from 3.5% sulfur currently. Regardless of the compliance option shipowners choose, the global sulfur mandate will increase freight cost tremendously. Noteworthy is a huge uptick in...
The pricing power of domestic mills in Brazil was built on strengthening Chinese steel prices over the past few months, putting Brazilian steel products near discounts against imported material. Historically, sustainable import parity premiums for domestic flats and longs over imported goods were...
The European paraxylene market is seeing significant changes this year as fundamental shifts in global demand and supply yield opportunities and challenges for the region. The start-up of a new downstream PTA plant in Portugal has placed the region in a net short position, and Europe will now have...
North American power pricing specialists Kelli Ainsworth, Kassia Micek and Jeff Zhou, all based in Houston, look back on how US power markets fared over the summer, where ERCOT markets sizzled out, but California markets reached decade high prices. Kelli, Kassia and Jeff also turn their attention...
As the bunkering industry gears up for the International Maritime Organization's tighter sulfur emission standards from 2020 onward, is the blending of biofuels a viable way to reduce emissions? S&P Global Platts senior biofuel specialist George Griffiths and fuel oil associate editor Emma...
When US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel imports earlier this year, the impacts went far beyond that industry, with ripple effects for crude oil, natural gas, LNG export projects and petrochemicals. S&P Global Platts editors Michael Fitzgerald, Kristen Hays, Starr Spencer and...
A unique season for the 2018-19 sugarcane crop in North-Northeast Brazil is starting to shape up, with producers expected to maximize ethanol production. And for the first time since 2010-11 producers are expected to focus on hydrous production, which is already is triggering higher anhydrous...
S&P Global Platts senior pricing specialists John DeLapp and Veda Chowdhury discuss the changing natural gas storage picture in the Midwest. Although stocks are running well behind the five-year average build, market participants do not seem to be concerned. John and Veda explain why. Related...
Join us for a discussion of how US-China trade tensions and tariffs are rocking the US petrochemical industry and markets for chemicals and plastics. Participating are Kristen Hays, senior petrochemicals editor; Chris Ferrell, managing editor of olefins and polymers; and Phillipe Craig, associate...
Up in the summer, down in the winter. What is going on with your gasoline? Jeff Bair and Seth Clare of Platts' light ends team discuss the influence of RVP on US gasoline assessments and how they provide a wrinkle into how fuel was priced during Hurricane Florence. Download: S&P Global Platts...
S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber, LNG Editorial Lead for Asia Pacific and the Middle East Abache Abreu and Managing Editor Gas & Power Joe Fisher preview next week’s Gastech conference in Barcelona. They analyze the key themes and what the global gas and LNG...
The landscape of the global soybean trade is changing amid a US-China trade war. Sophie Byron, S&P Global Platts senior managing editor for the Americas Agriculture pricing team, talks with Luke Lundgren, oilseeds price specialist in Chicago, about the biggest issues impacting the US soybean...
A unique season for the 2018-19 sugarcane crop in Center-South Brazil is resulting in the highest ethanol mix in 10 years. What have been the impacts in the supply-and-demand dynamics in the world’s largest sugarcane producer and second-biggest ethanol market? Can demand catch up with the...
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host Asian leaders at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, September 11-13, 2018, where discussions are likely to be dominated by trade tensions and North Korea peace talks, as well as the most promising areas for future cooperation. S&P Global Platts...
S&P Global Platts Editor Kate Winston and Senior Manager Matthew Eversman discuss the Affordable Clean Energy rule and whether this new legislation will have an impact on the US generation mix.
Coal stockpiles at US utilities and natural gas storage are both down this year rather significantly, but prices have yet to react. Andrew Moore, managing editor of Platts Coal Trader, says increasing gas production is one reason prices have stayed low, which is also limiting coal demand. But with...
Brazil, the world’s largest soybean exporter, is bound to be nearly alone in providing the oilseed to China with competitive prices, after the Asian country imposed a 25% tariff on US exports. However, uncertainties around Brazilian domestic freight costs make the scenario for the South...
Senior Pricing Specialists Samer Mosis, Arsalan Syed and John DeLapp of the S&P Global Platts North American Natural Gas team discuss the behavior of the often-volatile Southern California gas market this summer. They dissect and analyze the market fundamentals behind a recent price surge and...
S&P Global Platts reporter Harry Weber and Senior Managing Editor Matt Eversman discuss the outlook for further US LNG export growth amid the escalation of international trade disputes. They analyze the impact on projects currently being developed on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts and...
S&P Global Platts editors Seth Clare and Jeffrey Bair talk about gasoline trade flow from the US to Australia and China to Mexico and the short-term supply situations that are driving markets on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. Also, there's a review of some of the bullish indications for US...
If China is cutting output, why is it producing so much steel? Will new electric arc furnace capacity displace blast furnace output? What could be the resultant impact on iron ore and scrap demand? How is steel demand in H2 shaping up? S&P Global Platts senior managing editor Paul Bartholomew...
The Texas Port of Corpus Christi is positioning itself to be the prime energy export port in the US, despite trade wars and sanctions. In a conversation with S&P Global Platts senior editor Ashok Dutta and managing editor Gary Gentile, the port's CEO Sean Strawbridge outlines his plans to...
The liner carriers, which haul all consumer goods and many bulk commodities around the world, have faced serious challenges over the past few years. Jason Silber of S&P Global Platts Ocean Intelligence talks with Andrew Scorer, Platts senior editor for containers about the headwinds in the...
S&P Global Platts reporter Harry Weber, Managing Editor Scott Ickes and independent LNG analyst Ted Michael discuss the outlook for further LNG export growth from the US and Canada, which country will launch the second wave of liquefaction terminals with a positive final investment decision, what...
The European polyethylene terephthalate market is set to face a supply drought in the foreseeable future amid lingering scarcity of feedstock purified terephthalic acid in the region. With the peak summer demand season nearing, S&P Global Platts managing editor for EMEA petrochemicals, Ng...
The North American power pricing team takes a coast-to-coast look at summer power prices, as well as forecast demand and generating capacity for ERCOT, Cal-ISO and the PJM Interconnection.Kassia Micek, Jeff Zhou and Meaghan Coleman evaluate how the power markets are shaping up as hot weather and...
Key oil players will gather in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on May 24-26 to discuss key issues including the fate of the OPEC+ crude production cut deal and the impact of US sanctions on international energy markets. High-profile political guests including French President Emmanuel Macron and...
Abdulrahman S. Al-Fageeh, SABIC Executive Vice President - Petrochemicals, joins S&P Global Platts Editor Frank Zeng in this episode of the Platts Commodities Spotlight podcast, recorded at the ChinaPlas Conference 2018, to talk about company updates, the implications of the trade tension between...
The International Maritime Organization has reduced the maximum amount of sulfur in bunker fuels from 3.5% to 0.5%, effective in 2020. Shipping companies will be paying more for fuel as they switch from high sulfur fuels to blends and distillates, but LNG is also emerging as an option.Jason Silber...
The recent industry downturn was painful for the oil patch, and especially subdued global offshore exploration. But the sector is emerging more efficient and with sophisticated technologies that will prepare it for the next few decades where more automation, more predictive analysis and more...
Getting new oil pipelines built in Canada has become a problem. Producers are keen on expanding their customer base outside the US, eyeing refiners in Asia and Europe. To reach those markets,producers need pipeline access from Alberta to coastal terminals, but they have faced a lot of pushback. Now...
S&P Global Platts editors Seth Clare and Jeff Bair discuss summer gasoline trends: what's going on with Mexico-bound exports, what you might pay at the pump and the competition to get fuel up the pipeline to New York. The US government has revised its forecast for pump prices upward.We welcome...
China’s proposed 25% tariff on various US goods, including products such as soybeans and corn, and an additional 15% tariff on US ethanol, have left the agriculture and biofuels markets in a state of uncertainty. News of the tariffs has already begun to pressure prices and change trade flows...
Spot aluminum premiums have slipped from last week's near three-year high of $180/mt-$195/mt CIF Japan, after the US eased sanctions against leading Russian producer Rusal.In this podcast, S&P Global Platts editors Mayumi Watanabe and YuenCheng Mok examine the market's reaction to the US...
S&P Global Platts alumina price assessment jumped $160/mt overnight to $710/mt FOB Australia on April 18. It also increased $235 in the last week, on supply worries.In this podcast, metals editors Joanna Lim and YuenCheng Mok examine what's driving alumina prices, and talk about market outlook...
Coal is on its way out of the UK power generation mix, yet has remained as a fall-back option on days of peak demand such as when the National Grid warned of a natural gas deficit on March 1. Capacity market auctions are at a record low, which could speed up the closure of exiting UK coal plants...
US President Donald Trump spoke in favor Thursday of an RVP waiver for E15, or gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. The implications and motivations for such a waiver are a hot topic right now as refiners fight mounting biofuels compliance costs.S&P Global Platts editors Josh Pedrick and Wes...
The Permian Basin has attracted more than its fair share of attention due to its high pace of growth even in a low oil price environment.But since late March differentials have widened between the two grades: WTI Midland and MEH. This is a clear sign that the 300,000 b/d cushionin takeaway capacity...
European biodiesel trade flows have been rocked significantly by the latest policy changes, with uncertainty rife in the marketplace surrounding the future of antidumping duties. S&P Global Platts' George Griffiths, EMEA senior biofuels specialist, and Samar Niazi, APAC biodiesel editor take a...
S&P Global Platts editors Sophie Byron and Wes Swift and Director of Global Biofuels Analysis Corey Lavinsky discuss the impact from the proposed settlement agreement between the US Environmental Protection Agency and Philadelphia Energy Solutions on the biofuels market.The trio review what...
After strong trading in the lead up to Chinese New Year in mid-February, market participants were expecting China to return to the seaborne spot market with gusto. But sellers have been left feeling disappointed as rising domestic coal production, falling Qinhuangdao prices and warmer weather in...
Details of US President Donald Trump's plan to impose a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% on aluminum imports are expected to emerge this week.In this podcast, S&P Global Platts Regional Content Director for Metals Julien Hall and Senior Managing Editor for Steel and Steel Raw Materials Keith...
As London's annual International Petroleum week draws to a close, Jason Silber, Global head of Ocean Intelligence -- part of S&P Global Platts -– chatted with Peter Norfolk, S&P Global Platts editorial director, shipping and freight, for a quick yet incisive survey of the shipping...
Borouge chief executive Wim Roels joins S&P Global Platts Senior Editor Heng Hui in this podcast to discuss the competitiveness of Middle East producers, the company's outlook for 2018, as well as megatrends that could disrupt the polymer sector in the long run.We welcome any feedback or...
Ukrainian corn prices have risen to a 6-month high, rising sharply since the turn of the year, making it the most expensive origination globally. Driving the surge is demand from China, which has bolstered fundamentals. In contrast, traditional homes for Ukrainian corn are opting for US corn, the...
Aluminum premium swaps on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange have been in contango. Spot market premiums have been surging this year.In this podcast, S&P Global Platts Regional Manager for Metals Derivatives Petter Kolderup and Senior Editor for Physical Metals Market Mayumi Watanabe discuss the...
With 23 months to go, it is still uncertain whether refineries will be able to meet demand for low sulfur bunker fuel. Jason Silber, global head of Ocean Intelligence -- part of S&P Global Platts -- sought out Janet McGurty, S&P Global Platts senior oil writer and resident refinery guru,...
With a lack of clarity over when biodiesel antidumping duties against Indonesia and Argentina will be removed, and the EU Commission launching an Argentinian biodiesel anti-subsidy investigation, George Griffiths, S&P Global Platts senior biofuels specialist, and Emma Kettley, S&P Global...
The surging prices of polyethylene in Asia are keeping Europe's prices flat despite abundant supplies being available in the market. With US exports widely expected to further increase supply availability in Europe in the coming months, the continents polyethylene prices look set to come under...
The start of 2018 has seen multiple bullish factors hit. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts metals editors Sarah Baltic Hilliard and Tina Allagh discuss causes behind the rise in US aluminum premium levels and outlook for the coming months.We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics....
With biodiesel antidumping duties against Indonesia and Argentina to be removed, and palm oil banned as a biodiesel feedstock in Europe post-2020 following the RED II vote, Stephanie Wilson, S&P Global Platts agriculture managing editor, and George Griffiths, senior biofuels specialist look at...
Indonesian thermal coal prices have been on an uptrend since the latter half of 2016 and production may likely see a boost in 2018. What are the demand-supply factors to look out for this year?Platts Asia thermal coal managing editor Deepak Kannan and associate editor Arusha Das examine the key...
An Iranian tanker carrying condensate bound for South Korea was involved in a fiery accident in the East China Sea. In this podcast, Shipping associate editor Wanda Wang and Oil analyst Alexander Yap examine the incident's impact on tanker, condensate and naphtha markets.Related content:Iran NITC...
London Metal Exchange aluminum stocks have plunged steeply this year. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts editors Vicky Bakourou and Mayumi Watanabe discuss causes behind the fall, analysis of the market fundamentals and outlook for 2018.We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact...
Prices of Australian alumina have ebbed after recently climbing to multi-year highs. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts editors Yuen Cheng Mok and Joanna Lim examine the factors driving alumina prices and the impact of the anticipated smelter output cuts in China. They also talk about the...
S&P Global Platts senior sugar analyst, Erin Burns, and biofuels editor, George Griffiths, take a look at the delicate political issues in Zimbabwe following Robert Mugabe's resignation, and investigate the potential impacts on sugar and ethanol production within the breadbasket of Africa.How...
A working group of the IMO met at the organisation's headquarters in London recently to discuss cutting greenhouse gas emissions, setting off a public dispute about whether the shipping industry has too much influence over the UN body. S&P Global Platts fuel oil managing editor Ned Molloy and...
Mexico's Energy Regulatory Commission has been working for the past couple of years on NOM-016 to update the country’s gasoline regulations, including standards around blending ethanol to the fuel supply. But an injunction stopped an increased blend of 10% and moved it back to 5.8%. Editors...
Ahead of Platts first ever Digital Commodities Summit in London on November 14, 2017, James Rilett, Global Director of Innovation at S&P Global Platts spoke to our premier event sponsor, James Robert ("Bo") Collins, Founder of Matrix Global, on the key conference theme of how blockchain...
Close to 3,000 petrochemical industry representatives attended the recently concluded EPCA annual meeting in Berlin, where digitization dominated discussions.A Platts seminar organized on the sidelines discussed key aspects like the impact of crude on petrochemicals and the polymers and aromatics...
Russian and OPEC officials last week discussed the progress of their landmark crude oil production deal, and plans to increase bilateral cooperation, during multiple meetings and events held in Moscow.Russia's relationship with Saudi Arabia took center-stage, with the Saudi King’s historic...
The Asian thermal coal market is at an interesting crossroads this week, as Chinese buyers make a cautious return to the Asia seaborne market after their week-long holiday. Meanwhile, buyers in Japan continue to wrestle with Australian coal suppliers over prices for term contracts starting October...
Recent Platts spot billet upcharges are being driven higher by strong extrusion demand and a handful of supply issues, which may continue into next year. Karen McBeth, director of metals pricing and market engagement, speaks with Sarah Baltic Hilliard, Americas aluminum products pricing specialist,...
Over the past two weeks, the alumina market has seen high prices, fewer spot cargoes and talks of refinery cuts, sending prices to multi-year highs. In this podcast, S&P Global Platts editors Yuen Cheng Mok and Joanna Lim examine the surge in alumina prices and look at market expectations in...
Russia's recent focus on diversifying its export markets in Asia dovetails with plans by many countries in the region to expand refining capacities, which is reflected in a growing number of joint projects agreed recently.S&P Global Platts managing editor in Moscow Nadia Rodova discusses how...
The future of antidumping duties against Argentinian biodiesel were finally confirmed this week, stipulating duties to be reduced by September 28. S&P Global Platts European biofuels editor, George Griffiths and global editorial director for agriculture, Tim Worledge discuss the potential...
The polyethylene terephthalate market saw prices spike at the beginning of August when Lotte declared FM at one of its two plants in Wilton, UK. S&P Global Platts editor Sarah-Jane Flaws details the current situation and the expectation over the coming months.We welcome any feedback or...
The advent of the new sugar crop and overhaul of the European sugar regime in October are causing a stir in the European ethanol industry, as market participants expect to see some sugar-beet-based ethanol capacity return to the market.Further down the line, concerns around the potential removal of...
Monday's eclipse cut a path across the US, causing concern for power grid operators — especially those with significant amounts of solar power generation. How did prices react, and what else is ahead in 2017? The North American power pricing team of Kassia Micek, Charles Noh and Jeff Zhou...
Approximately 90% of the world’s trade travels by sea and one would expect the industry's supply chain to be the height of modernity by adopting disruptive technology and strategies. However, this could not be further from the truth, as S&P Global Platts commodities associate Eleni...
A US appeals court rejected the Environmental Protection Agency's use of waiver authority to lower the federal biofuel mandate's blending volumes based on downstream constraints, but the decision leaves a lot of questions about how to find RINs to make up compliance shortfalls. Josh Pedrick and Wes...
With the future of anti-dumping duties against Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel uncertain, S&P Global Platts editors Tim Worledge, Samar Niazi and George Griffiths take a look at how this could change the global biodiesel market and the emergence of new trade flows stemming from this,...
Alumina prices started the year on a high note, and corrected in the second quarter. What's instore for the Asian alumina market for the rest of the year? Editors Yuen Cheng Mok and Joanna Lim examine the factors that could affect the market in the second half, including China's drive to tackle...
The US Environmental Protection Agency's proposed 2018 renewable volume obligations were released July 5, and responses from biofuels and oil industry players were mixed. Biofuels reporters Josh Pedrick and Wes Swift, as well as policy reporter Brian Scheid, crunch the numbers and consider how...
Asia's seaborne thermal coal market unexpectedly took off in June on a sudden surge in demand from Chinese buyers including large power utilities after a relatively subdued May. In this podcast, senior editor Michael Cooper joins editor Michelle Zhao in examining what's driving coal buyers in China...
Tom Crotty, director of European petrochemical company Ineos talks about its recent expansion plans underpinned by the need for more ethylene and propylene in Europe. The plans include a new propane dehydrogenation unit in Europe and expansion of ethylene capacity in Rafnes, Norway and Grangemouth,...
Russian and Saudi relations are emerging in the wider energy sphere and how these deepening ties feed into the whole OPEC/non-OPEC cooperation is begging the question as to whether one is a precursor to the other, according to associate editorial director Paul Hickin and managing editor Nadia...
The US aluminum industry is keeping a close eye on automotive sales forecasts and competition among smelters with the approach of summer — a typical time for maintenance shutdowns. Pricing specialists Sarah Baltic Hilliard and Alex Ifkovits delve into secondary aluminum trends and the current...
The Turkish polyethylene market faces tough times ahead due to the combination of a resurgent lira, high Asian polyethylene stocks, weak domestic demand and rising supplies from both east and western markets. S&P Global Platts North Africa and Turkey petrochemicals editor Daved Chohan and...
The North American power pricing team takes a coast-to-coast look at the US electric power landscape, including forecast demand, generating capacity and prices for ERCOT, Cal-ISO and the PJM Interconnection. Kassia Micek, Charles Noh and Jeff Zhou evaluate how the power markets are shaping up as...
Volumes of palm oil methyl ester from Southeast Asia is heading towards the European biofuels complex, as Europe's blending and production hubs of Spain and Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp soak up imports to fire FAME 0 production. S&P Global Platts editors Tim Worledge and George Griffiths...
Neil Atkinson, Head of the IEA Oil Industry & Markets Division, talks to S&P Global Platts senior oil news editor, Robert Perkins, on the outlook for global oil market balances, the recent oil price slip, the implications of potential rollover of output cuts by OPEC and other key oil...
The Eastern Fuel Buyers Conference draws coal players from all basins and different market segments, and the mood had lifted this year as the industry welcomes an uptick in demand and new administration in the White House. Coal Trader editors Jeff McDonald and Jim Levesque both attended the...
Expectations are rife of an introduction of consumption taxes on mixed aromatics into China. But will this change the face of the European blending components market? Yuriko Kato, petrochemicals EMEA editor, explores this subject with the aromatics senior specialist, Sam Hashmi, and the gasoline...
Extremely volatile metallurgical coal and coke prices, and delays in industry reference pricing is pushing uncertainty into the market. There is speculation around the rate of return for shipments from Queensland, and how much further restocking is expected.At the recent Eurocoke conference in...
Paul Harnick, head of chemicals and the global chemicals chief operating officer at KPMG, joins Yuriko Kato, reporter in the European petrochemicals team, to discuss the latest trends in M&As in the petrochemicals industry.Despite significant political unknowns, from Brexit negotiations to the...
In 2020 the shipping industry is facing its biggest change since the shift away from burning coal a century ago as the IMO is set to impose a new 0.5% sulfur cap on marine fuel emissions. S&P Global Platts associate director Paul Hickin and editorial lead for bunker news Jack Jordan assess the...
Turkey stopped Russian grain imports following a government decision in mid-March. What impact did the lack of Russian grains imported into Turkey have on the milling and processing industry, how is the decision likely to affect the trading landscape, and will Turkish consumers continue buying...
Unica, Brazil's sugar industry group, is seeking the reinstatement of an ethanol import tariff, citing greenhouse gas emissions from other producers and surging ethanol imports — especially from the US. Biofuels analyst Beatriz Pupo talks to US ethanol editor Josh Pedrick about how Brazil's...
In the first quarter of 2017, the Chinese aluminum market has been impacted by changes both domestic and international. From trade protectionism to environmental restrictions, pricing specialist Henry Van discusses the ramifications of these changes for the rest of the year with YuenCheng Mok,...
S&P Global Platts content director for EMEA metals Christopher Davis, and senior writer Robert Perkins -– just back to London from the shores of Lake Geneva -- discuss the outlook from the recent FT Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland. From oil to metals and mining to...
It was another busy International Petrochemical Conference from the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers in San Antonio, and our editors and analysts share what they learned from various conversations about olefins, polymers, aromatics and intermediates. John Calton, managing editor for...
It seems Mother Nature decided to skip most of winter in the Northeast US this year, but a recent cold snap bumped up power and gas prices in March and the region's generation mix is still changing. Charles Noh and Eric Wieser, with the power pricing team, examine how day-ahead power prices were...
Senior editor Michael Cooper and associate editor Mia Corazon Aureus give an overview of Asian thermal coal markets, including the latest in Japan's benchmark contract negotiations, South Korean imports and coal consumption tax updates, Indonesian prices, and our newly-launched Northeast Asian...
On both sides of the Atlantic, recent political developments are starting to have an impact on what will end up on your plate. Fresh back from the International Sweetener Colloquium, Tim Worledge, editorial director of pricing, sits down with Thomas Houghton, senior pricing specialist, to take a...
Last year, CSX's chemical segment surpassed coal as the railroad's largest revenue generator as it and other railroads are moving more resin and years of polymer production growth is coming. Kristen Hays, petrochemical analyst, examines how railroads are looking to fill space where coal revenues...
Ahead of the launch of formal Brexit divorce negotiations expected in March, Thierry Bros, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies joins Lucie Roux, senior European gas specialist at S&P Global Platts, to discuss the challenges ahead for an import-dependent UK gas...
On February 8, the European Commission dropped its anti-dumping duty on imports of PET from China, which were as high as 22.9%. But will the European PET producers now find themselves with an elephant in the room? Shashank Shekhar, petrochemicals EMEA news editor, explores this subject with the PET...
It would hardly be an understatement to say Russia has fallen on hard economic times in recent years, although this does not tell the whole story. Tim Worledge, editorial director of pricing, joins Erin Burns, senior analyst, and Thomas Houghton, senior pricing specialist, to discuss some of the...
Preliminary data for January indicates that Russian oil producers are complying with an OPEC/non-OPEC deal to cut crude output, which alongside Russia's relationship with the new US administration looks set to have a significant impact on Russian oil in 2017. Nadia Rodova, managing editor at...
US thermal coal prices have risen over the past few months, largely lifted by higher gas prices for power generation, and forecasts for a tighter gas market in 2017 is good news for coal producers. Jim Levesque and Jeff McDonald, associate editors for Coal Trader, detail price movements for Central...
Tim Worledge and Claudiu Covrig look at the intricate interplay between supply and demand in the global sugar markets, and mull the impact of recovering sugar production in India and Thailand, the return of the EU to the international markets and the effect of prolonged poor monsoons in India which...
Mike Boswell, chair of the Brexit Committee at the British Plastic Federation assesses the challenges for an import dependent UK plastics industry post Brexit. UK converters face legislation changes, currency volatility and uncertainty in demand as the UK moves towards leaving the European Union.We...
After years of steady price declines, European power markets are dancing to a lively tune of nuclear outages, low wind and spiky Winter demand. Will prices rebalance once the current capacity squeeze is over? S&P Global Platts power reporters Henry Edwardes-Evans and Andreas Franke compare...
Can the abandoned smaller TEU vessels become the workhorse for the customer focused container market? S&P Global Platts senior editor Andrew Scorer explores some potential options for these vessels to become a key player and provide a competitive advantage.RELATED CONTENTBlog post -- Container...
Wholesale electric power prices in the US are starting 2017 by ticking upward, lifted by firmer natural gas prices, which overall has caused coal generation to take some of gas generation’s share in the overall fuel mix. Kassia Micek and Eric Wieser of the North American power pricing team...
It's been tough going for the secondary aluminum market over the last few months, and an ample alloy supply is weighing on the US market as the year ends. Sarah Baltic Hilliard, metals market editor in Pittsburgh, assesses the current market level for the A380 aluminum benchmark and what is...
S&P Global Platts editors Jacqueline Holman and Cameron Carswell discuss recent moves in European and Asian thermal coal markets, from the rapid increase in prices which saw the Australian market hit $115.50/mt FOB for 6,000 NAR kcal/kg cargoes, to the more recent price retreat and where the...
In October 2016, new gas balancing schemes were rolled out in Italy and Spain to align the two countries gas hubs with European standards.Market reporters Dalila Ouerghi and Mario Perez discuss the implementation of these new gas balancing regimes, their effect on liquidity and the feedback from...
It's a much different picture for American natural gas, coal and power than just a few days ago as the US energy industry eyes a future under President-elect Donald Trump. Not only will key Washington appointees shift the tone of agencies like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the...
S&P Global Platts editors Jacqueline Holman and Cameron Carswell discuss the surprise announcement from the Turkish government to levy a $15/mt tax on imported thermal coal for power generation, the short term impact of the tax, the potential beneficiaries and the ways in which market players...
The seaborne thermal coal market has seen a huge turnaround with an unexpected surge in prices since June. In this podcast, senior editor Michael Cooper joins managing editor Deepak Kannan in examining what's driving coal buyers in China to bid higher for cargoes from Australia and Indonesia, the...
S&P Global Platts editors Jacqueline Holman and Cameron Carswell discuss European utilities importing high ash thermal coal from Mozambique, the requirement for blending with lower ash coal grades, the range of prices for Mozambican coal and whether demand is likely to rise in the coming...
Pipeline maintenance and an uptick in gas-fired power generation are supporting price movements in North American spot and forwards natural gas markets. Curt Mrowiec and Chris Pedersen, senior pricing specialists at Platts, and Thad Walker, energy analyst with Bentek Energy, detail the current...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Nastassia Astrasheuskaya, Platts editor in Moscow, discuss the current status of Belarus' gasoline supplies to Russia, its refinery modernization program and Minsk's ambitions to boost oil product exports to...
The tension between US coal producers and fuel buyers was evident at the recent Eastern Fuel Buyers Conference, where coal sellers expressed the desire for utilities to work with them to help keep the coal industry afloat. But continued low natural gas prices means the US EIA expects gas generation...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Nick Coleman, Platts senior editor in London, discuss the implications for the UK's oil sector of the Conservative Party victory in the May 7 UK general election, the rise of the Scottish Nationalist Party and what...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Rosemary Griffin, Platts editor in Moscow, discuss the possible outcome of talks May 8-10 between Russia and China in the areas of oil and gas supply and financing, as well as the continued rise in Russian oil...
Konstantinos Tsolakis, freight editor for the Atlantic Supramax market, discusses the impact low Turkish demand for petroleum coke and scrap metal has had this year so far on the freight cost of shipping both commodities to Turkey, with Aleksandrs Juhnevics, managing editor for West of Suez freight...
Platts EU energy policy specialist Siobhan Hall and International Gas Report senior managing editor William Powell discuss the European Commission's latest charges against Russian gas giant Gazprom for alleged market abuse in central and eastern Europe, looking at the legal precedents and the...
Lucie Roux, pricing specialist for Platts European gas team, spoke to Laurent Remy, Spokesman and Social Media Manager at Fluxys Belgium, on Belgian Zeebrugge's main assets to support year-round LNG deliveries from the Yamal Peninsula to Asian-Pacific markets. We welcome any feedback or...
Powder River Basin coal buyers met recently outside Chicago and expressed long-term optimism that the using PRB coal would offer some stability -- including with prices -- despite changes to the US power generation landscape. Jeff McDonald, associate coal editor, talks with Andrew Moore, managing...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Nadia Rodova, Platts Moscow bureau chief, discuss the outlook for Russia's oil sector against the backdrop of international sanctions against Moscow, including the opening up of Russia's offshore, expected crude...
The $70-billion takeover deal between Shell and BG Group will make Shell the second largest global oil producer in the world. But both companies are also active on the LNG front. In this podcast, Platts pricing analyst Max Gostelow and editor Abache Abreu look at the implications of the deal on the...
North American natural gas production is outstripping demand, and increasing power demand due to the forced retirement of coal plants may not be enough to stabilize gas prices going forward. Senior pricing specialists Curt Mrowiec and Chris Pedersen and Bentek Energy senior analyst Bob Yu analyze...
Taiwan is starting to prepare for its peak summer season and LNG demand fundamentals are about to change. Platts editor for LNG Abache Abreu explains the seasonal increase in the country's downstream consumption and state-owned buyer CPC's demand for spot cargoes to offset an expected shortfall in...
The US natural gas markets are transitioning to spring, and now the industry is wondering where the big demand drivers will be as the weather warms. Will power burn come in and "save the market" this year? Senior pricing specialist Curt Mrowiec, associate editor Patrick Badgley, and Bentek Energy...
While winning bids at the 2015 US Central Lease Sale 235 were down from 2014, prices per acre for the ability to potentially produce oil offshore were among the highest of the last 20 years. Starr Spencer, senior editor for oil news, evaluates how the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's annual...
Questions abound after the US' largest privately-held coal producer, Murray Energy, acquired prominent Illinois Basin producer Foresight Energy. Platts Coal Trader managing editor Andrew Moore and associate editor Jim Levesque contemplate whether Foresight's longwall mining production will continue...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Rosemary Griffin, Platts Moscow editor, assess the outlook for ExxonMobil's continuing operations in Russia against the backdrop of international sanctions against the country. We welcome any feedback or...
China has been mostly inactive in the spot market after the Lunar New Year holiday. Platts associate editors for thermal coal Arusha Das and Mia Corazon Aureus analyze the impact of China's weak demand on the Asian coal trade, Indonesia's plan to ramp up production this year, and the buying pattern...
It's the winter that won't stop in the US, where wholesale electric power markets have been battered by record-setting demand and many prices hit peaks in February. Platts power market reporters Eric Wieser and Kassia Micek walk through the demand peaks of the winter and the impacts on prices. Hear...
More winter storms battering the Northeast US and New England means more natural gas market volatility, but the price movements are more muted than in years past. Senior pricing specialist Curt Mrowiec, associate editor Patrick Badgley, and Bentek Energy senior energy analyst Bob Yu detail spot and...
One of the US coal industry's biggest meetings, the CoalTrans Conference, recently gave Platts coal editors some further insight into the mood of the markets. While many in the industry foresee a drop in coal production, increased export opportunities to Asia and shifting trends in the Northeast US...
Petra Witowski and Andreas Franke, editors for Platts European Power Daily, analyze recent price trends in the German and Polish power markets and discuss how these trends may have influenced utilities. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.
As global crude oil prices have plunged, rig counts for the US and Canada have also fallen. Starr Spencer, senior editor for oil news, delves into the specifics of the rig counts and explains how oil producers seek to continue being economic — even when prices are low and capex has been cut...
Winter in the US is starting to add upward pressure on wholesale power prices, but this winter is markedly different from the last. The ISO-New England has a changing fuel generation mix — including lost nuclear generation — that could present an opportunity for fuels like natural gas....
Just how bleak is the thermal coal market looking Down Under? In this podcast, Platts senior editor Michael Cooper analyzes how China's new coal importation policies are affecting Australia's thermal coal exports, as well as the silver lining in Australia's free trade agreement with Japan and South...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, Nadia Rodova, Platts Moscow bureau chief, and Moscow editor Rosemary Griffin discuss the outlook for the Russian oil sector in 2015 in the face of the plunging oil price, continued international sanctions and tax...
Even as US natural gas price volatility is picking up in spot and forwards markets, the 2014-2015 winter is setting itself apart from last year. Curt Mrowiec and Patrick Badgley of Platts, as well as Thad Walker of Bentek Energy, detail the gas price movements, the most recent storage report,...
The arrival of cold temperatures hasn't translated to higher prices for US coal, one of the primary fuels for keeping the country warm throughout the winter. Andrew Moore, managing editor of Platts Coal Trader, and Jeff McDonald, associate editor, evaluate why the markets for Powder River Basin and...
In this podcast, Yen Ling Song, Platts senior writer, and Max Gostelow, Platts associate editor, talk about the slowdown in China’s gas demand growth, the country’s appetite for imported gas, and market expectations on gas price movement given the recent decline in oil prices. The...
In tandem with the recent launch of the Monthly Liquidity Report in Platts European Gas Daily, market reporters Gary Hornby and Reginald Ajuonuma discuss the November 2014 trading results, commenting on recent trends in gas trading across Europe and explain the reasons behind the continuing larger...
Liquefied natural gas spot prices are hitting pre-Fukushima levels in North Asia. In this podcast, Abache Abreu, Platts LNG editor, and Max Gostelow, Platts LNG associate editor, talk about the impact of South Korea's return to the spot market, the effect of falling crude oil prices on the LNG...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Nadia Rodova, Platts' Moscow bureau chief, discuss the impact on Russian oil production of falling oil prices, whether Russia could still reduce its output and how companies and the government are coping with lower...
Pradeep Rajan, senior managing editor for Asia Pacific shipping and freight markets, talks to associate editors Deborah Lee, Shriram Sivaramakrishnan and Su Ling Teo on the lackluster Capesize market in the seasonally strong fourth quarter; the trend building up in the Panamax and Supramax segments...
Crude oil production from the Eagle Ford is increasing at the expense of West African crude imports to the US Gulf Coast. Richard Capuchino Jr., Americas crude managing editor, and Jacqueline Puig, associate editor for shale crude, explore how the domestic light sweet crude is finding more ways to...
Beatrice Bedeschi, Platts editor, and Gary Hornby, Platts associate editor, discuss recent developments in the European gas markets after the deal reached by Russia and Ukraine over winter gas supplies. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.
Platts Gareth Carpenter, managing editor, discusses the growing biomass market and how the euro's recent weakness against the US dollar has caused European generators to source their spot wood pellets from local suppliers rather than the larger volumes available from the US. We welcome any feedback...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news and Rosemary Griffin, associate editor, discuss the likely impact on the Russian oil sector of the so-called "tax maneuver", a new taxation regime due to come into force in 2015. We welcome any feedback or suggestions...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news and Nadia Rodova, Moscow bureau chief, discuss the impact to date of US and EU sanctions against the Russian oil sector and whether the recent oil price fall is also hampering oil developments in the country. We...
Global LNG trade is up, but North Asia is not part of the growth story. Stephanie Wilson, Platts managing editor for LNG, talks about the volatility in LNG spot prices, the key drivers of price movements, and the potential impact of upcoming availability of flexible LNG supply.This is the latest in...
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, Rosemary Griffin, associate editor, and Beatrice Bedeschi, editor, discuss the possible impact of international sanctions against Russia on oil and gas projects -- both current and future -- at Sakhalin Island. We...
China's National Development and Reform Commission recently asked major power utilities to reduce coal imports, while Indonesia is implementing a new export license rule. In India, the Supreme Court has ruled that coal blocks allocated between 1993 and 2010 are illegal. Deepak Kannan, Platts...
The cold winter had many in the US coal industry hoping for sustained demand increases and higher prices. But as Andrew Moore, managing editor of Platts Coal Trader, explains, prices for Powder River Basin and Central Appalachian coal didn't react quite as expected, and now transportation issues...
Japan is facing the summer power demand peak season without nuclear power for the first time. Stephanie Wilson, Platts managing editor for Asia LNG, and Eriko Amaha, Platts associate editor for Asia LNG, discuss how the Japanese power market is coping with the season's demand; the possibility of...
Platts Darren Stetzel, power markets editor, discusses the evolving Turkish power generation mix as official energy ministry forecasts predict the need for 100 GW of installed generating capacity in Turkey by 2023, up from today's 66.6 GW. Demand is forecast to more than double through to 2023. We...
Natural gas futures and spot traders have little reason to be bullish as colder-than-normal temperatures blanket natural gas burning markets, with one exception: California. Production is still increasing, easing storage woes, and municipally owned utilities are taking advantage of current markets...
Oil companies are swapping acreage in the US to become more efficient and better plan drilling and midstream infrastructure. Starr Spencer, Platts senior editor, oil news, discusses which companies have been swapping land recently, including Chesapeake Energy, which did a swap in Wyoming's Powder...
The bulls are fleeing the North American natural gas market as hopes for a hotter-than-normal summer have disappeared. That leaves the bears in charge with moderate August weather in the forecasts and predictions of five more weeks of above-average storage injections. Also: Appointing a former...
US spot ethylene assessments rose to their highest levels in more than a year earlier in the week, and the tightness in the polyethylene export market hearkens back to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. US petrochemical editors Chris Ferrell and Pavel Pavlov discuss how prices are moving, attempts...
Platts North American natural gas editor Patrick Badgley explains how a mass of arctic air is expected to move across the US this week, and in many places natural gas prices are lower than last year. A surge of production in the Northeast and a slew of pipeline projects could keep prices in these...
Platts' Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news and Rosemary Griffin, associate editor, discuss the potential impact of ongoing tension between Russia and the EU over the Ukraine crisis on the South Stream gas pipeline, and the likelihood of further sanctions...
Air conditioners are cranking up across much of the US, but Hurricane Arthur left comfortable temperatures in its wake in other natural gas consuming areas. Platts Gas Daily editors Rodney White, TL Hamilton, Chris Tremulis and Bill Holland talk the futures market, cash prices, what storage...
Ahead of Platts' European Emissions Markets conference in Brussels on September 29, 2014, Frank Watson, Platts Managing Editor for European emissions markets, interviews Jesse Scott, head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Policy Unit at Eurelectric, to discuss proposed carbon market...
Production hiccups in the US benzene market are pushing prices higher, which is causing ripples in downstream markets. Platts petrochemical editors Colleen Barry-Goodman, John Calton and Jeremy Rakes discuss how the markets have moved, including near-record highs for benzene prices and changing...
There's no sign that North American traders are worried about refilling natural gas in storage as the gas market limps along with little change in weather. Platts Gas Daily editors Rodney White, TL Hamilton, Chris Tremulis and Bill Holland discuss the market, as well as how the US set a new record...
Ahead of Platts' European Emissions Markets conference in Brussels on September 29, 2014, Frank Watson, Platts Managing Editor for European emissions markets, interviews Jesse Scott, head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Policy Unit at Eurelectric, to discuss proposed carbon market...
North American natural gas futures contracts are trading sideways while looking for a fundamental change in weather or supplies, but cash prices introduced a lot of volatility in certain cities such as Boston. Additionally, Aubrey McClendon just closed on three deals for $4.25 billion: one doubles...
Platts associate editor for natural gas TL Hamilton talks about the Environmental Protection Agency's new power plant emissions standards and how the North American gas industry possibly stands to gain from the changes. She also discusses how many are optimistic that prices won't unsettle the...
Hetain Mistry, senior analyst for the Platts Petrochemicals Analytics team and Daved Chohan, Platts petrochemicals editor, discuss the recent trends in the propylene market. The implications of shale gas in the US market and the growth of demand in China have boosted investment in propylene. We...
After over a decade of prolonged talks, Russia and China have finally inked a historic gas deal, with Gazprom supplying 38 bcm/year of gas to CNPC for 30 years from 2018. Mriganka Jaipuriyar, senior editor for Platts Oilgram News and Song Yen Ling, Platts senior writer for China, assess the...
While gas markets in the northeast US swung high and low as temperatures ranged from the 90’s to the 50’s, the futures market stayed range bound as bull and bears stayed locked into their positions waiting for some kind of signal. Gas production and supply hit record highs but more than...
Mike Cooper, Platts Asia senior editor for coal, and Eric Zeng, managing editor at Fenwei Energy, Platts' joint venture partner for its CCI thermal coal prices discuss the latest moves in domestic and CFR South China thermal coal prices and the possible implications of China's proposed ban on...
Increased focus on US shale plays has contributed to an sharp increase of natural gas and NGL production. With more natural gas liquids flooding the market, the price relationship between gas, NGLs and petrochemicals is tightening and, in some cases, reversing. Samantha Santa Maria, Platts managing...
Ng Bao Ying, Platts senior Asian petrochemicals editor and Vernon Lee, Platts petrochemicals editor, provide in-depth analysis on where benzene volumes have been flowing to in recent months, with the market in the midst of the longest open arbitrage window for Asian benzene cargoes to the US since...
Spring finally arrrived and the US natural gas markets have finally settled down. But storage injections are well behind the averages and there is a lot of gas to get into the tank after this winter's record pull. Gas Daily editors Rodney White, Chris Tremulis, TL Hamilton, and Jasmin Melvin take a...
Bob Fryklund, chief upstream strategist, IHS Energy, spoke with Platts web editor Elizabeth Bassett about challenges the energy industry will face in East Africa on the fourth day of the 45th Offshore Technology Conference. While countries like Mozambique have massive oil and gas reserves,...
Platts web editor Elizabeth Bassett spoke with Christopher Smith, principal deputy assistant secretary for fossil energy with the Department of Energy, at the Offshore Technology Conference. Smith was part of a panel on the second day of the conference, and he talked about what sort of R&D the...
Warm weather out West and continued below-average temperatures in Chicago and the East bolstered US natural gas prices as the May futures contract held its own to roll off the board at $4.79/MMBtu. Gas Daily editors Rodney White, Chris Tremulis, TL Hamilton, and Bill Holland discuss what's in store...
Platts petrochemicals editor Pavel Pavlov talks about what's been driving up the US ethylene market, where spot prices recently hit a 12-week high. Both planned and unplanned outages have been spurring prices upward, as has the continued outage of the Evangeline pipeline between Texas and...
Platts petrochemical editor Anna Ward talks to Platts petrochemical analyst Chris Ferrell about the current state of polyethylene markets in North America and market expectations that prices could eventually move lower. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
Gas Daily editor Jim Magill explains how the Haynesville Shale, once a hot property for natural gas drilling in the US, has fallen out of favor as producers turn their attention elsewhere. Liquids-rich and oil-rich plays are shifting rig counts out of the Haynesville, and gas prices will need to...
Winter left US natural gas stocks at an 11-year low, and now the industry is left with the question of just how full storage will be before next winter and at what cost. Gas Daily editors Rodney White, Jessica Marron, Patrick Badgley, and Bill Holland discuss what could influence summer prices and...
Platts' William Powell, managing editor for International Gas Report, recently attended the Gastech conference in South Korea, focusing on the main themes discussed, including the prospects for gas prices globally and how, if at all, developments in Ukraine will affect the global gas picture. We...
Anna Ward, Platts associate petrochemical editor discusses the sharp fall in Asian natural rubber prices in the first quarter compared to Q1 2013. Why are prices on a downward trend and what is the market outlook going forward? We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
The Northeast US, traditionally a large consumer of natural gas, is now also a major supplier thanks to the prolific Marcellus and Utica shale plays. T.L. Hamilton, associate editor for gas, discusses how three pipeline projects intended to move gas toward the Southeast could herald a growing focus...
The S&P Capital IQ Energy Symposium in Houston on April 2 was focused on exploring the future of North American oil and gas industry. One of the panelists, Stewart Glickman, director, equity research, S&P Capital IQ, explains how there are still questions about whether technology can...
Ahead of Platts' European Power Summit in Berlin on 28-29 April, 2014, Henry Edwardes-Evans spoke to Graham Weale, Chief Economist, RWE AG, on German power market supply, demand and wholesale price dynamics, market design and the prospects for a German capacity mechanism. We welcome any feedback or...
US methanol prices were hovering near five-year highs, but March cut them down, in part due to extra supply headed to US shores. Colleen Barry-Goodman, managing editor of Americas petrochemicals, talks with John Calton, associate editor of petrochemical markets, about how global prices, including...
Another blast of cold this week drove next-day cash gas prices higher by double digits for New England and New York. The weather isn’t expected to linger but the hangover from all the gas withdrawn from storage to heat a 20-year winter may linger into the summer. Or not. Gas Daily Editors...
Platts petrochemical editor Nandita Lal talks to Platts petrochemical analyst Hetain Mistry about the latest Shale to Polyethylene report highlighting how the shale gas developments in North America and the conversion of coal to olefins in China are impacting global PE dynamics We welcome any...
Platts associate editor Patrick Badgley takes another look at what's ahead for US natural gas markets this summer, including for flows and storage, and answers questions submitted by participants in the March 18 "Cruel Summer?" webinar. Will gas drawdowns be replaced by summer, what's the future of...
Beatrice Bedeschi, associate editor for European gas and power, examines a recent reform of gas storage rules in Italy that introduces auctions to allocate capacity, against the backdrop of narrowing summer-winter spreads and an uncertain outlook as the Ukraine crisis escalates. We welcome any...
Starr Spencer, senior editor of oil news in the Platts Houston office, takes a look at what kind of decisions are being made in Mexico as state oil company Pemex goes through some radical changes in 2014. What will this year hold for onshore and offshore projects, and what kind of roles could...
Platts US natural gas editors Rodney White, Tiffany Hamilton, Jessica Marron, and Bill Holland discuss how the tired US Northeast gas markets are trying to look past another upcoming winter storm and prepare for the spring and summer. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us...
Platts US petrochemicals editors Christopher Ferrell and Pavel Pavlov examine why domestically produced PVC is experiencing rising demand and prices in the US while global markets have more subdued trading activity, in part due to a cold winter, a stronger US dollar, and turbulence in other...
Ahead of Platts' European Power Summit in Berlin on 28-29 April, 2014, Henry Edwardes-Evans spoke to Angela Knight, Chief Executive of trade association Energy UK, about regulator Ofgem's wholesale power market reforms, the government's proposed capacity mechanism and how market dynamics will fare...
Platts US petrochemicals editors Jeremy Rakes and Chris Ferrell examine the effects that this year's harsh winter weather has had on the logistical side of the US petrochemical business, including an impact on propane prices, barge traffic issues, and delays impacting polymer buyers. We welcome...
The Arctic chill is the third wave from the north to push temperatures below frigid in heavy natural gas buying markets such as Chicago, Boston, and New York. Platts editors Valarie Jackson,Chris Tremulis, Rodney White and Patrick Badgely discuss the action in the futures, cash, and forward markets...
Platts editors Andrew Moore and Valarie Jackson discuss the impact of the recent cold weather on US coal stockpiles and the effect of natural gas price volatility on coal as the dominant fuel for electricity generation. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
The NYMEX gas futures market sees cold next week and next-day cash prices retreat only a bit, despite warmer temperatures this week. Plus, a steel company found an unusual way to hedge its gas costs – pair up with a driller. Platts editors Valarie Jackson,Chris Tremulis, and Rodney White...
Platts natural gas editors Letitia Vasquez and Patrick Badgley take a step back from the price volatility the US has seen this winter and look ahead to the expectations for natural gas prices this summer. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.
Anna Ward and Daved Chohan, Platts petrochemical editors based in Europe, discuss the impact of the weakness in the Turkish Lira on Turkey's polymer market and the short-term recovery seen in the polypropylene market. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
Platts' associate editors Jacqueline Holman and Jaime Concha discuss how recent Colombian coal supply disruptions have affected European-delivered spot prices and the repercussions on supply-demand fundamentals in 2014. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
Bernardo Fallas, managing editor of the Americas, and John Calton, associate editor for aromatics, delve into the factors behind the recent surge in benzene prices on the US Gulf Coast, what the market expects in the near term, and the impact on downstream markets. We welcome any feedback or...
Ahead of Platts' annual CCS conference in Brussels February 18-19, Henry Edwardes-Evans spoke to Dr Graeme Sweeney, Chairman of the Zero Emissions Platform, on the European Commission's energy and climate goals to 2030, and the challenges facing carbon capture and storage as it seeks to secure a...
US natural gas prices -- both future and spot -- are soaring as the nation sees unusual winter cold. Platts’ Bentek unit sees at least 700 Bcf more gas coming out of storage by mid-February, worrying some analysts about end-of-winter levels. Gas Daily editors Rodney White and Bill Holland...
Platts petrochemicals editors, Miguel Cambeiro and Antonios Panagiotopoulos, talk to Stephen Bowers, Global Projects, Advanced Intermediates - Performance Intermediates, Evonik, on the challenges and risks facing the European crude C4 market. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics....
Platts natural gas editors Letitia Vasquez and T.L. Hamilton discuss the record highs reached in Northeast daily and forward natural gas prices brought on by the polar vortex when heating demand was way up. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.
Platts petrochemicals editor, Antonios Panagiotopoulos talks to Stephen Bowers, Global Projects, Advanced Intermediates - Performance Intermediates, Evonik, on the challenges and risks facing the European MTBE and gasoline markets. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
Global petrochemical producer Ineos has seen its profit from European assets halve while those from the US have tripled in the last three years. Tom Crotty, group director, talks to Platts' Nandita Lal and Hetain Mistry about the European petrochemical industry's dismal performance, shale gas in...
Beatrice Bedeschi, associate editor for European gas and power, discusses recent regulatory developments in the Italian markets and price trends at the start of 2014. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.
Polar vortex cold ignites cash gas market in New York and New England, futures stay quiet. Natural gas price predictions for 2014 and how did the analysts do in 2013? Platts editors Bill Holland, Valarie Jackson, and Chris Tremulis report. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics....