Argus Media

Driving Discussions: The impact of coronavirus on European fuel markets and refineries

Join Josefine Ahlström, VP, Business Development, Europe and Elliot Radley, Editor, Argus European Products as they explore the impact of coronavirus on European fuel market and refineries. This podcast will focus on the short-to-medium-term supply/demand of gasoline, diesel, heating oil and jet.

The impact of the coronavirus on Asian bitumen markets

The coronavirus outbreak is significantly affecting commodity markets, including bitumen. Bitumen markets are almost completely shaped by weather, and financing, and the toll that coronavirus has taken on economies has affected bitumen.

Join Argus Media’s bitumen editor for Asia-Pacific, Aabha Gandhi, and vice-president for refined products, Asia, Sunita Sharma, in an exclusive podcast where they examine supply and demand fundamentals, as well as some of the expected repercussions in Asia-Pacific markets.

Covid-19: Impacts on US fuel supply chains

Refined product demand in the US has been upended, forcing refiners to cut production and pipelines to slow. What happens next? How are refiners dealing with uncertainty in the marketplace? John Demopoulos, Argus’ VP for North America refined products, and Elliott Blackburn, senior reporter for downstream and fuels, discuss this and more, including refining economics, maintenance and RVP issues.

The impact of the coronavirus on Middle East supply chain, petrochemical shipping and aviation markets

Sentiment is bearish among Middle East producers as the coronavirus pandemic is impacting the demand in key export markets globally. Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced its measures to bolster their economies with packages worth a combined $55bn, with more likely to come. What is the direct impact on regional refiners and petrochemical producers in the Mideast Gulf and to their supply chains?

The start of the coronavirus outbreak coincided with an already pre-scheduled refinery maintenance programme in the Mideast Gulf. This capacity is scheduled to be back online soon, but operators may extend their turnarounds to keep units offline for some time given the prevailing market conditions.

Given the recent fall in oil and naphtha prices, petrochemical feedstock costs are compressed. Freight becomes a higher proportion of the final price and may provide a competitive benefit to regional petrochemical producers.

Join Nader Itayim, Editorial Manager for Argus’ Middle East bureau, Muhamad Fadhil, Argus’ petrochemical editor and Sarah Raffoul, Argus’ Mideast Gulf middle distillates reporter in this exclusive podcast.

From the Economist’s Chair: How might coronavirus alter markets?

It’s all too easy to be overwhelmed by the current global crisis, and this episode of “From the Economist’s Chair” takes a step back from the day-to-day maelstrom of likely crude oil price floors, inventory capacity, ultimate demand loss and upstream budget cuts. What shifts may be ahead in the global economic and financial system as a result of this pandemic?

Argus Chief Economist David Fyfe considers more broadly the changes this cruel coronavirus episode might force upon international commerce, global relations and the commodity markets.

Upside down: New price relationships in the US Gulf coast crude markets

Long-stable crude oil price relationships at the US Gulf coast have been upended by the global crude supply/demand imbalance. What is likely to happen next? How much crude can Cushing store? And what does this mean for US exports? Argus VPs for Crude Business Development, Jeff Kralowetz and Bruce Fulin, and Argus Americas Crude Editor Gus Vasquez discuss this and more.

Asian refiners react to pandemic as crude glut soars | Episode 4

Asia-Pacific refiners are preparing to scale down operations to confront a collapse in global fuel demand. As storage fills up, they will have to reduce the amount of crude they process, but not at the expense of competitive feedstocks from the Middle East. Soaring freight rates are rendering long-haul crude shipments from the Atlantic basin too expensive to Asia-Pacific, so it is North Sea, US and Latin American grades that face the biggest challenge, while west African cargoes and short-haul Russian supplies may remain competitive.

Host: Alejandro Barbajosa, Argus VP, crude & LPG - Middle East & Asia-Pacific.

Driving Discussions: COVID-19 impacts on US refinery operations

The US refining industry is entering unchartered territory as it navigates impacts from the Coronavirus. How will refiners handle the virus? How will their markets be affected?

Argus VP of North America Refined Products, John Demopoulos, and Argus Senior Consultant Ed Arnold discuss COVID-19 impacts to US refiners.

The impact of the coronavirus on the minor metals markets

Sentiment is bearish as the coronavirus crisis has affected the economy and reduced minor metals demand from most downstream sectors. China, being one of the largest global producers and consumers of minor metals, is significantly affected.

Metals demand from the main downstream sectors, including automotive, real estate, lead-acid battery, air-conditioners and electronics, has been affected by the coronavirus crisis as many manufacturers have delayed resuming operations. The worsening coronavirus outbreak in South Korea and Japan is also weighing on potential demand for battery metals and materials.

Join Argus Media’s China editor for nonferrous metals, Ohmin Zhao, and Vice-President for Metals, Tim Hard, in an exclusive podcast discussing the potential impact for minor metals markets.

Opec and US shale: the latest coronavirus casualties – Episode 3

Oil prices have posted their biggest drop in almost three decades towards $30/bl on expectations that an Opec-induced supply surge will exacerbate a global surplus, as demand growth collapses beyond Asia with the spread of the coronavirus to most major economies. The unravelling of co-operation between Opec and Russia to restrain oil output also throws the US shale sector and other non-conventional oil basins into their deepest crisis since at least 2015, as plummeting crude prices jeopardise higher cost projects from Canada to Brazil.