Argus Media

The China Connection: The Belt and Road Initiative

A deeper look into China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and how Xi Jinping is positioning it globally, regionally and domestically.

The BRI is often seen as a global power move, and while this is the case, it’s not the whole story. In this China Connection podcast episode, Argus Chief Economist David Fyfe and Argus Vice President, China Crude and Products Tom Reed discuss what even smaller countries are finding to be the pros and cons of the BRI.

Coping with disruption: Saudi oil keeps flowing at higher prices

Higher freight rates are exacerbating the price impact of September’s attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure and the ensuing disruptions. While the kingdom has managed to stage an impressive recovery in output, ensuring all its customers remain adequately supplied, crude grades flowing from almost every region to Asia-Pacific are still posting record or multi-year high prices relative to their benchmarks. The deteriorating economics for long-haul crude shipments is helping embed tightness across Asian physical crude markets.

Presented by Alejandro Barbajosa, Argus Media Vice-President, Crude, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

The China Connection: Xi vs Trump

The US-China trade war has seen more than $600bn of bilateral trade fall victim to tariffs, including crude, LNG, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and other commodities related to manufactured industrial goods. While China just wants the tariffs to be removed, US president Donald Trump wants something much more comprehensive, which means we might be in this for a while. In this first episode of our China Connection miniseries, Argus Chief Economist David Fyfe and Associate Editor Haik Gugarats discuss how the most significant economic battle in recent history may affect energy and commodity markets.

The return of Saudi petrochemical feedstock after curbs and its implications

Most Saudi petrochemical producers announced feedstock curbs of between 15 and 50pc in the immediate aftermath of the mid-September attacks on the country's oil installations. Petrochemical feedstock curbs are easing with a majority of producers announcing a full resumption of ethane to pre-attack levels. Argus Editor Muhamad Fadhil is in Saudi this week and provides an update on the feedstock situation.

Coping with disruption: Saudi supply shock rattles Asian crude oil markets

After a decade of oil supply diversification across Asia, security of crude oil supply is returning with a vengeance. Attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure in mid-September temporarily shut more than half the country’s production, raising supply concerns around what had been considered the world’s most stable source of oil. Refiners across Asia are scrambling to secure cargoes to compensate for potential losses in Saudi volumes, triggering a sharp reaction in the value of these grades that best serve as replacements.

Accurate pricing signals will help in the reallocation of resources across the vast Asia-Pacific refining system. And inevitably, governments and refiners throughout the region will aim to enlarge their strategic and commercial storage as the veil of infallibility surrounding Saudi crude exports fades with the possibility of new attacks on the kingdom’s oil infrastructure.

Presented by Alejandro Barbajosa, Argus Media Vice-President, Crude, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

From the Economist's Chair: State and Future of Global Energy 2019

Welcome to the first in our blog post/podcast series, "From the Economist's Chair", from David Fyfe, Chief Economist at Argus Media. In this episode, Dr. Rouben Indjikian, lecturer in energy and commodities at Webster University Geneva speaks to David about the state and future of global energy.

This podcast was produced by and republished in agreement with Webster University Geneva.

[Recorded: 20 June, 2019; published: 12 July, 2019]

From the Economist's Chair: The geopolitics of crude

From the Economist's Chair: The geopolitics of crude - Trade disputes, sanctions and changing trade flows. Geopolitics remain pivotal in influencing crude prices and investor sentiment – to both the upside and downside.

Ahead of the Argus Global Crude conference in Geneva, 14-16 October, 2019, Argus chief economist David Fyfe speaks to editor in chief Diane Munro about some of the key factors that are critical in driving the global crude market.

[Recorded: 6 August, 2019]

Cushing: The heart of US crude is still beatin’

Crude is rushing past Cushing on its way to the coast, but the traditional price setting center of the US oil industry is likely to maintain its role for years to come. The Nymex futures contract for light sweet crude oil delivering at Cushing is stronger than ever, with more than 2 bn bl of open interest.

West Texas Sour: Teaching an old dog new tricks

Although historically popular with US midcontinent refiners, West Texas Sour (WTS) has had to change with the times and learn new tricks as both a supply gap filler and a blending component. WTS’ new role as a blending component to make West Texas Intermediate (WTI) from lighter Permian production has resuscitated WTS prices. 

The US Gulf coast crude network: Opening the floodgates

Booming US crude production and resulting export volumes are drastically changing global crude trade flows. With US Gulf coast crude exports expected to grow well past the current level of 3mn b/d, midstream players are busy building more pipelines to bring crude to the coast.