Mon 6 Nov 2017, 09:28 GMT

Oil and fuel oil hedging market update


By the Oil Desk at Freight Investor Services.



Brent closed up $1.45 on Friday to $62.07 and WTI closed at $55.64, up $1.10. Wow, I can't keep up. Bulls everywhere, it's like being in Pamplona. But how much longer will it last? Well, judging by the ferocity of this climb over the last month it really is anyone's guess. The last month we have seen a 11% rise on Brent. From the same time a year ago, the price of WTI crude has climbed 25%, while Brent has jumped by 34%. Nice. What is actually causing this rally though? A drop in US oil rigs? Well yes, they dropped last week but they are up 329 from a year prior. US oil production is now 9.5mn bpd, 1mnbpd higher than last year. Demand? Well, yes, China's oil demand has increased owing to a rise in SPR buying, but overall product demand is pretty negligible year on year. Stocks being drawn? Well fuel oil stocks in ARA are up 137% since last year. 137%!! I really don't know actually why we are rallying. And I'm not sure Goldman's do either. Goldman's attribute the current rally to something rather mundane. Cycles. And not one of those new fancy carbon fibre road-going cycles. A "maturing business cycle". I can see us very quickly turning in to a technical market, one which is devoid of any emotion or fundamental driven headlines. Watch the critical support and resistance points with caution.

Fuel Oil Market (November 3)

The front crack opened at -7.55, weakening to -7.60, before strengthening to -7.50. The Cal 18 was valued at -7.55.

Cash premiums for Asia's 380-cst high-sulphur fuel oil cargoes rose to a near one-month high on Friday amid higher deal values when compared to the previous session. Bids for 380-cst fuel oil cargoes were higher relative to Thursday in the Platts windowbut still failed to attract many suppliers, keeping traded volumes of physical fuel oil low on Friday

Meanwhile, the front-month 180-cst fuel oil crack to Dubai crude widened its discount further from a near sixweek high seen on Wednesday as rising inventories in key storage hubs weighed. Fuel oil stocks in ARA oil hub rose for a second straight week, up 2%, or 22,000 tonnes, to 1.356 million tonnes in the week to Nov. 2. Compared to last year, ARA inventories are up 137% and are well above the five-year average of 851,000 tonnes for this time of year.

Economic Data/Events: (UK times)

* New York Fed Executive Vice President Simon Potter speaks at a closed-press ECB workshop on Implementing Monetary Policy with the Balance Sheet, Frankfurt

* Bloomberg forecast of U.S. waterborne LPG exports

* Bloomberg proprietary forecast of Cushing crude inventory change plus weekly analyst survey of crude, gasoline, distillates inventories before Wednesday EIA report

* Platts gasoline, naphtha and LPG conference, Rotterdam, 1st day of 2

Singapore 380 cSt

Dec17 - 365.75 / 367.75

Jan18 - 363.50 / 365.50

Feb18 - 361.50 / 363.50

Mar18 - 359.75 / 361.75

Apr18 - 358.00 / 360.00

May18 - 356.50 / 358.50

Q1-18 - 361.50 / 363.50

Q2-18 - 356.25 / 358.25

Q3-18 - 350.25 / 352.75

Q4-18 - 344.25 / 346.75

CAL18 - 352.00 / 355.00

CAL19 - 316.75 / 321.75

Singapore 180 cSt

Dec17 - 370.50 / 372.50

Jan18 - 369.00 / 371.00

Feb18 - 367.00 / 369.00

Mar18 - 365.75 / 367.75

Apr18 - 364.50 / 366.50

May18 - 363.25 / 365.25

Q1-18 - 367.25 / 369.25

Q2-18 - 362.75 / 364.75

Q3-18 - 356.75 / 359.25

Q4-18 - 351.75 / 354.25

CAL18 - 358.75 / 361.75

CAL19 - 325.75 / 330.75

Rotterdam 380 cSt

Dec17 345.25 / 347.25

Jan18 343.25 / 345.25

Feb18 342.25 / 344.25

Mar18 341.25 / 343.25

Apr18 340.25 / 342.25

May18 339.00 / 341.00

Q1-18 342.25 / 344.25

Q2-18 339.00 / 341.00

Q3-18 333.50 / 336.00

Q4-18 324.75 / 327.25

CAL18 334.00 / 337.00

CAL19 295.00 / 300.00

BP  

Cargo port in Singapore. Singapore T3M bunker sales stay below 14m tonnes for fourth month running  

Rolling three-month volumes remain subdued despite modest month-on-month recovery in July.

Shore power system launch at Port of Callao. Peru’s Port of Callao launches first shore power system in Latin America  

DP World Callao’s onshore power supply system could cut over 6,300 tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Aristodimos vessel. New Times Shipbuilding delivers LNG dual-fuel crude oil tanker to Capital  

Chinese yard hands over 155,500-dwt vessel in ceremony attended by owner’s representative.

MSC Sabrina and Alice Cosulich ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering operation. Shell completes maiden LNG bunkering operation in Valencia  

Delivery to MSC vessel facilitated by Fratelli Cosulich said to be first-ever LNG bunker supply at Spanish port.

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. PIL hiring senior marine fuels executive to manage global bunkering operations  

Singapore-based role includes oversight of fuel procurement and delivery operations, covering PIL's fleet of container and multi-purpose vessels.

Steel-cutting ceremony of vessels with builder's hull nos. CHB2083 and CHB2084. Changhong International Shipbuilding cuts steel on two more 3100-teu boxships for Costamare  

HSFO-fuelled vessels feature scrubbers, SCR systems and shore power connections to meet emissions requirements.

Decab Hub and MMMCZCS logos. Lloyd’s Register and Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center launch ammonia safety and training resources for shipping  

New tools aim to help operators build the safety management and competency frameworks needed for ammonia-fuelled vessels.

Kevin Dohmen, IBT Bunkering & Trading. IBT Bunkering & Trading appoints Kevin Döhmen to manage new Singapore office  

Döhmen tasked with developing IBT’s operation in the Asian city-state.

Peak Skarv 3 vessel. Peak takes delivery of third S-class vessel and cuts steel for ammonia-fuelled ship  

Norwegian operator marks two events at Chinese yard as ammonia-powered newbuild programme advances.

Launching ceremony of Minerva Helen. New Times Shipbuilding launches LNG dual-fuel tanker for Minerva  

112,500-dwt Minerva Helen launched at shipyard in Jiangsu, China.