Thu 5 Apr 2018, 08:33 GMT

Oil and fuel oil hedging market update


By the Oil Desk at Freight Investor Services.



Commentary

Brent closed last night at $68.02 down $0.10, WTI closed at $63.37, down $0.14 and INE closed at Y402.30 per bbl or $63.85. Sometimes numbers are easy to put into perspective. For example: 180, the number of minutes Arsenal's solid defence haven't let a Premier League goal in. 31, the number of minutes it took Liverpool to spank Man City last night. 5, the number of minutes it took me to demolish an Easter egg last weekend. See, easy. But when someone puts a billion at the end of any number it all goes a little bit skewed. Bahrain announced Monday they had found 80 billon bbls of shale oil and 14 trillion cubic feet of gas. I'm sure many people can't quite fathom those kinds of numbers, but one thing I can say is that it's a lot. A lot, a lot. ExxonMobil has increased the size of its Permian resource from less than 3 billion barrels of oil equivalents (Bboe) to 9.5 Bboe. Iraq have said they are going to increase their oil production to 6.5mnbpd from current production of 4.6mnbpd. With these kinds of predictions, the market seems unsure of what to do. With all this production coming into the market, some will be taken out by need to increase due to depletion of current wells. I know demand generally is apparently inching higher, but I wouldn't put the term "inching" against the supply outlook. A definite long-term concern for suppliers. Driving season in the US isn't that far away and I think it is going to prove crucial for the market as a real tangible indicator if demand is actually there.

Fuel Oil Market (April 4)

The front crack opened at -11.85, strengthening to -11.20, before weakening to -11.55. The Cal 19 was valued at -14.50.

Asia's prompt-month viscosity spread extended gains for a sixth consecutive session to a near three-year high on Wednesday after almost three weeks of steady gains. Concerns of tight blendstock supplies over the coming month have helped boost the low-viscosity fuel oil market in recent weeks.

Fujairah fuel oil inventories slipped 1.4 percent to a fourweek low of 7.049 million barrels (about 1.052 million tonnes) in the week to April 2.

Total fuel oil flows into East Asia for April is expected to close under last month's 13-month high of 6.9-7.0 million tonnes, on lower arrivals from all three supply regions - the West, the Middle East and Asia - assessments by Thomson Reuters Oil Research showed on Tuesday.

Economic Data and Events

* 1:30pm: U.S. weekly initial jobless claims for March est. 225k (prior 215k)

* Census Bureau releases U.S. crude exports for February

* Singapore onshore oil-product stockpile data

* Russian refining maintenance schedule from ministry

Singapore 380 cSt

May18 - 369.25 / 371.25

Jun18 - 368.75 / 370.75

Jul18 - 367.50 / 369.50

Aug18 - 366.00 / 368.00

Sep18 - 364.25 / 366.25

Oct18 - 362.25 / 364.25

Q3-18 - 366.00 / 368.00

Q4-18 - 360.25 / 362.25

Q1-19 - 353.25 / 355.75

Q2-19 - 346.50 / 349.50

CAL19 - 325.75 / 330.75

CAL20 - 266.00 / 274.00

Singapore 180 cSt

May18 - 378.75 / 380.75

Jun18 - 378.00 / 380.00

Jul18 - 376.50 / 378.50

Aug18 - 375.00 / 377.00

Sep18 - 373.25 / 375.25

Oct18 - 371.25 / 373.25

Q3-18 - 375.00 / 377.00

Q4-18 - 369.50 / 371.50

Q1-19 - 362.75 / 365.25

Q2-19 -357.25 / 360.25

CAL19 - 339.75 / 344.75

CAL20 - 290.25 / 298.25

Rotterdam Barges

May18 357.00 / 359.00

Jun18 356.50 / 358.50

Jul18 355.00 / 357.00

Aug18 353.00 / 355.00

Sep18 350.25 / 352.25

Oct18 - 347.25 / 349.25

Q3-18 352.75 / 354.75

Q4-18 343.75 / 345.75

Q1-19 336.75 / 339.25

Q2-18 328.25 / 331.25

CAL19 307.00 / 312.00

CAL20 257.50 / 265.50


Titan Optimus alongside Peony Leader vessel. Titan Clean Fuels completes first FuelEU Maritime pooling exercise with DNV verification  

Pool included several hundred vessels, with LNG and biomethane helping balance compliance deficits.

AiP handover ceremony for ammonia-fuelled Panamax bulk carrier. ClassNK grants world-first approval for ammonia-fuelled bulk carrier with Type B fuel tanks  

Japanese classification society issues AiP for Panamax design with tanks installed on exposed deck.

Philippos Ioulianou, EmissionLink. EmissionLink warns UK ETS preparations at risk amid Strait of Hormuz focus  

Maritime emissions compliance provider says regulatory deadline cannot be delayed despite geopolitical disruptions.

FortisBC Tanker truck. FortisBC completes 10,000th LNG bunkering operation for marine vessels  

Canadian utility reaches refuelling milestone as West Coast LNG marine fuel demand grows.

AiP handover ceremony for two next-generation 80m tanker designs. Bureau Veritas approves dual-fuel tanker designs for Australian coastal operations  

SeaTech Solutions receives approval in principle for 80 m vessels designed to carry methanol and biofuels.

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Sumitomo Corporation and NYK Line logo. Japanese shipping firms secure government funding for Singapore ammonia bunkering trial  

Sumitomo, K Line and NYK to demonstrate ship-to-ship ammonia fuel supply operations.

Kota Ocean vessel. PIL and PSA launch Singapore’s first joint land-sea green shipping service  

DNV-verified service allows shippers to reduce Scope 3 emissions through lower-carbon fuel allocation.

Mercedes Pinto vessel. Baleària begins sea trials of dual-fuel catamaran Mercedes Pinto in Gijón  

Third LNG-powered fast ferry expected for delivery in May, destined for Canary Islands routes.

Nave Amaryllis vessel. Navios Partners takes delivery of dual-fuel-ready Aframax tanker  

Nave Amaryllis is equipped with LNG and methanol readiness alongside shore power capability.

IBIA logo. IBIA backs IMO as global shipping regulator ahead of MEPC 84  

Marine fuel industry body supports joint shipping statement emphasising multi-stakeholder approach to decarbonisation.