Petroleum refiners globally are experiencing reduced margins in 2024 compared to the previous year, as illustrated in Exhibit 1. The 3:2:1 crack spread has fallen sharply in several regions. Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) has seen its refinery margins fall from $24/bbl to $8/bbl, a drop of 66%. Los Angeles has also faced a sharp decline, with margins […]
2024 LNG Outlook: Growing stability yet uncertainty in the global LNG market
The ripples in the global LNG markets induced by geopolitical conflict seemed to have died down and greater import and export capacity coupled with continued growth in the share of renewable energy will result in a relatively stable yet uncertain LNG market in 2024. Key trends to look out for include the following: Global LNG […]
2022 Metals and Mining Outlook: Digging deeper into recovery after ‘rocky’ conditions
During these unprecedented times, mining operators are learning to navigate through many challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, mining operators pursued resiliency, investor confidence, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, and capital and operational discipline. Moving forward in 2022, these megatrends will still be relevant to the mining industry with some added complexities […]
2022 LNG Outlook: Streaming into the roaring twenties
The global LNG market showed strong even if tumultuous growth during 2021. Demand rebounded post-COVID driven by easing restrictions, a long and cold winter, and intensifying decarbonization efforts. Record-low inventories and damp supply growth resulted in a tight LNG market that will continue well in 2022. China surpassed Japan as the largest buyer of LNG […]
Chinese Self-Imposed Marine Fuel Sulfur Limits
We have written extensively about Emission Control Areas (ECAs) and their impact on LNG as a marine fuel. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) set up regulations that require all vessels traveling within ECAs to adhere to fuel standards which set a maximum amount of sulfur content. Additionally, the IMO set up regulations, though less stringent, […]
A Slowing Dragon: China’s LNG Demand Declines for the First Time
In 2014, China’s LNG demand peaked at 2.7 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) making it the third-largest LNG importer in the world behind Japan and South Korea. However, as the Chinese economy has slowed LNG demand declined for the first time since China started importing LNG in 2006. Figure 1 highlights the revised LNG […]
Monetizing North American Shale with Methanol
As shale-led natural gas production increases in North America, companies around the world are exploring different monetization options. Producing methanol from natural gas has emerged as a popular option for several reasons. Natural gas is a cheap and abundant feedstock in North America, methanol is easy to transport, methanol has numerous uses, methanol prices tend […]
The global fight for resources
Nothing is more telling of the global fight for resources than a few trips to Asia and long conversations with clients as I have learned this past year. To build the roads, bridges, cars, planes, and power plants their people need, policy makers, CEOs, and consumers in India, China, Thailand, and Malaysia in Asia are […]
Coal’s future
A client meeting yesterday on shale gas monetization began interestingly with questions on coal’s future. Cheap natural gas and sluggish economic recovery are making it difficult for coal to be a competitive fuel for power in North America. Overseas, Europe continues to suffer from economic weakness and uncertainty, while emerging economies such as China and […]
U.S. as a Natural Gas Exporter?
It’s a far cry from the situation five years ago when oil and gas majors were scrambling to build LNG import terminals in the U.S. But a lot has changed in the past five years with the shale gas revolution. So today companies are exploring terminals to export gas from the U.S. Notwithstanding the promoters’ […]
