Here are some thoughts via Forbes on what may or may not move the risk premium needle, and it must be noted that crude benchmarks are still way short of the perma-bull pipedream level of $100 per barrel.
As volatility bites, what do industry operators do to cut out the noise? The Oilholic recently turned to one industry stalwart for his thoughts on the near to medium-term direction of the crude market and approach to a volatile pricing environment - Paul McDade, CEO of West Africa focussed Afentra Plc (LON: AET), and former boss of Tullow Oil.
According to McDade there's no such thing as an optimum or ideal oil price. "I often get asked what is the right oil price assumption for my business, and my answer is wherever our carefully considered hedging strategy takes us. I place a lot of faith in hedging because we operate in a cyclical industry.
"We see hedging [or shall I say our hedging program] not as a tool for market bets but rather as a form of business insurance, and it all depends on the payback period. If the payback period is a year, you are OK to assume a base of $80 per barrel. But if its five years you would be crazy not to be a little bit conservative, workout what does the downside looks like and be prudent."
More generally speaking, McDade is bullish on the oil price for 2024 and indeed the next five years. "However, there will always be market noise and volatility that's typically associated with our industry. So if you ask me, could oil slip down to $60 per barrel at some point in 2024? Yes that's likely, but the upside would ultimately go further."
To read the Oilholic's full interview with McDade for Forbes, and learn more about Afentra's journey please click here. More on market developments to follow over the weekend, but that's all for now folks. Keep reading, keep it here, keep it 'crude'!
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