Summing up the ‘crude’ mood in Houston

The Oilholic finds the mood in Houston to be rather dark on his latest visit, and the weather here seems to be reflecting it. Oil price remains shaky, local refineries are battling strikes and shutdowns.

Meanwhile, as expected the Obama Administration has vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline project as the farcically prolonged tussle about an extension that’s meant to bring Canadian crude to Texan refineries continues.

Unsurprisingly, Texas is mirroring the globally evident trend of oil and gas sector job cuts, and costs of redundancies are more visible in an oil hub like Houston.

However, local commentators say the city (and by extension the state) has seen slumps in the global oil markets before, will see it again and remains capable enough to weather this latest one.

Dr Vincent Kaminski, an industry veteran and prominent academic at Rice University, says there’s no panic in the ranks even if the euphoria of a $100 per barrel price has long gone. “The word ‘caution’ is being branded about. No one can predict how long this period of lower oil prices is going to last. There is consensus that the price will bounce back, though not to the highs of 2013-14 unless there is a geopolitical development of a magnitude that would neutralise the impact of oversupply. Right now, there isn’t an obvious one.”

Kaminski feels what’s critical here is the management of this period of depressed prices, especially on the human capital front. Anecdotal evidence and published data suggests companies that are firing are not hiring with the same pace for the moment.

Deborah Byers, Managing Partner of global advisory firm EY’s Houston Office, says managing human resources is critical in the current climate. “My fear is that not everybody will get it right. Letting people go in a tough climate is a reactionary move; re-hiring talent when the market bounces back isn’t. A lot people in Houston have reacted very quickly. I agree that the supply glut has infused a bit of disciple in the sector, but it’s a nuanced situation to 2008-09.

“What we are seeing is a profound structural change leading to a transition towards a different type of market. In wake of the global financial crisis, we had a lack of demand scenario; what’s afoot now is a story of oversupply. That said, over the long-term the current situation would turn out to be a good story.”

Louis J. Davis, Chair of international law firm Baker & McKenzie’s North America Oil & Gas Practice, says the speed of the oil price decline caught many in Houston by surprise. “Some clients foresaw it, but not with the speed with which the decline hit home. Companies in the exploration and production (E&P) business are going to hold back on activity, lay down rigs and wait for a level of stability in the global markets. That’s unless they have existing well commitments.

“Nobody wants to drill uneconomic wells; including those who are hedged. It’s about keeping reserves up; and hedges are going to periodically roll-off within a 3 to 12 month window. By then, if a broader recovery, or at least a level of stability within a price bracket that's considered viable, is not achieved you'll find a lot of worried people.”

Furthermore, as Davis points out, even for those who are neatly hedged, their borrowing base is going to drop because they are not going to replenish their reserves by drilling additional wells. The Baker & McKenzie veteran says quite a few of his clients are in fine fettle but cautious.

“Many see opportunities when the market goes through a cyclical correction, and that hasn’t changed. There is a lot of money out there to buy promising assets at better prices. That said, interaction with people I’ve known for 40 years, as well as anecdotal evidence from a recent NAPE expo suggests the M&A deal flow is very slow right now. 

“Some deals that have been signed up are not closing, and no one is in a rush to close. Some are even taking the pain of letting their holding deposit slip. Yet, I’d say the present situation is troubling, but not an unseen one for Houston. We've been here before.”

Kaminski, Byers and Davis are united in their opinion that Houston’s economy is way more diversified than it was in the 1980s. As Kaminski points out – the city’s thriving Medical Center, adjacent to Rice University, employs more people than back office and ancillary staff at oil and gas companies.

Services, higher education, real estate and technology sectors are other major contributors to metropolitan and regional growth. There is evidence that the real estate market is slowing down in wake of oil and gas sector downturn. However, this is also not uniform across the greater Houston area; there are discrepancies from area to area.

Finally, Byers says corporate leaders within the sector always pause and reflect at such junctures. “For me personally, this is my fourth cyclical downturn – 1986, 1999, 2008-09 and now 2014-15. Couple of CEOs I’ve known and worked with for decades, say we’ve seen this before and we know what levers to pull. The question is how long will the duration of the downturn be and how long do we need to pull those levers before we switch back to an offensive mode.”

That’s a billion dollar question indeed; one that's guaranteed to be asked several times over the course of this year. That’s all for from Houston folks. Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2015. Photos: Glimpses of downtown Houston, Texas, USA © Gaurav Sharma, 2015

Crude year that was & oil price forecasts for 2015

As 2014 comes to a close, it’s time to look back at what the Oilholic was up to and how the oil and gas sector performed in general. The only place to start would be the oil price where those in the business of charting it had a year of two halves.

First six months of the year saw Brent, considered a global proxy benchmark, comfortably over $100 per barrel only to see a dramatic decline over the second half of the year that accelerated rapidly in the face of a global supply glut.

The US went in general retreat from the global oil markets in meaningful volumes, not needing to import as much given rising domestic shale and tight oil production. Global demand didn’t stack-up like it did in 2013, but producers were unrelenting with output rising from Canada to Russia and OPEC’s production quota staying where it was at 30 million barrels per day (bpd).

In fact, make it 30.7 million bpd if you believe in market consensus. End result was (and still is) a buyers’ market with China leading the way, but not importing as much as it used owing to stunted economic activity. From $115 per barrel in the summer, Brent is barely managing to resist a $60 price floor having already breached it once in December. WTI is also plummeted in tandem and is currently trading below $60.

Both OPEC Ministers’ meets for 2014 couldn’t have been held in more divergent circumstances. In June, the quota was held where it was because most in the cartel were happy with a $100-plus Brent price. In November, the quota stayed where it was because the Saudis refused to budge from their position of not wanting a production cut fearing a loss of market share. While Iran and Venezuela did not share their view, the Saudis prevailed as usual for a cut without their backing would have been meaningless.

Quite frankly, by not calling an extraordinary meeting when oil hit $85, OPEC missed a trick. Nonetheless, given the existing glut one doubts whether an OPEC cut in November would have had any tangible medium term impact anyway. Saudi Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi probably thought the same. But where does the price go from here? One has to admit that for the first time since this blog appeared on cyberspace in 2009; price averages for both Brent and WTI fell below the Oilholic’s median 2014 forecast.

Being a supply-side analyst one has long bemoaned the high oil price right from the days it became manifestly apparent that the US was no longer importing like it used to. And yet net long bets persisted well into the summer of this year courtesy hedge funds and other speculators, until physical traders of the crude stuff refused to buy in to a false spike injected by Iraqi disturbances.

Instead of contango, backwardation set in and price hasn’t recovered since with good reason. However, it wasn’t until October that the decline really took hold with OPEC’s decision not to cut production really accelerating the drop over the fourth quarter. The Oilholic would say the market is undergoing profound change of the sort that only comes around once in 20 years or so.

Given there so much oil out there and importers aren’t importing as much, risk premium has turned to risk fatigue, while a sellers’ market in the most lukewarm of times has become a buyers’ market in uncertain times. Nonetheless, supply correction is inevitable as unprofitable, especially unconventional exploration, takes a hit and non-OECD demand picks up. The Oilholic is fairly certain that come December 2015, we would once again be around the $80 level for Brent.

For the moment, barring a financial tsunami knocking non-OECD economic activity, the Oilholic's prediction is for a Brent price in the range of $75 to $85 and WTI price range of $65 to $75 for 2015. Weight on Brent should be to the upside, while weight on WTI should be to the downside of the aforementioned range. This blogger also does not believe legislative impediments over the US exporting oil are going away anytime soon as the 2016 presidential election draws ever closer.

Moving away from pricing, 2014 also saw the oil and gas world mourn the sad death of Total CEO and Chairman Christophe de Margerie in a plane crash in Moscow. Here is the Oilholic's tribute to one of the industry’s most colourful characters. Wider human tragedies overlapping the crude world including Russia’s bid to influence events in Ukraine and the spectre of ISIS over Iraq loomed large.

The oil price began hurting Russia by the end of the year with the rouble taking a plastering. Meanwhile in Iraq, given that ISIS controlled areas were far removed from the port of Basra and major Iraqi oil production facilities, risk premium from the unfolding events did not have a lasting impact on oil price barring a momentary spike in June.

Nigeria and Libya's troubles continued. In case of the latter, the country now has two oil ministers, two prime ministers but thankfully only one National Oil Company. Yet, geopolitical flare-ups aren't likely to have much of an impact over the first half of 2015 given the amount of oil there is in the market.

Away from it all and on a more personal footing, yours truly started writing for Forbes as well as commentating on Tip TV on a regular basis over 2014, alongside various other ‘crude’ engagements. Going on the road (or air) in pursuit of ‘crude’ intel, saw the Oilholic visit Rotterdam, Istanbul, San Francisco, Zagreb, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The 21st World Petroleum Congress meant a return to the host city of Moscow after a gap of 10 years. Invariably, the Ukrainian stand-off cast a shadow over an event dubbed the Olympics of the oil and gas business.

One also got a chance to interview ex-Enron whistleblower turned academic Dr Vincent Kaminski in Houston and IEA Chief Economist Dr Fatih Birol more closer to home. Among several senior executives one got a chance to interact with were C-suite executives from EDF, Tethys Petroleum, Frontier Resources, Primagaz and Rompetrol to name but a few.

Many fellow analysts, commentators, traders, academics, legal and financial experts shared their insight and valuable time on on-record while others preferred an off-record chat. Both sets have the Oilholic’s heartfelt thanks. Rather unusually, this blogger found political satirist and comedian Jon Stewart’s take on the farce that’s become of the Keystone XL project bang on the money. Finally, the Oilholic also reviewed some ‘crude’ books to help you decide whether they are for you or not.

It's been a jolly crude year and one that wouldn't have been half as spiffing without the support of you all - the dear readers of this blog. Here goes the look back at Crude Year 2014. As the Oilholic Synonymous Report embarks upon its sixth year on the Worldwide Web and the eighth year of its virtual existence – here's wishing you a very Happy New Year! That’s all for 2014 folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2014. Photo: Oil pipeline, India © Cairn India

Keystone XL farce, Jon Stewart & an OFS merger

Despite much being afoot in the crude oil world, there’s only one place to start and that’s the ongoing farce over the Keystone XL pipeline extension project. A continuation of US President Barack Obama’s dithering over approval of the transnational pipeline extension (from Alberta, Canada to Texas) is not a major surprise. However, an unassailable truth flagged up by none other than comedian and political satirist Jon Stewart certainly is! 

It seems many controversial decisions, including Keystone XL’s approval, were delayed by the Obama administration until after the US mid-term elections undoubtedly to calm worried Democrats (who were in for, and eventually did get, an electoral pasting) so that they didn’t have to take a political stand on these issues one way or another. So when Obama delayed approval of Keystone XL (again!) in April this year, that helped the President’s mates both for and against the project. 

Especially, senators Mary Landreiu (D-Louisiana), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Arkansas) and Kay Hagan (D-North Carolina) all in red states favouring the project, who then used the delay as a pretext to criticise and "distance themselves" from the president. 

Conversely, blue states Democrats thought they got points for criticising the pipeline extension project to pander to opposing sentiments of their respective electorates. It was supposed to be a win-win situation; except for one thing - they all LOST and Landreiu, who is facing a tough run-off is going to, chuckled Stewart on The Daily Show broadcast for November 6 evening.

This week, the "old" senate rejected approval of Keystone XL, one of its last acts before the new Republican controlled senate convenes. At which point, the "new" senate will approve it and then one assumes the President would veto it. Then Democrat presidential candidate(s), including one Hillary Clinton who is said to be in favour of the pipeline, will take their respective positions either denouncing or praising the decision and so it goes. 

According to the splendid Stewart, it’s a popular tactic known as the “Chickensh*t gambit”. (To view the clip in the US click here, for the UK, click here, for elsewhere not quite sure where!)

Both those for and against the project should despair over the state of affairs. However, on the bright side they’ll be plenty of material for Stewart to bring a bit of laughter into our lives. As for the Canadian side, they are a patient bunch and among their ranks are some who quietly (and somewhat correctly) believe their country's need for the pipeline is diminishing as China's footprint on the global crude oil market grows ever bigger than that of the US. 

Meanwhile, by sheer coincidence barely days after the Oilholic went on Tip TV to discuss the challenging climate for oilfield services (OFS) companies (including why the Kentz takeover in August by SNC-Lavalin would not have happened now at the price it did back then), came the mother of all moves – Halliburton’s for Baker Hughes.

In case you’ve been on another planet and haven’t heard, Halliburton has agreed to buy rival Baker Hughes in a cash and shares deal worth US$34.6 billion. The transaction has been approved by both companies' boards of directors and is expected to close in late 2015, pending regulatory approval. As the oil price has fallen by a third since the summer, demand for OFS has cooled and a coming together of the second and third placed services providers makes sense in a cyclical industry.

Nonetheless, the announcement and speed of agreement took many by surprise. Dave Lesar, CEO of Halliburton, told CNBC's Squawk on the Street program on Tuesday that Baker Hughes brings complimentary product lines to the merger which his company does not have.

“Production chemicals is one, artificial lift is another, so from that standpoint they [Baker Hughes] do have some technology that we do not have. Plus they have some fantastic people in their talented organisation. Combine that with out talent and I think we’re putting together the industry bellwether.”

“Both companies are growing. We’re going to hire 21,000 people just at Halliburton this year, not only blue collar but white collar and professionals. You add that to capability and the growth we’re seeing out at Baker…I think it expands career opportunities.”

Lesar also said he had a top notch team in place to address anti-trust concerns which might involve divestments of up to $7.5 billion. The Halliburton CEO added that the response from big ticket clients, including several National Oil Companies (NOCs), had been great. “Feedback from almost of our customers, including NOCs has been pretty positive, where a stronger, more developed organisation can help them in ways neither Baker nor Halliburton could have done standing on our own.”

“Furthermore, we would not have done this deal if I did not believe that we could get this through the regulatory bodies,” Lesar said. There you have it, and it’d cost $3.5 billion in payments to Baker if he is wrong and regulators block the deal.

The Halliburton CEO largely sidestepped commenting on the Keystone XL farce and the oil price tumble, except adding on the latter point that: “We’re not in the bunker yet!” As OPEC meets on November 27, the market is in a sort of “pause still” mode. Brent is lurking just below $80 level, while the WTI is around the $75 level (see right, click to enlarge).

The Oilholic’s gut instinct, as one told Tip TV, is that OPEC has left it too late to act and should have made a call one way or another via an extraordinary meeting when the Brent fell below $85. So if they cut now, will it have the desired impact?

Meanwhile, Producers for American Crude Oil Exports (PACE), says repealing the ban on US crude oil exports will not only create hundreds of thousands of jobs and grow the economy, it will benefit consumers by “lowering gasoline prices” contrary to opinion expressed in certain quarters. That conclusion, it says, is supported by no less than seven independent economic studies. These include the Brookings Institution, IHS Energy, Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, and the US Government Accountability Office, among others. 

Finally, Fitch Ratings says the 25% drop in the oil price since July is likely to lift economic growth prospects, improve terms of trade, and have a potentially positive credit impact for a number of Asian economies if the lower prices are sustained below $90 level through 2015.

Most major Asian economies - including China, Japan, Korea and Thailand - would see an effective overall income boost from sustained lower oil prices, the agency said. In addition, countries with large oil import needs facing external adjustment pressures such as Indonesia and India are among the best positioned to see a positive impact on sovereign credit profiles, although the broader policy response will matter too, it added. That’s all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’!

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© Gaurav Sharma, October, 2014. Photo 1: Keystone XL pipeline © CAPP / Fox News as featured on the Daily Show. Photo 2: The Democrat hopefuls and John Stewart on the Daily Show. Photo 3: John Stewart’s “Obama & the Pussycrats”, The Daily Show, November 6, 2014 © Comedy Central / Daily Show November, 2014. © Graph: Oil benchmark prices 5-day assessment October/November 2014 © Gaurav Sharma 2014.

A Russian deal, an Indian election, Libya & more

While the Europeans are busy squabbling about how to diversify their natural gas supplies and reduce reliance on Russia, the country's President Vladimir Putin hedged his bets earlier this week and reacted smartly by inking a 30-year supply deal with China.

No financial details were revealed and the two sides have been haggling over price for better parts of the last decade. However, yet again the Russian president has proved more astute than the duds in Brussels! Nevertheless, the Oilholic feels Russia would have had to make substantial compromises on price levels. By default, the Ukraine standoff has undoubtedly benefitted China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), and Gazprom has a new gas hungry export destination.

Still there is some good news for the Europeans. Moody's believes that unlike in 2008-09, when gas prices spiked in the middle of the winter due to the cessation of Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine, any temporary disruption via Ukraine would have only have a muted impact.

"This opinion factors in a combination of (1) lower reliance on Ukraine as a transit route, owing to alternative supply channels such as the Nord Stream pipeline which became operational in 2011; (2) low seasonal demand in Europe as winter has come to an end; and (3) gas inventories at high levels covering a full month of consumption," the ratings agency noted in a recent investment note.

Meanwhile, a political tsunami in India swept the country's Congress party led government out of power putting an end to years of fractious and economic stunting coalition politics in favour of a right-wing nationalist BJP government. The party's leader Narendra Modi delivered a thumping majority, which would give him the mandate to revive the country's economic fortunes without bothering to accommodate silly whims of coalition partners.

Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, one of the country's most prosperous provinces and home to the largest in the refinery in the world in the shape of Jamnagar. In many analysts' eyes, regardless of his politics, the Prime Minister elect is a business friendly face.

Moody's analyst Vikas Halan expects that the new BJP-led government will increase natural gas prices, which would benefit upstream oil & gas companies and provide greater long term incentives for investment. Gas prices were originally scheduled to almost double in April, but the previous government put that increase on hold because of the elections.

This delay has meant that India's upstream companies have been losing large amounts of revenue, and a timely increase in gas prices would therefore cushion revenues and help revive interest in offshore exploration.

"A strong majority government would also increase the likelihood of structural reform in India's ailing power sector. Closer co-ordination between the central and state governments on clearances for mega projects and land use, two proposals outlined in the BJP's manifesto, would address investment delays," Halan added.

The Oilholic agrees with Moody's interpretation of the impact of BJP's victory, and with majority of the Indian masses who gave the Congress party a right royal kick. However, one is sad to see an end to the political career of Dr Manmohan Singh, a good man surrounded by rotten eggheads.

Over a distinguished career, Singh served as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, and latterly as the country's finance minister credited with liberalising and opening up of the economy. From winning the Adam Smith Prize as a Cambridge University man, to finding his place in Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world, Singh – whose signature appears on an older series of Indian banknotes (see right) – has always been, and will always be held in high regard.

Still seeing this sad end to a glittering career, almost makes yours truly wish Dr Singh had never entered the murky world of mainstream Indian politics in the first place. Also proves another point, that almost all political careers end in tears.

Away from Indian politics, Libyan oilfields of El Sharara, El Feel and Wafa, having a potential output level 500,000 barrels per day, are pumping out the crude stuff once again. However, this blogger is nonplussed because (a) not sure how long this will last before the next flare up and (b) unless Ras Lanuf and Sidra ports see a complete normalisation of crude exports, the market would remain sceptical. We're a long way away from the latter.

A day after the Libyan news emerged on May 14, the Brent forward month futures contract for June due for expiry the next day actually extended gains for a second day to settle 95 cents higher at US$110.19 a barrel, its highest settlement since April 24.

The July Brent contract, which became the forward-month contract on May 16, rose 77 cents to settle at US$109.31 a barrel. That's market scepticism for you right there? Let's face it; we have to contend with the Libyan risk remaining priced in for some time yet.

Just before taking your leave, a couple of very interesting articles to flag-up for you all. First off, here is Alan R. Elliott's brilliant piece in the Investor’s Business Daily comparing and contrasting fortunes of the WTI versus the LLS (Louisiana Light Sweet), and the whole waterborne crude pricing contrast Stateside.

Secondly, Claudia Cattaneo, a business columnist at The National Post, writes about UK political figures' recent visit to Canada and notes that if the Americans aren't increasing their take-up of Canada's energy resources, the British 'maybe' coming. Indeed, watch this space. That's all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it 'crude'!

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To email: gaurav.sharma@oilholicssynonymous.com 

© Gaurav Sharma 2014. Photo: Pipeline, India © Cairn Energy

Crude viewpoints from the Bay Area

The Oilholic finds himself in the San Francisco Bay Area yet again for the briefest of visits. By force of habit, one couldn't help doing a bit of tanker spotting from a vantage point some 21 floors above on a gloriously sunny day. More importantly, it's always a pleasure to discuss the stock market prices of companies behind what these metallic behemoths at sea are carrying.

The trading community appears to be in bullish mood close the midway point of 2014. Yours truly spoke to seven traders based here, most of whom had a buy recommendation on the big four services companies, which is not entirely unexpected. Five also had a buy recommendation on EOG Resources, a company the Oilholic admits has largely gone under his radar and Enterprise Products Partners, which hasn't.

 

The former, according IHS Energy data, saw a 40% rise in value to just under US$46 billion in 2013, making the company the largest market capitalisation gainer for upstream E&P companies last year. Now that is something. It is blatantly obvious that the liquids boom in North America is beginning to drive investment back into all segments of the oil & gas sector.

 

"Stock market is rewarding those with sensible exposure to unconventional plays. Hell if it goes on the way it has, I might even recommend Canadian E&P firms more frequently, Keystone XL or not," quips one trader. (Not to detract from the subject at hand, but most said even if Keystone XL doesn't get the go ahead from the Obama administration, future isn't so bleak for Canadian E&P; music to the ears of Chinese and Korean businessmen in town.)

Midstream companies are in many cases offering good returns akin to their friends in the services sector, given their connect to the shale plays. Okay now before you all get hot under the collar, we're merely talking returns and relative stock valuation here and not size. And for those of you who are firm believers of the 'size does matter' hypothesis, latest available IHS Energy data does confirm that the 16 largest IOCs it monitors posted a combined market capitalisation of $1.7 trillion at the end of 2013, a little over 10% above their value the year before.

Yet, oil majors continue to divest, especially on the refining & marketing (R&M) side of the business and occasionally conventional E&P assets where plays don't gel well with their wider objectives. Only last week, BP sold its interests in four oilfields on the Alaska North Slope for an undisclosed sum to Hilcorp.

The sale included BP's interests in the Endicott and Northstar oilfields and a 50% interest in each of the Liberty and the Milne Point fields. Ancillary pipeline infrastructure was also passed on. The fields accounted for around 19,700 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd). Putting things into context, that's less than 15% of the company's total net production on the North Slope alone and near negligible in a global context.

BP said the deal does not affect its position as operator and co-owner of Prudhoe Bay nor its other interests in Alaska. But for Hilcorp, which would become the operator of Endicott, Northstar and Milne Point and their associated pipelines and infrastructure pending regulatory approval, it is a sound strategic acquisition.

Going back to the core discussion, smart thinking could, as the Bay Area traders opine, see all sides (small, midcap and IOCs) benefit over what is likely to be seminal decade for the North American oil & gas business between now and 2024-25.

As Daniel Trapp, senior energy analyst at IHS and principal author of the analysis firm's Energy 50 report, noted earlier this year in a note to clients: "While economic and geopolitical uncertainty will certainly continue driving energy company values, it is clear that a thought out and well-executed strategy positively affects value.

"This was particularly true with companies that refocused on North America in 2013, notably Occidental, which saw its value expand 24%, and ConocoPhillips, which grew 23% in value."

There seem to be good vibes about the performance of North American refiners. As promised to the readers, yours truly wanted to know what people here felt. Ratings agency Moody's said earlier this month that North American refiners could retain their advantage over competitors elsewhere in the globe, with cheaper feedstock, natural gas prices, and lower costs contributing to 10% or higher EBITDA growth through mid to late 2015.

Those with investments and stock exposure in US refiners reckon the Moody's forecast is about right and could be beaten by a few of the players. A few said Phillips 66 would be the one to watch out for. Question is – what will these companies do with their investment dollars going forward in light higher profits, as the case for pumping in more capex into existing infrastructure is not clear cut, despite the need for Gulf Coast upgrades.

Additionally, most anecdotal evidence here in California suggests tightening emissions law in the state is price negative in particular for Tesoro and Valero, but Phillips 66 could take a hit too. In essence, not much has changed in terms of the legal parameters; only their impact assessment in 2014-15 is yet to reach investors' mailboxes.

On a related note, here is an interesting piece from Lior Cohen of the Motley Fool, examining the impact of the shrinking Brent-WTI spread on refiners. Valero and Marathon's first quarter performance could be negatively impacted as the spread narrows, the author reckons.

Overall, in the Oilholic's opinion what appears to be an abundance of low-cost feedstock from inexpensive domestic crude oil supply will continue to benefit US refiners. While North American refiners should be content with abundance, Europeans are getting pretty discontent about their reliance on Russian gas.

Despite obvious attempts by the European Union to belatedly wean itself off Russian gas, Fitch Ratings reckons the 28 member nations group would be pretty hard pressed to replace it. In fact, an importation ban on Russian gas to the EU would cause substantial disruption to Europe's economy and industry, according to the agency.

Painting a rather bleak picture, Fitch noted in a recent report that the immediate aftermath of such a move would see the region suffer from gas shortages and high prices due to its limited ability to reduce demand, source alternative supplies and transport gas to the most affected countries.

A surge in gas prices after a ban would probably also have knock-on effects on electricity, coal and oil prices. Industry would bear the brunt of supply shortages as household demand would be given priority. A lengthy ban on Russian gas – described as "a low-probability, but high-impact scenario" would see gas-intensive sectors such as steel and chemicals being heavily hit.

This would accelerate the closure or mothballing of capacity that is suffering from low profitability due to competition from low-cost energy jurisdictions such as the US or Middle East.

In 2013, Russia supplied 145 bcm of gas to Europe, and the latter would have great difficulty in sourcing alternative supplies. "Increased European gas production and North African piped gas could offset a small proportion of this. Tapping into the global LNG market would yield limited volumes as Europe's Russian gas demand equates to nearly half of the world's LNG production, which is already mostly tied to long-term supply contracts. Hence, gas and other energy prices could surge," the agency noted.

In theory, Europe has plenty of unused LNG regasification capacity, which could help replace some Russian supplies. But the majority of plants are located in Southern Europe and the UK, far away from the Central and Eastern European countries that are most reliant on Russian gas. So there you have it, and it should help dissect some of the political hot air. That's all for the moment from San Francisco folks! Keep reading, keep it 'crude'!

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To email: gaurav.sharma@oilholicssynonymous.com

© Gaurav Sharma 2014. Photo 1: San Francisco skyline from 4th Street with an oil tanker heading to Oakland in the background. Photo 2: Port of San Francisco, California, USA © Gaurav Sharma April, 2014.

Keystone XL revisited, some results & fossil fuels

Despite it having been a mad few days of 'crude' results, the Oilholic feels there is only one place to start this post – the US State Department's recent take on the Keystone XL project.

The Department's review of the project or should you like formalities – its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement – noted that it had "no objections" on any major environmental grounds to the cross-border 1,179 mile-long Alberta to Texas pipeline extension project.

Its take, of course, pertains to 875 miles of proposed pipeline construction across US jurisdictional control which has been the subject of immense controversy with everyone from the American workers' unions [flagging-up job creation] to environmentalists [warning about risk of spillage] weighing in.

So is the end of the saga close with a thumbs-up from the State Department? Sadly, not quite, not yet! A 30-day public comment period has begun and is scheduled to end on March 7. During this time, "members of the public and other interested parties" are encouraged to submit comments on "the national interest determination."

Then the ultimate decision has to be made by the ditherer-in-chief, President Barack Obama, who is yet to make his mind up, pending reviews from "other government agencies" and the public at large.

As expected, the State Department's statement is full of waffle. Hoping not to annoy either those for or against the project, it took no firm stances in the Oilholic's opinion. However, there is one very clear, in fact explicit, conclusion by the department, from this blogger's reading of it – Alberta's oil sands will be developed Keystone XL or not!

In a related development impact assessment, it also noted – perhaps in no small part down to recent incidents and accidents – that using the rail network to transport crude was an even worse option than the pipeline itself, if a carbon footprint was the deciding factor. The so-called "other agencies", most notably the Environmental Protection Agency, now have around 90 days to comment before the State Department finally issues its "final" recommendation to the President.

Then there would be no excuses or reasons for stalling left and we should know either ways by the summer. One thing is for sure, the Americans have formally acknowledged that cancelling the pipeline extension won't stop E&P activity in the oil sands. So if that's what the environmentalists are after, there's some food for thought. One wishes, the State Department read this blog more often. Yours truly could have saved them a lot of time and money in reaching such a blatantly obvious conclusion.

For TransCanada's sake, which first applied for a permit from the US government as far back as 2008, the Oilholic hopes the US$7 billion project does go ahead. Stepping away from pipeline politics, to some 'crude' financial results over the past week, one cannot but feel for BG Group's Chief Executive Chris Finlayson.

In a geopolitically sensitive industry, Finlayson's team could not be apportioned blame when he announced that group earnings would dip by 33% on an annualised basis to around $2.2 billion, owing to unrest in Egypt. In the backdrop of domestic strife, the Egyptian government has not honoured agreements covering BG Group's share of gas from fields in the country, with high levels of gas being diverted to the domestic market.

Unable to fulfil its export obligations, the company had to serve force majeure notices to affected buyers and lenders, in effect releasing all sides from contractual obligations for circumstances beyond their control. Hence, a company deemed to be high-flier in the oil & gas world was - albeit temporarily - made to look like a low-flapper boosted by occasional gusts of gas...er sorry wind!

As Egypt accounts for over 20% of its annual production at present – BG Group's profit warning made its shares take a plastering following the trading update on January 27, dipping 18% at one point. The price is currently in the £10 to £11 range and most analysts are nonplussed. For instance, Liberum Capital cut BG Group to hold from buy, with the target cut from £14.75 to £12.80. Investec analyst Neill Morton cut the group's EPS forecast for 2014 and 2015 by 22% and 16% respectively.

"However, we do not believe that a takeover is likely (or even possible?) for a $60 billion company which is likely to command a substantial takeover premium. The key challenges over the next 18 months are the developments in Brazil and Australia which still run the risk of further issues, in our view (for e.g. the Brazil development is being done by Petrobras)," Morton added.

While BG Group was warning on profits, supermajor Shell wasn't exactly covering itself in glory. Following on from a pretty substantial profits warning, Shell's profits [outstripping the effect of oil price fluctuations came] in at $2.9 billion for the last quarter of 2013, down from $5.6 billion noted over the same period in 2012. The market was already well prepared for a dip in performance from Shell, but much to this blogger's surprise, new chief executive Ben van Beurden said the company's strategy presentation [slated for March 13] would contain no fresh targets on production, capex and asset disposal.

Odd indeed, and if one might humbly add – Shell's asset disposal, especially if similar drives at BP, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are to be used as measuring rods, seems a bit random! The Anglo-Dutch company said it was targeting disposals of $15 billion in the current financial year, and had stopped exploration in Alaska.

Its stake in the Australian Wheatstone project is expected to go, and a 23% stake in the Brazilian Parque das Conchas (BC-10) offshore project already has gone, subject to regulatory approvals. Ratings agency Fitch said such moves were positive, but added: "It remains to be seen whether Shell will take the opportunity that this flexibility affords it to retrench, or be tempted into shareholder friendly actions that could threaten its 'AA' credit rating."

Finally, ExxonMobil – biggest of the publicly traded IOCs by market value – also saw its profits below market expectations after a failure to offset declining production with fresh reserves. For the fourth quarter, it posted a net income of $8.35 billion, or $1.91 per share, compared with $9.95 billion, or $2.20 per share, over the same quarter in 2012. Those picky analysts were hoping for $1.92 to $1.94 per share – some will never be pleased!

Forget the analysts, here's an interesting article on what Warren Buffet sees in ExxonMobil to help draw conclusions on the "quintessential defensive stock." In response to his company's latest financials, chief executive Rex Tillerson promised to move ahead with new exploration projects.

Away from results, oil majors and minors ought to take notice as it seems oil might be overtaken by coal as the dominant primary energy source worldwide by 2017, according to the IEA. Adding further weight to this hypothesis, Worldwatch Institute's recent Vital Signs Online study noted that natural gas increased its share of energy consumption from 23.8% to 23.9% during 2012, coal rose from 29.7% to 29.9%, while oil fell from 33.4% to 33.1%.

Coal, natural gas, and oil, collectively accounted for 87% of global primary energy consumption in 2012. Finally, OPEC's 'long-standing' Secretary General Abdalla Salem El-Badri has said its member nations will be able to handle the extra oil "expected to come from Iran, Iraq and Libya" to head off any oversupply.

We believe you sir, but it'll be kinda hard to keep a trio gagging for an export impetus to toe the line, say us supply-side analysts. Hopefully, oversupply or even the perception of oversupply should bring the price of the crude stuff down a fraction and may be price positive for consumers. Hence, a month into 2014, yours truly stands by his price forecast. That's all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it 'crude'!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2014. Photo 1: The White House, Washington DC, USA © Gaurav Sharma, April 2008. Photo 2: Shell tanker truck at Muscat International Airport, Oman © Gaurav Sharma, August 2013.

A chat at Platts, ‘LHS’ & the Houston glut

The 'Houston glut debate' gained further traction this summer as the metropolitan area has been a recipient of rising inland crude oil supplies heading towards the US Gulf Coast. New light and heavy grades of crude are showing up – principally from the Eagle Ford, Permian Basin, North Dakota and Western Canada.

The ongoing American oil production boom complements existing Texas-wide E&P activity which is getting ever more efficient courtesy horizontal drilling. Yet, infrastructural impediments stunt the dispatch of crude eastwards from Texas to the refineries in Louisiana.

In fact, many analysts in Chicago and New York have long complained that Houston lacks a benchmark given it has the crude stuff in excess. It seems experts at global energy and petrochemical information provider Platts thought exactly the same.

Their response was the launch of the Platts Light Houston Sweet (or should we say ‘LHS’) in July. Nearly four months on, the Oilholic sat down with Platts Associate Editorial Director Sharmilpal Kaur to get her thoughts on the benchmark and more. So first off, why here and why now?

"We launched the new crude assessment this year as we felt it was finally time for a benchmark that reflected the local dynamic. I’d also say the US was ripe for a fresh benchmark and we went for one based on the price of physical crude oil basically FOB out of three major terminals in Houston."

These include Magellan East Houston Terminal, Enterprise Houston Crude Oil (ECHO) Terminal, and the Oil Tanking Houston Terminal – the location markers for the assessment. Kaur says as the Houston crude transportation infrastructure develops, Platts may consider additional terminals for inclusion in its LHS assessment basis.

Specifically, completion of the Kinder Morgan/Mercuria 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) rail terminal on the Houston Ship Channel could potentially provide another avenue for both WTI Midland and Domestic Sweet quality crudes to enter the Houston market.

The chances of Platts making a fist of LHS are good according to anecdotal evidence, especially as half of the supply side analyst community has been calling for such an assessment. The minimum volume considered by the information provider is 25,000 barrels, or 1,000 bpd rateable, in line with other US domestic pipeline grades.

Platts publishes LHS as a flat price; which is assessed using both fixed as well as floating price information. In the case of floating prices against WTI, Platts generally calculates the fixed price assessment using calendar month average (CMA) WTI or front-month WTI as the floating basis, depending on the WTI basis reported in bids, offers, and transactions.

In the case of light sweet price information reported against the Louisiana Light Sweet (LLS), Platts calculates the fixed price using LLS trade month. In the case of ICE Brent light sweet crude market, Platts calculates the resulting fixed price using an ICE Brent strip that reflects the value of ICE Brent for the relevant pipeline month. Additionally, in the absence of spot activity for light sweet crude in Houston, Platts will look at related markets such as WTI at Midland or WTI at Cushing and adjust its daily LHS assessment accordingly.

That absence won’t be all that frequent as the Houston crude oil distribution system looks set to receive new supplies of over 1.7 million bpd in terms of pipeline capacity delivering into the region by the end of June 2014.

A regional trading market for producers and dispatchers selling the crude stuff to Gulf Coast refiners is well past infancy. Kaur reckons Houston’s spot trading market could rival those at Cushing, Oklahoma and St. James, Louisiana. (See Platts map illustrating the area’s crude oil storage and distribution projections on the right, click to enlarge).

 

So far so good, but in the ancillary infrastructure development and supply sources to Texas, does Kaur include Keystone XL at some point in the future?

"Yes, the pipeline extension will be built and despite the uptick in US crude oil production remains as relevant as ever. There are facets of Keystone XL which are hotly contested by those for and against the project – from its job creation potential to environmental concerns. My take is that Keystone XL would offer is incremental supply of heavy crude out of Canada that comes all the way down to the Gulf Coast and then gets blended."

"What’s produced domestically in the US (say in the Eagle Ford and Bakken) is light crude. What Gulf Coast refiners actually like are heavier crudes blended to form a middle blend. Canadian crude has started pushing out the Latin American crudes and the reason for that is pure pricing as Canadian crude is cheaper than Latin American crude. That trend is basically continuing…it’s why the pipeline extension was planned, and why every refiner in Houston will tell you its needed. President Barack Obama will get there once the legacy component of Keystone XL has been worked out."

As for the hypothesis that Canada may look elsewhere should the project not materialise, Kaur doesn’t quite see it that way. Simple reason is that the Americans know the Canadians and vice versa with very healthy trading relations between the two neighbours for better parts of a century.

"China as an export market is an option for Canada. It’s being explored vigorously by Canadian policymakers – but I see two impediments. Pulling a pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia in order to access the Chinese market via the West Coast won’t be easy. It will, as Keystone XL will, eventually get built, but not overnight. Secondly, the Chinese have diversified their importation sources more than any other country in the world – OPEC, Latin America, West Africa and Russia, to name a few."

Furthermore, US crude imports from West Africa are on the decline. That cargo has to go somewhere and industry evidence suggests its going to China, followed by Japan and to a much lesser extent India.

 

"The Indians would like to get their hands on Canadian crude too – no doubt about that; but logistics and cost of shipping complicates matters. A simple look at the world map would tell you that. Don’t get me wrong; China needs Canadian exports, but given the global supply dynamic Canada probably needs China more as a major export market."

In sync with what the ratings agencies are saying, Kaur sees also E&P capex going up over the next two to three years. "Most IOCs and NOCs see it that way. If you drove through exploration zones in the Bakken Shale, you’d be a busy man counting all the logos of oil & gas firms dotting the landscape, ditto for the Canadian oil sands where foreign direct investment is clearly visible."

Sharmilpal Kaur, Associate Editorial Director, Platts

The Platts expert flags up a fresh example – that of Hess Corporation which recently sold its US trading operations to Centrica-owned Direct Energy.

"Here is a company indicating quite clearly that it’s selling up the trading book and using that money to invest in Bakken wells as well as globally. Right now, in terms of E&P – the market is so lucrative, with an oil price level to sustain it, that people are making sure they find the capex for it and in many cases preferably from their balance sheets." The integrated model is not dead yet, but IOCs holding refineries on their balance sheet have clearly indicated that their priorities are elsewhere.

"You see ageing refineries in trouble within the OECD; at least 15 have faced problems in Europe owing to overcapacity. Yet China, India and Middle East continue to build new refineries – often out of need."

"China has indicated that it wants to be a regional exporter of refined products at some point. That’s a trading model it wants to adopt because it now has access to multiple crude oil supply sources. As a follow-up to its equity stakes in crude production sites, China now has ambitions and wherewithal of becoming a global refining power. In the Chinese government’s case – its need and ambition combined!"

The Oilholic and Kaur agreed that the chances of US crude oil ending up in the hands of foreign refiners, let alone Chinese ones, were slim to none for the moment. In the fullness of time, the US may actually realise it is in its own interest to export crude. Yet, given the politics it is still a question of 'if' and not an imminent 'when'. 

Hypothetically, should the US employ free market principals and export its light crude which is surplus to its requirements, but get heavier crude in return more in sync with its refining prowess – the exchange would work wonders.

"It could command a better price for its light crude and actually buy the heavier crude cheaper. My thinking is that the US would actually come out on top and the rest of the world would benefit too. Here we have too much light crude, the rest of the world craves it – so there’s the opportunity in theory. In the unlikely event that this was to happen, we would see a very different supply dynamic. Price spikes associated with disruptions - for example as we saw during the Libyan conflict in 2011 - would be mitigated," says Kaur

Nonetheless, even with a ban on crude oil exports, the US oil & gas bonanza has weakened OPEC. There are two ways of approaching this – concept of incremental barrels on a virtual supply ledger and the constantly declining level of US imports.

"As US imports decline, barrels originally heading to these shores will be diverted elsewhere. That’s where the US has a voice when it speaks to OPEC. Supply side analysts such as you are tallying US, Russia and [OPEC heavyweight] Saudi Arabia’s production level. Now add Canada, prospects of a Mexican and Iraqi revival, a gradual Libyan uptick and some semblance of a resolution to the Iranian standoff – then there’s a lot of it around and OPEC understands it."

While Platts does not comment on the direction of the oil price, what Kaur sums up above is precisely why the Oilholic has constantly quipped over the course of 2013 that a three-figure Brent price is barmy and unreflective of supply side scenarios in an uncertain macroeconomic climate. Blame the blithering paper barrels!

"At least, you can take comfort from the fact that the peak oil theorists have temporarily disappeared. I haven’t seen one in Houston for while," Kaur laughs. In fact, the Oilholic hasn’t either – in Houston and beyond. That’s all for the moment from Platts' Houston hub! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2013. Photo 1: Oil pipeline, Fairfax, Virginia, USA © O. Louis Mazzatenta / National Geographic. Photo 2: Sharmilpal Kaur, Associate Editorial Director at Platts © Gaurav Sharma. Graphic: Map of Houston crude oil storage and distribution © Platts

That other Canadian pipeline project

As its Keystone XL pipeline project continues to remain stuck in the quagmire of US politics, TransCanada gave details about plans to build a pipeline from Western Canada to Eastern Canada.

 

The so-called TransCanada Energy East line would have the capacity to bring 1.1 million barrels per day (bpd) of the crude stuff from the resource rich western provinces to refiners in the east. The idea is to replace foreign imports for the refineries in Quebec (as much as 92% in the state) and Atlantic Canada.

 

The pipeline, which would cost CAD$12 billion, shall run from Hardisty, Alberta, to a new receptor terminal in St John, New Brunswick. Upon completion, not only will the project reduce reliance on Middle Eastern and East African imports (thought to be in the region of 750,000 bpd for Atlantic Canada), but St John could actually become an exporting terminal for unused surplus. For all intents and purposes, this would be a colossal endeavour. Surely, the approval process won’t be as slow as Keystone XL, as the project enjoys support in the Canadian corridors of power and finds flavour with the public at large. Furthermore, the TransCanada Energy East pipeline would link about 3,000km of an already-built natural gas pipeline with roughly 1,400km of newly constructed pipeline.

 

A spokesperson for TransCanada said the company was confident of supplying oil to Quebec refineries by late 2017 and further on to New Brunswick by 2018. At a press conference detailing the plans, TransCanada's Chief Executive Russ Girling said, "This is a historic opportunity to connect the oil resources of western Canada to the consumers of eastern Canada, creating jobs, tax revenue and energy security for all Canadians for decades to come."

 

Indeed Sir! Reversing the east coast oil deficit into an export surplus would be one hell of 'crude' story. Canadian oil production is tipped to more than double by 2025 from its current level of 1.5 million bpd. Everyone from Saudi Arabia to the Venezuela is casting a nervous eye on Canada’s rise while domestic realisation is spurring projects such as the East to West pipeline. However, the Obama administration remains oblivious, or shall we say exceedingly slow, in letting the USA respond to this seismic shift by approving Keystone XL!

 

A summer approval was expected but has not materialised so far. Instead we are told that the US State Department will issue a final report on the project before the end of the year. On a related note, a report published by Moody’s late last month noted that most Canadian E&P companies are protected from volatile price differentials for heavy oil.

 

To provide context, the heavy oil differential is the difference in price between WTI, and the price at which heavy oil is sold, most commonly referenced to the Western Canadian Select (WCS) benchmark. These discounts have been volatile and sometimes pretty wide, especially since Q2 2012.

 

"We expect the differential to remain highly volatile. Even so, most producers of Canadian heavy oil draw some protection from their diverse products, low cost structures, or integration," said Moody's Senior Vice President Terry Marshall.

 

"The possible lack of significant new pipeline capacity to reach export markets and eastern Canadian refineries will have an impact on the growth of Canadian oil producers and will likely widen our $20 assumption for the differential," Marshall added. "This uncertainty will be a key consideration in upward rating movements for Canadian producers until the addition of incremental takeaway capacity is apparent."

 

According to the ratings agency, the pure bitumen producers such as MEG Energy and Connacher Oil and Gas will remain the hardest hit by wide differentials, because highly dense bitumen requires about 35% dilution and condensate generally sells at prices above WTI. The diluted bitumen then sells at the price of heavy oil.

 

Mining oil sands operations that upgrade their bitumen, such as those held by Canadian Oil Sands Limited (COSL), Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) and Suncor Energy, have no exposure to the heavy oil differential. That's because these operations produce synthetic crude oil (SCO), a light oil product that trades around WTI prices.

 

According to Moody’s, companies that produce a high component of heavy oil, such as Baytex Energy, lie between these two extremes, with full exposure to the differential, but minimal need to buy costly diluent in order to ship their product.

 

The largest companies, including CNRL, Suncor Energy, Husky Energy and Cenovus Energy, sell a diverse mix of products, limiting their exposure to the differential, the agency noted. Furthermore, Suncor, Cenovus and Husky all draw an additional advantage from mid-continent downstream refinery operations, which benefit from wide differentials.

 

The discount on the heavy crude reflects a supply and demand relationship based on the available heavy oil refinery capacity, and infrastructure constraints and bottlenecks, Moody's noted.

 

As heavy, light oil and SCO all utilise the same finite pipeline space, a back-up in the system affects all products to varying degrees. For what it’s worth, this underscores the importance of TransCanada’s latest pipeline foray.

 

Away from Canada, the US EIA says the country’s crude oil output could exceed imports as early as October; the first such instance since February1995. In its monthly Short-term Energy Outlook, the EIA also said US crude oil production increased to an average of 7.5 million bpd in July 2013; the highest monthly level since 1991.

 

The report also raised its forecast for Brent, and noted that spot prices will average US$104 a barrel over the second half of 2013, marginally above the $102 forecast last month. The forecast for 2014 was left unchanged at $99.75 per barrel. WTI will average $96.96 a barrel this year, the EIA said, up from the July projection of $94.65. The US benchmark grade will average $92.96 in 2014, up from the previous month’s estimate of $91.96. That’s all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’!

 

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To email: gaurav.sharma@oilholicssynonymous.com

 

© Gaurav Sharma 2013. Photo: Oil Refinery, Quebec, Canada © Michael Melford / National Geographic.