Analys
Prices pull back as market awaits OPEC+ and demand signals
The Brent crude oil August contract traded briefly above the $40/bl line yesterday but has now pulled back again as the market is awaiting a decision by OPEC+ whether to roll current cuts of 9.7 m bl/d beyond June. We think that there is a better than even chance for this happening but a final decision is probably not available before mid-June as the group struggles with how to whip cheaters into line. Current demand signals from the US are also weak but will most definitely strengthen again at some point in time in the coming months. Crude oil prices are pulling back awaiting OPEC+ and demand signals. Use the opportunity to buy 2021.
The Brent crude August contract has had a great run from its lowest quote in late April of $22.45/bl to a close yesterday of $39.79/bl which is just below the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level. The rally has been supported by both a revival in demand as well as a sharp reduction in supply. Both of these two forces are now being placed into question. US shale oil players are contemplating a reopening of shale oil wells which were closed when demand and prices crashed. OPEC+ is scheduled to bring back supply from July unless current discord can be overcome while recent demand indications in the US published this week were weakening for a third week in a row with total products delivered down 22.5% YoY. There is thus quite a bit of headwind right now to propel the Brent crude oil price above and beyond the $40/bl line for now.
All eyes are now naturally focused on OPEC+ and their deliberations over what to do in July. Reduce cuts from 9.7 m bl/d in May and June to 7.7 m bl/d in July and H2 overall as planned or roll current cuts of 9.7 m bl/d forward for an additional 1-3 months’ time. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE have also had an additional 1.2 m bl/d of above target cuts in June which might be cancelled in July.
Saudi Arabia and Russia indicatively seems to be willing to roll current cuts forward for another 1-3 months’ time but limited compliance to the agreement in April has become a significant stumbling block with Nigeria and Iraq the two biggest offenders. Unless these offenders can be reined in there is not going to be any forward rolling of current cuts of 9.7 m bl/d.
The proposed early OPEC meeting on the 4th of June has been ditched and now the originally planned meeting on June 9 to 10 is probably being shifted out in time to mid-June. This to review more data on compliance as Saudi Arabia is getting ready for hard-ball negotiations with OPEC-cheats. Without guarantees of full compliance Russia is unlikely to come along rolling cuts of 9.7 m bl/d forward into July. Not only are cheaters being pushed to fully comply with the deal going forward but they are also asked to make up for what they did not deliver in May and June by additional deeper cuts in July and August. That sounds like a very tall order. Our first instinctive reaction: this will never happen.
We don’t hold a strong view over whether current cuts of 9.7 m bl/d will be rolled forward for another 1-3 months or not. Maybe, maybe not. What we shouldn’t forget here is what happened on the 6th of March when Russia and Saudi Arabia fell apart as Saudi wanted to chase prices higher through further cuts while Russia was getting sick of cutting and just wanted to get back to business as usual. This underlying conflict is still there between the two parties in OPEC+ as it originates from the fact that Saudi Arabia has a presumed social break-even oil price of $80-85/bl while Russia’s is closer to $40/bl. As such they naturally get different goals and strategies with Russia favouring volume growth at an oil price in the range of $45-55/bl (if that is the oil price in a shale oil world) while Saudi Arabia unavoidably wants to chase prices to $60-70-80/bl through production cuts.
Saudi Arabia can and probably must at some point in time shift its social break-even oil price from current $80-85/bl and down towards $50/bl by increasing exports by 30-40% while cutting budget spending by 20-30%. This is also the messages that Muhammed bin Salman gave to Saudi Aramco and state departments following the break-down with Russia on the 6th of March this year. Though Covid-19, demand collapse and Donald Trump’s political pressure later forced Russia and Saudi to cooperate again.
Saudi Arabia and Russia’s interests are probably aligned as long as the oil price is below $40-45/bl, shale oil production is deteriorating while global oil demand is significantly below normal. But once we get to $50/bl, US shale oil wells are re-started, drilling rig count is ticking higher and global demand is moving closer to normal then we think that the dividing line between Russia and Saudi Arabia again is likely to re-emerge.
Russia is happy with an oil price around the $50/bl mark and wants to get its volumes back into the market again at such a price level rather than to see that US shale again starts to eat away at its market share.
It is very difficult for us to understand why OPEC+ agreed in late April to hold production cuts all to the end of April 2022. By doing so the group will give US shale oil producers all the time in the world to shape up, get bankruptcies out of the way and rebound production to the extent that oil prices allow it to do. This is the same recipe and the same mistake that OPEC+ did through 2017,18,19 when it held medium cuts for a long time. This gave US shale oil producers all the runway in the world to ramp up production. Getting its production cuts back into the market became forever impossible without crashing the oil price and Russia was caught in forever lasting cut agreement.
A much better solution would be to cut hard, deep and fast. As such we support a solution where current cuts of 9.7 m bl/d are rolled forward for another 3-6 months. But it should be coupled with the message that cuts will thereafter rapidly be placed back into the market through Q1/Q2 2021.
In this way US shale oil players will not have time to revive production other than to place closed wells back into operation. There won’t be a good reason to ramp up shale oil drilling and fracking either because OPEC+’ volumes will be placed back into the market again already in H1-2021.
As such we are inclined to believe that there is probably a better than even chance that OPEC+ will roll its current cuts of 9.7 m bl/d forward to July, August,.. rather than to reduce cuts down to the originally planned 7.7 m bl/d cuts.
For now oil prices are pulling back awaiting a decision by OPEC+. The Brent crude August contract could easily pull back towards the $35-36/bl level but would definitely rebound up and above the $40/bl line again if OPEC+ decides to roll the 9.7 m bl/d cuts forward beyond June. Stronger demand revival signals would also be welcome. They will come for sure. Peak oil demand? Not at all yet. We will move back up to 100 m bl/d again and above. Just a matter of time.
The Brent crude oil August contract closed just a fraction below the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement level yesterday. Now pulling back on weakness in US demand signals as well as awaiting a decision by OPEC+
Total US products delivered has dissapointed now three weeks in a row. It all looked good in terms of demand revival until mid-May but since then it has been a sad story
It is deliveries of US mid-dist products which is the weakness here. That is typically diesel and jet fuel.
Deliveries of jet fuel in the US is still down 79% YoY. No solid signal of rebound yet there.
US crude oil continues to fall sharply in a combination of structural decline and deliberate shutting of wells. The underlying losses in US shale oil crude and NGL production in the US is in the range of 600 – 800 k bl/d per month. Currently there are only 222 active oil rigs in the US. These have an implied productive effect of about 165 k bl/d per month of new supply if all the wells they produce are placed into production (probably not done now). There is thus a significant ongoing structural decline in the US of up to 400 – 600 k bl/d per month today.
The Brent crude oil time spread of the 1 month minus the 6 month contract. The contango moved deeper than in 2009 but has come back faster. The front-month Brent contract has actually been in backwardation vs the second contract briefly in intraday trading lately. If cuts of 9.7 m bl/d are rolled forward beyond June then market is likely to move into deficit, inventories drawing down and poff we are back in backwardation.
The current set back in crude oil prices can provide yet another chance to purchase forward Brent crude for 2021 average delivery at very low, favorable price levels. We strongly advised our clients to purchase crude and oil products when the forward Brent 2021 contract traded in the range of $35-40/bl. We still view low-40ies as a very favorable level.
Brent touching down to the 200dma. Brent crude traded down for a fifth day yesterday with a decline of 0.4% to USD 70/b. This morning it has traded as low as USD 78.6/b and touched down and tested the 200dma at USD 78.6/b before jumping back up and is currently trading up 0.2% on the day at USD 79.1/b.
The Dubai 1-3mth time-spread is holding up close to recent highs. The 1-3mth time spreads for WTI and Brent crude have eased significantly. The Dubai 1-3mth spread is however holding up close to latest high. Indian refiner Bharat is reported to struggle to get Russian crude for March delivery (Blbrg). The Biden-sanctions are clearly having physical market effects. So, the Dubai 1-3mth time-spread holding on to recent high makes a lot of sense. I.e. it was not just a spike on fears.
US oil inventories may have risen 6 mb last week (API). Actual data later today. The US DOE will release US oil data for last week later today. The US API last night indicated that US crude and product stocks may have risen close to 6 mb last week. This may be weighing on the oil price today.
Brent and WTI 1-3mths time-spreads have fallen back while Dubai is holding up
Brent crude is no longer overbought. Down touching the 200dma before bouncing back up a lilttle.
Analys
Crude oil comment: Deferred contracts still at very favorable levels as latest rally concentrated at front-end
Bouncing up again after hitting the 200dma. Bitter cold winter storm in Texas adding to it. Brent crude continued its pullback yesterday with a decline of 1.1% to USD 79.29/b trading as low as USD 78.45/b during the day dipping below the 200dma line while closing above. This morning it has been testing the downside but is now a little higher at USD 79.6/b. A bitter cold winter storm is hitting Texas to Floriday. It is going to disrupt US nat gas exports and possibly also US oil production and exports. This may be part of the drive higher for oil today. But maybe also just a bounce up after it tested the 200dma yesterday.
Some of the oomph from the Biden-sanctions on Russia has started to defuse with arguments running that these sanctions will only delay exports of Russian crude and products rather than disrupt them. The effects of sanctions historically tend to dissipate over time as the affected party finds ways around them.
Donald criticizing Putin. Biden-sanctions may not be removed so easily. In a surprising comment, Donald Trump has criticized Putin saying that he is ”destroying Russia” and that ”this is no way to run a country”. Thus, Donald Trump coming Putin to the rescue, removing the recent Biden-sanctions and handing him a favorable peace deal with Ukraine, no longer seems so obvious.
Deeper and wider oil sanctions from Trump may lift deferred contracts. Trump may see that he has the stronger position while Putin is caught in a quagmire of a war in Ukraine. Putin in response seems to seek closer relationship with Iran. That may not be the smart move as the US administration is working on a new set of sanctions towards Iranian oil industry. We expect Donald Trump to initiate new sanctions towards Iran and Venezuela in order to make room for higher US oil production and exports. That however will also require a higher oil price to be realized. On the back of the latest comments from Donald Trump one might wonder whether also Russia will end up with harder sanctions from the US and lower Russian exports as a result and not just Iran and Venezuela. Such sanctions could lift deferred prices.
Deferred crude oil prices are close to the 70-line and are still good buys for oil consumers as uplift in prices have mostly taken place at the front-end of the curves. Same for oil products including middle distillates like ICE Gas oil. But deeper and lasting sanctions towards Iran, Venezuela and potentially also Russia could lift deferred prices higher.
The recent rally in the Dubai 1-3 mth time-spread has pulled back a little. But it has not collapsed and is still very, very strong in response to previous buyers of Russian crude turning to the Middle East.
The backwardation in crude is very sharp and front-loaded. The deferred contracts can still be bought at close to the 70-line for Brent crude. The rolling Brent 24mth contract didn’t get all that much lower over the past years except for some brief dips just below USD 70/b
ICE Gasoil rolling forward 12mths and 24mths came as low as USD 640/ton in 2024. Current price is not much higher at USD 662/ton and the year 2027 can be bought at USD 658/ton. Even after the latest rally in the front end of crude and mid-dist curves. Deeper sanctions towards Iran, Russia and Venezuela could potentially lift these higher.
Forward curves for Brent crude swaps and ICE gasoil swaps.
Nat gas front-month getting costlier than Brent crude and fuel oil. Likely shifting some demand away from nat gas to instead oil substitutes.
Brent crude was already ripe for a correction lower. Brent closed down 0.8% yesterday at USD 80.15/b and traded as low as USD 79.42/b intraday. Brent is trading down another 0.4% this morning to USD 79.9/b. It is hard to track and assign exactly what from Donald Trump’s announcements yesterday which was impacting crude oil prices in different ways. But crude oil was already ripe for a correction lower as it recently went into strongly overbought territory. So, Brent would probably have sold off a bit anyhow, even without any announcements from Trump.
Extending the life of US oil and gas. The Brent 5-year contract rose yesterday. For sure he wants to promote and extend the life of US oil and gas. Longer dated Brent prices (5-yr) rose 0.5% yesterday to USD 68.77/b. Maybe in a reflection of that.
Lifting the freeze on LNG exports will be good for US gas producers and global consumers in five years. Trumps lifting of Bidens freeze on LNG exports will is positive for global nat gas consumers which may get lower prices, but negative for US consumers which likely will get higher prices. Best of all is it for US nat gas producers which will get an outlet for their nat gas into the international market. They will produce more and get higher prices both domestically and internationally. But it takes time to build LNG export terminals. So immediate effect on markets and prices. But one thing that is clear is that Donald Trump by this takes the side of rich US nat gas producers and not the average man in the street in the US which will have to pay higher nat gas prices down the road.
Removing restrictions on federal land and see will likely not boost US production. But maybe extend it. Donald Trump will likely remove restrictions on leasing of federal land and waters for the purpose of oil and gas exploration and production. But this process will likely take time and then yet more time before new production appears. It will likely extend the life of the US fossil industry rather than to boost production to higher levels. If that is, if the president coming after Trump doesn’t reverse it again.
Donald to fill US Strategic Reserves to the brim. But they are already filled at maximum rate. Donald Trump wants to refill the US Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) to the brim. Currently standing at 394 mb. With a capacity of around 700 mb it means that another 300 mb can be stored there. But Donald Trump’s order will likely not change anything. Biden was already refilling US SPR at its maximum rate of 3 mb per month. The discharge rate from SPR is probably around 1 mb/d, but the refilling capacity rate is much, much lower. One probably never imagined that refilling quickly would be important. The solution would be to rework the pumping stations going to the SPR facilities.
New sanctions towards Iran and Venezuela in the cards but will likely be part of a total strategic puzzle involving Russia/Ukraine war, Biden-sanctions on Russia and new sanctions on Iran and Venezuela. All balanced to end the Russia/Ukraine war, improve the relationship between Putin and Trump, keep the oil price from rallying while making room for more oil exports of US crude oil into the global market. Though Donald Trump looks set to also want to stay close to Muhammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. So, allowing more oil to flow from both Russia, Saudi Arabia and the US while also keeping the oil price above USD 80/b should make everyone happy including the US oil and gas sector. Though Iran and Venezuela may not be so happy. Trumps key advisers are looking at a big sanctions package to hit Iran’s oil industry which could possibly curb Iranian oil exports by up to 1 mb/d. Donald Trump is also out saying that the US probably will stop buying oil from Venezuela. Though US refineries really do want that type of oil to run their refineries.
Big money and USD 80/b or higher. Donald Trump holding hands with US oil industry, Putin and Muhammed Bin Salman. They all want to produce more if possible. But more importantly they all want an oil price of USD 80/b or higher. Big money and politics will probably talk louder than the average man in the street who want a lower oil price. And when it comes to it, a price of USD 80/b isn’t much to complain about given that the 20-year average nominal Brent crude oil price is USD 77/b, and the inflation adjusted price is USD 102/b.
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