Följ oss

Analys

SEB – Jordbruksprodukter, vecka 12 2012

Publicerat

den

SEB Veckobrev Jordbruksprodukter - AnalysMajs och vete, i Chicagovete mer än Matif har fallit i pris sedan förra veckan. Den främsta orsaken är förmodligen de negativa nyheterna om Kinas ekonomi, mest inom stål, bil och energisektorerna. Kina höjde även priset på drivmedel häromdagen med 6 – 7% för att rädda de inhemska raffinaderierna, som trots detta ändå går med förlust. Måndagens crop condition statistik på höstvete var också positiv (negativ för priset) och vädret har gett nederbörd framförallt i USA och klimatet förutspås bli bättre när det blir blir allt tydligare att ENSO lämnar La Niña senast i april och ser ut att troligtvis glida över till ett El Niño till hösten (starten på Argentinas och Brasiliens odlingssäsong, vilket då ger dem och världen en superskörd i så fall).

Odlingsväder

Southern Oscillation Index, som mäter ENSO och indikerar La Niña om SOI > +8 och El Niño om SOI < – 8, har stigit till +6.3 i den senaste rapporten från Australiens meteorologiska byrå.

Southern Oscillation Index

Nedan ser vi en av ensembleprognoserna från amerikanska Climate Prediction Center. Den är publicerad den 19 mars. Som vi ser förutspås närmast El Niño till hösten. En Argentinsk kommentator talade om att det ska plaska på Pampas och att Argentinas lantbrukare förbereder sig för en ”bumper crop” 2012/13.

Ensembleprognoserna från amerikanska Climate Prediction Center

NOAA Climate Prediction Center sammanfattar läget så här:

  • La Niña har försvagats över den tropiska delen av Stilla Havet.
  • Atomosfäriska cirkulationsanomalier stämmer överens med La Niña-förhållanden.
  • La Niña väntas gå över till neutrala ENSO-förhållanden inom en månad.

Vete

Novemberterminen på Matif, som steg upp till det tekniska motståndet på 205 euro per ton, har de senaste tre dagarna fallit pga överraskande mycket nederbörd i USA, som förbättrar förutsättningarna för amerikanskt höstvete.

Diagram över Mill Wheat Euro

Lantbrukare i västra Europa håller ett noga öga på väderprognoserna just nu och hoppas på regn. Oro finns att det torra vädret kan komma att ytterligare minska avkastningen efter köldknäppen tidigare i år. Den senaste tiden har flera analysfirmor justerat ned sina estimat för nordeuropeiska höstgrödor, däribland vete, korn och durumvete, då osäkerheten nu har flyttats från tidigare låga temperaturer och otillräckligt snötäcke till det torra vädret som, om det skulle hålla sig, skulle kunna minska avkastningen. Med det sagt, kom ändå en rapport häromdagen från Polen som rapporterar om upp till 25% utvintring.

I Frankrike ligger grundvattennivåerna under det normala vilket kan bli ett problem för bevattnade vårgrödor.

I Storbritannien är spannmål och oljeväxter i allmänhet i gott skick även om det torra vädret kan bli ett problem om det kvarstår.

Spanien, som har upplevt den torraste vintern på 40 år, är i stort behov av regn men räknar redan nu med ett bortfall i produktionen. Europeiska kommissionens enhet MARS kommer inom kort att publicera sin första preliminära prognos för årets skördar.

Däremot har utsikterna för vintergrödor i USA förbättrats på vissa håll. Delar av Kansas, Oklahoma och Texas fick mellan 1 och 10 cm regn de senaste sju dagarna, mer än dubbelt så mycket som normalt.

Det har varit väldigt torrt i de här områdena. Rapporter om den förbättrade vädersituationen har också påverkat terminspriserna på vete i Chicago i fallande riktning.

Nedan ser vi de senaste 11 årens Crop Condition för amerikanskt höstvete. Diagrammet avser naturligtvis olika skördar, över tiden, men ger ändå en bild på att vetet i USA mår ”normalbra” just nu. 52% är i ”good” eller ”excellent” condition.

Crop Condition för amerikanskt höstvete

Vårveteterminerna har inte fallit lika mycket på Minneapolis Grain Exchange. Det beror på att man tror att bönder kommer att välja att producera majs eller sojabönor istället, som ger högre vinster. Alla dessa tre grödor sås i april och maj i USA. Förra året såddes den minsta arealen sedan 1983 med vårvete, efter att skyfall och vårflod svämmat över fälten. USDA publicerar arealstatistik den 30 mars.

På den internationella marknaden fortsätter Egypten med sina inköp av vete och statliga GASC köpte 120 000 ton fördelat på kanadensiskt och amerikanskt vete i förra veckan för leverans 1-10 maj. USA, som har dominerat i de senaste försäljningarna, känner nu av en ökad konkurrens då prisgapet till konkurrenterna har krympt. Det kanadensiska vetet låg väl under flera av buden för amerikanskt vete och det argentinska vetet, som har vunnit en handfull av GASC:s tidigare upphandlingar under säsongen, har återigen seglat upp som en stark konkurrent. Det franska vetet prisar fortfarande ut sig på en hög nivå.

[ USA; 261.50$/t + frakt 26.11$/t från Venus I Kanada; 263.50$/t + frakt 24$/t från Louis Dreyfus I Frankrike; 289.90$/t från Glencore I Argentina; 263.90$/t från Glencore I Ukraina; 275.00$/t från Venus (exkluderad då den inte uppfyllde anbudets krav) ]

Även Irak har köpt 300 000 ton vete av kanadensiskt ursprung enligt styrelsen för Iraqi Grain Board. Det här är andra gången på mindre än en månad som Irak köper kanadensiskt vete (400 000 tonköptes den 22 feb) och ytterligare nya anbud för att köpa vete planeras till april. Irak konsumerar 3.5-4 mt vete per år och merparten av vetet importeras.

[ 100 000 ton; 361$/t C&F från Jresat I 100 000 ton; 356$/t C&F från Glencore I 50 000 ton; 361.22$/t C&F från Louis Dreyfus I 50 000 ton; 361$/t C&F från ADM ]

Lite överraskande bekräftar USA:s regering att Iran, trots USA:s sanktioner mot landet, har köpt ytterligare 60 000 ton amerikanskt vete, vilket gör att den totala mängden nu är uppe i 180 00 ton (bekräftade). Ytterligare 200 000 ton förväntas bli bekräftade. Prislappen för det hela tros ligga 25-30 usd/t över världsmarknadspriserna till följd av ett visst risktagande i exporten till den instabila regionen. Den senaste tiden har Iran köpt eller försökt att köpa nästan 3 mt vete då Teherans rädsla över att rådande sanktioner så småningom kommer att påverka importen av livsmedel och att bristen på bröd kan komma att orsaka upplopp i landet. Iran har bl.a försökt att importera 1 mt vete från Pakistan i en byteshandel och även Indien är tillfrågade. Sista gången som Iran köpte amerikanskt vete var under 2009 (men försäljningen i början på mars på 120 00 ton är den största försäljningen av amerikanskt vete sedan aug 2008, året då svår torka halverade Iraks grödor och utlöste en rekordimport). All försäljning av spannmål till Iran kräver tillstånd från det amerikanska finansdepartementet och försäljningarna ovan är godkända av humanitära skäl för att garantera att mat och andra förnödenheter som behövs når det iranska folket.

Ryssland har tillräckligt med spannmål för att kunna exportera 27 mt under säsongen 2011/12 enligt regeringen som också tillade att ”företag som exporterar spannmål lugnt kan skriva under avtal för april, maj och juni”. Hittills har Ryssland exporterat 22 mt spannmål under säsongen. Ingående lager (carry over) förväntas uppgå till 15 mt per den 1 juli när den nya säsongen 2012/13 börjar, vilket skulle vara tillräckligt för att säkra inhemska behov. Regerings beslut att fortsätta spannmålsexporten utan några restriktioner kommer att stödja jordbruksföretagen samt frigöra lagerutrymme inför den nya skörden.

Regeringen i Kazakstan, den största veteproducenten i Centralasien, planerar att mer än fördubbla stödet för att öka landets spannmålsexport via Ryssland till Svarta havet och Östersjön samt till Kina, enligt jordbruksministeriet, och avsätter därmed ytterligare ca 100 miljoner usd. I januari, estimerade ministeriet landets spannmålsexport till 8.7 mt fram till 1 juli. Kazakstans exportpotential ligger på 15 mt men begränsas av bristen på järnvägsvagnar för export. För att täcka behovet behövs 10 500 st järnvägsvagnar men landet har endast 5200 st varav endast 4500 är i ”fullgott skick”.

Nedan ser vi terminskurvorna för Chicagovete och Matif-vete. Notera att marknaden på Matif är kraftigt utökad i löptid, vilket gör det möjligt att tillämpa den effektiva ”trappstegsmetoden” för att prissäkra variation i priser över flera år. Vi ser att i synnerhet korta terminskontrakt på CBOT sjunkit kraftigt i pris, medan Matifs korta terminskontrakt fallit och de längre är oförändrade, till och med högre vad gäller november 2012. Det är på tiden att de korta Matif-kontrakten faller i pris, vartefter lantbrukarna tömmer sina lager.

Terminskurvorna för Chicagovete och Matif-vete

Vi fortsätter att ha en negativ vy på i synnerhet Matifs terminspriser och då särskilt de med kort löptid, de med leverans det närmaste året.

Maltkorn

Novemberkontraktet på maltkorn har vänt ner, efter att ha rekylerat upp från 220-nivån.

Novemberkontraktet på maltkorn

Nedan ser vi kursdiagrammet på novemberkontrakten på maltkorn (dyrare) och kvarnvete (billigare). Prisskillnaden har gått ihop den senaste tiden, så att maltkornet har den lägsta premien över kvarnvete på ett år. Det gör att vi tycker att kvarnvetet är mer säljvärt än maltkornet. Kanske kan man överväga att sälja kvarnveteterminer istället för maltkornsterminer om man vill prissäkra en kommande maltkornsskörd. Det går alltid att växla över till en maltkornshedge när / om prisskillnaden ökar någon gång i framtiden.

Novemberkontrakten på maltkorn (dyrare) och kvarnvete

Potatis

Priset på industripotatis för leverans nästa år steg ganska ordentligt i veckan som vi ser i nedanstående kursdiagram.

Priset på industripotatis den 21 mars 2012

Majs

Majspriset fortsätter att handlas inom ett intervall och kommer antagligen att fortsätta med det fram till nästa veckas USDA-rapport om lager och väntad sådd.

Hur priset på majs utvecklats

I terminskurvan ser vi marknadens övertygade förväntan om högre skördar kommande år – även i år 2012.

Terminskurva majs 2012

Sojabönor

Novemberkontraktet kom på fall efter en stadig uppgång, på oro för Kinas tillväxt.

Diagram över soybean-teminer

Det har inte kommit så mycket ny information om sojabönorna. Effekterna av torkan i Argentina och södra Brasilien hänger fortfarande kvar. Kinas importtakt ligger kvar under USDA:s prognos. Vädret håller på att svänga runt i Sydamerika och till hösten kan det bli idealiskt väder för en rekordstor skörd.

Terminskurvan avslöjar att marknaden förväntar sig mycket större skördar kommande år.

Terminskurva på soybean den 21 mars 2012

Nästa vecka kommer USDA med viktig statistik på lager och väntad sådd areal i USA.

Raps

Sådden av kanadensisk canola kan komma att bli rekordhög i år till följd av attraktiva höga priser. Sådden av canola i Kanada beräknas att för första gången överstiga EU:s kombinerade sådd av höst och vårraps enligt Oil World. Produktionen av oljeväxten kan komma att uppgå till mellan 15 och 15.4 mt från ca 14.4 mt året innan och 13.1 mt under 2010. Arealen beräknas öka till 8.1 – 8.5 miljoner hektar (jämfört med 7.6 miljoner hektar året innan).

Nedan ser vi kursdiagrammet för novemberkontraktet.

Raps- kursdiagrammet för novemberkontraktet

440 euro utgör nu, när den nivån är bruten, ett tekniskt stöd. Vi fortsätter därför att ha en neutral vy, om inte 440-nivån bryts igen.

Gris

Majkontraktet som vi säljrekommenderade för en tre veckor sedan har fortsatt att falla och gått under 94 cent, som vi trodde var ”tillräckligt”, en nivå som vi skulle ha tagit hem vinsterna på i denna korta position. Vid 92 till 93 får man nog säga att marknaden är ”översåld” och det finns också tekniska stöd vid den här nivån. Bakom marknadens extra svaghet ligger sannolikt de förvånande svaga ekonominyheterna från Kina. Världen har vant sig vid att Kinas ekonomi ska vara stark och ett draglok för råvaruefterfrågan, däribland gris.

Prisutveckling på lean hogs - 22 mars 2012

[box]SEB Veckobrev Jordbruksprodukter är producerat av SEB Merchant Banking och publiceras i samarbete och med tillstånd på Råvarumarknaden.se[/box]

Disclaimer

The information in this document has been compiled by SEB Merchant Banking, a division within Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) (“SEB”).

Opinions contained in this report represent the bank’s present opinion only and are subject to change without notice. All information contained in this report has been compiled in good faith from sources believed to be reliable. However, no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made with respect to the completeness or accuracy of its contents and the information is not to be relied upon as authoritative. Anyone considering taking actions based upon the content of this document is urged to base his or her investment decisions upon such investigations as he or she deems necessary. This document is being provided as information only, and no specific actions are being solicited as a result of it; to the extent permitted by law, no liability whatsoever is accepted for any direct or consequential loss arising from use of this document or its contents.

About SEB

SEB is a public company incorporated in Stockholm, Sweden, with limited liability. It is a participant at major Nordic and other European Regulated Markets and Multilateral Trading Facilities (as well as some non-European equivalent markets) for trading in financial instruments, such as markets operated by NASDAQ OMX, NYSE Euronext, London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse, Swiss Exchanges, Turquoise and Chi-X. SEB is authorized and regulated by Finansinspektionen in Sweden; it is authorized and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Services Authority for the conduct of designated investment business in the UK, and is subject to the provisions of relevant regulators in all other jurisdictions where SEB conducts operations. SEB Merchant Banking. All rights reserved.

Förstsätt läsa
Klicka för att kommentera

Skriv ett svar

Din e-postadress kommer inte publiceras. Obligatoriska fält är märkta *

Analys

Not below USD 70/b and aiming for USD 80/b

Publicerat

den

SEB - analysbrev på råvaror

Saudi Arabia again reminded the global oil market who is king. Oil price is ticking carefully upwards today as investors are cautious after having burned their fingers in the production cut induced rally to (almost) USD 90/b which later faltered. We expect more upside price action later today in the US session. The 1 m b/d Saudi cut in July is a good tactic for the OPEC+ meeting on 4-6 July. Unwind if not needed or force all of OPEC+ to formal cut or else….Saudi could unwind in August. The cut will unite Saudi/Russia and open for joint cuts if needed. I.e. it could move Russia from involuntary reductions to deliberate reductions

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities at SEB
Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

Adjusting base-lines and formalizing and extending May cuts to end of 2024. OPEC+ this weekend decided to extend and formalize the voluntary agreement of cuts in May. These cuts will now be and overall obligation for the group to produce 40.5 m b/d  on average in 2024 (not including natural gas liquids). There were some adjustments to reference production levels where African members got lower references as they have been unable to fill their quotas. UAE on the other hand got a 200 k b/d increase in its reference production level to match actual capacity increases. It was also a discussion of whether to change the baseline for Russia’s production. But these changes in baselines won’t make any immediate changes to production.

Unilateral cut of 1 m b/d by Saudi in July. The big surprise to the market was the unilateral 1 m b/d cut of Saudi Arabia for July. To start with it is for July only though it could be extended. The additional cut will 

1) Make sure the oil price won’t fall below 70
2) Prevent inventories from rising
3) Help prevent capex spending in upstream oil and gas globally is not getting yet another trough
4) Make for a great tactical negotiation setup for next OPEC+ meeting on 4-6 July
       a) If the 1 m b/d July cut is unnecessary, then it will be un-winded for August
       b) If it indeed was needed then Saudi can strong-arm rest of OPEC+ to make a combined cut from August. Else Saudi could revive production by 1 m b/d from August and price will fall.
5) It is roughly aligning actual production by Russia and Saudi Arabia. Actually it is placing Saudi production below Russian production. But basically it is again placing the two core OPEC+ members on equal footing. Thus opening the door for combined Saudi/Russia cuts going forward if needed.

Saudi produced / will produce /Normal production:
April: 10.5
May: 10.0
June: 10.0
July: 9.0
Normal prod: 10.1

Oil price to strengthen further. Especially into the US session today. We expect crude oil prices to strengthen further and especially into the US session today. Price action has been quite careful in response to the surprise 1 m b/d cut by Saudi Arabia so far today. Maybe it is because it is only for one month. But mostly it is probably because the market in recent memory experienced that the surprise cut for May sent the Dated Brent oil price to USD 88.6/b in mid-April before it again trailed down to almost USD 70/b. So those who joined the rally last time got burned. They are much more careful this time around.

USD 80/b is the new USD 60/b and that is probably what Saudi Arabia is aiming for. Not just because that is what Saudi Arabia needs but also because that is what the market needs. We have seen a sharp decline in US oil rig count since early December last year and that has taken place at an average WTI price of USD 76/b and Brent average of USD 81/b. Previously the US oil rig count used to expand strongly with oil prices north of USD 45/b. Now instead it is declining at prices of USD 75-80/b. Big difference. Another aspect is of course inflation. US M2 has expanded by 35% since Dec 2019 and so far US CPI has increased by 17% since Dec 2019. Assume that it will rise altogether by 30% before all the stimulus money has been digested. If the old oil price normal was USD 60/b then the new should be closer to USD 80/b if adjusting for a cumulative inflation increase of 30%. But even if we just look at nominal average prices we still have USD 80/b as a nominal average from 2007-2019. But that is of course partially playing with numbers.

Still lots of concerns for a global recession, weakening oil demand and lower oil prices due to the extremely large and sharp rate hikes over the past year. That is the reason for bearish speculators. But OPEC+ has the upper hand. This is what we wrote recently on that note: ”A recession is no match for OPEC+”

Aligning Saudi production with Russia. Russian production has suffered due to sanctions. With a 1 m b/d cut in July Saudi will be below Russia for the first time since late 2021. Russia and Saudi will again be equal partners. This opens up for common agreements of cuts. Reduced production by Russia since the invasion has been involuntary. Going forward Russia could make deliberate cuts together with Saudi.

Graph over Russia and Saudi oil production
Source: Rystad data

Short specs in Brent and WTI at 205 m barrels as of Tuesday last week. They will likely exit shorts and force the oil price higher.

Short specs in Brent and WTI
Source: Blberg data

Long vs. Short specs in Brent and WTI at very low level as of Tuesday last week. Will probably bounce back up.

Long vs. Short specs in Brent and WTI
Source: Blbrg data

US oil rig count has declined significantly since early Dec-2022 at WTI prices of USD 76/b and Brent of USD 81/b (average since Dec-2022).

US oil rig count
Source: Blbrg data

Historical oil prices in nominal and CPI adjusted terms. Recent market memory is USD 57.5/b average from 2015-2019. But that was an extremely bearish period with booming US shale oil production.

Historical oil prices in nominal and CPI adjusted terms.
Source: Blberg data. SEB graph and calculations
Förstsätt läsa

Analys

A recession is no match for OPEC+

Publicerat

den

SEB - analysbrev på råvaror

History shows that OPEC cuts work wonderfully. When OPEC acts it changes the market no matter how deep the crisis. Massive 9.7 m b/d in May 2020. Large cuts in Dec 2008. And opposite: No-cuts in 2014 crashed the price. OPEC used to be slow and re-active. Now they are fast and re-active. Latest cut indicates a ”reaction-function” with a floor price of USD 70/b. Price could move lower than that in May, but JMMC meeting on 4 June and full OPEC+ meeting on 5-6 July would then change the course. Fresh cuts now in May will likely drive market into deficit, inventory draws, stronger prices. Sell-offs in May should be a good buying opportunities

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities at SEB
Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

Production cuts by OPEC+ do work. They work wonderfully. Deep cuts announced by OPEC in December 2008 made the oil price bottom at USD 33.8/b on Christmas Eve. That is USD 48.3/b adj. for CPI. The oil price then collapsed in 2014 when it became increasingly clear during the autumn that OPEC would NOT defend the oil price with confirmation of no-cuts in December that year.  The creation of OPEC+ in the autumn of 2016 then managed to drive the oil price higher despite booming US shale oil production. A massive 9.7 m b/d cut in production in May 2020 onward made the oil price shoot higher after the trough in April 2020. 

Historical sequence pattern is first a price-trough, then cuts, then rebound. This history however points to a typical sequence of events. First we have a trough in prices. Then we get cuts by OPEC(+) and then the oil price shoots back up. This probably creates an anticipation by the market of a likewise sequence this time. I.e. that the oil price first is going to head to USD 40/b, then deep cuts by OPEC+ and then the rebound. If we get an ugly recession.

But OPEC+ is faster and much more vigilant today. Historically OPEC met every half year. Assessed the situation and made cuts or no cuts in a very reactive fashion. That always gave the market a long lead-time both in terms of a financial sell-off and a potential physical deterioration before OPEC would react.

But markets are faster today as well with new information spreading to the world almost immediately. Impact of that is both financial and physical. The financial sell-off part is easy to understand. The physical part can be a bit more intricate. Fear itself of a recession can lead to a de-stocking of the oil supply chain where everyone suddenly starts to draw down their local inventories of crude and products with no wish to buy new supplies as demand and prices may be lower down the road. This can then lead to a rapid build-up of crude stocks in the hubs and create a sense of very weak physical demand for oil even if it is still steady.

Deep trough in prices is possible but would not last long. Faster markets and faster OPEC+ action means we could still have a deep trough in prices but they would not last very long. Oil inventories previously had time to build up significantly when OPEC acted slowly. When OPEC then finally made the cuts it would take some time to reverse the inventory build-up. So prices would stay lower for longer. Rapid action by OPEC+ today means that inventories won’t have time to build up to the same degree if everything goes wrong with the economy. Thus leading to much briefer sell-offs and sharper and faster re-bounds.

OPEC+ hasn’t really even started cutting yet. Yes, we have had some cuts announced with 1.5 m b/d reduction starting now in May. But this is only bringing Saudi Arabia’s oil production back to roughly its normal level around 10 m b/d following unusually high production of 11 m b/d in Sep 2022. So OPEC+ has lots of ”dry powder” for further cuts if needed.

OPEC reaction function: ”USD 70/b is the floor”. The most recent announced production cut gave a lot of information. It was announced on 2nd of April and super-fast following the 20th of March when Dated Brent traded to an intraday low of USD 69.27/b.

JMMC on 4 June and OPEC+ meeting on 5-6 July. Will cut if needed. OPEC+ will now spend the month of May to assess the effects of the newest cuts. The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) will then meet on 4 June and make a recommendation to the group. If it becomes clear at that time that further cuts are needed then we’ll likely get verbal intervention during June in the run-up to 5-6 July and then fresh cuts if needed.

Oil man Biden wants a price floor of USD 70/b as well. The US wants to rebuild its Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) which now has been drawn down to about 50%. It stated in late 2022 that it wanted to buy if the oil price fell down to USD 67 – 72/b. Reason for this price level is of course that if it falls below that then US shale oil production would/could start to decline with deteriorating energy security for the US. Latest signals from the US administration is that the rebuilding of the SPR could start in Q3-23.

A note on shale oil activity vs. oil price. The US oil rig count has been falling since early December 2022 and has been doing so during a period when the Dated Brent price has been trading around USD 80/b.

IMF estimated social cost-break-even oil price for the different Middle East countries. As long as US shale oil production is not booming there should be lots of support within OPEC+ to cut production in order to maintain the oil price above USD 70/b. Thus the ”OPEC+ reaction-function” of a USD 70/b floor price. But USD 80/b would even satisfy Saudi Arabia.

IMF estimated social cost-break-even oil price for the different Middle East countries
Source: SEB graph, Bloomberg, IMF

US implied demand and products delivered is holding up nicely YoY and on par with 2019. So far at least. Seen from an aggregated level.

US implied demand and products delivered
Source: SEB graph and calculations, Blberg, US DOE

Total US crude and product stocks including SPR. Ticking lower. Could fall faster from May onward due to fresh cuts by OPEC+ of 1.5 m b/d

Total US crude and product stocks including SPR.
Source: SEB graph and calculations, Bloomberg, DOE

An oil price of USD 95/b in 2023 would place cost of oil to the global economy at 3.3% of Global GDP which is equal to the 2000 – 2019 average.

Oil cost as share of global economy
Source: SEB calculations and graph, Statista, BP
Förstsätt läsa

Analys

Mixed signals on demand but world will need more oil from OPEC but the group is cutting

Publicerat

den

SEB - analysbrev på råvaror

A world where OPEC(+) is in charge is a very different world than we are used to during the ultra-bearish 2015-19 period where US shale AND offshore non-OPEC production both were booming. Brent averaged USD 58/b nominal and USD 70/b in real terms that period. The Brent 5yr contract is trading at USD 66/b nominal or USD 58.6/b in real-terms assuming no market power to OPEC+ in 2028. Could be, but we don’t think so as US Permian shale is projected by major players to peak next 5yrs. When OPEC(+) is in charge the group will cut according to needs. For Saudi that is around USD 85/b but maybe as high as USD 97/b if budget costs rise with inflation

Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities at SEB
Bjarne Schieldrop, Chief analyst commodities, SEB

No major revisions to outlook by the IEA last week in its monthly Oil Market Report.

Total demand to rise 2 m b/d, 90% of demand growth from non-OECD and 57% from Jet fuel. Total demand to rise by 2 m b/d YoY to 101.9 m b/d where 90% of the gain is non-OECD. Jet fuel demand to account for 57% of demand growth as global aviation continues to normalize post Covid-19. Demand for 2022 revised down by 0.1 m b/d and as a result so was the 2023 outlook (to 101.9 m b/d). Non-OPEC supply for 2023 was revised up by 0.1 m b/d. Call-on-OPEC 2023 was reduced by 0.2 m b/d as a result to 29.5 m b/d. Call-on-OPEC was 28.8 m b/d in Q4-22. The group produced 28.94 m b/d in Mar (Argus).

World will need more oil from OPEC. Call-on-OPEC to rise 1.6 m b/d from Q4-22 to Q4-23. IEA is forecasting a call-on-OPEC in Q4-23 of 30.4 m b/d. The world will thus need 1.6 m b/d more oil from OPEC YoY in Q4-23 and 0.46 m b/d more than it produced in March. Counter to this though the OPEC group decided to cut production by 1 m b/d from May to the end of the year. So from May onward the group will produce around 28 m b/d while call-on-OPEC will be 29.1 m b/d, 30.3 m b/d and 30.4 m b/d in Q2,3,4-23.

If the IEA is right about demand then the coming OPEC cuts  should drive inventories significantly lower and oil prices higher.

But the market doesn’t quite seem to buy into this outlook. If it had then prices would have moved higher. Prices bumped up to USD 87.49/b intraday on 12 April but have since fallen back and Brent is falling back half a percent today to USD 85.9/b.

Market is concerned for declining OECD manufacturing PMI’s. It is of course the darkening clouds on the macro-sky which is making investors concerned about the outlook for oil products demand and thus crude oil demand. Cross-currents in global oil product demand is making the situation difficult to assess. On the one hand there are significant weakening signals in global diesel demand along with falling manufacturing PMIs. The stuff which makes the industrial world go round. Manufacturing, trucking, mining and heavy duty vehicles all need diesel. (Great Blbrg story on diesel here.) Historically recessions implies a cyclical trough in manufacturing activity, softer diesel demand and falling oil prices. So oil investors are naturally cautious about buying into the bull-story based on OPEC cuts alone.

Cross-currents is making demand growth hard to assess. But the circumstances are much more confusing this time around than in normal recession cycles because: 1) Global Jet fuel demand is reviving/recovering post Covid-19 and along with China’s recent reopening. IEA’s assessment is that 57% of global demand growth this year will be from Jet fuel. And 2) Manufacturing PMIs in China and India are rising while OECD PMIs are falling.

These cross-currents in the demand picture is what makes the current oil market so difficult to assess for everyone and why oil prices are not rallying directly to + USD 100/b. Investors are cautious. Though net-long specs have rallied 137 m b to 509 m b since the recent OPEC cuts were announced.

The world will need more oil from OPEC in 2023 but OPEC is cutting. The IEA is projecting that non-OPEC+ supply will grow by 1.9 m b/d YoY and OPEC+ will decline by 0.8 m b/d and in total that global supply will rise 1.2 m b/d in 2023. In comparison  global demand will rise by 2.0 m b/d. At the outset this is a very bullish outlook but the global macro-backdrop could of course deteriorate further thus eroding the current projected demand growth of 2 m b/d. But OPEC can cut more if needed since latest cuts have only brought Saudi Arabia’s production down to its normal level.

OPEC has good reasons to cut production if it can. IEA expects global oil demand to rise 2 m b/d YoY in 2023 and that call-on-OPEC will lift 1.6 m b/d from Q4-22 to Q4-23. I.e. the world needs more oil from OPEC in 2023. But OPEC will likely produce closer to 28 m b/d from May to Dec following latest announced production cuts

Source: SEB graph, IEA, Argus

Market has tightened with stronger backwardation and investors have increased their long positions

Source: SEB calculations and graphs. Blbrg data

Net long specs in Brent + WTI has bounced since OPEC announcement on coming cuts.

Source: SEB calculations and graph, Blbrg data

Saudi Arabia’s fiscal cost-break-even was USD 85/b in 2021 projected the IMF earlier. Don’t know when it was projected, but looks like it was before 2020 and thus before the strong rise in inflation. If we add 15% US inflation to the 2021 number we get USD 97/b. Inflation should lift budget costs in Saudi Arabia as it is largely a USD based economy. Though Saudi Arabia’s inflation since Q4-19 is reported as 8% to data while Saudi cost-of-living-index is up by 11%. Good reason for Saudi Arabia to cut if it can cut without loosing market share to US shale.

Source: SEB graph, IMF data

Adjusting for inflation both on a backward and forward basis. The 5yr Brent price is today at USD 66.3/b but if we adjust for US 5yr inflation it is USD 58.6/b in real terms. That is basically equal to the average Brent spot price from 2015-2019 which was very bearish with booming shale and booming offshore non-OPEC. Market is basically currently pricing that Brent oil market in 5yrs time will be just as bearish as the ultra-bearish period from 2015-2019. It won’t take a lot to beat that when it comes to actual delivery in 2028.

Source: SEB calculations and graph, Blbrg data

Nominal Brent oil prices and 5yr Brent adj. for 5yr forward inflation expectations only

Source: SEB claculations and graph, Blbrg data

ARA Diesel cracks to Brent were exceptionally low in 2020/21 and exceptionally high in 2022. Now they are normalizing. Large additions to refining capacity through 2023 will increase competition in refining and reduce margins. Cuts by OPEC+ will at the same time make crude oil expensive. But diesel cracks are still significantly higher than normal. So more downside before back to normal is achieved.

Source: SEB graph and calculations. Blbrg data
Förstsätt läsa

Populära