在最近的一次行业活动中,有人问问石油hol徒是否曾想过或听到过任何有关布伦特原油“弯曲”并易受我们在Libor等金融基准中看到的影响的轶事证据。对阴谋理论家的困扰也许很大,答案是否定的!欧洲委员会(EC)的调查,其中包括
突袭伦敦办公室 去年有几家石油公司和普氏能源资讯(Platts)以及CFTC对美国贸易公司的持续调查似乎引发了最近的一波热潮。
就价格评估机制而言,只有
普氏能源资讯收盘市场(MoC) 面临指控。它正在与欧共体合作,到目前为止没有任何进展。竞争方法(例如,另一个价格报告机构(PRA)的Argus Media使用的方法)既不是调查的一部分,也不是此后的调查。
让's set all of 这个 aside and start with the basics. A monthly cash-settled future is calculated on the difference 赌注 ween the daily assessment price for 过时的布伦特 (the price assigned on a date when 北海 原油 will be loaded onto a tanker) and the ICE daily settlement price for 布伦特 1st Line Future. Unless loaded as cargo, a 北海 oil barrel –或任何与此有关的桶–保留了纸桶的广泛交易隐喻。
现在,就“布伦特布伦特”日期而言,PRA已同意依靠市场资源为他们提供有关投标,报价和供应方交易的信息。但是,消息来源的多样性应减轻一群提交虚假信息的个人操纵价格的企图。就Libor而言,BBA是用于整理信息的单一机构。就布伦特而言,PRA不止一个。这些都不是某种集中式的垄断数据聚集体。对于有价值的人,即使是只有一点点石油知识的人&天然气市场会知道两个主要PRA之间的激烈竞争。
不要误会油鬼–从理论上讲,勾结是有可能的,从而使交易者联合起来,并向PRA提供错误的,事先商定的信息,以扰乱评估的客观性。但是,供应方动态可能会因多种因素而波动,这些因素包括钻机维护到事故,地缘政治事件到其他市场参与者的行为。因此,确定价格需要多少个或几个,以及针对哪个PRA的目标,时间和数量等等,依此类推!
然后假设市场规模,假设所有价格固定因素和因素保持一致–即使确实发生了索具–它会是本地化的,不可能是迄今为止我们通过Libor启示看到的全球修复规模的任何内容。综上所述,这些指控充其量看起来很愚蠢,因为“串通动态”(如果有这样的事情)不可能类似于Libor发生的事情。
The EC wants to regulate PRA s via a proposed mandatory code and there is nothing wrong with the idea on the face of it. However, one flaw is that in a global market, buyers and sellers are under no obligation to reveal the price to the PRA s. Many already don't in an ultracompetitive 原油 world where cents per barrel make a difference depending on the size of the cargo.
如果欧共体强迫交易者披露信息,交易将转移到其他地方。迪拜将一次张开双臂欢迎他们,其他基准将取代欧洲。无论如何,足够说了,最后一点也不牵强!最终,如果在石油市场上发现了固定Libor丑闻的规模,并且证明Oilholic被证明是错误的,那么这个博客将是第一个举手的人!
Coming on to the current 布伦特 forward month futures price, the last 5-day assessment provided plenty of food for thought. Supply disruptions in Libya (down by 100,000 bpd) and Angola (force majeure by 血压 potentially impacting 180,000 bpd) kept the contract steady either side of US$109 per barrel level, despite tepid US economic data. 那 said, stateside the WTI remained stubbornly in three figures on the back of supply side issues 在 Cushing, Oklahoma. 油鬼 reckons that's the fifth successive week of gains.
与此同时,ICE截至2月11日当周的最新交易员承诺报告指出,对冲基金和其他理财经理的净多头头寸增加了29.6%,至109,223;创自2013年最后一周以来的最高水平。布伦特原油价格在上述时期内每桶上涨了约4美元。相比之下,前一周的净多头头寸为84,276,是自2012年11月以来的最低水平。
Away from pricing issues to 它的 impact, 惠誉国际评级在最近的一份报告中说 production shortfalls and strategy changes to appease equity holders were a greater threat to the ratings of major Western European oil companies than a prolonged downturn in 原油 prices.
评级机构对该行业的压力测试表明,布伦特原油价格每桶55美元将给信用质量带来压力,但补偿成本基础和资本支出的变动将使大多数公司在保持评级水平方面有较大的机会。
Alex Griffiths, head of natural resources and commodities 在 Fitch, said, "With equity markets increasingly focussed on returns, bond yields 近 historical lows and oil prices forecast to soften, the chances of companies increasing leverage to benefit equity holders have risen. The European companies that have 报告 ed so far 这个 year have generally resisted 这个 pressure –但随着时间的流逝,它可能会增加。”

Separately, the agency also noted that a fall of the 卢布 would benefit 俄国n miners more than oil exporters. For both sectors, the currency's limited decline will strengthen earnings and support their credit profile, but ratings upgrades are unlikely without indications that the currency has settled 在 a new lower level.
为了给读者一些背景信息,卢布兑美元自今年第一个交易日以来已贬值了8%,比2012年底下降了17%。
Depreciation of a local currency is generally good news for a country's exporters, but the effect on 俄国n oil exporters is less pronounced due to taxation and hence is less likely to result in positive rating actions in the future, Fitch said.
From 俄国 to the US, where there are
广泛报道 大量公众评论到达国务院,
有关Keystone XL的公众咨询 进行得如火如荼。看看这里是您真正无法得到的–您可以在更广泛的叙述中包含您的评论,但即使根据保密条款也没有义务提供您的详细信息。这就引出一个问题–您如何区分真正的投入(无论是对项目还是对项目)与双方的垃圾邮件发送者?
同时,能源部已经批准了森帕拉能源公司(Sempra Energy)关于向更广泛的市场出口液化天然气的提议,其中包括与美国没有自由贸易协定国家的出口目的地。该公司已经与日本的三菱和三井以及法国的苏伊士集团(GDF Suez)签约,现在可以将其网络从拟议中的路易斯安那州出口中心进一步扩大。
Elsewhere, Total says 它的 资本支出 budget is $26 billion for 2014, and $24 billion for 2015, down from $28 billion in 2013. No major surprises there, and to quote an analyst 在 SocGen, the French oil major "is sticking to 它的 guns with more downstream restructuring being a dead certainty."
After accusations of not being too ambitious in 它的 divestment programme, Shell said it could sell-off of 它的 Anasuria, 纳尔逊 and Sean platforms in the British sector of the 北海. The three platforms collectively account for 2% of 英国 production.
凯恩能源 has had a fair few problems of late, but actress Sienna Miller and model Kate Moss weren't among them. 那 's until they took issue with one of the company's oil rigs blotting the sea off their party resort of Ibiza, Spain, according to
这个 英国广播公司 报告 .
Finally, the pace of reforms and general positivity in the Mexican oil and gas sector is rubbing off on PEMEX. Last week, 穆迪 's placed 它的 Baa1 foreign currency and global local currency ratings on review for an upgrade.
穆迪高级副总裁汤姆·科尔曼(Tom Coleman)在致客户的信中写道:“墨西哥的能源改革为我们迄今看到的最广泛变化提供了前景,这将使墨西哥和PEMEX的中长期增长前景受益术语。”
And just before yours truly takes your leave, 欧佩克 says world oil demand will increase by 1.09 million bpd, or 1.2%, to 90.98 million bpd from 89.89 million bpd in 2013. 那 's an upward revision of 1.05 million bpd in 2014. Non-OPEC supply should more than cover it methinks. 那 '所有人都在眼前!继续阅读,继续阅读'crude'!
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©Gaurav Sharma2014。照片1:加拿大英属哥伦比亚英吉利湾的油轮©Gaurav Sharma,2012年4月。 图2:石油勘探现场© 卢克 .