Energy Intelligence Briefing articles from June 2006

Energy Intelligence Briefing archives from June 2006

Opec dismisses Chavez's vision, chooses status quo.
June 1, 2006... CARACAS -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wants to reposition Opec as an organization that stands up to "colonialist and imperialist" nations and promotes peace in the world, for the benefit of Opec member citizens. In practice, Chavez's...

Terminal closure threatens to lower Iraqi oil exports.
June 6, 2006... NEW YORK -- Iraq's attempt to raise oil exports has suffered a minor blow following a fire last week at Khor al-Amaya (KAA) oil terminal that officials said could keep the country's second, smaller southern terminal shut for months. Iraqi oil...

US again leads global demand growth, China follows.
June 6, 2006... NEW YORK -- If the data stands the test of time, the US is back as the leader of global demand growth, joining China to push world consumption in May to a hefty annual 2.2% growth, or an increase of 1.78 million barrels per day--the largest...

West African loadings continue to be a major puzzle.
June 9, 2006... LONDON -- West African July loaders face a difficult fortnight, clouded by an overhang of unsold June cargoes, rival grades challenging Nigerian light, sweet crude in Europe and the US, and unpredictable appetite for heavier sweet grades in...

Loose balances still don't match high geopolitical risks.
June 15, 2006... NEW YORK -- Global oil markets loosened further in May, but prices were kept on the boil by geopolitical ferment, apprehension over the coming US Gulf of Mexico hurricane season and concerns about availability of petroleum products in some key...

Rebounding Russia plans record crude export volume.
June 19, 2006... MOSCOW -- With Russian crude production on the rebound after dragging through a harsh winter, Moscow plans to ramp up crude exports in the third quarter of the year by more than 200,000 barrels per day from the second quarter. Russian crude...

Up-down loadings Pale versus North Sea price swings.
June 20, 2006... LONDON -- Over the past month, Brent crude oil futures have managed to trade yet another wild $6.34 range characterized by considerable volatility between the extremes. May 22 saw a $67.63 low, as a wave of profit taking across most commodities...

Offensive or defensive, Anadarko joins the big league.
June 23, 2006... HOUSTON -- Was Anadarko Petroleum's buying spree on Friday an offensive or defensive move? Is the US company simply trying to establish a larger asset and revenue base or is it trying to fend off unwanted attention from a major that has decided...

Russia shifts people, cargoes as markets, politics roil.
June 30, 2006... MOSCOW -- Russia is trimming seaborne crude exports again in July, following cuts in June, despite Moscow's ambitious plan to set a new record for crude exports in the third quarter. Russian state-run pipeline monopoly Transneft has penciled in...

Market compass.
June 30, 2006... LONDON -- Brent futures, which determine the underlying market value of physical benchmark dated Brent-Forties-Oseberg (BFO), has had another rough ride. Over the past three weeks the front month contract has traded a $7.02 range between $66.33...