Sign in
Business
News
S&P Global Commodity Insights
S&P Global Commodity Insights analysis of key news and pricing issues from across the global shipping, natural gas, power, petrochemicals, agriculture, and coal markets.
South Stream gas pipeline project likely to go ahead
Platts' Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news and Rosemary Griffin, associate editor, discuss the potential impact of ongoing tension between Russia and the EU over the Ukraine crisis on the South Stream gas pipeline, and the likelihood of further sanctions...
07:0516/07/2014
US temperatures, but not gas prices, climb
Air conditioners are cranking up across much of the US, but Hurricane Arthur left comfortable temperatures in its wake in other natural gas consuming areas. Platts Gas Daily editors Rodney White, TL Hamilton, Chris Tremulis and Bill Holland talk the futures market, cash prices, what storage...
05:1408/07/2014
Impact of higher US benzene prices felt in downstream markets
Production hiccups in the US benzene market are pushing prices higher, which is causing ripples in downstream markets. Platts petrochemical editors Colleen Barry-Goodman, John Calton and Jeremy Rakes discuss how the markets have moved, including near-record highs for benzene prices and changing...
03:5425/06/2014
Interview: EU carbon market regulation and reform (part 2)
Ahead of Platts' European Emissions Markets conference in Brussels on September 29, 2014, Frank Watson, Platts Managing Editor for European emissions markets, interviews Jesse Scott, head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Policy Unit at Eurelectric, to discuss proposed carbon market...
10:4525/06/2014
Gas traders shrug off US storage worries, market limps along on weather
There's no sign that North American traders are worried about refilling natural gas in storage as the gas market limps along with little change in weather. Platts Gas Daily editors Rodney White, TL Hamilton, Chris Tremulis and Bill Holland discuss the market, as well as how the US set a new record...
05:2624/06/2014
Interview: EU carbon market regulation and reform (part 1)
Ahead of Platts' European Emissions Markets conference in Brussels on September 29, 2014, Frank Watson, Platts Managing Editor for European emissions markets, interviews Jesse Scott, head of the Environment and Sustainable Development Policy Unit at Eurelectric, to discuss proposed carbon market...
10:1623/06/2014
US gas futures directionless, cash spikes in Boston and McClendon returns
North American natural gas futures contracts are trading sideways while looking for a fundamental change in weather or supplies, but cash prices introduced a lot of volatility in certain cities such as Boston. Additionally, Aubrey McClendon just closed on three deals for $4.25 billion: one doubles...
05:1613/06/2014
North American natural gas industry welcomes recent EPA standards
Platts associate editor for natural gas TL Hamilton talks about the Environmental Protection Agency's new power plant emissions standards and how the North American gas industry possibly stands to gain from the changes. She also discusses how many are optimistic that prices won't unsettle the...
03:3406/06/2014
Recent trends in the propylene market
Hetain Mistry, senior analyst for the Platts Petrochemicals Analytics team and Daved Chohan, Platts petrochemicals editor, discuss the recent trends in the propylene market. The implications of shale gas in the US market and the growth of demand in China have boosted investment in propylene. We...
06:0603/06/2014
Shenhua coal price discounting speculation triggers CFR China market concerns
Mike Cooper, Platts Asia senior editor for coal, and Eric Zeng, managing editor at Fenwei Energy, Platts' joint venture partner for its CCI thermal coal prices discuss the latest moves in domestic and CFR South China thermal coal prices and the possible implications of China's proposed ban on...
06:1230/05/2014
Natural gas bears and bulls wait for a signal in shoulder market
While gas markets in the northeast US swung high and low as temperatures ranged from the 90’s to the 50’s, the futures market stayed range bound as bull and bears stayed locked into their positions waiting for some kind of signal. Gas production and supply hit record highs but more than...
06:4930/05/2014
Impact of $400 bil Russia-China oil-linked gas supply deal on China
After over a decade of prolonged talks, Russia and China have finally inked a historic gas deal, with Gazprom supplying 38 bcm/year of gas to CNPC for 30 years from 2018. Mriganka Jaipuriyar, senior editor for Platts Oilgram News and Song Yen Ling, Platts senior writer for China, assess the...
05:1330/05/2014
US spreads shift, companies eye processing possibilities as NGLs rise
Increased focus on US shale plays has contributed to an sharp increase of natural gas and NGL production. With more natural gas liquids flooding the market, the price relationship between gas, NGLs and petrochemicals is tightening and, in some cases, reversing. Samantha Santa Maria, Platts managing...
07:2621/05/2014
Asian benzene may still flow to US after record long arbitrage ends
Ng Bao Ying, Platts senior Asian petrochemicals editor and Vernon Lee, Platts petrochemicals editor, provide in-depth analysis on where benzene volumes have been flowing to in recent months, with the market in the midst of the longest open arbitrage window for Asian benzene cargoes to the US since...
06:1715/05/2014
US natural gas markets settling down on spring's arrival
Spring finally arrrived and the US natural gas markets have finally settled down. But storage injections are well behind the averages and there is a lot of gas to get into the tank after this winter's record pull. Gas Daily editors Rodney White, Chris Tremulis, TL Hamilton, and Jasmin Melvin take a...
05:1114/05/2014
Oil, gas production in East Africa includes juggling local, global demands
Bob Fryklund, chief upstream strategist, IHS Energy, spoke with Platts web editor Elizabeth Bassett about challenges the energy industry will face in East Africa on the fourth day of the 45th Offshore Technology Conference. While countries like Mozambique have massive oil and gas reserves,...
06:5708/05/2014
DOE pursues production R&D in 'ferociously difficult' budget environment: official
Platts web editor Elizabeth Bassett spoke with Christopher Smith, principal deputy assistant secretary for fossil energy with the Department of Energy, at the Offshore Technology Conference. Smith was part of a panel on the second day of the conference, and he talked about what sort of R&D the...
05:2506/05/2014
US natural gas prices up as weatherman blows hot and cold
Warm weather out West and continued below-average temperatures in Chicago and the East bolstered US natural gas prices as the May futures contract held its own to roll off the board at $4.79/MMBtu. Gas Daily editors Rodney White, Chris Tremulis, TL Hamilton, and Bill Holland discuss what's in store...
05:5229/04/2014
US ethylene market on edge as prices climb and outages continue
Platts petrochemicals editor Pavel Pavlov talks about what's been driving up the US ethylene market, where spot prices recently hit a 12-week high. Both planned and unplanned outages have been spurring prices upward, as has the continued outage of the Evangeline pipeline between Texas and...
05:0328/04/2014
Expectations for the North American polyethylene market
Platts petrochemical editor Anna Ward talks to Platts petrochemical analyst Chris Ferrell about the current state of polyethylene markets in North America and market expectations that prices could eventually move lower. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
06:4725/04/2014
Haynesville Shale suffers as US gas production shifts
Gas Daily editor Jim Magill explains how the Haynesville Shale, once a hot property for natural gas drilling in the US, has fallen out of favor as producers turn their attention elsewhere. Liquids-rich and oil-rich plays are shifting rig counts out of the Haynesville, and gas prices will need to...
04:2323/04/2014
Can US get record gas fill at reasonable prices?
Winter left US natural gas stocks at an 11-year low, and now the industry is left with the question of just how full storage will be before next winter and at what cost. Gas Daily editors Rodney White, Jessica Marron, Patrick Badgley, and Bill Holland discuss what could influence summer prices and...
06:1615/04/2014
What are the long term prospects for gas globally?
Platts' William Powell, managing editor for International Gas Report, recently attended the Gastech conference in South Korea, focusing on the main themes discussed, including the prospects for gas prices globally and how, if at all, developments in Ukraine will affect the global gas picture. We...
08:0315/04/2014
US gas producers ask: Will a change of direction do them good?
The Northeast US, traditionally a large consumer of natural gas, is now also a major supplier thanks to the prolific Marcellus and Utica shale plays. T.L. Hamilton, associate editor for gas, discusses how three pipeline projects intended to move gas toward the Southeast could herald a growing focus...
03:3703/04/2014
Asian natural rubber prices fall 30% on year on glut in Chinese supply
Anna Ward, Platts associate petrochemical editor discusses the sharp fall in Asian natural rubber prices in the first quarter compared to Q1 2013. Why are prices on a downward trend and what is the market outlook going forward? We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
06:0403/04/2014
Future of US oil and gas industry investments
The S&P Capital IQ Energy Symposium in Houston on April 2 was focused on exploring the future of North American oil and gas industry. One of the panelists, Stewart Glickman, director, equity research, S&P Capital IQ, explains how there are still questions about whether technology can...
04:2402/04/2014
Interview: navigating dramatic change in the German power market
Ahead of Platts' European Power Summit in Berlin on 28-29 April, 2014, Henry Edwardes-Evans spoke to Graham Weale, Chief Economist, RWE AG, on German power market supply, demand and wholesale price dynamics, market design and the prospects for a German capacity mechanism. We welcome any feedback or...
13:1727/03/2014
US methanol prices fall as market searches for a direction
US methanol prices were hovering near five-year highs, but March cut them down, in part due to extra supply headed to US shores. Colleen Barry-Goodman, managing editor of Americas petrochemicals, talks with John Calton, associate editor of petrochemical markets, about how global prices, including...
06:0627/03/2014
Will winter ever end? And how will we refill storage?
Another blast of cold this week drove next-day cash gas prices higher by double digits for New England and New York. The weather isn’t expected to linger but the hangover from all the gas withdrawn from storage to heat a 20-year winter may linger into the summer. Or not. Gas Daily Editors...
05:5225/03/2014
Spotlight: Snappy summer likely for US natural gas markets
Platts associate editor Patrick Badgley takes another look at what's ahead for US natural gas markets this summer, including for flows and storage, and answers questions submitted by participants in the March 18 "Cruel Summer?" webinar. Will gas drawdowns be replaced by summer, what's the future of...
07:4921/03/2014
Impact of shale gas developments on global polyethylene dynamics
Platts petrochemical editor Nandita Lal talks to Platts petrochemical analyst Hetain Mistry about the latest Shale to Polyethylene report highlighting how the shale gas developments in North America and the conversion of coal to olefins in China are impacting global PE dynamics We welcome any...
07:1221/03/2014
Italian gas storage system inches towards further liberalization
Beatrice Bedeschi, associate editor for European gas and power, examines a recent reform of gas storage rules in Italy that introduces auctions to allocate capacity, against the backdrop of narrowing summer-winter spreads and an uncertain outlook as the Ukraine crisis escalates. We welcome any...
07:5018/03/2014
Mexico prepares for next phase of Pemex, oil industry evolution
Starr Spencer, senior editor of oil news in the Platts Houston office, takes a look at what kind of decisions are being made in Mexico as state oil company Pemex goes through some radical changes in 2014. What will this year hold for onshore and offshore projects, and what kind of roles could...
04:3014/03/2014
US Northeast natural gas markets, battered by winter, brace for another storm
Platts US natural gas editors Rodney White, Tiffany Hamilton, Jessica Marron, and Bill Holland discuss how the tired US Northeast gas markets are trying to look past another upcoming winter storm and prepare for the spring and summer. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us...
06:3312/03/2014
US PVC demand continues rising domestically as global demand drops
Platts US petrochemicals editors Christopher Ferrell and Pavel Pavlov examine why domestically produced PVC is experiencing rising demand and prices in the US while global markets have more subdued trading activity, in part due to a cold winter, a stronger US dollar, and turbulence in other...
05:3410/03/2014
Interview: UK wholesale power market reform, the capacity mechanism and market design
Ahead of Platts' European Power Summit in Berlin on 28-29 April, 2014, Henry Edwardes-Evans spoke to Angela Knight, Chief Executive of trade association Energy UK, about regulator Ofgem's wholesale power market reforms, the government's proposed capacity mechanism and how market dynamics will fare...
14:5828/02/2014
'Polar Vortex 3' jangles North America's gas markets again
The Arctic chill is the third wave from the north to push temperatures below frigid in heavy natural gas buying markets such as Chicago, Boston, and New York. Platts editors Valarie Jackson,Chris Tremulis, Rodney White and Patrick Badgely discuss the action in the futures, cash, and forward markets...
06:3324/02/2014
Winter weather wreaks havoc on US petrochemical business
Platts US petrochemicals editors Jeremy Rakes and Chris Ferrell examine the effects that this year's harsh winter weather has had on the logistical side of the US petrochemical business, including an impact on propane prices, barge traffic issues, and delays impacting polymer buyers. We welcome...
05:3424/02/2014
Severe winter weather draws down US coal stocks
Platts editors Andrew Moore and Valarie Jackson discuss the impact of the recent cold weather on US coal stockpiles and the effect of natural gas price volatility on coal as the dominant fuel for electricity generation. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
05:2321/02/2014
Ignore the warm, US natural gas prices will reignite
The NYMEX gas futures market sees cold next week and next-day cash prices retreat only a bit, despite warmer temperatures this week. Plus, a steel company found an unusual way to hedge its gas costs – pair up with a driller. Platts editors Valarie Jackson,Chris Tremulis, and Rodney White...
06:0319/02/2014
A look ahead at natural gas prices for the coming summer
Platts natural gas editors Letitia Vasquez and Patrick Badgley take a step back from the price volatility the US has seen this winter and look ahead to the expectations for natural gas prices this summer. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at [email protected].
05:4210/02/2014
Turkish polymer demand sinks due to currency turmoil
Anna Ward and Daved Chohan, Platts petrochemical editors based in Europe, discuss the impact of the weakness in the Turkish Lira on Turkey's polymer market and the short-term recovery seen in the polypropylene market. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
03:0407/02/2014
Atlantic thermal coal supply in 2014
Platts' associate editors Jacqueline Holman and Jaime Concha discuss how recent Colombian coal supply disruptions have affected European-delivered spot prices and the repercussions on supply-demand fundamentals in 2014. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
05:5005/02/2014
US benzene price surge has ripple affect
Bernardo Fallas, managing editor of the Americas, and John Calton, associate editor for aromatics, delve into the factors behind the recent surge in benzene prices on the US Gulf Coast, what the market expects in the near term, and the impact on downstream markets. We welcome any feedback or...
07:1004/02/2014
Interview: Challenges facing carbon capture and storage in Europe
Ahead of Platts' annual CCS conference in Brussels February 18-19, Henry Edwardes-Evans spoke to Dr Graeme Sweeney, Chairman of the Zero Emissions Platform, on the European Commission's energy and climate goals to 2030, and the challenges facing carbon capture and storage as it seeks to secure a...
13:0829/01/2014
US gas prices soar on Arctic blasts
US natural gas prices -- both future and spot -- are soaring as the nation sees unusual winter cold. Platts’ Bentek unit sees at least 700 Bcf more gas coming out of storage by mid-February, worrying some analysts about end-of-winter levels. Gas Daily editors Rodney White and Bill Holland...
05:5728/01/2014
Interview: Stephen Bowers, Evonik, on the outlook for European crude C4 market (part 2)
Platts petrochemicals editors, Miguel Cambeiro and Antonios Panagiotopoulos, talk to Stephen Bowers, Global Projects, Advanced Intermediates - Performance Intermediates, Evonik, on the challenges and risks facing the European crude C4 market. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics....
11:1722/01/2014
Heating demand boosts natural gas to all-time high
Platts natural gas editors Letitia Vasquez and T.L. Hamilton discuss the record highs reached in Northeast daily and forward natural gas prices brought on by the polar vortex when heating demand was way up. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at [email protected].
04:4921/01/2014
Interview: Stephen Bowers, Evonik, on the outlook for European MTBE, gasoline markets (part 1)
Platts petrochemicals editor, Antonios Panagiotopoulos talks to Stephen Bowers, Global Projects, Advanced Intermediates - Performance Intermediates, Evonik, on the challenges and risks facing the European MTBE and gasoline markets. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at...
05:4617/01/2014
Italian gas, power prices see a bearish start to the year as outlook remains uncertain
Beatrice Bedeschi, associate editor for European gas and power, discusses recent regulatory developments in the Italian markets and price trends at the start of 2014. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at [email protected].
06:2417/01/2014