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Commodities Focus

S&P Global Energywww.spglobal.com
S&P Global Energy analysis of key news and pricing issues from across the global shipping, natural gas, power, petrochemicals, agriculture and coal markets.
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Episodes

PRB coal users find flexibility key as power generators pressured

Powder River Basin coal buyers met recently outside Chicago and expressed long-term optimism that the using PRB coal would offer some stability -- including with prices -- despite changes to the US power generation landscape. Jeff McDonald, associate coal editor, talks with Andrew Moore, managing...

Apr 24, 20157 min

Outlook for Russian oil against sanctions backdrop

Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Nadia Rodova, Platts Moscow bureau chief, discuss the outlook for Russia's oil sector against the backdrop of international sanctions against Moscow, including the opening up of Russia's offshore, expected crude...

Apr 23, 201511 min

Shell-BG Group deal: What does it mean for the LNG market?

The $70-billion takeover deal between Shell and BG Group will make Shell the second largest global oil producer in the world. But both companies are also active on the LNG front. In this podcast, Platts pricing analyst Max Gostelow and editor Abache Abreu look at the implications of the deal on the...

Apr 15, 20155 min

Can N. American gas be saved by coal retirements, power burn?

North American natural gas production is outstripping demand, and increasing power demand due to the forced retirement of coal plants may not be enough to stabilize gas prices going forward. Senior pricing specialists Curt Mrowiec and Chris Pedersen and Bentek Energy senior analyst Bob Yu analyze...

Apr 14, 20159 min

Taiwan sees increase in LNG consumption

Taiwan is starting to prepare for its peak summer season and LNG demand fundamentals are about to change. Platts editor for LNG Abache Abreu explains the seasonal increase in the country's downstream consumption and state-owned buyer CPC's demand for spot cargoes to offset an expected shortfall in...

Mar 27, 20152 min

As winter demand wanes, US gas markets wait for next driver

The US natural gas markets are transitioning to spring, and now the industry is wondering where the big demand drivers will be as the weather warms. Will power burn come in and "save the market" this year? Senior pricing specialist Curt Mrowiec, associate editor Patrick Badgley, and Bentek Energy...

Mar 26, 201510 min

Oil companies vie for prime acreage in US Gulf of Mexico

While winning bids at the 2015 US Central Lease Sale 235 were down from 2014, prices per acre for the ability to potentially produce oil offshore were among the highest of the last 20 years. Starr Spencer, senior editor for oil news, evaluates how the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's annual...

Mar 25, 20158 min

US coal producer acquisition could boost confidence in industry

Questions abound after the US' largest privately-held coal producer, Murray Energy, acquired prominent Illinois Basin producer Foresight Energy. Platts Coal Trader managing editor Andrew Moore and associate editor Jim Levesque contemplate whether Foresight's longwall mining production will continue...

Mar 20, 20154 min

Outlook for ExxonMobil's operations in Russia against backdrop of sanctions

Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Rosemary Griffin, Platts Moscow editor, assess the outlook for ExxonMobil's continuing operations in Russia against the backdrop of international sanctions against the country. We welcome any feedback or...

Mar 19, 20158 min

Import restrictions drag down coal trade in China

China has been mostly inactive in the spot market after the Lunar New Year holiday. Platts associate editors for thermal coal Arusha Das and Mia Corazon Aureus analyze the impact of China's weak demand on the Asian coal trade, Indonesia's plan to ramp up production this year, and the buying pattern...

Mar 16, 20157 min

Winter prompts new US electric power demand records

It's the winter that won't stop in the US, where wholesale electric power markets have been battered by record-setting demand and many prices hit peaks in February. Platts power market reporters Eric Wieser and Kassia Micek walk through the demand peaks of the winter and the impacts on prices. Hear...

Mar 05, 20158 min

Production and power burn pull on US natural gas markets

More winter storms battering the Northeast US and New England means more natural gas market volatility, but the price movements are more muted than in years past. Senior pricing specialist Curt Mrowiec, associate editor Patrick Badgley, and Bentek Energy senior energy analyst Bob Yu detail spot and...

Feb 18, 20157 min

US coal industry grim in 2015, but hoping for upturn in the long term

One of the US coal industry's biggest meetings, the CoalTrans Conference, recently gave Platts coal editors some further insight into the mood of the markets. While many in the industry foresee a drop in coal production, increased export opportunities to Asia and shifting trends in the Northeast US...

Feb 12, 20156 min

Price developments in German, Polish power markets

Petra Witowski and Andreas Franke, editors for Platts European Power Daily, analyze recent price trends in the German and Polish power markets and discuss how these trends may have influenced utilities. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.

Feb 03, 20156 min

Current North American rig counts serve as barometer of upstream oil sector

As global crude oil prices have plunged, rig counts for the US and Canada have also fallen. Starr Spencer, senior editor for oil news, delves into the specifics of the rig counts and explains how oil producers seek to continue being economic — even when prices are low and capex has been cut...

Jan 26, 20156 min

Eastern US electric power markets settle into more seasonal norms

Winter in the US is starting to add upward pressure on wholesale power prices, but this winter is markedly different from the last. The ISO-New England has a changing fuel generation mix — including lost nuclear generation — that could present an opportunity for fuels like natural gas....

Jan 23, 20157 min

Tough market conditions for Australian thermal coal producers in 2015

Just how bleak is the thermal coal market looking Down Under? In this podcast, Platts senior editor Michael Cooper analyzes how China's new coal importation policies are affecting Australia's thermal coal exports, as well as the silver lining in Australia's free trade agreement with Japan and South...

Jan 19, 20158 min

How will Russia cope with the plummeting oil price, sanctions in 2015?

Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, Nadia Rodova, Platts Moscow bureau chief, and Moscow editor Rosemary Griffin discuss the outlook for the Russian oil sector in 2015 in the face of the plunging oil price, continued international sanctions and tax...

Jan 19, 20159 min

LNG, pipelines temper US natural gas price movements

Even as US natural gas price volatility is picking up in spot and forwards markets, the 2014-2015 winter is setting itself apart from last year. Curt Mrowiec and Patrick Badgley of Platts, as well as Thad Walker of Bentek Energy, detail the gas price movements, the most recent storage report,...

Jan 15, 201510 min

US coal markets fail to heat up, despite dropping temperatures

The arrival of cold temperatures hasn't translated to higher prices for US coal, one of the primary fuels for keeping the country warm throughout the winter. Andrew Moore, managing editor of Platts Coal Trader, and Jeff McDonald, associate editor, evaluate why the markets for Powder River Basin and...

Jan 09, 20154 min

China's appetite for imported gas waning amid slowing economic growth

In this podcast, Yen Ling Song, Platts senior writer, and Max Gostelow, Platts associate editor, talk about the slowdown in China's gas demand growth, the country's appetite for imported gas, and market expectations on gas price movement given the recent decline in oil prices. The...

Jan 07, 20157 min

Liquidity Report: European gas traded volume update for November 2014

In tandem with the recent launch of the Monthly Liquidity Report in Platts European Gas Daily, market reporters Gary Hornby and Reginald Ajuonuma discuss the November 2014 trading results, commenting on recent trends in gas trading across Europe and explain the reasons behind the continuing larger...

Dec 19, 20145 min

Weak Asian demand changes global LNG trade dynamics

Liquefied natural gas spot prices are hitting pre-Fukushima levels in North Asia. In this podcast, Abache Abreu, Platts LNG editor, and Max Gostelow, Platts LNG associate editor, talk about the impact of South Korea's return to the spot market, the effect of falling crude oil prices on the LNG...

Dec 08, 20146 min

What is Russia's oil production strategy amid global price plunge?

Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, and Nadia Rodova, Platts' Moscow bureau chief, discuss the impact on Russian oil production of falling oil prices, whether Russia could still reduce its output and how companies and the government are coping with lower...

Dec 04, 20149 min

Excess tonnage leads to sluggish Q4 dry bulk freight market

Pradeep Rajan, senior managing editor for Asia Pacific shipping and freight markets, talks to associate editors Deborah Lee, Shriram Sivaramakrishnan and Su Ling Teo on the lackluster Capesize market in the seasonally strong fourth quarter; the trend building up in the Panamax and Supramax segments...

Dec 02, 20145 min

Eagle Ford forces out crude imports from Africa along USGC

Crude oil production from the Eagle Ford is increasing at the expense of West African crude imports to the US Gulf Coast. Richard Capuchino Jr., Americas crude managing editor, and Jacqueline Puig, associate editor for shale crude, explore how the domestic light sweet crude is finding more ways to...

Nov 19, 20147 min

Tension eases on EU gas markets after Russia-Ukraine deal

Beatrice Bedeschi, Platts editor, and Gary Hornby, Platts associate editor, discuss recent developments in the European gas markets after the deal reached by Russia and Ukraine over winter gas supplies. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.

Nov 10, 20148 min

Biomass: Industrial wood pellet market in grip of currency issue

Platts Gareth Carpenter, managing editor, discusses the growing biomass market and how the euro's recent weakness against the US dollar has caused European generators to source their spot wood pellets from local suppliers rather than the larger volumes available from the US. We welcome any feedback...

Oct 30, 20147 min

How will the latest tax regime changes affect Russian oil?

Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news and Rosemary Griffin, associate editor, discuss the likely impact on the Russian oil sector of the so-called "tax maneuver", a new taxation regime due to come into force in 2015. We welcome any feedback or suggestions...

Oct 27, 20147 min

Two months on, how is Russia coping with oil sanctions?

Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news and Nadia Rodova, Moscow bureau chief, discuss the impact to date of US and EU sanctions against the Russian oil sector and whether the recent oil price fall is also hampering oil developments in the country. We...

Oct 16, 20149 min
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