 |
Louisiana Light • 2 days | 86.68 | -2.47 | -2.77% | ||
|
Bonny Light • 1 day | 88.73 | -1.64 | -1.81% | ||
|
Opec Basket • 2 days | 89.64 | -0.54 | -0.60% | ||
|
Mars US • 167 days | 77.67 | -1.57 | -1.98% | ||
|
Gasoline • 10 mins | 2.746 | +0.032 | +1.18% |
|
Bonny Light • 1 day | 88.73 | -1.64 | -1.81% | ||
|
Girassol • 1 day | 89.30 | -1.63 | -1.79% | ||
|
Opec Basket • 2 days | 89.64 | -0.54 | -0.60% |
|
Peace Sour • 1 min | 75.30 | -0.05 | -0.07% | ||
|
Light Sour Blend • 1 min | 78.35 | -0.05 | -0.06% | ||
|
Syncrude Sweet Premium • 1 min | 85.30 | -0.05 | -0.06% | ||
|
Central Alberta • 1 min | 75.70 | -0.05 | -0.07% |
|
Eagle Ford • 2 days | 79.17 | -2.67 | -3.26% | ||
|
Oklahoma Sweet • 2 days | 79.25 | -2.50 | -3.06% | ||
|
Kansas Common • 2 days | 73.00 | -2.50 | -3.31% | ||
|
Buena Vista • 2 days | 86.86 | -2.40 | -2.69% |
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Oil Falls As Saudi Arabia Launches New Price War With Record Discounts
This weekend's 11th hour decision to cut OPEC oil output by 23% was supposed to end the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and the rest of OPEC+, but it appears Saudi Arabia did not get the memo.
While oil production may (or may not) be cut by 9.7mmb/d on May 1, Riyadh remembered that to capture market share one can manipulate volumes, which are now set as per this weekend's OPEC+ agreement or one can adjust price discounts, which are not. And as the kingdom faces stiff competition from rival suppliers for market share in the prized Asian market (or at least what's left of it after India cut demand by 70%), the OPEC leader slashed its official selling prices to Asian customers for May by larger-than-expected margins this week, while keeping prices flat for Europe and raising them for the United States.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s oil giant Aramco set the May price for its Arab light crude oil to Asia at a discount of $7.3 to the Oman/Dubai average, down $4.2 a barrel from April, according to a document seen by Reuters. Asian refiners had called on Saudi Arabia to slash its crude OSPs for a third straight month in May after Middle East benchmarks and refining margins dropped amid ample supplies and lower demand due to the coronavirus. Overnight, China’s customs bureau reported that overseas energy purchases weakened in March as demand from the top importer took a hit from the coronavirus pandemic. Crude oil imports fell to the equivalent of about 9.72 million barrels a day, the least since July.
While Aramco cut Asian prices in hopes of beating Russia, Iran and other producers to the punch, it raised the May OSP of its Arab light crude oil to the United States to a discount of $0.75 per barrel versus the Argus Sour Crude Index (ASCI), up $3 a barrel from April, according to the document. Aramco left its OSP for Arab light crude oil to Northwestern Europe unchanged from April at a discount of $10.25 per barrel to ICE Brent.
The cut in prices to Asia reflect weak demand, while OSPs to Europe and the United States reflect oil market fundamentals and the global supply cut pact, an industry source familiar with the pricing process told Reuters.
Then on Tuesday morning, Saudi Aramco again cut official selling prices of all four grades to new record lows from Egyptian port of Sidi Kerir for May, in line with big cuts in prices for other customer regions, with some grades sold at a discount of as much as $10.95/bbl:
- Arab Light OSP set at $9.85 discount to ICE Brent, vs -$8.40 for April
- Arab Extra Light also at -$9.85/bbl vs -$5.60/bbl
- Arab Medium -$10.95/bbl vs -$10.20/bbl
- Arab Heavy -$10.95/bbl vs - $10.50/bbl
Prices of all four crude grades from Sidi Kerir are 45c higher than those shipped from Ras Tanura in Persian Gulf for customers in Mediterranean, compared with 20c higher in April’s price list.
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And so, between the IMF's warning earlier today, and Saudi Arabia's quiet restart of the oil price war, Brent tumbled by over 5.5% this morning, sliding below $30, after hitting a high over $36 just two trading days ago as the unprecedented chaos in the energy market continues.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
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John Di Laccii on May 07 2020 said:This does not have to be necessarily bad, as this might change the World forever. For instance we can get rid of Saudi influence in the World. Once you visit Saudi Arabia, you come to conclusion that there is nothing there but dullness of people and grey buildings, slavish relations, fanaticism, and loads of plastic waste on sides of every single road. Dirty country with sick ideas, fuelling terrorism through network of imams and mosks worldwide. Ugly Marsians polluting the World with their mad Wahhabi ideology sprouting from dark corners of their holly book (for instance chapters regulating the possession of slaves). Maybe the World will benefit from Corona and low oil prices in a way. Maybe. Maybe the West will get rid of addiction to oil, like old junkie getting rid of dope in a detox. If there is justice in the World and in heavens. Maybe the World will, after all, become at least cleaner place -
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Sunil Neupane on April 14 2020 said:Fear of this discount made drop in oil price. But point to note is this discount is only for Asian Countries, not other. So, price may rise after certain fall.
John Di Laccii on May 07 2020 said:
Open57.81
Trading Vol.6.96M
Previous Vol.241.7B
