Ho hum moves for fewer oil drums

In case you have been on another planet and haven’t heard, after weeks of chatter about coordinated oil output cuts by OPEC and non-OPEC producers, we finally had some movement. The Oilholic deploys the word 'movement' here rather cagily.

Three OPEC members led by heavyweight Saudi Arabia, with Qatar and Venezuela in tow, joined hands with the Russians, to announce a production ‘freeze’ at January’s output levels  on Tuesday, provided ‘others’ agree to do likewise. 

The most important others happen to be Iraq and Iran who haven’t exactly come out in support of the said freeze just yet. Even if they do agree, or in fact all OPEC members agree, the freeze would come at production levels deemed to be historical highs for both the Russians and OPEC. In case of the latter, industry surveys and data from aggregators as diverse as Platts and Bloomberg points to all 12 exporting OPEC nations collectively pumping above 32 million barrels per day.

Predictably, the oil futures market treated the news of the 'freeze' with the sort of disdain it deserved. The price remains stuck in the range where it has been and short-term volatility is likely to last; so much of what transpired was, well, exceedingly boring from a market standpoint, excepting that it was the first instance of OPEC and non-OPEC coordinated action in 15 years. 

If OPEC really wants to support prices, an uptick in the region of $7-10 per barrel would require the cartel to introduce a real terms cut of 1.5 million bpd. Even then, the gains would short-term, and the only people benefitting would be North American players. Some of them are the very wildcatters, whose tenacity for surviving when oil is staying ‘lower for longer’, OPEC has so far failed to work out with any strategic coherence. Expect more of the same in a market that's still awash with crude oil. 

Finally, just before one takes your leave, it seems Moody's has placed on review for downgrade the Aa3 ratings of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Sinopec Group, Sinopec Corp, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC Group) and CNOOC Limited.

The ratings agency has also placed on review for downgrade the ratings of the Chinese national oil companies' rated subsidiaries, including Kunlun Energy Company Limited, CNPC Finance (HK) Limited, CNPC Captive Insurance Company Limited, CNOOC Finance Corporation Ltd, and Sinopec Century Bright Capital Investment Limited.

In a statement, Moody’s said global rating actions on many energy companies, reflect its efforts to "recalibrate the ratings in the energy portfolio to align with the fundamental shift in the credit conditions of the global energy sector." Can’t argue with that! That’s all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’! 

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© Gaurav Sharma 2016. Photo: Oil exploration site in Russia © LukOil

Are you serious Mr President?

Ah, the joys of the oil market! Yet another day of volatility is all but guaranteed. Nearly a fortnight into February, it’s increasingly looking like how it was in January, and how it’s likely to be in March - an uptick of 2-6% followed by a slump of 2-6% in headline oil futures prices on repeat mode.

In the meantime, we have descended into the realm of the ridiculous. If you believe market chatter – it goes something like the Russians will cut oil production, only if the Saudis agree. They’ll cut only if the Iranians agree, who say it’s the Saudis and their allies who should make room for additional Iranian production. 

It is manifestly apparent, that should there be a coordinated OPEC and non-OPEC oil production cut excluding Canada and the US, the only producers to benefit would be the ones in North America. Such a cut would at most provide a short-term bounce of $7-10 per barrel, enabling shale producers, who were coping and managing just fine at $35 per barrel, to come back into the game and hedge better for another 12-18 months, as one wrote on Forbes. 

The Oilholic suspects both Russian and Saudi policymakers know that already. Which is why, it is a borderline ridiculous idea for parties who know very well that the market will take its own course, and any attempts to manipulate it artificially could have the very opposite effect some in OPEC such as Nigeria and Venezuela are hoping for. 

Meanwhile, each US oil inventory update makes Brent and WTI dance. With the latter currently below $30 barrel, US President Barack Obama has come up with his own sublime contribution to a ridiculous market. 

News emerged earlier this week that Obama has proposed a $10.25 per barrel levy on oil extracted in the US! According to Treasury projections, the levy, which would be applied to both imported and domestically-produced oil but won’t be collected on US oil shipped overseas, would raise  $319 billion over 10 years.

The plan would temporarily exempt home-heating oil from the tax. According to Obama, it "creates a clear incentive for private sector innovation to reduce America's reliance on oil and invest in clean energy technologies that will power our future."

The levy would be collected from oil companies to boost spending on transportation infrastructure, including mass transit and high-speed rail, and autonomous vehicles. However, noble the intention might be, its timing, execution and rate cap are completely barmy. In fact so barmy, the President knows there is no chance a Republican-controlled Congress would pass it. 

Without going into a costing analysis, oil companies would (a) be hit hard, and (b) almost certainly attempt to pass it over to consumers. Domino effect in terms of jobs and consumer spending adds another layer, making it extremely unpopular. So only a President who has no more elections to fight can come up with such a policy at such a time for the industry! That’s all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’! 

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© Gaurav Sharma 2016. Photo: White House, Washington DC, USA © Gaurav Sharma, April 2008.

Predicting a $50/bbl end-2016 oil price

It’s been one heck of a volatile start to the New Year with the oil market going berserk for what is coming up to nearly four weeks now. We’ve seen 10%-plus week-on-week declines to 5%-plus intraday gains for Brent and WTI. Plenty of predictions are around the market from extremely bearish to wildly optimistic.

For instance, ratings agency Moody’s is assuming a drop to $33 per barrel for both Brent and WTI, while Citigroup calls oil the ‘trade of the year’ should you choose to stick with it. Doubtless, Moody’s errs on the side of caution, and Citigroup’s take is premised on the buying low, selling high slant. 

The Oilholic's prediction is somewhere in the mundane middle. On balance of probability, squaring oil supply and demand, yours truly sees Brent and WTI facing severe turbulence for the next six months, but very gradually limping up to $50 by the end of this year. That’s a $10 reduction on a prior end-2016 forecast. A detailed explanation is in the Oilholic’s latest Forbes column available here.  

In the event that surplus Iranian oil starts cancelling out production declines in North America and other non-OPEC production zones, there are several known unknowns. These include the strength of the dollar prolonging the commodities cycle and the copious amount of oil held in storage, the release (or otherwise) of which would have a heavy impact on the direction of the market. Nonetheless, $20 oil doesn’t sound all that implausible anymore even if it won’t stay there.  

Another key revision is the narrowing of the Brent-WTI spread to zero (twice over the course of last year), and a subsequent turn in WTI’s favour. From predicting a $5 premium in favour of Brent, the Oilholic is coming around to the conclusion that WTI would now have an equal, if not upper hand to Brent. 

The so-called premium in the global proxy benchmark’s favour was only established after a domestic US glut rendered the WTI unreflective of global market conditions back in 2008-09. Now that the global market is facing a glut of its own; oversupply sentiment is weighing on Brent too.

Even if the WTI does not regain market prominence as many commentators are predicting, the US benchmark wont play second fiddle either. The usual caveats apply, and the Oilholic would be revisiting the subject over the second quarter. But that’s all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’! 

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© Gaurav Sharma 2016. Photo: Oil rig in the North Sea © Cairn Energy.

Suddenly $20/bbl oil isn't all that implausible

Successive bouts of over 10% week-on-week/five-day price declines have hit the oil market for six and made for a wretched start to 2016. 

Last Friday, Brent ended 12.33% lower to the Friday [Jan 8] before, WTI fell 10.37% and OPEC’s Basket of crude oils was 10.23% lower. (see graph, click to enlarge)

Closing Brent price of that Friday itself was some 10.54% lower, WTI was down 10.48% lower and OPEC Basket Price down 10.94% versus the closing price of December 31. Suddenly, $20 per barrel oil doesn’t sound all that implausible!

However, the Oilholic still maintains that while $20 oil is possible, it won’t stay there as an inevitable supply correction would kick-in. Excluding Gulf production, much of the world’s current oil production is barely being produced at cost, let alone at a marginal profit. As non-OPEC producers’ hedges roll-off, the pain will hit home for we are a long way from the $60 comfort threshold for many. 

As for OPEC, even if the decline continues, the Oilholic feels there is little it can do other than to let the market take its own course. An OPEC cut would only keep rivals in the current game of survival called 'lower for longer'. That’s all for the moment folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2016. Graph: Oil benchmark prices (Friday closes) © Gaurav Sharma / Oilholics Synonymous Report, 2016.

A crude rout & all those downgrades

Both Brent and WTI futures are trading at their lowest levels since 2008 and previous weeks have offered some spectacular declines, if there is such a thing as that!

Biggest of the declines were noted when Brent fell by 12.65% and WTI by 11.90% between Friday, December 4th and Friday, December 11th using 2130 GMT as the cut-off point for 5-day week-on-week assessment. Following that, like January, we had another spread inversion in favour of the WTI, with the US benchmark trading at a premium to global proxy Brent for a good few sessions before slipping lower, as both again got dragged lower in lacklustre post-Christmas trading.

It all points to the year ending just as it began - with a market rout, as yours truly explained in some detail via a recent Forbes post. With nearly 3 million barrels per day of surplus oil hitting the market, the scenario is unavoidable. While the situation cannot and will not last, oversupply will not disappear overnight either. 

The Oilholic reckons it will be at least until the third quarter of 2016 before the glut shows noticeable signs of easing, mostly at the expense of non-OPEC supplies. That said, unless excess flow dips below 1 million bpd, it is doubtful ancillary influences such as geopolitical risk would come into play. 

For the moment, one still maintains an end-2016 Brent forecast near $60 per barrel and would revisit it in the New Year. Much will depend on the relative strength of the dollar in wake of US Federal Reserve’s interest rate hike, but Kit Juckes, Head of Forex at Societe Generale, says quite possibly commodity markets fear even a dovish Fed!

Meanwhile, with the oil market rout in full swing, rating agencies are queuing up predictable downgrades and negative outlooks. Moody’s described the global commodity downturn as “exceptionally severe in its depth and breadth” and expects it to be a substantial factor driving the number of defaults higher on a global basis in 2016.

Collapsing commodity prices have placed a significant strain on credit quality in the oil and gas, metals and mining sectors. These sectors have accounted for a disproportionately large 36% of Moody’s downgrades and 48% of defaults among all corporates globally so far this year. The agency anticipates continued credit deterioration and a spike in defaults in these sectors in 2016.

Over the past four weeks, we’ve had Moody's downgrade several household energy companies, including all ratings for Petrobras and ratings based on the Brazilian oil giant's guarantee, covering the company's senior unsecured debt rating, to Ba3 from Ba2. Concurrently, the company's baseline credit assessment (BCA) was lowered to b3 from b2. 

“These rating actions reflect Petrobras' elevated refinancing risks in the face of deteriorating industry conditions that make it more difficult to raise cash through asset sales; tighter financing conditions for companies in Brazil and in the oil industry, coupled with the magnitude of eventual needs to finance debt maturities; as well as the company's negative free cash flow,” Moody’s explained.

It also downgraded Schlumberger Holdings to A2; with its outlook changed to negative for Holdings and Schlumberger. "The downgrade of Schlumberger Holdings to A2 reflects the expected large increase in debt outstanding related to the adjustment of its capital structure following the Cameron acquisition," commented Pete Speer, Moody's Senior Vice President.

Corporate family rating of EnQuest saw a Moody’s downgrade to B3 from B1 and probability of default ratings to B3-PD from B1-PD. Of course, it’s not just oilfield and oil companies feeling the heat; Moody’s also downgraded the senior unsecured ratings of Anglo American and its subsidiaries to Baa3 from Baa2, its short term ratings to P-3 from P-2, and so it goes in the wider commodities sphere.

In the past week, outlook for Australia’s Woodside Petroleum outlook was changed to negative, while the ratings of seven Canadian and 29 US E&P companies were placed on review for downgrade. And so went the final month of the year. 

Not just that, the ratings agency also cut its oil price assumption for 2016, lowering Brent estimates to average $43 from $53 per barrel in 2016, and WTI to $40 from $48 per barrel. Moody’s said “continued high levels of oil production” by global producers were significantly exceeding demand growth, predicting the supply-demand equilibrium will only be reached by the end of the decade at around $63 per barrel for Brent. 

While, the Oilholic doesn’t quite agree that it would take until the end of the decade for supply-demand balance to be achieved, mass revisions tell you a thing or two about the mood in the market. Meanwhile, at a sovereign level, Fitch Ratings says low oil prices will continue to weigh on the sovereign credit profiles of major exporters in 2016. Of course, the level of vulnerability varies.

“In the last 12 months, we have downgraded five sovereigns where oil revenues accounted for a large proportion of general government and/or current external receipts. Another three - Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Republic of Congo - were not downgraded but saw Outlook revisions to Negative from Stable,” the agency said in a pre-Christmas note to clients.

It is now all down to who can manage to stay afloat and maintain production as the oil price stays ‘lower for longer’. Non-OPEC producers will in all likelihood run into financing difficulties, as one said in an OPEC webcast on December 4, with Brent ending 2015 over 35% lower on an annualised basis.

Finally, the Oilholic believes it is highly unlikely a divided OPEC will vote for a unanimous production cut even at its next meeting in June. For what’s it worth, $35 per barrel could be the norm for quite a bit of 2016. So in 12 months’ time, the oil and gas landscape could be very, very different. That’s all for 2015 folks! Keep reading, keep it ‘crude’!

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© Gaurav Sharma 2015. Graph: Oil benchmark Friday closes, Q4 2015 © Gaurav Sharma / Oilholics Synonymous Report, December 2015. Photo: Gaurav Sharma speaking at the 168th OPEC Ministers' Meeting in Vienna, Austria © OPEC Secretariat.