OPEC Watch OPEC’s production falls, led by Iraq OPEC’s oil production fell in October but remains well above target. Global inventories also remained very high. The market will still take some time to return to balance, with prices set to recover... 12th November 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update What does the Keystone XL veto mean for oil prices? The recently-vetoed Keystone XL pipeline would have provided a relatively cheap means for Canadian producers to transport oil to refineries in the US where it could be processed for sale. As such, the... 9th November 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report US crude oil stocks rose once again last week. However, despite an increase in crude production, the stock build was much smaller than the previous week’s, as refinery inputs continued to pick up and... 4th November 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Chart Pack Back on the roller-coaster Volatility returned to the oil market in October with prices being pushed and pulled by swings in sentiment towards China, changes in the value of the dollar and the outlook for demand in the US. The... 4th November 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Supply prospects diverge again Dollar strength and fears about demand, particularly from China, continued to overshadow commodity markets last month, but the biggest moves in prices can largely be explained by supply-side... 2nd November 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update US gas market vulnerable to a correction if cold weather hits High stocks and forecasts of a mild winter have driven down US natural gas prices recently, but given slowing production growth, rising demand and the unpredictability of the weather, we think that... 30th October 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Nigeria’s fiscal woes: Looking beyond the deficit Despite the steep fall in oil prices and a very weak economic growth, we expect that Nigeria’s budget deficit will remain relatively contained in 2015 and 2016. As we explain in this Watch, however... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report US crude oil stocks rose for the fifth consecutive time last week, but the latest increase was less than half the previous week’s as net crude oil imports fell and inputs to refineries rebounded... 28th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian pound devalued, likely to fall further The Egyptian pound was devalued, albeit modestly, over the past few weeks and, while the central bank has brought this process to a halt, we think a further fall in the currency is likely over the... 26th October 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Watch What to watch in the oil market The oil market is inundated with thousands of different statistics regarding production, consumption and trade on a daily basis. In this Energy Watch we pick five figures which we consider to be the... 23rd October 2015 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Oil producers adjusting to new reality The collapse of oil prices since mid-2014 has exposed the huge variation in the public finances of the world’s major oil exporters. Poorly managed emerging economies such as Russia and Venezuela had... 22nd October 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Markets in Russia & Turkey recover some lost ground Currencies, equities and bonds in the region’s two largest economies – Russia and Turkey – have posted gains over the past month as oil prices have stabilised and expectations for US rate hikes have... 22nd October 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report US crude oil stocks jumped sharply again last week, despite an uptick in refinery runs. However, stocks of gasoline fell as demand for products increased. 21st October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia’s dollar peg is here to stay Saudi Arabia’s peg to the US dollar is coming under increasing scrutiny but we think fears that the authorities will devalue the riyal are overdone. The Kingdom’s substantial foreign exchange reserves... 21st October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The Gulf, FX reserves and budget spending: a primer Several Gulf countries have turned to their foreign exchange reserves in an effort to finance budget and current account deficits caused by last year’s slump in oil prices, but there seems to be... 21st October 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update OPEC “technical meeting” unlikely to change policy The most likely outcome from tomorrow’s meeting of OPEC plus some selected guests is pledges to share more information between OPEC and other oil producers. Venezuela’s and others’ calls for a cut in... 20th October 2015 · 1 min read