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Meanwhile, In Crude Oil...

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Just as gas prices at the pump are about to rise to their highest ever for this time of the year - and further crush an already hurting consumer's disposable income - someone has decided that enough is enough and $95/bbl WTI is just too much. Crude prices just plunged on very heavy volume - just think of the implicit tax cut we will hear of course. We note three small things: 1) how does this fit the growth story that is supposedly driving bond yields higher? and 2) there is a 4-6 week lag between WTI and retail prices so do not expect this drop to ease any pressure in the short-term), and 3) we wonder if this shift is a 'tap on the shoulder' for yet another correlation-driven trade gone wrong.

 

 

 

Charts: Bloomberg

 

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Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:30 | 3607542 slaughterer
slaughterer's picture

WTI started to bounce back as soon as this article was posted.  LOL.  

WTI vigilantes -vs- Kev' Henry keep-WTI-low team.  

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:41 | 3607588 nope-1004
nope-1004's picture

Gotta love free markets.  lmao.

 

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:45 | 3607599 knukles
knukles's picture

Gonna flow through to lower gasoline prices,
My Ass

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:13 | 3607694 malikai
malikai's picture

I suspect it's all part of the bond market 'issue'.

http://blog.quantsig.net/2013/05/29/bonds/

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:55 | 3607826 bobola
bobola's picture

I have 5 bikes set up for commuting, and recently bought a 6th bike.

Bring on the high gas prices.................

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 15:16 | 3608281 Jumbotron
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Yeah....look how all that oil in the Bakken Shale Play in the Dakotas is bringing down the price of their gas.....LOL!!!!

 

http://gasbuddy.com/gb_gastemperaturemap.aspx

 

 

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:23 | 3607726 Stoploss
Stoploss's picture

That bottom chart needs to go back to '07.

The last time gas was 3.25+ WTI was approaching 125.00$ (3.25 where im at, yours might have been 5.00+) with still moderately heavy demand.

Now you have 3.35 gas where im at, with WTI at 95.00 with absolutely zero demand.  (Oh, it's the "rest" of the world that is "growing", that's why.)

 

Nope, that ain't why, because it's pretty obvious the "rest of the world" isn't driving that much either, (unless they are delivering a "package".)

There's  a dime for the state for every gallon you put in.

Hey, i bet if they just kept gas prices high, they could just skim off .75 cents, and nobody would be the wiser!!

 

 

 

Oh, shit...

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:35 | 3607758 CrashisOptimistic
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You're measuring the wrong parameter.  The US energy independence story is bullshit.  We still import a HUGE amount of crude every single day.

Every drop of it is priced Brent, or Bonny Light, or Tapis, or Urals or one of the 6 or so other non WTI blends that are the true price of oil, and all of those are $10 or $20 more per barrel than WTI.

WTI is largely meaningless.  Old Normal parameter.  Even the thin liquid coming out of the Texas shales isn't WTI.  It's sort of not even crude.  It's condensate.  They call it oil for the hype, but it doesn't have the same BTUs per barrel that proper crude has.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 13:05 | 3607857 malikai
malikai's picture

WTI is most definitely meaningful.

WTI is the price quoted on the TV.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 13:17 | 3607896 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

Yes, it is meaningful, for the small minority of refiners that have access to Cushing... It is for all intents and purposes it is simply a measure of the price of land-locked North American oil, merely a regional aberration....

As for WTI being the TV oil benchmark, traditions rarely change, even when they become obviously dated...

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 13:39 | 3607945 malikai
malikai's picture

I find it suprising that the Seaway reversal/expansion hasn't done much to the spread. That's almost 500Kbbl/day.

All I know is if I were in office and wanted to mask inflation, I'd love to see a lower price on TV for the masses, regardless of what they know they pay for gasoline.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:16 | 3608060 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

Whaddyamean? Reversing the Seaway has contributed to cutting the spread in 1/2...

As for TV/Radio, Brent is the name of some Fox News guy and that about sums it up...

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:29 | 3608115 malikai
malikai's picture

Since WTI by spec should be at a premium against Brent, why not? Maybe the answer is just that there's too much even with Seaway pullling 500k.

Anyway, I'm sure it's a good year for Enbridge and Enterprise.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:33 | 3608130 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

It was at a premium until the market realized that WTI is real hard to load on a tanker and ship it to where you want...

Well, duh, there is too much for the local infrastructure (outgoing pipelines and refinining capacity suited to the API and sulphur conternt) to handle, a small glut that is otherwise a pimple on the ass of the world oil market....

Flows into Cushing represent ~2-3% of the world market....

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 15:18 | 3608284 Jumbotron
Jumbotron's picture

WTI is most definitely meaningful.

WTI is the price quoted on the TV.

I up-voted you because of the obvious sarcasm.  Brent is the truer price.

http://www.oil-price.net/

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 16:15 | 3608436 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

He wasn't being sarcastic...

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 16:18 | 3608438 Jumbotron
Jumbotron's picture

Damn.....look what you made me go do.....I had to down vote him now.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 13:23 | 3607915 Stoploss
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We still import a HUGE amount of crude every single day.

 

Right, and we EXPORT a MASSIVE amount of gasoline and diesel every single day...

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 13:44 | 3607962 MeelionDollerBogus
MeelionDollerBogus's picture

Part of that is completely rigged.

Canada has zero need to import gas from the USA, we have our own oil & can produce our own gas.

however, due to criminal collusion, we do not refine the gas, we ship it to the USA and import back the finished gasoline.

Which is nuts.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:18 | 3608069 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

Getting Alberta/Sask  crude oil to the East coast refiners was *always* a tough task. Until this ugly WTI-Brent spread arose it was perfectly natural to have the hydrocarbons flowing as they were. But now Canada is getting hosed....

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:26 | 3608104 CrashisOptimistic
CrashisOptimistic's picture

You don't understand the process.

For example, Venezuela does not have refineries that can deal with its thickness of oil.  Those on the Gulf Coast of the US do.

So that crude is sent to the US, refined, and the gasoline and diesel goes back to Ven.  Presto, goosed export numbers.  We didn't export gasoline from US produced crude.  We exported it from Venezuela crude.

Ditto the Canada situation from above.  NAFTA has a clause that arranges for us to refine oil and ship gasoline to Canada.  The oil refined didn't have to be US out-fo-the-ground crude.  It could be from Nigeria.

Now, some of the imports in question thus go elsewhere and are not consumed in the US, but much more is.  The whole energy independence meme is bullshit.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:30 | 3607543 TahoeBilly2012
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Playing contractor on the roads again and fuel is just making it impossible to really make any money. I think it has to come down or consumption just keeps falling.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:34 | 3607545 El Viejo
El Viejo's picture

Yeah! I'm high on the real thing: a clean windshield and a full tank of cheap gas.

Apologies to Firesign Theatre.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:45 | 3607601 Proofreder
Proofreder's picture

and have a nice sugar cube

Whoa, Tantrick, easy there ...

Still waiting on the electrician ?

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:46 | 3607602 knukles
knukles's picture

You're dating us...  :)

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:32 | 3607553 sitenine
sitenine's picture

4) don't expect the dip to last long. Volatility, anyone?

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:32 | 3607554 Nex
Nex's picture

Yes, manipulation.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:37 | 3607570 Jim B
Jim B's picture

Agreed! Stop hunting manipulation!

 

We I sell, I sell in volume to guarantee the lowest possible price!

 

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:51 | 3607628 Gypsyducks
Gypsyducks's picture

someone has a sizeable (unlimited?) offer in the front month 87 puts.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:34 | 3607561 LawsofPhysics
LawsofPhysics's picture

Wake us when its back to $35 per barrel.  Not. going. to. happen.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:36 | 3607568 IridiumRebel
IridiumRebel's picture

drop motherfucker

 

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:37 | 3607572 scatterbrains
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and XOM is teetering on a shorter term uptrend line that's held the last 2 months or so.  If the energy space gets dumped everything else is going to break with it.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:25 | 3607730 Bobbyrib
Bobbyrib's picture

Start producing your own food now. Ignore the law written by the multi-national corrupt corporations that the CON men passed.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:40 | 3607580 constantine
constantine's picture

Gold's hanging in there today. Perhaps there's a bottoming process going on. Probably still a couple of years until we see the great rotation out of stocks, trasheries, and bernanke-bucks into precious metals in what will be the greatest panic bubble ever.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:40 | 3607581 hankwil74
hankwil74's picture

4-6 week lag? Get serious. When WTI goes up, it shows up at the pump in 3-5 days. When it goes down, it shows up in 5-7 days. 4-6 weeks is fucking ludicrous.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:04 | 3607677 ActionFive
ActionFive's picture

They are hitting all commodities yet retail prices aren't reacting anymore.

They still get gas to drop for Christmas sales..

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:48 | 3607614 Proofreder
Proofreder's picture

Wholesale gasoline has dropped about a dime this morning.

How low can it go?

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:27 | 3608106 aerojet
aerojet's picture

I don't know, but Minnesotans got gobsmacked the last two weeks--87 shot up to 4.399 a gallon.  Since the weekend it's tapered back to 3.999.  Still four fucking bucks!  We don't drive that much so I haven't been filling up the tanks, just put in $30 whatever that gets me.  Such incredible bullshit.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:49 | 3607621 Motorhead
Motorhead's picture

Oh, those "evil speculators".

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:49 | 3607622 gatorengineer
gatorengineer's picture

And WTI matters in lieu of Brent because?

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:10 | 3607688 tokengator
tokengator's picture

West Texas Intermediate should matter less than Brent because?

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:44 | 3607786 CrashisOptimistic
CrashisOptimistic's picture

Because more crude (not crude plus condensate) is imported than produced. 

Even Brent is not decisive.  It's the 6 other blends like Tapis and Bonny Light and Urals etc that are all priced way above WTI.  THEY are the true price of society's oil.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:55 | 3607827 gatorengineer
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The average retail price of gasoline in the United States historically has tracked the price of crude oil pretty closely, with each $1/barrel increase in the price of crude oil showing up as a 2.5-cent increase in the retail price of a gallon of gasoline. But the fact that the U.S. can sell refined petroleum markets at the world price means that for purposes of using that rule of thumb today, you'd want to look at the price of Brent rather than the price of WTI.

 

http://www.econbrowser.com/archives/2013/02/prices_of_gasol.html

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:12 | 3608048 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

Yep.....that pretty much sums it up...

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:59 | 3607657 q99x2
q99x2's picture

Nothing a few Russian missles can't fix.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:04 | 3607674 orangegeek
orangegeek's picture

WTI Oil is struggling to complete wave 2 up.

 

http://bullandbearmash.com/chart/spot-wti-oil-daily-falls-hard-early-rec...

 

Oil has been moving up as the US Dollar climbs - voids the inverse relationship.  USD is down hard today - while the Euro, Yen and GBP are sharply higher - not something that will last.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 13:41 | 3607953 MeelionDollerBogus
MeelionDollerBogus's picture

elliot waves struggling to get any calls right 5% or more in advance of what actually happens

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:05 | 3607678 the grateful un...
the grateful unemployed's picture

there is a lot of subterfuge in the oil inventory market. enterprise counts SPR oil on loan in order to buggywhip suppliers into charging less. it doesn't mean there is more supply, keep your eye on crack spreads. it has been USGs intention to keep oil prices high, because all assets move together, if you drop crude you end up dropping housing, and the whole thing (asset deflation) takes over. crude needs to go to fifty, which should drop home prices in half, and start an economy recovery for the 99%.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:33 | 3607753 Pareto
Pareto's picture

100% correct.  I would only qualify the demand/supply assertion you make by suggesting that its a relative excess supply.  EIA measures last month reported demand for gas and oilnot seen since the 70's.  The demand retreat has an implied supply surge relatively speaking.  Hence the channel stufing ZH wrote about some time ago.  All else equal, if the EIA data is true, oil should be fetching $35 - $50/bbl at least in the short run.  But, like you say - thats never going to happen.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:29 | 3608113 CrashisOptimistic
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Though economics won't accept it, there is a difference between demand and consumption.  US consumption is down.  There are CLAIMS that supply is magnificent, but suppose it isn't.  Suppose it caused consumption to be down.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:09 | 3608040 lakecity55
lakecity55's picture

Oil has to remain high for the A-Rabs to make a lot more in petro-dollarz in order to buy UST junk bondz and fund the Deficits.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 15:14 | 3608276 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

You have not been paying attention if you think that is what is going on...

Google QE and Fed treasury purchases...

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:10 | 3607690 Rimon
Rimon's picture

Crude has been at the wrong price this whole month.. Supply building + stronger usd - should be at least $10 lower .. Must be CTA Algos finally puking out what they bought

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:46 | 3607791 CrashisOptimistic
CrashisOptimistic's picture

No such thing as supply measurement when the inventory turns over every week or so.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:32 | 3607734 VonManstein
VonManstein's picture

Its just the gold bears (inflation bears) doing what they can to keep the Metals down. Just like copper.

With CHF doing its own thing.. Metal bears are stretched

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:48 | 3607803 bbaez
bbaez's picture

Texas/US Oil Production from Shale skews things how?

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:57 | 3607830 gatorengineer
gatorengineer's picture

wont come on line until you see $125 a barrel for an extended period.....

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:32 | 3608129 CrashisOptimistic
CrashisOptimistic's picture

There has evolved to be a problem with the definition of oil, particularly from Texas shales.

(Crude + Condensate) was the traditional measure.  It worked okay because conventional sources had a 90:10 mix.  Crude has 5.6 million BTUs per barrel.  Condensate doesn't.

Shale production out of Texas is 90:10, but the ratio is reversed in favor of condensate.  The industry, naturally, hypes the total barrel flow rate, but trucks carrying food to shelves can't get up hills if the BTUs are not there.  This is slowly getting into the ears of the folks who write checks for drilling investment.  Condensate is not priced as high as crude.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:51 | 3607815 Downed Drone
Downed Drone's picture

CA is, as if you didn't know, loony.  The government promotes alternative transportation, reduce your carbon foot print.  So we do.  The BOE, in turn, sees revenue from gasoline tax droping.  So what do they do, hike the tax!  A 3 cent increase is coming in July.  

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 12:58 | 3607837 Nobody For President
Nobody For President's picture

Just gotta love the chart showing a 3.62 average - I'm at $4.17.9 a gallon for regular locally in N. California. Adulterated with 8% ethanol no less (I check it because I can use it for av gas in my small plane when it is at or below 5% - Av gas locally - 100LL - is presently $7.15 a gallon, but all pilots are rich bastards anyway.)

But demand is down in my world: I manage a trust that receives income from owning land in SW LA leased to a gas station - rent is fixed + gallonage, and gallonage is down10K gallons a month on average this year from the palmy days of 2003-2006. (Yeah, I trust the figures.)

I never used to follow the discussions on WTI prices...sigh.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:07 | 3608035 lakecity55
lakecity55's picture

Geez, I can remember back in 2001-2002 CA gas was 2$ higher than back in my home state.

CA likes to rape its producing serfs.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:29 | 3608116 Flakmeister
Flakmeister's picture

A fine blast from the past and required reading for any student of oil matters:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~twod/oil/NEW_SCHOOL_COURSE2005/articles/for_aff_aikins_oil_crisis_apr1973.pdf

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 14:39 | 3608142 rustymason
rustymason's picture

If I could have unlimited amounts of free fiat, I too could hold up the price of crude or anything else indefinitely. And if I had my own trunk line and direct access to the exchange, I could keep down any commodity I chose.

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