Are OPEC crude output ceilings, quotas a thing of the past?
The June 2 OPEC meeting in Vienna ended with no agreement to restrict crude oil output, raising questions about whether the organization will ever return to output ceilings and quotas.
Technology forged during downturn preps oil industry for upturn
Starr Spencer on how upstream operators have masterfully used the current downcycle to prepare for the years ahead.
European aluminum alloy prices edge up $11/mt after Q3 buying
Market prices for 226, Europe's key grade of aluminum alloy, have edged up this week by around Eur10/mt ($11/mt) following an intense round of third-quarter buying over the past two weeks.
OPEC search continues for mechanisms to bring balance to oil markets
Now that the breaking news is winding down, Capitol Crude analyzes what the June 2 OPEC meeting means for the global oil market, US policymakers and US
crude producers.
EIA publishes construction cost information for electric power generators
(Mon, 06 Jun 2016) Many factors influence the economic competitiveness of electricity generation technologies; however, two fundamental factors are the cost of constructing generators and the cost of operating them. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently began collecting construction costs for new electric generators at utility-scale power plants. The publication released today covers generators installed in 2013 and includes average costs by technology type or region.
EIA Publishes Construction Costs for Electric Generators
(Mon, 06 Jun 2016) Average construction costs on a dollars-per-kilowatt ($/kW) basis by energy source, prime mover, and Census region. Generator capacity, number of generators, and number of plants. Costs for certain technology types and energy sources by prime mover and other design attributes.
Most natural gas production growth is expected to come from shale gas and tight oil plays
(Mon, 06 Jun 2016) The growth in total U.S. dry natural gas production projected in the Annual Energy Outlook 2016 (AEO2016) Reference case results mostly from increased development of shale gas and tight oil plays. Natural gas resources in tight sandstone and carbonate formations (often referred to as tight gas) also contribute to the growth to a lesser extent, while production from other sources of natural gas such as offshore, Alaska, and coalbed methane remains relatively steady or declines.
Steel and power: Brexit politicking and an ailing industry
Colin Richardson on how the UK steel industry was nationalized and denationalized twice in the second half of the twentieth century as governments grappled with the weakening economics of the cyclical industry.
Falling global oil reserves: Pricing blip or panic alarm? — Fuel for Thought
For years global oil majors have brushed off speculation that an imminent peak in global oil reserves spells the beginning of the end of the hydrocarbon age.
Recent data show divergent trends for rail shipments of crude oil, ethanol, and biodiesel
(Fri, 03 Jun 2016) Although pipelines, tankers, and barges are widely used to transport liquid fuels to, from, and within the United States, several types of liquid fuels, including crude oil, ethanol, and biodiesel, are transported by rail in large volumes. EIA recently expanded its rail data for crude oil, ethanol, and biodiesel to provide monthly data going back to January 2010. The data cover rail movements within each Petroleum Administration for Defense District (intra-PADD) and between PADDs (inter-PADD), as well as rail movements to and from Canada.