Sul petrolio ho proprio torto - gz
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By: GZ on Giovedì 16 Giugno 2005 14:55
Sul petrolio ho proprio torto (a essere ribassista), siamo a 55.9 $ e in euro in realtà è come se fosse a 60 dollari (cioè in euro il greggio ha sfondato il massimo di inizio anno)
Ovviamente si può chiudere anche la cosa dicendo che avendo sfondato di nuovo il grafico (la trendline sui 54$) ora la proiezione è che vada a 60$ (proiezione di Fibonacci)....
Ma cercando anche di capire in effetti Andy Weisman su TSC fa un discorso sul fatto che le agenzie internazionali ed americana per l'energia semplicemente stanno assumendo nelle loro proiezioni un incremento di produzione di Russia e Arabia Saudita che non esiste. E ci può essere un "buco" di 100 milioni di barili uno "Tsunami" sul mercato.
Cioè, nel corso del 2005 la domanda salirà da 82 a 84 milioni di barili al giorno e questo OK, lo si legge sempre. La IEA e le agenzie mondiali dicono però che Russia e Arabia Saudita e OPEC sono impegnate a incrementare di 2 milioni la produzione.
Ma recenti interviste questo mese di esponenti sauditi, russi ed americani sembrano smentirlo. Secondo Weisman se si fanno i conti da qui a fine anno i 2 milioni di barili al giorno addizionali non si materializzeranno e quindi mancheranno almeno 100 milioni di barili cumulativamente, forse di più (cioè 100 giorni per almeno 1 milione di barili di deficit medio al giorno).
Cioè la strozzatura è ora e soprattutto nella raffinazione perchè il greggio addizionale disponibile è di qualità "pesante" per la quale manca la capacità di raffinazione).
Parliamo quindi qui nel breve termine e da un momento all'altro può succedere un patatrac perchè se fosse vero, con 100 milioni di barili di deficit l'impatto sul prezzo può essere la "spike" di cui parlava Goldman Sachs un mese fa, cioè 90 o 100 dollari al barile
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...........2.0 Million Barrel Per Day Increase Is Needed to Meet Demand
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) most recent estimates of supply and demand indicate that, even at prices in the mid-$50 per barrel range, global demand for oil is likely to increase by at least 2.0 million barrels per day between the fourth quarter of 2004 and the fourth quarter of 2005. Much of this increase already has occurred during the first five and a half months of this year. To meet this demand, EIA's analysis indicates a 2.0 million barrel per day increase in supplies is needed between the fourth quarter of 2004 and the fourth quarter of this year.
Expected Increase in Supply Is Only 1.0 Million Barrels Per Day
Net of expected year-over-year declines in production from the North Sea, however, the total expected increase in supply from all of the producing countries of the world other than Russia and the members of OPEC over this 12-month period is only 1.0 million barrels per day -- i.e., at least 1.0 million barrels per day short of the level EIA has concluded is necessary to meet growing world demand.
OPEC, Russia Must Increase Production To Avoid Erosions of Inventory
To avoid a rapid and potentially dangerous erosion of U.S. and global inventory levels, therefore, it is imperative that OPEC increase its production by at least 700,000 barrels per day over fourth quarter 2004 levels and Russia increase production by at least 300,000 barrels per day over fourth quarter 2004 levels. There is no other potential source of supply available if these levels are not achieved.
Saudi Arabia Has Capacity, But Not Refining Capability Is Not Available
Over the past seven weeks, however, it has become crystal clear that neither OPEC nor Russia is likely to be able to increase production significantly between now and the end of this year. It has been well known for some time that, within OPEC, only Saudi Arabia claims to have any remaining spare capacity. In early May, however, shortly after President Bush met with Crown Prince Abdullah in Crawford, Texas, it became crystal clear that this remaining capacity, to the extent it exists, is of no use in meeting current global needs.
Capacity Not 'Usable' in World Market
Specifically, both U.S. Energy Secretary Bodman and Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Niami publicly acknowledged -- and have since repeatedly reiterated -- that there is no refining capacity available that can process this oil. In the words of the Saudi Oil Minister, existing refineries "can't handle it." As a result, Saudi Arabia has been forced to take it off of the world market. As Secretary Bodman has now repeatedly stated, this capacity is therefore not "usable" in the current world market.
With No New Projects Underway, OPEC Is Maxed Out
No other OPEC member claims to have any other spare capacity available. Nor is any OPEC member expecting to bring on any major new project between now and the end of the year (with the possible exception of 100,000 barrels per day of Algerian capacity that conceivably could come on line in December, but is more likely to come on in the first quarter of next year). For all practical purposes, therefore, OPEC appears to be maxed out.
Russian Production Increase Is Unlikely As Well
This leaves it, however, at least 400,000 barrels per day short of the production levels EIA has determined are necessary to avoid a meltdown of global inventories later this year. Further, if this isn't problem enough, in an interview published in the Wall Street Journal two Fridays ago, Russian officials acknowledged what already should have been clear months ago: that there's little or no likelihood that we'll see any increase in Russian production this year.
Total Worldwide Shortfall Could Exceed 100 Million Barrels By Year End
Realistically, therefore, by the fourth quarter of this year, global production is likely to fall at least 700,000 barrels per day short of required levels. Cumulatively, between now and the end of the year, the total shortfall in supply, at a minimum, is likely to exceed 100 million barrels worldwide.
The Energy Price Tsunami of 2005, Part III
Part II explained why, between now and the end of the year, global oil supplies are likely to fall at least 100 million barrels short of expected demand at current price levels.
Global Oil Shortage Will Dwarf 70s Supply Crunch
This will dwarf the supply crunch that occurred during the 1973-74 embargo, when a cutback in deliveries of only a fraction of this magnitude was sufficient to cause a fourfold increase in oil prices. Further, there is a significant risk that the supply gap could be even greater than the 100-million-barrel total suggests.
This is because virtually every producer in the world has been producing flat-out for over a year now. Past experience suggests that, when this occurs, sudden declines in production in all likelihood are inevitable in at least some fields. If this occurs, there is no other source of supply available to make up the difference.
Yet the EIA and IEA Ignore Supply Deficiencies
Both EIA and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have blissfully ignored the supply deficiencies lurking immediately around the corner in their most recent forecasts.
In its most recent monthly Energy Outlook, for example, issued June 10, EIA continues to assume that OPEC will increase production by at least an additional 400,000 barrels per day between now and the beginning of the fourth quarter of this year and assumes that Russia will achieve approximately a 300,000-barrel-per-day increase during the same period. The EIA offers no explanation, however, of how these assumptions can be squared with Secretary Bodman's repeated public statements over the past several weeks regarding the inability of the world market to process the remaining Saudi crude.
This, in my view, should not be tolerated.
EIA's and Secretary of Energy Bodman's Statements Need To Be Squared
The U.S. has no direct means of holding the IEA accountable. The administrator of the EIA, however, reports directly to Secretary Bodman. The EIA, when it issued its monthly energy price forecast for June, explicitly represented the President, to the general public and to the financial markets in particular that, in its judgment, as the agency of the federal government responsible for assessing global supply and demand for oil, the market is likely to be adequately supplied with oil for the remainder of this year and in 2006.
This is a critical representation, the validity of which has far-reaching repercussions for the financial markets in the U.S. and around the world. Secretary Bodman's public statements over the past several weeks, however (which have been repeatedly confirmed by the Saudis), cast serious doubt on the accuracy of the EIA's assessment.
Bodman Owes Street and Public an Explanation
If a major U.S. corporation were to make public representations of such a questionable nature, on an issue within its purview with critical repercussions for the financial markets, in all likelihood there would be calls for an immediate investigation by the SEC.
The EIA, of course, is not subject to the SEC's jurisdiction. I also have no doubt that DOE officials at all times have acted in good faith -- despite the obvious basis for questioning the validity of EIA's public representations in its June 10 regarding the adequacy of current oil supplies, given Secretary Bodman's public statements over the past several weeks.
However, at a bare minimum, given the critical importance of this issue to the financial markets and the U.S. economy, Secretary of Energy Bodman owes Wall Street and the general public an explanation of how his public statements can be squared with EIA's reports.
Market Lulled Into Believing $60 Per Barrel for Oil Is Sustainable
Whether the market fully recognizes this fact or not, at this point it is largely only the assertion by the EIA that supplies will be adequate during the remainder of the year, and a parallel assertion by IEA, that is lulling the market into believing that prices below $60 per barrel are sustainable.
Unfortunately, at this point, this assertion is almost certainly baseless -- as the Secretary of Energy has acknowledged repeatedly (at least implicitly) over the past several weeks.