Posts by Mark Rachal

Crude production declines; prices surge Posted on 06 Apr 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal continues his analysis of the U.S.-Iran war's impacts on crude, focusing on crude production. Read more»

US crude position in the second month of the US-Iran war Posted on 30 Mar 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal looks at U.S. crude prices and inventories as the conflict between the United States and Iran continues. Read more»

Overseas markets lift US propane prices Posted on 23 Mar 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal compares U.S. and overseas crude benchmarks and their impacts on propane prices. Read more»

Closing of Strait of Hormuz impacts energy exports Posted on 16 Mar 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal explains the threat Iran poses to energy shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Read more»

Impacts of US-Iran conflict on propane market Posted on 09 Mar 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal explains how the current conflict between the United States and Iran is impacting the global propane market. Read more»

Making sense of volatile crude inventories Posted on 02 Mar 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal parses through the first quarter of U.S. crude inventories data. Read more»

Impacts of Winter Storm Fern on propane market fading Posted on 23 Feb 2026 in the Featured & Blue Flame Blog categories.

This week, Mark Rachal shares how propane supply and demand are normalizing after the effects of Winter Storm Fern. Read more»

Steady propane prices for 2025-26 winter Posted on 17 Feb 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal explains why propane prices have been steady this winter. Read more»

Propane inventories decline more than average Posted on 09 Feb 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal examines the recent greater-than-average decline in propane inventories. Read more»

Propane rejection and its causes Posted on 03 Feb 2026 in the Blue Flame Blog & Featured categories.

Mark Rachal, director of research and publications at Cost Management Solutions, explains the concept of propane rejection. Read more»