Posts by Mark Rachal

Strategies for managing high propane prices Posted on 28 Sep 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal of Cost Management Solutions says propane fundamentals and crude price outlooks suggest high propane prices are here to stay this winter. Read more»

Strategies for managing rapidly rising propane prices Posted on 21 Sep 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Propane is currently trading at highs for the year, even taking into consideration the “spike” in Conway prices in February. Read more»

Robust propane demand limiting inventory build Posted on 14 Sep 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Propane retailers must go into their peak demand period assuming they will continue to see strong competition for the available supply. Read more»

Propane inventory build goes from bad to worse Posted on 07 Sep 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

With the disappointing week 35 build in the books, U.S. propane inventory is 25.94 million barrels, or 27.2 percent, below this time last year. Read more»

Last week’s warning signals didn’t pan out Posted on 31 Aug 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Trader’s Corner, a weekly partnership with Cost Management Solutions, analyzes propane supply and pricing trends. This week, Mark Rachal, director of research and publications, explains why a small shift in propane... Read more»

Small shift in propane price strength worth noting Posted on 24 Aug 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

This week, Mark Rachal, director of research and publications, explains why a small shift in propane price strength is worth noting. Read more»

Conway propane prices hold unusual premium over Mont Belvieu Posted on 17 Aug 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Propane’s price may get to the point of curbing the demand from PDH units, but most analysts don’t think that is happening anytime soon. Read more»

How supply impacts propane inventory levels Posted on 10 Aug 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Propane inventory is declining, and the underlying data tells us why. Mark Rachal explains how supply impacts propane inventory levels. Read more»

What drives propane inventory levels? Posted on 03 Aug 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Mark Rachal, director of research and publications for Cost Management Solutions, addresses the fundamental drivers of propane inventory levels. Read more»

Should propane retailers care about rising natural gas prices? Posted on 28 Jul 2021 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Propane prices are mostly influenced by crude’s price, not natural gas’s price. But the vast majority of propane supply comes from natural gas processing. Read more»