Posts by Mark Rachal

Analyzing U.S. propane production, supply trends Posted on 02 Nov 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

This past week, we got an email from one of our clients expressing confusion about U.S. propane production. It did not make sense to him why, with oil and gas... Read more»

Propane inventory draws go against expectations Posted on 22 Oct 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

The last two Weekly Petroleum Status Reports from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) have shown a decline in total U.S. propane inventory. Read more»

Conway gains in value relative to Mont Belvieu Posted on 15 Oct 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Despite high inventory levels at the propane trading hubs currently, we remain concerned about the potential for local market supply shortages during high winter demand periods. Read more»

Advice on demand for domestic propane retailers Posted on 07 Oct 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

The more the industry can bill and operate like a utility company and move away from the buy-and-mark-up model of a service station, the better. Read more»

Has U.S. crude production peaked? Posted on 29 Sep 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas released the results of a survey of oil industry executives last week. The survey found that 66 percent of the 154 executives surveyed believe that U.S. crude production has peaked. Read more»

Propane inventory builds to record high for this time of year Posted on 18 Sep 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

For the week ending Sept. 4, U.S. propane inventory was at 97.380 million barrels - a record high for this time of year and 5.424 million barrels below its all-time high. Read more»

Crude prices trend downward as demand growth stalls Posted on 09 Sep 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Cost Management Solutions' benchmark prices are at 50 cents per gallon for Mont Belvieu LST and $42 per barrel for WTI crude, but there is potential for a drop. Read more»

Propane market surprised by inventory draw Posted on 25 Aug 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

The EIA reported a surprising and unusual draw of 41,000 barrels in U.S. propane inventory, which came when industry analysts expected a 2.31 million-barrel build. Read more»

Don’t be overly bearish about propane just yet Posted on 19 Aug 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Developments in crude production and pricing should be watched carefully to see how that translates to propane production and pricing leading up to winter. Read more»

Adjusting benchmarks for crude, propane prices Posted on 11 Aug 2020 in the Blue Flame Blog categories.

Cost Management Solutions saw prices move outside of the benchmarks for both crude and propane in the weeks after it shared its current short-term benchmarks with readers. Read more»