Chart 1: Mt. Belvieu - ETR

Opportunities in propane prices

December 30, 2024 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal looks ahead at propane prices in the new year and beyond, and explains the relationship between propane and crude oil.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, crude oil, financial swaps, Mark Rachal, propane price, propane prices, propane pricing, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog, Featured

Chart 1: Crude Weekly Commercial Inventories 2019 Forward (Chart: Cost Management Solutions)

Tighter refined fuels inventories could be ahead

February 26, 2024 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal, director of research and publications at Cost Management Solutions, discusses the impacts of a tighter inventory for refined fuels this summer.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, domestic demand, exports, Mark Rachal, natural gas liquids, NGLs, propane demand, propane exports, propane inventories, propane supply and demand, Trader's Corner, weather, winter and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 1: Total Propane Demand (Chart: Cost Management Solutions)

Propane demand continues at record high

February 20, 2024 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal says it may take a while to relieve some of the recent pressure on prices but thinks inventory tightness is more temporary than systemic.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, domestic demand, exports, Mark Rachal, natural gas liquids, NGLs, propane demand, propane exports, propane inventories, propane supply and demand, Trader's Corner, weather, winter and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 1: Crude and Propane Closing Prices (Chart: Cost Management Solutions)

Back to backwardation for crude

February 12, 2024 By Mark Rachal

This week, Mark Rachal of Cost Management Solutions explains why fundamentals are not the only factors impacting commodities trading.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, domestic demand, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, propane demand, propane inventories, propane prices, propane pricing, propane supply and demand, Trader's Corner, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), weather, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), winter and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 1: Total United States Propane/Propylene Inventory 2019 Forward (Cost Management Solutions)

Propane market reaches normalization

February 5, 2024 By Mark Rachal

Despite the recent decline in inventories and the rise in prices, the propane market simply has gone from abnormally bearish to more normalized.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, domestic demand, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, propane demand, propane inventories, propane prices, propane pricing, propane supply and demand, Trader's Corner, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), weather, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), winter and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 2: Total US Propane/Propylene Inventory (Cost Management Solutions)

Propane is a cheap Btu

October 30, 2023 By Mark Rachal

Cost Management Solutions’ Mark Rachal, director of research and publications, discusses propane’s relative value to crude and inventory options this winter.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, crude inventory, financial hedging, inventory, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, propane fundamentals, propane inventories, propane inventory, propane prices, Trader's Corner, weather, West Texas Intermediate (WTI), winter and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 1: Cushing Weekly Inventories, 2018-2023

Cushing trading hub for crude becomes central focus

October 2, 2023 By Mark Rachal

Crude inventories are reaching seriously low levels in Cushing, Oklahoma, a major trading hub for the U.S. Read more about the impacts on the market.

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This article is tagged with Conway, Cost Management Solutions, crude, crude inventory, crude prices, crude production, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, Oklahoma, propane demand, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 3: US Propane/Propylene Demand 2018 Forward

Propane prices turn lower

September 25, 2023 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal, director of research and publications with Cost Management Solutions, gives an overview of propane prices headed into winter.

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This article is tagged with Conway, Cost Management Solutions, crude, crude prices, crude production, domestic demand, El Niño, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), propane demand, propane prices, Trader's Corner, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 3: US Propane/Propylene Demand 2018 Forward (Chart: Cost Management Solutions)

Domestic propane demand is recovering

August 7, 2023 By Mark Rachal

This week, Cost Management Solutions’ Mark Rachal examines the changes in domestic propane demand and what that might mean for the upcoming winter.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, crude inventory, crude prices, crude production, domestic demand, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, propane fundamentals, propane prices, propane traders, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 2: Crude and Propane Closing Prices (Cost Management Solutions)

Part IV: Evaluating the state of crude prices

July 31, 2023 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal, director of research and publications with Cost Management Solutions, continues to evaluate the current state of crude prices.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, crude inventory, crude prices, crude production, Mark Rachal, propane fundamentals, propane prices, Trader's Corner, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), U.S. propane market and posted in Blue Flame Blog