Chart 1: Crude weekly commercial inventories

Making sense of volatile crude inventories

March 2, 2026 By Mark Rachal

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

This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude inventory, crude oil, crude production, gasoline, Mark Rachal, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Impacts of Winter Storm Fern on propane market fading

February 23, 2026 By Mark Rachal

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

This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, Mark Rachal, propane demand, propane prices, propane supply, Trader's Corner and posted in Featured, Blue Flame Blog

Steady propane prices for 2025-26 winter

February 17, 2026 By Mark Rachal

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

This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, Mark Rachal, propane prices, Trader's Corner, winter and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 1: Total U.S. propane/propylene inventory

Propane inventories decline more than average

February 9, 2026 By Mark Rachal

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

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

Chart 1: Daily prices natural gas – 2025-2026 (Chart courtesy of Cost Management Solutions)

Propane rejection and its causes

February 3, 2026 By Mark Rachal

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

This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, Mark Rachal, natural gas, propane demand, Trader's Corner, winter and posted in Blue Flame Blog, Featured

Chart 1: Top U.S. propane export destinations (Chart courtesy of Cost Management Solutions)

Breaking down US propane exports by destination

January 26, 2026 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal examines key export destinations of U.S. propane to see if any of those destinations had a significant decrease in volume in 2025.

This article is tagged with China, Cost Management Solutions, exports, Mark Rachal, propane exports, propane inventories, tariffs, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Propane exports slow; inventories soar

January 20, 2026 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal examines the connection between the slowdown in U.S. propane exports and high propane inventories.

This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, COVID-19, Mark Rachal, propane exports, propane inventories, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Venezuelan oil. (Image: Andrii Zorii/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

How events in Venezuela affect US crude supply

January 13, 2026 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal explores how the U.S. military’s recent actions in Venezuela could impact U.S. crude oil supply.

This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude, crude oil, Donald Trump, Mark Rachal, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog, Featured

Propane inventory build is a shocker

January 6, 2026 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal makes sense of the surprise build in propane inventories from the end of 2025.

This article is tagged with Gulf Coast, Gulf Coast propane inventory, Mark Rachal, propane demand, propane inventories, propane inventory, Trader's Corner, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and posted in Blue Flame Blog, Featured

Chart 1: Belvieu propane percentage of crude

Reflecting on the past year of propane

December 30, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal looks back at how propane has behaved this year.

This article is tagged with Conway, crude, crude oil, heating oil, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, propane, propane traders, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog, Featured

TAG: Mark Rachal