Chart 1: Crude oil - WTI

Declining crude oil supply supports higher propane prices

August 11, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal explains how current trends in crude drilling and production are impacting propane buyers.

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This article is tagged with Cost Management Solutions, crude oil, Mark Rachal, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Trader's Corner, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and posted in Blue Flame Blog, Featured

Global events have driven the price of diesel higher. (Photo: ronniechua/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)

How to use swaps as price protection

August 4, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal details the process of using swaps as price protection when buying propane.

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This article is tagged with Conway, Cost Management Solutions, financial hedging, Mark Rachal, Mont Belvieu, propane traders, Trader's Corner and posted in Blue Flame Blog

Chart 1: Total US propane/propylene inventory

Draw on propane inventories is a setback for buyers

July 29, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal, director of research and publications, unravels the unexpected draw on propane inventories this July.

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

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

Patience is paying off in propane price protection

July 22, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal stresses the importance of not locking in price protection above the 10-year average price.

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

Chart 1: Crude price and active U.S. oil rigs

Understanding recent crude fundamentals changes

July 14, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal looks at crude fundamentals and their importance to propane buyers.

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

Chart 1: Total Propane Demand

More on propane demand

July 8, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal takes a closer look at propane demand.

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

$Chart 4: Fractionated vs non-fractionated propane inventories$

Revisiting propane inventories

July 1, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal is happy to say that propane inventories could be considered fixed … almost.

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

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

Bad propane pricing environment could have been worse

June 24, 2025 By Mark Rachal

Mark Rachal explains the current propane pricing environment.

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

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

Propane inventories helped, not fixed

June 9, 2025 By Mark Rachal

This week, Mark Rachal reports on the state of U.S. propane inventories.

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

Chart 1: U.S. propane demand (Chart courtesy of Cost Management Solutions)

New propane export capacity coming online amid tariff policy swings

June 3, 2025 By Brian Richesson

Import and export markets have been a key topic of discussion so far this year amid the Trump administration’s wide-ranging tariff policies.

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