Chuvas no Rio Grande do Sul alagam o estado
O estado do Rio Grande do Sul continua sendo afetado pelas fortes chuvas que começaram em 29 de abril, levando o governo a decretar estado de emergência em 2 de maio.
Os maiores volumes de chuva atingiram as áreas centrais do Rio Grande do Sul, com cidades recebendo chuvas entre 150mm a 500mm, de acordo com dados da Empresa de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural (Emater-RS) do Rio Grande do Sul. A estação de monitoramento da cidade de Restinga Seca, no centro do estado, registrou o recorde de quase 540mm.
As chuvas no Rio Grande do Sul superaram 135mm na maior parte do estado, de acordo com o Instituto de Meteorologia dos Estados Unidos (Noaa, na sigla em inglês). Enquanto isso, nas demais regiões do Brasil prevaleceu o clima seco.
O NOAA espera que as chuvas diminuíam nesta semana, mas as condições climáticas adversas devem continuar.
Até 3 de maio, 154 trechos de 68 rodovias estavam totalmente ou parcialmente bloqueadas, de acordo com a Defesa Civil do estado.
A usina hidrelétrica 14 de julho, com capacidade de 100MW, também foi afetada e teve sua operação parcialmente rompida.
O porto do Rio Grande não suspendeu as operações, porém a movimentação está mais lenta. Apesar das chuvas intensas, as taxas de demurrage e o tempo de espera para atracação e desembarque ficou estável em $1/tonelada (t) e os custos totais para a movimentação de fertilizantes permaneceram em $19/t.
Porém, participantes de mercado esperam que a situação mude nos próximos dias, o que deve aumentar as taxas de demurrage. Se a chuva não parar e os níveis do Rio Guaíba continuarem subindo, é provável que algumas áreas do porto inundem nos próximos dias, como aconteceu no porto de Porto Alegre.
Em meio a movimentação de carga mais lenta, dificuldades logísticas e a demanda para serviços de transporte de fertilizantes, que já estava baixa, o frete de fertilizante na rota Rio Grande-Dourados, monitorada semanalmente pela Argus, caiu em média R$20/t, para R$225-250/t.
Excesso de chuva pode prejudicar safra de soja
O Rio Grande do Sul está colhendo a safra de soja 2023-24, que deve ser a segunda maior do país nesta temporada.
Os trabalhos alcançaram 76pc da área esperada no estado até 2 de maio, avanço de 10 pontos percentuais na semana, apesar do excesso de chuvas, segundo a Emater-RS.
Os agricultores aproveitaram as janelas mais curtas de clima favorável— ou quando as chuvas diminuíram — para intensificar as atividades de campo, especialmente nas áreas em que eram esperadas produtividades maiores e que não foram profundamente afetadas pela seca no início do ano.
Os níveis de umidade dos grãos colhidos são considerados acima da média e vão necessitar de mais investimentos no processo de secagem. Algumas áreas reportaram germinação prematura e queda das plantas em razão do excesso de umidade.
A Emater-RS mantém a produtividade média do estado projetada em 3.329 kg/hectare (ha), com os resultados recentes permanecendo dentro das projeções anteriores, de acordo com o boletim de 2 de maio, divulgado semanalmente pelo órgão. Com isso, ainda é esperado que a produção de soja do Rio Grande do Sul alcance o recorde de 22,2 milhões de t.
No entanto, participantes de mercado concordam que as projeções para o estado devem cair nas próximas semana, uma vez que os estudos de campo começam avaliar com precisão os prejuízos causados pelo excesso de chuvas.
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Houston, 23 September (Argus) — The US Coast Guard (USGC) placed further restrictions on traffic on the lower Mississippi River as water levels continue to deteriorate. The USCG on 22 September announced that all northbound traffic cannot have draught deeper than 9.5ft from Tunica, Louisiana, to Greenville, Mississippi. For Greenville to Tiptonville, Mississippi, barges must remain above a 9ft draught, the shallowest draught channel allowed for the lower Mississippi River by the US Army Corps of Engineers. All northbound transit also cannot load more than four barges wide or configure more than five barges wide. Southbound traffic from Tiptonville to Greenville cannot be more than six barges wide or deeper than 9.5ft. Greenville to Tunica southbound barges can load as deep as 10ft but cannot be more than seven barges wide. All locations between Cairo, Illinois, and Greenville fell back to their low water threshold over the weekend as rainfall from Hurricane Francine flowed down the river. More grain has moved downriver this year compared with last year as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects higher US grain exports in the 2024-25 marketing year. Around 367,000 short tons of grain moved for the week ended 14 September, which is about double the same period a year earlier, the USDA said. Both south and northbound movement is expected to see a heavier pace in October. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Vancouver Aframax rates climb to 2-month highs
Vancouver Aframax rates climb to 2-month highs
Houston, 23 September (Argus) — Aframax rates for Canadian crude oil exports from Vancouver rose to two-month highs last week after more direct shipments to Asia-Pacific and four fuel-oil cargoes exported from California cleared out tonnage. The Vancouver-US west coast Aframax rate rose on 20 September to Worldscale (WS) 155, or $2.03/bl for Cold Lake crude, the highest since 18 July, according to Argus data, after Shell provisionally booked a vessel at that level for a shipment to the Pacific Area Lightering zone (PAL) loading in early October. Similarly, the Aframax rate for a direct shipment from Vancouver to China on 20 September was $3mn lumpsum, or $5.49/bl for Cold Lake, the highest since 25 July, according to Argus data. Since 20 August, 10 Aframaxes have hauled crude from Vancouver to destinations in Asia-Pacific, including China, Japan, South Korea and Brunei, with one more such export possible by the end of September, ship tracking data from Vortexa show, compared with just nine in May-July. The rise in direct Vancouver-Asia shipments has coincided with four rare fuel oil cargoes exported on Aframaxes from Chevron's 245,000 b/d Richmond, California, refinery to destinations across the Pacific. Those exports came after a possible unplanned shutdown at one of the refinery's secondary units, traders said. One of those Aframaxes, the Shell-operated Pacific Ruby , carried Vancouver crude to the US west coast three times since the Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) came online in May. Aframaxes in the "dirty" tanker fleet can load crude oil or fuel oil cargoes. Direct transpacific shipments remove vessels from the west coast North America market for about 45 days. Muted activity at PAL With more crude going directly to east Asia, no ship-to-ship transfers of Vancouver oil onto very large crude carriers (VLCCs) have occurred since 25 August, Vortexa data show, likely due to a rise in VLCC rates. The rate for a VLCC voyage from the US west coast to China was $3.35mn lumpsum on 20 September, a rate last reached on 20 August and prior to that in May. All-in, the cost to reverse lighter three 550,000 bl shipments of Cold Lake crude from Vancouver onto a VLCC at PAL, then ship to China, was $8.38mn, or $5.11/bl, on 20 September, including $150,000 ship-to-ship transfer costs at PAL, 15 days of VLCC demurrage and three days of Aframax demurrage for each reverse lightering. By Tray Swanson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Vancouver sulphur exports rise 20pc in Aug
Vancouver sulphur exports rise 20pc in Aug
London, 23 September (Argus) — Sulphur exports from Canada's Vancouver port reached 320,000t in August, rising by 20pc from July. Exports in August went to China at 180,000t, Australia at 69,000t, the US at 50,000t and New Zealand at 21,000t. Last month's bumper exports pushed the total for the first eight months of this year 15pc above the same period last year at 2.27mn t, on disruptions to loading schedules in July last year because of a 13-day strike . An anticipated port strike this year has so far been averted. But the risk remains, as there has been no update regarding the progress of negotiations between the International Warehouse and Longshore Union Canada and the British Columbian Maritime Employers Association. Both parties are awaiting a ruling by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board, following a hearing that ran from 11-17 September. Neither party has issued a 72-hour strike or lockout notice . September's rail strikes were also short-lived this year, and the disruption minimal . Wildfires pose a further risk, after they caused outages last year to delivery schedules from production sites to Vancouver port. While the impact has been limited this year, with some oil sands operations reducing staffing, there is still some time before the risk of them abates . There is also more de-blocking taking place, with product melted from long-term storage at Alberta's substantial sulphur blocks to reduce block size and move stored product to export markets. This is expected to accelerate, and maintain higher exports despite reducing production from some oils sands plants and upgraders, as new forming capacity lifts remelting and reforming. The new South Cheecham priller is finally operational after long-standing operational issues from January to May . By Maria Mosquera Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
MET Group aims to become global energy company
MET Group aims to become global energy company
Houston, 23 September (Argus) — Switzerland-based MET Group strives to become a global integrated energy company with a footprint across Europe, Asia and the US, its chief executive Benjamin Lakatos told Argus . MET dreamed of entering the LNG market for 16-17 years but knew that it had to "grow up" first, its chief executive Benjamin Lakatos told Argus on the sidelines of the Gastech conference in Houston last week. The firm now has a sufficient size to take on fob contracts, Lakatos said — it signed its first long-term deal for US LNG on a fob basis in July. MET's revenue was nearly €25bn ($28bn) in 2023. The firm has already been buying spot LNG for 4-5 years. It has long-term regasification capacity in Germany, Spain and Croatia, and unloaded LNG in eight countries last year. MET is now setting its sights on the Asian market, where it is looking to start both gas sales and gas supply sourcing through its subsidiary in Singapore that opened last year. It is also looking for additional potential US LNG supply. "But we don't want to do it too fast," Lakatos said. Lakatos did not exclude the possibility of getting involved in the upstream sector as well. Owning upstream assets and having fixed costs "is a kind of insurance against market de-efficiencies", Lakatos said — by which he means "too big" price differentials, for example between Europe and the US. In the medium term, firms can only stay competitive in LNG if they are involved "in all three key regions — Asia, US sourcing, Europe", Lakatos said. "We need to play this optimisation between the three territories." A large part of the value in selling LNG will start to shift between continents, he said. But while this strategy is "easy to execute and understand" for the largest global companies, it is more challenging for smaller ones such as MET, Lakatos said. Lakatos said that although he would like to see a convergence of global gas prices over time, the market's structure is too segmented to allow this. Today, only a few companies are involved in the whole US LNG value chain, from extracting the gas, to liquefying it, shipping it and then regasifying the supply and selling it to Europe. "Everyone has his own home currency or price reference, everyone is asking for relatively big risk securities." MET's number one priority within Europe for the next five years is growing its sales in the retail sector, Lakatos said. The firm is starting to push higher retail sales in France. It will also restart in Germany and is targeting higher sales in Italy and Spain too. The MET head described his firm's trading style as "a little bit opportunistic", with traders taking advantage of changing price differentials. MET is also interested in the Baltics because it believes that the region is undervalued by international investors owing to the geopolitical situation, Lakatos said. "Investors do not consider the very stabilising factors such as the EU and Nato membership of these countries, or the euro currency." One of the business areas MET will be looking at in the Baltics is fertilisers. Expanding into fertilisers MET is trying to expand its value chain into the European fertilisers sector, in view of declining European gas consumption, as it strives to stay competitive. Lakatos said he is concerned that Europe will soon become heavily dependent on imports of fertiliser, just as it is on gas imports. Without support, the heavily gas-intensive European fertiliser industry will continue to struggle because of high gas prices, Lakatos said. MET is working on a new product for fertiliser companies, in which it would have the option of supplying either ammonia or natural gas, as both can be used to run the plants. The firm has spoken to potential suppliers but it will take 1-2 years to build up its expertise, Lakatos said. By Natasha Fielding Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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