Switzerland cuts oil product stock requirements
Switzerland is temporarily lowering its required level of oil product stocks, with logistical issues on waterways and railways tightening supply in the country.
The Federal Office for National Economic Supply (FONES) today said the level of compulsory national stocks will be cut by 6.5pc, or 245,000m³, from 25 July to the beginning of September.
How this is broken down between products is unclear, but the total would equate to around 1.5mn bl of product, the equivalent of more than 205,000t of diesel or 180,000t of gasoline.
The relaxing of compulsory stock levels is aimed at ensuring oil product supply. FONES noted a prolonged drought has lowered water levels on the Rhine, limiting loading capacities of barges on which Switzerland is reliant for supply, and staff shortages and construction work are causing sizeable delays to cross-border railway traffic.
Earlier this month Rhine water levels at the Kaub bottleneck were just 88cm, meaning barges heading for Kalsruhe and Basel could only be loaded at around 30-40pc of their capacity. Barge broker Riverlake said today Kaub water levels are 80cm and will fall to 72cm in the next three days, which would reduce barge loading abilities even further.
As water levels have hit record lows, barge availability has dipped and freight rates have hit record highs. Barge rates from Rotterdam to Cologne are €35/t today, according to Riverlake, compared with €25.50/t on 14 July. Rates from Rotterdam to Birsfelden in Switzerland hit 125 Swiss francs/t ($139/t), from SFr120/t on 21 July. That is almost twice as high as on 14 July, when rates from the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) hub to Switzerland were SFr75/t, and is only SFr20/t below the highs set in the fourth quarter of 2018, when low Rhine water levels severely hindered supply to inland markets.
Liquidity in the German diesel barge market at ARA has evaporated in recent weeks. Just over 4,000t of spot product changed hands in July to date in the afternoon trading window, compared with more than 13,000t in June, 5,000t in May, and more than 90,000t in April.
The last time compulsory Swiss product stock levels were cut was also in 2018.
Related news posts
German diesel prices drop with demand low
German diesel prices drop with demand low
Hamburg, 22 July (Argus) — German middle distillate prices fell in the week to 19 July, as declining Ice gasoil futures coupled with low domestic demand. The extent of the price drop varied significantly across regions. Traders in areas with the lowest prices made only minor downward adjustments, while prices fell most sharply in those regions that were relatively expensive. This is because of varying supply and demand situations. At the Miro consortium's 310,000 b/d Karlsruhe refinery, oversupply of diesel has been decreasing steadily in recent weeks. The build up has led to a significant price drop at the end of June, but suppliers no longer seem compelled to significantly lower their prices to attract buyers. In southern Germany at Shell's 334,000 b/d Rhineland refinery, spot supply of diesel is being rationed. Scheduled maintenance work at the Bayernoil consortium's 215,000 b/d Neustadt-Vohburg refinery and a resulting shortage of spot offers are cushioning the price drop. Around the Rhineland refinery the price decrease was relatively small, as a previously defective plant for diesel production in the 147,000 b/d Wesseling part of the plant was only ramped up at the beginning of the past week. Spot offers will be limited until stocks are refilled, traders said. The largest price drop was in northern Germany, again primarily a result of diesel oversupply. Imports of diesel into northern Germany in July are at their lowest since February, as domestic supply is sufficient to meet regional demand. An importer said demand is so low that contract volumes imported by cargo are barely being sold. Another importer has reduced its barge term volumes in view of weak diesel demand. Importers are worried that the situation will not change fundamentally until at least autumn, when maintenance work begins at TotalEnergies' 236,000 b/d Leuna refinery and at the 187,000 b/d Godorf section of the Rhineland complex. By Johannes Guhlke Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Газпром нефть направляет битум на собственное дорожное строительство
Газпром нефть направляет битум на собственное дорожное строительство
Moscow, 22 July (Argus) — Газпром нефть расширила географию поставок битумных материалов внутри России, объединив битумное производство с услугами по строительству и ремонту дорог. В текущем году компания Газпромнефть – Дорожное строительство обустроит 150 км автомобильных покрытий в Пермском крае, используя битум, произведенный на мощностях Газпром нефти, сообщили в компании. С 2021 г. компания выполнила устройство 400 км участков автомобильных трасс в 11 регионах России. Газпромнефть – Дорожное строительство входит в периметр битумного бизнеса Газпром нефти наряду с компанией Газпромнефть – Битумные материалы. Газпром нефть производит гудрон и битум на Московском и Омском НПЗ, на мощностях Ярославского НПЗ Славнефти и на специализированных заводах в Рязанской, Смоленской и Ростовской областях. Кроме того, компания использует для выпуска битумных материалов сторонние процессинговые площадки – одна из них расположена в Перми. По данным Газпром нефти, на строительстве дорог в Пермском крае используется 50 тыс. т/год битумных вяжущих из ресурса компании. Часть этого объема битумных вяжущих Газпром нефть направляет на собственный асфальтобетонный завод в Перми мощностью 200 тыс. т/год готовой продукции. В текущем году асфальтобетон с данного завода используется для обустройства участков федеральных трасс М-7 Волга и Р-242 Пермь – Екатеринбург и участков региональных автодорог Пермь – Березники и Большая Соснова – Частые, сообщил генеральный директор компании Газпромнефть – Дорожное строительство Михаил Поздняков. При производстве асфальтобетона в Перми Газпром нефть использует в том числе полимерно-битумные вяжущие материалы (ПБВ), которые позволяют увеличить стойкость дорожного полотна к образованию колеи. Компания Газпромнефть – Дорожное строительство создана в 2021 г. Пилотными проектами компании стали автодороги на месторождениях Газпром нефти в Ханты-Мансийском и Ямало-Ненецком автономных округах. Позднее компания приступила к устройству асфальтобетонных оснований и покрытий на региональных и федеральных трассах. Газпромнефть – Дорожное строительство производит асфальтобетон, рецептура которого учитывает особенности конкретной магистрали, и располагает собственным парком специализированной дорожной техники. Вы можете присылать комментарии по адресу или запросить дополнительную информацию feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Группа Argus Media . Все права защищены.
ExxonMobil Joliet refinery may be limited for 3 weeks
ExxonMobil Joliet refinery may be limited for 3 weeks
Houston, 19 July (Argus) — It could take up to three weeks for ExxonMobil's 252,000 b/d Joliet refinery in Channahon, Illinois, to resume normal operations after severe weather caused a facility-wide shutdown Monday . The company has limited its unbranded fuel supply in the region and placed customers on allocation, according to buyers. Restoring power and ramping-up the refinery to full operations could take up to three weeks, lasting well into August. ExxonMobil confirmed this afternoon that power has not been restored to the plant and previously declined to comment on a time line for a return to normal operations as it assesses damage at the plant. Channahon's emergency management director told Argus that Monday's tornado skirted the refinery and it faced no direct damage. US Interstate 55 which borders Exxon's refinery was closed due to downed power lines, but these have since been cleared and the road re-opened. By Nathan Risser Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Trump vows to target 'green' spending, EV rules
Trump vows to target 'green' spending, EV rules
Washington, 19 July (Argus) — Former president Donald Trump promised to redirect US green energy spending to other projects, throw out electric vehicle (EV) rules and increase drilling, in a speech Thursday night formally accepting the Republican presidential nomination. Trump's acceptance speech, delivered at the Republican National Convention, offered the clearest hints yet at his potential plans for dismantling the Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. Without explicitly naming the two laws, Trump said he would claw back unspent funds for the "Green New Scam," a shorthand he has used in the past to criticize spending on wind, solar, EVs, energy infrastructure and climate resilience. "All of the trillions of dollars that are sitting there not yet spent, we will redirect that money for important projects like roads, bridges, dams, and we will not allow it to be spent on the meaningless Green New Scam ideas," Trump said during the final night of the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump and his campaign have yet to clearly detail their plans for the two laws, which collectively provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of federal tax credits and direct spending for renewable energy, EVs, clean hydrogen, carbon capture, sustainable aviation fuel, biofuels, nuclear and advanced manufacturing. Repealing those programs outright could be politically difficult because a majority of spending from the two laws have flowed to districts represented by Republican lawmakers. The speech was Trump's first public remarks since he was grazed by a bullet in an assassination attempt on 13 July. Trump used the shooting to call for the country to unite, but he repeatedly slipped back into the divisive rhetoric of his campaign and his grievances against President Joe Biden, who he claimed was the worst president in US history. Trump vowed to "end the electric vehicle mandate" on the first day of his administration, in an apparent reference to tailpipe rules that are expected to result in about 54pc of new cars and trucks sales being battery-only EVs by model year 2032. Trump also said that unless automakers put their manufacturing facilities in the US, he would put tariffs of 100-200pc on imported vehicles. To tackle inflation, Trump said he would bring down interest rates, which are controlled by the US Federal Reserve, an agency that historically acts independently from the White House. Trump also said he would bring down prices for energy through a policy of "drill, baby, drill" and cutting regulations. Trump also vowed to pursue tax cuts, tariffs and the "largest deportation in history," all of which independent economists say would add to inflation. The Republican convention unfolded as Biden, who is isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, faces a growing chorus of top Democratic lawmakers pressuring him to drop out of the presidential race. Democrats plan to select their presidential nominee during an early virtual roll-call vote or at the Democratic National Convention on 19-22 August. By Chris Knigh t Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Business intelligence reports
Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.
Learn more