Skip to main content
THU

07

MAR 2019
Rally overlooks rising Chinese crude inventories

Oil prices have rebounded since late December on signs that OPEC production cuts are working.

That’s the conventional wisdom. But what exactly are those signs? And could it be traders are overlooking evidence pointing the other way?

The argument for stronger fundamentals is based partly on US crude inventories.

US stocks have increased, which is typical for this time of year because refineries take units offline for scheduled maintenance.

WED

27

FEB 2019
Blog categories
What you missed in London this week: IP Week

In the first part of our two-blog series, highlighting the key takeaways from a week spent in London, we wrote about a roundtable discussion in which we participated hosted by the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (Kapsarc).

THU

21

FEB 2019
Blog categories
Waiting for El Sharara to return

Draw a line 700 km south of Tripoli through the Libyan desert and you will discover something unexpected: a town replete with a massive swimming pool, airway landing strip and modern housing accommodations.

This isn’t a hidden resort. It’s the main facility for Libya’s largest oilfield called El Sharara.

The field can produce around 315,000 barrels per day.

THU

14

FEB 2019
Can Latin America replace Venezuelan exports?

Two weeks have passed since the US imposed sanctions against Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, yet the fallout remains the biggest story in the oil market.

Where will US Gulf Coast refiners find heavy sour barrels to make up for Venezuelan supply that have been a staple of their diet?

That question shows the primary concern hasn’t been over the quantity lost as much as the quality lost.

FRI

08

FEB 2019
Blog categories
Infographic: China Oil Storage

China's oil inventories are widely regarded as a key indicator of global demand. Utilizing this data has been challenging because until recently traders and analysts had to rely upon government sources.

In this infographic, we explain some of the ways to use Ursa's China storage data gathered from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to gain trading advantages.

THU

07

FEB 2019
Blog categories
The path ahead: US sanctions Venezuelan oil

Will Venezuela be able to find buyers of its oil to replace customers lost as a result of US sanctions?

At stake is approximately 500,000 barrels per day exported by state-owned PDVSA to US refineries. That’s almost one-half of Venezuelan daily output.

THU

31

JAN 2019
Blog categories
Was Saudi Arabia tapping its crude stocks in November?

It may feel like ages ago, but a few months back the question raging in the oil market was whether Saudi Arabia had enough spare capacity to prevent the supply crunch about to ensue when US sanctions drove Iranian exports to zero.

The guarded nature surrounding Saudi Arabia’s oil industry only stoked the debate.

TUE

29

JAN 2019
Blog categories
Ursa and SI Imaging Services Announce Further Collaboration On Satellite Analytics

Ursa Space Systems, Inc. (Ursa) and SI Imaging Services (SIIS) have signed a multi-year contract, establishing Ursa’s continued access to KOMPSAT 5 radar satellite imagery, distributed exclusively by SIIS.

THU

24

JAN 2019
Blog categories
What you missed in Houston this week

A few of us traveled this week to attend the Argus Americas Crude Summit. Ursa was one of the conference sponsors.

FRI

18

JAN 2019
Blog categories
Tanker loadings spell volatility for LOOP storage

The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port holds the enviable title as the only US facility capable of fully loading a supertanker with crude.

US crude exports have boomed since legal restrictions on exports were lifted in late 2015. The supply of light, sweet crude far exceeds the demand by domestic refiners, many of which were configured to run on heavy, sour barrels.

LOOP began to fully load supertankers in February. An average loading is roughly 2 million barrels per VLCC.