Commodities Focus Podcast
471 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 3 years ago - ★★★★ - 16 ratingsListen to our analysis of key news and pricing issues from across the global natural gas, power, and coal markets.
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Episodes
Brazilian ethanol trading and pricing dynamics amid COVID-19
September 25, 2020 22:00 - 15 minutes - 7.21 MBIn a year of high volatility in the energy basket and more uncertainties than in recent history, S&P Global Platts editors discuss the main aspects that have been supporting Brazilian ethanol prices, despite the turmoil at the beginning of the 2020-21 Center-South crop and plunging demand in...
Containerized soybeans, wheat, and corn from the US to Southeast Asia on the rise
September 24, 2020 13:30 - 14 minutes - 20.6 MBWith trans-Pacific container rates at an all-time high, even more containers are flowing from Asia to the US. The return leg is a different story, however, with empty space frequently seen on board. The US agriculture industry has spotted this crack, and expectations are high that containerized...
After Gastech, a sprint toward 2021 for the LNG sector and decision-making for projects
September 23, 2020 22:00 - 18 minutes - 8.52 MBIn the latest installment of the S&P Global Platts Commodities Focus podcast, Harry Weber, Platts senior natural gas writer in Houston, and Stuart Elliott, editorial lead, Generating Fuels News, in London, discuss with Platts senior digital editor Jason Lindquist themes from the recently...
Global gas, LNG markets twisted around bullish, bearish elements, awaiting arrival of winter demand
September 18, 2020 22:00 - 15 minutes - 7.13 MBIra Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are back to discuss key uncertainties in the global natural gas and LNG market as winter approaches. With stagnating US production meeting...
Agriculture Focus: Seeds of the future: veg oils soar while next generation biofuels emerge
September 15, 2020 15:20 - 18 minutesAmid a rally in the global vegetable oils markets, Robert Beaman talks to vegetable oils editor George Duke and biodiesel editor Huw Shortland about the latest developments in the market for virgin and used vegetable oils. As supply and demand in these markets changes, the team also look at the...
The rise of proprietary traders in oil markets: a conversation with Onyx Capital CEO
September 08, 2020 16:25 - 17 minutesOil markets have experienced a quiet revolution for over the last decade as proprietary trading houses have gradually replaced the participation of banks. Andy Critchlow, head of news in EMEA for S&P Global Platts, recently caught up with Greg Newman, CEO of London-based prop trader Onyx...
Dry bulk shipping: Traversing the pandemic times
September 08, 2020 15:25 - 18 minutes - 25.4 MBS&P Global Platts dry bulk market experts Shriram Sivaramakrishnan, Carina Li, and Isaac Eio examine how the Capesize, Panamax and Supramax markets have fared in this pandemic-stricken trading environment, and what's in store for shipowners and freight rates in the coming months. Related...
Changing trade flows: how China is helping CIS steel bounce back
September 02, 2020 14:30 - 18 minutesThe CIS steel industry has emerged from pandemic demand slumps relatively quickly thanks to Chinese demand and government incentives in Russia. Although further challenges lie ahead, production cuts at steel mills appear to be less severe than at their European peers. Platts Managing Editor Laura...
A region of promise and uncertainty: A dive into Eastern Mediterranean natural gas and LNG markets
September 01, 2020 20:45 - 26 minutes - 11.9 MBIra Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, are joined by Samer Mosis, Platts team lead, EMEA LNG, to discuss a range of short- and long-term dynamics impacting the Eastern...
Tellurian CEO Meg Gentle on the global LNG market, prices and US development
August 28, 2020 22:00 - 15 minutes - 7.24 MBMeg Gentle, CEO of Tellurian, joins S&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber to discuss the global LNG market, the trajectory for prices and what lies ahead for US commercial development. She is a former marketing chief at Cheniere who is now developing an up to 27.6 million...
Drivers and challenges for US East Coast offshore wind development
August 26, 2020 22:00 - 17 minutes - 8.08 MBThere is a lot going on with offshore wind development -- particularly on the US East Coast, where S&P Global Platts Analytics estimates there could be over 37 GW of capacity installed by 2050 -- with Orsted involved in many of those projects. In this edition of the Platts Commodities Focus...
How Texas' energy policies are working to shape ERCOT's energy transition
August 21, 2020 21:00 - 31 minutes - 14.2 MBAmy Gasca, Manan Ahjua and Mark Watson of S&P Global Platts talk with Brett Perlman, CEO of the Center for Houston's Future and ex-Public Utility Commissioner of Texas, about the state's energy policies and the energy transition. * Is ERCOT’s market functioning as it was intended? * How...
Project deferrals, spending cuts set the tone during North American midstream sector earnings
August 20, 2020 22:35 - 12 minutes - 5.68 MBS&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good wrap up the recently completed second-quarter earnings reporting season by companies in the midstream sector. While some companies looked for expansion...
Full throttle for new European freight benchmark prospects to West Africa
August 19, 2020 17:00 - 13 minutesGasoline volumes from Northern Europe to West Africa are expected to continue to grow, and new hedging tools may be needed for medium range clean tankers in the West of Suez market. Platts Shipping Editors Sam Eckett, George Griffiths, and Chris To discuss emerging benchmark opportunities into West...
US natural gas moves higher in global market turnaround
August 14, 2020 22:35 - 20 minutes - 9.33 MBIra Joseph, head of gas and power for Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, take a look at how US natural gas prices have jumped and the turnaround in global gas benchmarks.
Price transparency a key factor in expanding hydrogen trade flows in Asia
August 14, 2020 16:00 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBThe outlook for hydrogen Asia-Pacific has become a lot more positive over the last six to 12 months, with companies from Australia to Japan stepping up efforts to formulate policies and plan projects in the hope that the clean fuel can play a big role in the energy transition process. But at this...
Oil companies Q2 roundup: Takeaways from the peak lockdown season
August 12, 2020 20:30 - 18 minutesApril was the nadir of the global demand slump from COVID-19 lockdowns while swinging output cuts from OPEC+ and a slump in US drilling hit production volumes across the board. Oil and gas producers have also been grappling with more pessimism over long term oil demand, have written down asset...
Is Brazil becoming a net exporter of primary aluminum?
August 05, 2020 22:00 - 18 minutes - 8.33 MBBrazil has shifted to become a net importer of primary aluminum since 2014, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the market outlook. Is the increase in Brazilian P1020 exports here to stay? How does this situation impact domestic supply? Adriana Carvalho and Henrique Riberiro of S&P Global...
Bearish fundamentals in power, natural gas markets to keep US West prices subdued this summer
July 31, 2020 22:00 - 12 minutes - 5.81 MBAmy Gasca, Daryna Kotenko and Veda Chowdhury of S&P Global Platts discuss West power and natural gas markets and how current market fundamentals are shaping spot and forwards pricing for the remainder of the summer.
One-two punch: Global natural gas demand in an oversupplied, COVID-19 environment
July 30, 2020 22:00 - 16 minutes - 7.75 MBIra Joseph, head of gas and power for Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, look at the other side of the supply-demand equation, ranging from LNG cargoes pricing out pipeline deliveries to the prospects for further demand growth in...
Metals trade insights as markets emerge from coronavirus lockdowns
July 23, 2020 14:30 - 9 minutes - 12.5 MBChina appears to be almost singlehandedly supporting global metals prices on the back of a return to high levels of industrial activity. But other Asian markets are still slowly emerging from COVID-19 related lockdowns. How is this impacting iron ore, steel, coking coal, scrap and alumina demand...
Sustainable aviation fuel: Ready for takeoff?
July 22, 2020 23:00 - 19 minutes - 9.04 MBOver a decade after the first flight using sustainable aviation fuel took off, SAF has gained prominence in airlines’ sustainability tool boxes as the industry tackles its collective carbon footprint. Growing consumer awareness around the environmental impact of the transportation industry...
North American midstream sector eyes outlook for rebound as second-quarter results released
July 21, 2020 23:00 - 14 minutes - 6.67 MBS&P Global Platts senior natural gas writer Harry Weber and S&P Global Market Intelligence midstream finance reporter Allison Good preview with senior digital editor Jason Lindquist the upcoming release of second-quarter earnings results by companies in the North American midstream sector....
The exit interview: BP’s former CFO Gilvary on how to survive $40/b crude
July 21, 2020 15:15 - 26 minutesBrian Gilvary spent almost a decade as chief financial officer of supermajor BP until he stepped down in June 2020. In an interview with Andy Critchlow and Robert Perkins from S&P Global Platts, Gilvary discusses a broad range of subjects including his career at BP; the challenges of reducing...
Global natural gas markets adjust to bulging inventories, oversupply
July 17, 2020 23:00 - 17 minutes - 8.07 MBIra Joseph, head of gas and power for Platts Analytics, and Ryan Ouwerkerk, manager of Americas natural gas pricing for S&P Global Platts, take a look at oversupply in global natural gas markets.
US shale investor outlook: The new risk-reward equation
July 16, 2020 23:20 - 15 minutes - 6.89 MBWhat might the US shale investor risk-reward equation look like as the market shows some signs of rebalancing and as lockdowns begin to ease? How long will it take the US shale sector to repair soured investor confidence? Tim Perry, managing director at Credit Suisse, digs into those topics and...
Are US power markets pricing in the demand recovery this summer?
July 15, 2020 21:30 - 18 minutes - 8.32 MBJared Anderson, Kassia Micek and Manan Ahuja of S&P Global Platts delve into changing power market dynamics as coronavirus-related lockdowns ease in many areas and look ahead to see where market conditions might be headed for the remainder of 2020 and into next year.
Agriculture Focus: Indian rice exporters' emergence from lockdown
July 14, 2020 17:00 - 14 minutesLabour shortages have been one of the key problems caused by the coronavirus crisis in the rice market. Robert Beaman talks to senior rice editors Rebecca Li and Peter Storey about how the Indian rice industry and its competitors have coped with access to labour during lockdown and the consequent...
Brouillette remains optimistic about industry rebound, US leadership in oil, gas
July 09, 2020 19:00 - 22 minutes - 10.4 MBUS Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette joins Chris Newkumet, Washington bureau chief for S&P Global Platts, to discuss the state of America's energy markets -- what we know, where we are, and what's ahead. Topics for discussion include US oil production and exports, new oil price benchmarks,...
Downside risk if gas supply rebounds, demand recovery falters
July 09, 2020 16:25 - 20 minutesS&P Global Platts journalists discuss European gas, power and carbon market trends going into the third quarter of 2020. The markets saw price support in June as economies began to emerge from coronavirus lockdowns – but any faltering in demand or rebound in gas flows could undermine...
US corn prices ride high with bullish acreage report, but for how long?
July 08, 2020 23:30 - 23 minutes - 10.6 MBThe annual acreage report from the US Department of Agriculture saw a 5 million acre drop in corn planting from the Prospective Plantings report at the end of March. The resultant rise in corn prices coupled with low ethanol stocks lifted ethanol prices. The S&P Global Platts benchmark Chicago...
The growing importance of ESG in the commodities space
July 03, 2020 11:40 - 9 minutes - 13.5 MBThe death of George Floyd in the US on May 25 significantly raised global awareness of racial and cultural issues. Within this environment, giant resources company Rio Tinto attracted opprobrium for the destruction of an indigenous sacred site in Western Australia during the expansion of an iron...
Is the slump in European steel demand here to stay?
July 01, 2020 16:15 - 10 minutesS&P Global Platts managing editor Laura Varriale talks to steel news editor Annalisa Villa and pricing specialists Amanda Flint and Len Griffin about the state of the European steel industry after lockdowns start to ease across mainland Europe, sparking hope for more industry activity.
UK’s Net Zero drive: hydrogen’s potential and challenges
June 30, 2020 17:00 - 46 minutesIn the UK, the drive toward Net Zero 2050 makes hydrogen an attractive investment, but questions remain about how markets will develop and the associated costs. Hydrogen has vast potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy transport, home heating and industry, but the path to...
Mapping out hydrogen's role in Asia's energy transition
June 26, 2020 09:45 - 12 minutes - 16.7 MBAs the push towards clean fuels intensifies, many alternate energy sources are figuring in discussions among policy makers in Asia, as they prepare for energy transition. One fuel that has garnered a lot of attention is hydrogen. From finding low-cost production methods to creating a transparent...
Key developments driving South Asian thermal coal demand
June 24, 2020 15:30 - 9 minutesS&P Global Platts global thermal coal experts Deepak Kannan, Fred Wang and Sarah Matthews discuss key developments driving coal demand in the South Asian region, specifically in Bangladesh and Pakistan, and explain how Platts new assessments shed light on the price impact and supply-demand...
A conversation with Total's Philippe Sauquet
June 18, 2020 15:00 - 16 minutesFrance’s Total was the first mover among European oil and gas majors to announce its ambition to become a greener company, creating in 2016 a separate division for gas, renewables and power under the leadership of Philippe Sauquet. Sauquet joined S&P Global Platts on June 10 for an...
Who’s the boss? OPEC+ tries to reassert control of oil market
June 17, 2020 15:15 - 18 minutesAfter a collapse in oil demand due to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the accord between Saudi Arabia and Russia earlier this year, OPEC+ is now back in the driving seat. It has extended its unprecedented production cut deal through July, tried to crack down on those that lack the will power to...
The road ahead for Northeast and Southeast Asian thermal coal markets
June 16, 2020 14:30 - 11 minutes - 15.3 MBS&P Global Platts Asia thermal coal team Deepak Kannan, Fred Wang and Jenny Ma discuss key developments in Northeast and Southeast Asia region amid the coronavirus pandemic, while S&P Global Platts Analytics analyst Matthew Boyle gives a peek into the outlook for coal demand and...
Global demand destruction due to pandemic clouds US natural gas storage outlook
June 13, 2020 00:15 - 12 minutes - 5.72 MBUS working natural gas in storage started the injection season with levels well above the five-year average. After the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, heavy US demand destruction was anticipated, which would add to the storage glut. However, residential and commercial and gas-fired generation...
Are petrochemicals stepping into a post-pandemic recovery?
June 10, 2020 16:00 - 14 minutesAs lockdowns ease off and upstream markets begin to recover, the petrochemical sector looks carefully at its own end user demand, as well as to Asian export opportunities. Callum Colford and Abdulaziz Ehtaiba tell Ora Lazic about market fundamentals in the European olefins and their derivatives...
Aviation’s future: Fuelled by hydrogen?
June 05, 2020 15:30 - 48 minutesDespite challenges in the commercial aviation sector, hydrogen remains a potentially disruptive energy carrier and transportation fuel, particularly in decarbonisation scenarios. Aviation is responsible for between 2%-3% of global emissions, and most of the abatement has come from blending biofuels...
From boom to bust: How long can tankers benefit from the floating storage craze?
June 04, 2020 23:00 - 15 minutes - 7.19 MBThe recent floating storage boom drove tanker freight earnings to levels last seen during the Golden Tanker Era of 2004-2008, but how sustainable are VLCC time charter equivalent revenues in excess of $100,000/d? Tanker owners have now concluded their first-quarter earnings call season and were...
A conversation with Mercuria Energy Trading's Marco Dunand
June 04, 2020 16:30 - 22 minutesS&P Global Platts talks to Mercuria CEO and co-founder Marco Dunand about the challenges, implications, and opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic presents across all the key commodity classes in a time of unprecedented volatility in the global markets. Founded in 2004, Mercuria Energy...
India's steel industry faces tough post-COVID-19 test
June 04, 2020 15:00 - 10 minutes - 14.3 MBIndia has started to wind back its lockdown regime but domestic demand for steel could remain muted until the October-December quarter. This has left Indian mills relying on overseas markets, particularly China, in recent times. But how sustainable is this approach? How will the various downstream...
Is demand high enough to restart the US ethanol market?
June 02, 2020 22:30 - 20 minutes - 9.57 MBThe S&P Global Platts benchmark Chicago Argo ethanol assessment has trended upward and ethanol inventories have started to drop after reaching record highs as production has climbed. Does this mean that the US ethanol industry is recovering from COVID-19? Join Platts Agriculture Associate...
Brazil's sugar and ethanol markets planning a post-pandemic strategy
May 29, 2020 22:00 - 30 minutes - 14.1 MBBrazil, the top global sugar producer and second-largest ethanol producer, started its Center-South crop on April 1, targeting to crush 600 million tons, amid a global consumption crisis and huge uncertainty in the world’s economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. S&P Global Platts senior...
After the Storm: The Shipping markets navigate H2 2020
May 29, 2020 19:45 - 11 minutesLondon shipping editors Wyatt Wong, George Griffiths, and Sam Eckett explore the devastated LNG, container, and dry bulk markets post-COVID-19. How can shipping recover from a global demand drought? Can positive sentiment for the second half of 2020 stand up to the facts?
China's Two Sessions provide positives for oil, metals
May 29, 2020 09:00 - 13 minutes - 19.2 MBAt China's latest "Two Sessions," the government did not provide a GDP target for 2020, but it outlined plans to boost infrastructure investment. The big focus this year was on maintaining employment levels and protecting the economy from uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic. What are...
Coronavirus lockdowns put the spotlight on crude oil storage
May 28, 2020 19:30 - 20 minutes - 9.37 MBUS crude storage quickly became a major issue at the crux of the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns, as global markets struggled to find enough places to stash oil amid the oversupply and decreased demand. That created a huge incentive for traders and producers to store their barrels instead of...