model

Global LNG demand has picked up, cancellations for U.S. cargoes have subsided, at least for now, and there’s upside to U.S. cargo activity once tropical storm-related disruptions are resolved. But positive netbacks year-round are no longer a foregone conclusion for U.S. offtakers. As global oversupply conditions persist, at least on a seasonal basis, and supply competition intensifies, the economic decision to lift U.S. cargoes will be much more nuanced than it was in previous years. What do the economics for cargoes this winter and beyond look like? Today, we put the LNG economics model to work to understand what’s in store for U.S. LNG in the coming months.

The economics for U.S. LNG entered new territory this year, as price spreads to international destinations, particularly from the Gulf Coast export terminals, went from an average $4-8/MMBtu a couple of years ago to $1/MMBtu or less in 2020 to date. The tighter spreads reduced netbacks for U.S. offtakers and led to mass cargo cancellations this summer. Moreover, current futures curves show Henry Hub price spreads to Europe and Asia staying mostly in the $1-$3/MMBtu range over the next few years, suggesting that the arbitrage for U.S. LNG exports, particularly from the Gulf Coast terminals, likely will remain tighter and make commercial decisions to lift or cancel U.S. cargoes much more nuanced than they ever were before. Today, we delve into the primary cost components that factor into offtakers’ netbacks.

Overall oil prices and the differentials between the world’s different benchmark crude grades have been on a rollercoaster ride over the past decade. In the last eighteen months - since June 2014 – rising production of U.S. shale crude together with oil producer cartel OPEC’s decision not to curb output in response - have led to significant worldwide supply and inventory surpluses that are hurting producers and providing a windfall to many refiners. Today we review a new report from Turner Mason & Company that offers a detailed analysis of global crude oil supply and demand drivers and pricing over the next 10 years.

Last week in Ethane Asylum Big Time we looked at the implications of ethane rejection at a typical Eagle Ford plant, using as our example the model developed a few weeks back in our blog series titled How Rich is Rich – Gas Processing Economics – Part 3.  In order to get to the market implications and conclusions in “Ethane Asylum Big Time”, we skipped over some of the details of our calculations, promising to get back to the model this week.  So that’s where we are going today – deep into the gas processing model abyss.  Follow only if you dare.