After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M University with a Masters in Financial Management in 2022, Liz took her talents to Shell Trading. At Shell, she worked as a crude trade analyst for the Gulf Coast Bulk desk, managing daily, quarterly, and annual P&L reporting, exposure hedging, and export analysis. Liz also worked as a commercial operator for the Offshore Lease desk, where she managed 5 terminals and coordinated the scheduling of gathering and inland barges transporting crude oil throughout Louisiana’s waterways. In her spare time, Liz enjoys traveling and exploring caves across the southern US. Her goals outside of work include getting cave rescue certified and scuba certified. If you ever jam out with Liz, you will quickly learn she has been a Swiftie since the 6th grade, but also has The Beatles, Hozier, and Evanescence on repeat. As a classical music lover, Liz enjoys attending the Houston Symphony, and always dresses with a theme due to her passion for fashion.
Posts by Liz Dicken
Cracking the Code – What 2026’s Record Crack Spreads Tell Us About Refining Economics
Crude oil may get the headlines, but the fuels made from it have delivered some of the market’s biggest surprises of 2026. With supply disruptions, strained trade flows and compliance costs all shaping this year’s numbers, let’s look at what goes into a crack spread and what we can learn from it.
Motor Gasoline Inventories Plummet to 12-Year Low as 3-2-1 Crack Spread Soars to All-Time High
Gasoline inventories are running unusually lean heading into fall. According to the EIA’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) for the week ended September 25, U.S. motor gasoline (mogas) stocks fell 1.7 MMbbl to just above 204 MMbbl, their lowest level since November 2014.
A Matter of Trust – Variations in Crude Oil Quality Make On-Spec Delivery Critical for Global Refiners
Two vehicles may look identical from the outside, but what’s under the hood can make all the difference. Today, we look at how the same principle applies to crude oil, as barrels that meet the same basic specifications can still behave very differently once they reach a refinery.
Diesel Cracks the Ceiling, Closing above $100/bbl for Two Straight Weeks
Diesel cracks shifted into overdrive the last two weeks, leaving double-digit territory in the rearview mirror. As we discussed in our Crude Billboard for the week ended September 18, the diesel crack skyrocketed to a record high of $113.48/bbl on Wednesday, September 16.
The $52 Million Voyage: Freight Squeezes the Export Arb
The tanker bill keeps climbing for U.S. crude headed to Asia. As discussed in this week’s Tradeview and Crude Voyager reports, the cost of chartering a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) from the U.S.