Energy & Commodities

Tech’s New Frontier? Oil and Gas

Posted by Lux Research

on Tuesday, 19 November 2019 10:40

According to a new report from Lux Research, the oil companies of the future may resemble the tech companies of today. Moreover, if these companies fail to adapt to the changing digital landscape faced by all industries, they could be left behind.

In the new report, The Digital Transformation of Oil and Gas, Lux analysts make a strong case for oil and gas companies to embrace the global economy’s shift toward a more digital-friendly way of doing business.

“No industry is immune to the rapidly shifting digital landscape, including very traditional ones such as oil and gas,” said Harshit Sharma, analyst at Lux Research and the lead author of the report. “If the world’s major oil and gas producers don’t embrace these changes and implement systems and processes that will help them scale digitally, they very much risk failing to meet the needs of their global customers, and they will likely lose market share to their counterparts that do adapt.

Not unlike the continually evolving landscape of Silicon Valley, Lux predicts that these changes will be swift, and that leaders at the helm of oil and gas companies will have to move quickly and efficiently.

“The companies that do this right and meet the challenges and opportunities posed by the digital age will have to be leaders in innovation,” said Sharma. “Like their peers in other industries that have undergone these changes, the leaders who continually push the envelope and force their operations to keep evolving will likely be most successful.”  CLICK for complete article

Gold advances beyond $1,470 as US T-bond yields extend slide

Posted by Eren Sengezer

on Tuesday, 19 November 2019 10:32

  • 10-year US Treasury bond yield erases nearly 2% on Tuesday.
  • US President Trump threatens to raise tariffs if there is no deal with China.
  • US Dollar Index stays below 98 for second straight day.

The XAU/USD pair capitalized on the sour market sentiment in the second half of the day on Tuesday and rose above the $1,470 handle. As of writing, the pair was trading at $1,473.70, adding nearly $3, or 0.2%, on a daily basis.

Earlier in the American session, Bloomberg reported that the US side was softening its stance on the tariff rollback and sides were looking to use the near-deal from May as the benchmark for tariff reduction. Although these comments helped the market sentiment improve slightly, US President Trump reiterated that he will raise tariffs if they failed to reach an agreement on trade with China to help safe-haven assets find demand.

Reflecting the dismal mood, the 10-year US Treasury bond yield is losing nearly 2% on the day and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 0.4%.

Meanwhile, after closing the first day of the week in the negative territory below the 98 handle on Monday, the US Dollar Index is moving sideways on Tuesday, allowing the risk perception to continue to drive the pair’s action. The only data from the US revealed that Building Permits and Housing Starts both rose more than expected in October but was largely ignored by investors…CLICK for complete article

Why Banning Fossil Fuel Investment Is A Huge Mistake

Posted by Cyril Widdershoven

on Monday, 18 November 2019 9:38

Activist global warming strategies have now caused the European Investment Bank to ban its fossil fuel project funding. After more than a year of internal and external lobbying by several EU member states and an ever-growing list of activist NGO and pressure groups, the EIB has decided to cut its financial support for all new fossil fuel projects by 2021. It will also support €1 trillion of investments in climate action and environmental sustainability. This is meant to force European countries to put an end to new gas-fueled power projects and keep in line with the Paris Agreements and EU CO2 emission targets. EIB VP Andrew McDowell stated to the press that the EIB’s new energy lending policy, seen as a landmark decision, has been approved with “overwhelming” support. He reiterated that it will bar investments or financing for most fossil fuel projects, including those that employ the traditional use of natural gas.

There is still a small loophole for fossil fuel projects, as the EIB funding will still be available for projects that can show they can produce one kilowatt-hour of energy while emitting less than 250g of carbon dioxide. New technologies could therefore be the savior in the end for traditional gas-burning power plants.

The significance of this decision by the EIB cannot be understated. As a major financial institution, a wide range of energy-related projects inside and outside of the EU, such as gas pipeline projects in Central Asia, Turkey and the recent discussions on East Med offshore gas projects, are now being endangered. While various Green Parties and environmental NGOs are celebrating this move as a major victory, it is a victory that comes with some real risks. The decision, which was largely inevitable after that EU finance ministers unanimously agreed to initiate stricter measures to combat climate change, will put more pressure on all parties to phase out gas, oil and coal projects…CLICK for complete article

Which Secular Bull Market Is It – 1950’s or 1920’s?

Posted by Lance Roberts

on Monday, 18 November 2019 9:27

“Despite concerns in the third quarter, bears never had a strong argument for why stocks were overvalued and the major indexes simply traded sideways for much of the last six months, wrote Robert Sluymer, technical strategist at Fundstrat Global Advisors.

“We ‘continue to view the market cycle as being a normal pause in an ongoing secular bull market similar to what developed in 2016, 2011 and the ‘cycle’ pullbacks that developed during the secular bull markets in the 50s-60s and 80s-90s.”

It is an interesting point. The current bull market certainly seems unstoppable, but the question that must be answered, fundamentally, is if this is indeed a “secular bull market,” and if so, “where are we” within that cycle.

What is a “secular market?”

“A secular market trend is a long-term trend which lasts 5 to 25 years and consists of a series of primary trends. A secular bear market consists of smaller bull markets and larger bear markets; a secular bull market consists of larger bull markets and smaller bear markets.”

In a “secular bull’ market, the prevailing trend is “bullish” or upward-moving. In a “secular bear” the market tends to trend sideways with severe drawdowns and sharp rallies…CLICK for complete article

Seoul Is Putting Solar On All Public Buildings and 1 Million Homes

Posted by Michelle Lewis

on Thursday, 14 November 2019 9:14

In Seoul, South Korea, every public building and 1 million homes will have solar panels by 2022. South Korea, the world’s fourth-largest coal importer, is making a concerted effort to shift to green energy after public pressure to do so and aims to generate 35% of its electricity from renewables by 2040.

South Korea is Asia’s fourth-largest economy, and it currently relies on nuclear, gas, and coal for power. The government had originally planned to retrofit 20 of its 60 coal plants with anti-pollution gear when they reached 30 years of age, but this idea has been abandoned, as it’s not cost-effective. According to a June Reuters article:

“To have more renewable power, we can make coal power plants run lower,” said Kang Seung-jin, energy professor at Korea Polytechnic University, who is helping to map out the 2019 plan.

According to the World Economic Forum:

The World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index, which benchmarks countries’ energy systems and supports them as they move to cleaner power sources, ranks South Korea 48th out of 115 nations surveyed. Its capital wants to lead the transition.

In November 2017, the capital city’s government announced the 2022 Solar City Seoul Plan, in which it said it would add 1 GW of solar capacity by 2022. This has already cut more than 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions…CLICK for complete article