WTI Midland’s inclusion into Dated Brent, one year on
May 2, 2024
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Exploring the impact of WTI Midland's inclusion in the Dated Brent benchmark on market dynamics, liquidity, and new market participants. Analysis of WTI Midland cargo quality, market evolution, and its significance in defining Dated Brent value. Discussion on global participation in oil market trade and the impact of Midland's inclusion on the Brent market landscape.
Inclusion of WTI Midland in Dated Brent benchmark led to record-high liquidity and boosted confidence in pricing.
Adjustments in methodology and market dynamics post-Midland's inclusion reinforced dated Brent's robustness and global market appeal.
Deep dives
Impact of WGI Midland on Brent's Liquidity
The inclusion of WGI Midland in Brent has significantly boosted liquidity in the Platt's market, leading to record-high physical cargo trades in April 2024. This surge in liquidity, with 35 cargos changing hands, totaling 25 million barrels of oil, has reinforced dated Brent as a benchmark. The growth in liquidity has attracted new participants like Occidental, Philip 66, and Aramco, enhancing confidence in dated Brent as a reliable commodity reference price.
Complex Impact of WGI Midland on Dated Brent Pricing
Determining the precise price impact of WGI Midland on dated Brent proves challenging, given its intricate integration into the benchmark and the dynamic market fundamentals influencing pricing. The inclusion of WGI Midland has necessitated adjustments in methodology across various contracts and assessments, reflecting the evolving landscape of Brent pricing. Tracking WTI Midland cargos and ensuring compliance with Platt specifications have been crucial in maintaining the robustness of dated Brent's price discovery process.
Global Participation and Market Diversity Post-WGI Midland Inclusion
The incorporation of WGI Midland has not only enhanced liquidity and pricing dynamics but has also brought about a diversification of participants in the Brent market. The presence of entities from around the world, including the US, Japan, and other regions, signifies a broadening market reach and increased confidence in dated Brent. The evolving profile of participants trading physical cargos and derivatives post-Midland's admittance underscores the global significance and credibility of dated Brent as a benchmark.
In May 2023, the world's most important oil price benchmark, Platts Dated Brent, which is used to underpin the price of significant volumes of traded crude oil, saw the addition of the first non-North Sea crude stream into its deliverable basket of grades: WTI Midland. Since then, the benchmark has seen liquidity skyrocket, the addition of new faces into the Brent complex’s long list of established market participants and, most importantly, the further strengthening of Dated Brent as a price indicator for commodity markets globally. In this episode of the Oil Markets Podcast, Joel Hanley is joined by Emma Kettley, Managing Crude Editor, and Sam Angell, Senior Crude Editor to discuss the one-year anniversary of Midland’s successful inclusion into the Dated Brent benchmark.