Commodities Focus

Ira 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 robust storage inventories in US and Europe, will the arrival of winter demand provide further bullish momentum to global gas and LNG prices?

Amid 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 impact on biodiesel and the emerging markets for renewable diesel (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

Oil 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 Capital Group, to discuss the latest developments in oil and the outlook for more participants entering the market.

S&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.

The 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 Varriale is joined by Platts Metals Editors Katya Bouckley and Wojtek Laskowski to discuss the current shape of Russia and Ukraine's steel industry.

Ira 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 Mediterranean and Middle Eastern gas markets, from Tuna-1 to the future of Leviathan, Egyptian LNG and Cypriot markets.

Meg 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 mt/year export facility in Louisiana called Driftwood LNG. Related story: Asian prices boost Driftwood LNG commercial efforts: Tellurian CEO

There 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 podcast, Jared Anderson, senior writer with S&P Global Platts, speaks with David Hardy, Orsted president and chief operating officer for North America offshore, about offshore wind contract pricing, transmission planning, regulatory developments, policy drivers and more.

Amy 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 can Houston's role as "Energy Capital of the World" shape North America's energy transition?

S&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 opportunities, others outlined additional capital spending cuts and project deferrals as operators of pipelines, processing facilities and liquefaction terminals looked for signs of a rebound in volumes.