

Commodities Focus
S&P Global Commodity Insights
S&P Global Commodity Insights analysis of key news and pricing issues from across the global shipping, natural gas, power, petrochemicals, agriculture, and coal markets.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 3, 2015 • 6min
Price developments in German, Polish power markets
Petra Witowski and Andreas Franke, editors for Platts European Power Daily, analyze recent price trends in the German and Polish power markets and discuss how these trends may have influenced utilities. We welcome any feedback or suggestions for topics. Contact us at webeditor@platts.com.

Jan 26, 2015 • 6min
Current North American rig counts serve as barometer of upstream oil sector
As global crude oil prices have plunged, rig counts for the US and Canada have also fallen. Starr Spencer, senior editor for oil news, delves into the specifics of the rig counts and explains how oil producers seek to continue being economic — even when prices are low and capex has been cut...

Jan 23, 2015 • 7min
Eastern US electric power markets settle into more seasonal norms
Winter in the US is starting to add upward pressure on wholesale power prices, but this winter is markedly different from the last. The ISO-New England has a changing fuel generation mix — including lost nuclear generation — that could present an opportunity for fuels like natural gas....

Jan 19, 2015 • 8min
Tough market conditions for Australian thermal coal producers in 2015
Just how bleak is the thermal coal market looking Down Under? In this podcast, Platts senior editor Michael Cooper analyzes how China's new coal importation policies are affecting Australia's thermal coal exports, as well as the silver lining in Australia's free trade agreement with Japan and South...

Jan 19, 2015 • 9min
How will Russia cope with the plummeting oil price, sanctions in 2015?
Platts Stuart Elliott, associate editorial director, Europe and Africa oil news, Nadia Rodova, Platts Moscow bureau chief, and Moscow editor Rosemary Griffin discuss the outlook for the Russian oil sector in 2015 in the face of the plunging oil price, continued international sanctions and tax...

Jan 15, 2015 • 10min
LNG, pipelines temper US natural gas price movements
Even as US natural gas price volatility is picking up in spot and forwards markets, the 2014-2015 winter is setting itself apart from last year. Curt Mrowiec and Patrick Badgley of Platts, as well as Thad Walker of Bentek Energy, detail the gas price movements, the most recent storage report,...

Jan 9, 2015 • 4min
US coal markets fail to heat up, despite dropping temperatures
The arrival of cold temperatures hasn't translated to higher prices for US coal, one of the primary fuels for keeping the country warm throughout the winter. Andrew Moore, managing editor of Platts Coal Trader, and Jeff McDonald, associate editor, evaluate why the markets for Powder River Basin and...

Jan 7, 2015 • 7min
China's appetite for imported gas waning amid slowing economic growth
In this podcast, Yen Ling Song, Platts senior writer, and Max Gostelow, Platts associate editor, talk about the slowdown in China’s gas demand growth, the country’s appetite for imported gas, and market expectations on gas price movement given the recent decline in oil prices. The...

Dec 19, 2014 • 5min
Liquidity Report: European gas traded volume update for November 2014
In tandem with the recent launch of the Monthly Liquidity Report in Platts European Gas Daily, market reporters Gary Hornby and Reginald Ajuonuma discuss the November 2014 trading results, commenting on recent trends in gas trading across Europe and explain the reasons behind the continuing larger...

Dec 8, 2014 • 6min
Weak Asian demand changes global LNG trade dynamics
Liquefied natural gas spot prices are hitting pre-Fukushima levels in North Asia. In this podcast, Abache Abreu, Platts LNG editor, and Max Gostelow, Platts LNG associate editor, talk about the impact of South Korea's return to the spot market, the effect of falling crude oil prices on the LNG...