The Energy Report Thursday August 5, 2010

Feeling the Heat, despite the weak dollar and a mixed Energy Information Agency report oil bulls are still feeling the heat of heavy global supply. As Mark Shenk at Bloomberg News pointed out we have record oil stockpiles in the Midwest or Padd2 and that is “reducing the premium traders will pay for later deliveries amid signs that fuel demand may be ebbing as the pace of the economic recovery slows. Bloomberg says that “Inventories in the 15-state region that includes Illinois rose to 97.7 million barrels in the week ended July 30, the highest level recorded since the data started in 1990, according to an Energy Department report yesterday. Supplies in Cushing Oklahoma were less than 1 percent below the all-time high set in May, the report said.

As Cushing stocks have increased, the discount on the front-month oil contract relative to that for the following month has narrowed 77 percent from a year ago. While crude has risen 28 percent since its low in May, US demand will average 18.9 million barrels a day in 2010, down 9 percent from the all- time high in 2005, according to Energy Department forecasts.” The 0ther reason that spread may have come in is the fact that the BP Staci Kill will most likely work.

The beginning of the end of this story and the fact that the environmental damage may not be as bad as originally feared is increasing the odds that deep water drilling in the Gulf will make a comeback. Still the overwhelming supply is a major factor and even as oil trades above $80 on the weakness in the dollar and just when you thought it was safe to go into the water again) fears of QE 2 coming soon to a bank near you. Even concerns over demand growth in China are becoming a major issue.

Andrew Peaple from Dow Jones writes that a slowdown in China's factories may prove to be more than just a seasonal matter, if Beijing's plans to cut energy use trump its desire to keep growth motoring ahead. Peaple says that China's official purchasing manager’s index fell in July to its lowest level since February 2009.

Economists were quick to attribute this to seasonal factors, such as the annual summer overhaul for China's factories: July PMI readings tend to be around 1 point lower than the previous month, Goldman Sachs says, as they were this year. Yet he says there's another factor at play: China's plan to cut energy intensity -- or the amount of energy used to produce each dollar of gross domestic product -- by 20% between 2006 and 2010. In 2007, the latest year for which comparative data is available, China's energy intensity was 4.2 times that of the OECD, U.S. Energy Information Administration data show. Still he says that t China's in danger of falling short of its goals.

Energy intensity fell by 15.61% from 2006 to 2009, but actually rose in the first quarter of 2010. Heavy industry, the most energy-hungry sector, is going to have to bear the brunt of any catch-up, particularly if Beijing is eager to meet its own target for this year. Closing down inefficient plants is a quicker fix than making technological upgrades. The trade-off is with slower overall economic growth. True, slowing property construction could lead to less heavy industry output without the need to close so many factories.

Plus, there's always the chance of changes to past data to make the five-year-plan targets less challenging. Last month Beijing revised its energy-intensity reduction rates upward for each of the years 2006-9. Data revisions, though, are unlikely to get Beijing fully off the hook of a dilemma of its own making. The pressure even seems to be getting to some OPEC members like Kuwait who complained that non- OPEC producers like Russia are not doing enough to help support oil prices. Kuwait is concerned that every barrel that OPEC holds off the market will be made up by a competitor and taking way market share.

If this continues OPEC will be more likely to exceed production quotas and if need be in the worst case scenario would use their “nuclear option” to flood the market with oil to teach those non-open process that are talking advantage of OPEC restraint. The best thing the bulls have going for it at this point is the Dollar and the Fed. This week’s economic data especially the jobs report could make or break this market. Might a good or bad entry point make or break your trade. Find out by signing up for a free trial of my daily trade points! Also make sure you are getting your business news on the Fox Business Network!!! To get signed up just call me at 800-935-6487 0r email me at pflynn@pfgbest.com 

There is a substantial risk of loss in trading futures and options. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information and data in this report were obtained from sources considered reliable. Their accuracy or completeness is not guaranteed and the giving of the same is not to be deemed as an offer or solicitation on our part with respect to the sale or purchase of any securities or commodities. PFGBEST, its officers and directors may in the normal course of business have positions, which may or may not agree with the opinions expressed in this report. Any decision to purchase or sell as a result of the opinions expressed in this report will be the full responsibility of the person authorizing such transaction.