Tag Archives: poynette

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Posted on by

Good morning,

I hope this message finds everyone safe and well heading into the holiday week.  I wanted to take this moment and thank everyone for all their support this past year.  We have navigated many crisis situations over the years, but none quite like a global pandemic.  Your kind messages, gifts to our employees, and nice words on the phone have gone a long way to keep our company motivated and focused throughout these trying times.  I hope you all are able to spend some safe time with family celebrating Christmas, reflecting back on this year, and also looking forward to better times in 2021.

From everyone at Crawford Oil and Propane, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

Stimulus and Vaccines

Posted on by

Good afternoon,

The hopes of passing a new Covid stimulus bill and the roll out of vaccines boosted oil prices this week.  Even though demand in America seems to leveling off as unemployment remains high and consumer spending is dropping, the possibility of more stimulus is dragging down the dollar which causes crude prices to increase.  The addition of Moderna’s vaccine and the rolling out of the vaccine from Pfizer is giving further future support for future oil prices.  WTI crude prices are hovering near $50/barrel and I expect the market to stay inflated until at least year end.  We will wait for January and see if there is any price relief from profit taking on the market.

In local markets, gasoline prices retail climbed above $2/gallon and diesel retail prices are inching closer to $2.50/gallon.  I do not expect to see these prices come down before the end of the year.  There are too many speculative issues holding prices firm.

Propane cost has risen almost 13 cents per gallon in December.  Even though we are experiencing warm temperatures and low corn drying demand, our national inventory levels fell below last year’s levels this week due to record exportation that shows no signs of slowing.  There could be a relief in prices come January if crude prices stay high and temperatures remain warm.  This would cause exportation demand to halt and inventory levels to build quickly.  But for those who contracted this winter, so far you are in good shape.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

Crude At Trading Highest Price Since March 2020

Posted on by

Good morning,

Happy Friday!  Although unemployment claims rose last week and Congress failed to pass a COVID stimulus bill, crude oil prices climbed to the highest level since March 2020.  Brent crude broke over $50/barrel and WTI held above $45/barrel.  The driver of crude prices seems to be surrounding vaccine distribution, a weakening dollar, and unrest in the Middle East.  There was an attack on a small oil field in Iraq which is cause for concern as Israel has been trying to broker more peace deals in the area.  For now, the optimism of 2021 and the end of the pandemic is outweighing the immediate bearish signals for crude prices.  I have no idea what to expect going into the end of the year.  A part of me feels that as long as the vaccine news remains positive and the distribution continues, crude prices will hold near current levels and possibly move higher in 2021.

In local news, Chicago spot markets experienced a significant move higher on both gasoline and diesel.  I have not been able to discover the culprit, but I’m thinking there is a refinery maintenance issue that popped up somewhere in the Chicagoland refinery market.  I would not be surprised to see gasoline prices hit $2/gal going into Christmas.  However, as quickly as the increase came, it can drop just as much tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Propane prices continue to hold steady even though the weather is an absolute scorcher of a December and January looks to be an inferno.  Exports of propane continue to be at record levels.  In fact, exports are so high right now that if the propane industry experienced a colder than normal temperature drop, we would see a record depletion of inventory.  One can only be hopeful that if winter ever returns in the next year or so that the pricing for exports becomes less attractive.  I do worry about our level of exports coupled with localized heating demand.  I have no concerns for this winter, but I will be watching close on the developments in 2021.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

Bitter-Sweet December

Posted on by

Good morning,

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend.  Markets continue to pick up steam as we look to close out this terribly tough and exhausting year in 2020.  The Biden transition is moving along and so far none of the moves are causing too many alarms.  In addition, vaccines and more vaccines are coming out as distribution chains assemble.  Most experts are moving predictions from June to April as the month we will really start to breath relief.  OPEC+ has decided to increase production a bit starting in January, but the move seems somewhat acceptable as the world anticipates reopening.  All of the positive market and COVID news is placing a visible finish line out there for everyone to see.  And the anticipation is leading to excitement.  However, all the news is coming at a cost.  More than 100k Americans are hospitalized across the country for COVID.  That is the most hospitalizations for any disease since the the Spanish Flu.  And many more Americans are going to die.  So as we see the end to the pandemic coming closer and closer, please remember that there is a major human cost still on the horizon and most of that cost will land during the holidays.  I believe the next two months will be extremely difficult and bitter-sweet as we start to plan our lives post COVID while watching thousands of more Americans die.

Please be safe and smart out there.  We have already suffered through almost an entire year of this pandemic and thousands of American families are forever changed.  The finish line is on the horizon and I hope we can come together and finish as safe and strong as possible ready to move forward in 2021.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on by

Good morning,

I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.  I know the holidays are going to be very different and difficult for many people.  I am optimistic that better times are coming sooner than later.  We have already experienced so much hardship and change this past year.  I am looking forward to pausing and reflecting back on this year over the next month while preparing for a brighter future in 2021.

I wanted to thank all of you, our customers, for your business this past year.  I never could have imagined 2020 turning out the way it unfolded.  I appreciate all your patience, understanding, and kind words as we navigated and continue to manage the current crisis in our communities and state.

I also wanted to say a big thank you to all our front line workers in health care and essential industries like grocery stores and others.  The bravery and self-sacrifice I have witnessed is truly inspiring and honorable.  Talking with many in the health care and front-line industries gives me hope that as Americans we will come through the other side of this pandemic stronger and hopefully with more compassion towards each other.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

Post Election and COVID Surge Into Winter

Posted on by

Good morning,

I hope this message finds you well.  As our country and the world is coming to terms with Biden as President-Elect, the markets have been behaving very bullish.  On Monday of this week, Pfizer announced that their vaccine is 90% in efficacy and will be distributed to 50M  Americans by the end of the year.  Dr. Fauci is also confident that the worst of the pandemic will be over by Q2 of next year following his belief that all Americans will have access to vaccines by the end of April 2021.  The news sent all markets on a rocket ship higher.  As the Republicans continue to hold control in the Senate, many believe that President-Elect Biden will not be able to achieve much success in very progressive agendas.  Therefore, many feel that the next four years will be steady with more balance back to the middle instead of a push to far left agendas.  But the vaccine party fizzled as the realty of over 120k+ cases of COVID/day plague our nation.  Markets took a breather to end the week and are starting to accept that although the vaccine news is some welcomed positive news, the next two months are going to be a lot of sickness and a lot of death.  The upcoming holiday season will probably be one of the most painful in our lifetimes.  But for the first time since the pandemic started, we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel.

In local news, Chicago differentials finally released their grip on cash spot pricing as harvest is coming to an end.  I don’t expect to see much price movement lower at the retail level, but at least the moves higher will likely stop.  I expect to see current retail prices hold through Thanksgiving unless something drastic happens.

Propane prices continue to hold strong even though inventories are robust.  If Wisconsin does not experience cold winter conditions by Christmas, I could see propane prices dropping in January of 2021 just like they did in 2020.  But a lot can happen between now and then.  Regardless, when looking at historical pricing, propane prices are still very low and competitive when comparing to natural gas or oil heat.  So the good news is that no matter what, whether you contracted or are riding the cash market, the heating costs for propane this coming season are a good value.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

COVID Surge in Europe and the US

Posted on by

Good afternoon,

The surge in coronavirus cases across the US and Europe has triggered quite the selloff in some equities and commodities.  Crude oil prices have tumbled all week and look to finish at the lowest levels since the Q1.  I believe that most hedge funds are looking at the lockdowns in Europe and are worried about demand erosion coupled with increased supplies.  Libya continues to pour out more crude and OPEC does not meet again until January.  At least in January we will hopefully know who the new President is and OPEC will act accordingly.  I believe that prices could be temporarily deflated until after the election.  I do believe that a Biden victory will give a $10/barrel bump on crude prices.  So for now, everyone is on pins and needles waiting for the election and watching the surge of COVID take over Europe and the US.

In local news, we are seeing demand starting to slow up in Wisconsin as COVID-19 rages through the state.  I don’t expect to see any ramp up in gasoline usage going into Thanksgiving weekend unless the recent surge shows a peak very soon.  Gasoline prices will remain under $2/gal for some time and diesel prices are continuing to hold great value.  Any diesel pump prices below $2/gallon at the pump are great value buys.

Propane prices continue to cause head scratching.  National inventories showed a build this past week when demand would be at a high level.  Futures did not react.  In fact, the disconnect between supply/demand economics in propane are leaving many to wonder if algorithm trading has entered the propane futures market?  Maybe a platform like a Robinhood has allowed access into the market, or an ETF is out there trading with propane futures.  Who really knows!  But we do know that the price of propane is very heavy based on supply and demand.  I expect to see a “bust” in prices if temps warm up at all going into the holiday season.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.  Please stay safe and remember to vote.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

Same Old, Same Old

Posted on by

Good morning!

Happy Friday!  Unfortunately, I don’t have much new news to report.  WTI prices, as predicted, are holding at the $40/barrel level.  I believe this in part to the upcoming election.  When looking at the supply and demand fundamentals, the appetite for refined products in the US is starting to drop, but demand is increasing in other parts of the world where the coronavirus is not as front and center.  So there seems to be a balancing act in the current state of economics.  I believe that we will trade in a very narrow range through the rest of the year until the big OPEC+ meeting in January.  The results of the election and the state of the coronavirus in America will all weigh on the OPEC+ decision.  We will see if the election results give any bump in oil prices, especially if it’s a contested election.  Other than the upcoming election, I still believe we are in a holding pattern.

In local news, gasoline retail prices are starting to drop now that gasoline supplies have returned to normal in the Chicago spot market due to the completion of some refinery turnarounds.  Diesel cost remain higher as we move through harvest and the end of year construction push.  However, diesel retail pump prices are extremely low right now in comparison to cost.  There is great value for diesel customers in our local market at the pump right now based on historical data.  I think that if the market continues to hold, diesel retail pump prices will have to jump back up above $2/gallon.  There is now a disconnect again between the cost of gasoline and the cost of diesel coming out of Chicago.

Propane prices are the continued head scratcher.  Propane prices are higher than anticipated even though inventories are robust and corn drying demand is low.  I believe most supply hubs are keeping prices higher with the unknown winter ahead, but I still feel that propane prices are 5-10 cents heavy.  We feel like if inventories are tight and corn drying demand is high, prices go up.  And if inventories are ample and corn drying demand is low, prices still go up.  Seems like no matter what, suppliers win in times of harvest.  🙂  If crude oil prices hold at the current level, I do think that there is a potential like last year for propane prices to drop in January and February of 2021.

As always, if you have any question, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.  Thanks and have a great weekend!

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

Oil Prices Steady

Posted on by

Good morning,

Oil prices sold off earlier this week on surging coronavirus infections across the globe, lack of a US stimulus deal, and fears of demand erosion with an abundance of supply.  The sell off was halted on Thursday when the US reported massive draws in crude oil and refined product inventories.  The market really seems to want WTI to stay above $40/barrel.  Even though fundamentals are quite bearish for crude, there are many qualitative factors affecting crude prices.  We have the Presidential election coming up, rising coronavirus infections, world wide reports of vaccines from multiple countries, and overall anxiety about what the future holds.  The anxiety of the unknown drives volatility in unexplained ways.  I would say that right now emotions are driving much of the markets and until the Presidential election is behind us, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.  Markets will still be volatile after the election, but we we will have at least one of the “unknowns” checked off the list.

In local news, retail gasoline prices are holding near $2/gallon and diesel prices on average are above $2/gallon.  I do not see much relief in diesel prices until after the fall harvest.  So far, the harvest is going smoothly and quickly.  I expect harvest to be mostly completed by early to mid-November.

Propane is the biggest headscratcher of all commodities I follow.  Prices have climbed dramatically and quickly going into winter index economics.  Although propane inventories are at record levels and corn drying demand is the lowest in many years, prices are holding steady.  Propane prices feel very, very heavy and unless the cold snap holds for the next month or so, I don’t see propane prices holding at these current levels.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford

Politics Like a Hurricane… Plus a Real Hurricane

Posted on by

Good morning,

I hope that this message finds everyone well.  Crude oil markets went on a wild ride this week.  After a steep sell off from Trump announcing his positive COVID-19 test and hospitalization, markets rebounded when Trump returned home.  In addition, politics started to play out where stimulus packages would get passed in Congress.  And then hurricane Delta poked its nose into the mix shutting down oil production and exports in the Gulf.  To top off the rally back, US inventories experienced a draw due to production cuts.  By Wednesday, crude prices were back to the highs of last week.  And now with the hurricane hitting land soon, traders took WTI over the $40/barrel mark and will probably hold until next week sometime.  Crude prices are very volatile.  I was expecting crude prices to drop today based on increased numbers of jobless claims and 23.5M people out of work with unemployment benefits running out.  Something needs to happen to support the economy.  Our entire airlines industry is going to collapse and 23.5M people out of work going into winter and holiday season is not particularity great for oil demand.  If Congress gets a deal done I believe that crude prices can hold.  If there is no deal on stimulus, then I could see crude prices tanking into the end of year.

In local news, retail prices have finally started to catch up to the increased cost on gas and diesel out of the Chicago spot market.  Although spot prices have eased a bit, I expect to see gasoline and diesel prices over $2/gallon for the coming week.

Propane production and supplies are ample, but prices continue to climb.  The situation is much of a head scratcher.  We are already at contract prices for our spot market pricing.  I think propane prices are setup to ease if the winter is mild.  You can still lock in your prices for winter though.  If you are unsure if your account is keep-fill or will-call, please call the office to clarify.  Hard to believe that winter is already sneaking up!

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to give us a call.

Best regards,

Jon Crawford