Risky trades, sleepless nights
In the second of a six-part series, our trader keeps his eye on the weather
This article is the second of a six-part series, "A day in the life… of an oil trader" YOU SPEND a helluva lot of time trying to figure out the “job of the market”. Inevitably, in the physical and financial oil markets, situations come up that aren’t economically sustainable. Since so much influences the price – from fundamentals to positioning or things that are not predictable, like geopolitics or weather – you have to be constantly focused. In the summer, people are paying attention to day-to-day gasoline demand or preparing for hurricane season. Some are also looking at the upcoming winter season. A while back many were content with total US distillate inventories being higher than the p
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
