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Difficult times for Germany’s downstream
Europe’s refining sector is desperately trying to adapt to a shifting global energy landscape and nowhere is this more apparent than in its largest economy
Global oil benchmark resolves its existential crisis
The addition of US crude to the world’s top oil benchmark has finally solved its North Sea conundrum and laid down a marker for the future
Oil trading’s biggest bust – MG: The death spiral and aftermath
Kevin O’Reilly concludes the cautionary tale of the German conglomerate’s overreach with what went very, very wrong
Oil trading’s biggest bust – MG: Enter Arthur Benson
Kevin O’Reilly continues his three-part account of the hobbling of a German industrial giant with the arrival of the story’s central figure
Oil trading’s biggest bust – MG: What started to go wrong?
Kevin O’Reilly, with 27 years commodity trading experience, dives into one of the most compelling tales of how not to hedge your risks in the first of a three-part series
Chinese energy demand gets back on track
The signs point towards a comeback in 2023, but uncertainty around Covid remains a factor
Arrow flies against Colombian headwinds
The company does not seem concerned about the effect on its growth plans of the new government’s proposed oil sector reforms, and is even looking at potential acquisitions
US oil output to set new record
Partisan political rhetoric has not prevented production growth
Outlook 2023: High prices are a cure for high prices
History shows that the demand impact keeps any oil market spikes strictly temporary in nature
Outlook 2023: Energy crisis puts political commitments to the test
Governments around the world must decide how to approach the energy trilemma amid ongoing volatility
Oil markets
Peter Ramsay
16 April 2019
Follow @PetroleumEcon
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Dated Brent gets another makeover

The world’s most important Fob oil benchmark will get a new Cif element from October

Dated Brent is without doubt the most influential and iconic oil benchmark price. But, since 2002, its name has been misleading, as a decline in production from the Brent system has seen other grades added, initially Forties and Oseberg in 2002, followed by Ekofisk in 2007 and Troll in 2017. The Brent market has also become more complex, as the arrival of the Buzzard field—with substantial quality difference to the rest of the Dated Brent fields—into the Forties system in 2007 required a sulphur de-escalator to be introduced. Quality premia for Ekofisk and Oseberg were introduced in 2013 and revised in 2014, while a Troll premium will be added in April this year. The window length has also c

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