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
23 April 2026
The addition of an oil pipeline to the Power of Siberia 2 gas project could ensure deliveries of Russian oil to China, materially shorten logistics lines between West Siberia and final customers, and—amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz—offer a land-based export route that reduces exposure to maritime chokepoints
23 April 2026
There is a clear push to bolster exports to Asia amid uncertainty around its North American neighbour, but there are limits to the benefits from the energy crisis
23 April 2026
Shell made the play-opening discovery in Namibia’s Orange basin back in 2022, but its next well could decide whether the project can actually be commercialised
22 April 2026
The failure of OMV Petrom’s keenly watched exploration campaign at Bulgaria’s Han Asparuh block highlights the Black Sea’s uneven track record, despite major successes like Neptun Deep and Sakarya
