The gains and pains of an oil trader
In the first of a six-part series from our man overlooking the bullpen, we follow the trials and tribulations of following the markets
This article is the first of a six-part series, "A day in the life… of an oil trader" AFTER being involved in the market for 15 years it’s instinctive to wake up at a certain time of the night and check where oil-futures markets are trading and scan the newswires. I normally wake early to go to the gym, which helps clear my mind and I can focus on what needs to happen over the next 12-14 hours. I get to my office and fire up my screens. The operations group will report how much inventory actually moved overnight versus what was forecasted. Today, it comes in above forecast. I have to buy back futures contracts in four different accounts, all refined products. Futures are up on the day which
Also in this section
20 February 2026
The country is pushing to increase production and expand key projects despite challenges including OPEC+ discipline and the limitations of its export infrastructure
20 February 2026
Europe has transformed into a global LNG demand powerhouse over the last few years, with the fuel continuing to play a key role in safeguarding the continent’s energy security, Carsten Poppinga, chief commercial officer at Uniper, tells Petroleum Economist
20 February 2026
Sempra Infrastructure’s vice president for marketing and commercial development, Carlos de la Vega, outlines progress across the company’s US Gulf Coast and Mexico Pacific Coast LNG portfolio, including construction at Port Arthur LNG, continued strong performance at Cameron LNG and development of ECA LNG
19 February 2026
US LNG exporter Cheniere Energy has grown its business rapidly since exporting its first cargo a decade ago. But Chief Commercial Officer Anatol Feygin tells Petroleum Economist that, as in the past, the company’s future expansion plans are anchored by high levels of contracted offtake, supporting predictable returns on investment
