July 11, 2018 by Ralph Grimmer The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will make a significant change to the maximum allowed sulfur content of marine fuel consumed on open oceans beginning January 1, 2020. This global change (via IMO revision of its MARPOL VI rule) was triggered by an IMO decision in 2008. Over the past...
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July 8, 2018 by Adam Schubert On June 12th, 2018 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it had granted to Butamax Advanced Biofuels, LLC (Butamax) registration of blends of up to 16 volume percent (vol%) isobutanol in gasoline. Prior to granting this registration, EPA took the unusual step of seeking public comment due to, as EPA put it, the significant possibility that such isobutanol-gasoline blends had the potential for widespread use. ...
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July 1, 2018 by Brian Conroy This is the first in a three-part series looking back at the renewable fuels standard (RFS) to reflect on the context in which it was created, what it was intended to do, how it has performed relative to the current context more than ten years later, and how the...
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On June 19, 2018, Stillwater’s President, Dave Hackett, participated as a panel member in an informational hearing on the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) held by the California State Assembly’s Select Committee on California’s Energy Future. The panel included an overview of the LCFS offered by the Legislative Analyst’s Office followed by comments from regulated...
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The last time we checked in on crude oil spot prices in bubble map form, the map showed how restricted pipeline capacity had led to big Western Canadian Select (WCS) discounts. Now, four months later, the bubble map tells the same story of crude oil production outpacing logistics – only this time in West Texas. On...
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June 5, 2018 by Kendra Seymour Contributors: James Ahrens, John Faulstich, Ralph Grimmer, Jim Mladenik, and Arshad Sheikh Let’s go back in time, to the late 1970s when sulfur regulations for fuel oil were less stringent and heavy San Joaquin Valley (SJV) crude was priced extremely low. This SJV was often minimally processed then dumped...
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June 1, 2018 by Jessica Loomis Here at Stillwater, we are fortunate to have associates with decades of hands-on, real-world experience from all over the world. One of our newest associates, Auby Legall, has expertise in oil and gas commercial project management, international joint venture management, and crude oil marketing and transportation. He’s taken global...
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As the passage of AB 398 has strengthened and extended California’s Cap and Trade program, we think our readers will benefit from a spotlight on the trends in the carbon credit market. As such, we periodically feature guest articles on California’s Cap and Trade program from our friends at CaliforniaCarbon.info. CaliforniaCarbon.info is a comprehensive information service...
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May 2, 2018 by Megan Boutwell A lot has happened since we wrote our first LCFS 101 article last year. Here we provide an update on the rules and the status of the credit market. What is the LCFS California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard is one of a group of programs designed to reduce greenhouse...
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May 2, 2018 by Stillwater Staff There’s a battle brewing between two provinces in Canada over a pipeline, and it may cause transportation fuels prices to spike at least in the short-term. Here we offer the backstory to get you up-to-date. In 2013, Kinder Morgan filed an application with the Canadian National Energy Board to...
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May 1, 2018 by Jessica Loomis During the week of April 16th, Stillwater Associates met in beautiful Laguna Beach, California for our Annual Meeting. Associates came from all over the country to get caught up on the state of the business, share ideas, and get re-acquainted. This year was particularly special because Stillwater Associates is...
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April 25, 2018 This afternoon, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) program data through the fourth quarter of 2017. The data shows a total of 9.912 million metric tonnes (MT) of credits for 2017 and 10.012 million MT in deficits, resulting in a 102,000 MT deficit for the...
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On April 24, 2018, at The Sulphur Institute’s Sulphur World Symposium in Philadelphia, Stillwater Senior Associate Ralph Grimmer presented comments on IMO 2020 – the International Maritime Organization’s mandated reduction in the maximum sulfur content of marine fuel (bunker fuel oil) from 3.5% to 0.5% on January 1, 2020. You can view a PDF of Ralph’s presentation...
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March 28, 2018 By Dave Hackett Buzz-word phrases like Carbon Capture and Storage, its sister concept Carbon Capture and Utilization, Enhanced Oil Recovery, and “Clean Coal” have been gaining air time in conversations among oil industry experts and policymakers. Stillwater has done work in the CCU space. In fact, Stillwater Energy Group – a subsidiary...
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On March 20, 2018, Stillwater’s president Dave Hackett presented comments on the impact of fuels regulations on bio-processors at the Bio-Processing Leadership Summit in Sonoma, California. You can view a PDF of Dave’s presentation here.
March 20, 2018 By Jessica Loomis In 1997, Stillwater Senior Associate Jeff Kennedy found himself living in California after several decades of moving around the country working for Mobil Oil. Following a much-needed break, Jeff met a convincing “self-styled serial entrepreneur” who we will call “Mr. X.” At the time, Mr. X was consulting with...
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February 22, 2018 On February 20th, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released Unofficial LCFS Rulemaking Documents for public review. These proposed amendments will be considered at a CARB Board hearing in April 2018 and voted on at a second hearing in mid-to-late 2018. In the past, CARB has released draft rulemaking documentation before public...
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February 15, 2018 By Ralph Grimmer The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is moving forward with a marked reduction in the maximum sulfur content of marine fuel (bunker fuel oil) from 3.5% to 0.5% on January 1, 2020. In the first four articles of our series on this “IMO 2020 Rule,” Stillwater provided an overview of...
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* Reflects anecdotal prices not posted prices The last time we checked in on crude oil spot prices in bubble map form, the map showed evidence of the lingering effects of recovery from Hurricane Harvey. Now, five months after that storm, the bubble map tells a different story. On February 13th, spot WTI was quoted...
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As the passage of AB 398 has strengthened and extended California’s Cap and Trade program, we think our readers will benefit from a spotlight on the trends in the carbon credit market. As such, we periodically feature guest articles on California’s Cap and Trade program from our friends at CaliforniaCarbon.info. CaliforniaCarbon.info is a comprehensive information service...
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February 9, 2018 By David Hackett Stillwater Associates is often retained to analyze markets. Currently, we have a project for the Fuels Institute to look at the demand for higher octane gasoline in the future. This analysis is driven by the growing demand for higher octane gasolines that cars increasingly need to maximize the performance...
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January 15, 2018 By Megan Boutwell Stillwater’s transportation energy policy experts closely follow federal, state, and international policy developments and their impacts on industry and consumers. As 2018 begins, there are a number of policy trends that we will be following and for which we’ll provide expertise to clients. The following are of some of...
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January 10, 2018 By Miriam Stern Last month, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the final version of California’s 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan, a blueprint for reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs), bolstering clean energy, and improving air quality. We previously summarized the proposed Scoping Plan (drafted early last year), and, while the overall...
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January 15, 2018 By Ralph Grimmer of Stillwater Associates, and Adrian Tolson of 20|20 Marine Energy The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is moving forward with a marked reduction from 3.5% to 0.5% in the maximum sulfur content of marine fuel (bunker fuel oil) on January 1, 2020. In our November 2017 newsletter, Stillwater...
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At a January 9, 2018, public hearing in the Washington State House Committee on Environment, Stillwater president Dave Hackett presented comments on HB 2338, an act relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels by introducing an LCFS program in that state. You can view a PDF of Dave’s presentation here and a video of the panel...
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In the first quarter of 2017, CARB reported the first quarter of net deficits generated in the program. As the carbon intensity standards become more stringent, the demand for LCFS credits will increase significantly in 2018 and continue in to 2019 and 2020. The credit bank that has built up will be drawn down, causing...
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November 16, 2017 by Ralph Grimmer, James Ahrens, and Leigh Noda The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is moving forward with a marked reduction from 3.5% to 0.5% in the maximum sulfur content of marine fuel (bunker fuel oil) on January 1, 2020. In our October newsletter, Stillwater provided Part 2 of our series on this...
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November 15, 2017 By Jessica Loomis In February of 1991, Senior Associate Leigh Noda was working for ARCO as the manager of business and technology in ARCO’s flagship refinery in Carson, California. One afternoon, the refinery’s manager called Leigh into his office with a very special project. Ronald Reagan was turning 80 years old, and...
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November 11, 2017 By David Hackett, President Last year, we at Stillwater offered a review of the state of ethanol-free (or E0) gasoline in the U.S. Since then, we’ve learned a great deal about the market which we will share in this updated article. We start with some background: The Federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)...
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As the passage of AB 398 has strengthened and extended California’s Cap and Trade program, we think our readers will benefit from a spotlight on the trends in the carbon credit market. We will be featuring guest articles on California’s Cap and Trade program from our friends at CaliforniaCarbon.info. CaliforniaCarbon.info is a comprehensive information service...
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October 9, 2017 by Dave Hackett Stillwater has always been interested in technology development in the transportation fuel space. We help clients figure out how their new fuels or fuel-related technologies fit into the supply chain. Our first project, back in the day, was a dot-com. The objective was to help reduce transaction costs in...
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October 11, 2017 By Jessica Loomis In the late 1990s, Stillwater Senior Associate James Ahrens was working in the crude oil supply, trading, and transportation division at Mobil as a supply optimization coordinator for the Beaumont refinery. The fuels crude unit at the refinery typically ran a slate of heavy sour crude oil that left...
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October 12, 2017 by Ralph Grimmer and Michael Myers Stillwater is following the progress and impact of the International Maritime Organization’s Global Maximum Sulfur Content of Marine Fuel Rule, or IMO 2020. Our first article, IMO 2020 Part 1: The evolution of the marine sulfur regulation, appeared on the website in September 2017. The International...
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October 10, 2017 by Kendra Seymour As often happens in the aftermath of natural disasters, there has been increased coverage in the last month debating the merits of a 97-year-old law which affects delivery of goods to U.S. shores. You’ve likely heard talk about the Jones Act, but do you know what it is and...
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October 10, 2017 This month we check back in on our crude oil spot prices in bubble map form – the first time we’ve done so since January. On October 10th spot WTI was quoted at $51 per barrel, with Brent $5 higher. Western Canadian Select was discounted at $13 under WTI. On the Gulf...
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Stillwater Associate Barry Schaps’ presentation at the STI/SPFA conference on September 27, 2017. This presentation explains the transportation fuels supply chain, outlines the impact of the U.S. shale boom on supply and demand, and discusses the changing regulatory landscape. You can download a copy of his presentation here.
As the passage of AB 398 has strengthened and extended California’s Cap and Trade program, we think our readers will benefit from a spotlight on the trends in the carbon credit market. Starting this month, we will be featuring guest articles on California’s Cap and Trade program from our friends at CaliforniaCarbon.info. CaliforniaCarbon.info is a...
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September 12, 2017 By Michael Leister In recent weeks, as I look at pictures and listen to stories about the devastation caused by Harvey and Irma, I can’t help but think back to a similar time when the hurricane names were Katrina and Rita. This is not a story about the heroic efforts or terrible deaths that...
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On August 2, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released the first quarter 2017 data from the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Reporting Tool (LRT). For the first time, LCFS deficits exceeded credits for a quarter and the total banked credits declined. The chart below shows the decline in the first quarter and the break...
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June 6, 2017 by Kendra Seymour Introduction Last week President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the historic Paris Climate Agreement, signaling a lack of commitment at the federal level to combatting climate change. Many states, municipalities, and companies, however, have voiced continued support for the Paris Agreement and have affirmed their intention to fulfill the...
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April 24, 2017 By Rob Nikolewski, The San Diego Union-Tribune In an indication of just how much California is affected by gasoline prices, at least three different groups on Monday weighed in on the ramifications of Senate Bill 1, the $52.4 billion effort passed by Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature earlier this month. One organization...
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February 28, 2017 by Rob Jaques Stillwater’s litigation support business has grown significantly over the past couple of years. These projects have included an $8 billion arbitration case, a $12 million crude-by-rail lawsuit, a $5 million biodiesel lawsuit, and others. As a result of this growing business, Senior Associate Jim Langley and I decided to...
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February 28, 2017 by Jessica Loomis In recent years, several major integrated oil companies have sold off certain refineries they own because they don’t believe they are positioned to be core to their current business practices. We thought it would be interesting to examine some of these large companies as they continue to turn their...
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February 28, 2017 by Megan Boutwell Not too long ago a friend checked in looking for an LCFS tutorial. Based on that request we decided to put together a handy dandy LCFS guide. We could go on for days about this stuff, but we’ll show a little discipline and just give you the high points....
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Dave Hackett’s presentation at the American Coalition for Ethanol Annual Conference on August 10, 2016. This presentation explains the refining process, defines octane, and explains the octane market.
Dave Hackett’s presentation at the OPIS Mexico – U.S. Petroleum Summit on May 24, 2016. This presentation discusses the current petroleum product flows in Mexico and the export flows from the U.S. into Mexico. It also takes a close look at wholesale prices along the border. VIEW PRESENTATION
Michael Leister’s presentation at the 2016 AFPM Annual Meeting on March 15, 2016. This presentation discusses EPA’s changes to the RFS which are meant to encourage the growth of production and use of biofuels and as an initial step to drive greater E85 and perhaps E15 sales. The presentation provides an analysis of the changes to the...
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Dave Hackett’s presentation at the OPIS Mexico – U.S. Petroleum Summit on November 17, 2015. This presentation discusses the current petroleum product flows in Mexico and the export flows from the U.S. into Mexico. It also takes a look at what the deregulated Mexican market may look like in 2018. VIEW PRESENTATION
Dave Hackett’s presentation at the Annual OPIS Supply Summit on October 27, 2014. This presentation discusses the current California LCFS and Cap & Trade regulations and how they are affecting the transportation fuels industry in the state. It also explores the status of clean fuels and low carbon fuel standards being considered in other states...
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Dave Hackett’s presentation to the Quest Club of Bakersfield on the fundamental problem the energy industry faces in the Mid Continent. The presentation also takes a look at the Pacific Basin and suggests additional solutions. VIEW PRESENTATION
RINs prices have gone way up since the beginning of the year. This presentation offers a little explanation of how RINs flow through the fuel supply chain and why the cost of RINs have gone up recently. VIEW PRESENTATION
Dave Hackett’s presentation at the 2014 AFPM Annual Meeting. This Crude-by-Rail presentation lays out the benefits and challenges of delivering Mid Continent crude oil to refining centers on the East, West and Gulf Coasts. VIEW PRESENTATION
Dave Hackett’s presentation at the 2013 API Storage Tank Conference. This presentation on crude-by-rail (CBR) answers these questions: What has changed in the CBR space? Why are refinery and trading people so interested? What comes next? How long is this phenomena going to last? VIEW PRESENTATION
Dave Hackett’s presentation at the 2013 AFPM Annual Meeting on the effects of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The presentation explores these questions: Will the regulation be adjusted to reflect market conditions? How hard do regulators push for new technology development? How do we know this innovation is occurring fast enough to meet the schedule...
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Presentation by David Hackett to the 14th Annual OPIS Supply Summit on October 24, 2012 on the current regulations, the potential adjustments, implementation schedule, and likely impacts of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard. VIEW PRESENTATION
Oil prices are high and volatile and likely to stay that way. High prices are driving a huge increase in the use of renewable fuels. VIEW PRESENTATION
A presentation to the SE2 Fellows Network at the University of California Irvine. July 25, 2011. VIEW PRESENTATION
A presentation to the 2011 SIGMA Executive Leadership Conference, January 24, 2011 VIEW PRESENTATION
A presentation to the Pacific Oil Conference, September 20, 2010 VIEW PRESENTATION