Author Archives for Kendra Seymour

Webinar: IMO 2020 and the Sulphur/Sulphuric Acid Markets

January 16, 2019 10:27 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

Acuity Commodities has partnered with Stillwater Associates to model three scenarios reflecting implementation of new International Maritime Organization (IMO) marine fuel rule from January 1, 2020, when the maximum sulphur content in bunker fuel oil has to be reduced to 0.50%. With the IMO 2020 implementation deadline unlikely to be postponed and less than 12...
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Stillwater Benchmark for Refinery Stationary Source Cap & Trade Costs

January 15, 2019 11:02 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

January 15, 2019 1.4 cpg This benchmark represents the cost in cents per gallon of CARBOB gasoline and CARB diesel incurred by the refining sector under of the stationary source provision of California’s Cap and Trade program (Stationary Source Cap and Trade or SSC&T). Stillwater’s Benchmark for Refinery SSC&T Cost is calculated using the...
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My Carbon Beats your Carbon – Greenhouse Gas Reduction Technology Lifecycles

January 12, 2019 9:39 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

January 12, 2019 By Leigh Noda Humankind is unique in the animal kingdom in our ability to creatively utilize energy. Over the history of humankind, the primary source of energy we’ve used has changed from self to dung to wood to hydro to coal to petroleum, and now we are transitioning toward renewables and energy...
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LNG Bunkering in U.S. Ports: Change is Coming

December 23, 2018 6:51 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

By John Wolff, Senior Associate Image: KLAW LNG Liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be used as a fuel for ships (and trucks and buses) with specially designed fuel tanks. Currently, few U.S.- and foreign-flagged vessels are fueled with LNG, although that number may increase with the coming IMO 2020 regulation. U.S. officials have historically treated...
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A Look Ahead: The Long Term LCFS Credit Price

December 14, 2018 10:06 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

On December 13, 2018, Stillwater Senior Associate Leigh Noda participated as a panelist at the OPIS LCFS & Carbon Markets Workshop in San Francisco. The panelists were asked to address: “What exactly will the long-term price of the LCFS credit look like? As the LCFS program heads into 2020 and beyond, what products will produce the...
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Moving Renewable Fuels to Market: U.S. Infrastructure

December 10, 2018 9:57 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

On December 10, 2018, Dave Hackett provided a presentation on U.S. renewable fuels transportation infrastructure to a joint government and industry working group. This presentation explains how ethanol and biodiesel are moved from renewable fuels production centers to markets where they are blended with petroleum products for retail sale. You can view a PDF of...
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The Problem of Invalidated RINs in the Renewable Fuel Standard

November 14, 2018 10:07 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

November 14, 2018 by Mike Newman of Parhelion Underwriting Under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) imposed a “buyer beware” approach to the purchase and sale of Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs). This creates a liability for any buyer of RINs, making them responsible for purchases of invalid RINS, even if done...
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West Coast Crude Oil Supply

November 1, 2018 1:20 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

November 1, 2018 by David Hackett Last month, our friends at RBN Energy held a conference in Houston (of course) to bring together people interested in the development of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids from the Permian Basin in West Texas. Figure 1. Crude-Producing Regions in the United States Source: U.S. Energy...
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Has California Gasoline Demand Peaked?

October 17, 2018 2:56 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

by Dave Hackett Stillwater is often asked to provide forecasts for petroleum demand. Clients use these forecasts to understand how the market is likely to change. For the last four or five years, we have predicted a drop in gasoline demand, mostly driven by cars and light-duty trucks getting better gas mileage as the result...
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California Carbon Info: Future Supply and Demand of California Carbon Offsets

October 17, 2018 12:35 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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War Story: “Go figure it out”

October 15, 2018 11:03 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

by Brian Conroy When Stillwater Associate Brian Conroy worked for BP in 2006 as Global Sales and Market Development Manager of Specialty Chemicals, he was offered an opportunity to try something new. With a background in chemicals, beginning in research and progressing to various roles in business, he was ready for the change. BP’s CEO...
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War Story: California’s Lengthy Multi-Media Evaluation Process

September 12, 2018 11:34 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

September 12, 2018 By Jessica Loomis Twenty years ago, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was a common additive used to oxygenate and raise the octane number in gasoline, but when incidents of MTBE leaking occurred from underground storage tanks at gas stations in California, groundwater contamination became a growing issue. MTBE isn’t particularly toxic, but its...
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Agile Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory Services

September 10, 2018 4:30 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

September 10, 2018 By Vaughn Hulleman Agile is a project management method whose principles include placing customer satisfaction as the highest priority and delivering products or services frequently. This approach is used mostly in software development, but can advisory services for Mergers and Acquisitions be Agile? The Agile project management approach includes breaking the overall...
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California Cap and Trade 101

September 7, 2018 11:17 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

September 7, 2018 By Jim Mladenik and Kendra Seymour Following the publication of our LCFS 101: Beginner’s Guide and LCFS 101: Update, we have received requests for a similar overview of California’s Cap and Trade (C&T) Program. To that end, here we cover what C&T is, how it works, and how it’s performing so far....
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The Renewable Fuel Standard – Part 3: Where to from here?

September 1, 2018 4:24 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

September 1, 2018 by Brian Conroy This is the third and final segment in a series of articles on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In part one, we discussed the context around the passage of RFS. Part two covered the program’s primary goals and the progress to-date toward each goal. Today we conclude our series by looking down the road to discuss a...
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California Stationary Source Cap and Trade Benchmark

August 8, 2018 11:01 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

August 8, 2018 BACKGROUND California’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) put in place a series of policies and programs across all major sectors with the goal of returning California emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is tasked with developing regulations and market mechanisms to meet this...
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The Renewable Fuel Standard – Part 2: Performance Over Time

August 7, 2018 10:26 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

August 1, 2018 by Brian Conroy In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the background and drivers for the implementation of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In Part 2, we will look at how RFS has performed against each of its three primary goals: Increase energy security Provide a mechanism for higher demand...
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Projecting the Costs of California’s Cap & Trade and Low Carbon Fuel Standard Programs

July 25, 2018 10:31 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

July 25, 2018 By Jim Mladenik and Kendra Seymour Showing the line-item cost to consumers of carbon-reduction programs assists legislators in crafting effective policy and helps fuel consumers make informed decisions. To that end, Stillwater’s carbon policy team recently conducted an analysis of the potential impact of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and Carbon...
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Expected Pricing and Economic Impacts of the IMO 2020 Rule

July 10, 2018 5:28 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Bio-Isobutanol – Overview and Challenges

July 8, 2018 4:41 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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The Renewable Fuel Standard – Part 1: A Retrospective Look

July 1, 2018 4:22 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

July 1, 2018 by Brian Conroy This is the first in a three-part series looking back at the renewable fuel 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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LCFS Successes and Challenges

June 20, 2018 3:36 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Bubble Map Update: Trapped in the Permian!

June 7, 2018 10:22 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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IMO 2020 & Crude Slate Pricing: Choose Your Own Adventure

June 5, 2018 2:55 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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California Carbon Info: Regulatory Round-up – Informal Workshop on Potential Amendments to Cap-and-Trade Regulation

May 15, 2018 11:59 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

LCFS 101 – An Update

May 2, 2018 2:53 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

May 2, 2018 by Megan Boutwell Exclusive LCFS CCM Analysis – Available to paid Premium newsletter subscribers beginning November 8, 2018 The Credit Clearance Market (CCM) provision of the LCFS program aims to match LCFS credit holders with Regulated Entities (REs) who have insufficient credits to meet their obligation at the end of the compliance...
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The Trans Mountain Tangle

May 2, 2018 10:28 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Stillwater Celebrates 20 Years

May 1, 2018 1:30 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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FLASH BULLETIN: CARB Releases Fourth Quarter 2017 LCFS Data

April 25, 2018 7:15 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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IMO 2020: A Sea Change is Coming

April 25, 2018 7:30 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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. Ralph’s presentation offers an IMO 2020 overview, a...
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Carbon Capture and Utilization for Enhanced Oil Recovery

March 28, 2018 10:37 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Impact of Fuels Regulations on Bio-Processors

March 21, 2018 9:38 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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.

War Stories: A Case for Due Diligence

March 20, 2018 9:03 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Upcoming Changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard and Potential Impacts

March 13, 2018 1:00 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

March 13, 2018 At the 2018 AFPM Annual Meeting, Stillwater Associate Mike Leister offered a presentation analyzing the changes that EPA is making to the RFS in 2018. He examined the reasons for these changes and their likely impact on renewable biofuels and the various RIN markets. Mike also discussed the projected status of the RIN banks at the end...
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FLASH ANALYSIS: CARB’s Latest LCFS Rulemaking – Are the goalposts moving?

February 22, 2018 8:46 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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IMO 2020 Part 5: Enforcement

February 15, 2018 9:06 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Bubble Map Update: Restricted Pipeline Capacity Leads to Big WCS discounts

February 13, 2018 7:21 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

* 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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California Carbon Info: Analysis of CCO usage for 2016 compliance obligation

February 10, 2018 3:25 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

The Cost of Premium

February 9, 2018 2:46 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Policy trends we’ll be watching in 2018

January 17, 2018 4:55 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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What’s New in California’s Final 2017 Climate Change Scoping Plan?

January 17, 2018 10:04 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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IMO 2020 Part 4: Bunker Suppliers’ and Blenders’ Perspective

January 15, 2018 1:59 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Stillwater’s View of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard

January 9, 2018 2:41 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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The Hidden Taxes in Gasoline and Diesel Prices

December 12, 2017 10:28 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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IMO 2020 Part 3: Refiners’ Perspective

November 16, 2017 1:04 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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War Story: Operation Iron Lady

November 15, 2017 11:55 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Update: How much “Ethanol-Free” gasoline is out there?

November 13, 2017 6:01 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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California Carbon Info: California Emissions Decline Faster than Cap in 2016

November 6, 2017 8:15 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Innovation in Transportation Energy

October 11, 2017 3:51 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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War Story: Under Pressure

October 11, 2017 3:00 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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IMO 2020 Part 2: Shipowners’ Perspective

October 11, 2017 12:01 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Jones Act 101: Maritime protectionism and transportation fuels

October 10, 2017 4:25 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Bubble Map Update: Post-Hurricane Price Differentials Drive Exports

October 10, 2017 2:46 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Steel Tank Conference Presentation

September 28, 2017 1:42 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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.

California Carbon Info: Analyzing California’s offset demand

September 13, 2017 7:48 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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War Stories: Government-Industry Cooperation in the Aftermath of Katrina and Rita

September 13, 2017 7:44 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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FLASH ANALYSIS: Q1 2017 LCFS Deficits Exceed Credits for First Time

August 7, 2017 3:37 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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California’s 2030 Scoping Plan: Changes for the Transportation Fuels Sector

June 6, 2017 3:29 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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The ripple effects of the gasoline tax increase

April 24, 2017 10:59 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Our Trip to the Center for American and International Law Annual Oil and Gas Law Conference

March 1, 2017 10:43 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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A Closer Look: Integrated Majors Breaking Up with their Refineries

February 28, 2017 10:39 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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LCFS 101 – A Beginner’s Guide

February 28, 2017 10:34 am Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

February 28, 2017 by Megan Boutwell Exclusive LCFS CCM Analysis – Available to paid Premium newsletter subscribers beginning November 8, 2018 The Credit Clearance Market (CCM) provision of the LCFS program aims to match LCFS credit holders with Regulated Entities (REs) who have insufficient credits to meet their obligation at the end of the compliance...
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Octane’s Value Proposition

August 10, 2016 12:44 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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.

The Value Chain Part 1 – Oil Product Supply

May 24, 2016 12:07 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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

How RFS Changes Impact Program Participants

March 15, 2016 12:11 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Product Flows and Markets: Today and Tomorrow

November 17, 2015 2:39 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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

LCFS and Cap & Trade – Is Greenhouse Gas Regulation Coming Soon to a State Near You?

October 27, 2014 2:51 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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Navigating Changes in Transportation Energy

October 16, 2014 2:55 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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

The Fuel Supply Chain & RINs

April 10, 2014 3:27 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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

The Effect of Crude by Rail on Refining and Logistics

March 25, 2014 3:18 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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

Rail as Pipeline: Engineering Issues/Challenges for Terminal Operators

October 24, 2013 3:24 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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

What Does California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard Mean for You?

March 14, 2013 3:30 pm Published by Kendra Seymour Comments Off

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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