Alexander Stahel 🌻 Profile picture
Sep 5, 2022 β€’ 17 tweets β€’ 9 min read β€’ Read on X
Let us look at the state of the European gas market.

We have worked hard to collect real time data where possible and are convinced to have a worldclass database by now.

What did we find out?

Thread 1/n
#TTF #LNG Image
Big picture first:

- Consumption: -12.2% yoy;
- RUS pipe imports: -48% yoy (inc. RUS LNG imports -42%);
- Local Production: +0.6% (Groningen could increase EU production by 10% alone within weeks);
- LNG imports: +70%.
- Net storage build: 45bcm!

2/n #Netherlands Image
Storage:

- ITA, FRA, GER, POL or CZE have done a great job saving gas to fill salt cavities et al "whatever it takes style".
- UK cannot b/c it lacks storage;
- EE struggles to access more flows;
- EU covers 51 of 180 winter days (<2 months).

So it needs flows!

3/n Image
Put differently, the EU now lost 180bcm (on 470) of annulised RUS gas! Storage 100% filled won't be enough without SAVING gas.

Subj to weather, the EU needs to save up to 20%, some countries more, some less (ESP/PT does not need savings).

4/n EU fill level in % @vonderleyen Image
In fact, savings is 3x more important than storing gas (both matters).

Take GER: it can storage max 2 months of gas (24bcm). Without flows, that will take it to Dec.

GER has flows from NOR & NL/BEL LNG re-imports & saved 16% YTD. Issue is..

5/n
Bundesnetzagentur reports >9bcm imports in Aug (3.3 TWh/d) which does NOT match real time reported 3.3bcm consump. + 3.3 builds - 0.5bcm prod.

Either BNA missed 3bcm of exports, some industrial consumption is unreported or both. Either way, it needs 6-9bcm/month flow.

6/n Image
VVP knows that which is why I explained countless times to study the LEADERS instead of theorising about what makes economic sense.

VVP does not care about the RUS economy at this stage. Instead, he & Patrushev dream about an empire. Accept.

7/n
Hence, it did not come as a surprise to us that Nord Stream 1 flows have stopped yesterday too (Yamal and Brotherhood - ironic name, isn't it - flows aready ceases to exist). These are the facts, the rest is noise.

8/n Image
More precisely, we predicted this back in July and explained its potential consequences for the European gas market and its economy at some length in an interview below on Real Vision.

Turns out we were in the money.

9/n @AndreasSteno
Now it's all about LNG.

VVP reduced flows by the exact same amout as EU increased LNG (42bcm YTD) and finally cut it to zero. Consequently, the EU will have to import 200bcm of LNG in 2023 to compensate the loss if consumption remains 12% reduced yoy. Can it?

10/n @OKalleklev Image
We think it can, but only if politicans don't mess it up.

It needs to conditions:
a) A price that outbids Asia for LNG; and
b) Enough re-gas capacity.

The EU has capacity, but at the wrong places. At 60% utilisation (150bcm pa), it is effectively maxed out for now.

11/n Image
If you want to read up on the European gas market or LNG bottlenecks, here is some material.

Part I (25 tweets)

12/n
Anyway, we explained what can improve and improving it does.

We identified 150bcm (!) of #LNG regasification terminal or FSRU projects, of which 20bcm are under construction for delivery in Q4 22 or Q1 23 & another 130bcm soon to be started - worldclass!

15/n Image
That is a lot of #LNG.

Adding it up & assuming ESP/FRA will debottle (STEP project), Europe ends up having 390bcm pa of re-gasification capacity by 2025.

Our view: it will be more. Everybody & their brother is sick & tired of #Gazprom (VVP) as a supplier.

16/n @OKalleklev Image
As for price, TTF trades at a $20/MMBtu premium to JKM. That is plenty to redirect LNG away from Asia and into Europe.

But if the EU Commission caps TTF (not just its price for power gen), it will mean Europe must save 30-50bcm more in 2023 & til production increases.

17/n End ImageImage

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More from @BurggrabenH

Nov 3
Let's talk China: Episode 5 of 7

In this episode, we discuss China's 2nd of 5 economic paths it can follow.

This episode will also focus on Xi the leader. To understand Xi means to better understand China's economic path forward.

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Can China replace malinvestment with more consumption?

Answer: Maybe a little bit & over a long time frame, but President Xi does not want to focus on this path. Instead, he wants to implement his socialist utopia.

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Oct 29
Let's talk China, shall we? Episode 4 of 7

In this episode, we discuss China's investment-led growth model & the first of 5 economic paths China can follow.

As you would expect, also this episode is full of Chinese characteristics!

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Starting in 1990s, China’s economic engine has been fueled by capital investments.

Its central planning bureau defined GDP targets, picked winners and drove growth from debt-driven capital formations (green line).

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Oct 20
Let's talk China, shall we?

Over the past 3 years, we made some controversial calls in commodities. We decided to exit our oil holding in Aug 2022, we went short natgas in early 2023 or called for copper to go lower in May.

Why? Because we have an egde on China.

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Yes, mainstream media picked up pace on important issues facing China today.

Most came to understand that the property bubble burst, that the economy is slowing, that geopolitical frictions are emerging, that there is too much debt.

But do they understand the underlying forces that drive these issues?

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While the majority of these facts are known, most Western observers, investors & industrialists do not fully appreciate their interdependence & the structural changes that are unfolding in China today.

For too long, the CCP had their back.

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Sep 21
Pre-2020, Gold had one marginal buyer, that being gold-backed ETFs.

Today, gold has at least 3 marginal buyers that can overlap or alternate each other. They are:

- Gold backed Western ETFs (which buy, sell or hold based on US real rates);

- Central Banks seeking higher gold reserves (China; India; Thailand; Vietnam; Qatar, KSA or even Poland) for geopolitical & other reasons;

- Chinese & other Asian wholesale or retail market participants and professional speculators;

Who bought most last? India!

Why? The government cut import duties on gold by 9% at end of July, triggering a renewed surge in demand. β€œThe impact of the duty cut was unprecedented, it was incredible,” said Philip Newman, managing director of Metals Focus in London. β€œIt really brought consumers in.”

At least for now, there seems to be always somebody.

1/nImage
Note however that Chinese retail buying has slowed down recently, as best illustrated by the Shanghai gold premium over international prices.

I will elaborate on the Chinese retail clients more soon.

2/n Image
However, professional Chinese speculators have increased their futures positions somewhat again. Who is the better indicator of what comes next, retail or the pros? IDK

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Sep 4
In 2023, I said I will tweet less about oil and I will stick to this promise but today I make an exception and will break the promise as we enter a period of more volatility for oil...

So let's talk about OPEC and Saudi market share. It's decision making time.

1/n
Step by step:

The Saudis decided to keep oil from falling <$75 for 2y by cutting overproportionally in their OPEC+ quota context.

They have cap for 12mbpd but produce 9mbpd. It was 10.5mbpd in 2022. Pick a number but they are 15-20% below their fair share.

2/n Image
Why did they do so?

Likely because of bad advisers. There is a whole crew of supply gloomers out there charging clients money to claim the Permian or US shale is about to roll over.

Well, it isn't.

3/n US weekly DOE crude oil Image
Read 14 tweets
Jun 18
Let me share some real time data on the EU natgas market that are hard to get.

European gas consumption for 28 countries matches last's years to the cubic meter (Oct 2022 - Oct 2023 = Year 2022).

However, consumption remains 17% below 2019/20 season.

Is there a supply issue? Rubbish. The global LNG market is oversupplied from every corner; EU storages will be filled by end of Aug where we sit. We have too much gas.

#TTF 1/4 (in mcm/day and YTD)Image
Three factors matter why there is less consumption vs 2019/20 season:

1) Milder weather: 70% of total consumption is temperature related. Temperatures are milder, thus Europe consumes 14% less vs 2019/20.

Is that permenant? It sure looks like a trend where I sit. But climate scientists can answer that best.

Households Consumption; 2/4Image
2) Less power generation: Europe replaces more and more natgas in the grid with solar & wind and in the case of France with better capacity utilisation of its nuclear fleet. That adds up...!

Selected Power Consumption: 7 countries; 3/4 Image
Read 4 tweets

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