New Argus price to bring transparency to growing US crude export markets

HOUSTON, Sept. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new physical price assessment for the fast-growing US crude export market is launched today. Global energy and commodity price reporting agency Argus is publishing a price for waterborne US crude exports — Argus WTI fob Houston — that bridges the gap between the US domestic pipeline market and international shipments to five continents.

The Argus WTI Houston price, launched three years ago, is already the benchmark for much of the light sweet crude traded across North American pipeline networks. The new Argus WTI fob Houston price now adds transparency to the waterborne market.

US crude exports climbed to a record 2.2mn b/d in June, more than doubling from an average of less than 1mn b/d in the first half of 2017, US government data show. More than 40pc of US crude exports have reached Asia-Pacific destinations so far this year, and more than 30pc of shipments have gone to Europe.

Unlike the US inland pipeline markets, pricing of export waterborne cargoes has generally been opaque, clouded by complexities around logistics and quality.

"The US export market has needed an independent source of pricing to value light sweet crude exports," Argus Media chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks said. "The new Argus WTI fob Houston price provides that solution for the oil trading community."

The new price will introduce transparency to the export market for light sweet crude. It will complement established Argus benchmark indexes for pipeline WTI Houston and WTI Midland, both of which are used extensively in physical transactions and underpin actively traded futures contracts on the CME and Ice commodity exchanges.

The new price will be for cargoes of 500,000-650,000 bl loading at marine terminals in the Houston area. Prices for other US export grades and locations will also be launched over the next year. These assessments will be for cargoes loading 15-45 days ahead and will be priced as a differential to the Nymex light sweet crude contract.

The new Argus WTI fob Houston export price will be available in the Argus Crude and Argus Americas Crude daily services.

Contact Information

London 
Seana Lanigan
+44 20 7780 4272
[email protected]

Houston
Scott Berg
+1 713 968 0000 
[email protected]

Singapore
Pierre Lever
+65 6496 9960 
[email protected]

About Argus Media

Argus is an independent media organisation with almost 900 staff. It is headquartered in London and has 21 offices in the world's principal commodity trading and production centres. Argus produces price assessments and analysis of international energy and other commodity markets, and offers bespoke consulting services and industry-leading conferences.

Companies in 140 countries around the world use Argus data to index physical trade and as benchmarks in financial derivative markets as well as for analysis and planning purposes.

Argus was founded in 1970 and is a privately held UK-registered company. It is owned by employee shareholders and global growth equity firm General Atlantic.

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SOURCE Argus